Be Ye Transformed by the Renewing of Your Mind

[Abigail]

I know what TWI taught, which ultimately meant we were supposed to grin and bear it or we were supposed to do mental gymnastics until we at least mentally ascended to whatever the demand of the day (read present truth) was.

I think we have also had several discussions about WHO it was who did the transforming, the individual? God? Jesus?

Anyway, as I was begining the new section of articles on this week's Torah portion, I read THIS ARTICLE first and it reminded my of that verse by Paul.

Here are a couple of excerpts:

The Torah reading of Shoftim ("Judges") begins with the duty to establish a system of officers and judges in every community:

Judges and officers you shall place at all your city-gates... (Deuteronomy 16:18)

In addition to the obvious communal application, many of the commentaries see these instructions as directed also to the "small city" that is man-- how each individual must spiritually guard his own body from negative influences. . . . .

The theme of protecting our own spiritual resources and fighting against negative influences is reinforced at the end of the Parshah.

When you approach a city to wage war against it... you must not destroy its trees. You may eat of them, but you must not cut them down. Is man a tree of the field ...? Only trees that you know do not yield food you shall cut down... (Deuteronomy 19:10-20)

Only when our intellectual understanding does not remain in the realm of the abstract but is translated into emotion and motive, ultimately affecting our actions, can we consider ourselves a fully developed and complete human being.

Our patriarchs' teachings were, to a great extent, an intellectual discipline--a system of thought and a hierarchy of values. But Judaism encompasses more than an intellectual tradition. Shabbat and holidays were not only observed but also felt. These events were not merely ceremonies, but experiences to behold and sense. the mitzvot (divine commandments) are not only performed with precise rules and exactitude, but with the exuberance and vivacity of feelings.

All this was primarily found in the maternal realm, by the Jewish mothers who created the mood from the child's youngest moments. While the fathers transmitted the necessary instruction, the mothers communicated the very heartbeat of Judaism.

"Man is a tree of the field." For, in truth, the greatness of man and of humanity is in the translation of the intellect into emotions, where the knowledge then becomes richer, deeper and more genuine.

Ultimately our emotions are what validate our intellect and make it our crowning human glory.

[anotherDan]

The term is "mental assent," assenting mentally to an idea. Assent is to agree or "give in." (OK, you can call me a curmudeon, now! I deserve it.)

I missed that thread, though I've lately been enjoying some of the older threads.

We were taught that it was active rather than passive. My current understanding is not so cut-and-dry. We have a part in it, to be sure, but the renewing is a work of the spirit.

Your excerpts are wonderful, and I heartily agree that our emotional self must not bow to the intellectual self. (Not that it really could... it's the same self. And that, I guess is my point.) We are to love God with all our heart, our soul, our mind, and our strength--not four different "parts" of us, but with our whole selves. Why did it take me so long to see that?

Thanks for sharing that, Abi. No wonder everyone I know thinks you are a darling!

[anotherDan]

Rather than edit, I'll add a PS.

One more comment, one question.

The way you refer to the teaching of the renewing-of-the-mind was really a later twist. It BECAME that to many. The original idea was that regardless of how things might FEEL, that we were to return to the Word, and "renew" our minds to it. If we felt defeated, then, we needed to get our eyes back on God and His Word, and realize that we were more than conquerors. That earlier meaning has some validity, but even so, it's a gloss, and not what Paul meant at all. Your excerpts make more sense to me now than that does.

I don't see what you're getting at as far as "is this what Paul had in mind." Would you explain?

[wrdsandwrks]

I know what TWI taught, which ultimately meant we were supposed to grin and bear it or we were supposed to do mental gymnastics until we at least mentally ascended to whatever the demand of the day (read present truth) was.

I think we have also had several discussions about WHO it was who did the transforming, the individual? God? Jesus?

Anyway, as I was begining the new section of articles on this week's Torah portion, I read THIS ARTICLE first and it reminded my of that verse by Paul.

Here are a couple of excerpts:

Abi, Great article! I have read some amazing insights at chabad.org and other similar sites. I'd love to have a discussion related to the relationship between Judaism and Christianity some time. I really appreciate your contributions from this perspective. Anyway that's not the topic at hand so on the renewed mind:

I haven't been around long enough at GS to see the discussions about WHO it is that does the transforming, but I'd be interested in that discussion. I personally think that the renewed mind teaching by TWI was one of the most damaging and hard to shed teachings. Between the renewed mind and the law of believing I was a wreck trying to make "believing" come from my mind by thinking it, and when my mind wouldn't cooperate, fearing the consequences of fear.

[Abigail]

The term is "mental assent," assenting mentally to an idea. Assent is to agree or "give in." (OK, you can call me a curmudeon, now! I deserve it

ROFLOL - you would get along beautifully with my husband. ;) When I was going to school I 4 pointed all my papers, in part because he corrected my grammer and spelling.

I missed that thread, though I've lately been enjoying some of the older threads.

We were taught that it was active rather than passive. My current understanding is not so cut-and-dry. We have a part in it, to be sure, but the renewing is a work of the spirit.

And that was what we discussed and at times debated in other threads. Active v Passive. I would point you to them but I couldn't even begin to guess where they are or what they were called. It's also possible they aren't even on this version of the Cafe - they may have occured on the previous version.

Your excerpts are wonderful, and I heartily agree that our emotional self must not bow to the intellectual self. (Not that it really could... it's the same self. And that, I guess is my point.) We are to love God with all our heart, our soul, our mind, and our strength--not four different "parts" of us, but with our whole selves. Why did it take me so long to see that?

TWI's teaching on the renewed mind (at least during my tenure with them) sort of turned us into these "split personality" people. It also opened the door for all of the legalism. We no longer did things because we were persuaded in our hearts it was God's will, but because we had to "renew our minds" and do them. Thus saith the false Lord known as LCM.

Thanks for sharing that, Abi. No wonder everyone I know thinks you are a darling!

[Abigail]

I don't see what you're getting at as far as "is this what Paul had in mind." Would you explain?

I was just sort of wondering if that was the "active" part of renewing your mind. When Paul says to be transformed by the renewing of your mind was he referring to that concept. That we are transformed (at least in part) by our time studying (exercising our intellect) so that we can understand and then act, with a fully persuaded heart. (Recognizing also that our passive part is God directing our steps and working in our hearts as we exercise our intellect).

As opposed to what it became in TWI, that being we had to grin and bear it, act without understanding on things, even when they were in direct opposition to what was in our hearts.

Ha, looking at the above it almost seems a no-brainer to me now. But having 10 years of the TWI version drilled into my head - well it has taken me some time to "see it" in this light.

Abi, Great article! I have read some amazing insights at chabad.org and other similar sites. I'd love to have a discussion related to the relationship between Judaism and Christianity some time. I really appreciate your contributions from this perspective. Anyway that's not the topic at hand so on the renewed mind:

I haven't been around long enough at GS to see the discussions about WHO it is that does the transforming, but I'd be interested in that discussion. I personally think that the renewed mind teaching by TWI was one of the most damaging and hard to shed teachings. Between the renewed mind and the law of believing I was a wreck trying to make "believing" come from my mind by thinking it, and when my mind wouldn't cooperate, fearing the consequences of fear.

Start a thread!!! I'm game. :)

I agree, the renewed mind as it was taught and applied by TWI during my time was extremely damaging. It made it darned near impossible to make a confident decision about anything. My mind telling me whatever the "present truth" was and my heart screaming it was wrong. Who to listen to, the mind or heart? Well I am supposed to renew my mind, not my heart right? Except that is so totally wrong. The mind and heart need to be in agreement!!

And as I said, it really opened the door wide for all the legalism.

[anotherDan]

I see better now. The mind and heart. I think it says in Ephesians "be renewed in the spirit of your mind", whereas in Romans it's to "be...transformed by the renewing..." Beautiful verses, but we must unmangle them! And darn it, I intend to do so! WRDs, you're a great communicator! Thanks for your thoughts. Something to work on. "...trying to make "believing" come from my mind by thinking it, and when my mind wouldn't cooperate, fearing the consequences of fear." We'll get it!

[Shifra]

I am so sleepy I'm dozing at the computer. I have delivered several babies in the past few days, and am missing more sleep than I can remember. What day is it, anyhow?

But ...

I gotta respond here. I recall checking this out a few years ago, and NO WHERE is the word "renew" used as an imperative. We are NOT told to "Renew our minds". We are told to be "transformed" but the passages never assign the word "renew" to a specific subject. Go back and read those verses, and you will see that each one of them can be understood with God as the One doing the renewing. It aint us. We're not that smart.

All of those disgusting commands from leadership to "Renew your mind" were not only misinterpretation of scripture, but actually served the opposite purpose that those verses were encouraging us to do. When you think that the Bible is telling us to acknowledge the power of God to shift our mental status, ie to "transform" by way of His power, then you realize that this is totally contrary to some clergyman screaming at you to push yet another religious law further into your brain. It's amazing how messed up all of that was.

Geeeez, I wish I wasn't so tired. Two baby boys and a baby girl to blame for this fatigue. Oh, but it was worth it. I want to tell you what I know about the trees. Abigail you wrote about the trees. Well, another day.

[Sushi]

ROFLOL - you would get along beautifully with my husband. ;) When I was going to school I 4 pointed all my papers, in part because he corrected my grammer and spelling.

Uh, babe, it's grammAr.

(ducking)

[Abigail]

:P :wub:

[wrdsandwrks]

QUOTE(Abigail @ Aug 13 2007, 09:51 PM)

ROFLOL -When I was going to school I 4 pointed all my papers, in part because he corrected my grammer and spelling.

Uh, babe, it's grammAr.

(ducking)

I see what you mean!