Comments on: Biblical Anthropology, Part 5

By: WoundedEgo

WoundedEgo — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:45:59 +0000

The confusion caused by the coining of the word “spirit” (from the latin word for breath, “spiritus”), is endless… Ditcht that word and all is clear.

The key is that the ancients were strict materialists and believed that all intelligent functions resided in the organs of the body:

* they had no idea what the brain was or what it did
* they ascribed thought and belief to the heart
* they ascribed motive to the kidneys
* they believed sin lived in the soft tissue
* they believed that self awareness/god awareness dwelt in the breath

Easy peasy…

By: Travis Love

Travis Love — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 05:18:21 +0000

I don’t have the link but I have heard it said that the word translated to “might” is actually better translated to “means”. Which confirms your assertion, that the Shema is a general command of the whole individual. Heart, Soul, and Means

By: MSH

MSH — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 06:09:16 +0000

could be both (when you’re God you can do the dust thing). I lean to the latter, but the former is certainly on the table.

By: haibane13

haibane13 — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 20:45:30 +0000

I should be more clear I apologize . Is the passage saying that God literally created man from dust or is this just a manner of speech to simply say God created us (without literally getting into the specifics of how) ?

By: MSH

MSH — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 23:27:51 +0000

yes; what else could it be? (I think I know what’s prompting your question, but won’t speculate).

By: haibane13

haibane13 — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 04:11:35 +0000

This might be getting off topic but is God forming man out of dust similar language to convey that he created humanity ?

By: MSH

MSH — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 23:17:00 +0000

I think the language is simply telling us that God is the reason the man is animate / alive as a living, breathing thing.

By: haibane13

haibane13 — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 18:21:11 +0000

So when God breathes into Adam He is giving him a spirit or is Adam coming to live as a whole ? ( materialy and immateraly )

By: MSH

MSH — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:29:44 +0000

@Nobunaga: no need to apologize! I agree – the Shema is worded as it is not to parse out “parts” of humanity, but to make the point that one’s ENTIRE BEING should be engaged in loving God and his word.

By: Nobunaga

Nobunaga — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:54:09 +0000

Does not the Shema statement just prompt a total love directed to the “inner man” as this is the source of behavior in the “outer man” so to speak in action, i was interested in the word “might” in relation to this command, “with all your soul and might”, seems to be the physical prompting or physical act that reminded me of Romans 12:1. which does bring back in the “Body” aspect of the nephesh as a all encompassing concept , heart + soul + body in the Shema. if you see what i mean. So it is a complete command to the fullness of man to Love God. Brings home the High standard of the commandment and how we fall shaort and the was never a time when Jesus failed to do this !. Sorry for getting soppy on a academic website lol.