| 46. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the adversative conjunction all {ἀλλ᾽ | allá} and the negative particle ou {οὐ | ou} paired with the adverbial form proton {πρῶτον | pró-ton} to deny initial precedence for the spiritual element. The articular adjective to pneumatikon {τὸ πνευματικὸν | tò pneu-ma-ti-kón} functions substantivally to denote the “spiritual” mode of existence, which is then contrasted by the adversative alla {ἀλλὰ | allà} and the articular substantive to psuchikon {τὸ ψυχικόν | tò psu-chi-kón}, representing the “natural” state tied to the soul. The temporal adverb epeita {ἔπειτα | é-pei-ta} signals a subsequent phase, reintroducing to pneumatikon {τὸ πνευματικόν | tò pneu-ma-ti-kón} to frame the progression: not first the spiritual but the natural; then the spiritual. This framing highlights the shift from present natural existence to future spiritual existence. |