### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Greek word **sárkinos**, represented by `{{G4560}}`, means **fleshly** and is defined as being similar to flesh or soft. Derived from σάρξ (flesh), this adjective appears only **1 time** in **1 unique verse** in the Bible, making its single usage highly significant. It describes a quality of being soft and receptive, in contrast to something hard and inanimate.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The sole appearance of `{{G4560}}` is in 2 Corinthians, where it illustrates the nature of the New Covenant. The believers themselves are described as an "epistle of Christ" that is written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God. This divine message is inscribed not on "tables of stone," but on the **fleshly** tables of the heart [[2 Corinthians 3:3]]. The word powerfully contrasts the living, internal work of God in a person with the external law of the Old Covenant.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words in its context clarify the meaning of `{{G4560}}`:
* `{{G3035}}` **líthinos** (of stone): As the direct opposite of **fleshly**, this word is used to describe the "tables of stone" on which the Ten Commandments were written, highlighting the unyielding nature of the old law [[2 Corinthians 3:3]].
* `{{G2588}}` **kardía** (heart): This is the location of the new, spiritual inscription. It represents the center of a person's thoughts and feelings, and God promises to write His laws upon the **hearts** of His people [[Hebrews 8:10]].
* `{{G1449}}` **engráphō** (to inscribe): This word for "write" is used to describe how the believers are an epistle from Christ, **written** in the hearts of the apostles, making them a living testimony [[2 Corinthians 3:2]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{G4560}}` is centered on its contrast with the Old Covenant.
* **A Living Covenant:** The term **fleshly** signifies that the New Covenant is not a static code on stone but a dynamic, living reality worked into the believer by the Holy Spirit. It is a relationship, not just a set of rules.
* **Internal Transformation:** By describing the heart as **fleshly**, the text emphasizes a softened, receptive spirit. This points to an internal transformation where God's will is inscribed on a person's innermost being, rather than being imposed externally.
* **The Believer as Evidence:** The "fleshy tables of the heart" [[2 Corinthians 3:3]] make the believer a living letter from Christ, "manifestly declared" to the world. The transformed life itself becomes the proof of God's work.
### Summary
In summary, though used only once, `{{G4560}}` is a pivotal word. It encapsulates the profound shift from an external law etched in stone to an internal, spiritual reality inscribed on a soft, living, **fleshly** heart. It powerfully illustrates that under the New Covenant, the believer's own transformed life is the ultimate message of Christ to the world.
TRV