I have told you numerous times that I believe the natural man described in 1 Cor 2:14 refers to believers who were carnal.
14-16 The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can’t receive the gifts of God’s Spirit. There’s no capacity for them. They seem like so much silliness. Spirit can be known only by spirit—God’s Spirit and our spirits in open communion. Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God’s Spirit is doing, and can’t be judged by unspiritual critics. Isaiah’s question, “Is there anyone around who knows God’s Spirit, anyone who knows what he is doing?” has been answered: Christ knows, and we have Christ’s Spirit.(MSG)
The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of Godbut considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.(NIV)
But [
a]a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually [
b]appraised.(NASB) Footnote (or unspiritual)
But the person without the Spirit[
a] does not receive what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated[
b]spiritually.(CSB) Footnote (or natural person)
A person who isn’t spiritual doesn’t accept the things of God’s Spirit, for they are nonsense to him. He can’t understand them because they are spiritually evaluated.(ISV)
But people who aren’t spiritual[
a] can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.(NLT) Footnote (Or
who don’t have the Spirit; or
who have only physical life.)
Nowhere does it say the natural man is a saved carnal person, my friend, but one who does not have the Spirit of God residing in them.