26 Psychological Faculties
26.1 ὁ ἔσω (ἄνθρωπος); ὁ ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ (ἄνθρωπος): (idioms, literally ‘the inner person’ and ‘the hidden person’) the psychological faculty, including intellectual, emotional, and spiritual aspects, in contrast with the purely physical aspects of human existence—‘the inner being, the inmost being, inwardly.’
ὁ ἔσω (ἄνθρωπος): συνήδομαι γὰρ τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ θεοῦ κατὰ τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον ‘for in my inner being I delight in God’s law’ Ro 7:22; ἀλλ’ εἰ καὶ ὁ ἔξω ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος διαφθείρεται, ἀλλ’ ὁ ἔσω ἡμῶν ἀνακαινοῦται ἡμέρᾳ καὶ ἡμέρᾳ ‘but if our physical being is decaying, yet our inner being is renewed day by day’ 2 Cor 4:16.
ὁ ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ (ἄνθρωπος): ἀλλʼ ὁ ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ Ἰουδαῖος ‘but he is a Jew who is one inwardly’ or ‘… in the heart’ Ro 2:29. A strictly literal rendering of ἀλλʼ ὁ ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ Ἰουδαῖος might be misunderstood in Ro 2:29 to refer only to the fact of circumcision, which would be something which would normally not be evident.
In a number of languages it is quite impossible to speak of the psychological faculty of a person as being merely ‘that which is within.’ It is frequently necessary to refer to a particular organ of the body, for example, ‘the heart’ or ‘the liver’ or ‘the spleen.’ In some languages, however, one may refer to this faculty as being ‘the person who stands inside’ or ‘the real person’ or even ‘the other person.’
In Lk 17:21 the phrase ἐντὸς ὑμῶν in the statement ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ ἐντὸς ὑμῶν ἐστιν ‘look, God’s reign is within you’ may constitute a reference to the same inner being designated by the phrases ὁ ἔσω and ὁ ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ. On this basis some scholars have suggested that the phrase ἐντὸς ὑμῶν can be interpreted as a potentiality for participation and hence be translated ‘within your grasp,’ but it is more likely that one should understand the phrase ἐντὸς ὑμῶν in Lk 17:21 as a spacial relationship, for example, ‘in your midst’ or ‘among you’ (see 83.9).
26.2 ἔσωθενc: (a figurative extension of meaning of ἔσωθενa ‘from inside,’ 84.14) the inner being of a person as the source or agent of thought or behavior—‘a person’s inner self, the inner being, within oneself.’ πάντα ταῦτα τὰ πονηρὰ ἔσωθεν ἐκπορεύεται καὶ κοινοῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον ‘all these evil things come from one’s inner being and make that person unclean’ Mk 7:23; ἔσωθεν δέ εἰσιν λύκοι ἅρπαγες ‘but in their inner being they are like vicious wolves’ Mt 7:15.
A literal translation of ἔσωθεν δέ εἰσιν λύκοι ἅρπαγες in Mt 7:15 as ‘on the inside they are ravaging wolves’ could be seriously misleading, since in some cultures certain people are regarded as actually being animals but disguised as human beings. It may therefore be necessary to make some adjustments in this passage and to translate as ‘but what they want to do makes them like wild wolves’ or ‘but their minds are like the minds of wild wolves.’ On the other hand, one could employ a strictly literal translation and then have a footnote indicating that this statement in the Scriptures does not confirm local beliefs concerning animals disguised as humans.
26.3 καρδίαa, ας f: (a figurative extension of meaning of καρδία ‘heart,’ not occurring in the NT in its literal sense) the causative source of a person’s psychological life in its various aspects, but with special emphasis upon thoughts—‘heart, inner self, mind.’ ἀγαπήσεις κύριον τὸν θεόν σου ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ καρδίᾳ σου ‘you shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart’ Mt 22:37; τὰ κρυπτὰ τῆς καρδίας αὐτοῦ φανερὰ γίνεται ‘the secret thoughts of his heart will be brought into the open’ 1 Cor 14:25; ἕκαστος καθὼς προῄρηται τῇ καρδίᾳ ‘each person (should give) what he has decided in his heart’ 2 Cor 9:7; κατὰ δὲ τὴν σκληρότητά σου καὶ ἀμετανόητον καρδίαν θησαυρίζεις σεαυτῷ ὀργὴν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ὀργῆς ‘because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath’ Ro 2:5.
It is often possible to render καρδίαa by a number of different terms depending upon the immediate context, for example, ‘mind,’ ‘intention,’ ‘purpose,’ or ‘desire.’ In many languages it is quite impossible to use a term meaning ‘heart,’ since such a term may not lend itself to figurative extension in meaning. Often the equivalent of καρδία is ‘liver,’ while in a number of languages it is ‘stomach’ or ‘bowels.’
26.4 ψυχήa, ῆς f: the essence of life in terms of thinking, willing, and feeling—‘inner self, mind, thoughts, feelings, heart, being.’ μιᾷ ψυχῇ συναθλοῦντες τῇ πίστει τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ‘with one mind, struggling together for the faith of the gospel’ Php 1:27. It is also possible to render ψυχή in Php 1:27 as ‘purpose’ or ‘desire,’ for ψυχή focuses upon the total psychological being involved in struggling for the faith.
ψυχήa is often glossed as ‘heart’ or ‘desire.’ Compare the following: περίλυπός ἐστιν ἡ ψυχή μου ἕως θανάτου ‘my heart is sorrowful even to the point of death’ Mt 26:38; ἵνα μὴ κάμητε ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν ἐκλυόμενοι ‘so do not let your hearts become discouraged and give up’ He 12:3 (for ψυχή in the idiom κάμνω τῇ ψυχῇ, see 25.291); ἀλλ’ ὡς δοῦλοι Χριστοῦ ποιοῦντες τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκ ψυχῆς ‘but with all your heart, do what God wants, as slaves of Christ’ Eph 6:6. In these passages, however, ψυχή refers really to the entire being of a person, so that Mt 26:38 may very well be rendered as ‘my sorrow is so great it almost kills me.’ He 12:3 may also be rendered as ‘so do not let yourselves become discouraged and give up,’ and Eph 6:6 may be appropriately rendered as ‘but with your whole being, do what God wants, as slaves of Christ.’
The meaning of ψυχή in the sense of the person as an individual is treated under ψυχήc (9.20) as, for example, in Mt 11:29 ἒὑρήσετε ἀνάπαυσιν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν ‘you will find rest for yourselves’).
Even in those contexts in which ψυχή refers to existence beyond death, it may be referring figuratively to the person. For example, in Ac 2:27 ὂὐκ ἐγκαταλείψεις τὴν ψυχήν μου εἰς ᾅδην) one may translate ‘you will not abandon my soul to Hades’ or ‘you will not abandon me to the grave.’
It is important to distinguish ψυχήa, signifying a psychological faculty, from ψυχήb, meaning ‘physical life, life principle’ (23.88). Note, for example, the occurrence of ψυχήb in He 4:12 (διϊκνούμενος ἄχρι μερισμοῦ ψυχῆς καὶ πνεύματος ‘it cuts all the way through to where physical life and spirit meet’). Note also the occurrence of ψυχήb in 1 Th 5:23 ἂὐτὸς δὲ ὁ θεὸς τῆς εἰρήνης ἁγιάσαι ὑμᾶς ὁλοτελεῖς, καὶ ὁλόκληρον ὑμῶν τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ καὶ τὸ σῶμα ἀμέμπτως ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τηρηθείη ‘may the God who gives us peace make you holy in every way and keep your whole being—spirit, life, and body—free from all fault at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ’).
In certain contexts ψυχή would appear to be in contrast with καρδία (26.3) and διάνοια (26.14) as, for example, in Mt 22:37 (ἀγαπήσεις κύριον τὸν θεόν σου ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ καρδίᾳ σου καὶ ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ ψυχῇ σου καὶ ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ διανοίᾳ σου ‘you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind’). Because of the three terms, some have insisted that there must be at least three quite different parts of human personality. Others, however, have concluded that instead of being three parts of personality, these are only three different perspectives which one may employ in thinking about or describing human personality. Still others would contend that the use of the three terms, καρδία, ψυχή, and διάνοια, only emphasizes the totality of human personality, and no clear-cut distinctions can possibly be made. Certainly the referents involve considerable overlapping. One could translate with complete justification Mt 22:37 as ‘you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and life and mind.’ In fact, in many languages it is impossible to distinguish satisfactorily between καρδία, ψυχή, and διάνοια, and therefore it may be necessary to translate as ‘you shall love the Lord your God with all that you desire and with all that you think’ or ‘you must love the Lord your God with all your being.’
26.5 ἰσόψυχος, ον: pertaining to being of the same mind or attitude—‘having the same mind, similarly minded, of the same attitude.’ οὐδένα γὰρ ἔχω ἰσόψυχον ὅστις γνησίως τὰ περὶ ὑμῶν μεριμνήσει ‘for I have no one of the same mind who really is concerned for you’ Php 2:20. In a number of languages ἰσόψυχος may be rendered as ‘one who thinks the same way’ or possibly ‘one who has the same feelings about.’ In the latter instance, ‘feelings’ would be the equivalent of ‘attitude.’
26.6 σύμψυχος, ον: pertaining to similarity of attitude and spirit—‘harmonious, united in spirit, being one in spirit.’ τὴν αὐτὴν ἀγάπην ἔχοντες, σύμψυχοι ‘having the same love and being one in spirit’ Php 2:2.
26.7 σάρξf, σαρκός f: the psychological aspect of human nature which contrasts with the spiritual nature; in other words, that aspect of human nature which is characterized by or reflects typical human reasoning and desires in contrast with those aspects of human thought and behavior which relate to God and the spiritual life—‘human nature, human aspects, natural, human.’ οὐ πολλοὶ σοφοὶ κατὰ σάρκα ‘few of you were wise from a human point of view’ 1 Cor 1:26; φανερὰ δέ ἐστιν τὰ ἔργα τῆς σαρκός ‘what human nature does is quite plain’ Ga 5:19; ὁ σπείρων εἰς τὴν σάρκα ἑαυτοῦ ‘he who plants in the area of his human, natural desire’ Ga 6:8.
Some scholars understand the meaning of σάρξf as being a person’s ‘lower nature’ rather than simply ‘human nature,’ but the distinction between lower nature and higher nature seems to be primarily one arising out of typical Greek thought rather than out of the Semitic background which seems to be so pervasive in the use of the term σάρξ in such contexts in the NT. There are, of course, contexts in which σάρξ does refer to that psychological factor in man which serves as a willing instrument of sin and is subject to sin.
26.8 σαρκικόςa, ή, όν; σάρκινοςb, η, ον: pertaining to what is human or characteristic of human nature—‘human, natural.’
σαρκικόςa: οὐκ ἐν σοφίᾳ σαρκικῇ ἀλλ’ ἐν χάριτι θεοῦ ‘not with human wisdom, but by the grace of God’ 2 Cor 1:12.
σάρκινοςb: ὃς οὐ κατὰ νόμον ἐντολῆς σαρκίνης γέγονεν ἀλλὰ κατὰ δύναμιν ζωῆς ἀκαταλύτου ‘who became (a priest) not by human rules and regulations but by the power of a life which never ends’ He 7:16. For another interpretation of σάρκινος in He 7:16, see 9.13.
26.9 πνεῦμαe, τος n: the non-material, psychological faculty which is potentially sensitive and responsive to God (πνεῦμαe contrasts with σάρξf, 26.7, as an expression of the divine in contrast with the purely human)—‘spirit, spiritual, spiritual nature, inner being.’ ἐν δὲ ταῖς Ἀθήναις ἐκδεχομένου αὐτοὺς τοῦ Παύλου, παρωξύνετο τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ θεωροῦντος κατείδωλον οὖσαν τὴν πόλιν ‘while Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols’ Ac 17:16; εὐθὺς ἐπιγνοὺς ὁ Ἰησοῦς τῷ πνεύματι αὐτοῦ ὅτι οὕτως διαλογίζονται ἐν ἑαυτοῖς ‘immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this is what they were thinking in themselves’ Mk 2:8; τίς γὰρ οἶδεν ἀνθρώπων τὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εἰ μὴ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ ‘as for a man, it is his own spirit within him that knows all about him’ 1 Cor 2:11; εἰ γὰρ καὶ τῇ σαρκὶ ἀλλὰ τῷ πνεύματι σὺν ἡμῖν εἰμι ‘for even though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit’ Col 2:5; παραδοῦναι τὸν τοιοῦτον τῷ Σατανᾷ εἰς ὄλεθρον τῆς σαρκός, ἵνα τὸ πνεῦμα σωθῇ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ κυρίου ‘you are to hand this man over to Satan for his body to be destroyed, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord’ 1 Cor 5:5.
A special problem is posed by the phrase πνεῦμα ἁγιωσύνης in Ro 1:4. Some persons have assumed that this phrase is merely a lexical alternative for πνεῦμα ἅγιον ‘Holy Spirit,’ but this hardly seems to be the case, especially since κατὰ πνεῦμα ἁγιωσύνης is in structural contrast with κατὰ σάρκα (Ro 1:3). The phrase κατὰ σάρκα seems to be best interpreted as referring to the humanity of Jesus, and therefore in contrast κατὰ πνεῦμα ἁγιωσύνης may perhaps be best interpreted as his ‘divine holiness’ or rather his ‘holy spiritual being.’ Accordingly, the relevant elements in Ro 1:3b-4 may be rendered as ‘as to his humanity, he was born a descendant of David, but as to his divine nature, he was shown with great power to be the Son of God by being raised from death.’
There are often a number of serious problems involved in obtaining a satisfactory term for translating πνεῦμαe. In a few instances one can use a more or less literal equivalent, namely ‘breath,’ and in other instances the appropriate equivalent is a derived term meaning ‘that which doesn’t die.’ In some instances the equivalent is ‘the person who isn’t seen,’ meaning that part of the person which is never visible. In order to emphasize the non- material aspects of πνεῦμαe, some persons have used terms which actually refer to ghosts, but this should be avoided. In a number of languages a clear distinction is made between (1) the spirit that dwells within a person during one’s lifetime and (2) that spirit which leaves a person and passes on into the next world. In a number of contexts one must make certain that the appropriate term is used; otherwise, there is not only extreme confusion but serious misunderstanding.
26.10 πνευματικόςb, ή, όν; πνευματικῶςb: pertaining to the spiritual nature or being of a person—‘spiritual, of the spirit, on a spiritual basis, in a spiritual manner.’
πνευματικόςb: ὁ εὐλογήσας ἡμᾶς ἐν πάσῃ εὐλογίᾳ πνευματικῇ ‘who blessed us with every spiritual blessing’ Eph 1:3. It is also possible to interpret πνευματικός in Eph 1:3 as referring to ‘the Holy Spirit,’ that is to say, these blessings would be those which come from the Spirit of God (see 12.21).
In Ro 15:27 ἒἰ γὰρ τοῖς πνευματικοῖς αὐτῶν ἐκοινώνησαν τὰ ἔθνη, ὀφείλουσιν καὶ ἐν τοῖς σαρκικοῖς λειτουργῆσαι αὐτοῖς) πνευματικός stands in contrast to σαρκικόςb ‘material’ (79.1) and may therefore focus upon non- material or spiritual aspects of human personality or life in contrast with the physical aspects. Accordingly, one may translate Ro 15:27 as ‘if the Gentiles shared in their spiritual benefits, they ought to help them with material things.’ It is also possible, however, to understand πνευματικός in Ro 15:27 as referring to those blessings which come from the Holy Spirit (see 12.21) rather than those blessings which are for the human spirit. The terms πνευματικός, ψυχικός, σαρκικός, and σάρκινος reflect considerable overlapping in meaning; see also 26.8 and 79.1–79.6.
πνευματικῶςb: μωρία γὰρ αὐτῷ ἐστιν, καὶ οὐ δύναται γνῶναι, ὅτι πνευματικῶς ἀνακρίνεται ‘they are foolishness to him and he cannot understand (them), because they can be judged only on a spiritual basis’ or ‘… in a spiritual manner’ 1 Cor 2:14. For another interpretation of πνευματικῶς in 1 Cor 2:14, see 12.21.
26.11 σπλάγχναb, ων n; κοιλίαc, ας f; νεφρός, οῦ m: (figurative extensions of meaning of σπλάγχναa ‘intestines,’ 8.58; κοιλίαa ‘belly,’ 8.67; and νεφρός ‘kidney,’ not occurring in its literal meaning in the NT) the psychological faculty of desire, intent, and feeling—‘heart, feelings, desires.’
σπλάγχναb: ἐνδύσασθε … σπλάγχνα οἰκτιρμοῦ ‘you must clothe yourselves … with a capacity for compassion’ or ‘… ability to feel compassion’ Col 3:12.
κοιλίαc: ποταμοὶ ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας αὐτοῦ ῥεύσουσιν ὕδατος ζῶντος ‘streams of living water will pour out of his heart’ Jn 7:38.νεφρός: ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἐραυνῶν νεφροὺς καὶ καρδίας ‘I am he who searches people’s feelings and desires’ Re 2:23.
Though some persons have attempted to distinguish between σπλάγχναb, κοιλίαc, and νεφρός, it is extremely doubtful whether this is really possible or practical. The semantic focus in the use of these terms is clearly the deeper and more intimate feelings and emotions. In some languages one can use a term which literally means ‘belly’ or ‘bowels,’ but more often than not, these emotions are associated with some particular organ of the body such as heart, spleen, liver, etc. Rather, however, than attempting to employ a figurative expression which may or may not be fully equivalent, it is often preferable to refer to the emotional content by using terms such as ‘feelings,’ ‘intents,’ ‘desires,’ or ‘compassion,’ depending upon the context.
26.12 ὁρμή, ῆς f: (a figurative extension of meaning of ὁρμή ‘rushing motion,’ not occurring in the NT) the psychological faculty of will and impulse—‘will, impulse, desire.’ ὅπου ἡ ὁρμὴ τοῦ εὐθύνοντος βούλεται ‘wherever the will of the pilot wants it’ Jas 3:4. This clause in Jas 3:4 may also be rendered simply as ‘wherever the pilot wants it to go.’
26.13 συνείδησιςb, εως f: (contrast συνείδησιςa ‘knowledge about something,’ 28.4) the psychological faculty which can distinguish between right and wrong—‘moral sensitivity, conscience.’ συμμαρτυρούσης αὐτῶν τῆς συνειδήσεως καὶ μεταξὺ ἀλλήλων τῶν λογισμῶν κατηγορούντων ἢ καὶ ἀπολογουμένων ‘their consciences also show that this is true, since their thoughts sometimes accuse them and sometimes defend them’ Ro 2:15.
In some languages συνείδησιςb may be rendered as ‘the inner voice’ or ‘the voice in one’s heart’ or ‘how one knows right from wrong.’ In some instances συνείδησιςb may be equivalent to some organ of the body, for example, heart or liver, but generally some descriptive phrase proves to be the most satisfactory equivalent.
26.14 νοῦςa, νοός, νοί̈, νοῦν m; νόημαa, τος n; διάνοιαa, ας f: the psychological faculty of understanding, reasoning, thinking, and deciding—‘mind.’
νοῦςa: ἐὰν γὰρ προσεύχωμαι γλώσσῃ, τὸ πνεῦμά μου προσεύχεται, ὁ δὲ νοῦς μου ἄκαρπός ἐστιν ‘for if I pray in a strange tongue, my spirit indeed prays, but my mind has no part in it’ 1 Cor 14:14; αὐτὸς ἐγὼ τῷ μὲν νοῒ δουλεύω νόμῳ θεοῦ ‘by myself I can serve God’s law with my mind’ Ro 7:25.
νόημαa: φοβοῦμαι δὲ … φθαρῇ τὰ νοήματα ὑμῶν ‘I am afraid that … your minds will be corrupted’ 2 Cor 11:3; ἡ εἰρήνη τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ ὑπερέχουσα πάντα νοῦν φρουρήσει τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν καὶ τὰ νοήματα ὑμῶν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ‘God’s peace which is far beyond all human capacity for understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus’ Php 4:7.
διάνοιαa: ἐσκοτωμένοι τῇ διανοίᾳ ὄντες ‘whose minds are in the dark’ Eph 4:18.
In some languages there is no noun such as English mind, and therefore one must use a verb expression meaning ‘to think,’ ‘to reason,’ or ‘to understand,’ depending upon the particular context. In some languages the closest equivalent of ‘mind’ may be a figurative extension of a term meaning ‘head,’ but more often than not, thinking is regarded as being in some other part of the body, for example, ‘heart’ or ‘liver.’
26.15 φρήν, φρενός f; φρόνησιςa, εως f; φρόνημα, τος n: the psychological faculty of thoughtful planning, often with the implication of being wise and provident—‘thoughtful planning, way of thinking, outlook.’
φρήν: ἀδελφοί, μὴ παιδία γίνεσθε ταῖς φρεσίν ‘do not be like children in the way you think, Christian brothers’ 1 Cor 14:20.
φρόνησιςa: ἐπιστρέψαι … ἀπειθεῖς ἐν φρονήσει δικαίων ‘he will turn … the disobedient people back to the way of thinking of righteous people’ Lk 1:17.
φρόνημα: τὸ γὰρ φρόνημα τῆς σαρκὸς θάνατος ‘for to those whose outlook is formed by their human nature, death is the result’ Ro 8:6.
26.16 φρονέωa: (derivative of the base φρον‘thoughtful planning,’ 26.15) to employ one’s faculty for thoughtful planning, with emphasis upon the underlying disposition or attitude—‘to have an attitude, to think in a particular manner.’ τοῦτο φρονεῖτε ἐν ὑμῖν ὃ καὶ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ‘the attitude you should have is the one that Christ Jesus had’ Php 2:5. In some instances it may be appropriate to render Php 2:5 as ‘you should think the way Christ Jesus did’ or ‘how Jesus Christ thought about things is the way you should think about them’ (in which a term meaning ‘things’ would refer to events and not simply to material objects). It is also possible to understand φρονέω in Php 2:5 as referring specifically to the attitude of people to one another.
Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 319–324.
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