Grace and Duty of being Spiritually Minded

The words of the text explained: “to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Rom. viii. 6.

The expression in our translation sounds differently from that in the original. “To be spiritually minded,” say we. In the original it is φρόνημα τοῦ πνεύματος, as that in the former part of the verse is φρόνημα τῆς σαρκός, which we render “to be carnally minded.” In the margin we read, “the minding of the flesh” and “the minding of the Spirit;” and there is great variety in the rendering of the words in all translations, both ancient and modern. “Prudentia, sapientia, intelligentia, mens, cogitatio, discretio, id quod Spiritus sapit,” — “The wisdom, the understanding, the mind, the thought or contrivance, the discretion of the Spirit, that which the Spirit savoureth,” are used to express it. All our English translations, from Tindal’s, the first of them, have constantly used, “To be spiritually minded;” neither do I know any words whereby the emphasis of the original, considering the design of the apostle in the place, can be better expressed. But the meaning of the Holy Ghost in them must be farther inquired into.