Monday, January 7, 2008

Works of the Flesh

2) The works of the flesh PROVE a person to be a tare.

Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication,uncleanness, lewdness,
20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Most of the sins of the flesh fall into three categories:
a) sexual immorality
b) Christian infighting (selfish ambition & strife)
c) wild living

Notice in verse 20 that "selfish ambitions" is a work of the flesh. The King James Version translates the same word as "strifes." Which is right? M. R. Vincent's Word Studies in the Greek New Testament shows that both translations are correct. He writes: "Strife (eritheia)
More correctly, factions. From erithos a hired servant. Erithia is, primarily, labor for hire(see Tobit. 2:11), and is applied to those who serve in official positions for hire or for other selfish purposes, and, in order to gain their ends, promote party spirit or faction."Strong's Greek dictionary states that the word is better translated "intrigue." The person referred to here is using church office to attain sinful goals. Those goals might be money, prestige, power, dominance, etc., but we are assured in the passage that these people will not inherit the kingdom of God.