[B-Greek] 1Cor. 15:50 SARX KAI hAIMA, 1 Jn 4:2 SARKI
Iver Larsen
iver_larsen at sil.org
Fri Mar 12 23:33:13 EST 2010
It may be helpful to focus on the combined idiom SARX KAI hAIMA. Even in my
Webster's dictionary "flesh and blood" has its own entry, separate from "flesh".
The English dictionary definition is "corporeal nature as composed of flesh and
blood". That seems pretty close to the meaning of the Greek idiom. I don't think
this idiom has much to do with Paul's theological usage of SARX in contexts
where it is contrasted to PENUMA, nor is the idiom specific to Paul. A too
narrow focus on individual words often lead us to ignore the contribution that
context gives to the meaning of a text.
We find the idiom in places like
Mat 16:17 σὰρξ καὶ αἷμα οὐκ ἀπεκάλυψέν σοι ἀλλ᾽ ὁ πατήρ μου ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς
SARX KAI hAIMA OUK APEKALUYEN SOI ALL' hO PATHR MOU hO EN TOIS OURANOIS
This revelation did not come to you from a human being, but from my heavenly
Father.
Gal 1:16 οὐ προσανεθέμην σαρκὶ καὶ αἵματι
OU PROSANEQEMHN SARKI KAI hAIMATI
I did not bring my queries to a human being.
There is nothing negative or "unspiritual" about "flesh and blood" here. It is
just another human being of flesh and blood. It may be contrasted to the Holy
Spirit from whom Paul sought guidance in the desert, but it is not a contrast in
a negative sense, but simply in a corporeal sense.
Eph 6:12 ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμῖν ἡ πάλη πρὸς αἷμα καὶ σάρκα
hOTI OUK ESTIN hHMIN hH PALH PROS hAIMA KAI SARKA
that the struggle we have is not directed towards human beings
Heb 2:14 ἐπεὶ οὖν τὰ παιδία κεκοινώνηκεν αἵματος καὶ σαρκός, καὶ αὐτὸς
παραπλησίως μετέσχεν τῶν αὐτῶν
EPEI OUN TA PAIDIA KEKOINWNHKEN hAIMATOS KAI SARKOS, KAI AUTOS PARAPLHSIWS
METESCEN TWN AUTWN
so, since the "children" are corporeal/human beings, he, too, likewise, shared
in that same corporeal state.
Greek, unlike English, is flexible enough to be able to reverse the order to
"blood and flesh" without changing the meaning of the idiom.
The phrase SARX KAI OSTEA is used in Luke 24:39 in more or less the same
meaning, but here the context suggests the difference between someone who
appears like a ghost and therefore cannot be seen and touched, whereas Jesus in
his resurrected body can be seen and touched. Neither expression in and of
themselves indicate anything about lack of permanence or mortality. That is
brought to the context by our experience of human beings.
Now, Webster gives a second sense of "flesh and blood": near kindred - used
chiefly in the phrase "one's own flesh and blood". This sense is expressed in
the LXX by SARX KAI OSTOUN, but is different from how the idiom is used in Luke
24 as can be seen from the lack of personal pronouns.
SARX alone can also be used to refer to a human being by way of metonymy, and
this is how it is used by John. That Paul extends its usage to a human way of
thinking as opposed to a spiritual or Godly way of thinking is a matter of
context. It is a very natural extension and it is already seen in Matt 26:41:
τὸ μὲν πνεῦμα πρόθυμον ἡ δὲ σὰρξ ἀσθενής
TO MEN PNEUMA PROQUMON, hH DE SARX ASQENHS
While the spirit (or spiritual side) is ready/eager (to do the right thing), the
human side is weak.
Iver Larsen
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Lightman" <lightmanmark at yahoo.com>
To: <kline_dekooning at earthlink.net>; "B-Greek Lists"
<b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>; "Vasileios Tsialas" <tsialas78 at hotmail.com>
Sent: 13. marts 2010 03:52
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] 1Cor. 15:50 SARX KAI hAIMA, 1 Jn 4:2 SARKI
> Paul believes that at the Second Coming of Jesus, the
> flesh of believers will be changed into a SWMA PNEUMATIKON.
> (ALLAGHSOMEQA 1 Cor 15:51) Jesus' flesh has already been
> so changed. John and Luke probably
> believe the same thing, but it appears that, unlike Paul, Luke (24:39) and
> possibly John (1 Jn 4:2?) still use the word SARX for this glorified
> body. I would not call it a contradiction, but just that Paul
> has given it more thought, and chooses not to call the changed
> flesh SARX. John and Luke would probably tell you it is not
> the same kind of flesh, which is basically what Paul says in
> 1 Cor 15.
>
> Mark L
> Φωσφορος
More information about the B-Greek
mailing list