Beyond the Natural Mind

Have you ever explained your faith to someone and watched it simply not land?

“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” (1 Corinthians 2:14). 

In overwhelming terms, Paul described the riches and rewards that are given to those who follow Christ. These are “what no eye has seen, nor ear heard”; things that no one has even conceived, “nor the heart of man imagined”; things that “God has prepared for those who love him.” But Paul also reminded us that these riches are not based on being religious or going to church, but are given only to those who “love him” (v. 9).

These truths are received and understood spiritually—not by the natural man or our carnal minds, no matter how brilliant. The Holy Spirit is the key to receiving these riches. In fact, Paul referred to the Spirit eight times in the span of five verses in this chapter.

The natural man cannot even begin to understand the riches of the Kingdom of God. Our human minds are incapable of grasping these truths. There’s a divide that cannot be crossed, except through the Spirit.

People in the world often are hostile and critical, reject the Gospel, or ridicule believers because the Gospel makes no sense to them. Pray that God would give them “the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him” (Ephesians 1:17). Pray that the eyes of their hearts may be enlightened that they would have spiritual understanding—so that, through the Spirit, they can receive the riches God has prepared for them.

Reflection Question: Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you more Kingdom truths.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Paul mean by “the natural person”?

The Greek term (psychikos) describes a person operating solely by human reasoning and senses‚ without the Holy Spirit’s help. Paul contrasts this with the “spiritual person” (pneumatikos) in verse 15‚ who can evaluate all things because the Spirit gives spiritual discernment.

How many times does Paul reference the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 2?

The Holy Spirit is mentioned repeatedly through the chapter—roughly eight times in verses 10–14 alone—reflecting Paul’s point that spiritual truth is revealed by the Spirit‚ not deduced by unaided human intellect.