Language Studies

Greek Thoughts

NOUS - Part 8 - ὑπὸστασις (Strong's #5287)
Mind, thought, understanding, spiritual perception

We have progressed in our study of the word νοῦς (Strong's #3563) to Paul's presentation of the four spiritual laws of the Christian life. Νοῦς represents the Law of the Mind, which, for the believer, represents the perceptive ability of the mind. In 1 Corinthians 2:9-16, Paul teaches that the perceptive process of the believer's mind, his ability to perceive spiritual truth, is produced and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Last week, we began our study in where Paul begins his presentation of the Christian walk by presenting three of the four laws pertaining to it.

In Romans 7:7-12, Paul describes his life as a non-believing Jew, both before he became a Son of the Law and after having been born of the Spirit of Christ. Before he became a Son of the Law, sin was dead to him. Without the Law of God, there is no holy standard exposing sin as what it is, sin. Paul then says that once he came under the Law, sin revived and produced all manner of sin in his flesh. The Law of God, which was to produce life in him, instead produced death.

In Romans 7:13-19, Paul uses present and perfect tense verbs to describe his present condition as a believer in Christ. He says, at the time of the writing of Romans, that his flesh "had been sold under sin." In Romans 7:18, in one of his conclusions, he says "no good thing dwells in his flesh."

Paul then expresses his overall conclusion in : , after having reflected on the struggle within himself. He states that if his desire or will is contrary to what he is doing, he is no longer working it, but the sin dwelling in him is at work. He then concludes that up to this point, he finds three laws. The first is the Law of God, which his inward man desires to do. The second is the Law of Sin, which is in his flesh and is warring against the third law, which is the Law of the Mind (νοῦς). We cannot leave this study without understanding the fourth law, found in Romans 8:1-11, which is the victory for the believer.

Romans 8:1-4 (Literal Translation)
1) There is then not one ^F1 judgment against ^F2 those in Christ Jesus, who are not walking according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. ^F3
2) For the law of the Spirit of the life in Christ Jesus freed me from the law of sin and of death.
3) For the inability of the law, in which it was weak through the flesh, God, having sent His own Son, in the likeness of the flesh of sin, and concerning sin, judged sin in the flesh,
4) in order that the requirement ^F4 of the law might be fulfilled in us, the ones not walking according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Romans 8:1 has to be one of the most encouraging passages of scripture for believers since we are all caught in the struggle between the flesh and the Spirit. It is so easy to feel defeated after having the same experiences and reflections as Paul did concerning the sinfulness of the flesh; but, for those who have been born of the Spirit of Christ, there is not one judgment against them. Here is why. Paul begins the second verse with the Greek word γὰρ (translated "for," Strong's #1063), which indicates that Paul is giving the reason for his statement in verse 1. The law of the Spirit of the life in Christ Jesus freed him (aorist tense — a single act in the past) from the law of sin and death. When the Spirit of Christ came into Paul's spirit, he was set free from the bondage of the law of sin in his flesh. All of those who have been born of the Spirit of Christ have experienced a spiritual law that God has established. That law is that if the Spirit of Christ dwells in you, you belong to Christ and have been freed from the law of sin that exists in your flesh.

Paul begins verse 3 with another γὰρ (for) introducing the reason why the Spirit of Christ has freed him from the law of sin and death. God did what the law could not do through the flesh; He sent His own Son, in the likeness of the flesh of sin and judged sin in the flesh. In verse 3, Paul uses ἵνα ("in order that," Strong's #2443) to introduce the purpose for which God sent His own Son to judge sin in the flesh. Paul says this purpose was, "that the requirements of the law might be fulfilled in us, the ones not walking according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." The last phrase, "the ones not walking according to the flesh but according to the Spirit" is not a description of the carnal Christian as opposed to the mature Christian. In Romans 8:9 Paul defines those who are walking in the Spirit as those who have the Spirit of God dwelling in them. Those who are in the flesh and walking according to the flesh are presented as non-believers in Romans chapter 8.

The answer to Paul's dilemma, as well as to that of all people everywhere, is the coming of the Spirit of God into his spirit and, in so doing, saving him. The summary of the Four Spiritual Laws of the Christian Life is as follows:

The Law of God

• The Law of God was expressed through the Commandments (Romans 7:9).
• Paul had not known sin except through the Law (Romans 7:7).
• Sin, taking opportunity through the law, produced all manner of sin in him (Romans 7:8)
• The Law is holy, just and good (Romans 7:12).
• Paul took pleasure in the Law according to the inward man (Romans 7:22).
• The inability of the law, in that it was weak through the flesh, caused God to send His own Son to die, and, in so doing, judged sin in the flesh (Romans 8:3).
• The mind of the flesh is hostile to the law of God and is not able (does not have the capacity) to submit to the Law of God (Romans 8:7).

The Law of Sin

• The Law of Sin and Death dwells in the members of Man's flesh (Romans 7:23).
• Because of this, there is no good (spiritually good) in the flesh (Romans 7:18).
• Because of the Law of Sin ruling in the flesh, the flesh is not able to submit to the Law of God (Romans 8:7).
• The Law of Sin and Death is producing sin through the flesh (Romans 7:17,20).
• Paul saw that with his flesh he serves the Law of Sin (Romans 7:25).

The Law of the Mind (νοῦς)

• Also described as the "inward man" (Romans 8:22).
• The Law of Sin wars against the Law of the Mind in order to take one captive to sin (Romans 7:23).
• With the mind (νοῦς) Paul serves the Law of God (Romans 7:25).

The Law of the Spirit of the Life in Christ Jesus

• When the life of Christ, through the Spirit of Christ, enters a person's spirit, that person is saved and free from the Law of Sin that dwells in his flesh (Romans 8:2).
• If the Spirit of Christ dwells in you, the body is dead on account of sin, but the spirit is living on account of righteousness (Romans 8:10).
• The person who has the Spirit of Christ dwelling in him belongs to Christ (Romans 8:9).
• The Sons of God are those who are being led by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:14).
• The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the Children of God (Romans 8:16).

These four spiritual laws emphasize the importance of Paul's command in Romans 12:2, "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." When the Spirit of Christ comes into a person's life, he comes into the Law of the Spirit of the Life in Christ Jesus (which is the presence of Christ). That person is made alive spiritually and the Spirit of God energizes the perceptive abilities of his mind, enabling him to perceive the things of the Lord (1 Corinthians 2:9-16). The Law of God revives the Law of Sin and Death in his flesh while the part of the believer's life that interacts with the indwelling Spirit of God is the mind (the νοῦς) now alive to spiritual perception. Paul summarizes the life of the believer in Galatians 5:17: "For the flesh desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these things are opposing to one another, in order that whatever things you should wish to do, these things you should not do" (Literal Translation). The presence of the Spirit of Christ keeps us in Christ and opposes the Law of Sin in our flesh from carrying out its desires against God.

For the believer in Christ, it is a struggle living with two factions warring within. Therefore, we can truly say with the Apostle Paul, "I am a wretched man; who will deliver me out of the body of this death? I give thanks to God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 7:24-25).

Technical Notes:

F1 The traditional English translation is the word "no." Literally the Greek root word is οὐδεὶς (Strong's #3762) and literally means, "not one."

F2 The English word translated as "condemnation" is literally κατὰκριμα (Strong's #2631), which is a legal or judicial term that means, "judgment against."

F3 The phrase, "who are not walking according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit" at the end of verse 1 is not found in some manuscripts. It is original in Romans 8:4.

F4 The Greek word δικαὶωμα (Strong's #1345) pertains to the requirements of righteousness.

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