Set...mind (5426) (phroneo from phren = literally the diaphragm and thus that which curbs or restrains. Figuratively, phren is the supposed seat of all mental and emotional activity) refers to the basic orientation, bent, and thought patterns of the mind, rather than to the mind or intellect itself (that is the Greek word nous). Phroneo includes a person’s affections and will as well as his reasoning. In other words phroneo refers not simply to intellectual activity but also to direction and purpose of heart. BDAG summarized - 1. to have an opinion with regard to something = think, form/hold an opinion, judge - I thought like a child 1 Cor 13:11; think or feel in a certain way about someone Phil 1:7. think of someone in the sense be concerned about him Php 4:10a; think nothing different, not take a different view Gal 5:10; Phil 3:15a = think of or regard something differently' 2. to give careful consideration to something = set one’s mind on, be intent on = Ro 12:16b Phil 3:19. Col 3:2 b. take someone’s side, espouse someone’s cause = Mt 16:23; Mk 8:33. Ro 8:5. c. of acknowledging the importance of something = the one who is intent on the day (i.e. a particular day rather than others) in honor of the Lord Ro 14:6. Richards writes that phroneo "in particular expresses the idea of thinking or judging in a neutral way. The context indicates the content of what is being thought. (Expository Dictionary of Bible Words) It means to to give careful consideration to something and thus to set one’s mind on, to be intent on or to have a mental disposition for, to keep on giving serious consideration to something, to ponder, to let one’s mind dwell on, to keep thinking about, to fix one’s attention on. (Col 3:2-note) Vine comments that in Col 3:2 (note) phroneo "signifies the whole action of the mind, not merely the thinking power, the reasoning, but the set purpose of the mind, and is thus used in a distinctly spiritual sense. (Collected writings of W. E. Vine) Phroneo means to employ one’s faculty for thoughtful planning, with emphasis upon the underlying disposition or attitude. Phroneo leads one through the process of evaluating a situation and, on the basis of our evaluation, adopting an attitude or disposition to act (Php 2:5-note) Phroneo can mean to have an opinion with regard to something, to think or to judge (1Cor 13:11, Acts 28:22). Vincent remarks that phroneo "denotes a general disposition of the mind rather than a specific act of thought directed at a given point." Vine adds that phroneo means "“to think,” “to form a judgment”; but in the New Testament never merely “to hold an opinion,” always it is contemplated that action will be taken upon the judgment formed, cp. Philippians 4:10 (note)...(phroneo) implies moral interest or reflection, not mere unreasoning opinion. (Ibid) Phroneo- 26x in 20v - NAS = adopt...view, 1; conceited, 1; concern, 1; concerned, 1; feel, 1; have...attitude, 3; intent on...purpose, 1; live in harmony, 1; mind, 4; observes, 2; set their minds, 2; set your mind, 1; setting your mind, 2; think, 3; views, 1 Matthew 16:23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's." Mark 8:33 But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's." Acts 28:22 "But we desire to hear from you what your views are; for concerning this sect, it is known to us that it is spoken against everywhere." Romans 8:5-note For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. Romans 11:20-note Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; Romans 12:3-note For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. 16-note Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Romans 14:6-note He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. Romans 15:5-note Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, 1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Galatians 5:10 I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt no other view; but the one who is disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is. Philippians 1:7-note For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me. Philippians 2:2-note make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 5-note Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, Philippians 3:15-note Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; 19-note whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. Philippians 4:2-note I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord (Be of the same mind in the Lord = that's the way to be at harmony with anyone, whether your spouse, friend, etc). 10-note But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. Colossians 3:2-note Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. Phroneo - 7x in the non-apocryphal Septuagint (LXX) - Dt 32:29; Esther 8:12; Ps 94:8; Isa 44:18, 28; 56:10; Zech 9:2 Mounce has an interesting comment noting that "People’s decisions about how they intend to live determines how they think about things. Moral choice precedes and determines intellectual orientation. People do not think themselves into the way they act but act themselves into the way they think. Ethical decision, more often than misguided reason, lies at the heart of error. (Romans: The New American Commentary) KJV Bible Commentary writes that phroneo... means to have something as the habit of your thought; something in which you place a total interest. Those who place their total interest in the things of the flesh cannot have their interest in the things of God. (KJV Bible Commentary) Wuest comments that in Romans 8:5 phroneo "speaks of a deliberate setting of one’s mind upon a certain thing. The unsaved person, habitually dominated by the indwelling sinful nature...(Phroneo) speaks of a deliberate setting of one’s mind upon a certain thing. The unsaved person is dominated by the evil nature habitually and as habitually puts his mind on those things that the sinful nature has always welling up within itself, the things of sin." (Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Studies in the Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament) (Bolding Added) Paul uses phroneo in Philippians, where he tells the saints at Philippi make my joy complete by being of the same mind, (phroneo) maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose (phroneo).... (and to) Have this attitude (phroneo - present imperative = habitually, command)) in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus." (Php 2:2-note; Php 2:5-note) Writing to the Colossians after having just presented two chapters of doctrine dealing with the supremacy of Christ Who is in them and is their hope (certainty) of glory, Paul exhorts the saints... Set your mind (phroneo - present imperative = habitually, command) on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. (Col 3:2-note) Paul teaches elsewhere that the man who is living dominated or controlled by the flesh does not welcome the things of the Spirit writing that a natural (psuchikos - governed by sensual appetites and living apart from the Spirit of God) man (born into Adam and not regenerated in Christ = still "in Adam", not "in Christ") does not (ou = absolute negation!) accept (dechomai = deliberately and readily, receive kindly, they do not "put out a welcome mat"! = present tense) the things of the Spirit of God (because the Truth of God given by the Spirit calls for a decision - "Am I going to continue to do it my way or God's way?"); for they are foolishness (moria = that which is considered intellectually weak, irrational. From "moros" dull, stupid >"moronic" = same word is used to describe the Gentiles who are perishing) to him, and he cannot (dunamai = present tense = have intrinsic power - natural men lack the inner, inherent ability and resources on their own to = absolutely lacks the inherent, internal enablement to) understand (ginosko = know by experience) them, because they are spiritually appraised (Sanakrino = sift up and down and so to scrutinize, to examine accurately and carefully with exact research like in legal processes). (1Cor 2:14) This individual neither comprehends God's Truth nor even desires to do so. To reiterate, phroneo speaks of a deliberate setting of one’s mind upon a certain thing. The unsaved person is dominated by the evil nature habitually and habitually sets their mind on those things that the sinful nature has always welling up within itself, the things of sin. The basic disposition of an unredeemed, unregenerate person is one who continually chooses to “indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires” (2Pe 2:10-note). The flesh, the principle of rebellion within in man (see below), produces a certain pattern and way of thinking. Likewise, the Holy Spirit produces a certain pattern and way of thinking. The way we act is determined by the way we think. How are you acting...toward God, toward your spouse, toward those in authority over you, etc? How you are acting will tell you how you are thinking - like fallen man or like Christ? Unregenerate individuals (not born from above, not new creations in Christ) are... enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds (phroneo = present tense = continually) on earthly things. (Php 3:18, 19-note). Alan Carr explains that... The Desires Of The Mind Are Changed -The first thing Paul addresses is the contrast that exists between the natural mind of man and a mind that has been transformed by the Spirit of God. The whole idea here is that the natural bent, or orientation of the natural man's thinking is always directed toward the things that pertain to the flesh. In other words, the carnal mind focuses on the physical, material and other selfish concerns. It may think about religion, but it will be a religion based in what he can do for himself. There may be thoughts about God, but that will be thoughts about how to approach God on his own terms. Generally, however, the carnal mind is filled with thoughts that center around ways to gratify the flesh. Of course, this is what the Bible teaches us about the lost man and his mind set, 2Pe 2:10 (note), "But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities." ; Php 3:19 (note), "Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things." But, what a change is manifested in the lives of those who have been redeemed! While the saved do falter from time to time, their minds are filled with thoughts of heavenly things. These are people who love God and all the things that pertain to Him. They love His Word, His people, His house, His worship, etc. The Spirit of God redirects the thinking of those redeemed by the blood of Jesus. A good question to ask ourselves at this point is, of what character are the thoughts that fill our minds? Depending upon how we answer that question, we can learn a lot about ourselves! (Sermon) William Newell writes that... The distinction between these two classes is as real as that between the sheep and goat nations at Christ's coming, or between those written in the book of life and those not written, at the last judgment. An unconquerable sadness rises in our hearts at the fact that after these centuries upon centuries of Divine dealing with man, and especially since the gospel has been preached, as Paul declares, "in all creation under heaven" (Col 1:23-note), there are yet those like Cain, Esau, Balaam, Saul, Judas, that are according to flesh. Alas, this description includes the mass of our race, for it is only "a little flock" that can be described as being according to Spirit. Now all those according to flesh cherish, desire, are occupied with, and absorbed in, talk of, think of, follow after, the things of flesh; those according to Spirit, likewise discern, value, love, are absorbed in, the things of Spirit. Those according to flesh "mind" the flesh's things: its physical lusts, gluttony, uncleanness, slothfulness; its soulical lusts, mental delights, pleasures of the imagination, esthetic indulgences or "tastes" whether art, music, sculpture, or what not; its spiritual lusts, of pride, envy, malice, avarice: in a word, every unclean thing, and every good thing used by unclean persons, that is, persons not cleansed by the blood of Christ, not new creatures in Him. Then, too, there is the "religion" of the flesh, which includes all not of and in the Holy Ghost. (Romans 8: Expository Notes Verse by Verse) Wayne Barber explains that "What Paul is doing in this section is contrasting a LOST and a SAVED person - this may seem obvious but there are some respected commentaries and pastors who hold that Paul is simply referring to a saved man who is struggling with the FLESH. (we know that although we are no longer "in the flesh", the Bible clearly teaches that the flesh is still in us (see Sarx #4b), in these mortal bodies - the difference now that we are in Christ is that we can say "yes" to Jesus and "no" to the FLESH). Those who "set their minds on the things of the flesh" are doing so as a lifestyle. This is the habit of their lives because the verb "set minds on" is in the present tense. "Set minds on" is the single Greek word phroneo which speaks of a mind devoted to something, a determined focus set on something and means more than just the mind that entertains thoughts, etc. It is a fixed mindset. It is all the person lives for. Those who are in Adam (a "in the flesh") live to gratify the strong impulses (desires) of their corrupt (in Adam0 nature and they know no other way. From birth because of their inherited Sin nature inherited from Adam their minds are continuously fixed on the things which are displeasing to God. The contrasting mindset is the person who continually or habitually has their mind focused on the things of the Spirit. To help understand what has happened to the mind of a person who is now in Christ, let's look at a similar word (sophronismos) in 2Ti 1:7-note where Paul is exhorting young Timothy "For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline (KJV = sound mind = sophronismos)" When I was in Adam my mind was fixed a certain way - it was on the "AM Radio Band" so to speak. When Christ came into my life and placed me in Christ, He "re-programmed" my mind to the "FM Band", a totally different focus now compared to when I was in Adam. The word for "discipline" (sophronismos) is derived from sozo meaning "salvation" and phren meaning "mind". Taken together the Greek word translated "discipline" pictures a man with a "saved" "mind" (in fact 1Co 2:16 says believers now "have the mind of Christ"). "When Christ rescued my dead spirit from in Adam and He took up residence in my body, He also rescued my mind and gave me a "saved mind" . When we were in Adam, there was only one way our mind could think and that was on the things of the flesh. When I came to Christ the Spirit changed my mind so to speak from "AM" to "FM". This doesn't' mean we won't occasionally drift back into "AM band thinking" and acting, but it does mean that because of repentance (a change of thinking that produces a change of direction in my life) there is now a general bent or orientation of our "saved mind" toward Christ and the things of the Spirit. And even when we stray off course, His Spirit chastens and disciplines and scourges and brings us back so that we continually set our minds on the things of God." Godet writes that... To be after the flesh, is to be inwardly governed by it, as the natural man always is. The part here referred to is the deepest source of the moral life, whence the will is constantly drawing its impulses and direction. Hence the consequence: they are preoccupied with the things of the flesh, aspire after them. The word phroneo is one of those terms which it is difficult to render in French, because it includes at once thinking and willing. (Godet, F L: The Epistle of St Paul to the Romans - ONLINE) Moule comments that "they who are flesh-wise, the unchanged children of the self-life, think, “mind,” have moral affinity and converse with, the things of the flesh; but they who are Spirit-wise, think the things of the Spirit, His love, joy, peace (The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans - ONLINE) Cranfield - We take Paul’s meaning in this verse then to be that those who allow the direction of their lives to be determined by the flesh are actually taking the flesh’s side in the conflict between the Spirit of God and the flesh, while those who allow the Spirit to determine the direction of their lives are taking the Spirit’s side. (Cranfield, C. E. B. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans . London; New York: T&T Clark International) Robert Haldane adds this comment on phroneo noting that... The word here translated “mind,” (KJV "For they that are after the flesh do mind -phroneo - the things of the flesh") includes both the understanding and the affections, and signifies the strong bent of the mind regarding the object desired. The minding of the flesh comprehends all the faculties of man in his unregenerate state, there being no power of the mind exempt from sin. If, then, a man walks according to the flesh, seeking acceptance with God by his own works, moral or ceremonial, however earnest or sincere he may be in his endeavors, he will remain under the prevalence and dominion of sinful appetites. Such persons have their minds intent on the things that gratify their corrupt nature. They have no relish for spiritual things; whatever they may be induced to do from dread of punishment, or hope of reward in a future world, their desires are, in reality, centered in the things of this world. Whatever may be their profession of religion, their hearts are supremely engrossed with earthly things (cf Php 3:19-note- whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds - continually - on earthly things ); and for these, if they could obtain their wish through eternity, they would gladly barter all the glories of heaven. In one word, they mind the things of the flesh, they love the world, and all that is in the world. “If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world (1John 2:15-16).” (Romans 8 Commentary - ONLINE) (Bolding added)