The "Word"

[spiritman]

I read the koine Greek, the original. As for the Old Testament I read the Septuagint (also in koine Greek), which is quoted in the NT, so I am fine with it.

It's easier than ancient Greek so any Greek, with little training can pick up on it. Studying Ancient Greek makes it much, much easier and precise...

And yes, loving your heart with all your dianoia, would mean with/through your mind, with your intellect. Which, as we see it means, focus all your intellect on God, since the center of the mind is the soul, it basically says that every part of your soul should be towards God. In a sense, the phrase (all your heart and all your soul and all your mind) repeats three times the same thing, all your being should be love towards God. It is how the heart opens and receives the Holy Spirit.

As for why the desert fathers, at least from my POV, they are not being intellectual. They are conveying through finer words what they already know, to those who want to know, who want to understand. And more usually, to clarify and battle heresies. Thankfully, the greek language is rich enough to serve that purpose, because many words and concepts have been enriched by hundreds of years of philosophy. You can know God and receive Him in your heart even if you are illiterate or even mentally handicapped. One does not exclude the other.

Thanks for the explanation.

 

[MamaZ]

So are we to treat the bible as a biography written for way back when or are we to treat the bible as it declares it is the very words of God to read and apply to our lives today? Are we suppose to treat the bible as a good read or life and health to all of us who find the words to be spiritual food?

 

[Vasileios]

Spiritual food is not Life. Life is Christ. The bible is (one of) the road signs to Life, and as such should be read and treated with the utmost respect. But equating scripture with Life and the Logos is not healthy. IMHO.