Some may ask, “I am regenerated, and I have a regenerated spirit. But why can I not study the Bible well? Why is the Bible like a closed book to me?” In order to answer this question, we should turn to one passage in the Scriptures-1 Corinthians 2. First let us read verses 1 to 4: “And I, when I came to you, brothers, came not according to excellence of speech or of wisdom, announcing to you the mystery of God. For I did not determine to know anything among you except Jesus Christ, and this One crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling; and my speech and my proclamation were not in persuasive words of wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” The subject of this chapter is Paul’s preaching being not with persuasive words of wisdom. Read also verses 5 to 7: “In order that your faith would not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. But we do speak wisdom among those who are full-grown, yet a wisdom not of this age...But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the wisdom which has been hidden, which God predestined before the ages for our glory.” Read also verses 9 to 13: “`Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard and which have not come up in man’s heart; things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’ But to us God has revealed them through the Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the things of man, except the spirit of man which is in him? In the same way, the things of God also no one has known except the Spirit of God. But we have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is from God, that we may know the things which have been graciously given to us by God; which things also we speak, not in words taught by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things with spiritual words.” In the margin of the American Standard Version we find the alternate translation for the last part of verse 13: “Interpreting spiritual things to spiritual men.” This is a better translation of the original language. The subject of chapter three is the different kinds of persons. Therefore, the end of chapter two cannot be speaking of things. It is contrary to the rule of interpretation to explain a word in two different ways within the same passage. Paul was saying that spiritual things can only be communicated to spiritual men. (The word interpreting in Greek can mean joining together, mingling together, or coordinated together. Therefore, it can be translated as “communicating”-communicating spiritual things to spiritual men.)
In reading this passage, we find the relationship between the spirit and the Bible. Paul was speaking here about words revealed by the Spirit, taught by the Spirit, and words of wisdom from the Spirit, not words of wisdom from men. What are words of wisdom from men? What the eyes see, what the ears hear, and what comes up in the heart-these are men’s words. Where was Paul’s revelation coming from? His revelation came from the Holy Spirit, because only the Holy Spirit knows the things of God. How can men have this revelation from the Holy Spirit? Paul told us that in order to have this, there is the need to have the Spirit of God. This is identical to what we saw earlier from the Gospel of John. Here it says that no one has known the things of God except the Spirit of God. It follows, therefore, that anyone who does not have the Spirit of God does not know the things of God. Paul further stated that he did not speak these things according to excellence of speech or of wisdom, nor in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, communicating spiritual things to spiritual men.
Here Paul said that spiritual things can only be communicated to spiritual men. It is impossible to communicate some things to some people; such things are not compatible with these people. Verse 14 says, “But a soulish man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God.” Not only will the soulish man not receive the spiritual things, but “they are foolishness to him.” He will think that believers are fools. A soulish man will not know, “and he is not able to know them because they are discerned spiritually.” This word touches the peak of this passage. It shows us that spiritual things can only be discerned by spiritual men. A soulish man cannot discern these things and does not know anything about them. This has nothing to do with spending time or not spending time in the exercise. Even if a soulish man spends all his time in discerning, he cannot and will not know these things. He is short of one vital faculty. A somewhat more scientific description of the soulish man is the psychological man, the man under the control of his own psychology. Spiritually speaking, it is the unregenerated man. A soulish man is a natural man, an unregenerated man. He is like Adam, a living soul, who does not have the Spirit of God within him and who cannot know the things of God.
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