Tag: flesh

Romans 7:5 – Fruit of Death

Posted on by Will

For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death.

Truth to Learn

Trying to live by a set of laws or rules produces spiritual death, not life.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “flesh” in this verse is sarx, which means “the flesh, or muscle, of a living animal.” This is a contrasting word to kreas, which refers to “the flesh of a dead animal,” also sometimes translated as “meat.” Paul is using the word “flesh” here as a metonym, that is, a word used to represent something else. An example of a metonym is the use of the word “Washington” to refer to the U.S. Government. Paul uses “flesh” as a metonym for our sin nature.

“Passions” is from pathēma, which is a form of paschō, meaning “to experience strong feelings.” It is often translated “suffer,” although it can refer to strong feelings whether they are good or bad (or somewhere in between). The ending “ma” gives it the meaning “that which is felt strongly.”

The word “aroused” is energeō, from which we get our English word “energy.” It refers to “that which is active, effectual, or mighty.” We could easily translate the opening phrase of this verse as, “For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were energized by the law …”

 

Meaning Explained

What does the Apostle Paul mean by the opening part of this verse, “For when we were in the flesh”? Aren’t we always in our flesh, at least until we die? Yes, but that’s not the kind of flesh Paul is talking about. In order to understand what he’s talking about we need to look at a verse in the next chapter of this letter where Paul says,

And those being in the flesh are not able to please God. But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, this one is not His. (Romans 8:8-9)

In these verses Paul is contrasting being “in the flesh” and “in the Spirit.’ What he means is being controlled by the flesh, the sin nature, versus being controlled by the Spirit of God. Paul has already told us that before we were saved, we were in bondage to sin, or controlled by our sin nature. Now, in the current verse he is telling us that when we were controlled by our sin nature the passions, or overwhelming desires, of sin were not subdued but energized through the Law to bring forth fruit that resulted in death. I think Paul is talking about spiritual death or separation from fellowship with God, not physical death. And in the previous verse Paul told us that we should bring forth fruit to God by being married to Christ.

So, when we were controlled by our sin nature we produced fruit that resulted in spiritual death, but now that we have been saved and freed from the Law, we have become the bride of Christ, and the fruit that we produce should be fruit that is worthy of being brought to God.

 

Application

Now, the question is, what kind of fruit are you bringing to God? Are you allowing the desires of your flesh to control your actions? Or are you so tuned-in to God and walking so close to Him that your fleshly desires are easily resisted? The type of fruit that you produce will answer these questions for you.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 3:20 – Good Deeds

Posted on by Will

Therefore by the works of law no flesh will be justified in His presence, for through the law is the knowledge of sin.

Truth to Learn

No one can do enough good deeds to be saved.

 

Behind the Words

“Therefore” is translated from the Greek word dioti, which is a compound word made up of dia, meaning “through” or “by” and hoti, which means “that.” Hence, dioti basically means “through that, because of that, or for this reason.”

The word “works” is from ergon which means “a product of labor, a work, or a deed.”

The word translated “flesh” is sarx, which literally means “flesh of a living creature.” It is used here to denote all of mankind, both Jew and Gentile.

“Justified” is from dikaioō, which means “to declare someone righteous” or “to make someone righteous.”

The phrase “in His presence” is translated from enōpion. This is another compound word. It is made up of en, indicating a static position (in, on, over, etc.) and ops (a derivation of optomai – to see) which refers to “sight” or “eyes.” So, literally this word means “in His sight,” though it is often translated “before Him” or “in His presence.”

The word translated “knowledge” is the Greek word epignosis, which means more than simply knowing something. It means “to recognize and understand something” or “to have full knowledge of something.”

 

Meaning Explained

Remember that whenever we see a “wherefore” or a “therefore” we need to see what it’s there for. In the previous verse we learned that the Law was given so that all those who tried to obey the Law would be found guilty before God without excuse. Therefore, that is, in light of this fact, because of this… “by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His presence.” 

What Paul is saying is that justification before God cannot be obtained by obeying any set of rules no matter who made the rules. Why? Because it is through rules (Law) that we recognize sin and sinfulness.

If you recall the account of the temptation of Adam and Eve, up until God gave them the command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they were without sin. If they had eaten of the tree before they were told not to, they would not have been sinning; but due to the fact that they had been commanded not to, it suddenly became sinful to do so.

What Paul is telling us in these verses is that we cannot become righteous by following any set of rules, whether God-made or man-made. How then can one become righteous before God? Is it impossible? Paul is going to begin telling us in the next two verses.

 

Application

Just because we can’t be declared righteous through doing good deeds doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t do them. We ought to do them out of obedience and gratitude. In other words, we can’t be saved by doing good deeds, but once we are saved, we should do them because we want to, not because we have to.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 2:28 – Not Visibly Apparent

Posted on by Will

For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh;

Truth to Learn

Christianity is not based on appearance or membership.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “outwardly” is phaneros, which is derived from phainō, meaning “to illuminate.” Phaneros refers to, “that which is in the light” or “that which is visibly apparent.” So, a more literal translation could be,

For he is not a Jew who is one in appearance, nor is circumcision that which is visibly apparent in the flesh;

“Flesh” is translated from the Greek word sarx, which refers to “the meat of an animal.” By extension it refers to the human body or the material part of man.

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous few verses Paul has been pointing out that being Jewish, having the Law, and being circumcised are worthless if you don’t keep the Law. He then pointed out that the Gentiles who keep the righteousness of the Law (through faith) will, in fact, judge the Jews who are trying to be justified by keeping the Law.

Keep in mind that much of the early Christian church was composed of people who were converts from Judaism and who had been convinced, and now believed, that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the Living God. But, they were so heavily steeped in the rules and traditions of Judaism that it was hard for them to separate the legal requirements of the Jewish belief system from the basic tenet of Christianity: faith. It was equally hard for a Jewish Christian to let go of the fact that they didn’t have to be a Jew before they could become a Christian. As Paul has pointed out in the previous verses, being a direct descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob doesn’t guarantee anything with regard to salvation.

He now gets to one of his main points. Being Jewish and having been circumcised are only external and fleshly. They are things that can be proven and can be seen, but they carry no weight in God’s record book. Paul tells us that the evidence of a real Jew (a chosen one of God) is not in the appearance of fleshly external things like circumcision.

There are many people who call themselves Christians today because they belong to a particular church. They think that church membership, being baptized in the church, and having learned the basics of the doctrines of the church mean that they are Christians. There is more to Christianity than church membership, or even calling oneself a Christian. Interestingly enough, there was a national survey in the United States recently in which nearly 80% of the respondents claimed to be Christian, yet less than half of them indicated that they attend church regularly. But then, regular church attendance doesn’t make someone a Christian either.

Only those who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He died on the cross to pay for their sins, and that He rose from the dead are really Christians.

 

Application

Is your salvation based on the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross as payment for your sins? If not, then you are not really a Christian, even though you may call yourself one.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 1:3 – Son of a King

Posted on by Will

concerning His Son, who was born of the seed of David according to flesh,

Truth to Learn

Jesus, the focus of the gospel message, the Christ, the Messiah, is descended from King David.

 

Behind the Words

The words “was born” come from the Greek, “tou genomenou” which means “the one who was brought into being” or “the one who became.”

The word translated “seed” is the Greek word, “spermatos’, which is both revealing and self explanatory.

“according to flesh” comes from the Greek, “kata sarka’, which means, “with respect to that which is flesh and bone.”

 

Meaning Explained

In verses one and two, Paul talked about the good news that God promised through His prophets. But even more important than who proclaimed this message in the past is who this good news is about. In today’s verse, He tells us who this gospel is about, “His (God’s) Son.” The importance of this verse cannot be overlooked. Paul is making it very clear from the start of this epistle who the central figure is.

He now goes on to declare the pedigree of the one he is talking about. Paul says that Jesus “was born of the seed of David;” that is, Jesus Christ took on human flesh as a descendent of King David (of the sperm of David).

The expression “according to flesh” is an interesting one in that it is used of no one in the Bible except Jesus. But why is this never used to describe anyone else? Saying that he came into being with respect to flesh and bone implies that there is another aspect (another nature) of His being that is not flesh and bone that already existed. This is only true of one who existed before He became flesh and blood and that is not true of any man except Jesus, who is eternally God. He has always had His divine nature and He took upon himself a human nature.

And why is it important for Paul to establish that Jesus was a direct descendent of King David? Because the Jews have been waiting for the One who was to come and rule eternally. This One was predicted numerous times in the Old Testament, most notably in David’s instruction to his son Solomon shortly before his (David’s) death which is recorded in 1 Kings 2:1-4. In order for Jesus to be declared the Christ, the Messiah of the Old Testament, He must be a descendent of King David.

According to the nineteenth century preacher Albert Barnes, “To a Jew there could be scarcely any honor so high as to be descended from the best of their kings; and it shows how little the Lord Jesus esteemed the honors of this world, that he could always evince his deep humility in circumstances where people are usually proud; and that when he spoke of the honors of this world, and told how little they were worth, he was not denouncing what was not within his reach.”

 

Application

And yet we, who have so much less to boast about in our own lineage, find it so hard to be as humble as He who had so much about which He could have boasted!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 4:2 – Stop That Lust

Posted on by Will

no longer to live the rest of his time in the flesh in the lusts of men, but in the will of God.

Truth to Learn

He suffered and died for us, let us suffer and live for Him.

 

Behind the Words

In the previous verse Peter told us to “arm” ourselves with the same “mind.” Let’s look at these two words. “Arm” is translated from the Greek word hoplidzō, meaning “to equip with armament.” It is expressed in the imperative mood indicating a command. The implication of the verb is that we should start doing so right now.

The word translated “mind” is ennoia, which is a compound word made up of en, meaning “in” and nous, meaning “the mind.” Therefore this word means “that which is in the mind,” hence, “thoughts” or “understanding.”

In today’s verse, the words “no longer” are from the Greek word mēketi, made up of mē, meaning “not” and eti, meaning “anymore” or “yet.” Hence, it means “not anymore.”

“Flesh” is translated from the Greek word sarx, which refers to “the flesh of a living creature.” Hence, Peter is referring to the remainder of time that we are living on this earth.

The word “lusts” is one that we have seen before. It is translated from the Greek epithumia, which is made up of epi, meaning “over” and a form of thumos, which refers to “a violent motion or passion of the mind.” Hence, epithumia refers to “an overly strong desire of the mind.”

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Peter told us, “he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.” This doesn’t mean that we will never commit a sin again. Rather, Peter is telling us that when we are suffering, though we have done nothing wrong, and we are doing so patiently, we are not letting our sin nature control us.

In the current verse, Peter completes that thought. Since we have the same understanding as Christ, that this suffering is God’s will, then each of us should:

no longer … live the rest of his time in the flesh in the lusts of men, but in the will of God.

In other words, for the remainder of the time that we are living our earthly life, we should not be living for the lusts of men but for the will of God. Well, what are these lusts of men? According to the Apostle John they are:

 the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life (1 John 2:16)

So it’s not just sexual lust we are talking about, but all those desires that we have that cause us to focus on ourselves rather than God. It includes the overly strong desire for food, for pleasure, for “stuff” like a new car or a new house, or a new kitchen, or a new boat, or the desire to be admired because of a position of prominence. It’s anything that focuses on “me.”

 

Application

Let us not waste our few remaining years on this earth satisfying ourselves, that is, our fleshly lusts. Let us, instead, seek out ways to be obedient to the will of God so as to bring Him glory! After all, He suffered and died for us, let us suffer and live for Him!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 1:24 – Withered Blossom

Posted on by Will

because "All flesh is like grass, and all the glory of man like the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away,

Truth to Learn

Like flowers, our physical body will wither and die some day.

 

Behind the Words

The word “flesh” is translated from sarx, which specifically refers to “the flesh of a living animal.” This word is often used as an expression for our earthly body, as opposed to the spiritual body which we will receive at the resurrection.

The Greek word translated “grass” is chortos, which literally means “a courtyard” or “a garden,” but the common usage is in reference to any vegetation, particularly a meadow or field.

“Flower” is translated from anthos, which refers to “the blossom of a flowering plant.”

The verb “withers” is from zērainō, which means “to dry up.”

The word translated “falls away” is ekpiptō, which is made up of ek, meaning “out” or “out of” and piptō, meaning “to fall.”

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Peter taught us that our new birth, that is our spiritual birth, is not by conception from corruptible seed but through the word of God. He now goes on to explain a little more about the corruptible seed. His simile equates the corruptible seed (humanity) with a field full of vegetation. This is the same simile that James used in teaching that riches and rich people are fleeting and temporary.

because like a flower of the garden he will pass away. For the sun rose with a burning heat and the garden withered; its flower fell, and the beauty of its appearance completely perished. (James 1:10b, 11a)

The reference in both of these verses is to Isaiah 40:6-8:

The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field: The grass withers, the flower fades: because the spirit of the LORD blows upon it: surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades: but the word of our God stands forever.

This fleshly life that we live is temporary and passing. It is often referred to as our time of wandering or “sojourning” and it will come to an end. The spiritual life that we get from the new birth, however, is eternal. If we have truly been born again, we have everlasting life with our heavenly father, and it does not begin when we get to heaven; it has already begun!

Using this same analogy regarding physical birth and spiritual birth, let me ask you, “Can we become unborn in our physical life, and did we have any part in making it happen?” Then how can we think that we have some part in our spiritual birth, and how can we believe that we could become spiritually unborn?

 

Application

Like a flower, we all must die physically some day, but we don’t have to die the second death (spiritually). God has given us eternal spiritual life through His Word. Let’s take a fresh, new look at this new birth which we have and recognize how truly priceless it is! Thank you, Heavenly Father!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 5:29 – Nourishment and Comfort

Posted on by Will

For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as also Christ does the church.

Truth to Learn

Men are responsible for providing for the nourishment and comfort of their wives.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “hated” is misesō, which means “to hate, to detest, or to abhor.” It is used frequently in the New Testament to indicate the opposite of agape love.

Sarx is the Greek word translated “flesh.” This word refers to the flesh of a living creature. It is a reference here to the physical part of our existence.

“Nourishes” is translated from extrephō, which is made up of ek, meaning “out of” but used here as an intensifier and trephō, meaning “to nourish, to feed, or to bring up to maturity (as is done to children).” This is probably a reference to providing the needs of the body that allows the body to grow physically.

“Cherishes” is from the Greek verb thalpō, meaning “to make warm.” It is used figuratively to mean “to foster with tender care.” This is probably a reference to comfort and security that a person needs to develop psychologically.

 

Meaning Explained

Since verse twenty-two in this chapter, Paul has been teaching about the relationship between a man and a woman within a marriage. First, he said, the wife is to “under-rank” herself. She is to voluntarily place herself under the authority of her husband. This action is clearly easier to do when her husband is treating her in the proper manner. However, it is not a conditional “suggestion,” but an unconditional command given by the Apostle. Paul confined this instruction for women to just three verses. He then spent the next seven verses telling men how to relate to their wives. Based on the length of the teaching alone, it appears that his teaching to men is even more important than that which he gave to women.

Paul said that a man is to love his wife with a self-sacrificing love, being more concerned for her needs than for his own. He used two examples to show men how they are to love their wives. The first example is the manner in which Christ loves the church, even to the point of sacrificing His own life to provide life for His bride.

The second example is the manner in which we all love our own flesh and blood. This is what he describes in today’s verse. We all provide nourishment for our bodies in order for our bodies to sustain physical life and grow. And, we all provide for physical comfort for our own bodies. Thus, it follows that part of a man’s responsibility to his wife is to provide both comfort and nourishment for her.

In our current twenty-first society it would be easy to twist this teaching and insist that women should stay at home and men should be the breadwinner of the family. That is NOT what Paul is teaching in this passage. His teaching is simply that a man should love his wife and ensure that her physical and comfort needs are taken care of. It was uncommon, but not unheard of, for a woman in the first century to be the breadwinner of the family. There are several examples of women in the church who were successful business women. One of them was Lydia, who had a business selling purple dye and /or purple fabric. My point is that the customs of the twenty-first century are different from those of the first century, but God’s teaching applies to all time.

 

Application

Men, how do you stack up against Paul’s teaching in these verses? Are you demonstrating the kind of love in action that places the needs for the sustenance and comfort of your wife above your own needs for these things?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 2:15 – No Distinction

Posted on by Will

in His flesh having done away with the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that He might create in Himself one new man from the two, making peace,

Truth to Learn

In the church there is no distinction between races or sexes.

 

Behind the Words

The word “flesh” is from sarx, which refers to “the flesh of a living creature in distinction from that of a dead one.” This word is often used metaphorically in reference to the sensual part of a person’s being. However, in today’s verse it is used to refer to the physical portion of Christ’s body which was sacrificed as payment for our sins.

“Having done away with” is translated from the Greek verb katargeō. This is made up of kata, used as an intensifier and the verb argeō, meaning “to be inactive” or “to be idle.” Thus, katargeō means “to make something completely inactive,” “to abolish,” or “to do away with.”

The word “enmity” is from echthra, which refers to “hatred” or “hostility.” It is also used metaphorically, as it is here, to refer to the cause for such hatred or hostility.

“Commandments” comes from the Greek noun entolē. This is derived from the verb entellomai, meaning “to charge” or “to command.” It refers to “a charge” or “an edict” as from a public or religious authority.

Dogma is the Greek word translated “ordinances.” It is derived from the verb dokeō, meaning “to think.” Dogma actually refers to “an opinion, proposition, or conclusion,” not to “a firmly fixed religious truth” as it is frequently used today.

 

Meaning Explained

In yesterday’s verse Paul introduced us to the idea that Christ is the one who made peace between the Jews and the Gentiles. He did so by destroying the partitioning wall between us. In the Greek text the word translated enmity (echthra) immediately follows the words translated “the middle wall of separation.” Being placed in apposition (side by side) like this indicates that enmity further defines “the middle wall of separation” not “the law of commandments.” So, an alternate translation of verses fourteen and fifteen might be:

For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, even the enmity, by having deactivated in His flesh the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, making peace,

Now, what we learn here is that Christ completely fulfilled the Law, and then He offered up His sinless life as the sacrificial lamb (completing the fulfillment of the law). In so doing, His righteousness can now be credited to all who believe. Therefore, the enmity between Jews and Gentiles, like the wall that separated us in the Temple court, has been destroyed. And, by fully satisfying the law and offering Himself as the sacrificial lamb, He has deactivated the Law of Moses.

In the book of Romans, Paul goes to great lengths to show that we are no longer bound by the law, as slaves to it like the Jews were. Instead, we have a new master, God, who has purchased our redemption and has adopted us as His children. Now that the enmity has been destroyed, we are at peace with our Jewish brothers in Christ. Together we all make up the body of Christ and we work together in serving God.

 

Application

In the church, the body of Christ, there is no distinction between the races or the sexes as there was in the Jewish faith. We are all one in Christ, co-equal servants of Almighty God.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 2:11 – Spiritual Snobbery

Posted on by Will

Therefore remember that you, previously Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—

Truth to Learn

Spiritual snobbery should not exist in the life of any Christian, for we are saved by God’s grace.

 

Behind the Words

The word “therefore” is translated from dio. This is a compound of dia, meaning “through – indicating motion or causation” and hos, meaning “which.” So, it literally means “through which,” but is usually translated as “therefore.”

“Remember” is from the Greek verb mnēmoneuō, from which we get our English word mnemonic (a device to help you remember). This particular Greek word means “to recall to one’s mind” or “to remember.”

“Gentiles” is translated from ethnos, which simply means “a race” or “a tribe;” specifically, a foreign one. From the Jewish viewpoint, anyone of a foreign race (not a Jew) is a Gentile. In Paul’s writing it sometimes refers to someone who is not a Jew, but usually means someone who is not a believer.

We looked at the word translated “flesh” back in verse three. It is the word sarx, which literally refers to “the flesh of a living creature.” This word is commonly used to refer to the physical part of our existence as opposed to the spiritual part.

“Uncircumcision” is from akrobustia, which is made up of akron, meaning “the tip” and a form of the verb buō, meaning “to cover.” It us a word that refers specifically to the foreskin of a penis. Therefore, this word refers to someone who has not had his foreskin cut off. Since circumcision was the sign of God’s ownership given to Abraham by God, Abraham’s descendants often refer to non-Jews (Gentiles) as uncircumcised.

The word “Circumcision” is translated from peritomē, which is a compound word made up of peri, meaning “around” and a form of the verb temnō, meaning “to cut off.” Hence, this word refers to a circular cutting off of the foreskin.

 

 

Meaning Explained

On first glance, one might think that Paul is suddenly changing the subject on this verse. However, a rule of thumb in Bible study is “when you see a ‘therefore’ or a ‘wherefore,’ you need to see what it is there for.”

Paul has been talking about God’s mercy and how by His grace we have been saved through faith. In the past two verses he specifically pointed out that we are not saved by works, but that good works should be the evidence of our salvation. He now contrasts this faith with the religion of works that the Jews have been steeped in for millennia. The Jewish faith goes all the way back to Abraham, who was saved by faith just as we are. As a result of his faith and God’s covenant with him concerning a coming Messiah, Abraham was commanded to circumcise himself and every male in his household (several hundred at that time).

Through the years, the Jews have held fast to circumcision as a sign of their religion and their relationship with God. Because it is an indication in the flesh that they are God’s people, the Jews look down on all uncircumcised foreigners and declare the gods of the uncircumcised to be false gods. It is as if they built a wall between themselves and everyone else. But, in the coming verses Paul will tell us that the wall has been broken down.

 

Application

Lest we be too hard on the Jews for their spiritual snobbery, we Christians need to make sure that we are not exhibiting the same attitude toward others. We are no better than the unsaved people of the world. Apart from God’s grace, we would be destined for Hell just like they are. Thank you, God, for your grace and for the faith to believe your promises.

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 2:3 – Wrath Avoidance

Posted on by Will

among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

Truth to Learn

Before we were saved we were destined for God’s wrath.

 

Behind the Words

The word “among” is translated from the Greek preposition en, meaning “in” or “among.”

“Conducted” is from the verb anastrephō. This is made up of ana, meaning “again” and strephō, meaning “to turn.” So, literally it means “to turn again.” When used of a person it is a metaphor meaning “to live one’s life.”

Epithumia is the Greek word translated “lusts.” It is made up of epi, meaning “over” or “above” and a form of thumos, which refers to “a passion or desire of the mind.” Thus, epithumia refers to “overly strong desires.”

The word “doing” is from the Greek verb poieō, meaning “to make” or “to do.” It is expressed here as a present participle, so it means “doing.”

“Desires” is translated from thelēma which refers to “an act of determination.” So, it really means more than “desires.” It means “those things which we decided to do.”

“Flesh” is from sarx, which literally refers to “the meat or flesh of a living creature.” This word is commonly used to refer to the physical part of our existence as opposed to the spiritual part.

The word “mind” is translated from dianoia which refers to “deep thought” or “imagination.”

“Nature” is from the Greek word phusis, which is derived from the noun phuō, meaning “to bring forth in birth.” It is used here as a metonym in reference to our natural inclination.

The word “wrath” is translated from orgē, which means “desire, strong emotion, anger, or wrath.”

“Others” is from the Greek word loipos, which is from the verb leipō, meaning “to lack” or “to leave something where it is.” In other words, it refers to “that which is left.” So, it could be translated as “the remainder” or “the others.”

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul told us that before we became Christians we lived according to the ways of the world system in which we live. Our behavior was influenced by Satan who controls those who don’t believe in Christ.

What he tells us in today’s verse is that we used to live our lives controlled by the lusts of our flesh. Another way of saying this is that we used to be controlled by our sin nature. In the book of Romans, Paul calls it our “old man,” and he tells us that we used to be the slaves of sin:

knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be nullified, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. (Romans 6:6)

Because we were controlled by our fleshly desires and our imagination, Paul says we were children of wrath just like the rest of unsaved humanity. What he means is that before we were saved, we were God’s enemies and subject to his wrath. Some Christians think of God as a vengeful God, waiting for us to slip up so He can punish us. Other Christians don’t like to think of God as vengeful and exhibiting wrath; they like to think of God as a God of love. He is both. Those who receive Jesus Christ will one day experience God’s love completely, whereas those who reject Jesus Christ will one day experience the full fury of God’s wrath.

… And He treads the winepress of the wine of the anger and wrath of Almighty God. (Revelation 19:15c)

 

Application

As a Christian you still have a sin nature, but you don’t have to be controlled by it. Instead, you can submit your will to God and allow the Holy Spirit to control your life.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved