Topical Studies
Mind
(From Forerunner Commentary)
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What was the divine purpose for the creation of man on the earth? The very first chapter in all the Bible reveals it, if we have the wit to comprehend. God—that is, God and the Word—created man in God's own image, form, and shape. The word image is used in Hebrews 1 to designate spiritual character. God created the physical man in dual stages. First, he created one man—a male human. It was in God's supreme purpose that the man reproduce his kind. But the man was unable to do that—until God completed the human creation physically by the addition of a woman, made from the man. So God anesthetized the man and extracted a rib out of which he made the woman, named Eve. Then man's physical creation was complete. Man could now reproduce his kind. But man was not yet spiritually and mentally complete. Man could not be made into the spiritual and character image of God without the power of mind—thinking, reasoning, decision-making intelligence. The modern science of brain research has demonstrated that the small differences in human brain and animal brain cannot explain the vastly superior functions and output of the human brain. The human brain can acquire knowledge of chemistry, geology, astronomy, physics—one might say all the vast intricacies of knowledge contained in a many-volumed encyclopedia. Man can thence can put many parts of such knowledge together in a thinking and reasoning process. Man has decision-making ability. Man has the faculty to use judgment and wisdom. Man has an appreciation of music, art, and literature. Man formulates attitudes of love, cooperation, sympathy, concern for the good and welfare of others, or, on the other hand, attitudes of envy, jealousy, disgust, hatred, competition, strife, revenge, and conspiracy for perpetrating evil. Animal brain is capable of none of these. It is only by revealed knowledge that this tremendous difference can be known. And the written Word of God reveals it as the presence of human spirit within man that sparks, constrains, and empowers the physical brain in humans with intellect. There is no such spirit within any other form of physical life. But scientists, bound and held captive by the false concept of evolution, cannot admit the existence of any such spirit. Their minds are blinded. But understand. The human spirit cannot see, hear, taste, smell, or feel—yet all human knowledge enters the brain through one of those five channels. The human spirit cannot think. It is the brain that thinks, as the human spirit empowers it. It is the brain that makes decisions, formulates attitudes, develops character, either good or evil. Now why did the Creator God put human spirit within man, while no such spirit is present in animals? The very purpose being worked out here below is God's supreme purpose of reproducing himself through man. Man was created from the ground of the earth, yet to have a relationship with his Maker. God is composed of Spirit. It is the divine purpose that man, once godly character is developed within him, shall be changed from mortal and physical human to immortal and divine GOD. God and the Word now form the God Family. Man may be begotten and then later born as divine God. It is the incredible human potential that each human may become a child of God, one of the very God Family!
Herbert W. Armstrong (1892-1986)
A World Held Captive
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A common thread runs between English "spirit," Hebrew ruach, and Greek pneuma, even when a spirit-composed being is described. "Spirit" represents something non-physical and normally invisible. We can conclude, except in the one case where "spirit," ruach, or pneuma describes a being that has revealed itself, that spirit is never seen. All that is ever seen is what spirit causes, motivates, inspires, encourages, impels, triggers, stirs, provokes, stimulates, influences, or activates. Why? Because in every other sense, except where spirit clearly means a spirit being who has revealed himself, spirit is seen as a function of the mind, whether it is God's mind, angel's mind, or man's mind. Just as we surely do not see mind, but we do see what mind does, so also we cannot see spirit but only what spirit does. As we understand it, mind is more than spirit, yet "spirit" can figuratively refer to a person's mind.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Holy Spirit and the Trinity (Part 1)
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Genesis 1:26-27 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
The implication here is very clear! When man is compared to the animals, man's image is not just of himself (let each reproduce after his kind) but in the image of God! The implication is that man is reproducing after the God-kind! It is not directly stated, but it is strongly implied when the contrast is made between verses 26 and 27 in reference to man and to the other verses that address the beasts of the field and of the sea and of the sky. Man is not just different—he is like God! Man is after the God-kind—not animal-kind and not angel-kind! But how is man like God? It is not merely a matter of form and shape, though that is certainly included. It is principly in terms of more important things: intelligence; broad, emotional capacity; self- and other-consciousness; abstract, spatial, and artistic thought; creative powers to bring plans to pass; and most of all, desire for and capability to grasp spiritual content such as living forever. Man has mind! That is how man is like the God-kind. Man has mind in which the character of God can be created! Certainly, these verses do not say all of that here. They can be gathered from other parts of the Bible, but the ground work for it is laid right here at the very beginning, as God shows that man, though physical and mortal, is after the God-kind. God does not hide vital truths like this by putting them in some obscure book—like the book of Obadiah, one chapter long and which few people ever read! Yet, almost everybody reads the first chapter of Genesis! And there it is—right at the very beginning of the book! The first strong implication that man is after the God-kind is in the very first chapter! Man is different! Man is distinctive from all other created beings!
John W. Ritenbaugh
We Shall Be God! (Part 1)
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Genesis 2:7 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
We are different from the rest of the natural creation in that we have mind, not instinct. In Genesis 2:7, God Himself, personally, breathes into man the breath of life. The Bible gives no indication at all that God took a personal, direct intervention to give life to any other creature in creation. This suggests that there is more here than just the giving of life. It implies the imparting of a spirit that adds to mankind a dimension others in the natural creation lack. It is the power of mind that is imparted by a spirit. Unlike animals that merely react according to pre-set patterns, we must gather information. Men have to gather knowledge, analyze, understand, and choose to do right as stipulated by instruction, in its broadest sense, and law, in its more specific sense. As a result of man having a spirit, of man having mind, man has personality and spirituality! He is capable of holiness, love, dominion, and responsibility. This requires time and experience because these qualities are acquired, not given.
John W. Ritenbaugh
We Shall Be God! (Part 2)
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Job 32:8 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
This spirit is not the man—it is something that is in the man. Joined with the physical brain of the man, it forms human mind. It imparts to man's brain his unique powers of intellect and personality—the ability to think rationally and make free will decisions. It imparts the ability to learn mathematics, languages, or any type of philosophical knowledge. But that is all! The spirit that is in man has no consciousness of itself. It is not an "immortal soul." This spirit is not the "man." Because of this spiritual element, the Bible often uses the word "spirit" simply to mean man's mind, intelligence, attitude. To distinguish this kind of spirit in man and the kind of spirit that is God's Holy Spirit from mere physical breath, the book of Job continues in context to use two separate Hebrew words—ruach for spirit, neshamah for breath (Job 33:4; 34:14).
Just What Is Man?
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Proverbs 4:23-27 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
The sense of "keep your heart" is that we need to exert more vigilance in guarding our minds than men do over anything else. Governments go to great pains to guard their installations, plans, and secrets, but God says that it is even more important to guard what we allow to reside in our minds. Why is this is so important? Because our hearts, our minds, guide and direct everything we do, and if we do not guard and protect it from the ungodly ideas, beliefs, and entertainments, it can cause our spiritual downfall. It is in our minds and hearts that our characters are shaped, and if we allow perverse and unrighteous character to enter, the righteous character that God wants to see in us will never form. The other instructions that Solomon gives spring from this. He tells us to ponder and control what comes out of our mouth and what we allow our eyes to view. He teaches us to make sure our feet stay on the right path, as well as to work on establishing our habits and manner of living, meaning we should not become involved in insensitive, hasty, careless, and destructive actions. The prophet Haggai puts all this very concisely, "Consider your ways!" (Haggai 1:5, 7).
John O. Reid
Remaining Unleavened
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Matthew 5:21-24 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
The source of murder comes from the heart (mind, the core of an individual's character) where hate and anger are festered by Satan. If we have these evil traits in our hearts, we are fostering the spirit of murder. Thought precedes action and hatred precedes murder. If we hate someone, we break the sixth commandment.
Martin G. Collins
The Sixth Commandment
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John 4:23 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
Here, "spirit" stands contrasted to ritual, rite, or form as represented by His mention of the Temple in Jerusalem (verse 20). "Spirit" implies heart, mind, with gratitude, praise, pure sincerity, and fervent desire to glorify God by being like Him. It is these true worshippers to whom God grants His Spirit. They are close to Him because they seek Him. Such a Christian presses the relationship. He continues to pursue it right to the end because it is good. Reciprocity is here at work: We seek Him, and He seeks us. He gives us His Spirit, and it flows out from us in good works that bring glory and honor to God.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Holy Spirit and the Trinity (Part 7)
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Philippians 4:6-9 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
We need to pay careful attention to this sequence of instructions because it contains much that can help us attain both good spiritual and physical health. In the past fifty years, men have come to understand how deteriorating and destructive stress is to life. Paul's counsel, written nearly two thousand years ago, tells us not to be driven by anxiety or fearfulness about life. Even earlier, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus admonishes us to "take no anxious thought." The stress of anxiety is wearying, setting us up for multiple afflictions. If we really "see" God, we should know that He is with us. Should we not feel great assurance in His promise never to allow us to be tempted above what we can bear? Faith is a prime solution for anxiety. Paul continues, urging us to let God know our needs in every matter of life. As Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, He already knows our needs, but He wants us to recognize, evaluate, and communicate them to Him, accompanied by thoughtful expressions of thanksgiving for what He has already given, as well as His promises of blessings in the future. Do we see what this process achieves? It disciplines us to think within certain well-defined parameters that have Him and His way at the center of our life. Paul then asserts that one benefit of this is tranquility of mind, respite from the restlessness so common to the carnal mind, which is constantly searching for new stimulation to satisfy its insatiable longings. This peace of God will stand guard over our minds like a sentinel, allowing us to meet and cope with the problems of life. Verse 8 begins with the word "finally." While not technically wrong, it does not adequately convey Paul's intent. We can understand it better as "in this connection" or "in this regard as I close this letter." In relation to anxiety, the peace of God, and coping with the problems of life, our minds should be occupied with things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy. Through this discipline, we program our minds with the right things; what goes into the mind determines what comes out in words, actions, and attitudes. This is a biblical version of the "garbage in, garbage out; wholesome in, wholesome out" cliché. It specifically expands on Jesus' statement, "For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34). We could take this further and say that out of the abundance of the heart the mind thinks and feels, and the body acts. In verse 9, Paul defines what is wholesome specifically as what they had learned, received, heard, and seen in him. He is indirectly telling them to eat Jesus Christ because he, Paul, as His apostle to the Gentiles, was His agent to them and their teacher of His way of life.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Eating: How Good It Is! (Part Five)
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1 Thessalonians 5:23 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
This verse does not define man as a trinity. It is a Hebraism, a common saying among the people, which simply means "the whole" or "every part." A.T. Robertson, in his authoritative Word Pictures in the New Testament, defines it as "every part of each of you." It corresponds to loving God "with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind," but it is somewhat paraphrased and placed in a specific context.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Eating: How Good It Is! (Part Five)
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1 Thessalonians 5:23 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
Paul here refers to the mind in man when he uses the word "spirit." And to the physical life when he uses the word "soul." And to the flesh when he uses the word "body." What is wrong with having your whole mind, your life, and your body preserved blameless—preserved from the penalty of sin—in anticipation of the coming of Christ (see also II Corinthians 7:1)? Nothing! That is something we should all fervently desire!
Just What Is Man?
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Revelation 6:9 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
The word "souls" (psuchás, plural of psuché) also requires explanation, as the Greek word is far too complex in meaning to define facilely as a person's immortal essence, as most Catholics and Protestants are wont to do. Its basic meaning is "breath," and is thus equivalent to the Hebrew nephesh and Latin anima (as in English "animal" and "animate"). One of its uses is as the New Testament version of what Genesis 2:7 calls "the breath of life," that is, the vital force that makes a body live: "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being [nephesh]." Luke 12:20 and Acts 20:10 use psuché in this manner. From this basic meaning derives its extensions: as "life" (see Matthew 6:25; John 10:11; Philippians 2:30; Revelation 12:11) and "living being" (see I Corinthians 15:45; Revelation 16:3). In addition, psuché can refer to the seat of emotion, will, and desire, whereas we would use the terms "heart," "mind," "personality," or "being" today (see Luke 1:46; Acts 14:2, 22; Hebrews 6:19; II Peter 2:14). In a similar sense, it can also identify man's moral and spiritual life (see Hebrews 13:17; I Peter 1:22; 2:11, 25; 4:19; III John 2). Some try to read immortality into certain biblical uses of psuché (for instance, Acts 2:27, 31; II Corinthians 1:23; Revelation 20:4), but the Bible does not support such an interpretation. In fact, in one of these, Matthew 10:28, Jesus confirms that souls can indeed be destroyed (also supported by the Old Testament in Job 33:22; Ezekiel 18:4, 20)! One must consult extrabiblical sources (such as Plato, Xenophon, Herodotus, and other Greek writers) to find usages of psuché that define "the soul as an essence which differs from the body and is not dissolved by death" (Thayer's Lexicon). How then is this word used in Revelation 6:9? We must remember that John is viewing a vision (Revelation 1:10), a symbolic representation for mortal eyes and minds of future events, not reality. One cannot see a person's actual soul, that is, his being, his life, so what John saw were representations of those who had been martyred. He probably literally saw bodies (Greek soma) under the altar but chose to identify them as psuchás, "lives" or "persons," because, as the next verses show, the vision depicts them speaking and receiving clothing, things a person can do only while alive. The important point to remember is that John specifically identifies them as having been "slain"—they are dead—and the Bible elsewhere shows that "the dead know nothing" (Ecclesiastes 9:5) and cannot work, plan, learn, or pursue any activity in the grave (verse 10). Thus, John, a Hebrew, is using psuché in the same sense as Old Testament writers sometimes use nephesh, as "dead body," a being that once had life (see Leviticus 21:11; Numbers 6:6; 9:6-7, 10; 19:11, 13; Haggai 2:13).
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
The Fifth Seal (Part One)
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