The natural man
This is a hard saying to the natural man, who is alive to the world and dead to God, and it is one that he will not readily be persuaded to receive as the truth of God, unless it is so qualified in the interpretation as to have neither use nor significance left. He does not receive the words of the Spirit of God, taken in their plain and obvious meaning. They are foolishness to him. Neither indeed can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14).
They are perceivable only by that spiritual sense which in him was never yet awakened. For want of that sense, he must reject as idle fancies of men what are both the wisdom and the power of God.
1771 text
2. A hard saying this to the natural man, who is alive unto the world, and dead unto God, and one that he will not readily be persuaded, to receive as the truth of God, unless it be so qualified in the interpretation, as to have neither use nor significancy left. He receiveth not the words of the Spirit of God, taken in their plain and obvious meaning. They are foolishness unto him: neither indeed can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned: They are perceivable only by that spiritual sense, which in him was never yet awakened; for want of which he must reject as idle fancies of men, what are both the wisdom and the power of God.
About this text
Rendered in modern English, to be read and heard. Open the 1771 text under each part to check the claims and the scripture.
Rendered in modern English. The 1771 panel is his own Pine printing of the Works. It is public domain.
Catalogue & scope
Sermon 17 in the 1771 Works. Romans 2:29. Saint Mary's, Oxford, 1 January 1733.
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. It is not a complete critical edition.