“I have been crucified with Christ, and I live; [yet] no longer I, but Christ lives in me. And the [life] I now live in the flesh, I live by faith toward the Son of God, the [One] loving me and giving Himself over on my behalf” (Galatians 2:20).
“For the love of Christ constrains us, having judged this, that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that the living ones may live no more to themselves, but to the [One] having died for them and having been raised. So as we now know no one according to flesh, but even if we have known Christ according to flesh, yet now we no longer know [Him so]. So that if anyone [is] in Christ, [he] is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new!” (2 Corinthians 5:14-17)
A non-Christian professor and psychologist named Jordan B. Peterson (in one of his many lectures on Youtube) answered a seemingly disheartened person’s question about criticisms that Nietzsche had made about “bloodless scholars.” Here is my quite rough transcription of Peterson’s response:
“If an idea [or belief–CD] didn’t incarnate itself in you, and transform your perceptions and your actions, then you were merely possessed by the idea; you were merely a spokesperson for the idea…or you can say the idea possessed you…you’re a puppet for the idea. It’s not you. The idea is in you and it has you…you haven’t taken the idea and incorporated it in you and made it part of your life…[“passionate scholar” –CD] not merely abstracted representations, to be tossed about as if they’re commodities…they’re more like personalities. … If those ideas are compelling. …
… When I was a kid I liked to argue…but I didn’t mind so much [or care about–CD] what the content of the argument was…[I argued–CD] to establish intellectual dominance…I quit doing that when I was in my mid-twenties, because I thought that was too shallow an approach to the ideas…they’re not commodities of that sort…they have tendrils that reach down into the living…So [Nietzsche’s –CD] criticism of scholars — and he did this a lot — was that they were bloodless. They were full of performative contradictions (that’s another way of thinking about it). They would say one thing and do another, because their intellect was completely disassociated from their actions. …
… the ideas being merely passed through the person as if they’re being memorized, say. Or whether they’re part of the dynamic core of the person…almost always engaging and gripping if ideas are part of this dynamic core. …
… It’s not a good idea to have ideas possess you…unless you know what the ideas are up to. Lots of people are possessed by ideas, rather than possessing them. And what that means is that they haven’t taken the ideas and integrated them into their own being…it’s like an incarnation in a sense…They haven’t incarnated the ideas in…embodied form” (Jordan B. Peterson).
So here’s my adaptation or my riff off of Peterson’s distillation or explanation of Nietzsche’s criticism of “bloodless scholars”:
“And why do you call Me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46; underlining mine).
For the true Christian who loves the true Jesus of the Bible (and not the “jesus” of their vain imaginings), they will do what He says out of love, and will follow the Lamb wherever He goes. The Word of Christ is to dwell in us richly, and we are NOT to be mere hearers of the Word, but doers of it (cf. James 1:21-27). Our feet ought to line up with our speech, so to speak (underlining mine):
“My little children, let us not love in word, or in tongue, but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18).
“On account of this, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of evil, in meekness receive the implanted Word being able to save your souls. But become doers of [the] Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Because if anyone [is] a hearer of [the] Word, and not a doer, this one is like a man studying his natural face in a mirror; for he studied himself, and has gone away, and immediately [he] forgot of what kind he was. But the [one] looking into the perfect Law of liberty, and continuing [in it], this one not having become a forgetful hearer, but a doer of [the] work, this one will be blessed in his doing. If anyone thinks to be religious among you, [yet] not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his heart, this one’s religion [is] vain. Pure and undefiled religion before God and [the] Father [is] this: to visit orphans and widows in their afflictions, [and] to keep oneself unspotted from the world” (James 1:21-27).
“And they sing as a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures and the elders. And no one was able to learn the song except the hundred [and] forty four thousands, those having been redeemed from the earth. These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones following the Lamb wherever He may go. These were redeemed from among men as a firstfruit to God and to the Lamb. And no guile was found in their mouth, for they are without blemish before the throne of God” (Revelation 14:3-5).
“And another angel followed, saying, The great city, Babylon, has fallen, has fallen because of the wine of the anger of her fornication she made all nations to drink. And a third angel followed them, saying in a great voice, If anyone worships the beast and its image, and receives a mark on his forehead, or in his hand, he also shall drink of the wine of the anger of God having been mixed undiluted in the cup of His wrath. And he will be tormented by fire and brimstone before the holy angels and before the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever. And those worshiping the beast and its image have no rest night and day, even if anyone receives the mark of its name. Here is the patience of the saints; here [are] the ones keeping the commands of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice out of Heaven saying to me, Write: Blessed [are] the dead, the ones dying in the Lord from now. Yes, says the Spirit, they shall rest from their labors, and their works follow with them. And I saw; and behold, a white cloud and on the cloud [One] sitting like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel went forth out of the temple, crying in a great voice to the [One] sitting on the cloud, Send Your sickle and reap, because Your hour to reap came, because the harvest of the earth was dried” (Revelation 14:8-15).
We honor Jesus Christ our King with our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. Christ dwells in us by the Holy Spirit of God:
“But you are not in flesh, but in Spirit, since [the] Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone has not [the] Spirit of Christ, this one is not His” (Romans 8:9).
With the truly regenerate soul, there is not this saying one thing and doing another; there is not this disassociation between the true believer’s intellect (heart, soul, mind, strength) and his actions. Now, clearly, this is NOT to say a believer never sins, and thus never has any disassociation whatsoever, between what he says he believes and what he does (read Romans 7 for a humbling instance of that).
But, just as clearly, the true Christian’s life is NOT characterized by this “dissociation.” For to be characterized by this type and degree of disassociation is to be the very person John and Jesus condemn in the following Scriptures (the point of this post is NOT Peterson’s distillation of Nietzsche’s criticisms; rather, I am merely using or adapting Peterson’s words as a springboard to launch into Biblical application):
“The [one] saying, I have known Him, and not keeping His commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that one” (1 John 2:4).
“And answering, He said to them, Well did Isaiah prophesy concerning you, hypocrites; as it has been written: This people honors Me with the lips, but their heart is far away from Me” (Mark 7:6).
“From their fruits you shall know them. Do they gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? So every good tree produces good fruits, but the corrupt tree produces evil fruits. A good tree cannot produce evil fruits, nor a corrupt tree produce good fruits. Every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and is thrown into fire. Then surely from their fruits you shall know them. Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter into the kingdom of Heaven, but the [ones] who do the will of My Father in Heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name do many works of power? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, those working lawlessness! Then everyone who hears these Words from Me, and does them, I will compare him to a wise man who built his house on the rock; and the rain came down, and the floods came up, and the winds blew, and fell against that house; but it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these Words of Mine, and who does not do them, [he] shall be compared to a foolish man who built his house on the sand; and the rain came down, and the floods came up, and the winds blew and beat against that house; and it fell, and great was the collapse of it” (Matthew 7:16-27).
“I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. Every branch in Me not bearing fruit, He takes it away; and each one bearing fruit, He prunes, so that it may bear more fruit. You are already pruned because of the Word which I have spoken to you. Remain in Me, and I in you. As the branch is not able to bear fruit of itself, unless it remain in the vine, so neither [can] you unless you remain in Me. I am the Vine; you [are] the branches. The [one] abiding in Me, and I in him, this one bears much fruit, because apart from Me you are not able to execute, nothing. Unless one remains in Me, he is cast out as the branch and is dried up; and they gather and throw [them] into a fire, and they are burned. If you remain in Me, and My Words remain in you, whatever you desire you will ask, and it shall happen to you. In this My Father is glorified, that you should bear much fruit; and you will be disciples to Me. As the Father loved Me, I also loved you; continue in My love. If you keep My commandments you will continue in My love, as I have kept My Father’s commandments and continue in His love. I have spoken these things to you that My joy may abide in you, and your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I loved you. Greater love than this has no one, that anyone should lay down his soul for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. I no longer call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his lord does. But I called you friends, because all things which I heard from My Father I made known to you. You have not chosen Me, but I chose you out and planted you, that you should go and should bear fruit, and your fruit remain, that whatever you should ask the Father in My name, He may give you” (John 15:1-16).
“Be imitators of me, as I [am] also of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).
“For the love of Christ constrains us, having judged this, that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that the living ones may live no more to themselves, but to the [One] having died for them and having been raised. So as we now know no one according to flesh, but even if we have known Christ according to flesh, yet now we no longer know [Him so]. So that if anyone [is] in Christ, [he] is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new!” (2 Corinthians 5:14-17)
“I have been crucified with Christ, and I live; [yet] no longer I, but Christ lives in me. And the [life] I now live in the flesh, I live by faith toward the Son of God, the [One] loving me and giving Himself over on my behalf” (Galatians 2:20).
There are many Biblical passages that commend zeal. NOT zeal without knowledge of course (Romans 10:2), but godly zeal that accords with knowledge of the redemptive glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
“But [it is] good to be zealous always in [a] good thing and not only in my being present with you” (Galatians 4:18)
Now, whatever Peterson may have meant or whatever Nietzsche may have meant, I don’t much care. But I do like some of the words and the way Peterson articulated the words — words such as incorporation, integration, and incarnation. I think Galatians 2:20 and 2 Corinthians 5:15 show this incarnation and integration quite well (also other passages such as John 15 with Christ being the Life-Giving Vine to those who are, by nature, dead and lifeless branches).
Agrammatos 