SERMON: “Natural Understanding and the Spiritual” (1 Cor. 2:14–16)
“Natural
Understanding and the Spiritual”
(1 Cor. 2:14–16)
Series:
“1 Cor: Holiness from
Messes” #9 Text: 1 Corinthians 2:14–16
By:
Shaun Marksbury Date: November
30, 2025
Venue:
Living Water Baptist Church Occasion: AM Service
I.
Introduction
When it comes to Bible interpretation,
sometimes, people are looking for more than the plain meaning. Sometimes, this comes from a good place; we
see that something unexpected in the Old Testament points to Christ in the New,
so we see the importance of understanding foreshadowing and typology. We rightly understand that the whole of
Scripture reveals the Messiah, even in some spots that are not obvious.
We can also apply this reading to the people
we encounter in Scripture. We see the
Israelites fearful, doubting, and inconsistent, and we can rightly see
ourselves there. As Paul will later say
in 1 Corinthians 10:11, “Now these
things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our
instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have arrived.” This is something Bryan
Chappel called the “fallen condition focus,” and we have an example in the
Jewish people — either positive or negative — to see what lessons we should
apply in our lives. This is all sticking with a plain reading of
Scripture, but it gives us a needed focus for worship and for living our lives.
Yet, some people go well beyond this. They want to allegorize and spiritualize
every part of the Bible. Of course, some
want to do away with the plain message of Scripture, unsatisfied with what God
has said. Others, though, are more
concerned with discovering codes and hidden meanings than they are that message. Still others have been told to wait for some
stirring of the spirit as they read, and whatever enters the heart is the
meaning of the text.
Again, it’s not that there are not certain
mysteries about the Bible. However, it’s
not right to assume that the best way to understand God’s Word is to twist it
anyway we want. He communicated His
wisdom in the text, and it’s upon us to simply read and believe it. The problem is that the natural person won’t
read and believe the message of Scripture.
The difference between the person who is
merely natural reading the Bible and the spiritual person isn’t that Christians
have the ability to decode and decrypt.
The difference is that we believe God’s wisdom through the Holy Spirit
while the lost world does not. As we
finish this chapter, we’ll see that difference demonstrated in two points: The
lost lacks the capacity for the spiritual (v. 14), while the redeemed receives
the spiritual truth (vv. 15–16). Let’s
consider the first of those.
II.
First, The Lost Lacks the Capacity
for the Spiritual (v. 14)
But
a natural man does not accept the depths of the Spirit of God, for they are
foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually
examined.
Last time, we noted that many people sought
after Gnostic or hidden knowledge.
That’s because we all have a sense that there is more, but we all think
we can arrive at that knowledge through our own understanding. There’s no true sense of transcendent truth.
This begins to get at the issue this verse
highlights. The adjective translated
“natural” here is psuchikos, related to the term psuche, for
“soul.” Think of the term “psychology,”
the study of the soul; this is a person who is simply operating with his
natural mind, heart, and will.[1] In other words, this is a person who has
grown up experiencing life through what he has learned and experienced.
That can either be good or bad according to
the world’s standards. Maybe the person,
like the high-class Corinthian, has an education. This may also speak of the person who is frequenting
sin. Either way, this is simply a person
living life for himself, apart from God and unregenerate.
Paul says the “natural man does not accept the
depths of the Spirit of God.” He doesn’t
say that man is uneducated and needs instruction; Paul says the natural man “refuses
to accept” it.[2] Jesus said the world cannot accept the Spirit (John 14:17). Paul said something similar in Romans 8:7; “the
mind set on the flesh is at enmity
toward God, for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not
even able to do so.” All attempts at reaching fallen man from a
purely rational or philosophical level will fail; we must pray for the
conversion of the soul.
Why doesn’t the
natural man accept this on his own? Paul
explains that, for that person, the things of God are “foolishness.” This is that familiar word moria from
which we get “moron,” the things of God are moronic! Paul noted this back in 1:18–25, that the
message of a crucified Christ absurd to the worldly-wise man. He hears the gospel message — that Jesus died
on the cross for our sins and rose again on the third day (15:1–5) — and the
scandal of cross, the substitutionary death of Christ, the righteousness of God
imputed by faith — and rejects it as nonsense.
Here, Paul is showing
that accepting the message, the capacity for believing it, requires the work of
the Holy Spirit, who provides the ability to examine spiritual truths.[3] As such, he parallels the thought of not
accepting the message with not understanding it. He literally says here that the natural man
“is not able to know” or “to understand” it.
This is language of faculty or capacity.
It is as though we are asking a man born without eyes to describe color;
there is a lack of sensory ability in the natural man to perceive the things of
God.
To be clear, we are
not talking about intelligence. There
can be smart people as well as dumb ones who reject God. People can grow up in church, read the Bible,
and walk away from the message, all because they never really understood their
need for it. This arises because of sin
which is natural to the soul — an issue theologians call total depravity. The mind, heart, and will (the “total” of the
person) is corrupted by sin. Even those
who seemed wise become fools (Rom. 1:22) because of the blindness of sin.
This has three
immediate implications. First, we can
witness to others without fear that we need to have clever arguments to win the
lost. Praying must precede our
persuading, for only the Spirit opens blind eyes to spiritual examinations. If our message is rejected, it’s not
necessarily because you’ve done something wrong.
Second, this should also
give us patience with unbelievers.
Sometimes, it’s frustrating when those we love don’t come to the
truth. Yet, we know that they won’t
come to the Lord until God opens their eyes and illuminates their darkened
hearts to the truth. So, we must
redouble our efforts in prayer while patiently loving the lost.
Third, and positively,
this should be a marker of assurance for the believer. Sometimes, a Christian experiences conviction
over sin and wonders if he isn’t really converted. Such a person should ask himself if he has
accepted the truth about Christ, that Jesus came, died for our sins, rose
again, and offers salvation to all who believe.
If the answer is yes, and that person has confessed and trusted in that
message, then there is a good chance he’s a believer. Why? The
natural man “does not accept” the things of God.
It's with that final
thought that we transition into the remaining two verses. Because we as believers have the Holy Spirit,
we can receive and examine spiritual realities.
So, our last point:
III.
Second, the Redeemed Receives the
Spiritual Truth (vv. 15–16)
But he who is spiritual examines all things, yet he
himself is examined by no one. For WHO
HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL DIRECT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.
In v. 15, Paul uses the same verb he did at
the end of v. 14, which is why the Legacy Standard Bible translators
chose the same word each time. A “natural man does not accept the depths of the Spirit of God … because
they are spiritually examined. But
he who is spiritual examines all things, yet he himself is examined
by no one.” There is a capacity of
discerning truth available to the spiritual which lacks in the unregenerate
person.
Why is that? Let’s first consider the term
“spiritual.” The Greek word is pneumatikos,
and the word for “Spirit” is pneuma.
Now, that’s just like in English here — the word is “spiritual,” and at
the beginning of that word is “Spirit.”
This isn’t talking about someone who is an elite Christian, someone who
is super-saintly; this is just talking about someone who has the Holy
Spirit.
This becomes clear as
you think about the contrast — the natural man lacks the Spirit, and the
Christian has the Spirit. To put this
another way, the Christian is regenerated of the Holy Spirit. Everything we said about total depravity
causing a person to naturally reject and lack understanding in the gospel is
changed by the Holy Spirit. As one study
notes, “Paul again stresses that a true understanding of spiritual things
occurs only with the aid of God’s Spirit.”[4] It’s the Holy Spirit who makes it possible
for us to receive the message of the cross.
So, “he who is
spiritual examines all things.” Because
of the capacity Christians have through the gift of the Holy Spirit, we can
discern truth from error in all kinds of matters. Of course, Paul isn’t saying we can settle
every obscure theological question with certainty or that we’re immune to error
in this life. Rather, he’s claiming that
we can apply the wisdom of God to all matters in life. As one study notes, the spiritual person is “qualified
to sift, to examine, to decide rightly” since he is enlightened and “no longer
blinded by the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4).”[5]
This means you as a
Christian are able to walk in the wisdom of God. As Ephesians 5:15–17 says, “Therefore, look
carefully how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, redeeming the time, because
the days are evil. On account of this,
do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” We can be filled with the Spirit (v. 18) and
live differently than before. Second
Peter 1:3 says, “His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to
life and godliness,” and between Spirit-inspired word and the illumination of
the Holy Spirit in our hearts, we can examine all things.
The redeemed can see
spiritual reality; their judgment is not finally captive to worldly standards. That’s why the spiritual person “is appraised
by no one.”
Of course, Paul isn’t saying
the believer is above all human evaluation;[6] we
all stumble in many ways. Rather, he is
insisting that the final and decisive appraisal of the Christian is not carried
out by the world. The spiritual person
will not allow the verdicts of ignorant unbelievers (such as Christianity is
narrow, hateful, irrational, or unloving) to determine his identity or
ministry. Indeed, the believer should
not feel as though they need to win the world’s approval. Ultimately, a Christian should not even be
living for other the approval of other Christians (v. 14, cf. 4:3), as we are
answerable to God alone.[7]
As a Christian, you
will be falsely maligned, and your righteous conviction will be attacked as
intolerant. Yet, who can bring an
accusation against God’s elect, given that it is God who justifies? We must therefore not remodel our message in
a vain effort to curry favor with the natural. We should, of course, be loving to the lost,
but we don’t bow to unspiritual judgment.
Remember that the fear of man is a snare.
Paul strengthens his
claim in v. 16 by appealing to Scripture.[8] He begins with “for,” and then he says, “For
who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” This citation echoes Isaiah 40:13 and Romans
11:34, referring to God’s incomprehensible wisdom. No one stands before God to advise Him, saying,
“Lord, you should do it this way!”
Yet, we need
instruction. So, the crowning statement that
follows is that “we have the mind of Christ.” Consider first the fact that Paul is
paralleling Christ to “the Lord,” Yahweh, of the Old Testament.[9] As 1 John 1:23 says, “Everyone who denies the
Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father
also.” We must have the Son if we are to
understand the Father, for He is Lord.
And this means that, by extension, “Christ has no need of an advisor.”[10]
This Jesus Christ is
the one who, according to 1 Corinthians 1:30, “became to us wisdom from God.” In Him we have “all wisdom and insight” (Eph.
1:8), an extension of the grace He lavished upon us. Wisdom is the capacity to know God’s truth,
its nature. Insight is in understanding
God’s ways so as to apply them (cf. v. 9).
This consoles the body
of Christ, for we all — and especially the apostles who received special revelation
— have access to the mind of Christ. How?
The apostles and the prophets recorded
what the Spirit inspired, and the Holy Spirit within us illuminates the truth of
Christ and applies it to our hearts.
That means that “the
mind of Christ” is the Spirit and the Word.
This goes a step further to talk about our new inclination because of
the new life of the Spirit within us — we share Christ’s mindset to express
truth and grace, though we do so imperfectly.[11] We have a redeemed mind, now, one that is
capable of thinking with God’s purposes.[12]
Believers should
embrace this truth about ourselves — we have the mind of Christ. Don’t let doubts rule, and don’t strive for
worldly labels and associations. Let’s
find our identity in Him, allowing His priorities and values reshape our own.
That brings us to
three important caveats: First, the possession of the mind of Christ is not an
invitation to private eisegesis. Paul’s
claim is grounded in his apostolic revelation, and we have the Spirit’s
illumination of Scripture. Those who
think that being spiritual means making the Bible whatever do not honor the
mind of Christ. The mind of Christ will
always align with Holy Scripture, so don’t abuse this promise to mean that
Jesus told you some sin is okay!
Second, this is
corporate language. In saying “we have,”
he means the people of God together possess this mind. This is not individualistic. Paul expected Christians to be together with
other Christians, not choosing to be in the coffee shops or on the fishing pond
on Sunday mornings. The local church is where
our spiritual discernment grows, so let’s feed on the Word, pray, and test
doctrine together.
Third, having the mind
of Christ isn’t a mystical bypass that removes effort. For instance, my having the mind of Christ
doesn’t mean that I don’t have to spend 15-20 hours in study to prepare a
sermon (and there are preachers that think they only need to open a Bible and
say whatever comes into their minds). Paul
still emphasizes teaching, study, and diligence (2 Tim. 2:15). The Spirit does not replace hard work but
enables and works through it
IV.
Conclusion
Paul’s contrast
between the natural and the spiritual shows us we get a lot wrong
sometimes. The problem unbelievers have
is that they are in bondage to a fallen understanding. Believers forget that, without the renewing
work of the Spirit, no one can understand the truth.
We also can take the
work of the Spirit for granted in our lives.
We don’t always think about the renewal He brings, the ability to grow
and change and evaluate things we never could before. We were blind, and now we see — and seeing,
we can walk differently. Live by that
power; think with that mind.
Are you operating
according to the mind of Christ or according to the wisdom of the world? Perhaps, if you have never relied on Spirit,
or never experienced any personal belief in the Scripture or the gospel, you are
not a believer. If you always seem to be
operating according to natural wisdom, you may be neglecting what you have in
Christ, or (just as likely) you are not regenerated by the Holy Spirit at all. Either way, call upon the Lord, confess your
sins and your need for Him, and allow Him to make you born again!
[1] A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press,
1933), 1 Co 2:14.
[2] Ibid.
[3] F. Alan Tomlinson, CSB Study Bible: Notes, 2017, 1814.
[4] John D. Barry, Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown,
Michael S. Heiser, Miles Custis, Elliot Ritzema, Matthew M. Whitehead, Michael
R. Grigoni, and David Bomar, Faithlife
Study Bible, (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), 1 Co 2:15.
[5] Robertson, 1 Co 2:15.
[6] John MacArthur Jr., Ed., The MacArthur Study Bible, electronic ed., (Nashville, TN: Word
Pub., 1997), 1732.
[7] Tomlinson.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Legacy
Standard Bible, (Three Sixteen Publishing, 2022).
[10] Barry, 1 Co 2:16.
[11] Roy E. Ciampa and Brian S. Rosner, The First Letter to the Corinthians, The
Pillar New Testament Commentary, (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B.
Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2010), 138.
[12] Philip H. Towner, Evangelical dictionary of biblical theology, 1996, 529.