Editing Mortification of the flesh (section)

===Etymology===
The term ''mortification of the flesh'' comes from the [[Book of Romans]] 8:13 in the [[New Testament]]: "For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live."<ref name="Bibleverse|Romans|8:13">{{Bibleverse|Romans|8:13}}</ref> The same idea is seen in other verses, such as Colossians 3:5 ("Put to death what is earthly in you: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry")<ref>{{Bibleverse|Colossians|3:5}}</ref> and Galatians 5:24 ("And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires").<ref>{{Bibleverse|Galatians|5:24}}</ref> Support for such behavior in the [[Old Testament]] is found in some verses such as Proverbs 20:30: "Blows that wound cleanse away evil; strokes make clean the innermost parts."<ref>{{Bibleverse|Proverbs|20:30}}</ref>

According to Christian [[exegesis]], "deeds of the body" and "what is earthly" refer to the "wounded nature" of man or his [[concupiscence]] (evil inclinations as a consequence of the [[Fall of Man]]); humanity suffers the consequences of the [[original sin]] through temptation to sin. The Apostle Paul, who authored Romans, expected believers to "put to death" the deeds of the flesh.<ref name="Bibleverse|Romans|8:13"/> The word for 'flesh' in [[Koine Greek]], the language in which the New Testament was originally written, is {{transliteration|grc|sarx}} ({{lang|grc|σάρξ}}),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4561/esv/mgnt/|title=G4561 - sarx - Strong's Greek Lexicon (esv)|website=Blue Letter Bible}}</ref> a word denoting the fallen or sinful elements, parts, and proclivities of humanity. This word is juxtaposed in Romans 8:13 with the term used for 'body' ({{lang|grc|σῶμα}}),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4983/esv/mgnt/|title=G4983 - sōma - Strong's Greek Lexicon (esv)|website=Blue Letter Bible}}</ref> which more strictly refers to the physical body of a human. Thus in Romans 8:13, Paul draws a parallel between fallen people, with proclivities to sin without chance of redemption, and redeemed people, who are so changed that mortification of their fleshly sin can turn to bodily life, from {{lang|grc|σάρξ}} to {{lang|grc|σῶμα}}.{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}}