Did Christ Come "In the Flesh" or "Into Our Flesh"?
🔵 Central Text
1 John 4:1-3 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God: 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus, is not of God: and this is the spirit of the antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it is coming; and now it is in the world already.
The phrase mostly in question => "come in the flesh".
🔵 Original Language (Greek)
Reason for the grayed "the" => It was added. Translators often add "the" for clarity and to convey the intended meaning in English. The phrase "come in the flesh" is understood to refer to the incarnation of Jesus Christ, emphasizing His real, physical existence. The addition of "the" helps to convey this specific theological concept in a way that is clear to English readers.
Breakdown of the Phrase "come in flesh" From the Greek
- ἐν (en): This preposition generally means "in" or "within." It indicates a state of being or existence within a certain context.
- σαρκὶ (sarki): This is the dative form of "σάρξ" (sarx), meaning "flesh." The absence of a definite article (such as "the") means it can be understood as "in flesh" or "in a fleshly state" rather than specifically "in the flesh."
- ἐλθόντα (elthonta): This is the aorist participle of the verb "ἔρχομαι" (erchomai), meaning "to come" or "to arrive." The aorist tense indicates a completed action, suggesting that the coming has already occurred.
The phrase is often interpreted as a reference to the incarnation of Jesus Christ, emphasizing that He came into the world in a physical human body - a central tenet of Christian theology. It can also imply that Jesus experienced human life in its entirety, including suffering, temptation, and physical existence. This aspect highlights Christ's ability to relate to human experiences.
🔵 Doesn't Everyone Agree that Christ Came in Human Flesh?
I certainly thought so, until studied further into the matter. The idea that Christ did not come in human flesh is a central tenet of some Gnostic sects, particularly those that emphasized the spiritual nature of Christ and the illusion of his physical existence. This concept is often referred to as "docetism," from the Greek word "δοκεῖν" (dokein), meaning "to seem" or "to appear." This was likely being taught in the time of the Apostle John, which would explain why he said that this type of antichrist "is in the world already." - 1Jn4:3
It is this denial of Christ's coming in human flesh which John referred to as "the spirit of the antichrist". The Greek word " an-tee'-khris-tos ", interpreted to the English word "antichrist " is defined by Strong's Concordance as "an opponent of the Messiah ". See => https://sidnash.org/docs/AntiChrist.html for further study of "the antichrist".
🔵 What is "Into Our Flesh" About?
Today, there are some who teach that the meaning of "Jesus Christ is come in the flesh" is that "Jesus Christ is come in our flesh", meaning that He is inside of our human flesh. They even say that if we don't confess this, then we are "antichrist ".
Please note, as I said above that there are three Greek words which translate to "come in flesh". What some have done is to add an additional word ("our") into the Bible, which changes the meaning of John's words. Here is a list of possible problems =>
- "Jesus Christ is come in the flesh" (1 John 4:2): The phrase "ἐν σαρκὶ ἐλθόντα" (en sarki elthonta) specifically refers to the incarnation of Jesus Christ, emphasizing that He came into the world in a physical human body. This was a rebuke to docetism and to some Gnostic sects who believed that Christ's body only seemed to appear to be human flesh. By adding the word "our" this removes, or at best dilutes, the rebuke to docetism and could lead to misunderstandings about the nature of Christ and the significance of His incarnation.
- Good translation practices prioritize fidelity to the original text. Changing "the" to "our" would not only misrepresent the original Greek text but would also deviate from established translation principles that aim to convey the intended meaning of the original authors. Maintaining the original wording is essential for preserving the clarity and accuracy of the message conveyed in 1 John 4:2.
- 2 Peter 1:20-21 This passage emphasizes the divine origin of scripture: "Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."
- 1 Corinthians 4:6 Paul warns against going beyond what is written: "I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another."
🔵 What Other Texts Use the Phrase "In the Flesh"?
Desiring to live by every word that comes from the mouth of Jehovah (Deut8:3; Matt4:4)
-Sid Nash: 07/18/2025. Latest version: https://sidnash.org/docs/IntoOurFlesh.html