Solid
food is for the mature,
For
those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice
To
distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:14
ESV)
In fulfillment of prophecy (Daniel 8:21, 10:20, 11:2, Zechariah 9:13, and I Maccabees 1:1-7) and for 332 years before Christ, the Jewish people were Hellenized, that is, significantly influenced by the Greek language and culture. Jesus spoke Greek, quoted the Greek Old Testament, known as the Septuagint, and the New Testament was written in Greek. Moreover, Jesus and the apostles adopted, adapted, and perfected Greek categories and moral theory, making Christianity a philosophical religion, able to transmit the truth of God to a world-wide audience on an intellectual basis. Jesus spoke of the kingdom of God/heaven, for instance, rather than the kingdom of David/Israel (Acts 2:22-32 and Galatians 6:16). Greek Philosophers of Virtue believed in the natural law: one ought to reject evil, seek and do the good (see Romans 12:9b). Dualism is the suppositional basis of Christian theology and ethics, and subsequently of Western culture. In the chart below are described the classical categories of good and evil used in the New Testament. For example, Paul spoke of carnal and spiritual being at war with each other (Galatians 5:17). Likewise, the mature Christian is ready for spiritual meat because he has trained his faculties to distinguish between good and evil (Hebrews 5:14). So, I present the chart below. Each good has a corresponding opposite in what is evil, separated by VS. These concepts are relatively easy to understand because Western society is built upon them. But beware, some forms of dualism posit a never-ending conflict between good and evil. Christianity, though, following the lead of Judaism, is prophetic about God’s sovereignty and final judgment; therefore, our faith represents a modified or mitigated or apocalyptic dualism because it foresees an ultimate triumph of good over evil (I Corinthians 15).
1
Good: Matthew 3:10, 7:11-19, 12:35, 19:16-17, John
5:29, 10:11, Romans 2:6-11, 7:19, 12:9 & 21, 15:14, II Cor. 5:10, Hebrews
5:14, and III Jn. 1:11 VS Evil: Matthew 7:11-19, 12:35, John 5:29, (10:11),
Romans 2:6-11, 7:19, 12:9 & 21, II Corinthians 5:10, Hebrews 5:14, and III
Jn. 1:11
2
Things Above, From Above, Of Heaven: (Heaven 231x in NT), Matt. 4:17 & 5:34, John
3:12, 31, 6:32, 8:23, I Cor. 15:47-49, Galatians 4:26, Eph. 1:10, 4:6 & 9-10,
Col. 1:20, 3:1-2, and Heb. 7:26, 9:23-24, and James 1:17, 3:15 & 17, VS
Things Below, Of Earth, Worldly: Matt.
18:7, John 3:12, 31, 8:23, 18:36, I Cor. 1:26, 7:33, 15:47, II Cor. 1:12 &
17, 4:4, 5:1, 10:2-4, Eph. 1:10, 4:9-10, Phil. 3:19, Col. 1:20, 3:5, Titus
2:12, Heb. 9:1, James 3:15 & 4:4, II Peter 1:4, I John 2:15-17, and Jude
1:19
3
Real, Substantial (Plato’s Image, Paul’s IKON): Romans 2:28-29, I Corinthians 8:4, Colossians
2:17, and Hebrews 8:5 & 10:1 VS Shadow: Matthew 4:16/Luke 1:79, Colossians 2:17, Hebrews
8:5, 10:1, and James 1:17
4
Universal: Daniel 7:13-14, Matthew
24:14, Acts 2:5-11, 11:1 & 18, Romans 3:29, and Revelation 5:9 &7:9 VS
Particular: I Timothy 1:4, and
Titus 1:14
5
Abstract, Noumenal, Right: John
2:21 (“the Faith” or “justification by the Faith” is an abstraction for
polemical purposes in Paul) VS Concrete, Phenomenal, Appearances:
John 2:21
6
The Ideal, Idealistic: (Matthew
19:10, and John 11:50 & 18:14), Revelation 21:22-23 and Luke 10:38-42 VS
What’s Expedient, Pragmatic: Matthew
19:10, and John 11:50 & 18:14; Revelation 21:22-23 and Luke 10:38-42
7
Energy (in the Greek energeia (8x
in Paul) and dunamis (power, 119x in
NT)): Colossians 1:29 and Hebrews 1:3 VS
Matter, the Elements/Elemental, Earthen Vessel: II Corinthians 4:7, Galatians 4:3 & 9,
Colossians 2:8 & 20, and II Peter 3:10 & 12
9 Spirit/Soul,
Spiritual: (spirit 408x in NT, Holy
Spirit 91x) Luke 1:35/Matthew 1:18, Matthew 10: 20 & 28, Mark 1:8/John
1:33, John 3:6, 4:24, 6:63, (8:15), 19:30, Rom 2:29, 8:3-13, I Cor 5:3-5, 15:44-46,
II Cor 11:4, Gal 4:3 & 9, 5:13-6:8, Eph 3:16, 6:12, Phil 3:3, Col 2:11, and
James 2:26 VS Body, Flesh, Carnal: Matthew 10:28, 16:17, 26:41, Luke 12:4, John
3:6, 6:63, 8:15, Romans 6:6, 7:24 & 8:13, 7:5,14, 18, 25, 8:3-13, I
Corinthians 5:3 & 9:27, 3:1-3, 5:5, II Cor. 5:6 & 8, Galatians
5:18-6:8, Ephesians 6:12, Colossians 2:5, II Peter 1:13-14, and James 3:15
10 Permanent:
Matthew 19:16 & 29, 26:41, John 4:14
& 12:25, II Corinthians 3:11, 4:17-18, & 5:1, Galatians 6:8, Hebrews
7:24, and I John 5:20 VS Transitory Passing Away: Matthew 24:35/Mark 13:31, I Corinthians 7:31,
II Corinthians 3:11, 4:17-18, 5:17, I John 2:8 & 17, and Revelation 21:1
& 4
11 LOGOS, “Word”
of God (Divine Order/Purpose/Harmony in the Universe): John 1:1 & 14, I Jn 1:1, and Rev 19:13;
Lk 19:42, Jn 16:33 & Heb 12:11 VS Chaos, Confusion, War: I Corinthians 14:33; Romans 7:23, James 4:1-2,
and I Peter 2:11
12 Inner Man:
Luke 17:20-21 KJV, Romans 2:29 and 14:17,
II Corinthians 4:16, and Ephesians 3:16 VS Outward Situations and
Circumstance: II Corinthians 4:16
and Hebrews 11
13 Faith: II Corinthians 4:17-18, 5:7 and Hebrews 11 VS
Sight: Luke 17:20-21 KJV, “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold , the kingdom of God is within you,” and II Corinthians 4:17-18
and 5:7
14 Law: Matthew 5:17-18, 23:23, Romans 2:12-15, 3:31,
7:12, 14 & 16, 8:2-4, 7, 13:8 & 10, I Corinthians 9:20-21, Galatians
5:14, 18 & 23, and 6:2 VS Sin: (“Sin is lawlessness.” (I John
3:4)), Acts 2:23, II Thessalonians 2:3, 7-9, II Peter 2:8 and 3:17
15 Light, Enlightened
(with Knowledge), Renewal of Mind: Matthew
4:16, 10:27, John 8:12, Romans 12:1-3, 13:12, II Cor. 6:14, Ephesians 4:18, 5:8-9,
13-14, I Thess 5:5, I Timothy 6:16, Hebrews 6:4, James 1:17, I John 1:5-7,
2:8-10, Revelation 21:23-24 and 22:5 VS Darkness (Ignorance):
Matthew 4:16, 10:27, Luke 6:23, John 1:5,
3:19, 8:12 & 12:46, Acts 26:18, Rom 13:12, II Cor. 6:14, Eph 4:18, and I
John 1:5-7
16
Reason (32x in the New Testament): Matthew 25:2, Colossians 2:18 and James 3:17 (Romans
12:1 KJV, logikos, “reasonable
service,” & I Peter 2:2) VS Passions (Desire, Emotion): Romans 2:2, Colossians 2:18, Ephesians
4:17-24, Titus 3:3, James 4:1-3, I Peter 1:13-16, 2:11, 4:1-5, and II Peter
3:1-8
17
Angelic, Angels, the Heavenly Host:
Matthew 1:20, 4:11, 13:39, Luke 1:26 ff., John 1:51, Acts 6:15, Hebrews
1:4-13, Jude 1:9, and Revelation 8:2 VS Demonic, Hellish: (Devil 35x
and Demons 48x in NT) Matthew 13:39 & 23:15, I Timothy 4:1, James 3:15,
and Revelation 16:14
18
Freedom: John 8:32 & 36, Acts
13:39, Romans 6:7, 18, 20, 22-23, 8:2 & 21, II Corinthians 3:17, Galatians
2:4, 4:26 & 31, 5:1 & 13, I Peter 2:16 VS Slavery, Bondage,
Oppression: John 8:34-35, Romans
6:17, 8:15, I Corinthians 7:21-23, Galatians 2:4, 4:3, 26 & 31, 5:1, Titus
3:3, and II Peter 2:19
19
Truth: Luke 1:1-4, John 1:14
& 17, 4:23-24, 8:32, 14:6, 16:13, 18:37-38, Romans 1:18 & 25, 2:8, II Cor.
4:2, Ephesians 4:15, 21 & 25, and I Tim. 3:15 VS Lies, Illusion
and Delusion, False Witness: Matthew
7:15, 26:59-60, John 8:44, Romans 1:25, II Corinthians 4:2, II Thess. 2:11, and
Ephesians 4:25
20
Life, Eternal Life: Luke 6:9, John 1:4,
3:16, 5:21 & 24, 6:1-71, 10:10, Acts 3:15, Romans 2:6-7, II Timothy 1:10,
Jude 1:21, I John 3:14, and Rev. 2:7 VS Death: Matthew 4:16, John 5:24 & (8:51), Romans
6:10, 13, & 23, I Corinthians 15:21, 26, 54-56, II Cor. 3:7, II Timothy
1:10, and Revelation 21:4 & 8
21
Existence, Being, or Consciousness; I AM (Supreme Being): Exodus 3:13-14 and John 8:58; Colossians 1:16
& Revelation 4:11 VS Nothingness, Utter Destruction: I Corinthians 1:28, 13:2-3, Galatians 6:3, Hebrews
11:3, II Peter 2: 17, Jude v. 13, and Revelation 9:11
22
Perfection, TELEOS, (end, finished, intended goal): Matthew 5:48, I Corinthians 13:10, Colossians
3:14, Hebrews 2:10 & 10:1, I John 2:5 & 4:17-18 VS The
Imperfect, which passes away, childish, elementary, partial, and immature: I Corinthians 13:8-11 and Hebrews 6:1-3
23
Jesus Christ, God’s Son, the Risen Lord: Matthew 28:6/Mark 16:6 and Acts 1:9, Philippians
2:7-11, Ephesians 1:20, and Hebrews 9:15 & 12:24 VS Satan, the
Anti-Christ: Mark 1:13, Luke 10:18
& 22:3, Acts 26:18, II Thessalonians 2:9, and Revelation 12:9
24
God (the ONE, Creator (Father and first cause)): Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Malachi 2:10 & 15, I
Corinthians 8:6, Ephesians 4:6, and I Timothy 2:5 VS Ultimate evil
exists in division and multiplicities: Mark 5:9&15 and Luke 8:30; (many) Matt 3:7,
6:7, 7:13 & 22, 24:11, Mk 15:3, Lk 10:41, I Jn 2:18, 4:1and II Jn 1:7
