Galatians 5:19
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
Truth to Learn
The evil thoughts of our sin nature become sinful actions, whereas the act of submitting to God becomes precious fruit.
Behind the Words
“Works” is translated from ergon, which refers to “work” or “labor.” By implication it refers to “an act or deed.” In science a unit of measure for work done is the “erg” which is derived from this Greek word.
The word “evident” is translated from phaneros, an adjective taken from the verb phainō, meaning “to shine.” So, phaneros refers to that which can be easily seen, hence “evident” or “apparent.”
The Greek word moicheia, meaning sex between a married person and someone who is not their spouse, is appropriately translated here as “adultery.”
“Fornication” is the translation of porneia, from which we get our English word pornography. It refers to sexual acts between any two people who are not married. Hence, it includes adultery, homosexuality, pre-marital sex, incest, and what today is referred to as casual sex.
The word “uncleanness” comes from the Greek word akatharsia, a compound word made up of a, meaning “not” and a form of kathairō, meaning “to cleanse” or “to heal.” This word is used to refer to either physical or moral uncleanness.
Finally, “lewdness” is translated from aselgia, made up of a, meaning “not” and an obscure word selgēs, apparently meaning “self-control.” Given that it is included here is a list of obviously sexually oriented terms, it most likely refers to uncontrolled, overtly sexual behavior or activity.
Meaning Explained
In verse seventeen Paul explained that our sin nature (our flesh) is in constant opposition to the Spirit of God within us. He is now giving examples of both the things which come from our flesh and the things which come from the Holy Spirit.
Notice the contrast between this list and the list in verses twenty-two and twenty-three. These are “works” or actions which are the result of selfish desires. They start out as thoughts and end up as actions. These works of the flesh come from the thoughts or inclinations of our heart which are evil.
Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Genesis 6:5)
When these thoughts or inclinations are put into action it demonstrates how self-centered and ungodly we all are.
The list in verses twenty-two and twenty-three, on the other hand, are “the fruit” developed over time from submitting to the leading of God through His Spirit. They start out as an action of submission and end up as an attitude of our heart.
Application
“But,” you say, “I’ve never done any of these things!” Perhaps that’s true, but by the time Paul completes the list there won’t be a single one of us who can say we’ve never thought about or committed any of these acts. That’s why we need a Savior!
In God’s service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2008 Will Krause. All rights reserved.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
If this message or this link was forwarded to you by a friend and you wish to receive future verses directly to your inbox, you can call the church phone (618) 614-3070 and leave a message telling us your name and e-mail address or you can send an e-mail to:
