The Body of Sin

In Paul’s writings, especially Romans and Galatians, we read Paul using the term flesh often (Greek: sarx) is employed frequently, particularly in the Book of Romans. The word has sometimes been translated as “sinful nature,” but this translation hides the strongly physical connotations of the word. At its root, the word refers to our skin.

At first glance, you might think that Paul uses a simplistic dualism where the spiritual is inherently good, and the physical or bodily is intrinsically evil. However, a more careful reading of Paul’s use of flesh shows this is not the case. After all, Jesus came to earth fully in the flesh (2 Cor. 5:16; John 1:14). Paul did not see our flesh as intrinsically evil, as the Gnostics did. Rather, he saw our flesh as weak, susceptible to the power of Sin (Rom. 8:3).

However, Paul’s use of flesh goes beyond just the physical body. When someone is “in the flesh” (Rom. 8:8), they are in a perilous spiritual state involving their bodies. As Dr. Jonathan Morgan aptly puts it, “Sin is something that we do bodily.” Sin isn’t an abstract concept detached from our physical being. Instead, it is integrally woven into our actions, thoughts, and decisions, all of which find expression through our bodies.

In Romans 7:18, Paul notes, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.” Here, Paul is not strictly denigrating the physical body. Instead, he is highlighting the struggles and tensions of someone whose “flesh” is under the power of Sin rather than under the power of the Spirit. The weakness of our flesh makes it vulnerable to the power of Sin. In this case, the “flesh” embodies a sinful propensity to veer away from God. This fallen “nature” does not present merely a spiritual battle but a tangible, physical one as well.

However, it is important to recognize that Paul does not view the body itself as inherently evil. In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, he reminds the believers that their body is a “temple of the Holy Spirit.” If the body were inherently wicked, it could not serve as a dwelling place for the divine. Instead, Paul addresses how humanity often misuses the body and how weak our flesh is by default in the presence of Sin. We are so easily driven by desires and passions that lead us away from God’s best for the creation.

In Galatians 5:16-24, Paul provides a vivid contrast between the “works of the flesh” and the “fruit of the Spirit.” The former includes actions such as “sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife…,” which are significantly enacted in bodily forms. These aren’t just spiritual transgressions; they manifest physically. Conversely, the fruit of the Spirit—like love, joy, peace, and patience—are virtues that also find tangible expression in human interactions and behaviors. The body, then, can be a vessel of both sin and righteousness.

Why does Paul use bodily language to discuss sin and virtue? One reason is the incarnational nature of Christian theology. God became flesh in Jesus Christ, fully embracing human nature to redeem it. In Romans 8:3, Paul states, “By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh.” Jesus, in his bodily form, lived a sinless life, faced temptations, and offered himself as a sacrifice. Redemption was achieved not in spite of the body but through it.

Paul’s discussion of flesh reminds us of the tangible nature of faith. Christianity isn’t an abstract set of beliefs but a lived experience grounded in real-world actions and interactions. When Paul speaks of the struggles of the “flesh,” he is addressing real challenges that people faced in their daily lives. We may face them, too. It is a recognition that faith is embodied and that spiritual battles have physical frontlines.

In avoiding a dualistic interpretation of Paul’s writings, it is crucial to see the holistic vision of redemption he presents. While he acknowledges the struggles that can be associated with the flesh, he envisions both a present and a future where believers are not in the flesh. Romans 7 is easily one of the most frequently misunderstood passages in the whole Bible. Often, this passage is taken to be Paul confessing his ongoing struggle with Sin in his life.

However, most Romans scholars believe that Paul is using a rhetorical device here known as prosopopoeia. That is to say, he is dramatically presenting the plight of someone who wants to keep the Law but does not have the Holy Spirit. Because this person is under the power of Sin, they want to keep the Law but cannot do it. In this light, it is essential to read on into Romans 8, where we learn that when we are no longer in the flesh but in the Spirit, we are freed from the power of Sin (e.g., Rom. 8:1-4). If we remain “in the flesh” here on earth, we cannot please God (Rom. 8:8).

Not only can we overcome struggles with the flesh here on Earth. We will not struggle with the flesh in the kingdom of God, either. There, we will be given transformed, resurrection bodies (1 Corinthians 15:35-55). Our physical bodies are not discarded or left behind but are renewed and redeemed, pointing to the intrinsic worth and potential of the physical form.