a new non-Greek model for understanding spirit, soul, and body: the lamp of the lord (2000)

by Robert Winer, M.D.

No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lamp stand, that those who come in may see the light. The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light (Luke 11:33-36, NKJ).

Background

  1. The background here is Yeshua's miracle of delivering a man from an oppression causing muteness (v.11).
  2. People who witnessed this deliverance were divided in their opinion of whether Yeshua's ability to deliver the man came from God or Beelzebub. There were two groups: 1) those definitely against him; and 2) those who were going along with their leaders.
  3. Those from the first group came to Him asking for a sign from heaven. They really weren't interested in His message or a sign, but rather to discredit Him. The text says He knew their thoughts (v.17) and so He answered, "a house divided against itself cannot stand." That is, if I were from Satan I wouldn't cast out my own team's demons.
  4. Later in the passage, after the incident, He speaks to a crowd and pronounces judgment on those who follow the path of discrediting Him (insincere sign-askers), saying, "This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet" (v.29).
  5. I believe that Yeshua's judgment also held for those who went along with their leaders by tacitly agreeing that the miraculous work of deliverance was from Beelzebub.
  6. It is this group--the one in which there is some hope of a true turning to God--that Yeshua gave this story of the lamp.
  7. He begins the story of the lamp by saying in effect, "I have the light of God. I must show it to others as that is what God wants me to do. I will be deterred from doing this work because some men are against it and call it evil."

A New Non-Greek Purpose-driven Model

  1. We are bombarded by a Greek grid for the Scriptures--a mindset that is not Semitic or Hebraic.
  2. I've pondered this area for a long time, particularly Scriptures that deal with the distinction between body, soul, and spirit.
  3. It seems to me that a new Hebraic and Scriptural understanding of this area--through the light of the New Covenant--is not only necessary, but vital.
  4. The Greek mindset seems to me to be: Man is spirit, he has soul, and he lives in a body. It's a cold, box-like schema.
  5. Yeshua taught an understanding of body, soul, and spirit through stories with explanations from natural things, one of which was this story of the lamp.
  6. One of the main differences which I want you to consider is that the lamp model for spirit, soul, and body gives one a purpose-driven grid. It is a model alive, organic, and actual, rather than theoretical.
  7. The lamp has a definite purpose--to give light. I believe that God's intention is that any teaching from the Scripture bring His life to bear on the practical everyday situations of people. Allowing the light of God to daily come into us releases His power to change us more into His image.

The Components of the Story

  1. In order, the props or things in this story are:
    1. A lit lamp (refers to the flame of the lamp);
    2. The lamp;
    3. The scene. The scene is a room (this is implied).
  2. The action of the story takes place in a room that has secret places, a basket, and a lamp stand.
    1. Next, an expansion to the analogy is added: "The lamp of the body" is defined as the "eye."
    2. The action within the story is the placing of a lit lamp on a lamp stand. The purpose of doing this is to light the room.
  3. Understanding the analogy of the props or things
    1. The lamp is not the flame nor the light of the flame. The lamp is the thing that holds the flame, or put another way, the lamp holds the light.
    2. The "lamp of the body" is called the "eye." So now we understand what two of the components represent:
      1. The body is the room.
      2. The soul is the lamp. Another name for the soul is the "eye." This was a common first century symbol for the soul.
    3. Now, what does the third component, the flame, represent?
      1. The purpose of the flame of a lamp is to produce light. The flame must represent the person's spirit.
      2. Remember, the lamp (soul) is the holder of the flame. The lamp is not the flame nor the light produced by the flame. The soul is the holder of the spirit.
  4. Looking at the action of the story.
    1. The Beginning Point: "No one, when he has lit a lamp ... ."
      1. We make a choice in our life. Will we light the wick of our lamp?
      2. I believe we are born with our lamps lit. Gradually the lamp's oil (provided by God when we're born) is exhausted and our flame goes out. At the "age of reason" we must consciously choose to light our lamp. When we thus consciously make a decision to follow God by accepting the atonement He has given for us, He takes some of His fire (part of His nature) and places it on our own wick. His spirit now resides within you. God adds new oil as we light the lamp's wick.
      3. In this story the lamp is lit.
    2. The End Point: Put the lit lamp on the lamp stand.
      1. Once we've lit our lamp, we have a second choice to make: What will we do with it? Here there's a choice between two actions:
        1. Putting the lamp in "a secret place" or "under a basket"
        2. Putting the lamp on top of the "lamp stand."
      2. Only putting the lamp on top of the lamp stand fulfills the true purpose of lighting the lamp: "that those who come in may see the light."

Yeshua Explains Our Actions

    "Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness."

  1. First, we consider those who put the lit lamp on the lamp stand:
    1. Where you put the lamp (as judged by the amount of light in the room (your body) tells you or others something about your "eye" (soul).
    2. If you put your lit lamp on the lamp stand, Yeshua says your soul is "good." In the Greek text of the passage the word translated "good," actually means "single."
    3. "Single" implies that the lamp is fulfilling its intended purpose--to produce light. The lamp and its purpose are unified, single, and working together in harmony.
  2. Next, we consider those who don't put their lit lamp on the lamp stand
    1. In this case, their "eye" (soul) is called "bad"--not single, not fulfilling the purpose God intended for it.
    2. The result of putting the lit lamp in a secret place or under the lamp stand is that room is either dark or partially lighted. If this is the case, the person's body is said to be "full of darkness."
  3. "Take Heed"

      "Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light."

    1. Yeshua warns us that there's really only one choice to make--to be full of light.
    2. A lit lamp that is not on top of the lamp stand isn't fulfilling the purpose God intended for it. Though lit, its placement produces a condition of darkness or partial darkness in you.
    3. In either case the result is not the optimum available--what's called "bad," and not "single" or "good."
    4. Allowing your lamp to produce darkness or partial light seriously diminishes your spiritual fruit as your soul and spirit are working across purposes, in effect, they're antagonistic to each other.

Fulfilling Our Purpose

  1. While we're alive, I suggest that we consider ourselves to be lamps whose goal it is to produce the most light possible. To me, this is the only realistic and true source of contentment, purpose, and meaning in life. Being the best lamp we can be fulfills life's spiritual purpose. Here's some suggestions:
    1. Have enough fuel. Also make sure it's good quality fuel
      1. The oil for our lamp comes only from God. We can't get it without being in His presence personally.
      2. Good quality fuel comes from spending good, quality time with Him. This means a daily devotional walk (praise and worship, time in the Scriptures, meditation on the Scriptures, and prayer)
    2. Have the right type (composition) and length of wick
      1. The wick holds the flame.
      2. Only an undefiled wick can hold the flame of the Lord. God will not dwell in an unholy place. Personal holiness insures us having the right wick.
      3. The wick that works best is the optimum length with the right flexibility reminding us of the continual need to keep a tender and gentle spirit before the Lord.
    3. Not dampening or extinguishing the light .
      1. When we decide for the soul and not the spirit, we lose the ability to put the lamp on the lamp stand.
      2. This causes us to have no room in our will to choose to fulfill the needs of the spirit. Some examples are:
        1. Judging others.
        2. Fear of man--what others might think.
        3. Laziness (not following through spiritually) or apathy in decision-making (lack of will to decide for God).
        4. An atmosphere of worry, cares, thinking about the things that concern us, and distractions.
        5. Spending more time in soulish or bodily pursuits than in spiritual ones. Though input from conversations, TV, reading, and other pursuits are not bad in themselves, they can get in the way if pursued and received at the wrong time.
        6. Isolating ourselves from people (no body coming in to see the light).

Taking Your Lamp Outside to Others

    Lk. 1:68-79

    68 "Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people,

God has visited and redeemed His people.

    69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David, 70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, who have been since the world began, 71 That we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us,

He has raised up a horn of salvation to save us from enemies and deliver us from those who hate us.

    72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant, 73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham: 74 To grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, 75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.

Why were we raised up?

    1. To perform mercy.
    2. To grant us deliverance

76 "And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, 77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins, 78 Through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; 79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

    1. If you've lit your own lamp and illuminated your own room then it's possible to take your lamp into the outside world (beyond your own personal internal existence).
    2. The inside developed enables outward or outside effectiveness and impacting. We must learn to develop a balance between the two (our inside spiritual life and our outside life of social, religious, work, and family interactions.
    3. An anointed lamp is fueled with special oil from the Lord to give off a more penetrating light.
    4. Knowledge and mercy shape the lamp making it more flexible, changeable and adaptable to new situations and problems.
    5. Thus equipped, one can then go out and give light to those who sit in darkness. The passage explains that the eyes of others need the light of the spirit to see and that their feet need to be guided to find the entrance to "the way (derech) of peace." Will you take up this call?

Copyright 2000, Winer Foundation and Robert I. Winer, M.D.