1 Corinthians 2:14

The man without the Spirit 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. (NIV) 

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. (KJV)

Here is an example of a passage that has a simple meaning if we will read and apply it carefully. But the problem with this passage is the fact that some will use this as an excuse to deny the need for learning proper interpretation.  All a Christian needs is the Holy Spirit who will reveal to us the meaning of the Word of God.  Others will also add that unbelievers will not be able to understand the Bible at all since since the unbeliever does not have the Holy Spirit in them.  But what is it that Paul is really saying?

Do Christians understands everything in the Bible because they have the Holy Spirit?  Of course not.  Even today scholars have difficulties in finding a consensus on the meaning of several Bible verses.

The statement: "Unbelievers cannot understand anything from the Bible because they don't have the Holy Spirit."  Is this true?  Of course not.  Anyone who has common sense and can read will be able to explain Genesis 1:1 just as well as most Christians can.

What we need is to understand what Paul really means by the word "understand" in this verse.  The first phrase "the man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him,"  clearly shows that the unbeliever considers the truth of God as foolishness.  He may understand it in full details but he does not receive it because for him it is just foolishness or nonsense. 

The second phrase, "he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned," is what causes the misunderstanding. It is important to see the connection between the words "understand" and "discerned."  Also, it is important to see the connection of the two phrases; they are not really saying two different ideas but rather the same idea in two different ways. "Discerned" means "judged or evaluated."  Paul is saying that only through the Holy Spirit that can we evaluate the things that comes from the Spirit of God.  Whenever a person without the Spirit evaluates the things of the Spirit of God, although he cognitively or mentally understand what it means, he will disregard it or not accept it because in his own judgment, it is foolishness.  In that sense the man without the Holy Spirit cannot 'understand' the things of the Spirit.

This understanding of the verse is more credible because it flows with the context of the author's teaching. It understands the meaning of the words as it relates to the rest of the whole passage, and it makes sense if we try to apply it to our daily experience.

What do you think? Please do not hesitate to send your comments or questions whether you agree or disagree.

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