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What is the unforgivable sin in Matthew 12:31-32

By Jeremy Myers
831 Comments

What is the unforgivable sin in Matthew 12:31-32
http://media.blubrry.com/one_verse/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/763969597-redeeminggod-what-is-the-unforgivable-sin-in-matthew-1231-32.mp3

Matthew 12:31-32 teaches about forgiveness and the unforgivable sin. What is this sin? How is it committed? And how can you know you have not committed it? These are the sorts of questions I attempt to answer in this study of Matthew 12:31-32.

Note that this study is an excerpt from my Gospel Dictionary online course. This course considers 52 key words of the Gospel and thousands of biblical texts. The course contains over 100 hours Bible teaching. You can take the course by joining my online discipleship group.

The Unpardonable Sin in Matthew 12:31-32

Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.

(#AmazonAdLink) This passage contains information about the most-feared sin in all of Scripture: the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. I have written an entire book on this passage called (#AmazonAdLink) Why You Have Not Committed the Unforgivable Sin, and so will try to keep my comments about this text relatively brief.

The Most Common View about the Unforgivable Sin

Most discussions about the unforgivable sin focus on the nature of what this sin is, and how it can be avoided.

The difficulty with this approach is that while Jesus does talk about speaking against the Holy Spirit, He doesnโ€™t explicitly state what words constitute blasphemy. Since the religious leaders in the preceding context accuse Jesus of casting out demons by Beelzebub (Matt 12:24), many assume that the sin of blasphemy against the Spirit is when someone attributes the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan (cf. Mark 3:28-30).

There are numerous problems with such a view, not least of which is the fact that Jesus is clearly providing a warning to the Pharisees that they were about to commit this sin.

In other words, they had not yet committed it, but if they continued on the path they were on, they might. So if they had not yet committed this sin, then this means that attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan is not blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

Besides, if it were, we would never be able to โ€œtest the spiritsโ€ as John calls us to do (1 John 4:1), for we would be too fearful of blaspheming the Spirit to ever say that a certain work was not from God.

The Bible Doesn’t State what the Unforgivable Sin Actually IS

So the truth of the matter is that the Bible does not explicitly state what constitutes blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

This is actually a good thing. Just as a sign that says, โ€œDo not walk on the grassโ€ causes people to walk on the grass, if the Bible clearly stated what words constituted blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, this would only encourage people to say the words even more. So we donโ€™t precisely know what this sin is.

Nevertheless, we do know a few things about the nature of this sin. One of the tasks of the Holy Spirit is to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:7-11). If a person says something vile and mean to the Holy Spirit or about the Holy Spirit, and then feels guilty or ashamed of what they have said, this is clear evidence that the Holy Spirit is still at work in their life convicting them of sin, righteousness, and judgment.

The fact that the Holy Spirit is still at work in their life indicates that the Spirit has not left or abandoned them, and therefore, they have not committed the unforgivable sin. In other words, those who fear that they have committed the unforgivable sin, thereby have evidence that they have not committed it. It is only those who have no shame or guilt about their words or actions who might possibly have committed this sin, yet they would never even know they have, because the Spirit is not at work in their life to convict them of sin.

All of this is discussed further in my book on the unforgivable sin.

Key Insight on the Unforgivable Sin: The TYPE of Forgiveness Jesus is Talking About

One of the things I also write about in that book, however, is something that is rarely discussed elsewhere in other books about the unforgivable sin. While most books focus only on what this sin is, few books discuss what type of forgiveness Jesus is talking about in this passage. Yet this is the crucial key which helps explain what Jesus is saying.

The word that is used for โ€œforgivenessโ€ throughout this passage is aphฤ“sis. This means that whatever the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is, it also is under the charizomai forgiveness of God. In other words, whatever this sin is, it too is a sin that God has forgiven from eternity past (See the two types of forgiveness).

Remember, Godโ€™s free charizomai forgiveness is based on His grace, and covers all sins of all people for all time, including the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. When this truth is recognized, we are then free to see that the text says nothing about God not forgiving those who commit this sin, but only that they will not receive aphฤ“sis, that is, they will not be released from this sin.

But since God has already freely forgiven (charizomai) them for this sin, then why do they not receive aphฤ“sis? Why are those people who commit this sin unable to find a release from it?

The answer is found in recalling that aphฤ“sis often has conditions attached to it, and if a person does not meet these conditions, then they are not released. While God wants the people who commit this sin to be released from it, they refuse or are unable to meet the conditions for the release of this sin, and so do not find any release from it. In other words, it is not God who is refusing to release them from this sin, but the people themselves who refuse to be released.

As explained by multiple texts elsewhere in the Bible, the release of aphฤ“sis begins within each individual person as they own up to what they did, repent of it, and forgive themselves for it. Finding release from sin is based on understanding that we have been freely forgiven by God, and so we too can freely forgive ourselves and others, and as a result of this free forgiveness, begin admit our failures and work to change the patterns that led to this sin in the first place.

But the person who never recognizes the truth about Godโ€™s free forgiveness and how to break free from the bondage of sin in their life, will never find or experience forgiveness for themselves. They will remain โ€œunreleased.โ€

This passage is not talking about an โ€œunforgivable sinโ€ but an โ€œunreleasable sin.โ€ It occurs when a person does not release themselves.

All sins are forgiven by God, but if a person does not forgive and release themselves, there is nothing more God can do.

Why is It called Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit?

This sin is called blasphemy against the Holy Spirit because it is refusing to believe what the Holy Spirit says to us about our sin, and instead believes the lies of Satan. The Holy Spirit is saying to each and every person, โ€œYou have been freely forgiven! So live in light of that and be released from your enslavement to sin, shame, and guilt.โ€

But the person who refuses to accept forgiveness and release is denying the testimony of the Holy Spirit, and is instead believing the testimony of Satan, the accuser. While the Holy Spirit says, โ€œYou are forgiven!โ€ Satan constantly says, โ€œYou are condemned!โ€

As long as a person believes Satan over the Spirit, they will remain under condemnation (Mark 3:29). As long as a person believes the lies of condemnation, they will live unforgiven lives. They will continue to be enslaved to the deceptions of the devil and in bondage to the corruption of sin. They will never experience the release from the bondage of sin, shame, and guilt.

So What is the Unforgivable Sin?

To put it simply, the unforgivable sin is the sin of unforgiveness โ€ฆ directed at ourselves.

A person commits this sin by refusing to believe the testimony of the Holy Spirit that they are completely accepted and forgiven by God. They remain unforgiven, or unreleased, because they donโ€™t forgive themselves. The unforgivable sin is the sin for which a person denies and rejects that God has forgiven them, and thus, they continue to beat themselves up about it and suffer the consequences.

The point of Jesus in Matthew 12:31-32ย is that you canโ€™t hang on to unforgiveness without paying a price. The only sin you are not forgiven for is the sin you donโ€™t forgive yourself for. This state of refusing to accept the Spiritโ€™s testimony about forgiveness only leads deeper into bondage and slavery to sin.

Jesus reveals that God has forgiven all people for all sins throughout all time. But if we believe the lie of the accuser and deny that we have been forgiven, then we will not believe we have been forgiven, and will continue to live a state of unforgiveness, as if we were eternally condemned.

So recognize that you have been forgiven for everything! Only when you do this will you be released from sin, shame, guilt, and fear, and will find true life in the Spirit that God wants for you.

The Gospel DictionaryUnderstanding the Gospel requires us to properly understand the key words and terms of the Gospel. Take my course, "The Gospel Dictionary" to learn about the 52 key words of the Gospel, and hundreds of Bible passages that use these words.

This course costs $297, but when you join the Discipleship group, you can to take the entire course for free.

God is Redeeming God, Redeeming Scripture, z Bible & Theology Topics: forgiven, forgiveness, forgiveness of sins, Matthew 12:31-32, unforgiveable sin, unpardonable sin

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What is the “Flesh” in Ephesians 2:1-3?

By Jeremy Myers
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What is the “Flesh” in Ephesians 2:1-3?
http://media.blubrry.com/one_verse/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/741050596-redeeminggod-what-is-the-meaning-of-the-word-flesh-in-ephesians-2.mp3

There is no such thing as a “sin nature.” The Bible never refers to the “sin nature.” It is a myth of modern theology. However, the Bible DOES teach a lot about the “flesh.” This study looks at Ephesians 2:3 to learn what the flesh actually is, and what we are to live in the Spirit rather than in the flesh.

Note that this study is an excerpt from my Gospel Dictionary online course. This course considers 52 key words of the Gospel and thousands of biblical texts. The course contains over 100 hours Bible teaching. You can take the course by joining my online discipleship group.

So let us see what we can learn about the flesh from Ephesians 2:3.

What is the “Flesh” in Ephesians 2:3?

โ€ฆ among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others (Ephesians 2:3).

The opening verses of Ephesians 2 contain key ideas for the traditional doctrine of the โ€œsin nature.โ€ It is often taught that these verses clearly describe that the human body is the source of sinful lusts and desires which lead us away from God. It is even sometimes thought that the lusts and desires of the flesh that Paul refers to here are the sexual sins of sensuality that many religious people love to rail against. But several factors reveal what Paul truly has in mind.

Dead in sin Ephesians 2:1-3First, whatever type of sins Paul has in mind, they do not appear to be of the sensual or sexual variety. When Paul writes that โ€œwe all once conducted ourselvesโ€ in these behaviors, Paul includes himself as being guilty of these sins. But we know from passages like Philippians 3:3-6, Paul considered himself to be blameless in obedience to the Mosaic Law. He kept the purity laws to such a high degree, he was even able to become a Pharisee. It is unlikely, therefore, that Paul ever committed some of the sexual sins that many read into the text of Ephesians 2:3.

Secondly, and more importantly, the context of Ephesians 2 explains clearly what sort of sins Paul does have in mind. Ephesians 2 follows a โ€œProblem (Ephesians 2:1-3), Solution (Ephesians 2:4-10), Application (Ephesians 2:11-22)โ€ structure.

To properly discover what sort of problem Paul has in mind in Ephesians 2:1-3, we can reverse engineer the chapter and look at the Application section of Ephesians 2:11-22. Nowhere in this section do we read anything about sexual lusts or sensual sins. There is not even a typical โ€œsin listโ€ such as those found elsewhere in Paulโ€™s writings.

Instead, Paulโ€™s primary point of application in Ephesians 2:11-22 is that people who part of Godโ€™s family should put aside the various differences and divisions that normally cause strife and separation among us. In Jesus, we should no long allow such separations to exist. Jesus has torn down all dividing walls of hostility, such as those of race, gender, or religion.

Paulโ€™s primary emphasis is on the religious walls of morality that get erected between groups of people. The primary source of enmity between people, says Paul, is found in the laws of commandments and ordinances (Ephesians 2:15). But Jesus exposed the source of this enmity in His own body on the cross, where He put it to death and showed us how we can live together in pace (Ephesians 2:16-18). Now, as a result, we who used to condemn and kill others in the name of God can now love and forgive one another instead (Ephesians 4โ€“5).

So if the application of Paulโ€™s message in Ephesians 2 is that we should no longer kill and condemn others for religious reasons, but should love and live in unity with them instead, this means that the stated problem in Ephesians 2:1-3ย must refer to this sinful behavior as well.

And indeed, this is what Paul has in mind.

The โ€œsinโ€ of Ephesians 2:1-3 is not primarily the breaking of the Ten Commandments or living in sensuality. Instead, the sinful behavior of Ephesians 2:1-3 is exactly the sin which Paul himself committed frequently as a zealous, law-abiding, Pharisee. It is the sin of using morality and religion to condemn and kill others in Godโ€™s name.

Therefore, when Paul writes about the sins and desires of the flesh, he is referring to the exact thing we have seen elsewhere in this entry about flesh. Paul is thinking about the human mind which sees things only through the physical perspective, and which judges, accuses, and condemns others because they do not follow the same religious laws that we do.

The sin that Paul has in view in Ephesians 2:1-3, and which Jesus revealed to us and delivered us from in Ephesians 2:4-10, is the sin of religious zealots who use their personal obedience to Godโ€™s commands as a way to justify hateful and hurtful behavior toward those who do not practice the same levels of obedience.

In such ways, Godโ€™s law of love is being used to perpetuate hate. Paul calls his readers to turn away from such fleshly living based on zeal for the law, and follow Jesus into a life of love instead.

The Gospel DictionaryUnderstanding the Gospel requires us to properly understand the key words and terms of the Gospel. Take my course, "The Gospel Dictionary" to learn about the 52 key words of the Gospel, and hundreds of Bible passages that use these words.

This course costs $297, but when you join the Discipleship group, you can to take the entire course for free.

God is Redeeming God, Redeeming Scripture, Redeeming Theology, z Bible & Theology Topics: carnal, carnality, flesh, sin nature, spiritual living, spirituality

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What is the “Flesh” in Galatians 5:19-23?

By Jeremy Myers
2 Comments

What is the “Flesh” in Galatians 5:19-23?
http://media.blubrry.com/one_verse/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/741050185-redeeminggod-what-is-the-meaning-of-the-word-flesh-in-galatians.mp3

There is no such thing as a “sin nature.” The Bible never refers to the “sin nature.” It is a myth of modern theology. However, the Bible DOES teach a lot about the “flesh.” This study looks at Galatians 5:19-23 to learn what the flesh actually is, and what we are to live in the Spirit rather than in the flesh.

Note that this study is an excerpt from my Gospel Dictionary online course. This course considers 52 key words of the Gospel and thousands of biblical texts. The course contains over 100 hours Bible teaching. You can take the course by joining my online discipleship group.

So let us see what we can learn about the flesh from Galatians 5:19-23.

The Fruit of the Flesh in Galatians 5:19-23; 6:8

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21).

For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life (Galatians 6:8).

The church in Galatia was divided over the issue of circumcision. Some argued that circumcision was required by God, while others said that it was not. Paul wrote to the Galatians to weigh in on this matter.

The term flesh often refers to the tendency of humans to focus primarily on fleshly, material matters for decision making, and when it comes to religion, to focus only on external behaviors and actions as a way of deciding who was in the right with God and who was not.

The Circumcision of the Flesh

The issue of circumcision is a perfect example of how religious zeal for an external behavior causes some to judge, condemn, and divide from others people. Some were even accusing, cursing, and condemning others over the issue of circumcision (see Accursed).

The letter to the Galatians is one of the places where Paul exhibits some profound humor and wit. Since the word flesh can euphemistically refer to the male sex organ, and since the Galatians were giving in to their fleshly desire to separate from one another over the external religious behavior of circumcision, Paul uses the term flesh to refer to both the male sex organ and the religious issue of circumcision.

So, for example, in once place Paul writes that if cutting a bit of skin away from oneโ€™s โ€œmemberโ€ makes them more spiritual than others, maybe they could become super spiritual by cutting everything away and emasculating themselves (Galatians 5:12).

This is theological humor at its finest! Paul makes a dick joke to reveal the infertility of fleshly thinking. Cutting some flesh from the male sex organ does nothing to make a person morally or spiritually superior to others. Neither the flesh nor the cutting of it produces the righteousness of God.

The Fruit of the Flesh

There is something, however, that the flesh does produce. Paul lists the โ€œfruitโ€ (or offspring) of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21. And while many of the behaviors listed in these verses are sexual sins (adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness), most of the behaviors listed are those that come from a sense of moral and religious superiority over others (hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders).

Paulโ€™s point is that cutting a bit of skin from oneโ€™s body does nothing to make one more righteous and holy before God, but in fact, can lead to the exact opposite. What matters, therefore, is cutting away the behaviors and attitudes from oneโ€™s life that are damaging and destructive toward others.

This is why Paul encourages the Galatians to not be led by their โ€œflesh,โ€ but by the Spirit, which will result in character and behaviors like that of Jesus Christ.

To put it crassly, Paul is saying, โ€œDonโ€™t be led by a dick; be led by the Spirit.โ€ To truly accomplish Godโ€™s will in our lives, we must follow the example of Jesus and the spirit of the law by practicing love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Such things are the true signs of a godly person.

This is the point Paul makes in the concluding remarks of the main body of his letter. In Galatians 6:8ย he writes that sowing with the flesh results only in corruption, while sowing with the Spirit leads to everlasting life. The image of sowing seed with the flesh is another euphemism.

While the flesh is not evil, it cannot produce the righteous life that God wants and desires for His children. Christians cannot accomplish what God really desires for us in life by focusing on external and physical religious rituals such as circumcising the male sexual organ. Only a life led by the Spirit can produce what the Spirit of God wants in our lives.

At the end of the Galatians 6:8, Paul says that sowing in the Spirit allows us to reap everlasting life. This does not mean that living by the Spirit allows a person to gain or earn eternal life for themselves. Instead, Paulโ€™s terminology is parallel to the terminology in Galatians 5:23 where he writes about inheriting the kingdom of God.

Since inheriting the kingdom of God means experiencing the rule and reign of God in our lives now, reaping eternal life also refers to experiencing some aspects of eternal life here and now.

Eternal life begins the moment we believe in Jesus for it, and while the full experience of eternal life awaits glorification in our resurrected bodies, we can begin to experience eternal life now by how we live as followers of Jesus. Just as we will live in light of spiritual realities for eternity, we can experience eternity now by living in light of these spiritual realities now.

What do you think of this explanation of the fruit of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-23? Let me know in the comments below!

The Gospel DictionaryUnderstanding the Gospel requires us to properly understand the key words and terms of the Gospel. Take my course, "The Gospel Dictionary" to learn about the 52 key words of the Gospel, and hundreds of Bible passages that use these words.

This course costs $297, but when you join the Discipleship group, you can to take the entire course for free.

God is Redeeming God, Redeeming Scripture, Redeeming Theology, z Bible & Theology Topics: carnal, carnality, flesh, fruit of the flesh, fruit of the spirit, Galatians 5:19-23, sin nature, spiritual living, spirituality

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What is the “Flesh” in 1 Corinthians 15:35-58?

By Jeremy Myers
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What is the “Flesh” in 1 Corinthians 15:35-58?
http://media.blubrry.com/one_verse/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/741049822-redeeminggod-what-is-the-meaning-of-the-word-flesh-in-1-corinthians-15.mp3

There is no such thing as a “sin nature.” The Bible never refers to the “sin nature.” It is a myth of modern theology. However, the Bible DOES teach a lot about the “flesh.” This study looks at 1 Corinthians 15:35-58 to learn what the flesh actually is, and what we are to live in the Spirit rather than in the flesh.

Note that this study is an excerpt from my Gospel Dictionary online course. This course considers 52 key words of the Gospel and thousands of biblical texts. The course contains over 100 hours Bible teaching. You can take the course by joining my online discipleship group.

So let us see what we can learn about the flesh from 1 Corinthians 15:35-58.

The “Flesh” in 1 Corinthians 15:35-58

All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds (1 Corinthians 15:39).

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption (1 Corinthians 15:50).

One of the first things to note about Paulโ€™s discussion of the bodily resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15 is that he uses the term flesh in reference not only to the human, physical body (sarx and sลma are used interchangeably in 1 Corinthians 15:35-58), but also to the physical body of animals, fish, and birds (1 Corinthians 15:39). If flesh referred to some sort of sinful nature, this text would seem to indicate that animals, fish, and birds also have a sinful nature. Since they do not, it is better to see Paulโ€™s references to flesh as basically synonymous to the physical body made of skin, muscles, and blood.

And yet, as seen in other biblical references, the flesh is more than just the physical body. It also includes the desires and habits of the physical body. This fits perfectly with Paulโ€™s description of the flesh of animals, birds, and fish. Animals are not only different from humans in their physical composition, but also in their fleshly desires, instincts, and habits. This confirms again that flesh is not inherently sinful, but is simply a purely physical, and therefore limited, way of looking at the world and living in it.

God’s Goal for our Flesh

Paul states that our goal, or destiny, is to have our natural bodies become like the spiritual body of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:42-49). He writes that the natural body comes from dust in the likeness of Adam, but the spiritual body comes from heaven in the likeness of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:47).

Epistolary Diatribe in Letters of Paul

This clearly means that the spiritual body is superior to the natural body. But it does not mean that the natural body is inherently sinful or evil. After all, Jesus had a natural body, and even after His resurrection, His spiritual body was not incorporeal, but was material. He could eat and be touched, but could also pass through walls.

Paulโ€™s point is that the spiritual body of the resurrection is still a physical body, but it will differ in various ways from the natural body we have right now.

Nowhere in this text is a condemnation of the material, fleshly body.

Paulโ€™s only point is that we have one type of body now, and we will have a different type of body in the resurrected stated. It will be more in tune with the things of the Spirit, but it will still be a physical body.

Flesh Cannot Inherit the Kingdom of God?

In regard to life lived according to the flesh, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:50 that โ€œflesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven.โ€

It is important to remember first of all that the phrase โ€œinherit the kingdom of heavenโ€ is not equivalent to โ€œgoing to heaven when we die.โ€ Inheriting the kingdom of heaven is an experience that can be obtained here and now, in this life, before we die. It refers to the practical, day-to-day experience of the rule and reign of God in our lives now.

So when Paul writes about our flesh not being able to experience the rule and reign of God in our lives now, he is pointing out the truth he has written about previously (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:1-4) that life lived according to the flesh is limited in its understanding about how to properly live this life.

Those who live according to the flesh are focused solely on their own physical needs and desires, without any attention given to spiritual truths and godly perspectives. Yes, the fleshly perspective may also include religious zeal for outward obedience to laws and regulations, but such zeal reveals a gaping ignorance of what God really wants from His people.

The spiritual perspective, as seen in Jesus, is one of love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness, and it is this perspective which allows a person to experience the rule and reign of God in their lives now. This perspective will be the only perspective we have in eternity with our glorified spiritual bodies, so as we begin to live in this perspective now, we also begin to gain a preview and foretaste of eternity.

So while the flesh in 1 Corinthians 15 primarily refers to the physical bodies of humans and animals, Paul develops this idea to show that while our resurrected bodies will still be physical, they will also be fully in tune to spiritual realities.

When a person is focused solely on the physical side of life, which includes a zeal for man-made religion, they cannot experience the kingdom of heaven in their life. It is only as we embrace the spiritual principles of love and forgiveness as revealed in Jesus that we will begin to experience all that God wants for us.

The Gospel DictionaryUnderstanding the Gospel requires us to properly understand the key words and terms of the Gospel. Take my course, "The Gospel Dictionary" to learn about the 52 key words of the Gospel, and hundreds of Bible passages that use these words.

This course costs $297, but when you join the Discipleship group, you can to take the entire course for free.

God is Redeeming God, Redeeming Scripture, Redeeming Theology, z Bible & Theology Topics: carnal, carnality, flesh, sin nature, spiritual living, spirituality

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What is the “Flesh” in 1 Corinthians 3:1-4?

By Jeremy Myers
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What is the “Flesh” in 1 Corinthians 3:1-4?
http://media.blubrry.com/one_verse/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/741049633-redeeminggod-what-is-the-meaning-of-the-word-flesh-in-1-corinthians-3.mp3

There is no such thing as a “sin nature.” The Bible never refers to the “sin nature.” It is a myth of modern theology. However, the Bible DOES teach a lot about the “flesh.” This study looks at 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 to learn what the flesh actually is, and what we are to live in the Spirit rather than in the flesh.

Note that this study is an excerpt from my Gospel Dictionary online course. This course considers 52 key words of the Gospel and thousands of biblical texts. The course contains over 100 hours Bible teaching. You can take the course by joining my online discipleship group.

So let us see what we can learn about the flesh from 1 Corinthians 3:1-4.

The Flesh in 1 Corinthians 3:1-4

And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For when one says, โ€œI am of Paul,โ€ and another says, โ€œI am of Apollos,โ€ are you not carnal? (1 Corinthians 3:1-4)

The primary theme of 1 Corinthians concerns the actions, attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs of spiritual (Gk., pneumatikois) people versus the fleshly or carnal (Gk., sarkinois) people. Paul seeks to correct the Corinthian understanding of both ways of living. On the one hand, spiritual living does not mean that a person rejects the material world and engages in practices that makes one appear more spiritual to others. Instead, the spiritual person is a mature Christian who knows that all things in life are good, pleasing, and holy if accepted with thanks, and that true spirituality is shown through love and service toward others rather than through ecstatic experiences.

The carnal person, then, is the opposite of the spiritual person. The carnal person may appear to be quite โ€œspiritualโ€ and religious, but they are unable to grasp, understand, or practice the greater truths of Christianity which lead us lay down our lives for others in love and service to them. The carnal, or fleshly person is not necessarily one who gives in to the passions and lusts of the flesh, but is rather one who thinks that the chills and thrills of ecstatic religion makes them superior to others.

This is the truth Paul emphasizes in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3. Paul indicates that the Corinthian Christians are carnal, fleshly, and therefore, were not able to receive some of the more important truths about following Jesus that he would have liked to teach them. As indications of their carnality, Paul points to the โ€œenvy, strife, and divisionsโ€ among them. While such behaviors certainly are sinful, the context reveals what precisely was leading to these divisions within the Corinthian church.

The Corinthian church was dividing over who was a better teacher, Paul or Apollos, and who were better Christians based on whether they followed Paul or Apollos. Paul says that these sorts of religious arguments are sure indicators of a carnal mind. The spiritual person is one who overlooks such differences and works to live in love and unity with one another, as we all grow together into the church that God wants, built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:5-17).

It is indeed true that some of the Corinthian Christians were engaging in sinful sensuality (cf. 1 Corinthians 5:1; 6:9-10). But when Paul uses a word to describe this sort of behavior, he does not use the word โ€œfleshโ€ to describe this behavior, but the word โ€œunrighteousโ€ (1 Corinthians 6:9). Yes, fleshly, carnal thinking leads to unrighteous behavior, which is why Paul instructs the Corinthians to hand a man over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh (1 Corinthians 5:5; see Satan for a discussion of what this means).

Fleshly thinking is not identical to unrighteous living, but is rather a cause of it. When a person puffs themselves up through religious pride, arrogance, and self-righteousness, this mentality eventually leads them into various forms of unrighteousness.

So even here in 1 Corinthians 3:1-4, the flesh is not described as sensual living, or any sort of โ€œsin nature,โ€ but is instead the religious mindset that causes people to condemn and accuse others in Godโ€™s name. It is a religious sense of superiority based on external behaviors such as ecstatic utterances and fervent conformity to religious laws. It is this same idea that Paul expands upon in more detail in 1 Corinthians 15:35-50, where he writes about the resurrection.

The Gospel DictionaryUnderstanding the Gospel requires us to properly understand the key words and terms of the Gospel. Take my course, "The Gospel Dictionary" to learn about the 52 key words of the Gospel, and hundreds of Bible passages that use these words.

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God is Redeeming God, Redeeming Scripture, Redeeming Theology, z Bible & Theology Topics: 1 Corinthians 3:1-4, carnal, carnality, flesh, sin nature, spiritual living, spirituality

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