Who is Romans 8:5 contrasting in verse five?
Romans 8:5 contrasts the lost individual with the saved individual, the true Christian. Those after the flesh, identified with old Adam or sin, mind fleshly things, while those after the Spirit mind the things of the Spirit. It sets the unsaved, worldly mindset against the believer’s Spirit-directed mindset.
Les explains that in verse five Paul again makes a comparison between the lost individual and the saved individual, or the true Christian. He notes that the word “flesh” is also the same word as sin, meaning old Adam. Those who are after the old Adam mind the things of old Adam. When a person is still out in the world, he is in spiritual darkness and blinded by the God of this world so that he cannot believe; naturally he is concerned with the things of this world, fleshly appetites, materialism, and has no concept of the Spirit. But they who are after the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, mind the things of the Spirit. So the contrast is between the old Adamic nature and the Holy Spirit’s direction.
For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
More Questions
What comparison does Paul make in Romans 8:5?
In Romans 8:5 Paul again makes a comparison between the lost individual and the saved individual—the true Christian—contrasting those who are after the flesh with those who are after the Spirit.
What does Paul mean by the word "flesh" in Romans 8:5?
The word "flesh" in Romans 8:5 is the same word as sin and refers to old Adam, so "they who are after the flesh" means they who are after the old Adam and therefore mind the things of old Adam.
What are the two types of people contrasted in Romans 8:5?
Romans 8:5 describes two types of people: those after the flesh who mind the things of the flesh, and those after the Spirit who mind the things of the Spirit.