Relationships between consciousness and co-working

^{God's Wisdom for every day — Suneidesis & Sunergos}
I recently discovered a fractal phenomenon between two fundamental things: a principle related to human thinking and relational processes. These are heaven - initiated merits and values decoded in the new testamental apostolic mindset.
When scrutinizing human relationships and community dynamics we can see: the two are inseparable. Since they are in the same fractal: Both create unity, integration at their own different levels. Both have coherence and alignment which helps (or drives) the parts /members.
(The result below came from an interesting conversation with Claude.ai.)

Brief definitions

Suneidesis (Greek: συνείδησις) is an ancient Greek term that means "conscience" or "consciousness of something".
Synergy (Greek: συνεργία = synergía), derived from syn- (with/together) and ergon (work), meaning "working together") describes the phenomenon where the combined effect of people, teams, or resources working together is greater than the sum of their individual contributions. It's exactly the well-known 2+2=5 dynamic
Both concepts do share that "syn-" prefix meaning "together" or "with," and both involve something emerging from a bringing-together:
Suneidesis is about internal integration
  - your knowledge, values, moral awareness
  coming together within yourself.
It's inward-facing and personal.
Synergy is about external collaboration
  - multiple entities
  coming together to create something greater.
It's outward-facing and collective.

Conscience — Co-thinking with Gd — Apostolic examples

And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.”
And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.
Act 23:1

For Paul the conscience was a really important thing. During his writings he repeatedly mentions his self-awareness, the need to keep it before God and the enemy's effort to ruin it. Right after his arrest, he addresses the agitated crowd as follows:

this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.
Act 24:14-16

In Romans 2 Paul explains why conscience has an important role; not only in the moral life of the humanity but in the heavenly plan namely on the day of judgement. Gd will see our deeds and our decisions, the obscure parts also in relation with our conscience.

They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.
Roman 2:15

Mentioning the practical, respectful citizenship in the society Paul gives some moral direction. He points to the Lord's heavenly dimension but also saves our conscience. We act with good heart, no simply avoiding the punishment but for our peace of mind by good conscience :

(authorities & rulers are)... God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.
Romans 13:5

Conscience is a delicate issue. Strong self-awareness can cause conflicts which can even lead to sin. In our ignorant age, filled with self justification we should be very concerned about this warning here:

for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, a through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.
1Cor 8:6-12

In the ancient era idolatry was strongly connected to the distribution of food to street vendors. In this way the weak or young believers could be tempted to reconnect idolater cults through the received /bought food. Today the situation is a bit better but you can see the Khrishna sect which always distribute food, (various source + their spiritual teachings), or you can find yourself among Christians who are in danger leaning back their former alcoholism, while offered communion : taking the bread and the vine as an only option.

The decision though is not simple. I really don't like the practice : tempting the stronger believers during the communion: not taking vine, only juice because of the weak. It's also putting burden by religious "rules".

So. When we read Paul's letters to the then Corinthians we must understand the bubbling life of the town : practically fulfilled by numerous cult brought by the merchants' levante - culture.
Paul supports the believers with firm navigation among the cults. So. We have God's word for our help:

Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. For “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” (citing from various sources: Ps. 24:1; 50:2; Deut. 10:14; Job 41:11;)
If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— I do not mean your conscience, but his.
1Cor 10:25-29

Here, you can see the unbiased, unselfish tenderness which is the standard in that church culture. The modern man would be aware of his conscience. The apostle put the focus on others heart and potential vulnerability. We are to care and save other's conscience by the grace we have got.

Grace works

God's grace works today, above all issues!
The precious blood of the Lamb purifies our conscience. We may be hindered, deceived but the blood of the Lamb had already been accepted by the Mighty Judge. The price is...
Already offered
Already spilled
Already accepted

if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
_{Heb 9:13}

With this wonderful news I close the subject of self-awareness, the good news of continual provision over us... and the deliverance if it necessary.
I think, we are really blessed & humbled to have Paul intimate testimony on his heart's habits.. Through his honest words we can learn a lot ... how he keeps maintaining his precious good conscience :

{God} delivered us from... a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many. For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you.
2 Corinthians 1:10-12

What is so shocking to me in this honest disclosure is that Paul's words seem almost boastful to everyone; however, they were written with an extremely stable and God-dependent self-image, self-reflection: with Suneidesis. Paul's message is timeless for those who long to live with such a strong conscience in a world where those who bear witness will always be accused by the aforementioned people of bad consciences.

Sunergos

Fellow worker
The word sunergos is used by the Apostle Paul and John to describe people who are "fellow workers" or "co-laborers" in the cause of Christ. Many of them listed name by name in the apostolic greetings: Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, Priscilla and Aquila, Urbanus, Stachys, Timothy, Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater..
In contrast to today's tendencies to belittle each other and ourselves, (claiming a pretty much low status; a heck of fals humbleness) these people were in direct contact with the apostles, and their valuable work became known not only among the members of the local communities but also throughout the entire apostolic correspondence. The apostles named them and were grateful for them. It was through their joint actions that they truly got to know each other. Their value-centered work was missionary activity, for both women and men.

"And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life".
Philippians 4:3
"If [any inquire] about Titus, [he is] my partner and fellow worker among you; or our brothers [are inquired about], they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ"
2 Corinthians 8:23
"For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building".
1 Corinthians 3:9:

Now we will scrutinize the horizontal & vertical dynamic of the these co-working relationships.

Sunergeō

Synergy
Meanwhile the form sunergeō describes the dynamics among the workers... as we can see in Rm 8 , found in the following verses:

we know that for thosew ho love God
all things work together for good,
with those who are called*
according to his purpose.
For those whom he foreknew
he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son
Rm 8:28

This passage is unique in the New Testament because the parts of the sentence can also be read by different (linguistic) division. Let us see some of the variations:

...that those who love God always work together for the good of those who are called according to His purpose. (Scrivener NT)
We know that God works together for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. (Westcott-Hort)
We know not that God loves those who love Him, but that He works together for good with those who are called according to His purpose. (Stephanus)

As you can see some translation embraces the idea of God - man - co-working, meanwhile others simply state that God is working for us / on behalf of us. The main dynamic, IMHO, especially in the book of acts is the co-working for good, for God's plan, which is : working for others, with God, for sharing the Gospel.

"And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word with accompanying signs".
Mark 16:20

The Work of Faith

"Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?
Do you see that (his) faith was working together with /was active along his works, and by works faith was made perfect?"
James 2:21-22

This is the Work of Faith what we see in 1 Thessalonian epistle.

We give thanks.. remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope
1Thess 1:3

The verb sunergeō helps the idea of Work of Faith where Gd and man or man & man has a co-working... for the better good. If we remember the beginning of the book Génesis we understand the wrong teachings of passive fatalist prayer. Adam and Eve were co-workers in the Eden as the member of the heavenly family.
The source of the apostolic zeal was not hidden before the 1st century believers. They were Gd's workers and Gd continually worked in them and for them:

"We then, as workers together with Him, also plead with [you] not to receive the grace of God in vain"
For he says,
 “In a favorable time I listened to you,
and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the favorable time...
2 Corinthians 6:1-2

Submission in coworking

We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work.
1 Thess 5:12-13

This passage reveals the social mechanics of how emerging leadership worked in apostolic communities...
...
Paul's instruction asks the community to formally "recognize" those already performing visible labor, thereby institutionalizing what was likely already a social fact.
...
Coworking is not a new invention in the human society. The early churches naturally accepted people with Authority through Proximity and Activity.
The leaders are described as working "among you," not from above or apart. This embedded leadership style—where the apostles (the authority figures) remain part of daily community life and visible in practical work —characterizes small-group organizations. The invitation of co-workers into the apostolic circle is not an unknown phenomenon if we look at similar rabbinical structures. These individuals did not constitute a separate class removed from ordinary interaction. They were known through daily association, close relationships: continuous presence. The sociology of small communities shows that authority tends to emerge from those who spend most time engaged in group (church) activities.

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.
...
For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it.
1Cor 3:9-10

In this system of relationships, the Apostle Paul sees himself as everyone's servant, but also as the founding-worker of all vision received from God. His focus is on passing on God's work, and he takes the attitude of future generations very seriously.
This is an eternal theme in the life of the church. Every revival and movement produces its own co-workers. In the second and third generations it is already clear what kind of building the younger generation is laying on the foundations.
For this reason, it was very important for the Apostle Paul to highlight his trusted colleagues and give them value and status as exemplary people.
{On this topic, I recommend reading the entire study on the dynamics of apostolic communities.}

".. the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. — (I urge you) that you also submit to such, and to everyone who helps in the work and labors".
1 Corinthians 16:15-16
We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work.
1Thess 5:12-13

This last example shows us the essence of the value of the coworking community and its leadership. The key phrase here is "because of their work" —submission is contingent upon demonstrated labor, not upon office alone. This suggests a conditional authority structure... leaders earned recognition through visible effort; The community's call to respect them is linked to observable performance. This represents a more fragile authority structure than formal hierarchy, one dependent on continuous fulfillment of expected roles.

Summa

When our Suneidesis is driven by God {Who is the ideal, unbiased mentor} our character is able to build a more effective and less self-defensive place among our human relationships: to build a better Synergy with others.
You can read/listen the full conversation here
Article: Faithfulness in heavy times

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