Praise God from whom all blessings flow. This is my first post on this brand new blog called "The Nous." "Nous" is a Greek philosophical term which means "intellect." In the Western world, the intellect is seen as inhabiting the mind. In the Eastern world and in the Biblical context, the intellect inhabits the heart. I am using the term here in the Eastern and Biblical sense. Thus, "Nous" is being used here in the sense of "heart" or more specifically "eye of the heart" or "innermost aspect of the heart." This is also the sense understood by the Early Church Fathers when writing about the true knowledge of God, that it properly and most effectively exists in the innermost part of the heart and not in the mind. In other words, one can come to an intellectual understanding of God in the mind and yet not believe. It is not until one comes to an intellectual understanding of God deep inside the heart that one then comes to truly believe in God for this is where our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ inhabits the person of faith.
Romans 10:8-10
But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. (ESV)
But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" -- that is, the world of faith which we are preaching, that if, you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. (NASB)
On the positive side it says: "The word," that is the faith we proclaim, "is very near to you, it is on your lips and in your heart." If your lips confess that Jesus is Lord and if you believe in your heart that God raise him from the dead, then you will be saved. By believing from the heart you are made righteous; by confessing with your lips you are saved. (Jerusalem Bible)
[The "it" in verse 8 refers back to verse 5 where is referenced what "Moses writes" which in turn then is in reference to Deuteronomy 30:14.]
Therefore, the Nous is that mysterious place inside one's very being where all that exists is shut out, except for God. It is that place where only you and God inhabit and where deep meaningful fellowship with God takes place, from which then that fellowship strengthens and gives peace for the living of the Christian life in this world in a way that is pleasing to God and as an effective witness to Jesus Christ towards the world.
Psalm 51:10
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. (ESV)
Create in me a clean heart, O God. And renew a steadfast spirit within me. (NASB)
God, create a clean heart in me, put into me a new and constant spirit. (Jerusalem Bible)
Psalm 64:6b
For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep! (ESV)
For the inward thought and the heart of a man are deep/unsearchable. (NASB)
Who? He who probes the inmost mind and the depths of the heart. (Jerusalem Bible)
Luther on Psalm Sixty-Four ("Luther's Works" American Edition Vol. 10, page 307)
6. A man will come to a deep heart. According to St. Augustine, this is said first concerning Christ, as I indicated in the gloss. Second, in the view of Cassiodorus, a man, any believer, will come to a deep heart through a contemplation of divine things and through faith, and in this way God [Christ] is exalted not in Himself, but in such a heart. [For the divinity of Christ is not recognized unless the mind is lifted up through faith.] Third, a man will come to a deep, that is, a lowly or humble, heart, for the more we humble ourselves, the more we exalt God, so that the person who considers himself nothing truly regards God as the highest and best, and vice versa. Fourth, since the Greek has "and a deep heart" (Septuagint: kai kardia batheia) where we have simply "heart," some have explained this to mean a man will come, that is, Christ will come, who is man and of a deep mind, and God will be glorified throughout the world. Or: Christ will come, namely, to us through faith and to God through Himself. [Another possibility: The deep heart is a heart is a heart that is spiritually aware. For a spiritual man is judged by no one and is hidden in the depth of God, and in such a heart God is exalted.
The ancients understood the mind of the believer as being the source of thoughts that lead to evil and sin while in the eye of the heart of the believer dwells God Himself and where through prayer and meditation a believer may communicate and fellowship with Him. Therefore, let us this day, in prayer and meditation deep in our heart, seek fellowship with our Lord and His strength and peace for this day.
In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (ESV)(NASB)
Happy the pure in heart; they shall see God. (Jerusalem Bible)
John 7:38-39 (Jesus said)
"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not glorified. (ESV)
"He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.'" But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (NASB)
"Let the man come and drink who believes in me!" (vs. 37) As Scripture says: From his breast shall flow fountains of living water. He was speaking of the Spirit which those who believed in him were to receive; for there was no Spirit as yet because Jesus had not yet been glorified. (Jerusalem Bible)
Romans 10:8-10
But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. (ESV)
But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" -- that is, the world of faith which we are preaching, that if, you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. (NASB)
On the positive side it says: "The word," that is the faith we proclaim, "is very near to you, it is on your lips and in your heart." If your lips confess that Jesus is Lord and if you believe in your heart that God raise him from the dead, then you will be saved. By believing from the heart you are made righteous; by confessing with your lips you are saved. (Jerusalem Bible)
[The "it" in verse 8 refers back to verse 5 where is referenced what "Moses writes" which in turn then is in reference to Deuteronomy 30:14.]
Therefore, the Nous is that mysterious place inside one's very being where all that exists is shut out, except for God. It is that place where only you and God inhabit and where deep meaningful fellowship with God takes place, from which then that fellowship strengthens and gives peace for the living of the Christian life in this world in a way that is pleasing to God and as an effective witness to Jesus Christ towards the world.
Psalm 51:10
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. (ESV)
Create in me a clean heart, O God. And renew a steadfast spirit within me. (NASB)
God, create a clean heart in me, put into me a new and constant spirit. (Jerusalem Bible)
Psalm 64:6b
For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep! (ESV)
For the inward thought and the heart of a man are deep/unsearchable. (NASB)
Who? He who probes the inmost mind and the depths of the heart. (Jerusalem Bible)
Luther on Psalm Sixty-Four ("Luther's Works" American Edition Vol. 10, page 307)
6. A man will come to a deep heart. According to St. Augustine, this is said first concerning Christ, as I indicated in the gloss. Second, in the view of Cassiodorus, a man, any believer, will come to a deep heart through a contemplation of divine things and through faith, and in this way God [Christ] is exalted not in Himself, but in such a heart. [For the divinity of Christ is not recognized unless the mind is lifted up through faith.] Third, a man will come to a deep, that is, a lowly or humble, heart, for the more we humble ourselves, the more we exalt God, so that the person who considers himself nothing truly regards God as the highest and best, and vice versa. Fourth, since the Greek has "and a deep heart" (Septuagint: kai kardia batheia) where we have simply "heart," some have explained this to mean a man will come, that is, Christ will come, who is man and of a deep mind, and God will be glorified throughout the world. Or: Christ will come, namely, to us through faith and to God through Himself. [Another possibility: The deep heart is a heart is a heart that is spiritually aware. For a spiritual man is judged by no one and is hidden in the depth of God, and in such a heart God is exalted.
The ancients understood the mind of the believer as being the source of thoughts that lead to evil and sin while in the eye of the heart of the believer dwells God Himself and where through prayer and meditation a believer may communicate and fellowship with Him. Therefore, let us this day, in prayer and meditation deep in our heart, seek fellowship with our Lord and His strength and peace for this day.
In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (ESV)(NASB)
Happy the pure in heart; they shall see God. (Jerusalem Bible)
John 7:38-39 (Jesus said)
"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not glorified. (ESV)
"He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.'" But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (NASB)
"Let the man come and drink who believes in me!" (vs. 37) As Scripture says: From his breast shall flow fountains of living water. He was speaking of the Spirit which those who believed in him were to receive; for there was no Spirit as yet because Jesus had not yet been glorified. (Jerusalem Bible)
