Galatians 6:11

γράμμα gramma refers to that which is drawn, specifically lines of a drawing or a picture. It can also mean a written character or letter, but in many contexts, especially in ancient literature, it signifies a drawing or picture. For example, it is used to describe tapestry designs (Euripides, Ion 1146), pictures by Apelles (Herodotus 4.73), and figures in a picture (Procopius). The word's primary meaning is thus closely related to artistic representations, such as lines or images, rather than just written symbols.

"The Old Art is Imitation vs. Art is Truth Debate"

In Plato's Republic 472d, the term γράμμα (gramma) is used in the context of visual art. They are discussing about the nature of art and imitation, particularly focusing on the relationship between reality, representations, and the forms. Specifically, Socrates is discussing how images (drawings, pictures, or representations) are mere "copies" of the true forms of things, which are themselves abstract and perfect concepts.

"those which are working for hire as a shadow and copy of the Heavenly ones..." (Hebrews 8:5 RBT)

Socrates compares how artists or painters (who create γράμματα grammata - drawn letters/images) represent things in a way that is only an imitation of the actual forms in the world. That is, art is an imitation of a copy of the truth (twice removed) and, therefore, cannot be considered a reliable source of knowledge. His view critiqued art's ability to mislead people into thinking that they have knowledge of something real when, in fact, they are only seeing distorted versions of reality, a fact all too apparent in cinema and a great many other forms of media. The only true knowledge, according to Plato, comes from understanding the forms themselves, which can only be grasped through reason and intellect, not through sensory experience or artistic representation.

"Changing the Mind to the Beyond"

But what happens if we introduce a metaphysical dimension of heaven into the debate? Now, the discussion shifts from merely imitating the world around us to engaging with an ideal, transcendent source of truth that exists "above" or "beyond" the material world. But any art representing an ideal, would be with out rational or intellectual basis. Enter the Logos. In the context of the Logos, "words from beyond" would reveal a "higher reason" and intellect—one that would "pierce through" our reality as we know it. In a sense, it would be a creative act originating from a single thought (i.e. the eye of the God), and that thought would then expand and increase throughout the fabric of existence.

Without the Logos piercing through (like light breaking through darkness), if it were obscured or covered, any "art of heaven" would become unclear, esoteric, misleading, and even chaotic. It might inspire awe, but it would lack a coherent explanation or understanding of its meaning. The single "divine thought" would be a dark one, and the darkness would spread throughout our reality. The origin (or our origin) would be hated, despised, or otherwise an enmity to fight against. But if the Logos is light, and breaks forth, it would provide a solid, rational structure needed for artistic representations of the divine, ensuring they are not only beautiful or evocative but also true in a metaphysical sense, if not in form. It would prevent art from devolving into mere aesthetic expression devoid of substance or intellectual grounding.

A "mind of heaven" would not only create or inspire art but would also organize and give meaning to the world, grounding all things in divine logic and order.

If the mind of heaven were to represent itself fully in the world, it (he) would need both art and logos. Art could point to divine truths and inspire awe, while logos would provide the rational means to understand those truths. Both would be integral to representing the totality of divine wisdom and beauty, ensuring that heaven’s presence is accessible both intellectually and emotionally. This highlights what has always been in tension, and thought to be even paradoxical: the synthesis of the intellectual and the emotional, the rational and the aesthetic, as a complete path to understanding the divine.