EasyEnglish Bible 2018
1 Corinthians 2:14
14If someone does not believe in God, they cannot accept the message that comes from God's Spirit. They think that God's message is silly. They cannot even understand those things. Only God's Spirit can explain them to people.
1 Corinthians 2:14 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (NIV)The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.
- English Standard Version (ESV)The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
- New King James Version (NKJV)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.
Context of 1 Corinthians 2:14
12We have received God's own Spirit, not a spirit that belongs to this world. As a result, we can understand all the good things that God has given to us. 13Those are the things that we speak about. We do not use clever words to speak about human ideas. Instead, we speak the message that God's Spirit has taught us. In that way, we explain a spiritual message to people who have God's Spirit. If someone does not believe in God, they cannot accept the message that comes from God's Spirit. They think that God's message is silly. They cannot even understand those things. Only God's Spirit can explain them to people. 15But we have God's Spirit with us. So we can understand the true value of all things. But other people cannot truly understand us, who belong to God. 16As it says in the Bible: ‘Nobody can know what the Lord God is thinking. Nobody can tell him what he should do.’ But we think about these things in the same way that Christ thinks.
Read all of 1 Corinthians 21 Corinthians 2:14 word by word
ψυχικὸς δὲ ἄνθρωπος οὐ δέχεται τὰ τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ θεοῦ, μωρία γὰρ αὐτῷ ἐστιν, καὶ οὐ δύναται γνῶναι, ὅτι πνευματικῶς ἀνακρίνεται.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Butδέde · thenG1161
- the naturalψυχικόςpsuchikos · naturalG5591
- manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
- receivethδέχομαιdechomai · to receiveG1209
- notοὐou · noG3756
- the thingsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- of the Spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
- of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- forγάρgar · forG1063
- they areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- foolishnessμωρίαmōria · foolishnessG3472
- unto himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- ·καίkai · andG2532
- canδύναμαιdunamai · be ableG1410
- he knowγινώσκωginōskō · to knowG1097
- becauseὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
- they are spirituallyπνευματικῶςpneumatikōs · spirituallyG4153
- discernedἀνακρίνωanakrinō · to investigateG350
Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 2:14
- 1 Corinthians 15:44What we bury in the ground is a human body. But the body that God raises up is a spiritual body. There is a human body that belongs to this earth. So there also has to be a spiritual body that belongs to heaven.
- James 3:15You are not being wise in the way that God wants you to be wise. Instead, you are thinking like people who do not know God. Your thoughts do not come from God's Spirit. They come from demons.
- Jude 1:19It is people like this who cause you to argue with one another, so that you belong to separate groups. Their thoughts belong to this world. They do not have God's Spirit in them.
- Matthew 13:11Jesus replied, ‘God has let you know what these stories mean. You understand how God rules in the lives of his people. But these other people do not understand what the stories mean.
- Matthew 16:23Jesus turned round and said to Peter, ‘Satan, go away from me! I must obey God. But you are trying to stop me. Your thoughts do not come from God. Instead, you are thinking like men think.’
- John 3:3Jesus replied, ‘I tell you this: Unless a person is born from above, they cannot understand the kingdom of God.’
- John 8:43Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot really accept my message.
- John 10:26But you refuse to believe, because you are not my sheep.
- John 12:37Jesus had done many miracles that the people themselves had seen. But even then, they still did not believe in him.
- Romans 8:5Some people do what their weak human thoughts want them to do. They think about the things that will make themselves happy. But people who live with God's Spirit as their guide think about what will make God's Spirit happy.
- 1 Corinthians 2:12We have received God's own Spirit, not a spirit that belongs to this world. As a result, we can understand all the good things that God has given to us.
- John 14:26But the Father will send the Holy Spirit to be with you. He will be your Helper. He will come in my name, and he will teach you all things. He will help you to remember everything that I have told you.
- John 15:26When I return to my Father, I will send the Helper to you. The Helper is God's Spirit who speaks only true things. He comes to you from the Father. I will send him to you and he will speak true things about me.
- John 16:8When he comes, he will show the people of this world what they are like. He will show clearly that they are wrong. They are wrong about what sin really is. They are wrong about who is right with God. They are wrong about how God judges people.
- 1 Corinthians 1:18Some people think that the message about Christ's death on the cross is silly. Those people are destroying themselves. But it is different for us, the people that God is saving. The message about the cross shows us God's power to save us.
- John 8:51I tell you this: Anyone who obeys my words will never die.’
Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 2:14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14But the natural man - , 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 , which we often translate soul, means the lower and sensitive part of man, in opposition to , the understanding or rational part. The Latins use anima to signify these lower passions; and animus to signify the higher. The person in question is not only one who either has had no spiritual teaching, or has…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14But the natural man - ̀ , ̀ ̓́ psuchikos de anthrōposThe word “natural” here stands opposed evidently to “spiritual.” It denotes those who are governed and influenced by the natural instincts; the animal passions and desires, in opposition to those who are influenced by the Spirit of God. It refers to unregenerate people; but it has also not merely the idea of their being unregenerate, but that of their being influenced by the animal passions or desires…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-16Verses 10-16 God has revealed true wisdom to us by his Spirit. Here is a proof of the Divine authority of the Holy Scriptures, 2Pe 1:21. In proof of the Divinity of the Holy Ghost, observe, that he knows all things, and he searches all things, even the deep things of God. No one can know the things of God, but his Holy Spirit, who is one with the Father and the Son, and who makes known Divine mysteries to his church. This is most clear testimony, both to…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14The natural man: Unbelievers have minds that are closed to the Spirit. They live in the natural world and see life only through physical eyes (see 2 Corinthians 4:4). They cannot understand the importance of the good news about Jesus, as it is mainly a spiritual message.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1414. natural man--literally, "a man of animal soul." As contrasted with the spiritual man, he is governed by the animal soul, which overbears his spirit, which latter is without the Spirit of God (Jude 19). So the animal (English Version, "natural") body, or body led by the lower animal nature (including both the mere human fallen reason and heart), is contrasted with the Spirit-quickened body (1Co 15:44-46). The carnal man (the man led by bodily…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Corinthians 2:14
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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