The Gospel is the Power of God unto the regenerated elect, not to the unregenerate. Gospel Truth is light, objective light, and the Gospel truths of the person and Work of Christ are. Spiritual.
But now men who are unregenerate are in subjective darkness, and so we love darkness rather than light, the objective light of the Gospel. When this Gospel light shines in subjective darkness, the unregenerate heart, it comprehends it not [spiritually] Jn 1:5
And the
light shineth in
darkness; and
the darkness comprehended it not.
The word comprehend is the word katalambanō :
to make one's own, to take into oneself, appropriate:
to lay hold of
- to lay hold of so as to make one's own, to obtain, attain to, to make one's own, to take into one's self, appropriate
- to seize upon, take possession of
- to lay hold of with the mind
- to understand, perceive, learn, comprehend
This corresponds with Pauls teaching in 1 Cor 2:14
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
See by nature we are subjective darkness in our unregenerate state Eph 5:8
8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
You ignored this
faith in the gospel precedes regeneration
James 1:18 (KJV 1900) — 18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
The word of truth precedes regeneration
1 Peter 1:18–23 (KJV 1900) — 18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. 22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
Being born again by the gospel. Again the gospel precedes regeneration
1 Corinthians 4:15 (KJV 1900) — 15 For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.
born again through the gospel
The gospel - faith in it precedes regeneration
The gospel must be mixed with faith to benefit
Hebrews 4:2 (KJV 1900) — 2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.