"Natural man" is an expression that occurs in 1 Corinthians 2:14 in certain Bible translations. The word translated as "natural" is also found in 1 Corinthians 15:44, 46; James 3:15; and Jude 1:19.
What Does "Natural Man" Mean?
The word is related to the Greek noun usually translated as "soul." The meaning of the word is determined by context. In 1 Corinthians, all four uses are contrasted with "spiritual," a word common in Paul’s writings. In almost every instance, "spiritual" refers to the work of the Holy Spirit.
Applied to things, "spiritual" means coming from, or produced by, the Holy Spirit. The New Testament authors describe several things as "spiritual":
The law is "spiritual" in Romans 7:14.
Gifts are "spiritual" in 1 Corinthians 12:1.
Blessings are "spiritual" in Ephesians 1:3.
Sacrifices are "spiritual" in 1 Peter 2:5.
When the word is applied to persons, it means motivated and directed by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:15; 14:37; Galatians 6:1). "Natural" is contrasted with "spiritual," so it generally describes what is empty of or opposed to the Holy Spirit and his work.
Differences Between Natural and Spiritual in the Bible
In 1 Corinthians 2:14–15 "natural man" is set in contrast to "spiritual man." In this context, the natural man is one who does not accept the things that come from the spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:14). Rather, these things are "foolishness" to him. He cannot understand them because they are "spiritually discerned." This foolishness is the foolishness of unbelief (1:21), and what is lacking is insight that can be produced only by the Holy Spirit. Plainly, Paul has in mind someone without, or even opposed to, the Holy Spirit and God’s revealed truth.
In 1 Corinthians 15:44–46, the contrast between spiritual and natural occurs in a different context. The "body" in death is compared to the "body" in resurrection. The body of the believer laid in the grave ("sown") is a natural body (verse 44a). The body of the believer raised from the dead will be a spiritual body. The body raised will be renewed and transformed by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11).
In 1 Corinthians 15:44b and 45a, however, Paul connects the "natural body" to Adam before the fall when God created him (Genesis 2:7). This shows that what is natural refers to the creation. As created originally by God, the "natural" was "very good" (Genesis 1:31). Human sin corrupted the natural to the condemnation of death. Therefore, the sinful rebellion of the natural man, measured by the original creation, is now unnatural and abnormal. The work of the Holy Spirit now, in Christ, is to remove this abnormality and fulfill the original purposes of creation (Romans 8:19–22; 2 Corinthians 5:17).