What the bible says .
14But 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. KJV
what scripture is presumed to teach.
" But the unsaved man cannot
receive Jesus nor the Gospel of God:for it is foolishness unto him : neither can he know it ,because it is spiritually discerned. NSV ( Non scriptural version. )
Here we see this verse used to teach the Calvinstic idea of ' regeneration precedes faith ' And the T in TULIP . But let's look at what the verses actually say .
We know that Paul is responding to a letter from the household of Chloe .
1 cor 1.11
11For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
we see these issue are to do with the Church behaviour amongst those behaving ' carnally ' ( fleshy behaviour) Paul flat out calls theses believers ' Carnal ' . 1 cor 3.3 .
Now we get a description of God's wisdom v man's wisdom leading up to chapter 2 .
In chapter 2 Paul is talking about wisdom still ,the deeper wisdom that He speaks amongst those who are the mature ( spiritual ) Chapter 2 verse 6
6¶Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect( Mature ) : yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
So just like in Hebrews 5 where Paul wants to impart the deeper things ( the meat ) the new babes are unable to leave the milk .
12¶For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
13For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
14But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Paul is explaining the same idea in Chapter 2 of 1cor . That the immature ' natural / carnal / fleshy new babe is unable to hear and unable to discern yet because they are behaving ' fleshy ' .
12Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13¶Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
Now as believers we have recieved the Spirit of God to be ' able ' to recieve these things . But not if we do not follow the principal in Hebrews 5 and Romans 12 .2 " be transformed with a renewal of our minds . " .
14But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Back to the verse at hand :
14But 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 ( Maturely discerned )
15But he that is spiritual ( mature judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
Notice it does not say " and he who is saved " . It says he who is spiritual ( mature ) judgeth all things .
which makes sense as these fleshy belivers are clearly not judging all things .
There are no chapter divisions in the Greek manuscripts ,this is later added . So paul is still making the point in chapter 3 .
1¶And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
2I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
3For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
4For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
Notice these immature believers are UNABLE to recieve these things of God because of their behavior.
Paul never breaks from this with a non sequitor about a lost man unable to believe the Gospel this is forced into the text because some system needed a proof text to support the T in Tulip so this was close enough for some . Even non Calvinists who may have never picked up a book from any reformed theologian unfortunately still absorbs calvinstic thinking because of the years it has permeated into so many denominations and traditions ,that now the term ' the natural man ' is used by so many as if it refers to a lost man .
14But 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. KJV
what scripture is presumed to teach.
" But the unsaved man cannot
receive Jesus nor the Gospel of God:for it is foolishness unto him : neither can he know it ,because it is spiritually discerned. NSV ( Non scriptural version. )
Here we see this verse used to teach the Calvinstic idea of ' regeneration precedes faith ' And the T in TULIP . But let's look at what the verses actually say .
We know that Paul is responding to a letter from the household of Chloe .
1 cor 1.11
11For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
we see these issue are to do with the Church behaviour amongst those behaving ' carnally ' ( fleshy behaviour) Paul flat out calls theses believers ' Carnal ' . 1 cor 3.3 .
Now we get a description of God's wisdom v man's wisdom leading up to chapter 2 .
In chapter 2 Paul is talking about wisdom still ,the deeper wisdom that He speaks amongst those who are the mature ( spiritual ) Chapter 2 verse 6
6¶Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect( Mature ) : yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
So just like in Hebrews 5 where Paul wants to impart the deeper things ( the meat ) the new babes are unable to leave the milk .
12¶For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
13For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
14But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Paul is explaining the same idea in Chapter 2 of 1cor . That the immature ' natural / carnal / fleshy new babe is unable to hear and unable to discern yet because they are behaving ' fleshy ' .
12Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13¶Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
Now as believers we have recieved the Spirit of God to be ' able ' to recieve these things . But not if we do not follow the principal in Hebrews 5 and Romans 12 .2 " be transformed with a renewal of our minds . " .
14But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Back to the verse at hand :
14But 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 ( Maturely discerned )
15But he that is spiritual ( mature judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
Notice it does not say " and he who is saved " . It says he who is spiritual ( mature ) judgeth all things .
which makes sense as these fleshy belivers are clearly not judging all things .
There are no chapter divisions in the Greek manuscripts ,this is later added . So paul is still making the point in chapter 3 .
1¶And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
2I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
3For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
4For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
Notice these immature believers are UNABLE to recieve these things of God because of their behavior.
Paul never breaks from this with a non sequitor about a lost man unable to believe the Gospel this is forced into the text because some system needed a proof text to support the T in Tulip so this was close enough for some . Even non Calvinists who may have never picked up a book from any reformed theologian unfortunately still absorbs calvinstic thinking because of the years it has permeated into so many denominations and traditions ,that now the term ' the natural man ' is used by so many as if it refers to a lost man .
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