GOD’S WORD FOR YOU
GALATIANS 5:19-21
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19 The acts of the sinful flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, lack of self-control, 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition; dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like that. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Paul lists sixteen acts of the sinful flesh. No one needs to explain what the Old Adam leads us all to do, but these particular sins were a certain danger to the Galatians. They fall into five uneven groups, and the series is almost a chiasm (although Paul leaves such things to the poets and prophets).
I, Lack of Restraint
Sexual immorality (porneia, πορνεία) is what Jesus describes as “marital unfaithfulness” (Matthew 19:19) but it applies to every kind of unlawful sexual intercouse. After all, a virgin is not being faithful to her future husband by losing her virginity to another man, whether she has met that future husband or not. The penalty was severe in the Law of Moses, and the bride-price was demanded of the offending man even if her father refused to let them to get married (Exodus 22:16-17). In the Old Testament, sexual immorality was used as a prophetic symbol for the people falling away from God to worship other gods (Hosea 6:10; Jeremiah 3:2,9; see also Revelation 19:2). “For God will judge the immoral and adulterous” (Hebrews 13:4).
Impurity (akatharsia, ἀκαθαρσία) can stand for any kind of immorality (1 Thessalonians 2:3) but was especially used of sexual impurity: “I will be grieved over many who have sinned and have not repented for the impurity, sexual sins and debauchery they have indulged in” (2 Corinthians 12:21).
Lack of self-control (aselgeia, ἀσέλγεια) or “debauchery” was giving in completely to any restraint and to live proudly and openly in sexual excesses (Jude 1:4) such as Lot saw in Sodom (2 Peter 2:7). In debauchery, the doors of shame and modesty are kicked down and trampled upon, and anything goes. When self-control is done away with, sexual sins are waved around like banners, and the sinners become “loud and proud” about their wickedness. They have set their own flesh and impulses above God’s will.
II, Idolatry
Idolatry, whether open or hidden, is placing anything above God. We used to talk about the dangers of money and power getting the better of us, but more and more today the main culprit is everyone’s opinion. Whatever a person feels or thinks becomes their god, the one they truly bow to and do service to. People spend far more time getting in touch with their feelings than in prayerfully getting in touch with God. Idolatry leads to a whole host of other sins (1 Peter 4:3).
Witchcraft (pharmakeia, ϕαρμακεία) is related to a word for one who mixes potions, poisons, or healing drugs. The Egyptian magicians were permitted by God to do one or two of the dozen miracles God gave to Moses (Exodus 7:11; 8:7) but after a while they confessed to Pharaoh, “What Moses does is the finger of God” (Exodus 8:18). At one time, witchcraft was very common, so that the prophets often condemned it or were surrounded by such men and women (Isaiah 47:12; Ezekiel 13:20; Daniel 1:22; Micah 5:12; Nahum 3:4). God commanded Moses: “Do not allow a sorceress to live” (Exodus 22:18). Today we are still plagued by people who dabble in dark things and who look for knowledge where the devil lives. We must teach our children to avoid such things: “As for you,” Moses preached, “the LORD your God has not permitted you to do those things” (Deuteronomy 18:14). Luther says: “If they continue in their wicked thoughts of God, witches will die in their idolatry” (Commentary on Galatians p. 229).
III, Anger and Ambition
In this third part of Paul’s list, all sorts of internal sins are brought to light. These are sadly so common that we hardly need to explain them Hatred (ἔχθραι) is hostility or anger between two people. It is the translation of the word in Genesis 3:15, “I will put enmity…,” which God used to divide Satan and the people of God. It is hard to conceal (Proverbs 10:18). Strife (ἔρις) is when conflict begins to burst out into “fighting words,” quarreling, and so forth. “Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife” (Isaiah 58:4). Jealousy (ζῆλος) is an intense and bitter emotion that leads to dangerous and murderous sins, such as with Rachel and Leah (Genesis 30:1), and Joseph’s brothers (Genesis 37:11).
Outbursts of anger (θυμοί) happen when fury cannot be contained, and it reaches such a pitch of rage that a man explodes with words or violence or both. In every way, it is the opposite of self-control.
Selfish ambition (ἐριθείαι) is warned about in many of the Epistles. “For those who are self-seeking.. there will be the wrath of God” (Romans 2:8). “Do nothing out of selfish ambition” (Philippians 2:3). “If you harbor selfish ambition, do not boast about it” (James 3:14).
IV, Religious ambition
From selfish ambition, Paul turns to religious ambition. This was the shame of the Judaizers, who fancied themselves as teachers who deserved the same fame and respect that people gave to Paul, no matter whether their ideas were drawn from the Scriptures or not. Such things are dissensions (διχοστασίαι), opposing someone by gathering people into sides, “causing divisions” (Romans 16:17) and creating dissention.
Heresies (αἱρέσεις) are another form of rebellion against God in which one teaching or another, even from the Bible, is suddenly held up as being more important than anything. It is giving a part of the Bible more emphasis than the Bible itself does. The heresy about circumcision in Galatia was a prime example. Luther taught his students: “Heresies have always been found in the church. What unity of faith can exist among all the different monks and the different orders? None whatever. There is no unity of spirit, no agreement of minds, but great dissention in the papacy. There is no conformity of doctrine, faith, and life. On the other hand, among us Lutherans, the Word, faith, religion, sacraments, service, Christ, God, heart, and mind are common to all. This unity is not disturbed by outward differences of station or occupation.”
V, Lack of Restraint
The final group returns to the general lack of self-control as the first, ending as the list began with sexual over-indulgences. Envy (ϕθόνοι) and murder (ϕόνοι) are sadly so common that we hardly need to say anything. The words in Greek as so similar that there is a question as to whether they were both part of the original text (many translations omit “murders”). But the inclusion of “murders” is both ancient and widespread, and it surely belongs here.
Drunkenness (μέθαι) occurs anytime that someone drinks enough to impair their reflexes or senses. It is a sin against the Fifth Commandment, and because it also tears down restraint, leads quickly to sins against many other commandments (Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, and so on). We mostly find this word in lists of vices (Luke 21:34; Romans 13:13) or simply of “a drunken stupor.”
Orgies (κῶμοι) or “carousing” is used both of excessive feasts with lots of wine, or simply the sexual definition that we would probably think of today. This was a common sin in the Roman empire and especially in the Roman imperial court.
All sins deserve death simply because they are sins (James 2:10). When an unbeliever commits any sin at all, he compounds his agony and punishment in hell and seals the verdict of his eternal sentence. When a Christian commits a sin against his own conscience, he brings on a fall from grace unless remorse and repentance immediately follow, “for the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9). “He should pray, and God will give him life” (1 John 5:16). Therefore, with the Christian, God shows his grace by reminding us of these blessings with regard to our inevitable and daily fall into sin:
1, God’s pledge is that “a bruised reed he will not break; and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out” (Matthew 12:20).
2, The Christian’s faith grasps the merits of Christ, “for there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).
3, Finally, we live each day in remorse and repentance: “I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and you forgave the guilt of my sin” (Psalm 32:5).
Those who live and walk in sin without repentance, “loud and proud” of their vices and their rebellions against Christ, will stand before their Judge at the Last Day and be damned for all eternity. “The Master will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 24:51), and “they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life” (Matthew 25:46).
“O Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart and be saved” (Jeremiah 4:14). Repentance is sorrow over sin, and grasping hold of the forgiveness held out to us by Jesus through the cross. Sin has consequences before God. If we were to continue on in a sinful life, even one which seems good on the outside but which harbors a wicked thought or a wicked line of constant, secret sin, there is a deadly and damning danger. But the Christian who sins and repents, sins and repents, is like every other Christian since the fall of Adam and Eve (Jeremiah 18:8). Do not grow weary of coming back to Christ to ask forgiveness! He does not grow weary in loving us or forgiving us (Acts 5:31). It is his whole design for us, for sinful you and me, to bring us to everlasting life.
In Christ,
Pastor Timothy Smith
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Pastor Smith serves St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, New Ulm, Minnesota
God’s Word for You – Galatians 5:19-21 Sixteen sins