What does having the 'Mind of Christ' mean?

Hobie

Hobie

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In Romans 11:34 Paul asks the question

"For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?"

Then in 1 Corinthians 2:16, he repeats the question

"For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ."

But now Paul says we have the mind of Christ, so what does that mean?
 
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Gary K

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Hobie said:
In Romans 11:34 Paul asks the question

"For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?"

Then in 1 Corinthians 2:16, he repeats the question

"For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ."

But now Paul says we have the mind of Christ, so what does that mean?
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That is a good question, Hobie. I don't know that I have a complete answer but here is mine.

In 1Corinthians 1:6 Paul says that the Corinthians had the testimony of Christ confirmed in them. Jesus said he was the I AM of the OT in John 8:28 who is the one who communicated with Moses all throughout the deliverance of the COI from Egypt. It means He is the one who wrote the 10 commandments with His finger on the tablets of stone and described Himself to Moses as merciful, gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth. (Exodus 34:6) The ark that resided in the most holy place in the temple contained the 10 commandments and was called the "ark of the testimony" for it contained the 10 commandments and it was the place from which I AM communicated everything He wanted the Israelites to know to Moses. (Exodus 25:22) The question then becomes, whose testimony? To me that can only be the testimony of its author, the I AM of the OT. The 10 commandments then are part of the mind of Christ.

Jesus told us that the Golden Rule is the foundation of all the law and prophets for He said that all the law and prophets hang upon that concept. (Matthew 22:40) The Golden Rule tells us to do unto others as we would have them do unto us and to me that is the principle of love for if we love others as we love ourselves we will treat them by the principles found in the Golden Rule. Thus the principle of love is the mind of Christ. I know, it was the long way around of explaining this, but I wanted to give the scriptural trail of how I came to my conclusion.
 
Bradley D

Bradley D

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- Matthew Henry Commentary -

"The spiritual man only, is the person to whom God gives the knowledge of his will. How little have any known of the mind of God by natural power! And the apostles were enabled by his Spirit to make known his mind. In the Holy Scriptures, the mind of Christ, and the mind of God in Christ, are fully made known to us. It is the great privilege of Christians, that they have the mind of Christ revealed to them by his Spirit."
 
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Gary K

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Bradley D said:
- Matthew Henry Commentary -

"The spiritual man only, is the person to whom God gives the knowledge of his will. How little have any known of the mind of God by natural power! And the apostles were enabled by his Spirit to make known his mind. In the Holy Scriptures, the mind of Christ, and the mind of God in Christ, are fully made known to us. It is the great privilege of Christians, that they have the mind of Christ revealed to them by his Spirit."
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Ummm.... That statement doesn't even address what the mind of Christ is, in practical every day terms in life. It addresses the HOW of how it comes to us, but not WHAT it is. To me that, the what, is the essence of the question Hobie asked. How can we know we have it if we don't know what it is?
 
Bradley D

Bradley D

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ffreeloader said:
Ummm.... That statement doesn't even address what the mind of Christ is, in practical every day terms in life. It addresses the HOW of how it comes to us, but not WHAT it is. To me that, the what, is the essence of the question Hobie asked. How can we know we have it if we don't know what it is?
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It is in the Bible!! Try reading the words in red!
 
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Gary K

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Bradley D said:
It is in the Bible!! Try reading the words in red!
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If you stick with just the red words in the Bible you will miss most of the mind of Jesus. He said He is the great I AM of the OT who inspired all the prophets of the OT. He is also the one who inspired all the writings of the NT. So, if you want to know the mind of Jesus you must use the entire Bible. He is the source for all of it.

That's one reason why I said I doubted if I had the entire answer to what the mind of Jesus is. He is also the infinitely wise, understanding, and knowledgeable God. Therefore, as I am mortal and finite I cannot, by definition, know the entire mind of Christ. The Holy Spirit can teach me all I can know and understand and there will still be an infinite amount of Christ's mind that I cannot know. We humans can know enough to know who He is for He has revealed that much of Himself. But to think we can know all of Him would be pretty arrogant of us puny finite mortals.
 
Right Divider

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ffreeloader said:
If you stick with just the red words in the Bible you will miss most of the mind of Jesus. He said He is the great I AM of the OT who inspired all the prophets of the OT. He is also the one who inspired all the writings of the NT. So, if you want to know the mind of Jesus you must use the entire Bible. He is the source for all of it.
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Yep... :thumb:
 
Bradley D

Bradley D

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I do study the whole Bible. Also study the words in red which directed at those who thought they were living the word of God, but only outwardly.
 
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Gary K

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Bradley D said:
I do study the whole Bible. Also study the words in red which directed at those who thought they were living the word of God, but only outwardly.
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I agree that while Jesus lived here on earth that He taught that inward cleansing is the point of following Him. He teaches it throughout the Bible so it was nothing new when He brought it out while here on earth.

Here is Jesus saying so explicitly in red words:
John 3:
[SIZE=+0]1[/SIZE] There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
[SIZE=+0]2[/SIZE] The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
[SIZE=+0]3[/SIZE] Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
[SIZE=+0]4[/SIZE] Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
[SIZE=+0]5[/SIZE] Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
[SIZE=+0]6[/SIZE] That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
[SIZE=+0]7[/SIZE] Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
[SIZE=+0]8[/SIZE] The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
[SIZE=+0]9[/SIZE] Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
[SIZE=+0]10[/SIZE] Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
[SIZE=+0]11[/SIZE] Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
[SIZE=+0]12[/SIZE] If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
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Jesus could not have condemned Nicodemus for not knowing of the doctrine of the new birth if it had not been taught in the OT. Internally applied religion is taught throughout the entire OT. The greatest example of it is found in Psalms.
Psalms 51: [SIZE=+0]10[/SIZE] Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
[SIZE=+0]11[/SIZE] Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
[SIZE=+0]12[/SIZE] Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
[SIZE=+0]13[/SIZE]Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
[SIZE=+0]14[/SIZE] Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
[SIZE=+0]15[/SIZE] O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
[SIZE=+0]16[/SIZE] For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
[SIZE=+0]17[/SIZE] The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
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Idolater

Idolater

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Hobie said:
In Romans 11:34 Paul asks the question

"For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?"

Then in 1 Corinthians 2:16, he repeats the question

"For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ."

But now Paul says we have the mind of Christ, so what does that mean?
Click to expand...
I think it's related to His heart. Our words come from our mind, and the Lord said of a person's words, "Those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart" Matthew 15:18 KJV, and, "Of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh" Luke 6:45 KJV. So the mind of Christ is either closely related to, or is the heart of Christ also. This doesn't completely answer your OP, but I think it's worth considering as you investigate it.
 
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