The Nugget:
1 Corinthians 2:14 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.
My Comment:
The Holy Spirit enables us to understand the Scriptures. Apart from that Divine Person’s help, a full and adequate understanding of Scripture is not possible. The “natural man” has reference to the unsaved reader. It also has reference to any reader who would approach the Bible and attempt to get at its meaning from the standpoint of a different worldview, different that is from the worldview presented in the Bible. The natural man does not receive or accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him. Just today in my reading I happened upon some older authors who followed the philosophy of Hegel and Hume, neither of whom believed in the possibility of miracle. The authors said that any testimony in behalf of a miracle would by them be discounted, no matter who the witnesses were, and be considered untrue. That surely is an example of the natural man not receiving the things of the Spirit of God. Yet on the other hand a person who is not saved may read the Bible and become saved as a result, because the Holy Spirit is given to enable anyone who truly wishes to find the truth to understand enough of the Bible to be saved.
For those who desire to DIG DEEPER into this subject:
(1) Consult the cross references given in Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible on page 1305 for 1 Corinthians 2:14.
(2) Consult the cross references given in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on pages 1325-1326 or in Logos 5 Bible software for 1 Corinthians 2:14.
(3) Lacking access to those two resources, consult the cross references for this passage as I have developed them as given below:
1 Corinthians 2:14. the natural man. Note: psukikos, the animal man, one who lives in a natural state, and under the influence of his animal passions; for psukē means the inferior and sensual part of man, in opposition to nous, the understanding, or pneuma, the spirit. While the preceding explanation of the words involved has validity, it is not strictly correct for this context. Would “natural man” be in contrast with “intellectual man” or “rational man”? Rather, “natural man” refers to unrenewed or unregenerate man, without the Holy Spirit; Hodge states “spiritual, when used in the New Testament of persons, never means intellectual. It always means one under the influence of the Holy Spirit. It therefore must have that meaning here” (p. 43). %1 Cor 3:1. 15:44, 46. Ps 92:6. Pr 28:5. +*Je 13:23. +James 3:15g (sensual). Jude 1:19g (sensual). receiveth not. FS175B, +Ge 21:16. 1 K 22:13. 2 Ch 18:12. Am 7:12. Mt 6:23. 13:11, etc. Mt 16:23. *Jn 3:3-6. 8:37, 43. 10:6, 26, 27. 12:37, 38. *Jn 14:17. *Ro 8:5-8. *2 Cor 4:3, 4. 1 J 4:5. the things. ver. 1 Cor 2:12, 13. 1 Cor 3:1. *Jn 14:26. 15:26. 16:8-15. they. 1 Cor 1:18, 23. Jn 3:4. 8:51, 52. 10:20. Ac 17:18, 20, 32. 18:15. 25:19. 26:24, 25. foolishness unto. +1 Cor 1:18. 4:10. Ge 6:5. 8:21. 31:28. 2 S 6:16. 2 K 5:11. 1 Ch 15:29. Pr 24:7. Ec 9:3. +*Je 17:9. *Mk 7:21-23. *Jn 3:19. 4:11, 15. 6:52. 7:36. *Ac 17:18. *Ro 8:7, 8. Ep 4:17-19. 5:8. Titus 1:15. neither can. *Pr 14:6. *Je 6:10. Jn 1:5. *Jn 3:3. 5:44. +*Jn 6:44, 45. *Jn 8:43, 47. *Jn 14:17. Ac 16:14. *Ro 8:7. **2 Cor 4:4-6. Col 3:3. *1 J 2:20, 27. 5:20. Jude 1:19. Re 2:17. 14:3. are spiritually. T#598. *Pr 25:14. *Pr 1:7. 16:23. *Pr 28:5. *Ec 8:5. Is 8:16. *Da 12:10. +*Jn 7:17. *2 Cor 4:6. Ep 5:8. Col 1:12, 13. 1 Th 5:4, 5. 1 P 2:9. +2 P 3:5 (T#707). 1 J 2:8-11, *1 J 2:20, 21. Re 11:8g. discerned. 1 Cor 4:3, 4. 9:3. 10:25, 27. 14:24. 2 S 14:17. 1 K 3:9. Ps 25:14. +*Pr 8:9. Mt 11:6. Lk 7:23, 35. 23:14. Ac 4:9. 12:19. +*Ac 17:11. 24:8. 25:26. 28:18g.
1 co 2.14 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.
encouraging cross refs(the best commentary on the bible is the bible)
1. 1 co 15.44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If
there is a natural body,there is also a spiritual body.
2. 1 co 15.46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual
3. jas 3.15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is
earthly, natural, demonic.
4. jude 19 These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the
Spirit.
5. mt 13.11 And He answered and said to them, “To you it has been granted to know
the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.
6. mt 16.23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a
stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but
man’s.
7. jn 3.3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly,truly, I say to you, unless one is
born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”
8. jn 3.4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He
cannot enter a second time into his mothers womb and be born, can he?
9. jn 3.5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water
and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God,
10. jn 3.6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh: and that which is born of the
Spirit is spirit.
11. jn 8.43 “Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot
hear My word.
12.jn 10.26 “But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep.
13. jn 10.27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;
14. jn 12.37 But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were
not believing in Him;
15. rom 8.5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things
of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
16.rom 8.6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is
life and peace.
17. rom 8.7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God: for it does not
subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so;
18. rom 8.8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
19. jn 14.26″ But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name,
He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
20. jn 15.26 ” When the Helper comes,whom I will send to you from the Father, that
is the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father,He will bear witness of Me,
21. jn 16.8 And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and right-
eousness, and judment;
22. jn 8.51 “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death”.
23. jn 8.52 The Jews said to HIm, “now we know that You have a demon. Abraham
died, and the prophets also; and You say,’If anyone keeps My word, he shall never
taste of death’.
24. jn 10.20 And many of them were saying, “He has a demon, and is insane; why
do you listen to Him?”
25. ac 17.18 And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing
with him. And some were saying, “What would this idle babler wish to say?” others,
“He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,” because he was preaching jesus and
the resurrection.
26.ac 17.32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to
sneer, but others said, “We shall hear you again concerning this”
27. ac 18.15 but if there are questions about words and names and your own law,
look after it yourselves; I am unwilling to be a judge of these matters.”
28. ac 25.19 but they simply had some points of disgreement with him about their
own religion and about a certain dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive.
29. ac 26. 24 And while Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus said in a loud
voice,”Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you mad”.
30. ac 26.25 But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but
I utter words of sober truth.
31. pro 14.6 A scoffer seeks wisdom, and finds none, But knowledge is easy to him
who has understanding.
32. 2 co 4.4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ,
who is the image of God.
33. 2 co 4.5 For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves
as your bond-servants for Jesus’sake.
34. 2 co 4.6 For God who said,”Light shall shine out of darkness,”is the One who has
shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
Christ.
35. 1jn 2.29 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know.
36. 1 jn 2.27 And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in
you, and you have no need for any one to teach you: but as His anointing teaches you
about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in
Him.