Concerning Should Flesh and Blood Refine in Stanza 3 of Hymn #58 in Chinese

The criticizers misunderstood flesh and blood in stanza 3 of hymn #58 in Chinese as referring to our flesh and blood. Rather, it refers to us as men of flesh and blood. In Matthew 16:17 the Lord referred to men as "flesh and blood." The word refine in Chinese means "to uplift and purify." Therefore, the meaning of the phrase should flesh and blood refine is to put us, men of flesh and blood, in a higher position, to purify us, which is to give help to us (Heb. 2:16) and to renew us (Titus 3:5). Referring to men as flesh and blood is in accordance with the Bible, and refine also corresponds with the teachings of the Bible. As such, how can this phrase be disputed?

This hymn was translated from an English hymn written by John Henry Newman (Hymns, #63 in English). The word refine means to make something pure and fine. The central thought of the hymn is that when man (Adam) failed, the Lord became a man (the last Adam), a person of flesh and blood (Heb. 2:14), so that in His humanity—that is, in man—and by His divinity. He could refine men of flesh and blood, that is, renew us. If one is not biased and is willing to read the entire hymn carefully, he would not misunderstand this line and consider it abstruse.

Hymns, #63 praises the Lord in His humanity. Stanza 2 reads, "O loving wisdom of our God, / When all was sin and shame, / He, the last Adam, to the fight / And to the rescue came." This stanza refers to the Lord's incarnation, in which He became a man as the last Adam. Stanza 3 continues, "O wisest love! that flesh and blood / Which did in Adam fail, / Should strive afresh against the foe, / Should strive and should prevail." The meaning of this stanza is that although Adam failed, God still wants man to fight the battle. However, it is the last Adam, not the first Adam, who will fight. Stanza 4 reads, "And that a higher gift than grace / Should flesh and blood refine, / God's presence, and His very self/ And essence all-divine." The word refine refers to the refining of human nature....

It is a fundamental truth that God has not completely abolished our human nature. If our human nature were completely abolished, we would cease to exist, and there would be no need for us to be saved, for our salvation would be meaningless. The first step of God's salvation is to regenerate us (John 3:3, 5-7; 1 Pet. 1:3, 23), and the second step is to renew and transform us (Rom. 12:2; 2 Cor. 4:16; Eph. 4:23; Col. 3:10). After regeneration we need to be renewed and transformed. Through the processes of renewing and transformation, the proper elements within us are uplifted, while the improper elements are discharged. The human elements within us are uplifted by the adding of God's element into us. We humans are fallen (Rom. 3:23; 5:19a), but in our fallen being, there is a God-created element (Gen. 1:26-27). In God's salvation, through renewing and transformation, God eliminates the fallen element within us, "extracts" the God-created element, and adds His divine element into our created element. As a result, our human element is uplifted, and we are transformed into His image from glory to glory (2 Cor. 3:18).

Based on this understanding, we can use either terms such as renewing and transformation or the term refine. ...