Search
Spiritual
Endowed with the attributes of spirit. Any being made in the image of God who is a Spirit (
(1) Spiritual hosts of wickedness (
(2) With the above exception, "spiritual" in the New Testament signifies moral, not physical antithesis: an essence springing from the Spirit of God and imparted to the spirit of man. Hence, spiritual in this sense always presupposes the infusion of the Holy Spirit to quicken, and inform. It is opposed
(a) to sarkikos, "fleshly" (
(b) to psuchikos, "natural," man in whom the pneuma, "spirit," is over-ridden, because of the Fall, by psuche, the principle of the animal life, "soul"; hence, the unrenewed man, unspiritual, alienated from the life of God (
(c) to natural, meaning physical, ".... sown a natural body; .... raised a spiritual body" (
(3) In the New Testament and general use "spiritual" thus indicates man regenerated, indwelt, enlightened, endued, empowered, guided by the Holy Spirit; conformed to the will of God, having the mind of Christ, living in and led by the Spirit. The spiritual man is a new creation born from above (
(4) Ecclesiastically used of things sacred or religious, as spiritual authority, spiritual assembly, spiritual office.
See Spirit.
Dwight M. Pratt