Text: 1 Corinthians 2:14-3:23
Introduction:
The Lone Ranger and Tonto are camping in the desert, set up their tent, and are asleep. Some hours later, The Lone Ranger wakes his faithful friend.
“Tonto, look up at the sky and tell me what you see.
“Tonto replies, “me see millions of stars.“
“What does that tell you?“ asks The Lone Ranger.
Tonto ponders for a minute. “Astronomically speaking, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, it tells me that Saturn is in Leo. Time wise, it appears to be approximately a quarter past three. Theologically, it's evident the Lord is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What it tell you, Kemo Sabi?“
The Lone Ranger is silent for a moment, then speaks, “It tells me that someone has stolen our tent.”
As we look at 1 Corinthians 2 and 3 this morning, I want us to ask some questions about our situation our spiritual condition. I hope we can be as observant as Tonto but at the same time as astute as the Long Ranger in seeing what is right in front of us.
There are two of Paul’s epistles that were written to deal with two major problems in the early churches. The epistle to the churches of Galatia was written to deal with the mistaken belief that there could be no salvation without keeping the law. The letters to the Corinthians were written in order to deal with almost the opposite problem, that salvation means you can sin without consequences, that salvation is a license to sin.
Sensual, The Natural Man - 1 Corinthians 2:9-14
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 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.
Paul begins with raising the understanding of the church at Corinth to the gifts and wonder of a relationship with God, something they have not appreciated, nor understood and instead have overwritten the awe of God’s love and blessing with their old pagan lifestyle, actions and attitudes.
He tells them that their relationship is defined and empowered by the Spirit of God. It is the Holy Spirit that makes Christianity possible. Vs. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
These are the things Paul is trying to share with them, but it is the Holy Spirit in them which teaches them, vs 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
Then in vs. 14 he tells them 1 Corinthians 2:14 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.
The natural man, the lost man, the unregenerate man cannot receive, or welcome the things of the Spirit of God. They make no sense to him. He can’t understand them because only the Holy Spirit makes such knowledge possible.
The Greek word natural here is ψυχικός psuchikos, from which we get our word physical, it literally means “dominated by the soul,” which is the principle of physical life.
Human ears cannot hear high-frequency radio waves; deaf men are unable to judge music contests; blind men cannot enjoy beautiful scenery, and the unsaved are incompetent to judge spiritual things… - Charles F. Pfeiffer
The natural man is a man without Christ as his savior, without God as his Father and without the Holy Spirit as his comforter. He cannot see, understand or accept spiritual things. There is no God, so there is no supernatural. There are no miracles, there is no revelation from God perfectly preserved in the Bible, the Word of God.
Though the natural man cannot accept it, God’s Word says that he is a lost sinner - Romans 3:10-18, 23 5:12-14. Since he is not a child of God, then he is a child of Satan John 3:8 and that as a sinner and child of Satan, he is destined for eternal punishment in a burning lake of fire - Revelation 20:22-15
That is man in his natural state.
The first question we must deal with is, “Am I still in that natural state?
You don’t have to do anything to be lost, we were born in sin, without salvation, without hope and without the Spirit of God. As natural man we can receives nothing from the Spirit. No guidance, No sealing, No indwelling, No quickening, No eternal life.
If you have never experienced the drawing of God, by hearing the Gospel. If you have never repented of your sin and accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, then you are the natural man that Paul is talking to the Corinthians about.
But Paul’s purpose is not to preach the Gospel to a church filled with saved people. His purpose is to paint a portrait of the spiritual condition by contrasting it with the lost which they once were.
He then proceeds to what they are suppose to be, by describing the Spiritual man.
Spiritual, The Spiritual Man - 1 Corinthians 2:15-16
15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
The Spiritual Man
Notice the contrasting conjunction, in vs 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. Paul is saying but that’s not you anymore. You aren’t natural anymore you are spiritual, and you can discern and judge these spiritual things because you have the Holy Spirit.
The word judges is from the Greek word anakrino, it means to examine, investigate, question. It is a sifting process to get at the truth through investigation. The ψυχικοι [psuchikoi] natural men are incapable of rendering any decision for they are unable to recognize spiritual truth and facts.
“They judge by the ψυχη [psuchē] (mere animal nature) rather than by the πνευμα [pneuma] (the renewed spirit). A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament.
The spiritual man can and must judge all things, through the gift and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Call it a human nature upgrade.
He concludes this description of the spiritual man in vs. 1 Corinthians 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
No one man can teach the Lord but we have been given the mind of Christ. What the world could never do, the Lord has done in us. What the world could never see, Jesus by His spirit has shown us. What the world could never love, the Lord has taught us to cherish above all other things in this world.
Are You A Spiritual Man?
The question that Paul wanted the Corinthians to ask and the one we must ask ourselves is, am I acting, living and thinking as a Spiritual man, a man indwelt by and being guided by the Holy Spirit?
First have I been saved by grace through faith? If so, then I have been given the Holy Spirit as my guide. I must then follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit. This is not done by emotions or visions but by obedience to God Word, which the Holy Spirit inspired people like Paul, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John to write.
This is what the Christian life is supposed to be, a spiritual life. A life lived with the supernatural and the eternal as the greatest priorities and goals of my life. Paul is saying to the Corinthians, salvation isn’t meant to just change your final destination it is also meant to change your life’s destiny. After salvation your destiny is to live spiritually by the power of God’s Holy Spirit.
Paul began by explaining that there are two kinds of people in the world, the natural and the spiritual. Now he shows that there are two kinds of saved people in the church at Corinth, the mature and immature (carnal). Which I am labeling the Soiled.
Soiled, The Carnal Man 1 Corinthians 3:1-3
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
The Soiled Soul
Paul uses two words that are both translated carnal here. The first carnal is the word sarkinos which means made of flesh or from the flesh.
Paul is describing this type of spiritual condition as weak because they are newborn. They carnal, driven by the flesh, because they haven’t yet matured beyond a physical understanding of their life and how to live it. This is where we all begin as children of God, we were all at one time babes in the Lord.
These babes in Christ, were fed with milk, the basic teachings and truths of Christian doctrine, this is the right thing to do. Babes in Christ are still immature, selfish, and ignorant because they have not been trained in the deeper, stronger things of Christ. They are young in the faith and they have not yet grown in their relationship with Jesus.
The second carnal in vs 3, “Ye are yet carnal is the word sarkikos, and it means that which is dominated by the flesh. This person has moved from immature weakness to immature willfulness. They are still as immature, selfish and ignorant as the babe in Christ because they are unwilling to grow and mature spiritually. They are unwilling to hear spiritual things, to learn spiritual things, to bear the burdens of the spiritual life. Their initial weakness is due to negligent unwillingness.
Their immaturity is still preventing Paul’s feeding them meat. This word is Broma and it means all food and drink. The Corinthians carnality, their soiled souls, were fine with the doctrines of salvation but they could not deal with the doctrines of sanctification. They were fine with believing Jesus died for their sin in the past but they would not accept that they were supposed to live without sin dominating their lives now.
Paul speaks of this same condition is the Hebrew Christians who were wanting to go back to their legalism. In Hebrews 5:10-13 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec. 11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. 12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
The Corinthian church should be filled with saved, mature, spiritually growing, united in their Christian fellowship, spiritual people of God, but instead it was filled with saved, immature, spiritually retarded, divided, soiled people of God.
Am I A Carnal Christian, A Soiled Soul?
It is good at the end of every year to do a spiritual accounting. To examine ourselves not to see if we are saved, in this case but to see if we are spiritually maturing in our relationship with the Lord through the guidance of His Spirit.
We need to understand and seek the Holy Spirit feeding us with the Word of God, as our spiritual food.
Yes it is milk 1 Peter 2:2-3 2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
But it is also our bread, the staff of life. Matthew 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
It should be is sweet to our souls, like honey Psalms 119:103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
And we should know that as meat it alone can build the spiritual muscle we need to grow. Hebrews 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Many Christians will spend their entire lives in as carnal Christians. If you did not know the day they accepted Jesus as their savior, you would never recognize them as a Christian because they still live like the world. I find that unless I remain alert and aware of my spiritual condition, too often I can slip back to carnality. I let my relationship with Christ go to automatic pilot. I fall into dull routines in my prayer life. I begin to miss more and more church services with more and more excuse why I just can’t be there. I find myself unwilling to be fed with the strong meat of the word and instead get more easy platitudes from popular preachers who tell me, “I’m okay, you’re okay. Don’t stress out, just go with the flow. If its hard then its not faith, so don’t do hard.”
Hard is what Christianity is about, isn’t it?.
Conclusion
As 2024 ends let’s all take a good long look at our spiritual condition.
Look first to make sure you have Jesus as your savior. Make sure you are no longer a natural man, in a lost state.
Second, desire to grow in the Lord. You need to get your eyes off yourself and on to others, off the world and on to Jesus Christ. You need to let Jesus rule in your life after all He is the ruler of this universe how can I resist Him as the ruler of my life?
Third, determine to grow by letting the Holy Spirit feed you with the Word of God. be a spiritual one. Set your priorities on eternal things as Paul says in Colossians 3:2 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Being spiritual isn’t meant to be only for the elite child of God, it is the normal Christian life. We are not of this world we are citizens of a spiritual kingdom. Children of a Heavenly Father. So let the real you, the spiritual you, show through.
