It was purely a supernatural act, and
has never been repeated since that day. But even then it would not
prove the necessity of an operation of the Spirit, that men might _hear
the gospel_ and believe it. The record says "it fell on all them that
_heard the word."_ Cornelius was told by the angel to send for Peter,
"who shall tell thee words whereby thou shalt be saved."
8. "Now the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God:
for they are foolishness unto him; and he cannot know them, because they
are spiritually judged. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, and
he himself is judged of no man" (1 Cor. 2:14, 15). This is held to be
one of the strongest passages to confirm the teaching of the necessity
of a direct operation of the Holy Spirit to enable a man to hear and to
believe the gospel. A brief examination of the context will show that
such an idea was not in the mind of the apostle at all. The apostle is
not even speaking of _conversion_ when he uses the language. He is
speaking of _inspiration_. The spiritual man in Paul's mind was a man
inspired by the Spirit, and the natural man was an uninspired man. If
the reader will turn to the ninth verse of the chapter and read to the
conclusion of the chapter, and place "uninspired" where he finds
"natural," and "inspired" where "spiritual" is found, the passage will
be as clear as a sunbeam.
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