How many truly understand this.....

[InSpiritInTruth]

The Law is spiritual....but the mind of man is carnal, unable to hear what the Spirit is saying in it.

The law is prophetic, which means it shall be fulfilled.

The Lord speaks in similitudes and parables by comparing natural things to reflect the true spiritual meaning.

The word of God is spoken in a mystery....but the natural man cannot receive it.

 

[joeyruready]

It requires humility to understand. When we continually and humbly seek the truth God reveals Himself to us bit by bit.

 

[Willie-T]

I think it means, "Don't get the big head, you humans ain't all that!"

 

[SeaBass]

in 1 Cor 2;

Spiritual man were the inspired writers of the bible, the ones who were miraculously endowed to receive words from the Holy Spirit, write those inspired words down so the rest of us can read and understand, Eph 3:3,4.

The natural man is simply the man who is not miraculously endowed to receive revelatory words from the Holy Spirit.


Acts 7:54 "When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth."

Stephen preached God's word to those lost, carnal men. Yet they DID understand those words of God as seen by their reaction to those words. Carnal man CAN understand God's word but choose not to believe it.

Rom 8:5 "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit"

Your mind the things which you choose to go after.

 

[psalm6819]

I understand that whwen I read my Bible I must ask the Holy Spirit to give me understanding and proper application of what I learn.

I know without the love of Jesus nothing I learn is useful but is just noise.

I Corinthians 13:1

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

 

[InSpiritInTruth]

Carnal man CAN understand God's word but choose not to believe it.

I would disagree with that "CAN understand" part because the carnal mind is unable to receive the spiritual things of God, there must first be a mind change from natural to spiritual.

1 Corinthians 2:14
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.

 

[InSpiritInTruth]

I understand that whwen I read my Bible I must ask the Holy Spirit to give me understanding and proper application of what I learn.

Amen, that's why He is called the Spirit of Truth....will guide you into all Truth.

James 1:5-6[SUP]5 [/SUP]If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
[SUP]6 [/SUP]But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

 

[InSpiritInTruth]

It requires humility to understand. When we continually and humbly seek the truth God reveals Himself to us bit by bit.

Yea, He does resist the proud and those who proclaim themselves to be the wise of this world, but reveals Himself to the simple and humble.

Luke 10:21
In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.

 

[InSpiritInTruth]

I think it means, "Don't get the big head, you humans ain't all that!"

1 Corinthians 3:18
Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.

 

[SeaBass]

I would disagree with that "CAN understand" part because the carnal mind is unable to receive the spiritual things of God, there must first be a mind change from natural to spiritual.

1 Corinthians 2:14
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.

Acts 7:54 "When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him withtheir teeth."

I would point out again, why/how would they bu cut to the heart and gnash on Steven with their teeth if they did not, could not understand the gospel sermon he preached? Yet they DID understand but did not like it and chose not to believe it and murdered Steven.

In Acts 22 when Paul preached we are told they ".... heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,) verse 2 and "And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live." verse 22.

The underlying Greek word for 'audience' is akouo and means "to attend to, to consider what has been said, to understand, perceive the sense of what is said, to comprehend, to understand - Thayer.

Why would they be angry at Paul if they could not understand what Paul had said in his sermon. They did understand but did not like it therefore did not want to believe what Paul said and desired Paul be killed also.


Again, the natural man is all of us who were no miraculously endowed to received words of revelation form the Holy Spirit. as the writers of the bible had. Spiritual men, the inspired writers of the bible, were given the miraculous endowment of inspiration.

Eph 3:3,4 "How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)."

Paul was a spiritual man, an inspired writer of the bible and he was given inspired words from the Holy Spirit and wrote those words down so all of us natural men can read and understand those words. Paul told them "when ye read ye may understand", note that no miraculous intervention by the Holy Spirit is necessary for them to read and understand.

 

[4enlightment]

The Law is spiritual....but the mind of man is carnal, unable to hear what the Spirit is saying in it.

The law is prophetic, which means it shall be fulfilled.

The Lord speaks in similitudes and parables by comparing natural things to reflect the true spiritual meaning.

The word of God is spoken in a mystery....but the natural man cannot receive it.

The Laws were never meant to be taken literally, because God is a spirit and His words are spirit that lead to life, and which they'd taken it literally, and which they had not profited nothing from it; their perceptions of them had led them hating and judging one another and those acts lead to death. Jesus had interpreted the true meaning of them and that is why He has given them His spirit, to retrained them.

 

[sassylady]

We absolutely need the Holy Spirit to teach us

 

[InSpiritInTruth]

Acts 7:54 "When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him withtheir teeth."

I would point out again, why/how would they bu cut to the heart and gnash on Steven with their teeth if they did not, could not understand the gospel sermon he preached? Yet they DID understand but did not like it and chose not to believe it and murdered Steven.

Stephen tells them why in Acts 7:51 "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye."

Not having "ears to hear" they could not hear (comprehend, understand) what the Spirit was saying.

 

[InSpiritInTruth]

We absolutely need the Holy Spirit to teach us

Absolutely.

John 3:27
John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.

 

[InSpiritInTruth]

The Laws were never meant to be taken literally, because God is a spirit and His words are spirit that lead to life, and which they'd taken it literally, and which they had not profited nothing from it; their perceptions of them had led them hating and judging one another and those acts lead to death. Jesus had interpreted the true meaning of them and that is why He has given them His spirit, to retrained them.

And by not understanding, you could say they did violence to the law.

Zephaniah 3:4
Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.

 

[SeaBass]

Stephen tells them why in Acts 7:51 "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye."

Not having "ears to hear" they could not hear (comprehend, understand) what the Spirit was saying.

The text does not say they could not hear and understand but they were stiffnecked - stubborn in not believing what their ears heard Stephen preached.

The questions that remain: why were they "cut to the heart" and gnash on Stephen with their teeth if they could not/did not understand the words Stephen spoke to them? And why would Stephen even speak to them if he knew that could not even understand what he was preaching anyway? And what's the point in the great commission (Mt 28:19,20; Mk 16:15,16) in preaching the gospel to every creature/all nations if they cannot understand what is being preached?

 

[Elin]

The Law is spiritual....but the mind of man is carnal, unable to hear what the Spirit is saying in it.

The law is prophetic, which means it shall be fulfilled.

Not all of the law is prophetic.

The Lord speaks in similitudes and parables by comparing natural things to reflect the true spiritual meaning.

The word of God is spoken in a mystery....but the natural man cannot receive it.

 

[SeaBass]

We absolutely need the Holy Spirit to teach us

Yes, the Holy Spirit teaches us through his written word, the bible and not apart from His word/Bible.
Eph 3:3,4 when we read the bible and understand we have been taught by the Holy Spirit. No miraculous "illumination" from the Holy Spirit is needed.

Jn 6:44 "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day."

How is one drawn?

Jn 6:45 "It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me."

By teaching, hearing and learning, no miraculous 'irresistible' type drawing is in the context.

The context simply says "God draws (by teaching/hearing/learning) men come".....come of his own freewill choice, not irresistibly against his will.

 

[InSpiritInTruth]

The text does not say they could not hear and understand but they were stiffnecked - stubborn in not believing what their ears heard Stephen preached.

The questions that remain: why were they "cut to the heart" and gnash on Stephen with their teeth if they could not/did not understand the words Stephen spoke to them? And why would Stephen even speak to them if he knew that could not even understand what he was preaching anyway? And what's the point in the great commission (Mt 28:19,20; Mk 16:15,16) in preaching the gospel to every creature/all nations if they cannot understand what is being preached?

The truth is not all have been given ears to hear, but like the Lord told Ezekiel, whether or not the people will hear, you still need to speak His words, even if it's only for a witness against. Being uncircumcised in heart and ears means they are yet carnal, and yet without understanding. They gnashed at Stephen because the children of the flesh(darkness) hate the children of the Spirit, or Light.

They hardened their hearts to the message, they became stiff-necked and rebellious resisting the Spirit, same is shown here...

Matthew 13:14-15[SUP]14 [/SUP]And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
[SUP]15 [/SUP]For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

 

[InSpiritInTruth]

Not all of the law is prophetic.

Yes, I agree.