An Intersection with the Divine: Human Conscience Co-witnessing with the Spirit in Pauline Letters

Abstract

Witnessing is one of the most wilful and pious actions because it has to be achieved in solemn truthfulness and seriousness. Paul considered the witness of Jesus Christ as his supreme task and he gladly risked his life for it. On the other hand, Paul particularly introduces our conscience (συνείδησις) as a witnessing agent among many faculties of human agency. And conscience is not just witnessing (μαρτυρέω) by itself, but co-witnessing (συμμαρτυρέω, with the prefix, συν-). And third, the co-witnessing of conscience always come with divine agency, especially with the Holy Spirit. So this study will analize the dynamics and interplay between the divine agency (the Spirit) and the human agency (conscience) in co-witnessing, and define the identity and role of human conscience: an intersection with the Divine.