What does Paul mean when he writes of the natural man?

from the old testament

• From Adam onward, all humans are born with a sinful nature, separated from God (Genesis 3). This mirrors Paul’s point that the natural person cannot receive or understand God’s truth because of a corrupted heart.
• Israel repeatedly demonstrated that people naturally turn away from God, following idols and worldly practices instead of His commands (Exodus 32:4–5; Judges 2:11–12). Like the natural man, they could not discern or delight in God’s ways without divine intervention.
• Wisdom, discernment, and life come from God, not human reasoning (Proverbs 1:7; Isaiah 29:13–14).
• Without God’s guidance, people cannot grasp His plans—just as Paul explains that the natural man cannot understand spiritual truth without the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14).

from the new testament

• Paul’s phrase, “natural man,” comes from 1 Corinthians 2:14. There, he says that “the natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God.” The “natural man” is an unsaved person, living apart from the indwelling Holy Spirit, and therefore lacking the capacity to receive spiritual truth.
• The immediate context of 1 Corinthians 2 is Paul’s contrast between God’s wisdom and the wisdom of the world. Throughout the chapter, Paul explains that God’s wisdom does not arise from human reasoning but is revealed by God Himself through the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:10–12). What the world considers impressive cannot understand God’s redemptive plan. This is because divine truth must be spiritually revealed.
• This explains why, earlier in the letter, Paul said that “the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing” (1 Corinthians 1:18). He meant that the natural person lacks the Holy Spirit, who enables understanding. Hence, the gospel sounds irrational or offensive rather than wise. Paul was getting at the issue: the problem is not an intellectual one but a spiritual inability.
• Elsewhere, Paul explained humanity’s shared condition in sin. All people are born separated from God and spiritually dead because of Adam’s sin and their own rebellion (Romans 3:23; 5:12). That sinful nature is what keeps us from responding rightly to what we do know about God (cf. Romans 1:18–32). It’s only through faith in Christ that a person receives new life and spiritual understanding (John 3:16–18).
• Once a person is saved, the Holy Spirit enlightens them so that they can understand the gospel. Paul describes this transformation as moving from the “old self” to the “new self” (Ephesians 4:22–24; Colossians 3:9–10). Though believers still struggle with sin, they are no longer “natural” in Paul’s sense, because they now possess the Spirit who enables spiritual life and insight.

implications for today

It is discouraging to watch people reject the gospel, especially when the truth seems so clear. If you are a believer, then you’ve experienced this frustration. You explain the gospel patiently, answer objections carefully, and the other person still rejects Jesus. Why is this?

Paul explained the reason to his readers, reminding them that they were sharing the gospel with “natural” people. Because they didn’t have the Spirit in them, they considered the believers to be fools. The same is true for you. You see the truth clearly because the Spirit is helping you see, but you are speaking to those who still only have “natural” eyes. That is why your message often falls flat.

If that is true, then how is anyone saved? God overcomes the “natural” state by drawing sinners to Himself and opening blind eyes. Salvation belongs to God, not to us. This means that you are not responsible for making anyone believe. Your responsibility is to speak the truth faithfully and then trust God to use that message in a specific person’s life. When someone believes, it is not because another person convinced them, but because God gave them life and enabled them to understand.

This truth should humble some and comfort others. Those confident in their evangelistic ability should remember that God uses whomever He wants to use, and even once even spoke truth through a donkey (Numbers 22:28)! Those who feel inadequate should take comfort that God delights to use what the world calls foolish to display His power (1 Corinthians 1:27).

Pray for those who do not yet believe, speak the truth when given opportunity, and leave the results with God. He delights to save and gladly uses faithful, ordinary people to accomplish His purposes.