For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Truth to Learn
Guarding our thoughts keeps us at peace with God.
Behind the Words
We saw in the previous verse that the verb translated “minds” is phroneō, which means “to think or have a mindset.” In the current verse Paul uses the word phronema, a noun form of the same word. Here it is translated “minded.” The Greek suffix ma on this word indicates that it is the result of one's thinking. Thus it refers to the condition of a person who is constantly thinking of such things.
The word translated “carnally” in the current verse is the same exact word (sarx) that was translated “flesh” in the previous verse. But, in the current verse it has the definite article, so it means, “the flesh.” Putting these two together we see that Paul is saying that “mindedness of the flesh is death.”
“Death” is from the Greek word thanatos, which is based on the verb thaneskō, meaning “to die.” Thanatos refers to physical death (the death of our physical bodies) as well as spiritual death (exclusion from the presence and favor of God). The base meaning of this word implies separation. Regarding physical death, it is the separation of the soul and spirit from the body. With respect to spiritual death is the separation of the soul and spirit from the presence and favor of God. In the current verse it indicates the separation of fellowship with God.
Meaning Explained
This verse is tightly coupled with the preceding and the following verses. Putting all three together we have:
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace because the carnal mind is enmity toward God; for it is not submitted to the law of God, indeed it can’t be.
What Paul is saying is that a mind that is constantly focused on the flesh, on self-gratification, the mind that is always “looking out for number one,” is dead. As we pointed out in “Behind the Words,” since death implies separation, the notion is that those who are fleshly minded are separated from God. But God has promised all believers, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you,” so what does Paul mean? The simplest way to understand this is to recognize that when we are acting fleshly we are separated from the fellowship of God who cannot tolerate the presence of sin, but we are not separated from the presence of God. Our fellowship is restored when we confess our sins.
The second half of this verse describes the state of the mind that is focused on the Spirit of God. He says “to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” In other words, the person who is focused on the things of God is characterized as not being separated from God, but in fellowship with Him and at peace. In the next verse Paul will explain why fleshly mindedness results in death.
Application
Let’s all strive for fellowship with God and the peace that it produces by keeping our thoughts fixed on the things of God!
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved
