1 Corinthians 2:14-15 KJV
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.
But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
1 Corinthians 3:1-2 KJV
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
The case is laid out for us as to why those who preach the Word must not only be saved but spiritual :
The natural man is lost and, though perhaps eloquent and educated, he cannot see the spiritual message of God's Word.
The carnal man is saved but his worldliness blinds him from anything but the spiritual milk.
It is only the spiritual man who is able to discern all things in Scripture. While we may enjoy the preacher who is carnal and worldly enough to "relate" to us; we might like his personability and his camaraderie, he automatically stifles our own spiritual development. He is in no position with God to elevate us to those places God would have.
The Word of God is more than a perfect book, it is a spiritual book and, while good practices of interpretation ought to be observed, the spiritual preacher will take you passed that which natural ability and skills of interpretation can get us and discern for us what is spiritual.
We need also a spiritual congregation that is able to discern when the preacher may have gone past the spiritual to the fanciful. Our world is full of so called preachers who have led huge congregations of carnal and undiscerning souls down the road of extra biblical fantasy. A spiritual congregation would reign that in and hold it in check.
The question is, who is spiritual? I submit that the quality of being spiritual is being unlike this world. A spirit cannot be seen or sensed in this world; it is other worldly. A spiritual person is one who is also otherworldly. The less like this world we are, the more spiritual we may be.
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.
But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
1 Corinthians 3:1-2 KJV
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
The case is laid out for us as to why those who preach the Word must not only be saved but spiritual :
The natural man is lost and, though perhaps eloquent and educated, he cannot see the spiritual message of God's Word.
The carnal man is saved but his worldliness blinds him from anything but the spiritual milk.
It is only the spiritual man who is able to discern all things in Scripture. While we may enjoy the preacher who is carnal and worldly enough to "relate" to us; we might like his personability and his camaraderie, he automatically stifles our own spiritual development. He is in no position with God to elevate us to those places God would have.
The Word of God is more than a perfect book, it is a spiritual book and, while good practices of interpretation ought to be observed, the spiritual preacher will take you passed that which natural ability and skills of interpretation can get us and discern for us what is spiritual.
We need also a spiritual congregation that is able to discern when the preacher may have gone past the spiritual to the fanciful. Our world is full of so called preachers who have led huge congregations of carnal and undiscerning souls down the road of extra biblical fantasy. A spiritual congregation would reign that in and hold it in check.
The question is, who is spiritual? I submit that the quality of being spiritual is being unlike this world. A spirit cannot be seen or sensed in this world; it is other worldly. A spiritual person is one who is also otherworldly. The less like this world we are, the more spiritual we may be.
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