Letter 1126: Scripture speaks with precision to those who read carefully.
On the verse: "The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit." What is meant by spiritual, natural, and carnal. Paul calls spiritual, O wise friend, those who have been adorned with a spiritual gift — those who have not only risen above nature but have also transcended the sequence of reasoning through faith. One of these was Paul himself, and those to whom he wrote: "You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you." The natural man is the one who follows only the logic of nature and the reasoning of the unaided mind, who demands proof for everything and refuses to accept what exceeds his understanding. He does not receive the things of the Spirit because they are foolishness to him. The carnal man is worse still, for he has surrendered even his natural reason to the passions of the flesh and lives entirely by appetite and sensation. Each of these three categories — spiritual, natural, and carnal — represents a different relationship to divine truth: the first embraces it by faith, the second rejects it by incredulity, and the third ignores it by indulgence. If we examine the matter carefully, we shall find that the Scriptures are consistent in their teaching on this point, and that the apparent difficulties dissolve when we consider the context and the purpose of each passage. The Holy Spirit does not contradict himself, nor does he leave his readers without guidance. What seems obscure in one place is clarified in another, and what seems harsh in isolation is softened when viewed in the light of the whole. The diligent student who searches the Scriptures with a humble heart and a teachable spirit will always find more light, more truth, and more consolation than the casual reader who skims the surface and pronounces judgment on what he does not understand.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
Εἰς τό ε« Ὁ ψυχικὸς ἄνθρωπος οὐ δέχεται τὰ τοῦ ἐνεύμας,ς: ) Τί πγευματιχὸς, καὶ ψυχιχὸς καὶ σαρκιχός. Πνευματιχοὺς χαλεῖ, ὦ σοφὲ, ὃ Παῦλος τοὺ; πνευματιχῷ χεχοσμήμένους χαρίσματι " χαὶ οὐ μόνον τῆς φύσειος ἀνωτέρω χωρήσαντας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν τῶν λόγων ἀχολουθίαν διὰ τῆς πίστεως; ὑπερδεδηχότας (). Ὧν εἷς ἣν χαὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Παῦλος, χἀχεῖνοι οἷς ἔγρα- φεν᾽ «ε Οὐκ ἐστὲ ἐν σαρχὶ, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν πνεύματι, εἴπερ ΥΔΕΆΙἉΣ ΠΕΟΤΙΟΝΕΒ ΕἸ ΝΟΤΑ. () ἸΙάδην οοά. τὸ εἰρημένον πιυίδϊὶ ἦῃ τὰ εἰρη- μένα. ῬΟ55ΙΝ, () οὐ. γαι. «ἀαϊι ἐπισχόπωῳ. ἴν. ϑ Ριο λογοχρινεῖν ὁ04. Υ4ι. ἰοφὶι λόγου χι ΠΩ Ε4. Ρωνὶα., διὰ τῶν λογισμῶν ὑπ. Ευιτ. ἘΡΙΘΤΟΙΛΕΌΜ . 1Υ..-- ἘΡΙΒΤ. ΟΧΧΙΧ. Πνεῦμα Θεοῦ οἰχεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν.» Ῥυχιχοὺς δὲ, περὶ ὧν Α φυΐάδιῃ ϑρίτἰτυ8 )εἱ μαυϊίαι ἴῃ νοὐΐβ .» Αηἰιηα γέγραπται" ε« Ῥυχιχοὶ πνεῦμα μὴ ἔχοντες " » τοὺς τοῖς λογισμοῖς χαὶ συλλογισμοῖς χαὶ διαλογισμοῖς μᾶλλον ἐπερειδομένους, χαὶ τὸ δίχαιον χαὶ τὸ συμφέ- ρὸν ἐχ τούτων νομίζοντας εὑρίσχειν " οἷοί εἰσιν οἱ παρ᾽ Ἕλλησι σοφοί. Σαρχιχοὺς ὃὲ τοὺς τοῖς πάθεσι ᾿τῆς σαρχὸς ἡττηθέντας, ἀπὸ τοῦ πλειστοδυνα μοῦντος αὐτοὺς καλῶν " οἷοι πάντες οἱ ἐναγεῖς, χαὶ ἀχάθαρ- τοι, χαὶ περὶ τὰς συνουσίας λυττῶντες. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ σωματιχὸς Πνευματιχὸς () σῶμα ἔχει χαὶ ψυχὴν, καὶ ὁ ψυχιχὸς σῶμα ἔχει, χαὶ ὁ σαρχιχὸς ψυχὴν, ἀλλ᾽ ἀπὸ τοῦ χρατοῦντος ἕχαστος χαλεῖται (). Ὥσπερ γὰρ γήϊνον λέγεται τὸ σῶμα, χαίτοι χαὶ τῶν ἄλλων στοιχείων μετέχον, τῷ χατὰ τὸ πλεῖστον μέ- ρος τῆς γῆς μετέχειν" οὕτω χἀχείνοις ἀπὸ τοῦ χρα- τοῦντος ἐξενίχησε τοὔνομα. ΥΟΓῸ ΔΡρ6 1δι, ἀ6 ᾳυΐθυβ δογρίυηι 6δὲ : εΑηἰπηδ! , δρὶ τὰ ἤθη ᾿ΔΌΘη ᾽᾽ ;» 4υΐ Γαιϊοοϊηδιϊο- πἶθυδ, οἱ 5ΒΥ)Ποᾳ βην οἱ ἀϊβρυϊαιοπὶθυδ Ροιπι8 ἰπηΪ- ἰυπίυγ, 6ἱ ὁχ ἷ8 ἰῃΠ ΘΠ ΌΓΟΒ ἈΓΟΪ γδηίυν ἰὰ αυοά Ἰυδίυμι δἷζ οἱ υἱἱ] : 4υ8168 δυηὶ δαρίθηίθθ δρυΐ ἀτγοοβ. λγη8 ἀδηΐᾳυο , φυΐ αβδοι θυ σΑΓΩΙ5 Υἱποὶ ραιϊυπυγ; 4υοά ῥυγὶπγυηὶ ἰπ ἱρ518 Ρο οὶ, ἀδπομίηδιϊου θῖ) ΘΟΓΌΠῚ 811Π . δυμὶ ΟΙΏΏ68 οΓϑιΐ, οἱ ἰωρυγὶ, οἱ φαΐ οἶγοδ Πἑἀΐη685 οἱ οοἰίυ5 ἰηδαηέιπι. Ουϑηᾳηδη) δηΐ 8ρ͵᾽ Γἰ ( οἰἾ8πὶ ΒΟη)Ο ΘΟγρὺβ Ὠάθαί οἱ δῃϊηδηι, οἱ ΔπἾ πλ8 ΟΟΓρΡυ μιδθοὶ, οἱ οαΓΠ4115 δι ΐμηα ποη ἀθδι! υἱζυ : ἰδ ηνθῖ Δ ᾳυοά ρο( 5βἰτη0 6ϑ,, φυΐδ4 Δρρο! ἰδίαν. υθι - διηοάσπι δηλ ΟΟΓΡΙΒ., ἰδηιοιδὶ δἰΐογαπι ᾳφυοφιιθ Β οἰοπγθηίογυπι ρΑγιΐο6ρΡ8 δὶ1, [ διηγηθῶ (ΘΓΓου τι ἀϊοίιυΡ, φυοὰ τηλχὶΠη8Δῃ) ραΓίδη) ἃΧχ (ΕἾΤ οΟὨϑιοί : [ φαραυδ ὁχ φυοά ροίοιιἶ86 , ποίμθι » ἐἰουΐ!. ΡΚΗ΄. --- ΕἩΥΥ̓ΣΤΕΦΙΩ (). Εἰς τὸν ἀοίδιμον θάνατον τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν (). Πόθεν, ἔφης, δῆλόν ἐστιν, ὅτι ἐχὼν ἐπὶ τὸν θάνα- τον ἦλθεν ὁ Χριστός (); Μάλιστα μὲν ἐχ τοῦ νεχροὺς Δεσποτιχῇ αὐθεντίᾳ ξνηγερχέναι. Ὃ γὰρ νεχροῖς ζωὴν χαριπάμενος, οὐχ ἂν δήπου ἄχων ἐπὶ τὸ πάθος ἤχθη. Εἰ δὲ χαὶ τῇ θεϊκῇ ἐξουσίᾳ οὐχ ἤθελε χρήσα - σθαι, ἀλλά γε ἐξῆν ἀπολογησάμενον ἔχφυγεῖν, εἴγε ἤθελε. Καὶ γὰρ εἶχε χαὶ τὸν Πιλάτον εἰς τοῦτο αὐτῷ συμπράττοντα, χαὶ λέγοντα, ποτὲ μέν" ε Οὐχ εὑρί- σχω ὃν αὐτῷ οὐδὲ μίαν αἱτίαν θανάτου" ν ποτὲ δέ " « ᾿Αθῶός εἶμι ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος τούτου. » Εἰ δὲ μὴ ἃ ἀπολογήσασθαι ἤθελεν, ἐκχαλέσασθαι χατὰ Παῦλον ἐξῆν. Καὶ γὰρ ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίους ἧσαν. Λοιπὸν γὰρ Λὔγουστος ὁ Ῥωμαίων αὐτοχράτωρ χειρωσάμενος ἅπαντας, ἐν οἷς ἦσαν καὶ αὐτοὶ, ἐχέλευσεν ἀπογρά- ψασθαι πᾶσαν τὴν οἰχουμένην, πρὸ τοῦ τὸν Σωτήρα «ὸ χατὰ σάρχα γεννηθῆναι" χαὶ Ῥωμαίων ἡγεμὼν ἦν παρ᾽ αὐτοῖς ὁ Πιλάτος, διέπων τὰ πράγματα, χαὶ τοὺς ἐχχαλουμένους πέμπων εἰς τὴν Ῥωμαίων, ᾿καὶ τηρῶν αὐτοῖς τὸ ἄσυλον" ὥσπερ οὖν χαὶ ὁ ᾧΦῆστος, εἰ δὲ βούλει, ὁ χιλίαρχος, τὸν Παῦλον χαὶ διέσωσεν ἐχ τῆς φονώσης συνόδου, χαὶ εἰς Ῥώμην πρὸς Καίσαρα ἀνέπεμψεν. ᾿Αλλ᾽ οὐδὲν τούτων πε- ποίηχεν ὁ Χριστός " οὔτε γὰρ τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ, οὔτε τῇ ἀπολογίᾳ, οὔτε τῇ ἐχχλήτῳ ἐχρῆσατο, ἕνα λαμπρῶς δείξη, ὅτι τὸν θάνατον θανατώσων δεῦρ᾽ ἀφῖχτο. "ΟΓίθι πιογῖθ ἃΠίοαΓαι, ΡΚΘ΄. -- ΣΤΡΑΤΙΠῚΩ ΜΟΝΑΖΟΝΤΙ. Εἰς τό" « Πὰν ἁμάρτημα, ὃ ἐὰν ποιῇ ἄνθρωπος ἑχτὸς τοῦ σώματος.» Πολλὰς, ὦ μαχάριε, δυνατὸν εἰς τό: ε« Πᾶν ἄδια, ΟΧΧΎΙΙ. --- ΕὔΘΤΕΡΗΙΟ. οεἰουτεηι πεοτίοπι ϑδαίναίοτὶς ποείτὶ. ὕμπια οοηδίαι, ἰπᾳυΐβδ, (Ἰιγβιαα) υἱγο οἱ δυᾶ ΒΡΟΙ δὰ πιογίθιῃ Ὑδι ἢ Μαχίιηρ ᾳυϊίδπ) ὁχ , 4υθἀ πιογίυο058 Ὠοπλίη!οα δυοσίογ οἱ ρμοίοηιἷ8 6Χ- εἰιανι. Νἅιν 4υ] τρογίυΐβ υἱῖϑπι ἰαγρίιυ8 , ρτοίοσιο ποι ἰηνίυ5 δι ρΔ ] 0η6πὶ δυλη) ἀυύθυο
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This letter is extant also among those of Procopius of Gaza, to whose works it properly belongs. As this Procopius flourished a century later than Jerome, the letter cannot be addressed to him. About this page Source.
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