By: Robert Serreyn
Question? Can you clarify “The Spirit of Man” and “The Spirit of God” in 1 Corinthians 2:11?
1 Corinthians 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
Answer:
The “Spirit of Man” is speaking of a persons Intelligence.
Lets take a look at Psalms 32:9 and Job 32:8…
Psalms 32:9 Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.
Job 32:8 But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.
Animals in contrast to human beings HAVE NO intelligence (Spirit) they DO EVERYTHING by instinct, They may SEEM TO have smarts but it is simply taught and learned behavior.
To the contrary animals have A SOUL (life) but NO SPIRIT.
The SPIRIT(our intelligence the “Unseen” REAL you and I) is what SEPERATES us from the animal kingdom.
Like you and I animals do have a body and a soul (life) and they feel happy, sad, pain, anger and even dream in their sleep, but this is the ONLY LIFE they will know and immediately upon death THEIR SOUL (life) will cease to exist.
Ecclesiastes 3:21 Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?
– The Spirit of Man that Goeth Upward = ETERNAL
– The Spirit of the Beast Goeth Downward = TEMPORAL
Death for the animal is the end, Death for a person is JUST the beginning of their eternal life either in Heaven or in Hell.
The “Spirit of God” is speaking of the Holy Spirit.
When a person Trust Christ as saviour the Holy Spirit then at that moment indwells the Believer and as that person studies, learns, and is taught the scriptures the Holy Spirit ILLUMINATES (gives understanding) to the Word of God.
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth (Holy Spirit), is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Further 1 Corinthians 2:11 states that WITHOUT the Holy Spirit (Spirit of God) the Lost, Unsaved person CANNOT understand the Word of God BECAUSE the Word of God IS the Mind of God.
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.
1 Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
The MOST IMPORTANT thing to know IS Jesus Christ as savior, just simply believe that Jesus Christ went to the cross and DIED and shed his blood, was BURIED and three days later RESURRECTED from the dead to pay for your sins.
The moment that you do YOU HAVE (at that second and forever) Everlasting Life which WILL NEVER be taken away no matter what.
-Christ DIED for you – Romans 5:8
-Christ PAID your sins in full – 2 Corinthians 5:21,1 Peter 2:24
-BELIEVE (Trust In Completely) in Christ ALONE as the complete payment of sin for salvation – John 3:16, Acts 16:31, Ephesians 2:8,9
“For the wages(payment) of sin is death (eternal torment in hell); but the GIFT(salvation) of God is eternal life THROUGH Jesus Christ our Lord”. Romans 6:23
IT IS THAT SIMPLE – THE GOSPEL TRUTH