Earthly
Earthly Things in Jesus' Teaching
Jesus used the contrast between earthly and heavenly to explain the nature of His teaching. In His conversation with Nicodemus, He said, "If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?" (John 3:12). Here, earthly things refer to spiritual realities that can be experienced and observed on earth, such as the new birth. Heavenly things refer to the deeper mysteries of God's purposes that can only be revealed from above. The contrast is not between bad and good but between the accessible and the transcendent.
In the same chapter, John the Baptist is described as being "of the earth" and speaking in earthly terms, while Christ, who comes from heaven, testifies to what He has seen and heard above (John 3:31). This does not diminish John's ministry but places it within its proper scope. Even the greatest human messenger operates within the limitations of earthly existence.
The Earthly Body
Paul uses the term earthly to describe the present human body in contrast to the resurrection body. He writes, "For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens" (2 Corinthians 5:1). The earthly body is temporary, fragile, and subject to decay. The heavenly body, by contrast, is permanent and imperishable. Paul does not despise the earthly body; rather, he looks forward to being further clothed with the heavenly one (2 Corinthians 5:2-4).
In 1 Corinthians 15:40, Paul distinguishes between heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, noting that each has its own kind of glory. The earthly body, made of dust like the first Adam, will be transformed into a body patterned after the risen Christ, the last Adam who is from heaven (1 Corinthians 15:47-49).
Minding Earthly Things
In Philippians, Paul uses the term earthly with stronger moral overtones. He warns against those "whose god is their belly" and "who set their minds on earthly things" (Philippians 3:19). Here, earthly describes a disposition that is entirely focused on the pleasures, comforts, and ambitions of this present life, with no regard for eternal realities. The contrast is with believers, whose citizenship is in heaven and who await the return of the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:20).
This usage carries a clear ethical warning. Minding earthly things is not merely about geography but about orientation of the heart. It describes a life that has made this world its ultimate horizon, rejecting the transforming hope of the gospel.
Earthly Wisdom
James provides one of the sharpest uses of the term. He describes a certain kind of wisdom as "earthly, unspiritual, demonic" (James 3:15). This earthly wisdom produces jealousy, selfish ambition, and disorder. It stands in direct contrast to "the wisdom from above," which is pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits (James 3:17). Here the word earthly has moved fully into moral territory, describing a perspective that is not merely limited but actively opposed to God's character.
Earthly Powers and Heavenly Authority
In Philippians 2:10, Paul declares that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, "in heaven and on earth and under the earth." The earthly realm is one of three spheres that will acknowledge Christ's lordship. Colossians 3:2 exhorts believers to "set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth," reinforcing the call to live with a heavenly perspective even while inhabiting earthly bodies.
The Biblical Balance
The Bible does not teach that everything earthly is evil. God created the earth and declared it good (Genesis 1:31). The earthly realm is the arena in which God's purposes unfold, where Christ became incarnate, and where believers live out their faith. The problem arises when earthly things become ultimate things, when the created order replaces the Creator as the object of devotion and the horizon of hope. The consistent biblical call is to live on earth with hearts set on heaven.
Biblical Context
The term earthly appears in key New Testament passages: John 3:12 and 3:31 (Jesus' teaching to Nicodemus), 2 Corinthians 5:1 (the earthly body), Philippians 3:19 (minding earthly things), James 3:15 (earthly wisdom), 1 Corinthians 15:40 (earthly vs. heavenly bodies), and Philippians 2:10 (every knee bowing on earth). Colossians 3:2 and 3:5 further develop the contrast between earthly and heavenly orientation.
Theological Significance
The concept of earthly versus heavenly runs throughout the New Testament and shapes Christian ethics and hope. It teaches that this present world, while created good, is not the ultimate reality. Believers are called to live with a heavenly perspective, recognizing that earthly existence is temporary and preparatory. The danger is not in being on earth but in being of the earth in one's ultimate loyalties. Christ's incarnation sanctifies earthly existence while His ascension and promised return point beyond it.
Historical Background
The contrast between earthly and heavenly reflects both Hebrew and Greco-Roman thought, though the biblical writers give it unique theological content. Greek philosophy often devalued the material world, but the Bible affirms creation as good while insisting on the superiority of the heavenly realm. The early church navigated between Greek dualism, which saw matter as evil, and a biblical vision that affirmed the goodness of creation while looking forward to its transformation.