Austin Bible Church
By the time we reach Galatians 5:15, we have seen negative volition proceed through the human good stage and move into the sin stage. From here on, the race is run largely with the baton of sins. The following terms will make clear the sin concept of negative volition.
"But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another." (Galatians 5:15, NASB)
Bite: This means to sound the soul, to cut, lacerate, rend with reproaches. The context specifically is that of the believer who misuses liberty. Where the negative volition legalistic believer himself expresses himself through human good, then sin, the grace type believer seems to move directly to the sin issue.
Devour: This is to ruin by the infliction of injuries. This term was used to forcibly appropriate a thing, to strip one of his goods, to utterly consume, to overwhelm or consume the strength of the body and mind by strong emotions.
Consumed: This is to consume, to use up. All the energies of the person, potentials, and capacities will be destroyed if the mental attitude sins are allowed to run unchecked. The misuse of liberty will eat each other up.
Desire: This means to set one’s heart upon, to desire, to have anger turned upon a thing. This is the Angelic Conflict within the soul. This is the constant warring principle of the flesh with the Spirit and vice versa. This would not be indicated here as a sin, but rather as a condition seeking to overrule the soul - negative volition vs. positive volition. Gal. 5:16.
“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16, NASB)
Immorality: This is illicit sexual intercourse in general. Emphasis on the volitional giving of the body over to another not lawfully entitled to the sexual relationship. It is fornication. Fornication is distinguished from adultery, the latter being adultery with a married person in Matthew 15:19 and Mark 7:21. The English words both come from the same Greek word. Gal. 5:19.
"Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality," (Galatians 5:19, NASB)
" "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. " (Matthew 15:19, NASB)
" "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, " (Mark 7:21, NASB)
Uncleanness: Uncleanness means unclean in the moral sense, the impurity of lustful, luxurious, profligate living. Parallel passages include Romans 1:24, Romans 6:19 and Ephesians 4:19.
"Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them." (Romans 1:24, NASB)
"I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification." (Romans 6:19, NASB)
"and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness." (Ephesians 4:19, NASB)
Lasciviousness: This is unbridled lust, shamelessness, wanton acts or manners such as filthy words, indecent bodily movements, unchaste handling of males and females. Gal. 5:20.
"idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions," (Galatians 5:20, NASB)
Idolatry: This is the worship of false gods.
Sorcery: In context this is magical arts, the use of or the administering of drugs, also of poisoning, the deceptions and seductions of idolatry.
Enmity: This word is plural in the Greek. Not just one. Eph. 2:14-16.
"For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity." (Ephesians 2:14-16, NASB)
Strife: This is contention and wrangling.
Jealousy: This is envious and contentious rivalry and jealousy. The outbursts and manifestations of these things.
Outbursts of anger: This is impulsive. There is a difference between the Greek words “thumoi” and “orge.” Thumoi is the more passionate and temporary while orge is a more deliberate anger that can be good or bad in its connotations.
Disputes: This is electioneering or intriguing for office, courting popular applause by trickery and low arts, a partisan and factious spirit which does not disdain low arts. This is the underhanded person who will stoop to anything to put one’s self forward.
Dissensions: Dissensions arising from diversity of opinions and aims.
Factions: Divisions. Gal. 5:21.
"envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." (Galatians 5:21, NASB)
Envying: Envy as a motivator to action.
Drunkenness: To be intoxicated, to be drunk.
Carousing: Feasts and drinking parties that are protracted till late at night and indulge in revelry. Revelry is riotous or noisy manner in being festive, merrymaking.
Affections: An inward state of passion that leads to sin.
Lusts: Desires for what are forbidden. Gal. 5:24.
"Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." (Galatians 5:24, NASB)
Fault: A deviation from truth or uprightness, a sin, a misdeed.
Think: To be of an opinion, to suppose or think. Gal. 6:8.
"For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life." (Galatians 6:8, NASB)
Sow: To do those things which satisfy the prompting and the nature of the flesh.
Reap Corruption: This means to receive the appropriate reward or punishment. Corruption is loss of salvation and eternal misery. In context this is contrasted to eternal life. Gal. 6:12.
"Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ." (Galatians 6:12, NASB)
Good showing: To make a good appearance, to be fair of face, to please.
Compel: To necessitate, drive to, whether by force, threats, persuasion, entreaties. Gal. 6:13.
"For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh." (Galatians 6:13, NASB)
Boast: To glory in a thing. Gal. 6:17.
"From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus." (Galatians 6:17, NASB)
Trouble: To make work for another person, to trouble the person by this means.