The Imagination as a Divine Tool in Christian Spirituality
The New Testament consistently treats imagination with caution, subordinating it to revealed truth rather than elevating it as an independent spiritual faculty. Paul commands believers to cast down "imaginations" (Greek logismoi, better rendered "reasonings") and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought captive to Christ's obedience [2]. This warfare imagery positions human reasoning and imagination not as neutral tools but as potential strongholds requiring conquest. John Gill explains that these "carnal reasonings" encompass the natural mind's arguments against God's providence, Christ's salvation, and gospel truth—all of which the preaching of the Word confounds [4]. The "high thing" Paul references belongs to those atmospheric regions where powers of darkness exalt themselves against Christ, distinct from the heavenly "height" from which believers receive blessing [5].
The Spirit's Role in Knowing
Christian spirituality locates the source of divine knowledge not in imaginative capacity but in the Spirit's direct revelation. Paul writes that believers "have the mind of Christ" [3], a gift transcending human reasoning's limitations. The Spirit reveals what the natural mind cannot grasp, making the Christian through inspiration of thoughts rather than through cultivated imagination [7]. This framework places imagination under the Spirit's authority rather than treating it as a conduit for accessing God independently.
Dreams and Visions Under the New Covenant
The biblical pattern reinforces this subordination. While the Old Testament records dreams as occasional vehicles of revelation, Scripture places them below prophetic visions where understanding remains active [1]. Under the Christian dispensation, trances and visions appear in Acts, but dreams vanish as means of divine communication [1]. This shift suggests that imagination's role diminishes rather than expands as revelation progresses toward its fulfillment in Christ.
The exceeding greatness of God's power toward believers operates through faith's implantation and continuance, not through imaginative exercises [6]. Christian spirituality thus guards against treating imagination as a spiritual technology, instead emphasizing the Spirit's sovereign work in conforming thought to Christ's lordship.
Sources
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Dreams — The Scripture declares that the influence of the Spirit of God upon the soul extends to its sleeping as well as its waking thoughts. But, in accordance with the principle enunciated by St. Paul in (1 Corinthians 14:15) dreams, in which the understanding is asleep, are placed below the visions of prophecy, in which the understanding plays its part. Under the Christian dispensation, while we read frequently of trances and vision, dreams are never referred to as vehicles of divine revelation. In exact accordance with this principle are the actual records of the ”
- King James Version “[KJV] 2 Corinthians 10:5 — Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”
- 1 Corinthians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Corinthians 2:16: 2:16 This quotation from Isa 40:13 shows how divine wisdom transcends the limitations of human reasoning (cp. Rom 11:34). • we have the mind of Christ: Linked to Christ, believers have the Spirit of Christ to reveal Christ’s thinking to them.”
- 2 Corinthians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 2 Corinthians 10:5: Casting down imaginations,.... Or "reasonings"; the carnal reasonings of the minds of natural men against God, his providences and purposes, against Christ, and the methods of salvation, and every truth of the Gospel; which are all disproved, silenced, and confounded, by the preaching of the word, which though reckoned the foolishness and weakness of God, appears to be wiser and stronger than men; and whereby the wisdom of the wise is destroyed, and the understanding of the prudent brought to nothing: and every high thing that exalteth itself against the know”
- 2 Corinthians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 2 Corinthians 10:5: imaginations--rather, "reasonings." Whereas "thought" expresses men's own purpose and determination of living after their own pleasure [TITTMANN]. high thing--So it ought to be translated (Rom 8:39). A distinct Greek word from that in Eph 3:18, "height," and Rev 21:16, which belongs to God and heaven from whence we receive nothing hurtful. But "high thing" is not so much "height" as something made high, and belongs to those regions of air where the powers of darkness ::exalt themselves" against Christ and us (Eph 2:2; Eph 6:12; Th2 2:4). exa”
- Ephesians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Ephesians 1:19: And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe,.... The objects of the divine power here intended, are believers in Christ; which distinguishes this power from that which was put forth in creation, and from that which will be displayed in the resurrection of the dead, and from the power of divine wrath, which will appear in the damnation of sinners; and shows, that this power is that which is exerted in the implantation of faith, and in the continuance of it, and in the finishing of that work; and that this is a great power, an exceeding gr”
- 1 Corinthians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Corinthians 2:10: revealed . . . by . . . Spirit--The inspiration of thoughts (so far as truth essential to salvation is concerned) makes the Christian (Co1 3:16; Co1 12:3; Mat 16:17; Joh 16:13; Jo1 2:20, Jo1 2:27); that of words, the PROPHET (Sa2 23:1-2; Kg1 13:1, Kg1 13:5), "by the word of the Lord" (Co1 2:13; Joh 20:30-31; Pe2 1:21). The secrets of revelation are secret to some, not because those who know them will not reveal them (for indeed, the very notion of revelation implies an unveiling of what had been veiled), but because those to whom they are announ”