Lesson 12
The
Brain Soul Complex
FLESHLY BELIEVER'S response to God's wisdom in 3:1-3
We see here 2 things that
describe their condition, or status.
- 1st they are
men of flesh (dominant feature sin nature ruling)
- 2nd they are
babes, immature spiritually, have very little spiritual growth
These terms along with "you are still fleshly" of vs:3 (sarkikoj) says that their dominant feature is their sin nature, and
sin nature rules consistently, but it does not need to.
Who is responsible for the sin nature's rulership??
God
holds each of us responsible for the actions we take no matter what the
motivation's source.
3:2 The fleshly believer is described in
terms of his limitations
This
rulership was evidenced by the "fruit", that is, all the problems in the Church.
We
all need to remember that we all began the CWOL with a Conscience programmed with N&S
that are not consistent with God's thinking and standards.
There is no possibility of growth w/o the H/S empowering
the life!
What is the difference, the contrast between milk and
solid food??
What
Paul is saying here is that one of the limiting factors for the fleshly
believer is that they not only don't have the tools, but that they don't expend
the time or the effort to ingest God's Word.
- I think that there is also another way of looking at the difference
between milk and solid food.
- "Milk" could be a fundamental understanding of
a BD, or a truth of WOG; but you don't see its full implications, the so what's
of it, the applications of it, the benefits to those knowing and
using the BD.
3:3 See some manifestations of the rule of the sin nature in the "fleshly" Corinthian believers.
- Jealousy, strife are 2 of the
specific works of the flesh that were manifested at
- Notice he says of the fleshly believer, "are you
not walking like mere men".
This
type of question demands a yes answer; the one addressed should agree if they
are objective at all.
DOCTRINE: OLD SIN NATURE
1. PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS
a. Throughout this study a distinction must be maintained
between the "LIVING
SOUL" and the brain processes.
1. The living soul
is a substance (higher electrical energy) which is invisible but real, and
cannot be destroyed by any human means,
Mt 10:28
2. The brain (i.e.
the central nervous system which acts as a computer to interpret afferent
impulses-input via the 5 senses and also, upon command, send out efferent
impulses causing the body to act or react) is made from various sophisticated
biochemical elements. Gen 2:7; 1 Cor
b. The living soul comes by an act of creation by God at
conception.
Gen.1:27
"and God created (barah'd the soul on D+6 of restoration) man in His own
image (the soul = answer to Divine Essence) in the image of God He
created him; male and female He created them." cp Gen.2:7)
also Isa 42:5; 57:16; Acts 17:25
while the body comes via procreation following the laws of genetics.
Ps
139:14 "I will give thanks to You for I am
fearfully and wonderfully made."
Eccl.11:5
"Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones (are
formed) in the womb of a pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God
who makes all things."
1. We are from the
womb facsimiles of Adam in the fallen state, possessing a body and a soul.
2. We are therefore
by implication no better or no worse than Adam.
3. Variations are
allowed for under the laws of genetics, but the body follows a fixed mode (2
eyes, feet, arms, legs, sexes, etc.).
c. It is critical to rightly dividing the word of truth
and to come to a correct understanding of Biblical Anthropology to know that
our volition resides in the soul and not in the brain.
1. As God possesses
volition called Sovereignty, so man created in His image possesses volition.
2. VOLITION in man
is evidenced in Scripture by:
a. every 3rd class condition
b. every subjunctive mood
c. every alternative presented (Jn
d. all imperatives (CMD's) and rebukes for unbelief in believer and
unbelievers.
3. All human
sinning is an act of volition be it known or unknown Ezk.
18 (Read entire chapter which documents free will).
4. Clinically it
has been demonstrated that volition and consciousness reside outside the brain,
which is substantiated by the Word of God
(i.e., awareness of life after death - Lk
5. Conclusions:
a. The soul comes from God perfect and sinless via
creation at conception.
b. The soul is plugged into the BC throughout life (2
Cor.5:1-5)
c. The soul is to the brain what a programmer is to a
computer.
d. The problem exists when the programmer (Real You) becomes enslaved to
the computer (sin nature). Rom. 6:6....that we should no longer be slaves of
sin."
e.
The
soul constitutes the Real You since it survives death and is where all
decisions are made: good or bad
f.
The
soul of the believer dictates to the B/C to produce either sin or
righteousness, the former state puts the OSN-B/C in rulership of the life while
the latter implies the rulership of the Holy Spirit.
(Rom.
cp. Rom 8:4 "do not walk according to the flesh but according to
the Spirit.")
g.
So the
issue for man in the A/C is to overrule the B/C by reprogramming it with divine
viewpoint.
Ps
40:8 "I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart."
Psa. 119:11 "Your word have I stored up in my heart that I may
not sin against You."
2. Synonyms for the SIN NATURE
1. Sin in the singular [all through Rom.
6 and 7] Rom
2. Flesh
3. Mortal body Ro 6:12
4. Old man - old self; Eph. 4:22; Col.
3:9
5. Evil Rom
6. Corruptible man. Ro. 1:23
7. Fleshly or Carnal 1 Cor. 3:1-4
sarkikoj
8. Fleshly mind. Col. 2:18
9. Seed which is perishable (fqartoj corruptible/transitory, speaks of the nature
or character of the seed) 1 Pet
10. Body of this death Ro 7:24
11. Body of sin Rom 6:6 (sin possessed body)
12. Any passage
describing personal sin, human good or evil as its source from the heart. Jer 17:9; Mt
12:34-35; Mk7:21-23; Heb 3:10; Rom 1:24; Acts 5:3,4; Prov 12:8; evil heart - Jer 3:17; 7:24;
11:8; 18:12.
(B/C
with the sin nature dominating the real you therefore the r/o of the soul is
personal sin, human good or evil.)