Characteristics of the Heart
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.
(Hebrews 4:12) KJV
We (that’s me and the Holy spirit) are investigating attributes of life in order to deduce its nature. The soul is distinct from the spirit: the spirit is the essence of life which powers metabolism, the soul is our self-awareness and personality.
We’re also considering the possibility that the soul is a gravity node. Is there any way to tie these two ideas together? By examining the Biblical attributes of heart and mind we have reconciled two concepts: the soul as our consciousness and personality, and the soul as a gravitational singularity.
We all have the same evidence. Our choice of paradigm determines what we think it’s evidence of.
– Matty’s Razor
Aspects and Attributes of Life
Aspect Trinity | Visibility | State | Attribute |
Body | Visible | Solid/Liquid | Body Blood |
Spirit | Invisible | Vapor | Breath |
Soul | Invisible | Gravity Node | Mind Soul Heart |
Faith is believing in something that you can’t see, because of evidence.
– Faith, definition
The mind is the seat of our understanding. Understanding has several characteristics. We can compile as many scriptural examples as we can find and begin a taxonomy.
Attributes, Traits and Characteristics of the Soul
Attribute | Trait | Characteristic | Scripture |
Mind | Understanding | Grief Law Sorrow | Genesis 26:35 Deuteronomy 26:35 Romans 7:23 |
Soul | Who I Am (conscience) | Sorrow Vexed Anguish Rejoicing Knowledge Bitterness | Matthew 26:38 Psalms 6:3 Romans 2:9 Genesis 42:21 Psalms 86:4 Proverbs 2:10 Isaish 38:15 Job 7:11 1 Samuel 1:10 |
Heart | Thoughts Intents | Bitterness Covetousness Evil eye Evil thoughts Imagination Wisdom Pride Trembling (fear) Adulteries Blasphemies Deceit False witness Foolishness Fornications Lasciviousness Murders Thefts Wickedness | Genesis 8:21 Deuteronomy 28:65 Proverbs 2:10 Ezekiel 27:31 Matthew 15:19 Mark 7:21-22 Isaiah 44:21 Jeremiah 17:9 |
The reason for creation is the manifestation of sentient life with free will.
– The Reason for Creation
When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;
(Proverbs 2:10) KJV emphasis added
We need to look at what the Bible teaches us about the heart. It has a great deal to say. According to the Bible, the heart is where we do most of our thinking. A note in the Strong’s Greek lexicon available through biblehub.com makes this observation:
Heart (/kardía) is mentioned over 800 times in Scripture, but never referring to the literal physical pump that drives the blood.
– Heart, observation biblehub.com
That is, “heart” is only used figuratively (both in the OT and NT.
According to Strong, the word heart is only used figuratively in the Bible. It looks like Strong missed the point. If the Bible describes the heart as being all of the thoughts and intents that motivate us, and the Bible is the Word of God, then our understanding needs to fall in line with it. It means that use of the word heart to refer to a pump that drives blood is misguided. Unless, that is, they’re the same thing.
Thoughts and Intents – Navigation
Section | Title | Scripture |
1 | Introduction | Hebrews 4:12 |
2 | The Heart | Proverbs 2:10 |
3 | Characteristics | Genesis 8:21 |
4 | Thoughts and Intents | 1 Samuel 14:7 |
5 | Separation of Heart and Mind | Jeremiah 17:9 |
6 | Salvation | Romans 10:9-10 |
Salvation
- Call upon the name of Jesus Christ,
- believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
- confess your sin.
Read through the Bible in a year
Reading plan | June 5 | |
Linear | Psalms 36-40 | |
Chronological | Proverbs 7-9 |
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