…about the mind of Christ

“For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:16) (emphasis is mine)

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:5-8) (emphasis is mine)

The word “mind” in 1 Corinthians and Philippians is not the same word.  In

1 Corinthians  the word is nous and means the ability to reason.  In context, we have the ability to reason spiritual things because we are in Christ and He is in us (John 14:20).  We have the ability to understand what He is telling us.  I also thought about it in the form of conversation.  To have someone’s mind is to understand what you are being told (no one can understand what another is thinking unless that person speaks) just as to have someone’s ear is saying that they listen to you.

The word “mind” in Philippians is phroneo and it means to have an opinion of oneself.  We are told to think of ourselves as Jesus thought of Himself.  Though He is God (and has always been God) He still humbled Himself and took on the form of a man.  Hebrews 12:2 tells us that for the joy set before him, he endured the cross, and counted the shame as of no consequence to himself.  He humbled Himself and we must too.