Biblical meaning of mind and heart

It wasn’t until the fourth century that Hippocrates said the brain was the seat of intelligence. Until then It was common belief that it was the heart where thought came from. When the men who wrote the words God inspired them to write wrote the words translated as heart in scripture they thought they were writing about the mind.

Today, we think of the word heart as speaking of the emotions, and especially love. We don’t think of it as including intelligent thought. How do you think the Lord wants us to think of scripture verses about our heart?

Scripture tells us to guard our heart.

Proverbs 4:23-26 says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure.”

We are also told to watch what we let in our minds:

Phil. 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

IMO

Our mind is where our Earthly essence is housed

Our heart is where our Spiritual essence is housed

Man, being a triune being, is created as God. He did say we were made in His/Their image.

Paul wrote about the "body, soul, spirit" of man.....

Philippians 4:8

What a great subject. If you didn't know the heart also has a brain a much smaller one but even so scientists have discovered that the heart has it's own brain just a little cool info to share.
The mind and heart seem to be very closely linked in a pearson like how things we read or hear or talk about goes into out brain and our hearts not the fleshly one is formed based on that. Our virtues our beliefs the person we are and become is all based on the heart of a person which is why we have to becareful of what we take in.

We have to guard our hearts because it is easy to take in things even without meaning to and is also why we shouldn't hang around people who would poison our faith because just being around such people for extended periods of time can shape you in ways you wouldn't want.

The Bible reveals man as a Tripartite being - body, spirit and soul (Gen.2:7, 1st Thess.5:23; Heb.4:12). Specialists differ slightly but they agree on about 78 organs in the body. The soul of man is made of three parts - (i) mind, or thinking organ, (ii) the emotions, or feeling organ, and (iii) the will, or deciding organ. The spirit of man is made again of three organs, (i) conscience (Rom.9:1 versus 8:16), (ii) fellowship (Jn.4:24) and (iii) intuition (1st Cor.2.11). The heart is made of one part of the spirit, the conscience, and the three parts of the soul - mind, emotions and the will. (Heb.10:22; 1st Jn.3:20; Matt.9:4; Heb.4:12; Jn.16:6, Act.11.23).

Thus, the heart is a very capable part of man. It functions in both the spiritual and physical realm, can guide man by spirit and intellect, and is mutually complimentary. But it can also be the source of conflict. The conscience may allow one thing, but because of tradition, the mind won't allow it. Or, a man or woman may have a clear conscience to do the commands of the Lord, but feelings may overrule. Let's have a look at Daniel 1:8;

"But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself."

Daniel "purposed" - a function of the will. But he "requested". That means he did not maintain his will at all costs. Why? Because (i) God had commanded Judah to submit to Nebuchadnezzar, and (ii) by the fact of Judah not being in Israel, and having no Temple, they could not fulfill the Law. One broken Law made them guilty of all, and the Law made no room for exceptions. Daniel KNEW this (in his mind). His feelings were to his people, but his mind told him that Judah had sinned and deserved to be in captivity. Here, you have an interaction of mind, emotions and will, coupled with conscience. So the verse says it was a function of his "heart".

it wasn't until the 1970's that we realized the heart has tens of thousands of neurons of its own, and communicates directly with the brain.
it was later that we learned it originates neural impulses independently of the brain, and even sends those to the brain -- that it isn't always the brain controlling the heart, but that in a real neurophysical sense the heart has thoughts of its own and can affect and influence the brain.

the scripture speaks of 'the thoughts of the heart' -- science is catching up to that. as physical bodies, our conscious has never been discovered to have any 'location' in the brain, and it's becoming evident in purely scientific terms, that it is, in its connection to our bodies ((because the self is spiritual, not dust)), distributed between the brain and the heart. as the scripture has described it from the beginning.
knowledge increases

Descartes ((who didn't know better)) thought it was in the 1600's, iirc primarily just because it's near the center of the brain. no one knew how the brain worked then, and we still hardly know. but people with damaged or removed pineal glands don't cease to have consciousness or personhood -- they have trouble keeping regular sleep patterns.
no one really knows what the pineal gland does other than probably play a part in regulating circadian rhythm, and some people think it does nothing at all. that thought, that it's mostly useless, and some outward similarities to brains of insects, led people to speculate that it used to be another visual cortex some billion years ago in some kind of hypothetical 3-eyed spider neandrathal ((or something)) -- so such speculation among evolutionary neurobiologists was naturally picked up by new-age people and the wide rumor spread that it's a key to opening up 'your third eye' -- i'm told that if you drink water with the right mix of food coloring, your pineal gland will 'activate' and you get +5 charisma.


the larger point tho, is that people with all kinds of brain injuries or abnormality still have consciousness. there's no 'single part' of a brain you can destroy and remove personhood from the body, provided that the body doesn't die from all the brain damage. different parts of the brain can adapt and take over functions they didn't normally do -- if a person's motor cortex is hurt, part of their visual cortex may start acting like a motor cortex, for example.

natural question: if you cut a brain in half, and keep both halves alive in functioning bodies, do you get two people? two of the same people? or if you only get one person, which half is that one person in?
well the person isn't 'in' any of it. the person is spiritual -- and interacts with the physical through the interface of the brain and heart. you can damage the dashboard however you like - and eventually make the spaceship non-functional - but the pilot isn't part of the dashboard, and they use all of it, when it's all working.

I think the mind and the heart as referenced in scriptures are talking about the same thing.

I believe spirit and soul mean the same thing in scripture. I do not believe that the mind is the soul and the spirit is the heart.


That is my opinion. That the the best interpretation of the scriptures that use soul and spirit interchangeably throughout the old and new testament.

If you are interested you might want to Google Wayne Grudem's defense of dichotomism or
Wayne Grudem Systematic Theology Bipartite vs Tripartite

Or Google "Systematic Theology Man, Three parts or two parts?" or "Tripartite vs Bipartite" (trichotomy vs diochotomy) and read the different theological discussions on which interpretation of scriptures seem to be the best.

I think you will be surprised that most theologians do not agree with the Tripartite view and you probably thought they did. This is because it has been made popular by modern TV evangelists and book writers and has become a fad in the modern church. It has been so successful that people are shocked to find out that it is not the majority view of academic theologians for centuries. No one in academic circles has even attempted to make a case for tripartite in one hundred years. Why? Because scripture does not support it. Those that think they have a case for it use two verses in the NT and then make up everything out of their own heads.

Wayne Grudem is a seriously well respected evangelic Theologian who's books are used in many Bible Colleges. His presentation on all the scriptures in the old and new testament that reference Soul and Spirit including the ONLY two that list Soul, Spirit, Body that many often refer to will convince you that the bible uses Soul and Spirit interchangeably and that way too much has been taught based on the two verses that list Soul, and Spirit but does not define the difference.

Lots of books and sermons have been taught explaining the difference of Soul and Spirit using a verse that simply states the words Soul and Spirit and Body with no explanation as to their difference. These invented explanations will contradict from one teacher to the next and one book to the next. Who is correct? No one can say because the scripture does not say. This makes me suspect these imaginative ideas about the Soul being the will and intellect and emotions and the Spirit being... whatever the teacher says it is, lots of different definitions are proposed. NONE COME FROM THE BIBLE. Shocking isn't it? Hatred will fill the hearts of those who have invested so much into these teachings when they find out they have no scriptural support for their explanations of "will, intellect, emotion" theory. They are convinced that their views are orthodox Christianity and yet no Seminaries teach it. IT'S A FAD.

All of this confusion is dropped as soon as you notice that all but two verses use the words interchangeably and the two that use them in a list are most likely just repetition and expression similar to saying Love God with all your heart, soul, body, mind, strength, spirit. Not because they are teaching 6 parts to man but because it is an expressive way of using repetition to say "every fiber of your being" Are there three parts or are there 4?

Mark 12:30 4 parts of man?

Jesus said "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ If I then teach that men are made up of Soul, Mind, Heart, and Strength. I can write a book and explain the differences and people might say that men are 4 parts but that is not really correct and this is how the triparte view has been established by using the following two verses"

1 Thess 5:22 3 parts for man?

And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 4:12, KJV: "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

Using these two verses much has been said in an effort to define the differences but they are no more authoritative than if one tries to establish four parts from Mark 12:30 These verses say nothing about the soul being the seat of the intellect, will, emotions (and other things people try to explain) and the spirit is that part of man that communicates with God, or some such other explanation.
These definitions are invented.

Hebrews 4:12 is the closest to defining the parts but the point seems to be that we CANNOT define them, but the Word can, and in this context would the thoughts be soul and spirit INTENTION? That would be more biblical than other explanations. But you see the point is that the Word of God can expose our motives. That is the take away not a doctrine on Tripartite view of man.

The Lord knows that heart, mind, and glands all works together. The Lord gives us the Holy Spirit to help us.

If you let your mind dwell on uplifting, positive thoughts there is a reaction in the glands. We have all experienced that feeling of all is right in the world, of triumph. Our glands react, and all the world seems bright. The same thing happens when we think depressing defeated thoughts, the whole world seems wrong.

That is why the Lord tells us to guard our heart and mind.

In any valid rebuttal, one must deal with the error AND one must show that which is correct. I purpose to do this as one. This is what scripture says. At the moment of death of or Lord Jesus, the most documented death in the Bible, the following happened:

1. The BODY of our Lord Jesus ceased to function. The "Life", which was in the blood, was gone. Our Lord's BODY was laid in a tomb on the surface of the earth.
2. Our Lord Jesus commended His SPIRIT to God's hands and GAVE "UP" the SPIRIT. This is in perfect harmony with Ecclesiastes 3:21 and 12:7, and in all the mentions of other men dying who "gave UP the ghost"
3. Concerning His SOUL, Acts's Chapter 2:27 & 31, in harmony with Psalm 16:10, tell us that the SOUL of Jesus went to Hades. This in turn is in harmony with Matthew 12:40 that our Lord, like Jonah, would DESCEND to the "heart of the earth". Ephesians 4:8-9 confirms that our Lord "FIRST" descended. The SOUL went DOWN and the SPIRIT went UP!

In Genesis 2, when man is made, we note that God formed a BODY out of clay, God breathed His breath into the clay BODY. In Hebrew, "breath" and "spirit" are the same word. So in this process of "breathing" into the clay body, "SPIRIT" was imparted. To this agrees James 2:26 that the "SPIRIT" of a man is his "vitality" and WITHOUT IT a man is dead. And finally, in Genesis 2:7, the body of clay with the spirit vitality breathed into it BECAME a living SOUL. The word "BECAME" means that it did not exist before this action but now exists. This would make the SPIRIT a DIFFERENT organ to the SOUL. To this agrees Isaiah 43:7. Three different words are used in the making of man;

"Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him."

Now, all that remais to be shown is why scripture seemingly uses spirit and soul interchangeably. For this, I will use another grand truth of the Bible - the Tabernacle, and later, the Temple. The Temple is made of THREE parts. (i) The OUTER COURT which contained the gates, altar, laver and the offerings. (ii) the Holy Place which contained the Showbread Altar, the Lampstand and the Incense Altar. (iii) The Holy of Holies which contained the Ark of the Covenant, the Mercy Seat and the Covering Cherubim.

• Scripture says that God lives in the Tabernacle - and it is correct
• Scripture say that God lives in the Holy of Holies - and it is correct
• Scripture says that Jesus, Who is God is the "light of the world". But the "light", or Lampstand, is part of the Holy Place
• Scripture says that our Lord Jesus is the Bread of Life, but the Showbread Altar is part of the Holy Place
• Scripture say that our Lord Jesus IS the Temple (Jn.2), but He is the Burnt offering slain in the Outer Court

We could go on with everything in the Tabernacle/Temple, but it at once becomes clear that I can say that God lives in His Temple, and be correct, but at the same time, say that God ONLY lives in the Holy of Holies - and be correct. Likewise, I can tells you truthfully that a passenger in an aircraft is IN the aircraft, IN the fuselage and IN his seat. But these are THREE different PARTS. If the aircraft hit a mountain, the investigating authorities may say that passenger was found IN his seat but not in the fuselage, and not in the wreckage, seeing as the plane disintegrated on impact.

And finally, scripture says that MAN is the Temple of God. 1st Corinthians 6:19 says;

"What? know ye not that your BODY is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?"

But John 4:23-24 says:
23 "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father IN spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him IN spirit and in truth."

Does God live in the BODY of man, or does He live in the SPIRIT of man. Why ... BOTH.

I propose that modern theologians, if they maintain what you have said they do, are blind, and have failed to apply the most basic rules of following an argument to its logical end. Certainly the above argument is NO FAD. And certainly, this argument is probably unassailable. Man is made of three parts by DIRECT STATEMENT and subsequent events, indications and rules of language and mathematics.

The natural unregenerate man has a different heart than the born again spiritual man does. God exchanges a person's heart in the new birth with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The natural man's heart cannot be bricked to feel quilt of breaking a spiritual law that he cannot discern, and thinks it to be foolishness.

There is a huge difference between the people who use some of the Lord's ways in their philosophy, and the people who follow the Lord's teachings. One uses dead rules, the other uses the power given through Christ.

I rely heavily upon context when I see such things.

No, it does not have reference to the blood pumping heart, nevertheless, the new birth changes a person to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which makes them able to understand, and believe the things of the Spirit, in contrast to the natural unregenerate man that cannot understand the things of the Spirit, and thinks them to be foolishness.