1 Corinthians 2:14 BSB

1 Corinthians 2:14

The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

Now the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; and he cannot know them, because they are spiritually judged.

KJV

But 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.

⋯

Commentary

4 voices

Irenaeus

Fragments from the Lost Writings of Irenaeus, #36 (202)

True knowledge, then, consists in the understanding of Christ, which Paul terms the wisdom of God hidden in a mystery, which "the natural man receiveth not," the doctrine of the cross; of which if any man "taste," he will not accede to the disputations and quibbles of proud and puffed-up men, who go into matters of which they have no perception. For the truth is unsophisticated; and "the word is nigh thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart," as the same apostle declares, being easy of comprehension to those who are obedient.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

Receiveth not - Does not understand or conceive. The things of the Spirit - The things revealed by the Spirit of God, whether relating to his nature or his kingdom. For they are foolishness to him - He is so far from understanding, that he utterly despises, them Neither can he know them - As he has not the will, so neither has he the power.

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

Men unsanctified receive not the things of God. The understanding, through the corruption of nature by the fall, and through the confirmation of this disorder by customary sin, is utterly unapt to receive the rays of divine light; it is prejudiced against them. The truths of God are foolishness to such a mind.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible (1832)

But the natural man - Ψυχικος, The animal man - the man who is in a mere state of nature, and lives under the influence of his animal passions; for the word ψυχη, which we often translate soul, means the lower and sensitive part of man, in opposition to νους, the understanding or rational part. The Latins use anima to signify these lower passions; and animus to signify the higher.

Voices on this verse

loading…

Original language & word study

21 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
ψυχικὸς	psuchikos	[The] natural	G5591 →
δὲ	de	however	G1161 →
ἄνθρωπος	anthrōpos	man	G444 →
οὐ	ou	not	G3756 →
δέχεται	dechetai	accepts	G1209 →
τὰ	ta	the [things]	G3588 →
τοῦ	tou	of the	G3588 →
πνεύματος	pneumatos	Spirit	G4151 →
τοῦ	tou	<the>	G3588 →
θεοῦ,	theou	of God,	G2316 →
μωρία	mōria	foolishness	G3472 →
γὰρ	gar	for	G1063 →
αὐτῷ	autō	to him	G846 →
ἐστιν,	estin	they are,	G1510 →
καὶ	kai	and	G2532 →
οὐ	ou	not	G3756 →
δύναται	dunatai	he is able	G1410 →
γνῶναι,	gnōnai	to understand [them],	G1097 →
ὅτι	hoti	because	G3754 →
πνευματικῶς	pneumatikōs	spiritually	G4153 →
ἀνακρίνεται.	anakrinetai	they are discerned.	G350 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
1 Corinthians 1:18
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
leads to
- Romans 1:16
  I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:10
  and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them.
- 1 Corinthians 1:23–25
  but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
- 2 Corinthians 4:3
  And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.
Through
1 John 2:27
And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all…
leads to
- John 14:26
  But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you.
- 1 John 2:20–21
  You, however, have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.
- 1 Corinthians 2:13
  And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
- John 16:13
  However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to…

Featured studies on this passage

Walks through 1 Corinthians 2

Who the Holy Spirit Is

Open the study →

About 1 Corinthians

The Crucifixion — 'Christ crucified' (1 Cor 2:2) — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)

1 Corinthians: the study guide →Read chapter 2 →The featured study →

Continue: 1 Corinthians 2 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About 1 Corinthians

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About 1 Corinthians