-
FleshAid to Bible Understanding
-
-
his fleshly body, the way to life in heaven was not open.—Heb. 9:24; 10:19, 20.
MAN IN HIS IMPERFECTION
“Flesh” is often used in the Bible to represent man in his imperfect state, ‘conceived in sin’ as an offspring of rebellious Adam. (Ps. 51:5; Rom. 5:12; Eph. 2:3) In humans who are trying to serve God ‘the spirit [mental inclination] is eager, but the flesh is weak.’ (Matt. 26:41) Within these servants of God there is a constant conflict, God’s holy spirit being a force for righteousness, the sinful flesh continually warring against the spirit’s influence and exerting pressure to induce the individual to perform the works of the flesh. (Rom. 7:18-20; Gal. 5:17) The works of sinful flesh are contrasted with the fruitage of the spirit, at Galatians 5:19-23.
The apostle Paul also tells us that the Law given through Moses to Israel was “weak through the flesh.” The Law under which the Aaronic priesthood served was spiritual, from God, but by it fleshly persons “sold under sin” were condemned, rather than pronounced righteous. (Rom. 7:14) The high priests of the fleshly line of Aaron assigned by the Law were not able to offer an adequate sacrifice for sin.—Rom. 8:3; Heb. 7:11-14, 23; 10:1-4.
In saying that “flesh . . . is not under subjection to the law of God, nor, in fact, can it be,” the apostle Paul is not saying that flesh in itself must of necessity be corrupt. He tells us that Jesus Christ, although partaking of blood and flesh, becoming “like his ‘brothers,’” was “guileless undefiled, separated from the sinners,” “tested in all respects like ourselves, but without sin.” (Rom. 8:7; Heb. 2:14, 17; 4:15; 7:26) Jehovah proved that human flesh can be sinless: “God, by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and concerning sin, condemned sin in the flesh.” (Rom. 8:3) Eventually, through the provision of Christ’s sacrifice, all flesh who exercise faith will become perfect, and God’s righteous laws will then be kept perfectly by fleshly mankind.—Rev. 21:4.
VICTORY OVER DESIRES OF THE FLESH
One of the temptations that influenced Eve to sin was “the desire of the flesh.” The Devil used it against Christ but failed. (1 John 2:16; Gen. 3:6; Luke 4:1-4) Jesus’ followers, too, by Jehovah’s undeserved kindness, defeat the sinful flesh.—Rom. 8:1-4.
CHRISTIANS HAVE NO FIGHT WITH THOSE OF FLESH
It is not fleshly reasoning, but Jehovah’s spirit, that reveals God’s purposes to men of faith, and guides them. (Matt. 16:17; 1 Cor. 2:9, 14; Eph. 3:5) Accordingly, Christians do not carry on their Christian warfare “according to [the] flesh,” and they do not have a fight with persons of flesh and blood; neither do they use fleshly weapons against anyone. Their fight is with “wicked spirit forces in the heavenly places.” (2 Cor. 10:3, 4; Eph. 6:12) They trust, not in the ‘arm of flesh,’ but in Jehovah the Spirit. (Jer. 17:5; 2 Cor. 3:17) They are striving, with God’s help, to cleanse themselves of “every defilement of flesh and spirit,” and God views and judges them, not according to what they are in the flesh, as man often does, but according to what they are spiritually.—1 Cor. 4:3-5; 2 Cor. 5:16, 17; 7:1; 1 Pet. 4:6; see DECLARE RIGHTEOUS; SOUL; SPIRIT.
-
-
FlintAid to Bible Understanding
-
-
FLINT
An extremely hard stone, harder than steel, so hard that when two pieces are struck together a fire can be started from the spark. It is found in limestone and chalk deposits in Palestine and in the northern Sinai Peninsula. Flint is quite brittle and fractures with a glossy surface. Its chips have very sharp edges, a characteristic that man was quick to recognize and put to use. From very early times knives, axheads, chisels, spearheads, arrowheads, and other tools and weapons have been fashioned out of this rock. It was with a flint that the wife of Moses circumcised her son; when the nation of Israel reached Gilgal similar surgery was successfully performed by the use of knives made of flint. (Ex. 4:25; Josh. 4:19; 5:2, 3, 8, 9) It is suggested by some that flint tools may have been used to bore the ancient underground water tunnel of Gezer. Jehovah brought water out of flinty rock for his people in the wilderness. (Deut. 8:15; Ps. 114:8) The Bible makes reference to flint when, in figures of speech, it emphasizes such qualities as hardness, durability and resistance to opposition.—Isa. 5:28; 50:7; Ezek. 3:9.
-
-
FloggingAid to Bible Understanding
-
-
FLOGGING
See BEATING.
-
-
FloodAid to Bible Understanding
-
-
FLOOD
See DELUGE.
-
-
FlourAid to Bible Understanding
-
-
FLOUR
See MILL.
-
-
FluteAid to Bible Understanding
-
-
FLUTE
Although there is some dispute as to which modern musical instrument corresponds with the Hebrew hha·lilʹ and its Greek equivalent au·losʹ, many modern translations render the words as “flute,” in harmony with the identification given by prominent lexicographers. (1 Sam. 10:5; 1 Cor. 14:7, AT, JB, NW, RS) The Hebrew root word from which hha·lilʹ is believed to have been derived signifies “to bore, perforate,” and may refer to a process used to make a simple flute, namely, to drill out the center of a section of reed, cane or even bone or ivory, and then perforate it at suitable intervals. Egyptian inscriptions indicate that a variety of flutelike instruments existed in that country. One type was held in an oblique position, with the mouth against the side of the instrument; they also developed a double flute, with the mouth at the end of the two pipes.
Some are inclined to favor the oboe as the instrument comparable to the hha·lilʹ or au·losʹ; others, the clarinet. However, it may be noted that the Greek au·losʹ appears to have been used also as a general designation that included instruments of two types: those utilizing a reed in the mouthpiece, as well as simple flutelike pipes. Hha·lilʹ may also have come to be a general term for all woodwinds, but in modern Hebrew the name is applied only to the flute, and traditional Jewish belief is that the hha·lilʹ of Scripture was the flute.
The flute was one of the most popular of all musical instruments, being played at joyous times, such as banquets and weddings (Isa. 5:12; 30:29; 1 Ki. 1:40), a custom imitated by children in public places. (Matt. 11:16, 17) It was also played at times of sadness. Professional mourners were often accompanied by flutists playing mournful tunes.—Matt. 9:23, 24.
[Picture on page 588]
Various pipes found on Egyptian monuments
-
-
FlyAid to Bible Understanding
-
-
FLY
A two-winged insect that usually breeds in decayed or waste matter. The tiny hairs covering the
-