Carnality in 1 Cor. 3
1 Cor. 3 uses the word the KJV translates as "carnal." A lot of us in the American Holiness tradition tend to associate "carnality" with "whatever that thing is that needs to be fixed by entire sanctification," so it might come naturally to us to think of entire sanctification when we run into "carnal" or "carnality" in the wild.
Problem: entire sanctification isn't always part of what's going on when "carnal" pops up.
Example: 1 Cor. 3:1-4
This passage was part of the Sunday school lesson this last week in a curriculum I ran across. The comments in the lesson talked about how the Corinthians needed to be entirely sanctified to get this carnality dealt with.
You know what's interesting? Paul doesn't mention entire sanctification as the solution to their carnality. Not a word.
Maybe you're like me. Maybe when you hear the word "carnality," it's hard not to just hear it as "that thing that gets fixed by entire sanctification." That's actually not what the word means, though. To break that mental rut, I find that it's helpful to substitute the word "flesh."
That's what the word translated as carnality actually means--we get that word from Latin, carn, and it just means meat or flesh (think carne asada. mmmm)
Paul actually talks about the flesh/Spirit opposition in some other places (Gal. 5; Rom. 8). And guess what? No mention of entire sanctification taking care of the flesh.
How does Paul think the flesh needs to be dealt with?
In 1 Cor. 3, Paul apparently thinks that right information will counteract their flesh-ish way of thinking. He rebuts their bad thinking.
In Rom. 8, Paul says that believers don't walk after the flesh (Rom. 8:1, 4), but set their minds on the Spirit (Rom. 8:5).
In Gal. 5, Paul calls believers to walk in the Spirit, and they won't fulfill the desires of the flesh (Gal. 5:16).
In none of these cases does it sound like the flesh goes away. Rather, Paul calls believers (including entirely sanctified ones!) to see themselves as continually being at a crossroads: you are always deciding whether to walk in/walk in step with/set your mind on the Spirit or the flesh.
I affirm that entire sanctification cleanses inherited depravity.
But the flesh is not inherited depravity.
One more time in the language of the KJV:
When Paul says "carnality," he is not talking about inherited depravity.
Problem: entire sanctification isn't always part of what's going on when "carnal" pops up.
Example: 1 Cor. 3:1-4
This passage was part of the Sunday school lesson this last week in a curriculum I ran across. The comments in the lesson talked about how the Corinthians needed to be entirely sanctified to get this carnality dealt with.
You know what's interesting? Paul doesn't mention entire sanctification as the solution to their carnality. Not a word.
That's what the word translated as carnality actually means--we get that word from Latin, carn, and it just means meat or flesh (think carne asada. mmmm)
Paul actually talks about the flesh/Spirit opposition in some other places (Gal. 5; Rom. 8). And guess what? No mention of entire sanctification taking care of the flesh.
How does Paul think the flesh needs to be dealt with?
In 1 Cor. 3, Paul apparently thinks that right information will counteract their flesh-ish way of thinking. He rebuts their bad thinking.
In Rom. 8, Paul says that believers don't walk after the flesh (Rom. 8:1, 4), but set their minds on the Spirit (Rom. 8:5).
In Gal. 5, Paul calls believers to walk in the Spirit, and they won't fulfill the desires of the flesh (Gal. 5:16).
In none of these cases does it sound like the flesh goes away. Rather, Paul calls believers (including entirely sanctified ones!) to see themselves as continually being at a crossroads: you are always deciding whether to walk in/walk in step with/set your mind on the Spirit or the flesh.
I affirm that entire sanctification cleanses inherited depravity.
But the flesh is not inherited depravity.
One more time in the language of the KJV:
When Paul says "carnality," he is not talking about inherited depravity.
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