πνευματικῶς (pneumatikōs)
pneumatikōs
spiritually
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adverb pneumatikōs translates to "spiritually," but its meaning shifts depending on whether it describes how something is understood or what kind of reality it represents. In first-century thought, this term distinguished matters governed by the Holy Spirit from those bound only to physical senses or human reasoning.
Paul uses this word in 1 Corinthians 2:13 and 2:14 to describe a specific mode of perception. He argues that spiritual truths cannot be grasped by natural wisdom alone; they must be interpreted pneumatikōs, meaning "by the aid of the Holy Spirit." Here, the word points to the necessary divine assistance required to understand God's message, contrasting human limitation with spiritual insight.
John employs the term differently in Revelation 11:8. He describes Jerusalem as being "spiritually" called Sodom and Egypt. In this context, the adverb indicates a symbolic or typological reality rather than a literal geographic location. The city physically exists, but its moral character aligns with the historical archetypes of rebellion and oppression.
This dual usage highlights the word's flexibility. It can refer to the means of understanding—relying on the Spirit—or the nature of the subject matter—pointing beyond the physical to a deeper spiritual truth. Both applications affirm that the visible world often carries invisible, divine significance.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When we read that spiritual truths are "spiritually discerned," it reminds us that faith is not merely an intellectual exercise. The Apostle Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 2:14 that the natural mind cannot grasp the things of God’s Spirit on its own. This word, pneumatikōs, points to a divine assistance that opens our eyes to realities beyond our human reasoning. It is a gentle invitation to rely on the Holy Spirit rather than our own limited perspective.
This concept also helps us see deeper meanings in Scripture, as seen in Revelation 11:8. Here, Jerusalem is described spiritually as Sodom and Egypt, highlighting a moral reality that goes beyond its physical location. Such usage encourages us to look past surface appearances and recognize the spiritual significance behind historical events and symbols. It invites us to seek wisdom from above, trusting that God reveals His heart through the Spirit.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- spiritually1×
- figuratively1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- πνευματικῶς2×
Key Verses
-
I Corinthians 2:14
Now the natural man doesn’t receive the things of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to him; and he can’t know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
This verse uses the word to define the necessary role of the Holy Spirit in enabling believers to understand divine truths that remain foolishness to the natural mind.
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Revelation of John 11:8
Their dead bodies will be in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.
Here the term describes a typological reality, indicating that Jerusalem's moral state aligns with the historical archetypes of rebellion represented by Sodom and Egypt.