Watchman: Daily Devotional,Those of Us Who Have Been Educated in Western Culture Today Have Been Taught to Believe That the Center of a Person’s Consciousness and Thoughts Is Our Brain–Not True

What modern Western Culture does with its “scientific belief” that all “truth” is contained within the physical realm where it can be observed and cataloged, is completely ignore the spirit and soul of mankind, our non-physical and meta-physical components.

It is, therefore, this a priori belief that attributes consciousness, rational thought, reasoning, and the “mind” to that organ in our head, the brain, and not science itself.

But this belief in the function of human brains today is not the belief that most cultures held to for many thousands of years, including Greek and Roman culture, which were the pre-cursors to modern-day Western Culture.

In the New Testament portion of the Bible, which was written in Koine Greek (the language of the common people), the word for “heart” is καρδία – kardia.

Many of our modern-day English words originate from this Greek word, such as cardiology and cardiologist, the study of the heart, as well as certain diseases that involve the heart, such as myocarditis, pericarditis, etc.

There are many verses in the Bible that teach our kardia (heart) is where our mind is, and where our thoughts, as well as our feelings, originate.

The most common Greek word in the Bible that is translated into English as “mind” is διάνοια – dianoia.

The Greek word διαλογίζομαι – dialogizomai, is most often translated into English as think, reason, or discuss.

Here are some verses where dianoia (mind) and dialogizomai (thoughts) are used together with kardia (heart.) I will highlight the English word that is translating dianoia or dialogizomai in blue, and kardia in red.

Jesus, perceiving the reasoning of their hearts, took a little child, and set him by his side, and said to them, “Whoever receives this little child in my name receives me. Whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For whoever is least among you all, this one will be great.” (Luke 9:47-48)

If anyone thinks himself to be religious, yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this person’s religion is worthless. (James 1:26)

Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? (Mark 2:6-8)

Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” (Luke 2:34-35)

They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. (Ephesians 4:18)

This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. (Hebrews 8:10)

There are a couple of verses where many modern English translations of the Bible use the English word “mind” to actually translate kardia (heart), because it would seem “strange” to modern Western Culture to use the word “heart” for kardia in these cases, since modern culture attributes our “mind” to our brain.

One is in the Book of Acts.

But when he was approaching the age of forty, it entered his mind to visit his countrymen, the sons of Israel. (Acts 7:23 NASB)

The word translated as “mind” here in the English is actually kardia.

But some English translations, like the older 1611 KJV, do still use “heart”:

And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel. (Acts 7:23)

Another one is in Luke 21:14:

So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves… (Luke 21:14 NASB)

The word “minds” here is kardia. But again, some translations, such as the older KJV, do use “heart”.

Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer… (Luke 21:14)

In addition to our mind and our rational thoughts, the words spoken by our tongue/mouth are attributed to originating in the heart, not the brain.

You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. (Matthew 12:34)

But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ (Matthew 15:18)

But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: “DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, ‘WHO WILL GO UP INTO HEAVEN?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).”

But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. (Romans 10:6-10)

Modern Science does Not Disprove that the Heart is the Center of Rational Thought and the Mind