Auxano Ministry
By the grace of God I am what I am:
1 Cor. 15:10a
Logizomai
“Reasoning is the process of thinking about things in a logical, rational way. It is considered an innate human ability that has been formalized by fields such as logic, mathematics and artificial intelligence. The process of reasoning is used to make decisions, solve problems and evaluate things.” 1
Biblically we see this process of reasoning in the Greek word logizomai. “Logizomai means to reckon, compute, calculate, to take into account, to deliberate, and to weigh. Logizomai refers to a process of careful study or reasoning which results in the arriving at a conclusion.” 2
What phronema are you finding to be valid?
What phronema do you focus on in your nous?
What phronema do you allow past your filtering system?
Logizomai stands as your first line of defense for all the phronema introduced by the kosmos you will encounter each day.
Colossians 2:4
And this I say, lest any man should beguile [paralogizomai] you with enticing words.
This verse teaches us a few things. First, God expects your reasoning to be in line with His Word. True reasoning, genuine reasoning is based upon the Word of God. Paralogizomai is too receive something along side of God’s Word. That is the thrust of para, to receive something along side of, the genuine way to evaluate and arrive at a conclusion.
Next, Colossians is showing us how this counterfeit way to reason is accomplished and that is “with enticing words” or in Koine Greek, “en pithanologia.” Other translations handled these Greek words as:
New Living Testament:
well-crafted arguments
well-crafted arguments New International Version:fine sounding arguments
fine sounding arguments English Standard Version:plausible arguments
plausible arguments Revised Standard Version:with beguiling speech
with beguiling speech Young’s Literal Translation:in enticing words
in enticing words Darby Translation:by persuasive speech
by persuasive speech These are words that are well-crafted and presented in such a manner to persuade and even deceive a person into taking a contrary opinion or method. These words were often used to describe an orator in Greece who would develop his arguments in a debate to persuade you, or turn you, to his way of thinking. Simply put, the kosmos wants you to reason with the logic of the kosmos rather than God’s logic or God’s wisdom and insight.
Galatians 1:8-9
But if even *we* or an angel out of heaven announce as glad tidings to you anything besides [para] what we have announced as glad tidings to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, now also again I say, if anyone announce to you as glad tidings anything besides [para] what ye have received [paralambano], let him be accursed.
Darby Translation
The people in Galatia had received the Gospel of Grace from the Apostle Paul and he is telling them if they receive another gospel, paralambano, alongside of the genuine gospel, he had taught them, let that person be accursed. He taught them the genuine gospel any other gospel is a lie!
God has given His children the correct and accurate way to reason; any other method of reasoning is a counterfeit and a lie. True, or genuine reasoning is reasoning that is based solely upon and founded in God’s Word.
Luke 20:5
And they reasoned [sullogizomai] with themselves, saying, if we shall say, from heaven; he will say, why then believed ye him not?
In context, the Chief Priest and scribes are challenging Jesus as to what authority he has and from whom to do the things he does, and he responds with a question of his own. So, the Chief Priest and scribes huddle together to craft their answer.
Those that knowingly stand with the kosmos will work in harmony to present a united front against the wisdom of God. They are united and committed to persuade you, not that God is wrong but that something is wrong in your understanding or your application.
How many years did you allow the kosmos to build your logic, your method of reasoning? Some of the conflict with establishing your reasoning according to God’s Word will come from within your own mind because of those things the kosmos has already taught you.
James 1:22
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving [paralogizomai] your own selves.
Some of those persuasive, and enticing, and well-crafted arguments are already in your nous and being used as a foundation for reasoning. It only makes sense; you haven’t held God’s Word as your standard since the day you were born. It’s the very reason for renewing your mind! It’s the very reason for Romans 12 which tells us to paristemi, a combination of para and histemi, to place ourselves alongside of God.
Reasoning, logizomai, with the words of God will bring us to paristemi, along side of God. Reasoning with anything less and we will be groping in the dark, hoping for the best.
Acts 17:27
That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
One of the questions I asked at the opening of this teaching was, “What phronema do you allow past your filtering system?”
What does a filter accomplish?
The purpose of a filter is to clean by removing unwanted aspects of whatever you are filtering. We place water filters in our homes to remove contaminates from our drinking water. We place scrubbers in our factory smoke stacks to have cleaner air. We use air filters in our homes for both heating and cooling. Our cars use filters as well. Facebook uses filters to keep unwanted language and ads off their pages. We even use filters to make that morning cup of coffee. Of course, the human body has a filter, the kidneys.
You get the picture; everyone uses filters in the hope of keeping out contaminates of one form or another. We also change or maintain our filters so that they will continue to perform their duties at an optimum level. This is what we are looking at with logizomai.
So, the question to consider is the filter you use to keep contaminants out of your mind. When was the last time you maintained that filter?
“Human beings are rational—a view often attributed to Aristotle—and a major component of rationality is the ability to reason.”3
Romans 14:14
I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth [logizomai] anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
Everyone determines for himself if something is unclean or clean. How you arrive at this determination is through logizomai. Logizomai is your logic or your reasoning.
Proverbs 12:15
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.
The word “way” is speaking of a path or a journey, the journey is your life.
While the fool is the one who refuses wisdom and instruction. The way or path we are on as a child of God is individualized to each person. No other person has the same walk as you. God stands ready and able with each step you take along this journey of life to impart knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. The wise man will listen, obey and succeed; the fool will despise God’s input and devise his own path. This is the heart of Proverbs 12:15.
Your logic, your reasoning should be based upon God and His Word. However, it is more likely based upon the things of the kosmos and the things of God, a combination of the two.
2 Corinthians 10:5
Casting down [kathaireo] imaginations [logismos – masculine noun of logizomai], and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Your reasoning will have a great influence on what enters your heart, the core of your life. Remember, out of the heart comes your believing, out of your heart flows the issues of life. Next, your reasoning will impact what your nous receives day after day. Reasoning develops your attitude and your attitude acts as a filter for your mind in rejecting all that is contaminated. Finally, your reasoning will dictate where you stay your mind and the areas where you will exercise control over your thoughts. Your reasoning sets the stage for all the tomorrows you will live.
Let’s look at some of these things.
Romans 2:15
Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts [logismos – masculine noun of logizomai] the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
Your reasoning is the door for all phronema entering your life, then your reasoning becomes the basis for your actions. Here is a natural man, by that I mean a man without God’s gift of holy spirit. His reasoning will accuse or excuse his actions based upon his reasoning.
How can this natural man, who does not have God’s Word have any right reasoning? The answer is in understanding the spirit of man and man’s conscience, given first in the Garden in Eden and later passed on to Adam’s progeny.
In the beginning, when man was created in God’s image and God’s likeness God gave man certain benefits and characteristics. He created holy spirit in Adam and Eve, spirit which Adam forfeited when he sinned. But the characteristics, the likeness, remained.
The kosmos, under its new leader, the Adversary, went to work immediately to tarnish and diminish the likeness God had given to man with the logic he, the Adversary, introduced into the world. He replaced generosity with greed; love with fear; peace with strife; joy with feeling good and the list goes on.
As mankind bought into the logic of the Adversary the characteristics, we received from God were diminished and for some people completely lost. But for those who rejected the logic of the Adversary, they could still do the things contained in the Law even though they never heard the Law.
Romans 2:15 is showing us that if a man walks by the characteristics God originally gave to man, reasoning along those lines, that man could do God’s Word even though he had never heard God’s Word. Therefore, there are some godly phronema you can see and learn in the kosmos. The kosmos does not produce a godly thought of its own, the kosmos, like its master is completely corrupt. But some of God's thoughts and logic are in the kosmos because God's children continue to introduce the Word of God into the world by both word and deed.
Acts 19:27
So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also, that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.
Please bear with me a few minutes while we consider some words from the Greek text and how they are translated in Acts 19:27 of the King James Version.
One of the words not seen in Acts 19:27 is logizomai, reasoning. It’s not seen because it isn’t translated in this verse in King James. “Despised” literally means “nothing.” Kai is translated “and” as it should be. But “de” is another word not translated in this verse and generally “de” means moreover. Magnificence is splendor, glory or majesty. Finally, destroyed is the same Greek word translated “cast down” in 2 Corinthians 10:5, our theme verse.
Now consider what Demetrious is saying with the immediate and remoter context brought into the verse, additions from the context will be in brackets [ ]:
“[What Paul is teaching is unto] unto [the goal of reaching the people’s mental reasoning] reasoning [that Diana’s Temple] is nothing and moreover [another goal of Paul’s teaching could be] to cast down her majesty [her glory or splendor] [from it’s exalted position].”
This would be somewhat of an expanded literal.
Demetrius envisioned that Paul’s teaching had at its core, the goal of getting people to reason that the Temple of Diana was nothing and that even her glory and splendor could be cast down from its lofty position. This thought pattern caused Demetrious to be angry and afraid.
The mind of Demetrious never heard the words spoken by Paul as possibly being true or right. His reasoning filtered out Paul’s words as a contaminant to his own mind and a threat to his business and he acted accordingly.
This is a function of logizomai.
Mark 7:21
For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts [dialogismos], adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
The prefix dia, adds intensity to the reasoning and shows us that by means of a man’s reasoning the action passes to its accomplishment. In this case, your reasoning accomplishes the act of placing phronema into the heart.
Now consider your life when it comes to hearing the words of God. If your filtering system has been built by the kosmos, the ungodly world that is opposed to God, how will your mind react when it hears what God’s Word declares?
Have you ever been confused because you have received, with believing, the Word of God in one area but in another area, it just seems to bounce off your skull?
Nikita Khrushchev memorized large sections of the Gospels, meaning it was held in his mind. But it was held with contempt and disdain as he butchered thousands of Christians and closed most Christian churches in Russia while he led the nation. Thomas Jefferson used a razor to cut and paste sections of the Bible he wanted to read. Many have given their opinions as to why, but Mr. Jefferson never spoke of the why; so, we really don’t know why. Whatever the reason he predominately removed the spiritual, as in miracles, the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ.
We can hold the words of God, but do they hold us? When it comes to our reasoning are the words from God the words that stand as the foundation or the building blocks of our reasoning? Khrushchev held God’s words, but he reasoned with evil.
Roman 6:11
Likewise reckon [logizomai] ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
This should be the reasoning of a child of God. This should be part of the filter for the nous. Is the phronema being presented to you recognizing that you are dead to sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ? If not, it is a contaminant and should be rejected at the door!
1 Corinthians 13:5
Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh [logizomai] no evil.
This verse is speaking of how a child of God walks with God’s love in their life. Does your filter reject phronema that suggests you exercise destructive evil? Even when it has been earned. Again, the filter should stop any thought contrary to this verse at the door.
If your logic, your reasoning discounts something then that phronema is never getting through the door. How many contaminants get through your door because you do not know what God has said in His Word?
Matthew 4:3
And when the tempter came to him, he said, if thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
Jesus being tempted in the wilderness.
The first point to recognize here, is the question “Are you really God’s son?”
Your logizomai will be set upon a foundation, that foundation will be the standard you have set in your learning, your manthano. The standard Jesus had already set in his life was the words of God.
If you hold the same standard, when you are questioned by the Adversary about who you are, the answer will sit in your heart like a beacon shinning forth the Truth of God’s Word.
Proclaim you are as righteous as God and even Christianity will question your words. Proclaim you can do miracles and you will be challenged. Declare the grace of God is enough for salvation and again you will find the ire of Christianity.
Tell the world you walk and talk with God; tell them God works within you; that you have true peace; or tell them anything concerning Jesus Christ and the world will attack you. Yes, your mind will be challenged with phronema that directly and deliberately contradicts the words of God.
Matthew 4:4
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Yes, you need to eat; both physically and spiritually!
Jesus never accepted the question, “If thou be…” Jesus rejected the thought at the door.
How do you know what to reject and what to accept of the phronema presented to your mind?
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think [logizomai] on these things.
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1. https://simplicable.com/new/reasoning
2. Precept Austin, https://www.preceptaustin.org/romans_611-23
3.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
https://www.pnas.org/content/107/43/18243
© Auxano Ministry 2020
All verses quoted in this teaching are from the King James Version unless otherwise noted.
Mechanics of the Mind
