Audio commentary on this verse

Note 3 at Rom. 7:18: The term "flesh" comes from the Greek word "sarx." "Sarx" was translated "flesh" 147 times; "carnal" 2 times (Rom. 8:7 and Heb. 9:10); "carnally" 1 time (Rom. 8:6); and "fleshly" 1 time (Col. 2:18). There are many ways that the word "flesh" was used in the New Testament, but for simplification, we will group its usage into three main categories.

First, it can refer to the physical flesh of man (Lk. 24:39) or beasts (Ex. 1 Cor. 15:39). When used in that context, the term is descriptive of only the physical makeup of man and is neither good nor bad as can be seen by the fact that Jesus was made "flesh" (Jn. 1:14).

Second, "flesh" can describe the weakness and frailty of man, or man apart from God. This is the way Paul used the term in Romans 8:3 when he said, "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh." Paul is saying that man, without the quickening power of God in his life, was unable to keep the law. Paul described his own efforts at holiness without the power of Christ as works of the flesh (Phil. 3:3-9). "The flesh is weak" (Mt. 26:41).

Third, "flesh" can refer to all that is sinful in man. In Galatians 5:19-21, Paul describes the works of the flesh as "adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like." In this sense, the term "flesh" can be used almost interchangeably with the sin nature of man when describing those who are not born again, or the effects of the residual old man (see note 6 at Rom. 6:14, p. 781) on those who are born again.

In this instance, when Paul used this parenthetical phrase, "that is, in my flesh" he was specifying the natural part of his person or the second category of "flesh" described above. He was stating that in himself, apart from his born-again spirit, there was no good thing. He had to include this explanation or his statement would not have been accurate, for in his spirit there was a good thing (i.e. Christ).