The other interpretation, comparing spiritual things with spiritual, whether it means comparing the Old Testament with the New, as some say ; or, as others understand it, comparing one portion of the Spirit's teaching with another, is inconsist- ent with the context. Much less can be said in favour of a third interpretation of this clause adopted by many, who un- derstand the apostle to say, he explains spiritual things to s^\xitM2i\. persons. This anticipates what follows.
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14. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are fooUshness unto him: neither can he know (them), because they are spiritually discerned.
Although the things of the Spirit, that is, the truths of his word, are so clearly revealed ; and although they have been communicated in language taught by the Spirit, yet, by a cer- tain class of men, they are rejected. That is, they are not believed, appreciated, and obeyed. This class of men is called natural. The meaning of this term cannot be determined by the mere signification of the word (i/^ij^ikos), for it signifies both sensual (i. e. under the influence of the lower animal principles of our nature), and also natural, i. e. under the in- fluence of what belongs to the nature of man as it now exists, as distinguished from the Spirit of God. Many commentators say that the (i//v;j(tKot) natural are the sensual, and the opposite class the (Trvcv/AartKot) spiritual are the intellectual, the rational, those under the influence of the (Tri/cO/xa) spirit in the sense of the higher, as distinguished from the lower, principles of our nature. According to this view, Paul means to say, that although sensual men do not receive the things of the Spirit, intellectual men do. This interpretation, however, cannot be correct. 1. Because it gives a meaning to the passage not only inconsistent with the direct assertion of the apostle, but opposed to the whole drift and design of his argument. He not only declares that it was not the wise, the refined and cul- tivated who received the gospel — ^but his whole object is to prove that the reason of man, or man in the highest develop- ment of his nature, can neither discover " the things of the Spirit," nor receive them when revealed. It is of God, and not because of their superior culture or refinement, that men are in Christ, 1, 30. These things are hid from the wise and