tulsa 2011
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Let the Mind of Christ Be in You - Philippians 2: 5
"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:" KJV Philippians 2:5
"Let the same mind be in you that was even in Christ Jesus." Geneva Bible
"Let the same mind (mynde) be in you that was in Christ Jesus (Iesu)." Tyndale Bible
The Textus Receptus Greek says "τουτο γαρ φρονεισθω εν υμιν ο και εν χριστω ιησου"
The Westcott-Hort Greek says "τουτο φρονειτε εν υμιν ο και εν χριστω ιησου"
Phroneistho, translated as "let this mind be" is Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Number 5426, phroneo,from 5424, phren, the mind or cognitive faculties, understanding, be of one, be of the same, let this mind."
In the Textus Receptus, phroneistho is in the present tense, imperative mode, and passive voice. A person passively receives the mind of Christ, meaning a person does not obtain the mind of Christ by his own efforts, but it is put in one by the initiative of Christ.
But the Westcott-Hort Greek has φρονειτε, phroneite, which is in the present tense, imperative mode, but in the active voice, according to the Fritz Rienecker A Linguistic Key To the Greek New Testament, volume 2, page 204. The active voice would say that the mind of Christ is obtained by one's own initiative.
Now, lets see what some of the recent Bible versions do with Philippians 2: 5.
The Revised Standard says "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,"
The American Standard Version has "Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:"
The New International Version has "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:"
There is nothing about relationships with one another in either the Textus Receptus or the Westcott-Hort Greek texts.
The New King James Version says "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,"
The New Living Translation has "You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had."
An attitude is not exactly the same as mind.
The New Life Version says "Think as Christ Jesus thought."
Many of the new Bible versions move away in some sense from the statement, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus," not wanting to fully teach that we should have the mind of Jesus Christ in us.
If we are born again in Christ, and become new creatures in Christ (II Corinthians 5: 17), and are transformed, or metamorphized by a renewing of the mind (Romans 12: 2) in Christ, then would we not also have the mind of Christ in us, as Philippians 2: 5 says?
And this mind of Christ he gives to us, from his own mind, is not just an attitude, or mindset as some of the new Bible versions would have it. And this mind of Christ is put in the individual in Christ, not just in "your relationships with one another" as the NIV puts it.
John says in I John 4: 2-3 says "Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3. And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world."
Jesus Christ came in the form of human flesh. In this sense he came in the flesh. But I John 4: 3-2, about every spirit that confesses that Christ is come in the flesh is of God, can be also seen to mean that everyone who receives the mind of Christ in his human flesh is of God. If one does not receive the mind of Christ in his flesh, one is not of God.
Remember that the next verse from I John 4: 3, which is verse 4: 4 says "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. " Christ in those born again in him is greater than he who is in the world, Satan.
Receiving the mind of Christ now, when we are in the flesh, is an important part of the change that takes place when we are born again (John 3: 1-7). It is the difference between spiritual life and spiritual death. It is a transformation, as the word Paul uses in Romans 12: 2 - metamorphousthe, or metamorphosis - says. Metamorphousthe is in the passive voice, meaning we passively receive, from Christ, that spiritual transformation. The dictionary definition of metamorphosis is a major change in the appearance or character of someone or something.
Obviously, humans in the flesh cannot receive the whole mind of God, but only some part of it. Nevertheless, receiving the mind of Christ while we are in the flesh is a necessary part of being born again in him. And the compartmentalized method of teaching scripture would argue against extending I John 4: 2-3 to be seen as those in Christ receiving something of the mind of Christ in their flesh, something which makes them acceptable to God.
"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:" KJV Philippians 2:5
"Let the same mind be in you that was even in Christ Jesus." Geneva Bible
"Let the same mind (mynde) be in you that was in Christ Jesus (Iesu)." Tyndale Bible
The Textus Receptus Greek says "τουτο γαρ φρονεισθω εν υμιν ο και εν χριστω ιησου"
The Westcott-Hort Greek says "τουτο φρονειτε εν υμιν ο και εν χριστω ιησου"
Phroneistho, translated as "let this mind be" is Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Number 5426, phroneo,from 5424, phren, the mind or cognitive faculties, understanding, be of one, be of the same, let this mind."
In the Textus Receptus, phroneistho is in the present tense, imperative mode, and passive voice. A person passively receives the mind of Christ, meaning a person does not obtain the mind of Christ by his own efforts, but it is put in one by the initiative of Christ.
But the Westcott-Hort Greek has φρονειτε, phroneite, which is in the present tense, imperative mode, but in the active voice, according to the Fritz Rienecker A Linguistic Key To the Greek New Testament, volume 2, page 204. The active voice would say that the mind of Christ is obtained by one's own initiative.
Now, lets see what some of the recent Bible versions do with Philippians 2: 5.
The Revised Standard says "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,"
The American Standard Version has "Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:"
The New International Version has "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:"
There is nothing about relationships with one another in either the Textus Receptus or the Westcott-Hort Greek texts.
The New King James Version says "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,"
The New Living Translation has "You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had."
An attitude is not exactly the same as mind.
The New Life Version says "Think as Christ Jesus thought."
Many of the new Bible versions move away in some sense from the statement, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus," not wanting to fully teach that we should have the mind of Jesus Christ in us.
If we are born again in Christ, and become new creatures in Christ (II Corinthians 5: 17), and are transformed, or metamorphized by a renewing of the mind (Romans 12: 2) in Christ, then would we not also have the mind of Christ in us, as Philippians 2: 5 says?
And this mind of Christ he gives to us, from his own mind, is not just an attitude, or mindset as some of the new Bible versions would have it. And this mind of Christ is put in the individual in Christ, not just in "your relationships with one another" as the NIV puts it.
John says in I John 4: 2-3 says "Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3. And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world."
Jesus Christ came in the form of human flesh. In this sense he came in the flesh. But I John 4: 3-2, about every spirit that confesses that Christ is come in the flesh is of God, can be also seen to mean that everyone who receives the mind of Christ in his human flesh is of God. If one does not receive the mind of Christ in his flesh, one is not of God.
Remember that the next verse from I John 4: 3, which is verse 4: 4 says "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. " Christ in those born again in him is greater than he who is in the world, Satan.
Receiving the mind of Christ now, when we are in the flesh, is an important part of the change that takes place when we are born again (John 3: 1-7). It is the difference between spiritual life and spiritual death. It is a transformation, as the word Paul uses in Romans 12: 2 - metamorphousthe, or metamorphosis - says. Metamorphousthe is in the passive voice, meaning we passively receive, from Christ, that spiritual transformation. The dictionary definition of metamorphosis is a major change in the appearance or character of someone or something.
Obviously, humans in the flesh cannot receive the whole mind of God, but only some part of it. Nevertheless, receiving the mind of Christ while we are in the flesh is a necessary part of being born again in him. And the compartmentalized method of teaching scripture would argue against extending I John 4: 2-3 to be seen as those in Christ receiving something of the mind of Christ in their flesh, something which makes them acceptable to God.
