Quote:
Originally Posted by OBW
But the whole soul and spirit thing, or joints an marrow thing — neither appear intended to state that you can find answers to separate those in the word, but rather to point to the key of the thoughts and intents of the heart. The light in the word should touch you concerning your reasons — even if you don't admit it out loud to anyone.
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It is interesting that the "writer" here should mention the "heart" (i.e. ...'thoughts and intents of the heart'..). My mind flies back to the gospels where Jesus, speaking of the heart, asserted that, "..for from within, "out of the heart" of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within..." (Mark 7: 21-23).
The apostle Paul, speaking to the Romans of similar sinfulness writes ..."I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet; but sin, taking occasion by the commandment wrought in me all manner of concupiscence"...(But)..."it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me; for I know that in me, that is, in 'my flesh', dwelleth no good thing" (Romans 7: 7-8, 17-18).
If one reads those quoted passages carefully, one notices a peculiar conundrum. On the one hand, the Lord states emphatically that "sin" emanates from the 'heart'; but on the other hand, the apostle Paul explains that "sin" actually resides in the 'flesh'. Now, which one to accept?
Surely, the terms 'the flesh' and 'the heart' cannot be taken as freely interchangeable synonyms. Perhaps, what Paul meant to imply was that 'his heart' was encased in 'his flesh' and so, in a manner of speaking, the sin in his heart, technically, was located in his flesh. But he himself would seem to dispute such a shallow explanation because further on in that same chapter he quite unmistakably makes the distinction between the physical and the non-physical when he states, "..I see another 'law in my members' warring against the 'law of my mind'.." (Romans 7:23).
The Lord Jesus and the apostle Paul seem to have, most disturbingly, contradicted each other!!! Who to take? And if we are to take one over the other, what about after that? What is one expected to make of the rest of Scripture from this point forth, and particularly of the integrity of the New Testament -which, to add further to the complication, owes much of its weight to Paul's contributions? If faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God, and this question remains unanswered, where else can our faith find to rest?
What, therefore, is the unseen relationship between the heart (mind, will, emotions, conscience, and the spirit, according to Li Changshou) and the flesh? What is the nature of their interconnectedness? Would the answer to this offer insight into Paul's conflict with the Lord Jesus?
Moreover, in view of the foregoing ramble, what can explain Paul's didactic intention in mentioning the 'joints and marrow' in apposition to the 'spirit and soul'? Is it simply to show us that when we read the Word it should shine on us 'concerning our reasonings'? Really? Just that?
Does that offer an effective cure for all that is gravely wrong with us, not just in our behavior, but fundamentally and constitutionally, as was indicated by the Lord?
Do calls to just 'act better', to just be 'better people', because the Word of God has divided and discerned our behavior and exposed the 'reasons' behind that behavior really suffice to reverse and correct the deeply corrupt condition of humankind?
Poppycock!