As carnal not as they were carnal .
So who are these natural men who cannot understand because they are Spiritually discerned??
1Co 2:14 But δὲ [the] natural Ψυχικὸς man ἄνθρωπος {does} not οὐ accept δέχεται the things τὰ of the τοῦ Spirit Πνεύματος - τοῦ of God; Θεοῦ· for γὰρ they are ἐστίν, foolishness μωρία to him, αὐτῷ and καὶ vvv οὐ he is not able δύναται to understand [them], γνῶναι, because ὅτι spiritually πνευματικῶς they are discerned. ἀνακρίνεται.
1) "But the natural man". (psuchikos de anthropos) "but a natural man," a man of natural senses, unrenewed by the new birth, Jas_3:15; Jud_1:19; Joh_3:3; Joh_3:5. This natural man is contrasted in comprehension with the spiritual (pneumatikos) man.
2) "Receiveth not the things of the Spirit oi God." (ou dechetai ta tou pneumatos tou theou) "not receives things of the spirit of God." He receives not the joy of the Holy Spirit, the witness of the Spirit, the peace of the Spirit, or the three gifts of the Holy Spirit - faith, hope, and charity, 1Co_13:13.
3) "For they are foolishness unto him." (moria gar auto estin) "For they are folly, or of moronic nature, to him." Herod could not comprehend the interest of the wise men who sought the newborn Christ, nor could the leaders in Jerusalem understand the wisdom of the apostles, Mat_2:1-13; Act_4:13.
4) "Neither can he know them." (Kai ou dunatai .gnonai) "and he is not able to know (them)" (things of the Spirit). Act_5:29-39.
5) "Because they are spiritually discerned." (Greek hoti pneumatikos anakrinetai) "because spiritually are they discerned or adjudged." As it takes an artist to discern art, a musician to discern good music, or a farmer to discern good farming, so it takes a spirit born and spirit discerning person to discern "signs of the times and the works of the Spirit." 2Pe_3:18; 2Ti_3:16-17.
1Co_2:14
natural man -- The verse itself identifies him. A reference to a man who does not discern spiritual things.
NLTSB says "people who aren't spiritual", Unbelievers, whose minds are blinded, function in the natural world and see life only through physical eyes (see 2Co_4:4). They cannot appreciate the significance of the Good News, for it is essentially a spiritual message.
But the natural man -- The NIV inserts "the man without the Spirit" for the Greek "the natural man" or "physical man". In 1Co_2:12-13 the word "know" becomes "understand", and erroneously teaching that we cannot understand the Scripture without the direct operation of the Spirit.
the natural man -- Literally, “a natural man,” that is, a man who is not spiritual minded; one un-converted to Christ, one whose interests are confined to the things of this life.
Such a man depends on human wisdom for the solution of all his problems. He lives to please himself and to gratify the desires of the unconverted heart, hence is incapable of understanding and appreciating the things of God.
To him the plan of salvation, the wonderful revelation of God’s love, is folly. He cannot distinguish between worldly philosophy and spiritual truth.
no able to understand -- Man cannot arrive at spiritual truth without being taught the gospel, Rom_10:17.
spiritually -- One who has been taught the gospel of God and has received it into his heart by faith and obedience is spiritually-minded and looks at God and the world in a different light than the carnally-minded man.
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discerned -- . Gr. anakrinô, “to examine,” “to investigate,” here to arrive at truth after examination and judging. Compare the use of anakrinô in Luk_23:14; Act_4:9; 1Co_2:15; 1Co_10:25; etc.
"that we may know the things freely given to us by God" Believers can understand the gospel of Christ and their blessings in Him only through the Holy Spirit.
It is certainly true that in their fallen and temporal state even believers cannot fully, exhaustively know God, but can know and understand everything needed for salvation and godly living through the revelation of the Father, the person and work of the Son, and the illumination of the Spirit. Because we cannot know everything is no excuse not to embrace the clear truths of the Bible and walk in them.
It is also crucial that believers acknowledge that God's wisdom has been "freely given" (cf. Rom. 8:32). It is a gift of God which He desires to give to all humans made in His image (cf. Gen. 1:26-27), but now through rebellion are estranged from Him (i.e., Genesis 3; Rem. 3:9-18). God's wisdom is not the result of human intelligence, social standing, or ingenuity, but the revelation of God's love and mercy through Christ's work and the Spirit's agency. Since Christ, ignorance is willful! The Holy Spirit brings light, truth, and salvation. The spirit of this world brings darkness, deception, and death (i.e., 2 Cor. 4:4).
2:13 "which things we also speak" It is crucial that believers share these God-given truths. They are life and light (i.e., Matt. 5:13-14) to a lost and dying world, a loved world which has been redeemed if only they will receive God's Son, God's truth! Revelation is primarily redemptive (cf. 2 Tim. 2:15) and then transformational (cf. 2 Tim. 3:16-17).
NASB "in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words"
NKJV "which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual"
NRSV "taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual"
TEV "we do not speak in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit"
NJB "in terms learnt from the Spirit, fitting spiritual language to spiritual things"
Peshitta "but on the teaching of the Spirit; thus explaining spiritual things to the spiritual minded"
This is a very ambiguous phrase for several reasons. Before attempting to sort this out, remember the larger context is the key and not ambiguous details of Greek grammar or philology. The larger context relates to the mature believers (cf. 1 Cor. 2:6). It contrasts human wisdom and knowledge with God's wisdom, which is Christ, and God's knowledge, which is expressed in the gospel. This is the main truth of chapters 1 and 2.
The Holy Spirit is an indispensable channel of communication (cf. John 16:8-14). He reveals spiritual truths to those who have trusted Christ and received the indwelling Spirit. In some ways Paul's discussion here is similar to Jesus' parable of the sower or soils (cf. Matthew 13). The gospel message is understood and responded to by receptive hearers, but rejected by unresponsive hearers.
The term pneumatikois can be NEUTER (i.e., spiritual things) or MASCULINE (i.e., spiritual people). Another group of hearers is mentioned in the next verse, psuchikos (i.e., the natural or lost person). It is probable that the term in 1 Cor. 2:13 refers to spiritual people. This same group is previously mentioned in 1 Cor. 2:6 (i.e., teleiois, the mature or equipped believers) as well as 1 Cor. 2:15 (i.e., where they are called pneumaikos). There seem to be three groups of people referred to in this context.
lost people
saved, but immature believers
mature believers
There is often no visible difference between # 1 and #2.
If so, then how does the Spirit communicate spiritual truths? The PRESENT ACTIVE PARTICIPLE, sunkrinontes, is used in the Septuagint for interpreting dreams (cf. Gen. 40:8,16,22; 41:12,15; Jdgs. 7:15; Dan. 5:12; 7:15,16). However, this same Greek word in used only here and in 2 Cor. 10:12 in the NT having its normal sense of "comparing." Exactly how the Spirit communicates spiritual truth to spiritual people is ambiguous and because of that we should not become dogmatic or rigid on how to interpret this text. The great truth is that the Holy God seeks and accomplishes communication with fallen humanity (cf. 1 Cor. 2:12). God is speaking, are we listening?
There is an interesting article on "Revelation and Scripture" in the Expositor's Bible Commentary, vol. 1, pp. 461-462. Here is but one paragraph.
"For the NT writers, revelation concerns truth. Truth is a function of language. In this way revelation and Scripture are inextricably joined in NT theology. Event and interpretation go together. The NT revelation as it concerns Jesus Christ involves not merely abstract and timeless ethical truths, or the subjective experiences of the disciples, but it has to do with events that are concrete, particular, and actual. The apostolic statement and interpretation of the events is the truth of the matter. The writers intend to convey to the reader what is actually the case-that is, to state what was going on in the things that were happening. Whatever charge may be made against the NT writers as to their religious beliefs, we much recognize that they claim to give us divine revelation expressed in human language (1 Cor. 2:13)."
2:14
NASB "a natural man"
NKJV "natural man"
NRSV "those who are unspiritual"
TEV "the man who does not have the Spirit"
NJB "the natural person"
REB "an unspiritual person"
Peshitta "the material man"
This is the opposite of a "spiritual person" referred to in 1 Cor. 2:6,13 and 3:1. The term (i.e., psuchikos) is used several times in the NT where it refers to life on earth, life lived in relation to the five senses only (i.e., bios, life vs. zoē, life). The ikos ending means "characterized by" (cf. 1 Cor. 3:3). It then could mean earthly vs. heavenly or unspiritual vs. spiritual (cf. 1 Cor. 15:44,46; James 3:15; and Jude 1:19).
NASB "does not accept"
NKJV, NRSV "does not receive"
TEV "cannot receive"
NJB "has no room for"
Peshitta "rejects"
REB "refuses"
This Greek negated term means "rejects," "refuses to accept," "cannot comprehend," or "cannot make sense of." This term without negation is often used of welcoming a guest. This term (i.e., dechomai, cf. Luke 8:13; Acts 8:14; 11:1; 17:11; 2 Cor. 11:4; 1 Thess. 1:6; James 1:21) is synonymous with lambanō (cf. John 1:12; 12:48; 14:17). It does not relate to human ignorance, but to the incapacity of understanding spiritual truth!
This is the mystery of how/why some who hear the gospel respond and some do not. Is this rejection related to predestination or human volition? The answer is "yes," but exactly how these two relate is part of the dialectical nature of revelation itself (cf. Phil. 2:12-13, see Special Topic at 2 Cor. 8:16-17). I like what Frank Stagg, in New Testament Theology, says, "in the New Testament, the opposite of election is not non-election, but man's rejection of God's salvation" (p. 87).
Utley.
