1 Corinthians 2:14

Now the natural man

(ψυχικος δε ανθρωπος). Note absence of article here, "A natural man" (an unregenerate man). Paul does not employ modern psychological terms and he exercises variety in his use of all the terms here present as πνευμα and πνευματικοσ, ψυχη and ψυχικοσ, σαρξ and σαρκινος and σαρκικος. A helpful discussion of the various uses of these words in the New Testament is given by Burton in his New Testament Word Studies, pp. 62-68, and in hisSpirit, Soul, and Flesh

. The papyri furnish so many examples of σαρξ, πνευμα, and ψυχη that Moulton and Milligan make no attempt at an exhaustive treatment, but give a few miscellaneous examples to illustrate the varied uses that parallel the New Testament. Ψυχικος is a qualitative adjective from ψυχη (breath of life like ανιμα, life, soul). Here the Vulgate renders it by animalis and the German by sinnlich, the original sense of animal life as in Judges 1:19; James 3:15. In 1 Corinthians 15:44; 1 Corinthians 15:46 there is the same contrast between ψυχικος and πνευματικος as here. The ψυχικος man is the unregenerate man while the πνευματικος man is the renewed man, born again of the Spirit of God.Receiveth not

(ου δεχετα). Does not accept, rejects, refuses to accept. In Romans 8:7 Paul definitely states the inability (ουδε γαρ δυνατα) of the mind of the flesh to receive the things of the Spirit untouched by the Holy Spirit. Certainly the initiative comes from God whose Holy Spirit makes it possible for us to accept the things of the Spirit of God. They are no longer "foolishness" (μωρια) to us as was once the case (1 Corinthians 1:23). Today one notes certain of the intelligentsia who sneer at Christ and Christianity in their own blinded ignorance.He cannot know them

(ου δυνατα γνωνα). He is not able to get a knowledge (ingressive second aorist active infinitive of γινωσκω). His helpless condition calls for pity in place of impatience on our part, though such an one usually poses as a paragon of wisdom and commiserates the deluded followers of Christ.They are spiritually judged

(πνευματικως ανακρινετα). Paul and Luke are fond of this verb, though nowhere else in the N.T. Paul uses it only in I Corinthians. The word means a sifting process to get at the truth by investigation as of a judge. In Acts 17:11 the Beroeans scrutinized the Scriptures. These ψυχικο men are incapable of rendering a decision for they are unable to recognize the facts. They judge by the ψυχη (mere animal nature) rather than by the πνευμα (the renewed spirit).