01.12. The Spiritual Man Is "Full-Grown " In Christ

The " spiritual " man is also described by the Apostle as " full-grown " in Christ, and in the first letter to the Corinthians we have a striking contrast drawn between the spiritual and carnal believer. The carnal-or fleshly -believer, can only be fed with " milk ", the simplest element of the Gospel, whereas to the " full-grown " or " spiritual " man, can be given the " deep things of God ", things which cannot even be spoken " in words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Spirit teacheth, interpreting spiritual things (not truths, be it noted, but things-facts-substances-as real as things material on earth) to spiritual men " (1 Corinthians 2:10, 1 Corinthians 2:13, R. V. margin). The Apostle makes it clear also that the "soulish "or " man of soul "-cannot receive these " things " of the Spirit, any more than the fleshly " babes of Christ " (1 Corinthians 2:14), for to the soulish intellect and wisdom, they appear nought but foolishness. None but those who are " spiritual " can discern them, and examine (R.V. margin) them-for they can be " examined " as really as material things ! The " spiritual " man " examines all things ", for he is able by the Holy Spirit to penetrate to the inner spiritual source of all things, and pierce through the veil of sense and sight to the spiritual verities lying at the back of all things, but the "soulish " man, i.e., the man who can use only his natural intellect, cannot pierce further than the intellect can go, he can examine all things in the " natural " sphere, and no more !. The " ` spiritual man ’ is ripe in understanding ", writes the Apostle, and if we carefully examine all the references in Paul’s Epistles to the " spiritual " man, and the " full grown " man, we shall see how the dividing of soul and spirit in the believer is the condition of reaching the stage called " spiritual ", or " of full-growth ". The " full grown " stage is again and again connected with the knowledge, teaching, and discernment of spiritual things, all having to do with the soul.

"We speak wisdom among the ` full-grown ’ " (1 Corinthians 2:6, R. V. margin) ; " Be not children in mind... but in mind be of full age " (1 Corinthians 14:20, R. V. margin) ; " Teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect " (same Greek word as rendered full-grown, Colossians 1:28) ; " solid food is for full grown men, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern . . . " (Hebrews 5:14, R.V.). " Let us therefore, as many as be perfect "-or " ripe in understanding ", " perfect " being the antithesis of " babe " (same Greek word as " full-grown " in 1 Corinthians 2:6)-" be thus minded " (Php 3:15), writes the Apostle in his letters. For the Colossians he prays that they may be " filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding " (Colossians 1:9); and it is the " spiritual " man who is bidden to restore a brother overtaken in any trespass, for he only can exercise the heavenly wisdom required for faithfulness in dealing with sin from the standpoint of God, whilst loving tenderly the erring brother.*

Again, to the Ephesians the Apostle writes, " Till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a full-grown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ " (Ephesians 4:13, R.V.). Here again is knowledge linked with full-growth, and the fulness of Christ ! The " unity of the faith " which should characterise the mystical Body of Christ, and bring about its " full-stature ", cannot be manifested until each of the individual members reaches the full-grown stage, and becomes a " spiritual " man; and again, each member cannot thus become " spiritual " until he apprehends the separation of soul and spirit, so that the spirit may be fully joined to the Risen Lord, and the " soul-vessel " in its intellectual and other departments, be energized and dominated by the spirit from the sphere of the God-consciousness; and not from the lower life of the first Adam.