Live by the Spirit I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other; to prevent you from doing what you want. Galatians 5:16-17[1].
Introduction
Paul, in Galatians 5, makes a dichotomy between the flesh and the Spirit. In Paul’s perspective, the flesh seems to be inherently corrupt (Galatians 5:19-21), and is opposed to the Spirit who[2] is pure and produces virtuous fruit. What is not clear however is what Paul refers to as flesh. The unanswered question is whether the flesh was created as corrupt, or the heart of a person makes it so. When compared with Jesus’s teaching about what makes a person unclean (Matthew 15:18), it may mean that the flesh is the cause of evil thoughts and sin. Paul is clear about who the Spirit is, that is, the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven by God on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. This exegetical paper examines the meaning of flesh as used in Paul’s context and Paul’s intention of making a distinction between flesh and the Spirit, specifically interrogating if Paul intends to antagonize Jewish law. The first section explains the Spirit-flesh dichotomy, followed by a discussion of what Paul means by flesh, particularly examining if it means the same thing as the body and Jesus’s reference to it. The concluding section focuses on the reasons why Paul urges the Galatians to live by the Spirit and not by the flesh.
The Spirit-flesh Dichotomy
Paul contrasts the flesh and the Spirit: while the flesh causes sin, the Spirit inspires righteousness. In Galatians 5:19-23, Paul writes that:
“Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these … By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control…”
Note the use of words: “works” of the flesh; “fruit” of the Spirit. “Works” in this context suggests that there is an effort involved and that there is intentionality. Those who live by the flesh can only try to be righteous but cannot because of its power over them. This in a way relates to what Paul writes in Romans 7:14-20, about not doing what he wants to do but doing what he does not want. The flesh is responsible for his sin because there is nothing good in it (Galatians 5:19-21). “Fruit” is used in the singular, manifesting various virtues. The use of “fruit” in this way leaves one to wonder, why only one fruit but many righteous acts? It may mean that there is only one Spirit. It may also mean that each of these righteous acts is a fruit of the Spirit, distinct from the other. But in contrast to the sense in which the sinful “works” of the flesh is used, does it also mean that the fruit of the Spirit does not require any human effort? Does one become able to live virtuously without any personal effort once one crosses over from the law to the Spirit? It may not be helpful to conclude as such since people still sin even after receiving the Holy Spirit. That is perhaps why Paul clearly states that one must choose to live by the Spirit and not by the flesh. Even if one has the Holy Spirit, they can still choose to live by the Spirit.
What is flesh?
The meaning of flesh in Paul’s context seems ambiguous. It is clear who Paul refers to as the Spirit, but what is “flesh”? Is it the same thing as the physical body, or a natural influence in a person, causing the sinful works that flow from a person’s thoughts? If the flesh is the same as the “evil” thoughts of a person’s heart that causes them to sin, as Jesus taught in Matthew 15, it implies so in Paul’s perspective that every heart is corrupt. This would mean that unless the Spirit is one’s heart, one can only bear sinful thoughts. In 1 Corinthians 2:16, Paul states “but we”—Christians—have the mind of Christ, because they have the Holy Spirit. This implies that they cannot think evil thoughts again. Paul’s use of the flesh in this context (Galatians 5:16-22) connotes the sinful nature of a person, and not the physical body. Although other translations of the Bible, such as the New Living Translation (NLT) and Amplified (AMP) use “sinful nature,” the Good News Translation (GNT) uses “human nature,” and the Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) uses “old way” instead of “the flesh” as used in the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), English Standard Version (ESV), King James Version (KJV), New International Version (NIV), and Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE), all point to the nature of a person to commit sin, and not the physical body; it is the desire only acts that are sinful as opposed to the Spirit.
Is the flesh inherently corrupt?
In Paul’s perspective, there is nothing good in human nature—the flesh. It cannot produce anything good. In fact, the flesh is responsible for all the sins that people commit (Galatians 5:19-21). But the question is, does human nature develop as one grows, or are people born with that nature and remain corrupt until they get to encounter Jesus? If this is the case, it means that no one can be “good,” “righteous” without the Holy Spirit. Jesus is quoted in John 6:63: “It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”[3] The uselessness of the flesh as opposed to the spirit is, therefore, not only Paul’s perspective. This then invites a question about people who do not identify as Christians, and do not have or do not even believe in the Holy Spirit. There are non-Christians who exhibit the virtues that Paul highlights in verse 22-23. The question is whether they are practicing a different kind of virtues, or if it is possible that they live by the Spirit without knowing that they are.
Why does Paul warn about following the flesh?
Two reasons can be seen for Paul’s appeal in Galatians 5 to live by the Spirit and not gratify the desires of the flesh. While one is political, the other is moral; one stems from a standpoint of liberation, and the other points toward salvation.
The first, which connotes a political strategy of evangelizing, is so that the Galatians would be free from the Jewish law. Galatians 5:18: “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law.” This could refer either to the law as Jewish authorities: Pharisees and Scribes, so that being subject to the Spirit makes them true followers of Christ; or the law as letter of the text—Torah. Paul is trying to say that those who live by the desires of the flesh will be judged by the law of the Jews, since it is those acts that the law condemns. This text enacts the division between Jewish law and Christian instruction, especially as given by Paul. In Galatians 3:3, Paul questions the Galatians about why, having started in the Spirit, they are ending up in the flesh from which they were saved. They did not receive Spirit because of the “works of the law” (v. 2) but by “faith” [in Jesus Christ]. Paul suggests here that the Spirit is superior to the law, which cannot save one from the flesh but rather brings a curse (v. 10). Anyone who is under the law would be judged by the Jewish authorities, but those under the Spirit will not be judged by them.
The second reason for Paul’s appeal in Galatians 5, which is a salvific appeal, is so as to inherit the Kingdom of God. Paul says in v. 21: “I am warning you as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God,” and v. 23: “…there is no law against such things.” The condition for inheriting the Kingdom of God is being subject to the Spirit and Jesus Christ, while the consequence for not being so subject is not inheriting the Kingdom; which implies going to hell. This informs the teachings of contemporary mainstream Christian congregations: if you are not “saved,” you are going to hell, which is meant to create fear in non-Christians. It is important to note, however, that Paul is not advocating for the rejection of the law, but for consciousness of the inability of the law to save from the flesh. Worthy of consideration is also the reason for the giving of the law in the first place. According to Paul, the law is not responsible for sin, the product or “works” of the flesh, but only comes to expose it (Galatians 3). It was not given for salvation, or to take people to heaven. It is only grace from Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, who saves from sin. The other reason, perhaps, is that people should live in harmony with their fellow human beings.
Conclusion
Paul’s Spirit-flesh dichotomy shows that the flesh is sinful, and the Spirit is righteous. It is, however, not an explicit rejection of Jewish law, but the fact that the Law does not have the power to save people from the desires of the flesh. The flesh is the reason people cannot keep the Law, and yet, it cannot save them from it. The Spirit is the only one who can save people from the flesh. If people live by the Spirit, they will obtain salvation, but if they live by the flesh, they will not inherit the Kingdom of God. The text should not be read as an antagonism of Jewish law. The question of whether it should be interpreted to apply to all people, including non-Christians, is debatable. Although the letter was originally addressed to Galatian Christ-followers, it is used as a Christian text today. This means that the teaching is for all Christians. If, however, it applies to all people who seek the Kingdom of God, including Jews, then it means that everyone must become a Christian and live by the Spirit to overcome the works of the flesh and obtain salvation.
[1] M.D. [editor] Coogan (ed.) (2010) The new Oxford annotated Bible: New Revised Standard Version: with the Apocrypha: an ecumenical study Bible. Fully revised fourth edition. Oxford, [England]; New York, [New York], Oxford University Press, 2086-2087.
[2] The use of Italics here is because although in the Christian context, “Spirit” is a person, non-Christians do not believe so.
[3] M.D. Coogan, 1931.
