This is a serious misunderstanding of
these verses; it is based on a complete ignoring of the context in which the
verses appear. Here Paul is addressing the divisions in the Corinthian church
(see 1:10ff.), which were related in part to excessive loyalty to specific
individuals, including Paul himself (1:12). In addressing this problem Paul
attempts to put his own place in Christ’s kingdom into proper perspective. In
so doing he finds it necessary to defend his apostolic authority over against
his critics (4:3-5; 9:1ff.), while at the same time humbly admitting that he
possessed no great earthly talent or charisma or claim to fame (2:15). His apostolic
authority rested not on human wisdom and great oratorical ability, but solely
on the fact that the message he spoke was received from God.
Paul declares that his message is the
hidden wisdom of God that has been shrouded in mystery (2:7), a wisdom that
cannot be discovered and known by natural means (2:8-9). But Paul and God’s
other inspired spokesmen knew this wisdom, because God revealed it to them
through the Holy Spirit (2:10a), who alone knows the things (Greek, “ta”)
that are in the mind of God (2:10b-11). This is the very Spirit of God that we
have received, says Paul, so that WE (apostles) may know these things (“ta”)
that are hidden (2:12). Those are the things we have spoken to you, in words
taught to us by the Spirit himself (2:13).
(In these first chapters of 1
Corinthians, Paul uses first person [I, we] to refer to inspired apostles and
prophets who received revelation and spoke inspired messages from the Holy
Spirit. He uses second person [you] to refer to the Corinthians and Christians
in general. This is VERY important.)
The next three verses (2:14-16) are a continuation
of Paul’s defense of his apostolic authority. He is not a natural man, but a
spiritual man, he says. The designation “natural man” has nothing to do with
moral qualities; it is not a synonym for sinful, depraved, or
unregenerate. (The NIV translation, “the man without the Spirit,” is
inexcusably misleading.)
This phrase refers rather to one who
is limited to merely natural or human abilities and resources, as contrasted with
one who is endowed with the Holy Spirit and his supernatural gifts of revelation
and inspiration. A natural man does not have access to “the things” (“ta”)
of the Spirit of God (2:14a). “The thoughts of God” in 2:11 (NASB, NIV) are
literally “the things [“ta”] of God”; these are “the things [“ta”]
freely given to us [apostles] by God” (2:12).
A natural man—one without revelation from
the Spirit—“cannot understand” these things (2:14b). The word translated “understand”
is “ginosko.” But “understand” is not a good translation here; the more
usual meaning, “know,” is much better. I.e., the natural man cannot KNOW the
kinds of things I am revealing to you. The issue is not whether he can understand
them, but whether he is even aware of them. Why not? Because only the Holy
Spirit KNOWS (“ginosko”) the things (“ta”) of God (2:11). These
secret things can be discerned only by the Holy Spirit, and by those to whom
the Spirit has revealed them, i.e., the “spiritual” man in 2:15a. Paul is such
a “spiritual” man, endowed by the Spirit with revealed knowledge and with the
words by which to speak it. Thus you cannot sit in judgment on me, says Paul
(2:15b; “appraise” in the NASB). Why not? Because I am speaking words which ultimately
come from the mind of Christ himself! Only if you, too, have such access to the
mind of Christ can you sit in judgment on me (2:16; see 4:3-5).
These verses (2:14-16) thus follow
directly upon the flow of thought in 2:1-13. The content of verses 10-13
interprets the content of verses 14-16. There is nothing here about total
depravity, and nothing about the necessity for the Spirit’s regeneration of
sinners through irresistible race, and nothing about His illumination of
Christians. Paul applies it to all himself in the concluding words of 2:16: “But
we have the mind of Christ” (“WE” meaning himself and other inspired apostles
and prophets). (Jack Cottrell, The Bible Versus Calvinism [The Collected
Works of Jack Cottrell 4; Mason, Ohio: The Christian Restoration Association,
2018], 188-89)