On Sanctification Through the Flesh ...

Last year, I surveyed the writings of the early Church Fathers to see if any early Christian source saw an “order of creation” in such passages as 1 Corinthians 11 and 1 Timothy 2. None what soever. However, I was intrigued by the general curiosity the early Greek Christians showed in their engagement with the “one flesh” of marriage (1 Cor 6:16; 15:39; Eph 5:31; Gen 2:4; Matt 19:5-6; Mark 10:8). While Paul in  Eph 5:32 saw the unity of Christ and Church as a great mystery (not the “one flesh” of marriage which is a common idea in Judaism and ancient Hebrew anthropology), the Church Fathers, with their background in Hellenistic and Platonic anthropology of body-spirit dichotomy, thought this “one flesh” concept was, indeed, a great mystery (a sacramentum), which suggests unfamiliarity.

The ancient Greeks had two terms: sarx (“flesh”) and soma (“body”). The sarx was the stuff of the body and the soma gave the sarx/flesh form. The soma was the factor of individualization among the ancient Greeks. The ancient Hebrews had a term for “flesh”: basar. They did not have a term for “body.” The ancient Hebrews did not have a “form” word marking off individualization, thus, there was a blurring of lines separating people. The nephesh (“soul,” psuche, the vital principle that animated the basar/sarx/flesh or “body”) could extend beyond the contours of the individual, encompassing a household, a tribe, a nation, humanity itself in both positive and negative ways. This is how corporate solidarities are created in ancient Hebrew anthropology and thought. Thus, the “flesh” (basar) lends itself to solidarity thinking in terms of marriage (“one flesh” [Gen 2:23f.; 1 Cor 6:16]), families or kin groups (“bone and flesh” [2 Sam 19:12f.; Gen 29:14; Rom 9:3]), and humanity in general (“all flesh” [Gen 6:12; Joel 2:28f.]). Again, the Greeks had terms for “flesh” and “body,” the Hebrews only had “flesh” to cover both ideas. Therefore, there are times when “flesh” and “body” are near synonymous terms in Paul (1 Cor 6:15-19; 15:39-40; Eph 5:28-33). Look at all the references to the Church being the “body of Christ” (Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 3:6; 5:23; Colossians 1:18, 24), of believer’s being “in Christ” (Romans 8:2, 39; 12:5; 1 Corinthians 1:2, 30; 15:18, 22; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 2:4; 3:28; 6:15; Ephesians 1:3, 10, 12, 20). In Ephesians 5:18-6:9, it’s about being filled with the Holy Spirit; like Galatians 3:27-28, 1 Corinthians 12:13 and Colossians 3:9-11, it’s partially based on Joel 2:28-29. It’s about the Spirit working through the “flesh” (Paul had already noted the Spirit working thru "fleshly" solidarities of Jew-Gentile in chp. 2). Note how Paul uses Christ-Church as an analogy for husband-wife: head and body. Husbands should love their wives as their own bodies like Christ loves his body, the Church. Paul quotes Gen 2:23-24 to this effect. Again, “flesh” and “body” are frequently near synonyms. Now look at what Paul says v.26 of our Ephesian 5 passage:

“… so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word.”

Same idea as 1 Corinthians 7:14 and for the same reason: the Spirit working thru the solidarity of the flesh. Look at 2 Corinthians 7:1:

“Let’s cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

In the previous chapter he had talked about corruption and defilement from idolatry and being mismatched with unbelievers. He uses more corporate language this time the imagery of Christian believers being a temple of God (v. 16), just as he does in Ephesians 2:21 and in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 and 6:19 where he notes the Spirit dwells within that “temple” and that it shouldn’t be corrupted (3:17). Of course, Christ is frequently referred to as a temple in the works of Paul, Peter, and John. We see references to various corruptions and defilements in Paul’s writings (1 Cor 15:33; 2 Cor 11:3; Eph 4:22). One of the main reasons why the “flesh” (basar, sarx) is defiled, weak, and corrupting is because it creates these corporate solidarities that spread corruption. Paul notes this when he’s speaking about a Christian man becoming “one flesh” with a prostitute (1 Cor 6:14-20). The corrupting nature of the “flesh” is one of the reasons why God wanted the Israelites to be separate the surrounding pagan influences, which Paul notes 2 Cor 6:17, quoting from Isaiah 52:11 and Leviticus 26:12. As Paul notes in Galatians and Ephesians, the Law was given to separate Jew from pagan Gentile until the time of Christ and the coming of the Spirit. Those who are in Christ (a part of his body) partake of the Spirit. The Spirit lives in them like God always promised would happen. When did the Spirit come? Pentecost. Peter says it fulfills the Promise of Joel 2:28-29: “I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh. And your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will have dreams, your young men will see visions. And even on the male and female slave. I will pour out My Spirit in those days.” The “all flesh” here refers all humankind (again, see Gen 6:12), and thus, includes Jew and Gentile. So, in Joel 2:28-29 we have Jew, Gentile, slave and free, and male and female. Sound familiar? Galatians 3:28:

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

The word “promise” (epangelia) is mentioned six times in Galatians 3 (twice more in Galatians 4), starting with verse 14, which identifies it as the “promise of the Spirit.” In chapter 3, Paul reminds the Galatians that they’re received the Spirit of promise (3:2-3, 5, 14; see also 4:6; 5:16, 18). Again, Ephesians 5:18-6:9 is about what it means to be filled with the Spirit and how (as in Joel 2:28-29) the Spirit works through the “fleshly” solidarities of women and men, parents and children, free and slave. And, again, Paul had already talked about the Spirit working thru the "fleshly" solidarities of Jews and Gentiles in 2:11-22, saying, “the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called ‘Uncircumcision’ by the so-called ‘Circumcision’ (v. 11), you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the people of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise (v. 12), “who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall” (v.14), “by abolishing in His flesh the hostility, which is the Law composed of commandments expressed in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two one new human (anthropos)” (v. 15). The new human/anthropos/person/self is, of course, that of Christ and those in him as his body. This new solidarity occurs by participating in Christ’s death (Rom 6:3-11; Col 2:12, 20; 3:32; 2 Cor 5:14-15; Phil 3:10), which strips believers of “fleshly” solidarities - essentially dying to such solidarities. For example, both Paul and Jesus say the “one flesh” solidarity of marriage ends at death (Rom 7:2-3; Mark 12:25). Similarly, Paul says that the jurisdiction of the Law, around which was created the solidarity of the Israelites, ends at death (Gal 2:19-20; Rom 6:14; 7:1, 4-9). We can add to this that death to sin liberates from the slavery to the body of sin, or the flesh of sin (Rom 6:2-22; 8:3). There are different ways in which Paul expresses this idea, including, being baptized into Christ or into his death (Rom 6:3-5; Col 2:12), stripping off or crucifying the “old self” or “old human” (anthropos [Rom 6:6; Eph 4:22; Col 3:9]), and removing the body of the flesh (Col 2:11). But while death in Christ breaks the old solidarities of the flesh, participation in Christ’s resurrection (Rom 6:4-11; Col 2:12-13; 3:1) creates a new solidarity in Christ, energized by the Spirit. Paul refers to this as being clothed with or putting on Christ (Gal 3:27; Rom 13:14; 1 Cor 15:53-54) or putting on the “new self” or “new human” (anthropos [Rom 6:6; Eph 2:15; 4:24; Col 3:10]).

Back to Galatians 3:28, look at the verse 27:

“For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

This is the language of participation in Christ’s death and resurrection. This is the language of dying to the solidarities of the “flesh” (Gal 3:3) and living in the solidarity of Christ – a solidarity energized by the Spirit, rather than the flesh (3:3; 4:29; 5:16-25; 6:8) - so that Jew, Gentile, slave, free, man, & woman are now one in Christ. In 1 Corinthians 12:13, Paul writes,

“For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.”

Then in Colossians 3:9-11,

 “Do not lie to one another, since you stripped off the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self, which is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created it— a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, and free, but Christ is all, and in all.”

And this same idea appears in other places in Paul such as 2 Corinthians 5 and in brief expositions in Romans and Ephesians.

Back in Galatians and the context of its writing, some Christians were mandating circumcision as a requirement for full membership in the Church and in the family of Abraham. Paul responds to this perceived threat to the freedom of the Christian (2:4; 5:1, 13) by noting the Law’s intent, which included contemporary confinement until the fulfillment of God’s promise to bless the Gentiles in the family of Abraham. He argues that requiring circumcision and other “works of the Law” (see 2:11-14) will divide the Church along ethnic lines (3:16), asserting Jewish privilege over and against Gentile Christians. Rather, Paul asserts that the badge of identity in Abraham’s family is not circumcision or other “works of the law,” but faith in Christ (Gal 2:16, 20; 3:2, 7, 9, 22) identifying one as belonging to Christ or being in Christ (Gal 3:29), including Gentiles (Gal 3:8). The Law is not of faith (Gal 3:12); its solidarity was a temporary measure that has now ended (Gal 3:22-25; Rom 10:4) with the coming of Christ and the Spirit. As noted in Ephesians 2:11-22, the Law - which necessarily separated Israel from the corrupting, “fleshly,” influence of its pagan, gentile neighbors - is no longer needed now that the Spirit has been poured out on those in Christ. In fact, the Law can be a hindrance to the working of the Spirit thru the flesh if it separates the Spirit-filled people of God from their non-Christian neighbors. With the outpouring of the Spirit, the partitioning must come down in order that the defilement of the world can be reversed. Now that the idolatrous Powers have been defeated by Jesus on the cross, the Spirit pours thru Christ as the head sanctifying the body of the Church/Israel. And thru the Church/Israel and its members, the Spirit and the Word liberate, revitalize, and recreate the world. Essentially, God's uses the same “fleshly” solidarities and dynamics of creation, through which sin corrupted the world, in reverse with the Spirit sanctifying, revitalizing, and eventually resurrecting - first Christ to Israel/Church, then Israel/Church to the world.