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Natural

From: Concise Bible Dictionary: N

By: George A. Morrish

Narrator: Chris Genthree

• 1 min. read • grade level: 9

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That which is according to nature.

1. γένεσις, “origin, birth.” Man beholds his natural face in a glass (James 1:23²³For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: (James 1:23)).

2. κατὰφύσιν, “according to nature.” The Israelites are called the natural branches of the olive tree which God planted on earth (Rom. 11:21,24²¹For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. (Romans 11:21)
²⁴For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? (Romans 11:24)). φυσικός, “that which belongs to nature” (Rom. 1:26-27²⁶For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: ²⁷And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. (Romans 1:26‑27); 2 Peter 2:12¹²But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; (2 Peter 2:12); Jude 10¹⁰But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. (Jude 10)).

3. φυχικός, from “life, soul.” “The natural man [that is, a man characterized by the natural life of the soul, without the teaching and power of the Holy Spirit] receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God” (1 Cor. 2:14¹⁴But 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 2:14)). The body of the Christian is sown “a natural body” (having had natural life through the living soul); it will be raised “a spiritual body” (1 Cor. 15:44-46⁴⁴It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. ⁴⁵And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. ⁴⁶Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. (1 Corinthians 15:44‑46)).

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Concise Bible Dictionary: N

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