The Natural Foundation and Spiritual Ascent

Paul writes that "that which is natural" must precede "that which is spiritual"—a principle woven through Elohim's design. Consider Nature itself: the earth was complete before Adonai created man in His own image. Man stands at creation's apex, connected below through physical organisation to all lesser creatures, yet allied above through his spiritual nature to God Himself.

History confirms this precedent. The Anglo-Saxon ancestors were rude peoples before their nations exhibited marked spiritual characteristics. The Old Testament genealogies and histories prepared the way for Christian doctrine. Even in personal religious development, the apostle notes: "When I was a child I spake as a child." Weakness on the path to strength deserves encouragement, not scorn.

Yet the natural does not merely precede—it conditions the spiritual. Health strengthens our spiritual faculties; sickness restrains them. Dissipation enfeebles both body and mind simultaneously. Solomon and Alexander, great men enslaved to excess, lost incalculable spiritual power through neglecting their natural powers.

Finally, the spiritual must govern the natural. The question "What shall I eat? What shall I drink?" finds its answer in spiritual principle. The thought and sympathy of the palace must enter the hut; the masses must receive instruction. Christianity urges all men toward consideration: the higher toward the lower, the lower toward the higher. This mutual regard reflects the Yahweh's design for human flourishing.