5591. psuchikos
Lexical Summary
psuchikos: Natural, unspiritual, worldly

Original Word: ψυχικός
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: psuchikos
Pronunciation: psoo-khee-kos'
Phonetic Spelling: (psoo-khee-kos')
KJV: natural, sensual
NASB: natural, worldly-minded
Word Origin: [from G5590 (ψυχή - life)]

1. sensitive, i.e. animate
{(in distinction on the one hand from G4152, which is the higher or renovated nature; and on the other from G5446, which is the lower or bestial nature)}

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
natural, sensual.

From psuche; sensitive, i.e. Animate (in distinction on the one hand from pneumatikos, which is the higher or renovated nature; and on the other from phusikos, which is the lower or bestial nature) -- natural, sensual.

see GREEK psuche

see GREEK pneumatikos

see GREEK phusikos

HELPS Word-studies

5591 psyxikós (an adjective, derived from 5590 /psyxḗ, "soul, natural identity") – properly, soulish, i.e. what is natural, as it relates to physical (tangible) life alone (i.e. apart from God's inworking of faith).

5591 /psyxikós ("natural") typically describes the natural ("lower") aspect of humanity, i.e. behavior that is "more of earth (carnality) than heaven." 5591 (psyxikós) then sometimes stands in contrast to 4152 /pneumatikós ("spiritual") – the higher, spiritual aspect of humanity that develops through faith (4102 /pístis).

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from psuché
Definition
natural, of the soul or mind
NASB Translation
natural (5), worldly-minded (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 5591: ψυχικός

ψυχικός, ψυχική, ψυχικόν (ψυχή) (Vulg.animalis, Gem.sinnlich), "of or belonging to the ψυχή;

a. having the nature and characteristics of the ψυχή i. e. of the principle of animal life," which men have in common with the brutes (see ψυχή, 1 a.); (A. V. natural): σῶμα ψυχικόν, 1 Corinthians 15:44; substantively, τό ψυχικόν (Winer's Grammar, 592 (551)), 1 Corinthians 15:46: since both these expressions do not differ in substance or conception from σάρξ καί αἷμα in 1 Corinthians 15:50, Paul might have also written σαρκικον; but prompted by the phrase ψυχή ζῶσα in 1 Corinthians 15:45 (borrowed from Genesis 2:7), he wrote ψυχικόν.

b. "governed by the ψυχή i. e. the sensuous nature with its subjection to appetite and passion (as though made up of nothing but ψυχή): ἄνθρωπος (equivalent to σαρκικός (or σάρκινος, which see 3) in ), 1 Corinthians 2:14; ψυχικοί, πνεῦμα μή ἔχοντες, Jude 1:19 (A. V. sensual (R. V. with marginal reading 'Or natural, Or animal'); so in the following example); σοφία, a wisdom in harmony with the corrupt desires and affections, and springing from them (see σοφία, a., p. 581b bottom), James 3:15. (In various other senses in secular authors from Aristotle and Polybius down.)

Topical Lexicon
Scope of the Term in the New Testament

Strong’s 5591 (psychikos) appears six times and always describes a condition rooted in the merely human sphere—life governed by natural appetites and reasoning unaided by the Holy Spirit. It never functions neutrally; the contexts uniformly show limitation or opposition to the things of God.

Contrast between “psychikos” and “pneumatikos”

Paul’s sharpest polarity comes in 1 Corinthians 2:14-15, where “the natural man (psychikos) does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God… but the spiritual man (pneumatikos) judges all things.” The apostle sets two mutually exclusive orientations: the person equipped solely with native faculties and the person enlivened by the Spirit. “Psychikos” therefore speaks less of blatant immorality and more of spiritual incapacity—life bounded by earth-born perception.

James and Jude: Warnings against Natural Religion

James 3:15 labels counterfeit wisdom as “earthly, unspiritual, demonic.” Jude 1:19 identifies “worldly-minded people, who cause divisions and do not have the Spirit.” In both cases psychikos underscores how religious talk, even when cloaked in piety, can operate purely on an earthly plane, leaving its adherents vulnerable to deception and factionalism.

The Resurrection Body Discussion (1 Corinthians 15)

1 Corinthians 15:44-46 contrasts the present “natural body” with the future “spiritual body.” Paul does not deny the goodness of creation; rather, he insists that the resurrection will elevate humanity beyond the constraints of mortality and decay inherent in the psychikos state. Adam’s “living soul” serves as the prototype of natural life; Christ, the “life-giving Spirit,” guarantees the transformation.

Anthropological Implications

1. Tripartite distinction: Scripture recognizes body, soul (psyche), and spirit (pneuma). Psychikos highlights the danger of letting the intermediate “soul” dominate, eclipsing the highest faculty designed for communion with God.
2. Total depravity affirmed: Even the best of fallen human wisdom remains psychikos and therefore insufficient for salvation apart from grace.
3. Sanctification trajectory: Believers are called to move from psychikos impulses toward pneumatikos maturity, yielding to the Spirit’s renewing work (Galatians 5:16-25).

Historical Reception

Early fathers such as Irenaeus used psychikos to refute Gnostic claims that ordinary believers were forever stuck in a lower class. The Reformers drew on 1 Corinthians 2 to affirm the necessity of the Spirit’s illumination for scriptural understanding, safeguarding the doctrine of sola Scriptura from rationalistic reduction.

Ministry Significance

• Evangelism: Proclamation must rely on the Spirit’s power; persuasive technique alone leaves hearers psychikos (1 Corinthians 2:1-5).
• Discipleship: Teaching should diagnose natural reasoning patterns and guide believers toward Spirit-led discernment.
• Church leadership: Elders must model pneumatikos judgment, avoiding divisions that arise when decisions rest on personality or human wisdom (Jude 1:19).
• Counseling: Recognizing psychikos tendencies helps address addictions and relational strife rooted in unredeemed desires.

Practical Tests for Discernment

1. Does a teaching exalt Christ and align with revealed Scripture?
2. Does it foster godly unity or sow self-focused rivalry?
3. Does it depend on natural charisma or the Spirit’s fruit?

Conclusion

Psychikos exposes the limitations of unregenerated perception and highlights the necessity of the Spirit’s work from conversion to resurrection glory. Believers, though still possessing natural faculties, are commanded to “walk by the Spirit,” anticipating the day when the psychikos body will give way to a fully pneumatikos existence in the likeness of the risen Lord.

Forms and Transliterations
ψυχικη ψυχική ψυχικοι ψυχικοί ψυχικον ψυχικόν ψυχικος ψυχικός ψυχικὸς psuchike psuchikē psuchikoi psuchikon psuchikos psychike psychikē psychikḗ psychikoi psychikoí psychikon psychikón psychikos psychikòs
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
1 Corinthians 2:14 Adj-NMS
GRK: ψυχικὸς δὲ ἄνθρωπος
NAS: But a natural man does not accept
KJV: But the natural man receiveth
INT: [the] natural moreover man

1 Corinthians 15:44 Adj-NNS
GRK: σπείρεται σῶμα ψυχικόν ἐγείρεται σῶμα
NAS: it is sown a natural body,
KJV: It is sown a natural body;
INT: It is sown a body natural it is raised a body

1 Corinthians 15:44 Adj-NNS
GRK: ἔστιν σῶμα ψυχικόν ἔστιν καὶ
NAS: If there is a natural body,
KJV: body. There is a natural body, and
INT: there is a body natural there is also

1 Corinthians 15:46 Adj-NNS
GRK: ἀλλὰ τὸ ψυχικόν ἔπειτα τὸ
NAS: is not first, but the natural; then
KJV: but that which is natural; and afterward
INT: but the natural then the

James 3:15 Adj-NFS
GRK: ἀλλὰ ἐπίγειος ψυχική δαιμονιώδης
NAS: but is earthly, natural, demonic.
KJV: but [is] earthly, sensual, devilish.
INT: but earthly natural devilish

Jude 1:19 Adj-NMP
GRK: οἱ ἀποδιορίζοντες ψυχικοί πνεῦμα μὴ
NAS: are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid
KJV: themselves, sensual, having
INT: they who set apart [themselves] natural [men] [the] Spirit not

Strong's Greek 5591
6 Occurrences


ψυχική — 1 Occ.
ψυχικοί — 1 Occ.
ψυχικόν — 3 Occ.
ψυχικὸς — 1 Occ.

5590
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