May 20, 2009

Paul and the human nature

By Father Andreas Hock, S.S.D.

As the jubilee Year of St. Paul draws to a close (on June 29), let us come back one more time to the writings and teaching of this great Apostle of the Nations. A salient feature of his epistles is his variegated language dealing with the human nature: the body, the soul and its spirituality and even psychology. In fact, seven terms are characteristic and frequently used: the “heart” (Greek kardía); the “reason” or rather the “mind” (noús); the “conscience” (syneídesis);  the “body” (sóma); the “flesh” (sárx); the “soul” (psyché); and the “spirit” (pneúma). Without commenting on the first three which are sufficiently clear, the other four can be divided into two groups—the body and the flesh, and the soul and the spirit—that constitute the outward and the inward person.

Body
Let us begin by studying the notion of the “body.” For Paul the two essential conditions for the body are the diversity of the organs and the unity of the vital principle. Out of 89 cases the word body is used 66 times in the sense of a human body (cf. Rom 6:6; Col 2:2), and 15 times it designates figuratively the mystical body of Christ (cf. Eph 1:22f; 2:16; Col 1:18).

Flesh
Complementary to the above is the notion of the “flesh.” According to Paul, the “flesh” is imperfect if compared to the spirit; it is weak and powerless in contrast to supernatural blessings, and it is bad as soon as it opposes the action of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle uses the term 91 times with three principal shades of meaning: “flesh” as animated matter (2 Cor 4:11; Gal 2:20); the “flesh” is the human nature with an accessory idea of weakness in tacit opposition to something superior to nature (cf. Rom 3:20; 1 Cor 1:29; Eph 6:12); and the “flesh” is human nature vitiated by sin and infected with concupiscence. The bad sense, instead of being simply physical as in the preceding case, here becomes moral: the “flesh” is no longer merely the weak, failing, material, terrestrial, human part; it has a relation—either of origin, or tendency, or affinity—with sin (cf. Rom 7-8; Gal 5; 2 Cor 10:2; Eph 2:3; Col 2:18). Often the “flesh” is personified: it has desires, projects and a will in antagonism of the Holy Spirit.

Soul
The inward human being is illustrated by the notion of the “soul.” The “soul” (the Latin anima derives from the Greek ánemos “wind,” whereas the Hebrew néfésh stems from “breathing, blowing”) is properly the vital breath, the sign of life, and, by connotation, life itself. Paul employs this word only 13 times and gives it four meanings: individual life distinct from life in general (cf. Rom 11:3; 16:4; Phil 2:30; 1 Thes 2:8; 2); the subject of life, that is, the human person (cf. Rom 2:9; 13:1; 1 Cor 15:45); the soul itself as distinct from the body (cf. 2 Cor 1:23; 12:15; Eph 6:6; Col 3:23; Phil 1:27); and the “soul” as the principle of the sentient life (cf. 1 Thes 5:23). In this final sense, the “soul” is distinguished from the spirit, as the vital principle is distinguished form the reason. For the Apostle, the soul is the seat of natural life without being quickened and enlivened yet by the Holy Spirit in supernatural life.

Spirit
Finally, let us look at the notion of the “spirit.” The different shades of signification in Pauline literature can be reduced to three: the spirit as the thinking principle in a person, including thoughts, sentiments and mentality (cf. 1 Cor 2:11; 7:34); the activity of the Holy Spirit in us (cf. 1 Cor 14:2; Gal 4:18; 2 Tim 4:22); and the person of the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ (cf. 2 Cor 6:6).

Not only did the teaching of the Apostle of the Gentiles regarding the human nature deeply influence the thought of the Catholic Church, but it also inspires us today to be conscious of our strengths and weaknesses as members of the Body of Christ and temples of the Holy Spirit in the dramatic conflict between sin and holiness in the world.

Father Andreas Hock, S.S.D., is chair of sacred Scripture at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver.

MASS TO CONCLUDE YEAR OF ST. PAUL

When: 6:30 p.m. June 28
Where: Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, 1530 Logan St., Denver
Who: All are invited