Antibiotics
for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete. 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 NASB
Captive – What does Paul mean when he says we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of the Messiah? Frankly, it’s a very odd phrase. In order to know what it means to take a thought captive, we must first know what the phrase “to the obedience of Christ” means. Paul might have the very words of Yeshua in mind here. “If you love me you will keep my commandments.” That would be obeying the Messiah. Of course, Yeshua simply refers back to his explanation and exemplification of Torah, so Paul would be on familiar ground. But the phrase is still odd. How does one take a thought captive to obedience? We are inclined to gloss this, treating it as if Paul says, “obedience under Christ,” thinking of Yeshua’s standard. Or perhaps “obedience in Christ” thinking of the communal aspects of being faithful. But “captive to” seems to suggest that Christ is the jailer, the one who imposes restrictions. We are more likely to use “of” when we explain spiritual connection. “I am a servant of the Messiah,” not “I am a servant to the Messiah.”
The Greek is eis, a familiar preposition often translated “to.” But Greek prepositions are fundamentally spatial, so eis really means “into,” as if we were moving from one place into another. This helps. Paul is certainly suggesting that we take every thought captive into obedience. The realm of the Master establishes parameters. Not everything is appropriate in his house. There is a difference between sacred and profane. Profane items or actions have the ability to pollute. Of course, not all pollution is sin (e.g. menstruation), but all that pollutes is inappropriate in the sacred arena. Since the rabbi Sha’ul would have been quite familiar with the concepts of ritual pollution, perhaps what he is suggesting is that we must take all necessary steps to remove anything that might create pollution in the sacred space of our relationship with the Messiah. In other words, to take every thought captive into obedience is to pay special attention to anything that contaminates (debases or defiles) with the relationship with the Messiah.
Of course, sin defiles. That’s why atonement is necessary. But sin isn’t the only thing that defiles. The Torah describes other circumstances that defile, and provides instructions for removing the defilement. Perhaps we must also expand our reading of Paul’s text so that it includes all those thoughts and actions that practically and potentially invade the sacred space of our relationship with Master. Perhaps “taking every thought captive” is a statement about infection prevention. Let us covenant together today to examine the pollutants of our lives, to investigate any and all potential infections and, like the metaphor of leaven, remove whatever hints at inappropriate incursion.
Topical Index: captive, profane, sacred, pollution, sin, 2 Corinthians 10:4-6
This verse was the key verse that I was taught to refer to that gave me HOW to become well.
I spent a good deal of time reflecting on what it could possibly mean to capture thoughts and subject them to obedience to Yeshua.
Somewhere along the way I found a reference to the filters all of us supposedly employ when we think a thought. First, we are ALREADY subjecting every thought to a whole bunch of filters before our minds will even think them. Apparently, we are hardwired to do this. These filters are kinda like HEARING the thought through other ears, or thinking them through other minds, even. All of us, so the brain experts say, are doing this. We are filtering our thoughts through layers of ‘authorities’: for example, the layer of our parent’s point of view, our religious beliefs point of view, etc. And there are multiple layers that we position between these authorities in our heads and ourselves. Only after we have sifted that thought through all those filters, will our brains think it is ‘safe’ to think that thought as if it were our own! We can be 80 years old, apparently, and STILL be thinking “what would my mother think” before we think “what would I think?”!
This verse, then, is not requiring me to rewire the hardware: it is merely enjoining me to reprogram the software. In my mind, I had to establish a new ‘head rule’. I had to make a decision to learn how to NOT CARE about what any other authoritative ‘voice’ in my head would think about any thought IF it conflicted with What Would the Mind of Christ be thinking here? Literally, “how would He think this thought?” Now, this is no mere sail trim! This involves yanking the rudder around into a head wind, and the current is guaranteed to be flowing the other way, and the sailors are all going to be bitching, and even the charts are going to be telling you that you are heading straight for the rocks sometimes!
The biggest sea change for me was when I began to realize that my Adonai would NOT be reacting to life with fear, guilt or shame. This one set me back a while. He was never guilty or afraid, or ashamed. I am multiple layers of all the above, though, pretty much continually! Now, what needed to change? When I came to a place where I was acting out of guilt, say, I realized that the action was not going to change until I dealt with the guilt. I found that fear guilt and shame were the motivators, the ADRENALINE pumps, of my life! I was running on stinking thinking! I had to learn WHAT to do when I actually began to catch my actual thoughts. What should I be doing in those places instead? Well, take the guilt. I had to ask myself “why do I feel guilty here?” If it was because I was doing something I knew went against YHVH’s Word, then I had to stop everything and repent. If it was because I felt I was breaking ANY OTHER RULE, then I had to hold that rule up against the Standard, and if it deviated in any way, or went beyond that Standard, even, then I had to give myself permission to stop obeying that rule, so I could stop feeling guilty. Same drill for panic attacks, embarrassment, bitterness etc. But the king of the heap was the accusation. I found that at the bottom of all the stinking thinking lay some sort of accusing thought, either directed from myself toward G-d, others or at myself; or I was carrying, again, those authoritative ‘voices’ directing an accusing finger pointed at me. The biggest breakthrough for me was to realize that I had been ‘assigning’ the majority of that accusation to G-d! I was feeling accused, and ASSUMING that He was accusing me! BUT, He is not my accuser! I repented for putting those thoughts in His Mind!
I decided to change the head rules. To do that, I needed to change the beliefs that legitimized the rules, those FILTERS, that I was putting my thoughts through. This involved becoming willing to examine the beliefs that underlay EVERY choice I was making. But that is another story! The beliefs of my life are the drivers of whether or not I am thinking, choosing and acting under bondage (accusation) of some sort, or whether I am free (empowered) to choose the choices of faith instead of that fear, guilt, shame, et al. Hey, to choose to install a new belief based on the Law of G-d, which is HOW Yeshua’s Mind thinks, instead of one based on the law of sin, which is the basis for all those other ‘rules’ (accusation based, invariably), is how to change my paradigm! Not to mention heal the rest of the system! Halleluah! The day I realized that the Mind of Christ would NEVER be in panic was the day I saw my sin. I repented for fear, and kicked it out of my castle for good, and took my peace, and THEN asked to be healed of all the diseases that that fear (stress) was producing. I then had to learn how to keep my mind there (so they don’t come back), but that story is still being written!
“Perhaps “taking every thought captive” is a statement about infection prevention. Let us covenant together today to examine the pollutants of our lives, to investigate any and all potential infections and, like the metaphor of leaven, remove whatever hints at inappropriate incursion.”
Speaking of leaven, I intended to post this a Passover but it slipped through the cracks. This is a perfect example of traditions locking us out of new paradigms. Since I started looking at leaven this way my entire understanding of what it means to get the leaven out is completely transformed. I now throw out the lump that the teachings of the previous year has produced (with all of it’s possible contamination) and start fresh after 7 days of the manna of torah as my only bread.
http://blog.sabbathfellowshiponline.org/the-creators-leavening/
Hello Skip and others,
Skip and the comment following say well what my response is to this commentary experiencially as a believer in Messiah Yeshua, and intellectually as one given the gift to reason by Adonai.
Over the past several months, I have been undergoing Divine surgery for addiction. I have read some things that God has used to show me that what our mind craves is something more than the actual object of the craving. It runs deeper into our who we are, perhaps our soul.
I must start every day with the choice to serve G-d, and then as the hours pass thoughts and ideas being filtered can more readily occur. When everything is in order, I can recognize my cravings for what they really are; those areas in my being that are yet deficient but that G-d is going to or is redeeming yet.
I grew up in a denomination that teaches we are defeated because we have an ongoing sin nature. So receiving the “sacrament” is a quick fix only to be resultant in choice to give into personal cravings only hours afterward. Yes, this is quite a point of consternation for me as an ex-catholic-light.
I much prefer Torah-centered teaching that focuses on overcoming instead of being stuck and a poor, miserable, screwed-up sinner!
David
Hi David, you are doing the right thing. Keep it up. I like the waking up approach of …..for the greater glory of God………. as a focus point. It cuts to the chase and brings it all into perspective. HIS will, his glory, not mine. I too am a recovering RC and I know what you mean. You are starting to think like a Hebrew as Skip says we must. I am a WIP, work in progress and I am getting there, maybe faster than I think. I hope and pray.
… not all pollution is sin (e.g. menstruation), but all that pollutes is inappropriate in the sacred arena. ”
Hmmm…what does this really mean, practically? In our Torah portions right now the concept of being unclean comes up many times, and I’m wondering what exactly that means. Natural body functions made you unclean at times. Why? How? How does all of that work today?
more to come
Yes, more please! Every year, I have the same questions with Parashat Emor.
“Perhaps “taking every thought captive” is a statement about infection prevention. (Yes! Prevention is better than cure- Better safe than sorry. Infection can be very contagious, and antibiotics will kill bad as well as good bacterias, and also lower one’s immunity)
Let us covenant together today to examine the pollutants of our lives
(pollutants that corrupt truth, good manners, respect and honour due to others around us),
to investigate any and all potential infections (allegations, accusations, deceptions) and, like the metaphor of leaven, remove ( turn away from, seek forgiveness, repent from wrong doing/s) whatever hints at inappropriate incursion.” Amein!
Beautiful TW!
Hello Skip and Others, I am enjoying your daily reflections and this thread as well.
-George, thank you for your words and encouragement, means a lot.
-I too wonder about the clean vs unclean phenomenon. Is unclean when I admit to myself before God that I have a disease condition called sin tag words, sinful, sinner, miss the mark, etc. I think it was Augustine who came up with the category of sinning in thought word and deed. In that case I am unclean much of the time. If unclean refers to something else, some other state, the process of redemption, please enlighten. Taking thought captive, yes, good prevention. Praise God for the times we take thoughts captive instead of acting on impulse or acting because we have run out of energy in taking thoughts captive and prefer the craving instead. Let the thought run rampant in us that we are His workmanship created for good works…. Let us revel in that for a couple hours!
David