{13} But the {p} 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 {q} spiritually discerned.

(13) Again he anticipates an offence or stumbling block: how does it come to pass that so few allow these things? This is not to be marvelled at, the apostle says, seeing that men in their natural powers (as they call them) are not endued with that faculty by which spiritual things are discerned

(which faculty comes another way) and therefore they consider spiritual wisdom as folly: and it is as if he should say, It is no marvel that blind men cannot judge of colours, seeing that they lack the light of their eyes, and therefore light is to them as darkness.

(p) The man that has no further light of understanding, than that which he brought with him, even from his mother's womb, as Jude defines it; Jude 19.

(q) By the power of the Holy Spirit.

Scofield Reference Notes

[2] natural man

Paul divides men into three classes: psuchikos, "of the senses" Jas 3:15 Jude 1:19 or "natural," i.e. the Adamic man, unrenewed through the new birth Jn 3:3,5 pneumatikos, "spiritual," i.e. the renewed man as Spirit-filled and walking in the Spirit in full communion with God Eph 5:18-20 and sarkikos, "carnal," "fleshly," i.e. the renewed man who, walking "after the flesh," remains a babe in Christ 1Cor 3:1-4. The natural man may be learned, gentle, eloquent, fascinating, but the spiritual content of Scripture is absolutely hidden from him; and the fleshly, or carnal, Christian is able to comprehend only its simplest truths, "milk" 1Cor 3:2.

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