What is SARX (flesh)? Part 1
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Straight to the Cross
COLUMN: Basic Greek Language Study
What is SARX (flesh)? Part 1
by Kevin Cauley
The Greek word SARX can be a complex word to
define. Few Greek words are misunderstood more
than this particular word. Countless scholars have
attempted to define its theological meaning.
(There are over fifty-five pages dedicated to
doing just this in TDNT.) Many translators have
resorted to less than literal translations for the
word in an attempt to convey its significance. How
ought we to understand this word as it is used in
the New Testament? In this study we will look at
the basic meaning of the word and then in a
following study examine Paul's specialized usage
of it in Romans and Galatians.
First of all there is the simple translation of
the word, "flesh." In the word's most literal
sense, it simply means tissue that surrounds bone.
It can be used of either man or animal. Luke 24:39
records Jesus as saying, "Behold my hands and my
feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for
a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me
have." Hands, feet, SARX, and bones are what Jesus
offered as proof of his resurrection. This is a
straightforward literal usage of the word. By the
way, this verse indicates that Jesus' body was
more than a phantasm or spirit, namely, that his
physical body was raised with its hands, feet,
SARX, and bones.
John 1:14 says, "And the Word was made flesh, and
dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the
glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full
of grace and truth." Here is another passage in
which we find a literal usage of the word SARX. It
describes the fact that Jesus had a physical body
while He walked on the earth. He was made SARX.
The word SARX can also refer to a physical
relationship. This is a slight departure from the
literal meaning of the word, but the significance
in this sense ties back to the literal meaning in
that nothing more is implied than the physical
essence of an attribute. Hebrews 12:9 says,
"Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh
which corrected us, and we gave them reverence:
shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the
Father of spirits, and live?" Such a father is
only one who has been entrusted with another's
SARX and most likely the biological progenitor of
that SARX. The word is also used of the
master/slave relationship. "Servants, obey in all
things your masters according to the flesh; not
with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness
of heart, fearing God" (Colossians 3:22). Here,
the physical relationship between master and slave
is referenced in contrast to the spiritual
relationship that all Christians have with their
master, Christ. In the same vein, a person can be
a Gentile in the SARX (Ephesians 2:11), an
Israelite in the SARX (1 Corinthians 10:18), or
even a wise man in the SARX (1 Corinthians 1:26).
In all such cases the word indicates a contrast to
one who may also have said attribute or
relationship in a spiritual sense. Hence, one need
infer nothing more than the physical.
An additional sense in which the word is used is
in regard to the relationship of husband and wife.
Matthew 19:5,6, Mark 10:8, 1 Corinthians 6:16, and
Ephesians 5:31 all refer to this relationship. It
is a relationship of SARX. However, the meaning of
the word in this context is not literal, but much
more. The two don't become one SARX in that they
are spliced or morphed together. Rather, the word
has reference to the sexual relationship. The two
are partaking of one another's SARX, that is, they
are having fellowship or communion in SARX. Hence,
they are one SARX in that their SARX is in union.
This isn't a literal usage of the word, but it
isn't a strictly metaphorical usage either because
the SARX of the two persons must be present in
order for this communion to occur.
There is also an extended sense of the word in
which the SARX represents the whole of the human
body. That is to say that by the figure of
synecdoche in which a part of something is taken
for the whole the SARX is taken to be the entirety
of one's body. Matthew 24:22 says, "And except
those days should be shortened, there should no
flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those
days shall be shortened." That is, no person would
be saved. Luke 3:6 states, "And all flesh shall
see the salvation of God." All persons shall see
such salvation. John 17:2 reads, "As thou hast
given him power over all flesh, that he should
give eternal life to as many as thou hast given
him." In other words, the Father has given the Son
authority over all people. This is, again, an
extended sense of the literal definition.
Up to this point we find that most would agree
with our analysis of this word. It is when we get
to the writings of Paul that we find a special
theological usage of this word, which we'll
discuss more in the next article.
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