Quote:
Originally Posted by Igzy
This is why "setting" has always seemed awkward to me. "Be conscious of the Spirit" seems a much more accurate expression of what we do. But "setting the mind on the Spirit" seems sort of like telling an ice skater to set her mind on her feet, which is probably the best way to get her to collide with a wall.
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I never understood the teaching this way. Verse 6 is explaining what verse 5 means when it says "they mind the things of the flesh". Verse 5 is an explanation of verse 4 which says that we fulfill the righteousness of the law by walking according to the Spirit.
I always understood that Paul was saying was that when you see a great work of faith, say Peter opening the gospel to the Gentiles in the book of Acts. That this work of faith fulfills God's righteousness and that Peter did this because he was walking according to the Spirit (not his flesh, opinion, upbringing, natural man, etc). Now when you examine Peter you discover that he was "Minding the things of the Spirit" (he was in prayer when the Lord spoke to him). And, the reason he was "minding the things of the Spirit" was because he had a set time to pray.
To me, it is similar to what James says, only in reverse:
2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
Paul was looking at the work and pointing out the work was by faith. James was saying there is no point in even discussing this unless you first have the work. Show me the work, then I can see the faith.