Man in the Bible Encyclopedia - ISBE

nat'-u-ral, nach'-u-ral (psuchikos anthropos): Man as he is by nature, contrasted with man as he becomes by grace. This phrase is exclusively Pauline. I. Biblical Meaning. The classical passage in which it occurs is 1 Cor 2:14 King James Version: "But the 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 spiritually discerned." In his anthropology Paul uses four groups of descriptive adjectives in contrasted pairs: (1) the old man and the new man (Rom 6:6; Eph 4:22; Col 3:9; Eph 2:15; 4:24; Col 3:10); (2) the outward man and the inward man (2 Cor 4:16; Rom 7:22; Eph 3:16); (3) the carnal man and the spiritual man (Rom 8:1-14; 1 Cor 3:1,3,4); (4) the natural man and the spiritual man (2 Cor 2:14; 3:3,4; Eph 2:3; 1 Cor 2:15; 3:1; 14:37; 15:46; Gal 6:1). A study of these passages will show that the adjectives "old," "outward," "carnal," and "natural" describe man, from different points of view, prior to his conversion; while the adjectives "new," "inward" and "spiritual" describe him, from different points of view, after his conversion. To elucidate the meaning, the expositor must respect these antitheses and let the contrasted words throw light and meaning upon each other...