[Greek] σκληρύνω (sklērynō), [Latin] obdurare, [Latin] indurare, [French] perseverer, [French] persister, [German] hart machen (make hard)

[Greek] σκληρύνω (sklērynō), [Latin] obdurare, [Latin] indurare, [French] perseverer, [French] persister, [German] hart machen (make hard): to be stubborn, to harden, to be hardened, to cause to be stubborn; Acts 19:9, Rom. 9:18, Heb.3:8,13,15, Heb.4:7

Hardness of heart: resistant attitudes toward others and the refusal to be faithful to Church teachings. God may even harden the hearts of some if He wills.

Background information:

Old Testament (The heart is the seat of emotions):

1. Hardening can viewed in a physiological (medical), spiritual, psychological, and ethical sense.
2. Hardness of heart is likened to arrogance, stubbornness, obstinance, wickedness, close-mindedness, unbelief, and toughness.
3. Hardness of heart can apply to unbelievers, enemies of Israel, Israel, Jews opposed to Christians, and Christians.
4. Hardness of heart can be illustrated by guilt and misery.
5. God can also permit the hardening of hearts of some (as He wills as part of His divine Providence). Ex. Pharaoh

The sin of Moses and Aaron at Kadesh (disobedience and acting like gods [Deut.20:2-12]):

1. The community, having no water, railed against Moses and Aaron.
2. Moses and Aaron went away from the assembly to the tent of meeting, falling prostrate before the Lord.
3. The Lord commanded them to assemble the community and to take the staff to command the rock to yield its waters.
4. Then Moses and Aaron said [to the assembly], ‘You rebels! Are we to produce water for you out of this rock?’
5. Moses struck the rock twice with his staff and water came out in abundance.
6. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron: ‘Because you did not have confidence in Me, to acknowledge My holiness before the Israelites, you shall NOT lead this assembly into the land I have given you.
7. God did not permit Aaron to see the promised land. Aaron, who also made the golden calf, died at Mount Hor.
8. God did not permit Moses to see the promised land. Moses died at Mount Nebo.
9. Moses and Aaron were guilty of taking credit (with God) for making themselves out as gods) in producing this miracle.
10. Moses and Aaron were disobedient in believing in God.

New Testament: This term means to be stubborn (obstinate) and to harden (cause to be stubborn).

Scripture:

Acts 19:9: “But when some in the obstinacy and disbelief disparaged the Way before the assembly, Paul withdrew and took his disciples with him and began to hold daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.” (While in Ephesus, Paul was experiencing opposition during his ministry. Some Jews became violently opposed to the gospel. Their hearts were insensitive as the truth made no impression on them. Perhaps the Jews were threatened by the Christians’ beliefs.)

Rom.19:17-18: “For the scripture says to Pharaoh, ‘This is why I have raised you up, to show My power through you that My name may be proclaimed throughout the earth. Consequently, He has mercy on whom He wills, and he hardens whom He wills.” (God raised up Pharaoh to be hard-hearted and to oppress His people. This allows Moses to begin his actions to oppose Pharaoh. God will permit hardness of heart in some people if it serves His will in His larger plans. In these situations, those who will not see or hear shall not see or hear. Yet, on the other hand, God can also open the heart through the Holy Spirit.)

Heb.3:8: “Harden not your hearts as at the rebellion in the day of testing in the desert.” (Paul warns against growing weary and giving up. He alludes to the Israelites’ disobedience in the desert. They provoked God in their unbelief, murmuring, ingratitude, sin, and idolatry.)

Day of testing: This harkens back to the murmuring, disbelief, impatience, idolatry, and hard-heartedness about whether God would provide water for the Israelites at Massah and Meribah. These places were called respectively “the place of the test” and “the place of strife.”

Heb.3:13: “Encourage yourselves daily while it is still ‘today’, so that none of you may grow hardened by the deceit of sin.” (Today is the day of grace before the coming of the day of glory and judgment of Christ’s coming. Today is the time to hear the voice of God. Hardness of the heart means obstinance, blindness to truth, unbelief, refusal to accept the gospel, rebelliousness, and refusal to recognize sin.)

Heb.3:15: “Oh, that today you would not hear His voice: ‘Harden not your hearts as at the rebellion.'” (Psa.95:8 makes reference to the place where the Israelites quarreled with God at Massah, where they put God to the test.)

The hard-heartedness of Modernism:

1. Pope Francis and his fellow Modernists are really “true-believers” in their Modernist ideology to finish and double down on the consequences of Vatican II.
2. They believe that the Traditional Latin Mass is divisive as long as it exists with the Novus Order Mass.
3. These Modernists seek to remove the TLM, a liturgical celebration which is thriving [where currently allowed], as the Novus Order Mass is declining. (Traditiones Custodes)
4. These Modernists ironically call those traditionally minded and (conservative) Catholics “RIGID” and “for having a nostalgic disease”.
5. According to Pope Francis, those priests who wear the cassock embody clericalism, spiritual worldliness, and a scandal. (As if looking like a priest is a bad thing!)
6. Modernists and Progressive priests are worried, unsettled, and helpless in being UNABLE to stop this growing trend of young traditionally minded (conservative) priests and seminarians.

My personal opinion:

1. The Holy Spirit is clearly slowly at work in bringing forth a true reform and renewal of Tradition for Jesus’ Church.
2. Young Catholics are being drawn to Tradition and the Traditional Latin Mass.
3. Because of the Holy Spirit, younger priests (seminarians) are becoming more conservative and traditionally minded. More older Modernist and progressive (clergy) are retiring and dying.
4. Despite continued opposition to Pope Francis, MODERNISTS CONTINUE TO REMAIN HARD-HEARTED in promoting in promoting their Modernist ideology on Jesus’ Church.
5. The Holy Spirit is permitting this hardness of the Modernists for a larger purpose: for others to see the consequences of liturgical confusion (chaos), to wake people up, and to inspire the longing for Tradition.
6. Liturgical confusion: more and more people are becoming alarmed about the liturgical confusion (chaos) in Church doctrine, teachings, and liturgy caused by the Modernists.
7. Waking people up: more and more people are waking up from their luke-warmness and stupor in not taking the Church and their faith for granted.
8. Pope Francis digging himself deeper: Pope Francis continues to cause confusion (with his own words) veering over the Church’s doctrinal rails about salvation.
9. Longing for Tradition: more and more people are seeking deeper truths; more and more people are seeing clergy being criticized, cancelled and persecuted for espousing traditional Catholic teachings.
10. This is the only way that Jesus’ Church will TRULY BE RENEWED AND RESTORED.
11. Not surprisingly, this movement embodies Archbishop Lefebvre’s prophetic statement: “Our future is our past” (The Church’s future path requires that it restores its traditions. Archbishop Lefebvre had misgivings about Vatican II.)

Conclusion:

Sclerosis, sclerotic, obdurate (not easily moved by feelings), heart, persevere, persist, endure, endurance

Update: Over many years both non-Arab nations and Arab nations have shown a hardness of heart (anti-Semitism) toward Israel and its citizens.

The Trump administration has been successful in overcoming Arab hard-heartedness in initiating peace accords with Israel and Arab nations.

Hard-heartedness in ideology and stupidity have contributed to creating the “Hamas wing” of the Democratic party.

One must also take pause that hard-heartedness plays an important in producing radical rightists, radical Islam, and radical leftists.

The Nicaraguan government continue to oppress and persecute the Catholic Church.

Pope Francis and his inner circle, in their hard-heartedness to Tradition and traditional Church teachings, have declared that Jesus’ Church is now a worldly synodal Church, made in the image of man and his lived experiences.

Pope Francis ironically call those who favor Tradition and traditional teachings as “rigid”, a “scandal”, a form of “clercalism”, and “having a disease for nostalgia”. (This is more reflective of the Modernists’ hard-heartedness against Tradition.)

The Vatican was forced to remove an online poll gauging the support for the Vatican’s Synodal path. The opposition against it was overwhelming!

Even after all this time, I think we can all come to the conclusion that Pope Francis and his fellow Modernists are NOT going to change in implementing their Modernist ideology, in light of opposition to them. 

Pope Francis and his inner circle, in their hard heartedness, has refused to acknowledge the traditional (and conservative) Catholics’ concerns about the Synod. Instead, like-minded appointed delegates are chosen to approve their already planned agenda. This Synod only represents 1% of Catholics.

It is very interesting to note that the Greek noun kardiognostes refers to God, knower of hearts. In a sense, God is the pre-eminent heart specialist! So make an appointment! God’s domain is always in network! No referrals needed! All salvation health plans accepted! I hear the benefits are out of this world! ☺☺☺

“Blessed is the one who always trembles before God. But whoever hardens his heart falls into trouble.” Prov. 28:14

Next post: being strong (firm)