Subject: LEFT BEHIND? |
Bible Note: Hi Ray, The following is my undrstanding of 1 Cor 2:12-14 1 Cor 2:12 Now we (saints) have received, not the spirit of the world (a fallible, changing creaturely spirit), but the Spirit who is from God (an infallible immutable divine Spirit), so that we (saints) may know the things freely given to us by God, 1 Cor 2:13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. 1 Cor 2:14 But a natural man (one endowed with only the faculties of nature) does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. This is such a plain message, that I for one, can't see how it says anything more than is easily understood from a simple reading of it. Of course if it is taken literaly it has tremendous impact on our understanding of why and how some recieve the gospel and others reject it. I can only conclude that when God provides some with saving grace that the Spirit of enlightenment (The Holy Spirit) accompanies it (in fact I believe it is the Holy Spirit who actually applies salvation to those whom the Father has chosen). I don't know if I answered your question or not. In v. 12 "spirit" refers to a worldly spirit and "Spirit" refers to the 3rd Person of the Trinity. I don't know where else to go with that. John |