Define "flesh". What is "flesh" in Catholic teaching?

[WesleyF]

I found the following definition in the Catechism.

"The term “flesh” refers to man in his state of weakness and mortality." (CCC 990)

Are there any other sources that deal at length with this topic?

 

[mab23]

I found the following definition in the Catechism.

"The term “flesh” refers to man in his state of weakness and mortality." (CCC 990)

Are there any other sources that deal at length with this topic?

interesting thanks for the thread

Im interested in some responses

 

[DavidFilmer]

Are there any other sources that deal at length with this topic?

Well, there’s always John Chapter 6 - “my flesh is true food,” “unless you eat of my flesh,” &etc. It’s interesting to superimpose the Catechism’s definition upon these verses - it is something that I have never thought of in these terms, and it presents interesting and profound thoughts.

 

[thistle]

I found the following definition in the Catechism.

"The term “flesh” refers to man in his state of weakness and mortality." (CCC 990)

Are there any other sources that deal at length with this topic?

Modern Catholic Dictionary:

FLESH (biblical). The body of a human being as opposed to his or her spirit. But more particularly flesh means human person in contrast to God and his spirit, and therefore stands for all that is typically human, namely mortality, weakness, and sinfulness.

 

[1ke]

I found the following definition in the Catechism.

"The term “flesh” refers to man in his state of weakness and mortality." (CCC 990)

Are there any other sources that deal at length with this topic?

It has more than one meaning.

It means humanity in contrast with divinity (flesh vs spirit)
It means our state of weakness, as cited above.
It means, literally, our bodies as in flesh and blood.

 

[Ignatius]

I found the following definition in the Catechism.

"The term “flesh” refers to man in his state of weakness and mortality." (CCC 990)

Are there any other sources that deal at length with this topic?

The clear meanings can be easily gleaned from the Sacred Scripture:

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth.

Matt 19:5
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the twain shall become one flesh?

Mark 13:20
And except the Lord had shortened the days, no flesh would have been saved: but for the elect’s sake, whom he chose, he shortened the days.

Luke 29:39
See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye behold me having.

John 6:51
I am the living bread which came down out of heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: yea and the bread which I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world.

John 6:52-56 The Jews therefore strove one with another, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
Jesus therefore said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have not life in you. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me, and I in him.

There is no confusion whatsoever except for one that chooses not to understand and not to believe.

 

[noobio]

I think this should help too.

Galatians 5:16-21

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[a] you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

 

[Edward_H]

I think there is a related point here concerning “lust of the eyes”.

There is the obvious meaning of this, and then there is the deeper or broader meaning that we can fail to see the supernatural value of people or things. We can often see only the material purpose of something from our own selfish vantage point. We see the ‘flesh’, not the soul.

e.g., as a man, seeing a woman only as a means of pleasure, not seeing her as a child of God, not seeing a soul that could be damaged if we treated her selfishly, etc.

We should always see with the eyes of faith, seeing things as God sees them, as things to be sanctified and used in service to Him.

Abortion is in a sense an inability to see the supernatural reality of a child. Most unhealthy ‘attachments’ are failing to keep our supernatural perspective over material things in this world.

 

[PJM]

I found the following definition in the Catechism.

"The term “flesh” refers to man in his state of weakness and mortality." (CCC 990)

Are there any other sources that deal at length with this topic?

My friend, what you share is true but very limited in understanding

The same sourse has at least two other critical to salvation definitions of the same term:

461 Taking up St. John’s expression, “The Word became flesh”,the Church calls “Incarnation” the fact that the Son of God assumed a human nature in order to accomplish our salvation in it. In a hymn cited by St. Paul, the Church sings the mystery of the Incarnation:
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.

1384 The Lord addresses an invitation to us, urging us to receive him in the sacrament of the Eucharist: “Truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.”

1406 Jesus said: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; . . . he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and . . . abides in me, and I in him” (Jn 6:51, 54, 56).

The Incarnation and the Most holy Eucharist. very much can be found on each topic.

 

[fhansen]

It’s generally used to mean man’s fallen nature, sometimes referred to as “sin nature”. The flesh is usually in opposition to the Spirit, valuing different things, the “lower appetites” vs the things of God including His law.

 

[Evan]

Flesh, in the 1st century, refers to the part of the body that decays. It was believed that this is the part of the body that is animated by the soul.

Flesh and bones. After the body decays, only the bones are left.
Eat my flesh (sarx) is a reference to the living part of the body (bones were not considered living at the time)

This is my body(soma), on the other hand, refers to a living person (body soul blood) such as we use in asking: Is anybody there? or Can somebody help me. We are not referring to flesh, but to body.

So body includes the flesh, but is more. It is animated, it is alive, it has the intentions and desires of the person.

 

[Vico]

I found the following definition in the Catechism.

"The term “flesh” refers to man in his state of weakness and mortality." (CCC 990)

Are there any other sources that deal at length with this topic?

The three references given are:

Genesis 6:3
Then the LORD said: “My spirit shall not remain in man forever, since he is but flesh. His days shall comprise one hundred and twenty years.”

Psalms 56:5
I praise the word of God; I trust in God, I do not fear. What can mere flesh do to me?

Isaiah 40:6
A voice says, “Proclaim!” I answer, “What shall I proclaim?” “All flesh is grass, and all their loyalty like the flower of the field.

 

[adrift]

I found the following definition in the Catechism.

"The term “flesh” refers to man in his state of weakness and mortality." (CCC 990)

Are there any other sources that deal at length with this topic?

This is incomplete

990 The term “flesh” refers to man in his state of weakness and mortality. The “resurrection of the flesh” (the literal formulation of the Apostles’ Creed) means not only that the immortal soul will live on after death, but that even our “mortal body” will come to life again.

In other words, flesh refers to the mortal body here on earth.