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Chapter 9
1 Καὶ μὴ λεγέτω τις ὑμῶν, ὅτι αὕτη ἡ σὰρξ οὐ κρίνεται οὐδὲ ἀνίσταται. And let not any of you say that this flesh is not judged neither rises again.
2 γνῶτε·
ἐν τίνι ἐσώθητε, ἐν τίνι ἀνεβλέψατε, εἰ μὴ ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ ταύτῃ ὄντες;
Understand! In what were you saved?
In what did you recover your sight?
if it was not while you were in this flesh?
3 δεῖ οὖν ἡμᾶς ὡς ναὸν θεοῦ φυλάσσειν τὴν σάρκα·
We ought therefore to guard the flesh as a temple of God:
4 ὃν τρόπον γὰρ ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ ἐκλήθητε, καὶ ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ ἐλεύσεσθε. for in the same way as you were called in the flesh, you will come in the flesh.
5 εἰ Χριστός, ὁ κύριος ὁ σώσας ἡμᾶς, ὢν μὲν τὸ πρῶτον πνεῦμα, ἐγένετο σὰρξ καὶ οὕτως ἡμᾶς ἐκάλεσεν·
οὕτως καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ σαρκὶ ἀποληψόμεθα τὸν μισθόν.
If Christ the Lord who saved us, became flesh having first been a spirit, and in that state called us, in the same way we will also receive our reward in the flesh.
6 ἀγαπῶμεν οὖν ἀλλήλους, ὅπως ἔλθωμεν πάντες εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ. Let us therefore love one another, so that we all may come unto the kingdom of God.
7 ὡς ἔχομεν καιρὸν τοῦ ἰαθῆναι, ἐπιδῶμεν ἑαυτοὺς τῷ θεραπεύοντι θεῷ, ἀντιμισθίαν αὐτῷ διδόντες. While we have time to be healed, let us place ourselves in the hands of God the physician, paying Him what is due.
8 ποίαν; τὸ μετανοῆσαι ἐξ εἰλικρινοῦς καρδίας. What is it?
Sincere repentance from the heart.
9 προγνώστης γάρ ἐστιν τῶν πάντων καὶ εἰδὼς ἡμῶν τὰ ἐν καρδίᾳ. For He knows everything beforehand and knows things in our heart.
10 δῶμεν οὖν αὐτῷ αἶνον, μὴ ἀπὸ στόματος μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ καρδίας, ἵνα ἡμᾶς προσδέξηται ὡς υἱούς. Let us therefore give unto Him eternal praise, not only from our lips, but also from our heart, in order that He may receive us as sons.
11 καὶ γὰρ εἶπεν ὁ κύριος·
Ἀδελφοί μου οὗτοί εἰσιν οἱ ποιοῦντες τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πατρός μου.
For the Lord also said, “These are my brothers, who do the will of My Father” {Matt. 12:50; Mark 3:35; Luke 8:21}.
Summary
This passage presents a forceful early defense of the bodily resurrection and the sacredness of human physical existence, directly counteracting early proto-Gnostic or docetic views that diminished the flesh (σάρξ).

The author anchors the dignity and future resurrection of the body in two key realities: the incarnation of Christ (who, being spirit, became flesh) and the believer's own bodily experience of salvation.

Because the body will be raised and judged, it must be guarded like a temple of God (cf. 1 Cor 3:16, 6:19).

The author concludes by urging believers to seek spiritual healing from God through sincere repentance and wholehearted praise, quoting Jesus' definition of true spiritual kinship (cf. Matt 12:50; Mark 3:35).
Significant Greek Expressions
αὕτη ἡ σὰρξ οὐ κρίνεται οὐδὲ ἀνίσταται ("this flesh is not judged nor raised"): A direct quotation of a contemporary heresy or misconception among the audience. The author forcefully rejects the idea that bodily life is irrelevant to final judgment or eschatological life.

ὡς ναὸν θεοῦ ("as a temple of God"): Directly draws upon Pauline imagery (1 Cor 3:16, 6:19). It grounds physical morality in sacred space: the physical body is not a prison for the soul, but a sanctified sanctuary.

ὢν μὲν τὸ πρῶτον πνεῦμα, ἐγένετο σάρξ ("being originally spirit, [He] became flesh"): A significant early Christological formulation. It asserts the pre-existence of Christ as spirit (πνεῦμα) and His historical, physical incarnation (ἐγένετο σάρξ), tying the bodily redemption of believers directly to Christ's own bodily reality.

ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ σαρκὶ ἀποληψόμεθα τὸν μισθόν ("in this flesh we shall receive our reward"): Reinforces bodily continuity in the afterlife. The moral choices made in physical existence bear consequences that will be realized in that very same embodied state.

τῷ θεραπεύοντι θεῷ ("to the healing God"): Frames God as a divine physician (θεραπεύων). Sin is depicted as a disease or wound, and the present earthly life (καιρὸς τοῦ ἰαθῆναι) is the window of opportunity for spiritual healing.

ἐξ εἰλικρινοῦς καρδίας ("from a sincere heart"):Εἰλικρινής means pure, unmixed, or genuine (literally, tested by sunlight). God requires inward authenticity in repentance rather than superficial outward displays.

προγνώστης ("foreknower / possessing foreknowledge"): A title for God (προγνώστης) highlighting His omniscience. Because God knows the secrets of the heart (τὰ ἐν καρδίᾳ), external lip service is useless.