Yes there are many issues to work through.
I appreciate your thoroughness.
I hope that a strong case can be made regarding what constitutes a false witness in a Christian sense as the teaching of the Koran permits lying and the nations that have embraced it have been seriously affected as a result.
However I need to ask - do you think the scripture has been given to us to intellectually understand or spiritually understand.
I ask because when I did a little Greek I thought initially that the truths of scripture would at last be revealed it but it doesn't work like that.
So many on CF can only debate the technicalities of the text when their arguments can be unwittingly driven by a false spirit.
These same folks dismiss positions that have no immediate textual support yet may be totally accurate.
Excuse the ramble...
Excused. Sometimes our rambling is just expressing the process we need to think through to reach the point. I know this is my process.
IMO it kind of goes like this (begin rambling): Hebrew is a very pictorial language in a sense. The root word begins the thought and what's developed from the root can many times create a picture in our mind that's related to the root (this was my experience when I worked with it more than I have in years since then). Greek is very precise. Although there is quite a range of meaning in words, it can be boiled down to saying something very specific that it may take an English paragraph to define and for translators and interpreters it's quite a bit of work at times to conclude what's being said. For example, many if not most of the times we read "of" in the NC it's a grammatical structure that can be translated many ways to provide more specificity of what's being said. A simple example; 1John5:3 love of God or love for God or? The default translation is most always "of".
A well-versed in the Biblical languages teacher once said in a class something like "we can't think beyond our vocabulary." Words are vital. God uses words to mean things specific. I've used years of Greek instruction and practice to revert back to some basics of doing some very lengthy word studies in our Text. They've done more for my learning than almost anything. I know that learning even re: those words is not finished.
With all that said, apart from Him we can do nothing and apart from His Spirit all the language study is just a tool to analyze an ancient Text. But in Christ and with His Spirit those studies are a very useful tool to interact with Him, at least they have been for me and others who have them.
Mental vs. Spiritual: At one level I see no difference (I'll leave some for you without my notes).
NKJ Proverbs 1:23 Turn at my rebuke; Surely
I will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
- The last 2 clauses are parallel meaning they are saying the same thing. If we have His Spirit, then we know His words.
NKJ Rom. 8:27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what
the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
NKJ Eph. 4:23 and be renewed in
the spirit of your mind,
- Remembering what I said about "of" - this could be translated "...in your spirit meaning in your mind."
NKJ Phil. 1:27 Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast
in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,
- I wish we all were in this state
NKJ 2 Tim. 1:7 For God has not given us
a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of
a sound mind.
Knowledge & Freedom:
NKJ John 8:31-32 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "
If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 "And
you shall know the truth, and
the truth shall make you free."
- The context of this says the freedom provided by this knowledge is freedom from sin
NKJ Titus 1:1 Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according (with regard) to the faith of God's elect and (can be translated as "meaning" or "namely") the acknowledgment (practical knowledge - knowledge to be used) of the truth which accords with (for the purpose/goal of) godliness (living a willingly obedient, righteous and holy life towards God our Father as did our first-born Brother and Lord Jesus Christ),
- I use the NKJ because I'm used to searching in it and because it's fairly literal. I don't rely on it or any English translation.
- If you look at several English versions, you'll note differences (as usual).
- My parenthetical notes concern some range of translation choices for these words.
- The word translated as "acknowledgement" and "godliness" here, are two of those extensive word studies I mentioned I've done.
- The translations "according to" and "which accords" are some of those default translations I mentioned, like "of", but there is a range of meaning to these words and their parsing.
- So, our Faith (originated and completed by Jesus Christ Heb12:2) is the practical knowledge of truth for godliness (a life like Christs).
- A lot to agree or disagree with here, but godly thinking and behavior is related to knowledge of truth, just as knowledge will make us fee [from sin]. Actually, then, John8:31-32 and Titus1:1 are saying the same thing. From Jesus we get knowledge that will make us free from sin / make us live obediently to God. Knowledge. Mentality. Spirituality (see below).
NKJ 1 Timothy 2:3-4 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved
and to come to the
knowledge of the truth.
- Same word as in Titus 1:1 "practical knowledge"
- "and" here can be translated (as I noted in Titus 1:1) as "meaning" or "namely"
- So, our salvation can be a parallel to coming "into" (literal Greek) practical knowledge of Truth.
- Now compare John 8, Titus 1, 1 Timothy 1, and they're basically all saying the same thing; salvation - free from sin - godly living - saved. In addition, all are related to knowledge, and via Titus 1, our Faith originated by Jesus Christ and His teaching us this practical knowledge.
Spiritual:
NKJ Heb. 5:13-14 For everyone who partakes only of milk is
unskilled (lack of knowledge or capacity to do something) in the word of righteousness, for he is
a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of
full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their
senses (faculties for discernment) exercised to discern both good and evil.
- The 2 parenthetic notes are definitions per BDAG Lexicon.
- The difference between the mature (a "telos" cognate) and the child is knowledge of the "Word of Righteousness"
- From the Word of Righteousness, the mature has faculties that become well exercised (gumnazo - think of our "gym") to evaluate both good and bad. This is mentaility once again.
NKJ 1 Corinthians 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to
spiritual people but as to carnal, as to
babes in Christ.
- Paul uses this same word "babe" (nepios) used in Heb5:13 - and parallels it to being fleshly - and contrasts it with being "spiritual"
- If we read in context, he's talking about being able to give them only milk and not solid food (basic vs. advanced teaching - same language as Heb5)
- So, the spiritual Christian has advanced knowledge and from Hebrews this would mean having developed faculties to distinguish both good and bad in accordance with the Word of Righteousness. Consider all we have discussed in your thread re: knowledge of what is sin through the study of God's [Righteous] Law).
- We now have a tie between having practical knowledge of Truth (which can make us free from sin, godly, saved) and this knowledge is tied to being Spiritual.
NKJ Galatians 6:1-2 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in
any trespass (violation),
you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. 2
Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
- So, a "spiritual" person (per Paul and Hebrews is a Christian with advanced learning who has well-exercised [mental] faculties able to distinguish good & bad based upon God's Righteous Word) is able to identify "any" violation (violation of what???) and thus able to help restore another who has been "overtaken" in some/any violation (violation of moral standards, offense, wrongdoing, sin BDAG). By so doing, the Spiritual Christian can fulfill Messianic Law.
- I see this as imitating Christ who bore our sin burden on the cross.
- I thus see this as fulfilling Christ's command to love one another as He loved us and gave Himself for us. See John 13:34-35 and John 15:12-17 and ponder these with all of the above. Note in John15:35 how Jesus ties this to being His disciples (students). Note in John 15:14-15 Jesus ties this to being His friends and having taught them (KNOWLEDGE) of all that God gave Him to teach them. And from there Jesus ties this to going and bearing fruit.
Mentality is Spirituality. Is there more to the word "spirit"? Sure. But it doesn't negate the fact that according to the way the word of God speaks, mentality with truth and spirituality are one and the same.
So, take this out to all the non-Christians who say they are very spiritual people. Not Biblically and apart from Christ and God's Spirit they're not. Nor are childish/fleshly Christians. Assuming we desire to speak like the Word of God speaks.
Pardon the length, but you asked and I rambled.