Existential Transformation: An Intertextual Analysis of Pauline Theology and the Meaning of the Phrase “Dead in the Flesh, Alive in the Spirit”
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33856/kerusso.v11i1.612Keywords:
existential transformation; Adam–Christ solidarity; union with Christ; life in the Spirit; participatory theology.Abstract
This article seeks to address three main questions. First, what is the meaning of the New Testament phrase “dead in the flesh and alive in the Spirit”? Second, how is this idea formulated within the theological framework of union with Christ? Third, what are its existential and ethical implications for the personal and communal life of believers? This study is based on the observation that the phrase is often narrowly understood as merely a moral demand or an individual spiritual experience, without being situated within the broader framework of Adam–Christ solidarity and the comprehensive work of the Holy Spirit. This research employs a qualitative approach based on library research. It combines lexical analysis with an intertextual reading of Romans 6:1–14, Galatians 2:20, Ephesians 4:22–24, and Colossians 3:1–4, which are then synthesized within a systematic theological framework. The analysis of the terms sarx and pneuma shows that “flesh” refers to the human condition in solidarity with Adam under the power of sin, whereas “Spirit” denotes the new, eschatological life in Christ. The findings of this study affirm that the phrase reflects a participatory pattern of death and resurrection with Christ, encompassing ontological, soteriological, and communal dimensions. Transformation in Christ is understood as a transfer from one solidarity to another, forming a new identity and producing concrete ethical practices in the life of the church and society.
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