The mind of Christ

The mind of Christ

First thing right after such title, let me tell you that Christ’s mind is, for the record, Christ’s intellect. Yup, I_N_T_E_L_L_E_C_T.

Sorry? Can’t hear you. Oh, yeah, you have never heard the word, have you? Mm, I’m not sure I have either. But hey, wait a minute, I'll just look it up on the internet: Longman’s Dictionary and Wikipedia, to be precise. Here is what I've found:

The intellect is the mental ability by which humans see thorough the mind, understanding information and telling things apart. The Sun has been used to represent its power, especially the Rising or Unconquered Sun.

The intellect is light dispelling darkness. It gradually enlightens humankind. As individual faculty, it goes beyond the psychophysical level to encompass the spiritual one. Eastern religious traditions refer to the intellect with the word buddhi. Ancient Greek philosophers called it nous. And guess what? That’s the word you find in the New Testament as well:

Sain Paul states he has the nous of Christ (1Cor 2: 16) and San Luke relates how Jesus opened his disciples’ nous to understand the Scriptures (Lk 24: 45).

The intellect - nous for the Greeks and buddhi for Easterners

No, no. Relax. I’m not going to lecture on comparative religion and philosophy. Be sure of that. Rather, I’d like to ask you: What’s the Greek word used to report on Jesus telling us to repent and believe in the gospel? Look, this point is vital.

To repent as meant and asked by Jesus is written with the Greek verb metanoeo and the outcome of the action of repenting is indicated with the word metanoia. Both expressions point to a new intellect, a thoroughly transformed mind.   

Uff! – you might blurt out – Greek, Greek, nothing but Greek! What a bore! And yet, at the core, it is not Greek that matters as such, but this other fact:

Christian repentance as asked and preached by Jesus calls for a new intellect, “a sunrise which will visit us from on high” (Lk 1, 78b). Yes, Sir! What we have come to know as repentance is somehow linked to the notion of light rising within like the Sun.

‍Repenting involves changing our mindset and proclivities, that is, relinquishing our ego, also called the intellect of the flesh (Col 2: 28), so as to crucify any cognitive patterns structuring our lives in terms of power and success. What Jesus requires of us is that we deny ourselves, die to our ego and rise with a different intellect. It is so, believe me, just so! But then, the question pops up:

“I’m sorry, Alexandra, but where should we look for another intellect?”.

Answer: “The Lord will give you one when he visits you from on high”.

Christ provides the faithful with his intellect

Repentance is like dawning, that is, a process resulting in sunrising. Upon completion, Christ’s light beams unhindered and we have a new intellect, just as Saint Paul had. Yes, that's correct – the intellect of Christ.  It is written, you know? I think I’ve pointed that out already:

“We have the intellect (nous) of Christ” (1Cor 2: 16b)

See? While humankind in Easter religious traditions prays to let their buddhi shine with goodness or to realize their Buddha-nature, Christians pray, meditate and participate in the life of the Church to acquire the intellect of Christ and enter the kingdom of heaven. Can you believe it? Do you think it’s incredible? A crazy idea, or – even worse – something completely insane in its folly, if not heretical.

Well, I tell you, do not be afraid, fear not spiritual transference to the kingdom, for it is sound doctrine.

The problem with spiritual transference is that one needs to have been pierced by the sword of the word to experience the event of the Sun rising from on high and state with Sant Paul:

“God seated us in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2: 6)

Yes, you are right. It might really seem kind of weird as it stands, I know. And that's because you need to be pierced by the word until it divides what is psychophysical from what is spiritual to be seated in heaven:

We are called to be seated in the heavenly places by God, “enabled to share in the portion of the saints in the light […], transferred into the kingdom of his beloved Son” (Col 1: 12-13).

Do not be afraid. Spiritual transference is not heresy. Saint Paul himself explains how difficult it is to grasp ascent to heaven at a psychophysical level:

“No one comprehends the things of God except the Spirit of God.  Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God.  And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things in spiritual terms. Those who are psychophysical do not receive the things of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are discerned spiritually. Those who are spiritual discern all things, and they are themselves subject to no one else’s scrutiny. For who has known the intellect (nous) of the Lord so as to instruct him? But we have the intellect (nous) of Christ (1Cor 2: 11b-16).

The intellect of Christ within us

Excellent. We are almost done. The gist of it all is quite simple: any humans can know what God has given them, but they have to be spiritual people – people able to discern all things and judge by themselves. That ability results from Christ intellect being in them. Christ comes from above and the Father transfers us – in Christ – to heaven. That’s divine ascent. You can think of it as a mystical rapture open to all, which grows extremely intense, and twirls within, till it turns one’s eyes to heaven in a vision of bright ecstatic pleasure and repentance glare.

PRAYER PROMPTS

Knowledge and understanding:

“I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father” (Jn 15: 15).

“I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him” (Eph 1: 17).

“Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. Anyone who thinks they know something does not yet know how it is necessary to know; but anyone who loves God is known by him” (1Cor 8: 1b-3).

“Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods. Now, however, that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and beggarly elements?  How can you want to be enslaved to them again?” (Gal 4: 8-9).

“You have been anointed by the Holy One, and all of you have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and you know that no lie comes from the truth” (1Jn 2, 20-21).

“The love of Christ urges us on, because we have judged that one has died for all; therefore, all have died.  And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them. From now on, therefore, we  look at anyone according to the flesh; even though we once knew Christ according to the flesh, we know him no longer in that way” (2Cor 5: 14-16).

Sun:

“Wait for and hasten the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire. In accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.” (2Pt 3: 12-13).

“The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. In them, he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them and nothing is hidden from its heat” (Sal 19: 2.4c-6).

Spiritual people:

“The children of God are born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of a male, but of God” (Jn 1: 13).

“If there is a psychophysical body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus, it is written, ‘The first man, Adam, became a living being’; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual body that is first, but the psychophysical, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven” (1Cor 15: 44b-47).

“«How can these things be?». Jesus answered him: «No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man»” (Jn 3, 9-10.13).

“«How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born? ». Jesus answered, «Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you: ‘You must be born from above’»” (Jn 3, 4b-7).

“Do not be lead astray, my beloved. Every generous act of giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. In fulfilment of his own will, he gave us birth” (Jm 1, 16-18a).

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