Some good thoughts, Beetow.
On σαρξ, the important thing is how a general idea functions in each setting. Anthony Thiselton noted that Paul used it as a polymorphous. Douglas Moo noted five basic uses by Paul, including the most common on secular Greek of biological material covering animal bodies (1 Cor.15:39). You are right to see its extended meanings. From
https://archive.org/details/the-wor...-bible-versions-2017-231024/page/154/mode/1up, [Paul used sarx 27 times in
Romans, and means different things in different places. The TNIV used 28 different words or phrases to translate it, mostly
sinful nature (over 30 times) and
flesh (16 times) (Scorgie, Strauss, and Voth 2003:366). Sarx speaks of 1# the body’s covering (1 Cor.15:39); 2# the human body (2 Cor.7:1); 3# human beings (1 Cor.1:2-9); 4# human ethnicity (1 Cor.10:18); 5# human sinfulness (Gal.5:1-7). And when contrasting humanity to God, it might carry the idea of mortality. 1 Cor.5:5 speaks of sarx being destroyed—does this mean the mortification of
flesh that monks whipped their backs to attain? The ESV and HCSB read
flesh, the REB reads
body, the NJB reads
natural life, the TNIV (likewise the NLT) reads
sinful nature with the alternatives
flesh and
body footnoted. Rm.11:14 causes particular problems for translating
flesh—did Paul “move to jealousy his
flesh”? If I told my GPs that I was moving to jealousy my own flesh, would they bind my body in a jacket? The KJV paraphrased this by reading “those who are my own flesh”, and the ESV, following the RSV, used “fellow Jews”. The TNIV and HCSB, “my own people”.
[1] “Gentiles by birth” (NIV) interprets well what Eph.2:11 means. Is “Gentiles in the flesh” (RSV/ESV) better? Is there even any long-term gain through working out, through much study and many readings, Paul’s range of meaning in his use of sarx? Would Paul, who fitted himself into his audience, have wished me to sound like a foreigner by saying “I am English in the flesh”, rather than “I am English by birth”?]
The idea of little tin gods is correct, IMO. C S Lewis’
Out of the Silent Planet, reflects this idea. We each are conceived with an itch to be our own controllers, and although human-to-human slavery can be oppressive, human-to-God slavery, can be true freedom.
I used to ask whether Jesus had had to be ‘born again’. I now see it wasn’t so. But on translating γεννηθη ανωθεν, nowadays I totally reject as reincarnational, the expression ‘born again’: William Tyndale got it right; Nicodemus got it wrong. Jesus used a slightly ambiguous term to test Nicodemus, who kidded that he surely couldn’t be born again, to which Jesus replied that Nicodemus should as an OT scholar really have seen his meaning as spiritual newness, from above, born anew in that sense, not an again-repeat sense. Indeed no one had at that time been born anew, and Nicodemus was already in God’s kingdom at a Sinai level. Jesus spoke of a new level of kingdom, the messianic level which Nicodemus expected soon to arrive, and into which merely being a Sinaite was insufficient: no one can enter or even see the messianic kingdom unless they are born by the spirit, and no one could enter the messianic kingdom until messiah set it up. The OT prophets and Yeshua spoke of the plan they knew.
Within this kingdom we are messianic children of God—again filiality to God has levels of meaning. Yet we still have a nature which is unfit for ultimate salvation to come. In
Galatians/
Ephesians, from the NIV I noted 41 vices to sort out, and 41 virtues to enjoy, and it hit me that these things would not have been said to Christians, unless necessary! These are…
Say No to hypocrisy, biting & devouring each other, sexual immorality, impurity, dissensions, debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, factions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, conceit, provocation, sowing to the sinful nature, insensitivity, old self, lust, falsehood, stealing, unwholesome talk, grieving the spirit, bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander, malice, greed, obscenity, foolish talk, coarse talking, foolishness, exasperating your children, threatening your servants, sleeping on anger.
Say Yes to serving each other, loving your neighbour as yourself, living by the spirit, living a life of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self‑control, keeping in step with the spirit, restoring out‑of‑step believers, carrying each other’s burdens, carrying our own load, sowing to the spirit, humility, bearing with each other in love, aiming at keeping unity, building folk up, letting the spirit change us, putting on Christ, obeying your husbands, holiness, truthfulness, being good to your servants, working for your living, loving your wives, compassion, forgiveness, imitation of God, obeying your parents, training up your children, righteousness, heartily obeying your masters, aiming to please God, wisdom, singing to each other, giving thanks to God, submitting to each other.
We qualify for heaven through the cross, and by grace through the cross and by the spirit, we are Christians under construction, forming a new σαρξ. I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene.
As you say, it is sooo important for us that we walk by the spirit, and not by our old Adamic nature.
[1] Some condemn the TNIV as if it promoted the anti-Semitist idea that Paul wasn’t Jewish. But the context of Rm.11:14, in the TNIV, makes it very clear that he was ethnically Jewish. Real readers are unlikely to be mislead; proof-texters may wish to be misled.
