σάρξ (flesh), σάρκινος (fleshly)

Flesh in the OT

1. בָּשָׂר

σάρξ is used predominantly to translate this Hebrew word in the OT

1. “Flesh” in the strict sense, i.e. the substance flesh (Gen 2:21; Job 19:20; Ezek 37:6, 8)
2. Body of man (Job 6:12; Ps 38:3)
1. Dead body (Ps 79:2)
2. “bone and flesh” (Job 2:5)
3. “All flesh,” referring to men and animals (Gen 6:17; 9:11ff.; Num 18:15; Ps 136:25; Dan 4:9)
1. Humanity (Isa 40:5f.; Jer 25:31)
2. In contrast to God’s Spirit (Gen 6:3) or in contrast to spirit (Isa 31:3)
3. In contrast to God (2 Chron 32:8) or to the divine (Dan 2:11)
4. “My flesh” denoting blood-relationship (Gen 29:14; 2 Sam 19:13, 14)
1. “your flesh” (Judg 9:2; 2 Sam 5:1; 1 Chron 11:1)
5. Figurative use
1. Man’s being (Ps 16:9; 63:1; Prov 4:22; Ecc 11:10; Ezek 11:19; 36:26)
2. Frailty and impotence (Gen 6:3; Ps 56:4; 2 Chron 32:8; Jer 17:5; Ps 78:39)
3. Mortal man (Job 10:4, 5)
1. שְׁאֵר
1. Etymology of this Hebrew word
1. Etym. Arab. ṯa’r, “blood,” then “blood-revenge,” hence שְׁאֵר orig. “inner bloody flesh” as distinct from בָּשָׂר == “skin with flesh.” (TDNT)
2. Body (Ps 72:26)
3. Meat (Ps 78:27)
4. Figurative (Mic 3:2, 3)

Flesh in the NT

1. Body
1. Thorn in Paul’s flesh (2 Cor 12:7)
2. Sickness of the flesh (Gal 4:13): “sickness” can also mean infirmity or incapacity
3. Circumcision in the flesh (Rom 2:28; Eph 2:11)
4. Fleshly ordinances (Heb 9:10)
5. “Filth of the flesh” (1 Pet 3:21)
6. Flesh of various creatures (1 Cor 15:39)
7. “Strange flesh” (Jude 1:7)
8. God in the flesh
1. The Word became flesh (Jn 1:14)
2. God manifested in the flesh (1 Tim 3:16)
3. Jesus Christ has come in the flesh (1 Jn 4:2; 2 Jn 1:7)
4. “Put to death in the flesh” (1 Pet 3:18)
5. “Christ suffered for us in the flesh” (1 Pet 4:1)
6. Jesus’ flesh (Acts 2:31; Heb 10:20)
7. Part of Jesus’ resurrected body (Lk 24:39)
2. Man’s being (2 Cor 7:5; 12:7; Col 1:24)
1. Mentioned in conjunction with man’s spirit (2 Cor 7:1)
2. “Become one flesh” (1 Cor 6:16; Eph 5:31)
3. Sphere of human existence; humanity
1. “According to the flesh”
1. earthly and human relationship (Rom 9:3; Eph 6:5; Col 3:22; Phm 16; Heb 12:9)
2. from a human perspective (Rom 4:1; 1 Cor 1:26)
3. In terms of physical descent (Rom 1:3; 9:5, 8; Jn 1:13)
4. earthly national identity (1 Cor 10:18)
2. “All flesh” (Jn 17:2; 1 Pet 1:24)
3. God in the flesh
1. The Word became flesh and dwelled among us (Jn 1:14)
2. God manifested in the flesh (1 Tim 3:16)
3. Jesus Christ has come in the flesh (1 Jn 4:2)
4. “In the days of His flesh” (Heb 5:7)
5. Sharing in the same flesh and blood as God’s children (Heb 2:14)
6. “Put to death in the flesh” (1 Pet 3:18)
7. “Christ suffered for us in the flesh” (1 Pet 4:1)
4. “My flesh”= kinsmen (Rom 11:14)
5. “In the flesh” (2 Cor 10:3; Gal 2:19, 20)
1. as opposed to “according to the flesh” (2 Cor 10:2)
2. “Judged according to men in the flesh” (1 Pet 4:6)
4. Man in his limitation
1. “Flesh and blood” (Mt 16:17; Gal 1:16): limited in knowing the things of God
2. Flesh as opposed to spirit (Mk 14:38; Rom 6:19): weakness of the flesh
3. The corruptible and the mortal
1. Mortal body (2 Cor 4:11)
2. The corruptible in contrast to the incorruptible kingdom of God (1 Cor 15:50): “flesh and blood”
4. “All flesh” (Rom 3:20; 1 Cor 1:29; Gal 5:21)
1. Cannot be justified before God
5. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh” (Jn 3:6)
6. “The flesh profits nothing” (Jn 6:63)
5. Man’s judgments and decisions
1. “According to the flesh” as opposed to according to promise (Gal 4:23, 29)
2. “Will of the flesh” (Jn 1:13)
3. Man’s ways in a negative sense (1 Cor 3:3, 4; 1Cor 1:24-26; 2 Cor 1:12, 17; 5:16; 10:2, 4); also “fleshly” = carnal
1. “Walk according to the flesh” (2 Cor 10:2)
2. “Judge according to the flesh” (Jn 8:15)
4. Man’s opinion (Gal 1:16): “flesh and blood”
5. “Good showing in the flesh” (Gal 6:12); “outward in the flesh” (Rom 2:28); “made perfect by the flesh” (Gal 3:3)
6. “Confidence in the flesh” (Phil 3:3)
1. “Boast according to the flesh” (2 Cor 11:18) as opposed to “according to the Lord” (2 Cor 11:17)
2. = “boasting in appearance and not in heart” (2 Cor 5:12)
3. “Puffed up in his fleshly mind” (Col 2:18)
7. “Walk according to the flesh” (Rom 8:4, 12f)
1. as opposed to “according to spirit” (Rom 8:4) and “by the Spirit” (Rom 8:13, 14)
2. “sets their minds on the things of the flesh” (Rom 8:5)
6. Subject of sin
1. Serving the law of sin (Rom 7:25)
2. “In the flesh”
1. Sinful passions at work in the flesh (Rom 7:5)
2. Unable to please God (Rom 8:8, 9)
3. Nothing good dwells (Rom 7:18)
3. With sinful passions (Rom 13:14; Gal 5:13, 16, 19, 24; Eph 2:3; 2 Pet 2:10, 18; 1 Jn 2:16)
1. “Works of the flesh” (Gal 5:19)
2. “Indulgence of the flesh” (Col 2:23)
3. “Putting off the body of the flesh” (Col 2:11)
4. “Uncircumcision of your flesh” (Col 2:13)
5. Those who are in Christ have crucified the flesh and its desires (Gal 5:24)
4. “He who sows to his flesh” (Gal 6:8)
5. “The flesh lusts against the spirit” (Gal 5:17)
6. “Walk according to the flesh” (Rom 8:4, 12f)
1. as opposed to “according to spirit” (Rom 8:4) and “by the Spirit” (Rom 8:13, 14)
2. “sets their minds on the things of the flesh” (Rom 8:5)
3. result is death (Rom 8:13)
7. Redemption through Jesus’ flesh
1. Reconciliation in “the body of His flesh” (Col 1:21-22)
2. “Abolished in His flesh the enmity” (Eph 2:15)
3. Jesus’ flesh, the bread of life (Jn 6:51-58)
4. Entering the Holiest by the veil, i.e. Jesus’ flesh (Heb 10:20)
5. “Put to death in the flesh” (1 Pet 3:18)
6. “Christ suffered for us in the flesh” (1 Pet 4:1)

σάρκινος
In the NT

1. Body
1. “Fleshly commandments” (Heb 7:16)
2. That which pertains to the body, i.e. material (Rom 15:27; 1 Cor 9:11)
2. Man’s being
1. “Tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart” (2 Cor 3:3)
3. Sphere of human existence; humanity
1. “Fleshly commandments” (Heb 7:16)
2. “Carnal” as opposed to spiritual (Rom 7:14)
3. “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal” (2 Cor 10:4)
4. Man’s judgments and decisions
1. “Carnal” (1 Cor 3:1-3)
2. “Fleshly wisdom” (2 Cor 1:12)
5. Subject of sin
1. “Carnal” (Rom 7:14; 1 Cor 3:1-3)
2. “Fleshly lusts” (1 Pet 2:11)