The Different Meanings of “Flesh”

We find that the word “flesh” is used in Holy Scripture with many different meanings. Sometimes it stands for the whole man, that is, for what is made up of body and soul, as here: “And the Word was made flesh,” and, “All flesh will see the salvation of our God.” Sometimes it stands for sinful and carnal men, as here: “My Spirit will not remain in these men, because they are flesh.” Sometimes it is used for sins themselves, as here: “But you are not in the flesh but in the spirit,” and again, “Flesh and blood will not inherit the kingdom of God”; and then there follows, “nor will corruption inherit incorruption.” Sometimes it stands for blood relationship and kinship, as here: “Look, we are your bone and your flesh”; and the apostle says, “If by any means I may move to jealousy those who are my flesh, and save some of them.” [a]

We must therefore ask in which of these four meanings we ought to take the word “flesh” in this place. For it is clear that it cannot possibly stand as in the passage where it says, “The Word was made flesh,” and, “All flesh will see the salvation of God.” Nor can it have the same meaning as where it says, “My Spirit will not remain in these men, because they are flesh.” For when he says, “The flesh desires against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh,” the word “flesh” is not used as it is there, where it stands simply for a sinful man. Nor is he speaking of material things, but of realities that struggle in one and the same man, either at the same time or separately, as times shift and change.