undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful;
Truth to Learn
We all fight a battle against our own sinful nature.
Behind the Words
“Undiscerning” (asunetous) – without insight or understanding, unintelligent, foolish.
“Untrustworthy” (asunthetous) – breaker of a covenant or agreement, treacherous.
“Unloving” (astorgous) – without family love, hard hearted toward kindred, especially toward ones own children.
“Unmerciful” (aneleamonas) – Unmerciful, not compassionate.
Meaning Explained
Paul now completes his list of characteristics that fill the mind of those who reject God. But, before we look at Paul’s meaning, notice his use of alliteration (all these words begin with the Greek letter alpha). Also, his word choice of the first two (asunetous and asunthetous) is actually equivalent to our modern day pun (same or similar sounding words with vastly different meanings). Paul, it seems, had a sense of humor!
This verse ends an extensive three verse list of selfishly sinful characteristics. I dare say there are few people, if any, who display all of these characteristics. It’s bad enough that they should be filled with only a few. This is the sin nature at war against God Himself, a sin nature that we all have. And, this is a description of Rome at the time Paul was writing. Seneca, one of the purest moralists of Rome, who died in 65 A.D., says of his own time:
All is full of criminality and vice; indeed much more of these is committed than can be remedied by force. A monstrous contest of abandoned wickedness is carried on. The lust of sin increases daily; and shame is daily more and more extinguished. Discarding respect for all that is good and sacred, lust rushes on wherever it will. Vice no longer hides itself. It stalks forth before all eyes. So public has abandoned wickedness become, and so openly does it flame up in the minds of all, that innocence is no longer seldom, but has wholly ceased to exist.
Our own society is heading that same direction today. It becomes more obvious with each passing year. We Christians must maintain a witness and not be sucked into these same characteristics. But only through the power of the Spirit can we resist our natural sinful tendencies to do all of these things.
Application
Take a few minutes to go back over this entire list from verses 29 through 31 and honestly ask yourself if you have a problem with any of these things. I’m sure with most of them, when you read them you will say, “I would never do that!” But there may be one or two of these that are a problem for you.
If so, take the time to confess them to God and ask for the power of His Holy Spirit to give you victory over them so that your witness will shine like a beacon in the night!
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved