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WE find that the word flesh is used in holy Scripture with many
different meanings: for sometimes it stands for the whole man, i.e., for
that which consists of body and soul, as here "And the Word was made
flesh," and "All flesh shall see the salvation of our God." Sometimes
it stands for sinful and carnal men, as here "My spirit shall not remain in
those men, because they are flesh." Sometimes it is used for sins
themselves, as here: "But ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit,"
and again "Flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdom of God:" lastly
there follows, "Neither shall corruption inherit incorruption."
Sometimes it stands for consanguinity and relationship, as here: "Behold we
are thy bone and thy flesh," and the Apostle says: "If by any means I
may provoke to emulation them who are my flesh, and save some of them."
We must therefore inquire in which of these four meanings we ought to take
the word flesh in this place, for it is clear that it cannot possibly stand
as in the passage where it is said "The Word was made flesh," and "All
flesh shall see the salvation of God." Neither can it have the same meaning
as where it is said "My Spirit shall not remain in those men because they
are flesh," because the word flesh is not used here as it is there where it
stands simply for a sinful man--when he says" The flesh lusteth against the
spirit and the spirit against the flesh." Nor is he speaking of things
material, but of realities which in one and the same man struggle either at
the same time or separately, with the shifting and changing of time.
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