I would say the "age of flesh" began when Adam ate the fruit Eve offered him. Flesh without Spirit is dead and in our first parents we turned away from the source of that life-giving breath. Consequently we die, and in our fragmented and ambivalent wills we experience the claws of death reaching into our lives.
And further, we still die, in two ways. The normal way and also we die in Christ. Our struggles are not just birth pangs but also death agonies, not just the old man dying, but the new man being brought to life.
Okay, let's see you knock that out of the park.
And if I may say so, it's time for you to learn New Testament Greek. It's not that hard. But when I pin an argument on a word which was the choice of the translator but not in the text, I become aware of my need for frequent recourse to the text. What is one man's effort to translate a phrase into fluent English may be confusion to another man.
I think the "when they knew" is the translator trying to be more graceful in his dealing with the participle, just as in the miserable New American Bible foisted off on us papists the imperfect is often translated "kept on ..." which I think nicely captures the continual or repeated nature of that tense but falsely limits the interpretation to a kind of intended persistence which the tense itself does not justify.
Well Paul says Eve was beguiled = deceived or the Greek exapatao (long o). Adam was instructed by God Himself to not 'touch' the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But Adam did blame the woman for his acts.
Why was there a "age of flesh". It is by physical evidence left upon this earth that there was no flesh man upon this earth in the times of the dinos. And Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 both describe the fall of Lucifer and Ezekiel says that the king of Tyrus was in Eden the garden of God: When (English form of the word) did Lucifer rebel and was sentenced to death?
Moses does not describe the creation of Lucifer but he sure tells us he was in Eden. Moses also says that it was the breath of life which means soul that was breathed into the Adam's nostrils that made him living. Where did that soul come from? When were the souls created? Sometime in Genesis 1:1? How does one predestine someone if the entity never pre existed?
And further, we still die, in two ways. The normal way and also we die in Christ. Our struggles are not just birth pangs but also death agonies, not just the old man dying, but the new man being brought to life. Okay, let's see you knock that out of the park.
Ah but the flesh is given but a mere twinkle of the eye in time to exist. The soul and its spirit intellect can have life eternal. Christ said "Except a man be born from above, (yes I know somebody used the English word 'again') he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3) verse 5 Christ says "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
The book of Ecclesiastes by Solomon addresses both the flesh and the spirit bodies. Ecclesiastes 1:9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, 'See this is new?' it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
11 There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.
And if I may say so, it's time for you to learn New Testament Greek. It's not that hard. But when I pin an argument on a word which was the choice of the translator but not in the text, I become aware of my need for frequent recourse to the text. What is one man's effort to translate a phrase into fluent English may be confusion to another man.
It was not my intent to pin anything upon one particular word, rather to provoke a consideration by asking in the English the 'when' of what Paul was describing in Romans 1:20 followed by 21 with the pronouncement Paul makes.
I am reminded of Job being asked by the Heavenly Father in 38:2 "Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou Me.
4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;
7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
The Heavenly Father is not describing flesh bodies here and other places tell us that 'morning stars' is a metaphor for the children.
Back to Romans where Paul sets his own credibility of the knowledge to write these books in Romans 1:2 (Which He had promised afore by His prophets in the holy scriptures,)
Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, Which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh,
4And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
Then later in Romans 1:17 Paul quotes Habakkuk 2:4 Behold, his soul (not flesh) which is lifted up is not upright in him:
but the just shall live by *his* faith.
Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful;
but because vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed beast, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lust of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, Who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned into their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge,
God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient:
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without *natural* affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Paul is writing this to the church, not to the heathen, so in English *WHEN* verse 20 "invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead: so that they are without excuse:", get this knowledge???
There are many scriptures that are uncomfortable for many to accept and so they by their design make Jesus a community social justice activists. Christ said Feed my sheep and the people pass the plate and set up soup kitchens. But the food Christ spoke about was for the soul/spirit NOT just for the maintenance of a flesh body. And they are going to be in for a big surprise when the flesh goes back to the dust and full knowledge is restored in that spirit body.
I think the "when they knew" is the translator trying to be more graceful in his dealing with the participle, just as in the miserable New American Bible foisted off on us papists the imperfect is often translated "kept on ..." which I think nicely captures the continual or repeated nature of that tense but falsely limits the interpretation to a kind of intended persistence which the tense itself does not justify.
I see it a bit differently, given what other words are given the added *when* demonstrates a 'time' to be understood on whatever level the reader develops from the study of per Paul Romans 1:2 (Which He had promised afore by His prophets in the holy scriptures,)
And there are many words not correctly brought forth from the original languages and some of them can be found aside from your specific *when* in these few short verses. You know the Greek I am sure you will have no trouble finding them.