Gospel and Spiritual Growth Series by Pastor David K. Spurbeck, Sr.

Message #39 – 1-20-2002 – Synopsis and Outline

CLUSTERS AND PAIRS OF TERMS WITH THE WORKS OF THE FLESH

In the past messages we have gone through the 17 works of the flesh mentioned in the AV in Galatians 5:19-21. As we have worked through each of the words describing the works of the flesh, we have crossed through 30 different clusters of terms that accompany the words for the works of the flesh or the words themselves. These words are also found in 15 pairs. Some pairs are pairs of works of the flesh and others are a work of the flesh with another term (three times). The focus of this message is on how God identifies these clusters and/or what he says about them. I am also sending a set of charts that I passed out to those on the list that can pick up attachments. There are eight pages that include the Greek words and an English translation. These charts have landscape orientation. Throughout these messages I have identified them all as unrighteousness. God only calls 29 of them unrighteousness or unrighteous men in the New Testament (Rom. 1:29 and 1 Cor. 6:9). In these clusters there are 68 terms that are neither called works of the flesh nor lusts from Satan listed in the New Testament. There are 18 terms that are called works of the flesh or 4 terms that are found multiple times of the lusts from Satan. None of the pairs include lusts clearly from Satan. I have used "unrighteousness" because of its definition contrasted to righteousness as a general description of all forms of things that aren't right in grace revelation. I will continue to use the term of all for these terms by deduction and definition even though God only identifies 29 in this manner. What is important is what God says about these clusters and how the believer should relate to them. In some instances, the clusters are of men who are identified by these characteristics. In other instances, the terms identify the characteristics. It is most important to recognize that these terms affect one's relationship to God and one's relationship to man.

I am adding some commentary from the context with a number of the points in the outline that I emphasized in the message showing what God calls some clusters, how a believer should relate to them and the alternatives God gives in the context. Grace living prevents the believer from worrying about what to call these things because there is adequate defense against them in Christ. The primary list is Galatians 5:19-21 that identifies 17 (or 15) works of the flesh. I. lists six passages that have clusters that include all works of the flesh with no more than one other term. Additional notes shared in the service are after the brackets in the attached outline. The same is true for the other points. The material in the brackets identify the contents of each cluster in relation to works of the flesh and the lusts from Satan compared to the whole cluster.

II. is a list of four clusters with a majority of the terms identified as the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21. III. is a list of 13 clusters of the works of the flesh with at least one lust from Satan in the list. IV. is a list of three clusters that have a minority of the terms that are works of the flesh. V. A. lists the pairs of the lusts of the flesh and V. B. lists the three passages where they are paired with other terms.

VI. goes through the occurrences of the terms for unrighteousness in the Greek New Testament. Unrighteousness is seen as opposite of several terms in the New Testament as noted in VI. B. I took a shot at the Pharisee in Luke 18:11 because he made unrighteous ones a separate entity from extortioners and adulterers even putting the term between the two. He evidently reflected an attitude of orthodox Jewry by making the three distinct entities. Never trust the theology of the Pharisees!

In the past I have understood and taught that 1 John 1:9 is the best verse to demonstrate that unrighteousness is a general term for all unrighteousness and that the act called sin is a part of the whole. Recently I have heard some teaching that the unrighteousness of 1 John 1:9 is only the unrighteousness that leads up to the sin and no more. If this is true, there is no solid verse that clearly teaches that unrighteousness is the general term for all that God identifies as unlike His character and unacceptable. I disagree that the context requires such an interpretation or application. God deals with everything that is unlike His character in His forgiveness and does not limit it to the process of unrighteousness that produces an act of lawlessness that He calls sin (1 Jn. 3:4). As I have said, I am going to continue to use the term "unrighteousness" because of its definition and by deduction even though God does not specify that certain elements are unrighteousness.

What is important is the life of the saint outside of the realm of the things listed in the clusters. Saints should be doing things that are proper and making no plans for the flesh. We must live to the will of God and not to the lusts of men. The context of each of these clusters clearly teaches that a spiritual Christian needs to be aware that these things aren't right and to use the alternative of living in his or her position in Christ to the glory of God. The Spirit of God uses over 90 different terms in the clusters alone that have negative connotations concerning one's relationship to God and life as a Christian. A Christian doesn't need to post a list of all the terms for unrighteousness to be a spiritual Christian. It is what the believer does that makes him or her spiritual. Orthodox Jewry has 613 commandments that they believe must be obeyed to please God. I believe that God makes distinctions but keeps them fuzzy to prohibit legalistic or Galatianite Christians from trying to demonstrate their righteousness by what they don't do rather than what the Spirit of God does through them.

Anticipating the day when we will be "bright shining as the SON."

Clothed in His righteousness,

DKS

#39 -- Gospel and Spiritual Growth

Valley – January 20, 2002 p.m.

CLUSTERS AND PAIRS OF TERMS WITH THE WORKS OF THE FLESH

Galatians 5:19-21

Proposition: To give a general presentation of the terms that are grouped with the works of the flesh and to relate to their contexts to understand the divine perspective of the words. There are 30 clusters with from three to 21 words in each cluster. There are 15 pairs as well including at least one work of the flesh listed in Gal. 5:19-21.

Introduction

A. Groupings of the Works of the Flesh and Accompanying Terms

1. Clusters of Three or More Terms -- 30 Passages

2. Pairs of Terms Together -- 15 Passages

B. Describing the Terms in General in Clusters or Pairs

1. What Does Call Them?

2. Is There a Legitimate Term to Describe Them?

3. What Is the Grace Believer to Do About Them?

C. Examining the Use of Unrighteousness as a General Term

1. Romans 1:29 -- List of 21 Terms Called Unrighteousness of 22?

a. Is a Colon Legitimate?

b. The Implications of the "All" or "Every" (pa,sh|)

2. 1 Corinthians 6:9 -- Identified as Unrighteous Men

3. 29 Things God Calls Unrighteousness in Scripture (two are common in lists)

D. Recognizing the Seriousness of These Characteristics

1. Affecting Relationship to God

2. Affecting Relationship to Man

E. Evaluating the Terms That Accompany the Works of the Flesh

1. God's Designations

2. General Designation

3. Contrived Designation?

TRANS: Five clusters are dominated by the works of the flesh including the list of the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21. These have from three to seventeen lusts of the flesh listed.

I. THE CLUSTERS DOMINATED BY THE TERMS FOR THE WORKS OF THE FLESH -- ALL WORKS OF THE FLESH WITH NO MORE THAN ONE OTHER TERMS -- Galatians 5:19-21

A. The List of the Works of the Flesh -- Galatians 5:19-21 [17 Works AV]

B. The Flesh and Its Lusts -- Romans 13:13 [5 Works of 6 Terms]

Order details of one's life -- Put on the Lord Jesus Christ (vs. 14) -- Stop making plans for the flesh

C. The Evidence of Carnality -- 1 Corinthians 3:3 [3 Works]

Ordering details of life as men

D. The Leaven That Pollutes -- 1 Corinthians 5:10, 11 [6 Works of 8 Terms]

Seen as leaven of evil [lacking in character] and malignant evil

Avoid a brother in these circumstances to keep from being polluted by his leaven

E. The Sin of the Corinthian Believers -- 2 Corinthians 12:21 [3 Works]

Caught in works of the flesh and other terms -- Three sins to be repented of which they practiced

F. The Ones Who Do Not Have an Inheritance in the Kingdom -- Ephesians 5:5 [4 Works]

Experientially know these have no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ even God

TRANS: There are four clusters in which a majority of the terms are works of the flesh.

II. THE CLUSTERS WITH A MAJORITY OF WORKS OF THE FLESH -- WORKS OF THE FLESH COMPRISE AT LEAST HALF OF THE TERMS

A. Cluster of Things Unbecoming Saints -- Ephesians 5:3, 4 [3 Works of 6 Terms]

Not to be named once as proper for saints -- Not proper for saints

B. Cluster of Members Upon Earth -- Colossians 3:5 [3 Works of 5 Terms]

Put to death members that produce

C. Cluster Things to Be Avoided -- Titus 3:9, 10 [3 Works of 5 Terms]

Avoid these things because they are unprofitable and useless

D. Cluster of Lusts of Men -- 1 Peter 4:3, 4 [4 Works of 8 Terms}

Live to the will of God rather than the lusts of men (vs. 2)

Worked will of Gentiles in time past

TRANS: There are lists that also include at least one lust that comes from Satan with the lusts from the flesh and other terms.

III. THE CLUSTERS WITH THE WORKS OF THE FLESH AND AT LEAST ONE LUST FROM SATAN -- WORK OR WORKS OF THE FLESH WITH AT LEAST ONE LUST FROM SATAN AND OTHER TERMS

A. Cluster of Things That Defile a Man -- Matthew 15:19 [3 Flesh/2? Satan of 7]

From the heart through the mouth defile a man

B. Cluster of Malignantly Evil Things -- Mark 7:21, 22 [6 Flesh/1 Satan of 13]

From within out of the heart

C. Cluster of Prohibited Actions by 10 Commandments -- Matthew 19:18; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20 [2 Flesh / 2 Satan of 4 or 5]

D. Cluster of Prohibited Actions by 10 Commandments -- Romans 13:9 [2 Flesh / 1 Satan of 4]

E. Cluster of Unrighteous Ones -- 1 Corinthians 6:9 [5 Flesh / 1 Satan of 10]

Unrighteous persons who will not inherit the kingdom of God [salvation]

F. Cluster of Things That Paul Would Find in Corinth -- 2 Corinthians 12:20 [4 Flesh / 1? Satan of 8]

G. Cluster of Things That Need to Be Removed -- Ephesians 4:31 [1 Flesh / 1 Satan of 6]

H. Cluster of Things to Be Put Away -- Colossians 3:8, 9 [1 Flesh / 1 Satan of 6]

Put away these things -- Put on the new man [the Christ]

I. Cluster of Persons the Law Was Made for -- 1 Timothy 1:9, 10 [2 Flesh / 1 Satan of 14]

J. Cluster of Characteristics of Teacher of Different Words Than the Words of Jesus Christ -- 1 Timothy 6:4, 5 [2 flesh / 1 Satan of 6]

K. Cluster of Things That Need Repentance -- Revelation 9:21 [3 Flesh / 1 Satan? of 4]

L. Cluster of Ones with a Part in the Second Death -- Revelation 21:8 [4 Flesh / 2 Satan of 8]

M. Cluster of Those Outside of the Gates of the Heavenly City -- Revelation 22:15 [4 Flesh / 1 Satan of 5]

TRANS: Other clusters have a majority of other terms than are identified as works of the flesh. These passages involve at least one reference to a lust identified as a work of the flesh.

IV. CLUSTERS THAT INCLUDE WORKS OF THE FLESH IN A MINORITY -- AT LEAST ONE WORK OF THE FLESH IN A CLUSTER

A. Cluster of Past Behavior -- Titus 3:3 [1 Flesh of 8]

B. Cluster of Men That Pharisee Considered Himself Better Than -- Luke 18:11 [1 Flesh of 3]

C. Cluster of All / Every Unrighteousness -- Romans 1:29-31 [5 Flesh of 21]

TRANS: These are the clusters of terms that accompany the works of the flesh. There are also 15 pairs that include works of the flesh. 12 of the fifteen involve pairs of the works themselves.

V. PAIRS OF THE WORKS OF THE FLESH IN THE NEW TESTAMENT -- AT LEAST ONE OF A PAIR IS A WORK OF THE FLESH

A. Pairs of the Lusts of the Flesh

1. Fornication and Adultery -- Matthew 5:32; 19:19; Hebrews 13:4

2. Idolatry and Fornication -- Acts 15:20, 29; 21:25

3. Adultery and Idolatry -- Romans 2:22

4. Envy and Strife -- Philippians 1:15

5. Zeal and Self-Centeredness -- James 3:14, 16

6. Adultery and Hatred -- James 4:4

7. Uncleanness and Fornication -- Revelation 17:4

B. Pairs That Only Include One Work of the Flesh

1. Self Centeredness {Strife}[F] and Empty Glory -- Philippians 2:3

2. Deceit and Uncleanness [F] -- 1 Thessalonians 2:3

3. Fornicator [F] and Profane One -- Hebrews 12:16

TRANS: The essential question is what do we call those things that are not identified as either works of the flesh or lusts from Satan in Scripture. Throughout the series I have called them unrighteousness but God doesn't call them all unrighteousness. He only calls 21 of them unrighteousness [if one accepts it as a list in Romans 1] and adds 8 more describing men as unrighteous ones in 1 Corinthians 6:9. God only calls 29 of the terms accompanying the works of the flesh "unrighteousness."

VI. THE QUESTION CONCERNING THE CATAGORIZATION OF THE TERMS THAT ACCOMPANY THE WORKS OF THE FLESH IN CLUSTERS -- THE USE OF "UNRIGHTEOUSNESS" IN THIS SERIES

A. The Terms for Unrighteousness in the Greek New Testament

1. avdike,w (adikeo) -- verb -- 27 times

2. avdi,khma (adikema) -- noun -- 3 times

3. avdi,,kwj (adikos) -- adverb -- 1 time

4. avdiki,a (adikia) -- feminine noun -- 25 times

5. a;dikoj (adikos) -- noun / adjective --12 times Total = 68

B. The Dichotomy Between Characteristics of People on the Earth

1. Malignantly Evil Ones and Good Ones -- Matthew 5:45

2. Righteous Ones and Unrighteous Ones -- Matthew 5:45; Acts 24:15

3. Unrighteous Ones and the Saints -- 1 Corinthians 6:1

4. The Unrighteousness and the Truth -- 1 Corinthians 13:6

5. Righteous One in Place of Unrighteous Ones -- 1 Peter 3:18

6. Godly Ones and Unrighteous Ones -- 2 Peter 2:9

C. The Distribution of Terms Following Unrighteousness -- Romans 1:29

D. The Direction of One's Members as Weapons of Unrighteousness to the Sin Nature --

Romans 6:13

E. The Discernment of a Pharisee in His List -- Luke 18:11 (extortioners, unrighteous ones,

adulterers)

F. The Description of a Standard Met in Jesus Christ -- John 7:18

G. The Doctrine of 1 John Concerning Unrighteousness

1. 1 John 1:9 -- Confess Sins Forgive All Unrighteousness

a. Is the Unrighteousness Just the Unrighteousness That Leads Up to the Sin?

b. Is It All Unrighteousness Including That Which Leads Up to the Sin?

2. 1 John 5:17 -- Characteristics of Unrighteousness and Sin the Same

H. The Doctrine and Its Presentation

1. Limit It to What God Calls It? 29 Terms Identified as Unrighteous or

Unrighteousness in Two Passages

2. Expand It by Deduction to Other Related Terms?

a. Accept Other Things That Aren't Right as Unrighteousness

b. Let the Definition of the Word Determine the Terms Included

c. Permit Unrighteousness to Be the Larger Term Including Sin, Trespass Etc.

without a Passage That Clearly Teaches It

TRANS: What is clear is that Scriptures tell the grace believer what relationship he has with the works of the flesh and with the terms accompany it. He or she is not to be a participant in any of these things as he or she understands the context in which these terms occur.

Conclusion

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D.

© by David K. Spurbeck

Valley Baptist Church

P. O. Box 99, Gaston, OR 97119