No—unbelievers cannot fully understand the Bible because spiritual truth must be spiritually discerned.
1 Corinthians 2:14 says the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God; they are foolishness to him, and he cannot know them because they are spiritually discerned. Les Feldick teaches that an unbeliever may grasp Bible stories or miracles, but the deep doctrinal truths remain a closed book until a person is saved and the Holy Spirit opens up the Word.
1 Corinthians 2:14 — This verse directly answers the question: the natural man cannot receive or know the things of the Spirit because they are spiritually discerned.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:13-14 that believers speak 'not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.' 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.' The gospel is also hidden from those who are lost: 'But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.' Scripture further says the god of this world has blinded the minds of those who believe not, 'lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.'
Les stresses that until a person becomes a believer—a child of God through faith and salvation—the Bible is utterly impossible to comprehend as a whole. An unbeliever may be able to read some of the stories and some of the miracles and get something out of them, but when it comes to the basic deep things of Scripture, no one can understand them until they become a child of God. He points back to Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 2:13-14 and says the natural man cannot receive spiritual truth because it is spiritually discerned; the problem is not intellectual ability, but spiritual death. Once a person has a salvation experience and is born again by the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit enlightens him and the Scriptures begin to open up. Les also teaches that the gospel is hid to them that are lost and that the god of this world has blinded their minds. He tells believers to be patient, leaving the opening of eyes and hearts to God's own timing.
Les says an unbeliever may be able to read some of the stories and some of the miracles and get something out of them, but when it comes to the basic deep things of Scripture, no one can understand them until they become a child of God. He describes the Bible as a closed book to the unsaved.
Les teaches that a person must first have a salvation experience; the Holy Spirit then enlightens him and the Scriptures begin to open up. He bluntly tells people who cannot grasp his teaching that once they come to know the Lord, they will. The book opens when someone is born again by the Spirit of God.
Scripture says 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. Les applies this to his classes, explaining that an unconverted person may hear teaching, but it will go over his head until God opens his eyes and heart.
Les teaches that our gospel is hid to them that are lost, and he refers to the truth that the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not. He distinguishes this from times when God Himself hides things, but in this case the blindness keeps lost people from seeing the light of the gospel.
Why Unbelievers Can't Understand the Bible — 1 Corinthians 2 Explained
off in our last program, and that'll be in I Corinthians chapter 2, and we'll jump right in at verse 14. We may review verse 13 again, but anyway in that area, 13-14. Again for all of you joining us on television, we trust that you realize we're just an informal Bible study.
Unbelievers can read stories but not deep truths
Les says an unbeliever may get something from Bible stories and miracles, but the basic deep things of Scripture are impossible to comprehend until becoming a child of God.
The natural man is spiritually dead
Les applies 1 Corinthians 2:14 to show that the natural man cannot receive or know the things of God because they are spiritually discerned; after salvation, everything opens up.
Salvation is the prerequisite for understanding
Les says comprehension of Scripture requires a salvation experience and the enlightening work of the Holy Spirit; apart from that relationship, you will never comprehend the Scriptures.
The god of this world blinds the lost
Les explains that the gospel is hidden to the lost because the god of this world has blinded their minds—a spiritual blindness that keeps them from seeing the light.
God opens eyes in His own timing
Les says we must be patient with unbelievers because they cannot comprehend until God opens their eyes and hearts, and that is left to God's own good timing.
The Bible is a closed book to the unsaved
Les says even the most intellectual, brilliant, or highly educated people cannot know the things of God unless the Spirit reveals them; the Bible is a closed book until a person is born again.
Coming to the Lord changes understanding
Les reads 1 Corinthians 2:13-14 and gives the example of a class member who finally believed and began to comprehend the Scriptures.
1 Corinthians 2:13: Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
This verse shows that spiritual truth is taught by the Holy Spirit, not by human wisdom, setting up the contrast with the natural man.
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.
This is the central answer: the natural man cannot receive or know the things of the Spirit because they must be spiritually discerned.
2 Corinthians 4:3: But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
This verse states that the gospel is hidden to those who are lost, supporting the teaching that unbelievers cannot see its truth.
2 Corinthians 4:4: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
This verse identifies the spiritual blindness of unbelievers as the reason the gospel light does not shine into their minds.
Les says an unbeliever may be able to read some of the stories and some of the miracles and get something out of them, but the basic deep things of Scripture are impossible to understand until he becomes a child of God. The Bible remains a closed book to the unsaved.
Les defines the natural man as the unconverted, unregenerated, unsaved, lost man. He does not receive the things of the Spirit of God because they are foolishness to him and can only be spiritually discerned.
Until a person enters into a salvation experience and is born again by the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit does not enlighten him and the book remains closed. Once he becomes a believer, the Scriptures begin to open up.
No. Les says not even the most intellectual, brilliant, or highly educated person can really know the things of God unless the Spirit reveals them. The limitation is spiritual, not intellectual.
Les says to be patient and leave the opening of eyes and hearts to God's own timing. He was patient with a man who attended his class for three years before he came to the Lord and then began to comprehend the Scriptures.
Watch the Teaching: Why Unbelievers Can't Understand the Bible — 1 Corinthians 2 Explained