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Men of Flesh versus Fleshly Men - 1Cor. 3
Men of Flesh versus Fleshly Men - 1Cor. 3
In chapter 3 of 1 Corinthians, Paul speaks of the brethren in Corinth as both men of flesh (vs. 1) and fleshly (vs. 3). Both are derived from the same Greek word, ‘sarx’, but the different endings show they have different shades of meaning.
Sarx might easily be consistently translated as ‘fleshly, but it would not indicate the different shades of meaning. It can mean simply the physical aspect of man and animal: not all flesh is the same flesh (1 Cor. 15:39, see also Rom. 9:5, etc.). It can also mean ‘sensual, worldly, dealing with the desires and appetites of the flesh’: the works of the flesh in Gal. 5:19f. Here in 1 Corinthians we see this word used in two ways. Thus Paul can write of walking in the flesh and yet not being OF the flesh (2 Cor. 10:2-4).
In 1 Cor. 3:1, Sark is first used as ‘sarkiNOS’. Here Paul says they have become as ones with the attitudes and thinking of an infant. Such infants, having no concept of right and wrong, are directed by the natural desires of being flesh: hunger, thirst, dirty, etc. Such are not sensual and evil, just rudimentary to life. Christians all begin as babes but then must desire the sincere milk of the word (the revelation of the Spirit) so that they GROW. The Corinthians began their spiritual life as we all do, but they have NOT grown and matured! Thus, Paul likens them not to mature believers, but ‘infants in Christ’ (1 Cor. 3:1).
However, in verse 3, it is ‘sarkiKOS’. By context of verse three, you can see that such was the language of rebuke and reproof. While it is understandable and OK to be babes when we are born, we are not to continue to be such as we become adults. Some adults change not for good but for evil, and their hearts are governed by that which is sensual, ‘their god is their belly’ (Phil. 3).
Their lives are not governed by the wisdom of the Spirit, but by the desires of the flesh. They walk after the flesh and not the Spirit (Rom. 8:4). These kind of ‘fleshly’ people let their minds be ‘set on the flesh’ (Rom. 8:5-8). Their lives are filled with the works of the flesh and not the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:19-22). Their wisdom is not that which is from above, which produces a life that is ‘pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, and without hypocrisy’ (James 3:17). Rather, their wisdom is earthly, natural, demonic’ and produces lives filled with bitter jealousy and selfish ambition (James 3:14, 16).
The Corinthians were displaying such jealousy and strife (vs. 3) and thus showed they were fleshly in this bad sense. They were walking “according to man” and not according to the teaching of the Spirit. Thus they were still ‘fleshly’ and needed to grow!
Are you still ‘a person of flesh, and infant in Christ’, or have you become fleshly and are walking as mere men?
Hugh DeLong
