1 Corinthians 2:14 - Exposition

The natural man. The Greek word is ψυχικὸς (psychical); literally, soulish, i.e. the man who lives the mere life of his lower understanding, the unspiritual, sensuous, and egoistic man. He may be superior to the fleshly, sensual, or carnal man, who lives only the life of the body ( σωματικὸς ); but is far below the spiritual man ( πνευματικός ) . St. Paul ( 1 Thessalonians 5:23 ) recognizes the tripartite nature of man—body, soul, spirit. Receiveth not ; i.e. "does not choose to accept." He judges them by the foregone conclusions of his own prejudice. Because they are spiritually judged. The organ for the recognition of such truths—namely, the spirit—has become paralyzed or fallen into atrophy, from neglect; therefore the egoist and the sensualist have lost the faculty whereby alone spiritual truth is discernible. It becomes to them what painting is to the blind, or music to the deaf. This elementary truth is again and again insisted on in Scripture, and ignored by sceptics ( Romans 8:6 , Romans 8:7 ; John 3:3 ; John 6:44 , John 6:45 ; John 14:17 ; 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 ). This verse is sometimes used to depreciate knowledge, reason, and intellect. On that abuse of the passage, see Hooker, 'Eccl. Pol.,' 3. Ecclesiastes 8:4-11 , an admirable passage, which Bishop Wordsworth quotes at length. It is, perhaps, sufficient to say that if God has no need of human knowledge, he has still less need of human ignorance.