Hi to all my Forum Friends,
My TimesDaily Religion Forum Friend, GB, has asked how we, as Christians, view or interpret the Scripture passage found in 1 Corinthians 2:10-16. This is a good passage for us to discuss -- for many people are still confused when we speak of the natural man, the carnal man, and the spiritual man. What do these descriptive names tell us about the person?
In this Scripture passage, the apostle Paul is speaking to the believers at Corinth, for he addresses them as "brethren" in verse 1. And, in 1 Corinthians 2:1:16 and 1 Corinthians 3:1-4, Paul defines the natural man, the carnal man, and the spiritual man.
1 Corinthians 2:9-16: (9)"But as it is written: 'Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.' (10) But God has revealed [them] to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. (11) For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.
(12) Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. (13) These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
(14) But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned. (15) But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is [rightly] judged by no one. (16) For 'who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?' But we have the mind of Christ."
1 Corinthians 3:1-3, "And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?"
Basically, we can say that the "natural" man is the non-believer, the man who is still very much in the world. This is the atheist, the secularist, those in world religions including the occult or New Age religions, those in the cult churches, and it includes the vanilla-flavored non-believers.
The "carnal" man is a believer who is trying to walk with one foot in the world and the other foot in the body of Christ -- not wanting to fully give up either. I believe we see this in many people, even preachers (as differentiated from the pastor/teachers) who see Christianity as a means to worldly wealth and material security. In my personal opinion many of the "Name It And Claim It" Prosperity Theology preachers fall into this group. And, there are others in more conservative theologies who are more subtle, but, just as material.
Let me use my dear Friend, Pastor Sam Lacanienta, and his wife, Ida, as an example of the truly "spiritual" pastoral family -- in contrast to the more material Christians. I first met Pastor Sam and Ida in 1987, the year they led me to the Lord. In all those years, Pastor Sam's full time commitment has been to be the best pastor/teacher he can be and to allow God's love to flow through him to everyone he meets.
That is what caught my attention when I first met him and what kept me coming to church, Sunday School, and Bible study long enough to become a Christian believer. And, it is through his loving commitment as a pastor/teacher that he has been my mentor through the years; helping me to grow into a more mature "spiritual" Christian believer.
Day or night, rain or shine, if a person has a need -- Pastor Sam is there for visitation, for counseling, for guidance, to hold your hand in time of need, or to just to be silent with one who is hurting. But, he is there, at all times, when there is a need.
How can he do this? His wife, Ida, worked as a school teacher in an Orange County school district until her retirement a few years ago -- freeing Pastor Sam to be a full time pastor. This is why I say they are an example of the truly "spiritual pastoral family." They work together for the Lord and accept only what He made possible for them -- in contrast to the "Name It And Claim It" pastors who drive Rolls Royces and live in mansions. For them -- spiritual comes first -- and material as God provides.
The "spiritual" man is the believer, such as Pastor Sam and Ida, who has fully given his/her life over to Jesus Christ -- asking only, "What would You have me do to further Your kingdom, Lord?" Now, this does not mean that every believer is called to turn his/her back upon the world in the sense that he has to become a pastor, missionary, etc. Many, many strong "spiritual" Christians display their spiritual walk with the Lord in their workplace -- whether it be as a worker, a manager, or a company president. In their work, in their life, we can see the Spirit of God shining through. This is a "spiritual" Christian.
In the footnotes of my NASB Harper's Study Bible (Zondervan), there is a good explanation of the natural, carnal, and spiritual man:
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1 Corinthians 2:14 -- The term here (for natural man) is psychikos, and designates the man who is dominated by his psyche or natural "soul" (that individuality or life-principle that man shares with animals, although his [man's] soul is possessed of a higher order of intelligence). The psychikos is the once-born man, the natural, fallen man, dead in trespasses and sins, without hope and without God (Ephesians 2:1, 12).
The natural man is to be carefully distinguished from what the Bible calls the carnal man. The carnal (sarkikos) man is a Christian who is not fully surrendered to Christ and who lives largely under the domination of his fleshly nature (see 1 Corinthians 3:3). But the natural man is without spiritual discernment, blinded by the prince of this world [Lucifer/Satan] (John 12:40, 2 Corinthians 4:4, 1 John 2:11).
1 Corinthians 3:1 -- Scripture distinguishes between two kinds of Christian walks. One walk if termed carnal and the other spiritual. The carnal believer is a converted believer whose life is fleshly (sarkinos) because he is under the domination of the sarx or self-relying, self-pleasing nature. Therefore he is not walking in full fellowship with the Lord Jesus nor is he wholly surrendered to the Spirit of God. He is not spirit-filled, although he should be (Ephesians 5:18), nor does his life reflect the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
The spiritual (pneumatikos) Christian is one who life is yielded to God and whose will is in subjection to the will of God. He is filled with the Spirit and men can see the evidence of spiritual vitality, for he produces the fruit of the Spirit in his life.
An unbeliever is not spoken of as either carnal or spiritual. He is called a natural (psychikos) man. (See 1 Corinthians where he is called the natural man).
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My Friends, it is easy to discern the natural man, i.e., the non-believer -- from the believer. However, discerning the carnal man from the spiritual man is more subtle most of the time. That is why it is always good for each of us to look within ourselves to see which is our driving force -- God or the material world. Are we comparing ourselves to Jesus Christ -- or to Bill Gates?
If we are honest with ourselves in this; then we will know the adjustments which we must make to assure that we are walking as a spiritual man, a spiritual believer -- and not as a carnal believer.
Please feel free to share this with your Friends, Relatives, Associates, and Neighbors -- all your FRANs. Let's keep examining ourselves with Him as our plumb line (Amos 7:7-9) and let's keep sharing the Word of God, the Gospel of Jesus Christ with all the world -- until He returns.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill