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comprehend spiritual knowledge–
but on the contrary the more com–
mon and simple among humans
have been called and
given
this
comprehension.
He writes: "For ye see your call–
ing, brethren, how that not many
wise men after the ftesh, not many
mighty, not many noble, are called:
but God hath chosen the ... weak
things of the world to confound the
things which are mighty; and base
things of the world, and things
which are despised, hath God chos–
en ... that no flesh should glory in
his presence.... And 1, brethren,
when 1 carne to you, carne not with
excellency of speech or of wisdom,
declaring unto you the testimony of
God" (ICor. 1:26-29, 2:1).
In other words, this spiritual
knowledge is
revea/ed
from God,
and is not obtained
because
of a
superior degree of human intellect.
The apostle is showing that even
the humble may comprehend . He
writes that "your faith should not
stand in the wisdom of men, but in
the power of God.... But we speak
the wisdom of God ... even the
hidden wisdom ... which none of
the princes of this world knew .. ."
(verses 5, 7-8).
The only way knowledge can
enter the human mind, naturally, is
through the eye, the ear or the
senses of taste, smell or touch. Paul
goes on to show that this spiritual
knowledge from God simply cannot
enter the normal , natural mind-no
matter how superior the intellect.
But "as it is written, Eye hath
not seen, nor ear heard, neither
have entered into the heart of man,
the things which God hath pre–
pared for them that !ove bim"
(verse 9).
But "God hath
revea/ed
them
unto us by his Spirit. ..." (verse
10), regardless of the degree of
human intellect. In other words, this
knowledge of spiritual things does
not enter human minds by natural
processes-for spirit cannot be seen,
heard, smelled, felt nor tasted-and
there is no other way knowledge
enters the mind naturally. The great
minds of the world, without God's
Spirit, are confined to knowledge of
the physical. That's why, when a
converted person-perhaps of lesser
intellectual attainments- speaks of
spiritual things, it appears as utter
42
foolishness to the highly educated
mind. Al! the latter's knowledge is
confined to physical things. Spiri–
tual things are on a totally different
plane.
The Mystery Explained
Now we come to the verse that
explains it all! The verse that has been
misapplied by those who have
accepted the "immortal soul" falla–
cy.
"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" (verse 11 ).
Study that-in context! What
man knows- has knowledge of–
the things of a man-what man
could have this human knowl–
edge-knowledge an imal brain
cannot receive-save by the
spirit
of man
that is in him?
Animals do not have this spirit–
this nonphysical component. Ani–
mal brain therefore cannot perform
as does human mind. And human
brain alone, just barely superior to
animal brain, could not have and
utilize this human know ledge
unless there was added to the phys–
ical brain this
spirit-this
nonphys–
ical component that is given to
man. And this spirit,
associated
and functioning with
human brain,
produces the intellect that is awe–
some compared to that of animals.
Keep carefully in mind that man
is
wholly
composed of matter–
from the dust of the ground. But
God has
added
to man something
that is
not
the man but something
IN
him. And this nonphysical some–
thing- this
spirit- imparts
the
power of intellect to physical
human brain.
How to Gain lmmortality
But if man is not an "immortal
soul" what hope do we have for life
after death? Let it be said here that
it is an enormously greater hope
than the "immortal soul" fallacy.
We find this great hope in the res–
urrection chapter: "Now this 1
say ... that flesh and blood [mortal
man]
cannot
inherit the kingdom
of God ..." (1 Cor. 15:50). Jesus
Christ talked about being born into
the kingdom of God. He said in
effect, "You can't enter that king–
dom as long as you are mortal
flesh" (John 3:3-8). Flesh and
blood-that's what we are-cannot
inherit the kingdom of God.
We can only be an heir to eterna!
life
now
in this life. 1 Corinthians
15
continues: " .. . neither doth corrup–
tion inherit incorruption. Behold,
1
shew you a mystery; we shall not all
sleep, but we shall al! be
changed,
in
a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,
at the last trump: for the trumpet
shall sound, and the dead shall be
raised incorruptible, and we shalJ be
changed." The apostle Paul is speak–
ing here of a resurrection from the
dead, as well as an instantaneous
changing of t hose who are alive at
that time. Continue (verse 53): "For
this corruptible must put on incor–
ruption, and this mortal
must put on
immortality."
So you don't have immortality
now!
That is the teaching of the
Bible from Genesis to Revelation!
That is why we must be born again
by a resurrection from the dead .
There is life after death. But that
life
lies in a future resurrection–
not
in an "immortal sou
l. "
J
t lies in
a new birth
as an immortal spirit
being in the very family of God.
Thank God, the life after death
that is offered to man is not to
become sorne insect such as a fly or
a mosquito.
God Almighty offers man his
glorious grace to elevate man high
above all animals- even above the
angel kingdom- into the very king–
dom of God. That is the opportuni–
ty that God Almighty offers to
every one of us.
It
is
not
a reforming of sorne " im–
mortal soul" that the great Creator
God offers to you and me.
lt
is a new
birth
onto a far higher plane-being
born of God into the very family of
God. Oh, how incomparably more
wonderful is God's truth than the
false ideas of men!
Flesh is mortal. Flesh is matter.
Spirit, however, is immortal. In
II Corinthians 4:18 we read that the
invisible things that are spiritual are
eterna!, but manis mortal. The only
hope of ever having eterna! life is
through a new birth, with new life
thatcan be imparted to us from God.
That is not impárted at our natural
birth, but is imparted during and
throughout our lifetime if we have
repented, believed and been bap–
tized.
It
comes fully
at a resur-
The PLAIN TRUTH