Spiritual

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

A — 1: Πνευματικός (Strong'S #4152 — Adjective — pneumatikos — phyoo-mat-ik-os' )

"always connotes the ideas of invisibility and of power. It does not occur in the Sept. nor in the Gospels; it is in fact an after-Pentecost word. In the NT it is used as follows: (a) the angelic hosts, lower than God but higher in the scale of being than man in his natural state, are 'spiritual hosts,'  Ephesians 6:12; (b) things that have their origin with God, and which, therefore, are in harmony with His character, as His law is, are 'spiritual,'  Romans 7:14; (c) 'spiritual' is prefixed to the material type in order to indicate that what the type sets forth, not the type itself, is intended,  1—Corinthians 10:3,4; (d) the purposes of God revealed in the gospel by the Holy Spirit,  1—Corinthians 2:13 , and the words in which that revelation is expressed, are 'spiritual,'  1—Corinthians 2:13 , matching, or combining, spiritual things with spiritual words [or, alternatively, 'interpreting spiritual things to spiritual men,' see (e) below]; 'spiritual songs' are songs of which the burden is the things revealed by the Spirit,  Ephesians 5:19;  Colossians 3:16; 'spiritual wisdom and understanding' is wisdom in, and understanding of, those things,  Colossians 1:9; (e) men in Christ who walk so as to please God are 'spiritual,'  Galatians 6:1;  1—Corinthians 2:13 [but see (d) above],15; 3:1; 14:37; (f) the whole company of those who believe in Christ is a 'spiritual house,'   1—Peter 2:5; (g) the blessings that accrue to regenerate men at this present time are called 'spiritualities,'  Romans 15:27;  1—Corinthians 9:11; 'spiritual blessings,'  Ephesians 1:3; 'spiritual gifts,'  Romans 1:11; (h) the activities Godward of regenerate men are 'spiritual sacrifices,'  1—Peter 2:5; their appointed activities in the churches are also called 'spiritual gifts,' lit., 'spiritualities,'  1—Corinthians 12:1;  14:1; (i) the resurrection body of the dead in Christ is 'spiritual,' i.e., such as is suited to the heavenly environment,  1—Corinthians 15:44; (j) all that is produced and maintained among men by the operations of the Spirit of God is 'spiritual,'  1—Corinthians 15:46 . ...

 Galatians 5:16  Galatians 5:25 1—Corinthians 3:1-3 2—Peter 3:18

B — 1: Πνευματικῶς (Strong'S #4153 — Adverb — pneumatikos — pnyoo-mat-ik-oce' )

"spiritually," occurs in  1—Corinthians 2:14 , with the meaning as (j) above, and  Revelation 11:8 , with the meaning as in (c). Some mss. have it in  1—Corinthians 2:13 .

 Romans 8:6 1—Corinthians 14:12  1—Peter 2:2

King James Dictionary

SPIRITUAL, a.

1. Consisting of spirit not material incorporeal as a spiritual substance or being. The soul of man is spiritual. 2. Mental intellectual as spiritual armor. 3. Not gross refined from external things not sensual relative to mind only as a spiritual and refined religion. 4. Not lay or temporal relating to sacred things ecclesiastical as the spiritual functions of the clergy the lords spiritual and temporal a spiritual corporation. 5. Pertaining to spirit or to the affections pure holy.

Gods law is spiritual it is a transcript of the divine nature, and extends its authority to the acts of the soul of man.

6. Pertaining to the renewed nature of man as spiritual life. 7. Not fleshly not material as spiritual sacrifices.  1 Peter 2 . 8. Pertaining to divine things as spiritual songs.  Ephesians 5 .

Spiritual court, an ecclesiastical court a court held by a bishop or other ecclesiastic.

Webster's Dictionary

(1): ( a.) Of or pertaining to the intellectual and higher endowments of the mind; mental; intellectual.

(2): ( a.) Of or pertaining to the soul or its affections as influenced by the Spirit; controlled and inspired by the divine Spirit; proceeding from the Holy Spirit; pure; holy; divine; heavenly-minded; - opposed to carnal.

(3): ( a.) Not lay or temporal; relating to sacred things; ecclesiastical; as, the spiritual functions of the clergy; lords spiritual and temporal; a spiritual corporation.

(4): ( a.) Consisting of spirit; not material; incorporeal; as, a spiritual substance or being.

(5): ( a.) Of or pertaining to the moral feelings or states of the soul, as distinguished from the external actions; reaching and affecting the spirits.

(6): ( n.) A spiritual function, office, or affair. See Spirituality, 2.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

This word occurs often in the N.T. It stands in contrast to what is earthly,  Romans 15:27; and to what is carnal, or of the flesh.  1 Corinthians 3:1 . In short it may be said to be that which is of the Holy Spirit, in contrast to what is of the natural man.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

spir´it̬ - ū́ - al ( πνευματικός , pneumatikós , "spiritual," from πνεῦμα , pneúma , "spirit"): Endowed with the attributes of spirit. Any being made in the image of God who is a Spirit (  John 4:24 .), and thus having the nature of spirit, is a spiritual being.

(1) Spiritual hosts of wickedness ( Ephesians 6:12 ), in distinction from beings clothed in "flesh and blood" - the devil and his angels. This use of the word has reference to nature, essence, and not to character or moral quality. God, angels, man, devil, demons are in essence spiritual . The groundwork and faculties of their rational and moral being are the same. This limited use of the word in the New Testament has its adverb equivalent in  Revelation 11:8 , "which (the great and wicked city) spiritually is called Sodom." As the comprehensive term moral includes immoral, so spiritual includes unspiritual and all that pertains to spirit.

(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 σαρκρκός , sarkikós , "fleshly" (  1 Corinthians 3:1 ), men of the flesh and not of the spirit; ( b ) to ψυχικός , psuchikós , "natural," man in whom the pneúma , "spirit," is over-ridden, because of the Fall, by psuchḗ , the principle of the animal life, "soul"; hence, the unrenewed man, unspiritual, alienated from the life of God ( 1 Corinthians 2:14;  2 Peter 2:12;  Judges 1:10 ). See Man , Natural; ( c ) to natural , meaning physical, "... sown a natural body;... raised a spiritual body" ( 1 Corinthians 15:44 ).

(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 ( Romans 8:6;  1 Corinthians 2:15;  1 Corinthians 3:1;  1 Corinthians 14:37;  Colossians 1:9;  1 Peter 2:5 ).

(4) Ecclesiastically used of things sacred or religious, as spiritual authority, spiritual assembly, spiritual office. See Spirit .

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

( Πνευματικός , which in classical Greek is opposed to Bodily, Plutarch, De Sanct. 389) denotes in New Test. usage, ( A ) belonging to the Holy Spirit ( Romans 1:11;  Romans 15:27;  1 Corinthians 2:13;  1 Corinthians 9:11;  1 Corinthians 12:1;  1 Corinthians 12:7;  1 Corinthians 14:1;  1 Corinthians 14:37;  Ephesians 1:3); or (B ) determined or influenced by the Holy Spirit ( 1 Corinthians 3:1;  1 Corinthians 14:37;  Galatians 6:1), such as "spiritual songs" ( Ephesians 5:19;  Colossians 3:16), i.e. inspired; a "spiritual house" ( Colossians 1:9), not angelic, nor unmanufactured, but composed of stones vivified by the Spirit (comp.  Ephesians 2:22), like "spiritual sacrifices" ( 1 Peter 2:5); "spiritual food and drink" ( 1 Corinthians 10:3), i.e. nourishment afforded by the Spirit (the "spiritual Rock,"  Deuteronomy 8:15;  Deuteronomy 32:4), and not in an ordinary way (comp.  Exodus 17:6). See Cremer, Lexicon Of The N.T. Greek, s.v. (See Spiritual Mindedness).

The expression "spiritual body" ( Σῶμα Πνευματικόν , Pneumatic Body ) , used in  1 Corinthians 15:44 to describe the resurrection state, appears at first sight a palpable contradiction of terms; but it is interpreted by the antithesis there made with the "natural body" ( Σῶμα Ψυχικόν , Psychic Body ) . The apostle uses these terms in the same epistle ( 1 Corinthians 2:14-15) to distinguish the unregenerate man from the Christian, as being changed from his fleshly condition to a heavenly one by the Divine Spirit. In the resurrection body, accordingly, these words denote the contrast between the earthly, decaying, and sin stained costume of the soul here and its celestial, immortal, and purified state hereafter. This is plain likewise from the kindred antithesis of the context ("corruption... incorruption," "dishonor... glory," "weakness... power," "earthy... heavenly"). We are not taught, therefore, to look for an ethereal, aerial, or sublimated body in the other life, but one of bona fide matter, substantial as at present, although transfigured by a divine and heavenly glory. (See Resurrection).