"New Age" or Spiritual

[JonC]

Adam had no spirit, just flesh.

Adam had no spirit? Just flesh?

Your belief is far from Scripture.

Adam was created in the image of God. Body, soul and spirit (some would argue body and soul, but that's an argument for another day).

Bottom line is you downgrade God by your theory that Adam was just a lump of flesh because man is created in God's image.

I have repeatedly argued that Adam was created with a human spirit and a human body. (Life in the Spirit is talking about God's Spirit, not natural man's spirit which sets it's mind on the flesh).

But to show just how far you have drifted you now claim that God created Adam without a spirit.

You misunderstand 1 Corinthians 15. The flesh coming first and then the Spirit was not saying Adam had no spirit.

 

[JonC]

Ignoring the silly posts about Adam not being created with a spirit, let's get on with the topic of thread.

Why is it important to set our mind on the things of the Spirit?

We have only two choices. Set our minds on the things of the flesh, which is death, or set our minds on the things of the Spirit, which is life and peace.

Romans 8:1–19 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,
4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,
7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,
8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—
13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”
16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.

 

[JonC]

How do we know if we have "spiritual truth"? We walk in the Spirit.

Christians are not still born.

If ones interaction is marked by hostility, unkindness, backbiting, etc. they will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

This is not prescriptive but descriptive. A "pretend Christian" insults and slanders. It is the natural man. A Christian does not - not to gain salvation but because he is saved, reborn.

1 John 3:13–24 Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you.
14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.
15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
16 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
17 But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?
18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.
19 We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him
20 in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.
21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God;
22 and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.
23 This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.
24 The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

 

[AustinC]

I am still waiting for an exegesis of 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 since this passagei s directly related to the OP.

Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

 

[JonC]

I am still waiting for an exegesis of 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 since this passagei s directly related to the OP.

Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

What part are you having trouble understanding?

If it's th "we have the mind of Christ"part (which is really the applicable part to the OP), this is what we are encouraged to have.

 

[George Antonios]

1 Corinthians 2:9–All that God has prepared for those who love Him. For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

The wording "combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words" has been considered by some as "new age thought" and sounding like a new age quote.

For the younger crowd, the New Age Movement (a type of Western esotericism drawing on 19th century ideas) was popular in the 1970's and pretty much died out by the early 1990's.

My question-concern is what role we give to the spiritual in our lives.

It often seems that Christianity has two extremes - one denies the spiritual while others other distrusts objective truth.

How comfortable are we today with spiritual realities?

What is the focus of the church?

Do we, as a whole, accept the idea that God gives us Spiritual truth - "spiritual words combined with spiritual thoughts"?

Or is that idea anti-intellectualism and only for the first century church, no longer true today?

1Co 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

Doctrines change when words are changed.
In context, the spiritual things are words. See John 6:63 also. We compare spiritual words with spiritual words.
That's the method of Bible study outlined: comparing verses with verses, as also Isaiah tells us (Isa.28:10).
Doctrines change when words are changed.

 

[JonC]

1Co 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

Doctrines change when words are changed.
In context, the spiritual things are words. See John 6:63 also. We compare spiritual words with spiritual words.
That's the method of Bible study outlined: comparing verses with verses, as also Isaiah tells us (Isa.28:10).
Doctrines change when words are changed.

"things" is not in the passage either. And neither is "compare".

It is combining spiritual words with spiritual thoughts (and deeds).

Spiritual truth is the work of the Spirit in our lives.

Men can believe the same doctrines yet what if one exhibits the fruit of the Spirit and the other the fruit of the flesh?

 

[JesusFan]

"things" is not in the passage either. And neither is "compare".

It is combining spiritual words with spiritual thoughts (and deeds).

Spiritual truth is the work of the Spirit in our lives.

Men can believe the same doctrines yet what if one exhibits the fruit of the Spirit and the other the fruit of the flesh?

So one can have incorrect view of doctrines, and yet because have fruit, are in a better state?

 

[JonC]

So one can have incorrect view of doctrines, and yet because have fruit, are in a better state?

Yes (depending on the doctrine, of course).

John Owen believed that children are elect due to the covenant between the parent and God, and should be baptized as infants into the church. Does this mean John Owen was, because of an incorrect view, unable to bear spiritual fruit' to a degree of a Baptist?

Whitfield praised Wesley in this regard, even though he rejected Wesley's doctrine

Reformed churches called on Moody to preach, even though Moody was not a Calvinist, because of his spiritual fruit.

Doctrine is, of course, important. I am not saying otherwise.

But among Christians (believers in the gospel of Christ) we are able to overlook some doctrinal error because we are commanded not to judge the servant of Another - He will make them stand.

 

[George Antonios]

"things" is not in the passage either. And neither is "compare".

Pretty sure it is...

 

[JonC]

Pretty sure it is...

View attachment 6125

It is in that translation. It is not in the words being translated.

 

[George Antonios]

It is in that translation. It is not in the words being translated.

Yeah we know the game well. See point #2 in signature.

Note the words are not italicized.

 

[JonC]

Yeah we know the game well. See point #2 in signature.

Note the words are not italicized.

Sorry ...had to look up the signature (it does not automatically show up on my phone).

I don't argue translation. Every translator tries his best, as did the translators of the KJV, to be faithful to the Word.

My point is "spiritual words" is not in the passage (in God's Word" but was an interpretation of what "spiritual" meant in the context. The KJV is, just like any other version, a translation which involves interpretation.