CCC - ENewsletter

Heart Conditions, Part 3
By Dr. Frederick K. Price Jr.

When the Bible says God desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth, that is something that God won't control or guarantee. Whereas when we desire something, it's not always something that we can control or guarantee. But in some cases, it is.

For example, I desire a slice of pizza. Well, I can do something about that. But to desire that all people to be saved? I can't do that. Neither could Paul. His desire was that Israel be saved, but on his own he could not save Israel.

That's why Paul said his heart's desire and his prayer to God was that Israel would be saved. Some of the words that mean desire are satisfaction, delight, wish, purpose, pleasure and goodwill.

Most times we find that the Greek word for heart is kardia. Some of the words we get from the word kardia are cardiovascular [system] and cardio meaning heart. Now, this is a large definition and it’s going to help us to determine, depending on the context of Scripture that we are reading, what the Bible means when it says heart.

Clearly, it does not mean the same thing everywhere we read the word heart, but these definitions are going to let us know that depending on the context the word heart can mean A, B, C, D or E. Kardia in the Greek means heart, but figuratively it could refer to thoughts or feelings of the mind.

Normally, when we think of the mind we point to the head, the vicinity of the brain. But spiritually or biblically speaking, the mind is found in the soul, along with the will and the emotions. And the soul of man is found in the spirit of man. So figuratively the word heart can refer to thoughts or feelings associated with the mind; but also the word can simply refer to the middle, which is often used to refer to the spirit.

The spirit of a thing can sometimes mean the core and even the root, such as when we say we're going to get to the heart or the root of the matter.

Also consider that when Paul was writing to the Thessalonian church and speaking about the sanctification of the whole of man, he said spirit, soul and body. Right there in the middle of the spirit and the body is the soul, and in the soul we have our mind, wills, emotions, imagination, intellect.

The heart can be that organ in the animal body, which is the center of the circulation of the blood and, hence, it can be regarded as the seat of physical life. Now we're dealing with anatomy and biology.

It's the center of the circulation of the blood, and because it is the center of the circulation of the blood, it was in times past regarded as the seat or center of all physical and spiritual life. That is spirit, soul and body.

It can refer also to the center and seat of spiritual life, the soul or the mind as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes and endeavors. It can refer to the seat of the understanding, the intelligence, the will and the character of the soul so far as it is affected or stirred in a bad way or good way. It can refer to the seat of the sensibilities, affections, emotions, desires, appetites, and passions, as well as the middle or central, or the in-most part of anything, even something inanimate.

That's what kardia means in the Greek. So there are a number of definitions and meanings – all based on the context we're reading in scripture.

The heart can be regarded as both the seat of physical life as well as of spiritual life. And as the center and seat of spiritual life, it contains the soul as well as the mind. Are we now reading that the heart is another part of man, or that the heart is the seat where at least two parts of man meet? Based on Strong's Concordance, is it possible that the heart is the seat of the spirit and soul, and yet is not a part of man in the sense that man is tri-part: spirit, soul, and body?

It's a place where two of the three parts meet, which is why it's considered the center or seat of spiritual life.

I’ve taught on this, and so have my father and my mother. My father was very adamant about the heart being the spirit of man. Mom and I both have seen in numerous contexts and in a variety of verses, where it appears that the heart could be the spirit as well as the soul. Perhaps because the heart appears to be the spirit sometime and sometimes the heart appears to be the soul, which is why the heart is the seat of both spirit and soul.

The heart, as the center and seat of spiritual life, can refer to the soul or mind as it is the fountain and seat of thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes and endeavors.

It's interesting how we also can use the word heart in a variety of contexts. We can make statements such as "I meant that from my heart." We can look at a person's effort as they do something and determine whether or not they have put their heart into it.

What does it mean to say I love with “all of my heart?” What does it mean to say my heart is broken? Clearly, we don't mean that the organ is broken. And then the term I used earlier: get to the heart of the problem.

Jesus said in Matthew 12 – and this is one of the definitions that I mentioned as the middle or central or inmost part of anything, even though that thing is not alive or not a person or an animal. Jesus said in Matthew 12, verses 38 through 34 that the Phariseessay, "We want to see a sign." And what did Jesus say in response?

"An adulterous generation seeks after a sign."

In other words, they are carnal and need to see things. He told them that they were only going to get one sign, and that would be the sign of the prophet Jonah. Immediately after that He said, as Jonah was in the belly of the whale, or beast or the monster three days and three nights, so would the son of man be in the heart of the earth.

Well, the earth is not an animal, the earth is not a human. And yet Jesus said that He would be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.

If the heart can be the middle or center or in-most part of anything, the only physical location He could have been referring to would have been the core of the earth – the inmost, middle, or central part of the earth. He said the son of man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.

Then He would rise.



Heart Conditions, Part 3 By Dr. Frederick K. Price Jr. When the Bible says God desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth, that is something that God won't control or guarantee. Whereas when we desire something, it's not always something that we can control or guarantee. But in some cases, it is. For example, I desire a slice of pizza. Well, I can do something about that. But to desire that all people to be saved? I can't do that. Neither could Paul. His desire was that Israel be saved, but on his own he could not save Israel. That's why Paul said his heart's desire and his prayer to God was that Israel would be saved. Some of the words that mean desire are satisfaction, delight, wish, purpose, pleasure and goodwill. Most times we find that the Greek word for heart is kardia. Some of the words we get from the word kardia are cardiovascular [system] and cardio meaning heart. Now, this is a large definition and it’s going to help us to determine, depending on the context of Scripture that we are reading, what the Bible means when it says heart. Clearly, it does not mean the same thing everywhere we read the word heart, but these definitions are going to let us know that depending on the context the word heart can mean A, B, C, D or E. Kardia in the Greek means heart, but figuratively it could refer to thoughts or feelings of the mind. Normally, when we think of the mind we point to the head, the vicinity of the brain. But spiritually or biblically speaking, the mind is found in the soul, along with the will and the emotions. And the soul of man is found in the spirit of man. So figuratively the word heart can refer to thoughts or feelings associated with the mind; but also the word can simply refer to the middle, which is often used to refer to the spirit. The spirit of a thing can sometimes mean the core and even the root, such as when we say we're going to get to the heart or the root of the matter. Also consider that when Paul was writing to the Thessalonian church and speaking about the sanctification of the whole of man, he said spirit, soul and body. Right there in the middle of the spirit and the body is the soul, and in the soul we have our mind, wills, emotions, imagination, intellect. The heart can be that organ in the animal body, which is the center of the circulation of the blood and, hence, it can be regarded as the seat of physical life. Now we're dealing with anatomy and biology. It's the center of the circulation of the blood, and because it is the center of the circulation of the blood, it was in times past regarded as the seat or center of all physical and spiritual life. That is spirit, soul and body. It can refer also to the center and seat of spiritual life, the soul or the mind as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes and endeavors. It can refer to the seat of the understanding, the intelligence, the will and the character of the soul so far as it is affected or stirred in a bad way or good way. It can refer to the seat of the sensibilities, affections, emotions, desires, appetites, and passions, as well as the middle or central, or the in-most part of anything, even something inanimate. That's what kardia means in the Greek. So there are a number of definitions and meanings – all based on the context we're reading in scripture. The heart can be regarded as both the seat of physical life as well as of spiritual life. And as the center and seat of spiritual life, it contains the soul as well as the mind. Are we now reading that the heart is another part of man, or that the heart is the seat where at least two parts of man meet? Based on Strong's Concordance, is it possible that the heart is the seat of the spirit and soul, and yet is not a part of man in the sense that man is tri-part: spirit, soul, and body? It's a place where two of the three parts meet, which is why it's considered the center or seat of spiritual life. I’ve taught on this, and so have my father and my mother. My father was very adamant about the heart being the spirit of man. Mom and I both have seen in numerous contexts and in a variety of verses, where it appears that the heart could be the spirit as well as the soul. Perhaps because the heart appears to be the spirit sometime and sometimes the heart appears to be the soul, which is why the heart is the seat of both spirit and soul. The heart, as the center and seat of spiritual life, can refer to the soul or mind as it is the fountain and seat of thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes and endeavors. It's interesting how we also can use the word heart in a variety of contexts. We can make statements such as "I meant that from my heart." We can look at a person's effort as they do something and determine whether or not they have put their heart into it. What does it mean to say I love with “all of my heart?” What does it mean to say my heart is broken? Clearly, we don't mean that the organ is broken. And then the term I used earlier: get to the heart of the problem. Jesus said in Matthew 12 – and this is one of the definitions that I mentioned as the middle or central or inmost part of anything, even though that thing is not alive or not a person or an animal. Jesus said in Matthew 12, verses 38 through 34 that the Phariseessay, "We want to see a sign." And what did Jesus say in response? "An adulterous generation seeks after a sign." In other words, they are carnal and need to see things. He told them that they were only going to get one sign, and that would be the sign of the prophet Jonah. Immediately after that He said, as Jonah was in the belly of the whale, or beast or the monster three days and three nights, so would the son of man be in the heart of the earth. Well, the earth is not an animal, the earth is not a human. And yet Jesus said that He would be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. If the heart can be the middle or center or in-most part of anything, the only physical location He could have been referring to would have been the core of the earth – the inmost, middle, or central part of the earth. He said the son of man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. Then He would rise.

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