The Christological Flesh-Spirit Antithesis

Abstract

In The Christological Flesh-Spirit Antithesis, Siegbert W. Becker examines three New Testament passages—1 Peter 3:18, 1 Timothy 3:16, and Romans 1:3–4—that contrast “flesh” and “spirit” in reference to Christ. Becker argues that these terms do not denote Christ’s human and divine natures, nor the Holy Spirit, but rather two modes of existence: the “flesh” representing Christ’s state of humiliation, and the “spirit” representing His exaltation following the resurrection. Through detailed grammatical and contextual analysis, Becker critiques common translations and proposes more accurate renderings that preserve the theological nuance of the original Greek. He contends that “flesh” and “spirit” should be understood as qualitative descriptors of Christ’s earthly suffering and glorified resurrection life. The essay offers a compelling case for revising English translations to reflect this Christological framework more faithfully. Abstract generated by Microsoft Copilot (GPT-4).