Saturday, December 1, 2012

Galatians 5:19-21 – Hall of Shame 4


Once again, here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:


19But the works of the flesh are evident, which are (adultery), immorality, uncleanness, licentiousness, 20idolatry, drug-abuse, hostilities, quarrels, envies, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, divisions, factions, 21jealousies (or murders), drunken bouts, wild parties, and the such like these, of which I foretold to you and told you before that those who habitually practice these things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

I just noticed a mistake I’ve been making with the text. In v19, there is a textual variant that adds moikeia (adultery) to the list. I have been thinking the textual variant in v21 similarly adds “murders.” However, in that case, it is a question of whether the word is “jealousies” or “murders.” It’s not a matter of adding a term but deciding which term was intended. The word for jealousies is phthonoi while the word for murders is phonoi. In Greek the only difference is the letter which makes the “th” sound and somehow as the documents were copied, the “th” either got added or deleted. I personally think the evidence is inconclusive to confidently assert one or the other; but, as I’ve said, I don’t think it really makes any difference. The list is a Hall of Shame. Either word qualifies and Paul concludes with “and the such like these.” So, anyway, its not a matter of whether or not to add “murders” but instead it is a matter of whether the original word was “jealousies” or “murders.” Not a big deal in a sense except that I think it of paramount importance to first try to clearly establish exactly what God says and what He does not (“rightly dividing”). Only after that are we really in a position to consider applications.

Another aspect of the passage I find curious. Paul begins this passage by saying, “But the works of the flesh are evident, which are…” I wonder why he begins with: “the works of the flesh are evident…” Why didn’t he just say, “The works of the flesh are …” He will go on in v22 to say, “But the fruit of the Spirit is …” Hmmm. Curious. What’s the point of stating that they’re “evident”? I don’t know. I wonder if he is referring to the fact that, generally speaking the entire human race, religious or secular, would generally agree that the list is our Hall of Shame. There is a collective sense of our dark side. If that is true, then he is certainly right to say they’re “evident”. Perhaps he needs to say that so people can’t pick and choose in the list and disagree whether certain things should be included. Perhaps he’s anticipating that and saying, “Oh, come on, the whole world and all down through history, these are the kinds of things all cultures recognize as ‘evil.’” I don’t know. Curious. But it is all God’s Word. Nothing is there without reason. When I don’t see the reason, it is always either my ignorance or my immaturity. As I learn and the Lord helps me grow, sometimes I can come back later and say, “Duh. Of course.” This will probably have to be one of those.

Probably one last observation from the text: in v21 Paul warns, “those who habitually practice these things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” The old KJV translated this: “those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” Yikes! Those who do such things! That translation would make any honest person’s hair stand on end. As I have said before, I realize that I cannot not do these things. It is only the indwelling Holy Spirit that enables me to fight against them, and it is my shame that I fare so poorly even with His presence. If Heaven is lost for simply “doing” them then all are lost. Fortunately, in this case the Greek comes to our rescue. Robertson says of the Greek verb for “doing” (prasso) that it is “the verb for habitual practice, not poieo [the one for] occasional doing. The habit of these sins is proof that one is not in the Kingdom of God and will not inherit it.”

It is very encouraging to know that the Holy Spirit, being present, is like the blind man’s guide, always nudging us toward the right. That is why I believe this statement is true. An indwelt believer can commit any sin in the book, can walk down one wrong path after another, and generally botch the whole show, yet there is always that force within them, that still, small voice, saying, “Here is the way, walk ye in it.” Unbelievers may be able to plod along in their sins basically unmolested by any sense of wrong, but an indwelt believer, in the long run at least, cannot escape the awareness that he is either doing right or wrong. That is why, in the long run at least, he cannot “habitually practice these things.”

I suppose I should point out that this list is God’s list of our Hall of Shame. Is it ours? I fear too many people, too many churches would put together a list very different than this. I know I certainly have. That is one of the tragedies of legalism, that we make up our own list of “do’s and don’ts” and our list then eclipses God’s. We actually need to mentally ponder God’s lists of what is good and what is evil, so that our hearts keep His standards, not ours.

My, this has been quite a study. I hope it is true I am more aware that my personal meanness is included in a list of evil right alongside immorality, idolatry, drug-abuse, and drunkenness. Personal meanness is a work of the flesh. I also hope it in some way helps to realize that I don’t hate the things God hates. I should. My hope is that even that little spark of realization can grow in time to actually change me. And I hope I will have a sharper perception of exactly what really is evil, having studied this particular listing of my life from God’s perspective.

Next in line is to study the positive side of all of this, the fruit of the Spirit. Can I confess I am aware of an attitude somewhere lurking in my heart that “I already know all of that.” “I’ve studied that before.” Instead of that attitude, may the Lord show me things in the fruit of the Spirit that rock my world. As I do the work of study, may I really have a teachable heart. Regardless of my proud, arrogant heart, the fact is that I cannot possibly understand but a tiny bit of what all the fruit of the Spirit is or what it means in my life. As I’ve lamented before, I am disappointed how little of the fruit of the Spirit I am able to practice, in spite of the fact that He indwells me. Perhaps studying the passage will in some way help me do a better job of allowing Him to guide me. I guess what I’m confessing is that here I am again, in my heart of hearts doubting that I’ll learn anything, when time and time again He has blown me away, and done “exceedingly, abundantly above anything I could have asked or thought.” Here’s believing He’ll do it again …

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