O que é a carne na Bíblia e como vencê-la

Na teologia bíblica, a palavra carne quase sempre se refere à natureza humana inclinada ao pecado e hostil a Deus, e não apenas à matéria física do corpo. Trata-se da disposição egoísta herdada da queda, que busca satisfazer apetites e viver de maneira independente da vontade divina.

Vale notar a distinção: o corpo em si foi criado por Deus e é bom, mas a "carne", no sentido espiritual usado especialmente pelo apóstolo Paulo, representa o padrão decaído de pensamento e ação que resiste ao Espírito Santo.

O conflito entre a natureza humana e o Espírito

A Escritura descreve a vida humana fora de Cristo como dominada pelos desejos da carne. Esse estado não gera comunhão com o Criador, pois a mente controlada por essa inclinação é incapaz de agradar a Deus por esforço próprio. Em Romanos, Paulo detalha a luta interior onde o querer o bem não se traduz em prática sem o poder do Espírito.

6 Τὸ γεγεννημένον ἐκ τῆς σαρκὸς σάρξ ἐστιν, καὶ τὸ γεγεννημένον ἐκ τοῦ Πνεύματος πνεῦμά ἐστιν.(John 3:6)

63 Τὸ Πνεῦμά ἐστιν τὸ ζωοποιοῦν· ἡ σὰρξ οὐκ ὠφελεῖ οὐδέν. Τὰ ῥήματα ἃ ἐγὼ λαλῶ35 [90%] CP,HF,RP,OC,TR ¦ λελαληκα ℵB,C,D,N,W [10%] NU ὑμῖν πνεῦμά ἐστιν, καὶ ζωή ἐστιν.(John 6:63)

5 Ὅτε γὰρ ἦμεν ἐν τῇ σαρκί, τὰ παθήματα τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν τὰ διὰ τοῦ νόμου ἐνηργεῖτο ἐν τοῖς μέλεσιν ἡμῶν εἰς τὸ καρποφορῆσαι τῷ θανάτῳ.(Romans 7:5)

21 Εὑρίσκω ἄρα τὸν νόμον, τῷ θέλοντι ἐμοὶ ποιεῖν τὸ καλόν, ὅτι ἐμοὶ τὸ κακὸν παράκειται. 22 Συνήδομαι γὰρ τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ κατὰ τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον, 23 βλέπω δὲ ἕτερον νόμον ἐν τοῖς μέλεσίν μου, ἀντιστρατευόμενον τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ νοός μου καὶ αἰχμαλωτίζοντά με35 (A)C [72%] RP,TR ¦ 1 εν ℵB [28%] OC,HF,CP,NU [OC is in small print] τῷ νόμῳ τῆς ἁμαρτίας τῷ ὄντι ἐν τοῖς μέλεσίν μου.(Romans 7:21-23)

1 Οὐδὲν ἄρα νῦν κατάκριμα τοῖς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ μὴ κατὰ σάρκα περιπατοῦσιν ἀλλὰ κατὰ Πνεῦμα,35 (94%) OC,RP,HF,TR,CP ¦ variations on the long form (0.8%) ¦ 1234 A (2.5%) ¦ --- ℵB (2.3%) NU ¦ two other readings (0.3%) 2 ὁ γὰρ νόμος τοῦ πνεύματος τῆς ζωῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ἠλευθέρωσέν με35 A,C [98%] OC,RP,HF,TR,CP ¦ σε ℵB [1%] NU ¦ three other variants [1%] ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου τῆς ἁμαρτίας καὶ τοῦ θανάτου. 3 Τὸ γὰρ ἀδύνατον τοῦ νόμου, ἐν ᾧ ἠσθένει διὰ τῆς σαρκός, ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ Υἱὸν πέμψας ἐν ὁμοιώματι σαρκὸς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ περὶ ἁμαρτίας· κατέκρινεν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐν τῇ σαρκί, 4 ἵνα τὸ δικαίωμα τοῦ νόμου πληρωθῇ ἐν ἡμῖν τοῖς μὴ κατὰ σάρκα περιπατοῦσιν ἀλλὰ κατὰ Πνεῦμα.(Romans 8:1-4)

5 Οἱ γὰρ κατὰ σάρκα ὄντες τὰ τῆς σαρκὸς φρονοῦσιν, οἱ δὲ κατὰ Πνεῦμα τὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος. 6 Τὸ γὰρ φρόνημα τῆς σαρκὸς θάνατος, τὸ δὲ φρόνημα τοῦ Πνεύματος ζωὴ καὶ εἰρήνη· 7 διότι τὸ φρόνημα τῆς σαρκὸς ἔχθρα εἰς Θεόν, τῷ γὰρ νόμῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐχ ὑποτάσσεται, οὐδὲ γὰρ δύναται. 8 Οἱ δὲ ἐν σαρκὶ ὄντες Θεῷ ἀρέσαι οὐ δύνανται.(Romans 8:5-8)

9 Ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐκ ἐστὲ ἐν σαρκὶ ἀλλ᾿ ¦ αλλα ℵB [1%] NU ἐν Πνεύματι, εἴπερ Πνεῦμα Θεοῦ οἰκεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν. Εἰ δέ τις Πνεῦμα Χριστοῦ ¦ θεου [18%] οὐκ ἔχει, οὗτος οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτοῦ.(Romans 8:9)

13 εἰ γὰρ κατὰ σάρκα ζῆτε, μέλλετε ἀποθνήσκειν· εἰ δὲ Πνεύματι τὰς πράξεις τοῦ σώματος θανατοῦτε, ζήσεσθε. 14 Ὅσοι γὰρ Πνεύματι Θεοῦ ἄγονται, οὗτοί εἰσιν υἱοὶ Θεοῦ35 [98%] OC,RP,HF,TR,CP ¦ ∼ 231 ℵA,C [1.5%] NU ¦ ∼ 213 B [0.5%](Romans 8:13,14)

Como a Escritura ensina a vencer a carne

A superação das inclinações da carne não acontece por mero controle moral, mas pelo domínio do Espírito na vida do crente. O Novo Testamento ensina que quem pertence a Cristo considera essa velha natureza crucificada, escolhendo não usar a liberdade cristã como desculpa para o egoísmo, mas como serviço e vigilância diária.

41 Γρηγορεῖτε καὶ προσεύχεσθε, ἵνα μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς πειρασμόν. Τὸ μὲν πνεῦμα πρόθυμον, ἡ δὲ σὰρξ ἀσθενής.»(Matthew 26:41)

13 Ὑμεῖς γὰρ ἐπ᾿ ἐλευθερίᾳ ἐκλήθητε, ἀδελφοί· μόνον μὴ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν εἰς ἀφορμὴν τῇ σαρκί, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς ἀγάπης δουλεύετε ἀλλήλοις.(Galatians 5:13)

16 Λέγω δέ· Πνεύματι περιπατεῖτε, καὶ ἐπιθυμίαν σαρκὸς οὐ μὴ τελέσητε.(Galatians 5:16)

19 Φανερὰ δέ ἐστιν τὰ ἔργα τῆς σαρκός, ἅτινά ἐστιν· μοιχεία, πορνεία,35 [92%] RP,HF,OC,TR(CP) ¦ ∼ 21 [3%] ¦ 2 (ℵ)A,B,C [2%] NU ¦ --- [3%] ἀκαθαρσία, ἀσέλγεια, 20 εἰδωλολατρία,35 C [70%] OC,CP,NU ¦ ειδωλολατρεια ℵA,B [27%] RP,HF,TR ¦ ειδωλωλατρια [2%] ¦ three other spellings [1%] φαρμακεία, ¦ φαρμακια ℵA [15%] CP ἔχθραι, ¦ εχθρα [10%] ἔρις,35 ℵA,B [60%] NU ¦ ερεις C [40%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ζῆλοι,35 ℵC [98.5%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ ζηλος B [1%] NU ¦ two other readings [0.5%] θυμοί, ἐριθεῖαι, διχοστασίαι, αἱρέσεις, 21 φθόνοι, φόνοι,35 A,C [95%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ --- 𝕻46ℵB [5%] NU (An easy case of homoioteleuton.) μέθαι, κῶμοι, καὶ τὰ ὅμοια τούτοις· ἃ προλέγω ¦ απερ λεγω CP ὑμῖν, καθὼς καὶ35 A,C [98.5%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ --- 𝕻46ℵB [1.5%] NU προεῖπον, ὅτι οἱ τὰ τοιαῦτα πράσσοντες βασιλείαν Θεοῦ οὐ κληρονομήσουσιν.(Galatians 5:19-21)

24 Οἱ δὲ τοῦ Χριστοῦ35 𝕻46 [97.5%] RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ 1 ιησου ℵA,B,C [2.5%] [NU] τὴν σάρκα ἐσταύρωσαν σὺν τοῖς παθήμασιν καὶ ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις.(Galatians 5:24)

8 —ὅτι ὁ σπείρων εἰς τὴν σάρκα ἑαυτοῦ ἐκ τῆς σαρκὸς θερίσει φθοράν· ὁ δὲ σπείρων εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα ἐκ τοῦ Πνεύματος θερίσει ζωὴν αἰώνιον.(Galatians 6:8)

11 ἐν ᾧ καὶ περιετμήθητε, περιτομῇ ἀχειροποιήτῳ, ἐν τῇ ἀπεκδύσει τοῦ σώματος τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν35 (92.5%) RP,HF,OC,TR,CP ¦ --- 𝕻46ℵA,B,C (7%) NU ¦ omit longer stretches (0.5%) (Would not ‘the body of the flesh’, the reading of NU, be something of a tautology?) τῆς σαρκός, ἐν τῇ περιτομῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ,(Colossians 2:11)

50 Τοῦτο δέ φημι, ἀδελφοί, ὅτι σὰρξ καὶ αἷμα βασιλείαν Θεοῦ κληρονομῆσαι οὐ δύνανται·35 A,C [92%] HF,RP,OC,TR,CP ¦ δυναται ℵB [6%] NU ¦ δυνατε [2%] οὐδὲ ἡ φθορὰ τὴν ἀφθαρσίαν κληρονομεῖ.(1 Corinthians 15:50)

16 Ὅτι πᾶν τὸ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ—ἡ ἐπιθυμία τῆς σαρκὸς καὶ ἡ ἐπιθυμία τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν καὶ ἡ ἀλαζονεία ¦ αλαζονια ℵA,B [28%] τοῦ βίου—οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἀλλ᾿ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου ἐστίν.(1 John 2:16)

O conflito entre a natureza humana e o Espírito

Como a Escritura ensina a vencer a carne

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