What is meant by "filthiness of the flesh and spirit"?
We find the following in 2 Corinthians 7...
2 Corinthians 7:1
Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all
filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
I would begin answering that question by not proof-texting any one verse but letting the text define and explain itself, especially since the verse contains the word, "
therefore." To what is the "
therefore" referring because that will likely give an indication how the "
filthiness of flesh and spirit" should be understood.
The filthiness of the flesh is not too hard to figure out as our carnal nature is evident all around, but what about the 'filthiness' of the 'spirit'.
There is no such thing as "carnal" in scripture. The word the KJV uses to translate as "
carnal" is "
sarx" and that word means "
flesh." See Romans 8:6 and
1 Corinthians 3:3 for examples of this misinterpretation. Clicking on the "Greek" link at the top of each page will show the Greek term is
sarx. The reason this is important is because using the KJV to answer this question ends up creating a circular argument.
Q: What is meant by "filthiness of the flesh and spirit?
A: The filthiness of the flesh is the fleshly nature.
It begs the question. It does not answer the question.
...but what about the 'filthiness of the 'spirit'[?] How does that differ from the 'flesh', how would one explain or define exactly what that is.
Well, aside from the aforementioned practice of letting the text itself explain itself, I would look to those passages in scripture that speak to the overlap of flesh and spirit and any filth or cleanliness thereof. For example, 1 Peter 3:21 might be a passage to consider....
1 Peter 3:13-22
Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you — not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience — through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.
...because that text explicitly states the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit is not about physical removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience.
Keep in mind that when the epistolary speaks of the flesh it is contextually about the sinful flesh, not the sinless flesh of the pre-disobedient Adam or the incarnate Christ. The Gnostics believed everything physical was sinful or less significant, valuable, good, or worthy than that which was spirit or spiritual. Paul was not Gnostic, so it is very important NOT to read his words as Gnostic. Sinful flesh is sinful. Sinless flesh is not sinful. 2 Corinthians 7:1 is about the former, not the latter.
The best answer will start with the text in question so, working from 2 Cor. 7:1, in trying to identify the beginning of that particular narrative we find 2 Corinthians 6 states,
2 Corinthians 6:1-2 KJV
We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
and later,
2 Corinthians 6:14-16
Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said...
...because
those are the verses Paul uses to then conclude, "
Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God," and he then proceeds to change the subject and begin a new narrative.
Verse 7:1 is a poor place for a chapter break! Chapter 6 should have ended with 7:1. Verse 7:1 is the last "
therefore" in a string of therefores that begin with 2 Corinthians 5:6.
2 Corinthians 5:1-8
For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord — for we walk by faith, not by sight — we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.... Therefore... Therefore... Therefore... And working together with Him... Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Since that last "therefore" is explicitly correlated to "
these promises" we should consider them and how they articulate the filthiness of flesh and spirit and the cleansing thereof. Note there is a verse in the 2 Cor. 5:1-7:1 narrative directly connecting itself to what Peter wrote.
2 Corinthians 5:5
Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.
"
Pledge"?
The Holy Spirit has been given as a pledge, and the sanctifying work of the Spirit has to do with the pledge of a good conscience
. We know from other passages in the gospels and epistolary there are several places where God has pledged the HS to the redeemed. We also know there are several places in the epistolary where the conscience of the regenerate believer is leveraged. But what is the "purpose" for which this Spirit was pledged, according to the 2 Cor. 5:1-7:1 narrative? The preceding verse answers that question with, "...
to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life."
Because we are to be clothed so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life..... and having been given the Holy Spirit.... we are to cleanse ourselves from "
filthiness of the flesh and spirit." The Greek term used here for the KJV's "
filthiness" is "
molysmou" and it means, "staining, defilement, or pollution" (
G3436), so the verse can be read to say, "
cleanse yourselves from staining, defilement or pollution of flesh and spirit."
So how does a Christian stain, defile, or pollute his (now redeemed) flesh and (now regenerate) spirit?
The letters to the Corinthian saints specify a plethora of examples specific to the Corinthians (such as eating meat offered to idols) and the other epistles offer other examples specific to each locale and the circumstances in which those Christians lived. Some of them still exist today but all of them, old and new, can be summarized with the world "idolatry," and the solution found in words like "holy" and "pure," and summarized in something Paul wrote Timothy.
1 Timothy 5:20-22
Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning. I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality. Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.
Sin corrupts, stains, pollutes, makes filthy flesh and spirit.
