“Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.” – Ephesians 4:17

Why did Paul call our minds “futile”?

He uses the Greek words here: “mataiotés” for “futile” which means: vanity, emptiness, unreality, purposelessness, ineffectiveness, instability, frailty; false religion.

And “nous” for minds, which means: the mind, the reason, the reasoning faculty, intellect.

So Paul says our minds, our reasoning ability, our intellects are vanity, emptiness and ineffective.

Now consider 1 Corinthians 1:27 and 2:6:16

And then…

“16And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eatd of it you shall surely die.”” – Genesis 2:16

“It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me” – John 6:45

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” – Romans 10:17

“But it is the spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand.” – Job 32:8

“0Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

“‘“You will indeed hear but never understand,

and you will indeed see but never perceive.”

15For this people’s heart has grown dull,

and with their ears they can barely hear,

and their eyes they have closed,

lest they should see with their eyes

and hear with their ears

and understand with their heart

and turn, and I would heal them.’

16But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” – Matthew 13:10-17

“33And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), 34they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. 35And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. ” – Matthew 27:33-35

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’” – Revelation 2:7

Friends, which tree are you eating from?