Language Studies

Greek Thoughts

NOUS - Part 1 - ὑπὸστασις (Strong's #5287)
Mind, thought, understanding, spiritual perception

In this series, we have studied three words describing the thinking processes of the Christian mind. The frequent use of these words and the important teachings embodied within them give insight into an aspect of life in which the Lord works when one is born of the Spirit of God. We understand that once a person has received Christ, his spirit is filled with the Spirit of Christ and is sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). This new Christian begins to grow through the inward working of God's indwelling Spirit. By now, we also understand that this growth process takes place in the arena of the mind. To further our understanding of the Christian maturation process, we are going to start a series of studies on the word νοῦς (Strong's #3563) which refers specifically to the ability and capacity of perception. In Romans 12:1-2Paul presents the way a Christian is to function after being saved and the process that a believer goes through to reach the stage of maturity wherein he is able to perceive the way of the Lord.

Romans 12:1-2: Literal Translation

1)

Therefore I encourage you, brothers, through the mercies of God, that you should present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, well-pleasing to God, which is your reasoning-process service.

2)

And do not be continually fashioned with this age, but be continually transformed through the renewing of your mind (νοῦς), so that you might prove what is the will of God which is good and well pleasing, and complete.

[Technical Notes: Verse 1: the literal translation of παραστῆσαι, the infinitive of purpose, is νὰ͂παραστὴσητε, "that you should present." The antecedent of the implied ἢτις͂εἶναῖ(which is) is θυσὶαν, sacrifice. Λογικὴν is variously translated "reasonable" or "spiritual." Its literal meaning is "the reasoning process." Verse 2: Two present (continuous) imperatives (commands) express two simultaneous processes in which a believer is to be involved. The first command, μὴ͂συσχηματὶζεσθε, expresses what the believer is not to be participating with. The compound word "συσχηματὶζεσθε" is made up of the preposition σὺν, meaning "with" (not "by"), and σχηματὶζω, meaning "to be fashioned" or "shaped." The second command is from the verb μεταμορφὸω which is made up of the preposition μετὰ, used in compound words denoting transition, and μορφὸω, "to change form," or "to transform." The instrumental dative τῇ͂ἀνακαινὼσει, expressing the means by which the transformation is to take place, is translated by διὰ͂τῆς͂ἀνακαινὶσεως, "through the renewing..." The purpose clause of the preposition with the articular infinitive εἰς͂τὸ͂δοκιμὰζειν, is translated νὰ͂δοκιμὰζητε, "that you might prove." The second article τὸ in the long form of the attributive position is translated by ποῦεὶναι, "which is".]

Paul begins Romans 12:1 by encouraging believers to respond to the Lord's mercy and provision by voluntarily presenting their lives as living sacrifices to the Lord. At the end of verse 1, Paul explains what he means by a living sacrifice: the believer is to reason issues out and make decisions in obedience to the Lord and His will. In verse 2, Paul explains how we are to arrive at the place where we have the ability to know what the Lord's will is.

At the beginning of verse 2, Paul uses two present passive imperative verbs to express that a believer is to be obeying two commands continuously and simultaneously. The first command expresses what the follower of Christ is not to do. He is not to be continuously fashioned and shaped (συσχηματὶζῶStrong's #4964) with the age in which he lives. This compound verb describes a forming and shaping of one's person — his attitude, speech, and the way he dresses - from the outward influences of the age in which he lives. The second command, μεταμορφὸω (Strong's #3339), denotes an inward transformation. Both of these commands are in the passive voice indicating that the believer is the recipient of the action. Therefore, Paul is teaching that the believer is to continually resist being shaped and formed with this age, while he is simultaneously and continually in the process of being transformed by the indwelling Spirit of God.

Paul also indicates in verse 2 the agent or instrument through which the believer is transformed —the renewing of the mind. The word for mind is νοῦς (Strong's #3563), the focus of our study. A believer is to have the perceptive ability of his mind renewed, in order to be able to prove what God's will is. The word for "prove" is δοκιμὰζω (Strong's #1381) which means to prove something is genuine by putting it to the test.

In summary, Paul is teaching in Romans 12:1-2 that after a person has received Christ, he is to submit to God's process of transforming his mind (his ability to spiritually perceive) so that he can test various thoughts and prove what the will of the Lord is. As a living sacrifice, the believer serves the Lord from out of his reasoning process, which is being matured to enable him, both to perceive and to obey the Lord. This is the highest form of worship (see John 4:24).

Our next study will be taken from Ephesians 4:23 where Paul again teaches about the renewing of the mind.

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