The Natural Man:
Natural in Greek is, psuchikos, meaning breathing, animal, possessing animal life.
a. Past particle, expresses completed action. Of the body, animal body, having breath and animal life.
b. Spoken of the soul, mind, animal, natural, as in pertaining to the animal or natural mind and affections. The person swayed by the affections and passions of human nature, they not being under the influences of the Holy Spirit.
Man was created to be head and lord over the creation.
Genesis 1:26, “Let them (man) have dominion over the fish of the sea and the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”
Mans whose complex structure in the intellectual and spiritual world are wonderfully united, and his attitude, thoughts and desires are modified by each.
There are those who are devoted to God and to His service. Then there are those of the earth, natural men, sinners, anti-Christs. These are stirred, affected and aroused with a spirit opposed to that of Christ.
James 3:15, “This wisdom (of the natural man) descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.”
In the N.T., natural is rendered, “physis,” meaning belonging to nature, as in,
1. Romans 11:26-27, “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: and Likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense (penalty) of their error which was meet (due.)”
Romans 11:21-24, “For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest He also spare not thee. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?”
The idea of a natural man is a particular designation that occurs in apostles writings. It is said
1 Corinthians 2:14, “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
Jude 19, “These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the (Holy) Spirit.”
The above verses imply that a person is devoid of natural judgment, reason, and conscience. It is not to be understood that they are entirely governed by fleshly appetites, or what the world calls sensualist, meaning those in constant pursuit of pleasure.
The apostle in the context implies that the natural man is from those the world holds in high regard, distinct in learning and religion, men of power and authority. They are selected from among the philosophers of Greece, those who sought after wisdom, and from the Jewish scribes and Pharisees who were instructed in the revealed law of God,
1 Corinthians 1:22-23, “For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness.”
These are to who the writers of Scriptures term wise, meaning the scribes, the disputers of this world; men to whom the Gospel was a stumbling block and foolishness. The natural man is opposed to “Him that is spiritual,” even as the natural body which we have genetic transmission from Adam, as opposed to the spiritual body which believers will receive from Jesus Christ at the resurrection. This according to,
1 Corinthians 15:44-46; “It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is the natural body, and there is a spiritual body.”
The spiritual man is one who has the Holy Spirit dwelling in him,
Romans 8:9, “But ye (Christians) are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ he is none of His.”
This not merely in the way of miraculous Spiritual gifts, though miraculous gifts belonging to him only in the early church. These gifts from the Holy Spirit were not common to all believers, nor were they inseparably connected with a believer’s salvation,
1 Corinthians 13:1-4, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. Though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, in not puffed up.”
Hebrews 6:4-7, “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame. For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet (useful) for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God.”
God in His saving influences of holiness, light, and consolation, has made His people to discern the truth and merit of spiritual things, and so to believe, to reflect love and receive great joy in all these things.
A man is called spiritual because the Holy Spirit of Christ dwells in him, this giving him a new disposition, fresh views, pleasure and enjoyment. The natural man will be opposed to all the Holy Spirits supernatural and saving effects. The natural man’s quest will be for human learning, sciences and religion.
In the first case, it rests upon the principle that our Lord insists upon the necessity of the new birth in order that we may enter into the kingdom of heaven,
John 3:3-5, Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” And again, “verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
Phillip LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com