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

 

Message #40 – 2-3-2002 – Synopsis and Outline

 

THINGS LIKE THESE WORKS OF THE FLESH

 

Winter in Oregon sometimes interrupts schedules and so January 27th snow interrupted our Valley schedule.  We cancelled services though most of the snow fell to the East of us on dry pavement.

 

This last Sunday began my preaching the morning services in February at Scholls Community Church on the will of God as a part of the program for preparing the church there for a pastoral search.  The day was filled with blessing there and at Valley.  I lead the communion service at both churches as well.  As soon as we finished the service at Scholls, Pat and I drove over the backside of Bald Peak and to Cherry Grove for the 1:15 p.m. service in which this message was presented.  We ate our sack lunch on the road.  My father circuit rode from Lee Vining, California over Conway Summit to Bridgeport, California every Sunday in his first church so I guess circuit riding is in the blood.  The Word of God has that life that relates to believers anywhere when they are willing to take it literally and listen.

 

This message deals with "such like things" at the end of the 17 works of the flesh listed in the AV of Galatians 5:19-21.  In a way, this message again does further analysis of the clusters and pairs with the works of the flesh in the chart.  We started studying the spiritual enemies with the focus on:  IDENTIFY THE SOURCE OF THE LUSTS, ISOLATE THE SPECIFIC LUSTS AND INITIATE THE BIBLICAL DEFENSE.  These weeks of study of the various works of the flesh in Galatians five have been designed to help the believer identify these lusts as from the flesh and to isolate them for what they are.  The next segment of this series will involve a presentation of how a spiritual believer can initiate the biblical defense.  The goal of these studies is to equip the believer with information to have victory over the lusts of the flesh that war against the soul.

 

I. involves a discussion of why the list in Galatians five isn't exhaustive.  When Galatians 5:19-21 and Romans 13:13 are compared there are 18 works of the flesh (Rom. 13:13 adds "chambering").  "And such like" indicates that there are similar things that aren't listed.  Some have suggested that the list is short because Paul ran out of time and cut the list short.  Others have suggested that Paul ran out of space because of the scarcity of writing material and so trimmed the list.  Martin Luther (1519) says that Paul "adds 'such like' for who can recount the entire marsh of this carnal life."  In other words, he says that there is so much filth that it is impossible to name every part.  Too often the Holy Spirit isn't given credit for superintending the contents of inspired written revelation.  He chose to give the short list.  Without a doubt there are many other works or lusts from the flesh that He could have included but he chose not to.  Why?  I have listed six probable reasons in E.  1.  He did it to keep Christians from making a list a legal standard for spirituality.  In the dispensation of grace the life of the believer is built on the positive provisions of grace for his or her present tense salvation.  If the list was complete, many churches would post them on the walls of the auditorium like they do the Ten Commandments.  2.  He wants us to emphasize these positive elements instead of the negatives.  3.  The sin nature is fallen and depraved and continues to develop its perversity with new lusts and passions.  4.   He chooses to be less than specific because there are other manifestations of specified works of the flesh.  An example is the fact that covetousness is revealed to be a manifestation of idolatry in Scripture.  The same is true of other works of the flesh and may be true of even others.  5.  I believe that the "such like" is used by the Spirit to indicate that the flesh or sin nature should be blamed for most unidentified unrighteousness rather than Satan.  One of the results of the Reformed position of the loss of the sin nature at salvation is that they are required to blame Satan and demons and the world for any unrighteousness that confronts a believer.  As a result, any true believers in their churches can never have spiritual victory or have biblical spiritual lives.  6.  "Such like" can help one identify qualities that can make the sin nature worse.

 

II. approaches the actual words "and such like" in the Greek and their meaning.  III. gives an overview of the words that are found with the works of the flesh in the clusters that are not identified elsewhere as lusts and attacks of Satan. Six words are found with the works of the flesh more than once in the clusters.  There are 68 different terms including general terms that are neither identified as lusts from the flesh or as lusts from Satan.  That is quite a list.  Brother Warren Rushton (a friend who attended San Francisco Baptist Theological Seminary when I was there) wrote a Th.M. thesis on The Maturing Christian and His Enemies in which he gave 41 examples of the "such like."  15 of his examples are not in either the clusters or pairs.  This indicates that there are well over 80 terms that may fall into this category.  That makes quite a list for study.  There are other terms in the New Testament that could added.  So is it worth it to compile all of this data of things like the lusts from the flesh?

 

It in interesting that there are terms that would translate into general English terms as evil, passion, lust and sinners that occur in the lists.  These are noted under III. C.  Three words are added to lusts of the flesh in pairs under D. 

 

IV.  gives some suggestions so that a saint can recognize the "such like" works of the sin nature.  General or larger terms are composed of many smaller or lesser parts.  Some terms share immediately in a context of qualities shared with a work of the flesh (B.).  C.  questions the grace need for such a list.  Do we need a list if we are spiritual believers.  When there is something that is unrighteous that gratifies the appetite of the flesh, it is usually one of the "such like" unless clearly identified otherwise in Scripture.  Similar qualities of activities to the works of the flesh give a clue to the works that come from the flesh.  The solution to the whole issue is found in one's understanding of the dispensation of grace.  It is a dispensation for grace believers -- Christians.  It is designed to provide the means for the grace believer to live in his or her present tense salvation.  The flesh and the Spirit cannot relate to one another and oppose each other (Gal. 5:17).  "But I am saying, be walking by the Spirit and you will never ever bring to completion a quality of lust of the flesh (Gal. 5:16 my translation)."  Some believers would try to experience every manifestation of the flesh if they had an exhaustive list just because God would count them as unacceptable.  These same believers refuse to learn the spiritual life and to be spiritual.  They thwart the grace of God and actually live in opposition to the Holy Spirit.  I am not worried about 80+ more lusts from the flesh if I am spiritual.  There is too much in present tense salvation of a positive nature that it doesn't permit time to look for the things that become "thou shalt nots."

 

God continues to work in the lives of His people by His Spirit with His timing.  It is such a blessing to be involved with saints whose time has come and who desire to really grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  This is happening in many facets of the ministry of the Word here.

 

Placed as a saint and highly graced,

 

DKS

#40 -- Gospel and Spiritual Growth

Valley – February 3, 2002 p.m.

 

 

THINGS LIKE THESE WORKS OF THE FLESH

Galatians 5:21 --Such Like -- ta. o[moia tou,toij

 

Proposition:   To discuss the possible terms that describe lusts from the flesh that are similar to the seventeen listed in Galatians 5:19-21.  We spin this off the clusters and the pairs that involve the works of the flesh and the terms with them.  The focus is on lusts or terms that are not listed in Scripture as lusts from Satan or from the sin nature.

 

        Introduction

              A.  The Purpose of Going through the Works of the Flesh:  IDENTIFY THE LUSTS

              B.   The Potential for Other Works of the Flesh -- Galatians 5:19-21

              C.  The Perspective of a Spiritual Believer for Defense

              D.  The Provision for Having Victory Against the Lusts from the Flesh That War Against the Soul

 

TRANS:   The first question that comes to mind when one sees "and such like" in Galatians 5:21 is "Why?"  That is why don't we have a complete God-given list so that we can know for certain what are works of the flesh or not?

 

  I.   SUGGESTED REASONS FOR AN INCOMPLETE LIST OF THE WORKS OF THE FLESH IN GALATIANS 5:19-21 -- THE SUFFICIENCY OF SEVENTEEN OR EIGHTEEN WORKS OF THE FLESH IDENTIFIED IN SCRIPTURE -- WHY IS THERE A SHORT LIST INSTEAD OF A COMPLETE LONG LIST?

        A.  The List of the Lusts or Works of the Flesh

              1.  Galatians 5:19-21 -- 17 (in AV) and 15 in Some Critical Texts (omit adultery and murder)

              2.  Romans 13:13 -- Six Listed with Addition of Chambering (Five Match Gal. 5:list)

        B.   The Last Statement of "And Such Like"

        C.  The Limitations Suggested by Others

              1.  Paul Ran Out of Time and So Cut Short the List

              2.  Paul Ran Out of Space So Trimmed the List

        D.  The Legitimacy of the Right of the Holy Spirit to Give a Short List

        E.   The List of Probable Reasons for "Such Like"

              1.  To Keep Christians from Making a List a Legal Standard to Establish Spirituality

              2.  To Emphasize the Positive Elements of the Grace of God

              3.  To Adjust to the Ongoing Depravity of Man

              4.  To Compensate for Other Manifestations of the Works of the Flesh

              5.  To Indicate That the Flesh Should Be Blamed for Most Unidentified Unrighteousness

                  Rather Than Satan

              6.  To Identify Qualities That Can Make Carnality Worse

 

TRANS:     Let us look at the concepts present with the Greek behind the phrase "and such like."  There is a focus on the idea of similarity or resemblance.

 

 II. SPECIFIC REVELATION OF THE WORDS "AND SUCH LIKE" IN THE TEXT OF GALATIANS 5:21 -- THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ADDITION OF "SUCH LIKE" TO THE LIST -- WHAT DOES "SUCH LIKE" MEAN AND HOW DOES IT HELP OUR UNDERSTANDING?

        A. The Connection to the List -- "and" -- kai

        B. The Concept of the Like Things -- ta. o]moia (the list is not exhaustive but representative)

            1.   The Identification of the Form

                  a.  Articular = with a definite article

                  b.  Accusative neuter plural noun

            2.   The Meaning of the Word o]moioj (homoios)

                  a.  Like, resembling, such as, the same as, of same kind, with common characteristics

                  b.  Likeness in nature and condition as a basis for comparison

                  c.  "}Omoioj does not signify a similarity which admits differences, a mere

                       similarity, but a similarity which consists in coincidence (Cremer, pg. 798)."

                  d.  The result of comparison that finds similarity, resemblance and common

                       characteristics

            3.   The Isolation of Similar Characteristics in Other Forms of Unrighteousness

        C. The Connection with the List by the "Such"

            1.  Near demonstrative pronoun -- "these" (tou,toij)

            2.   Neuter plural dative

        D. The Clarification by Translation "and the things like [or similar] to these things"

 

TRANS:     The works of the flesh occur with other terms for unrighteousness in the clusters and pairs give us some sense of some of the such like terms.  Some of these may be deduced as works of the flesh or as lusts coming from Satan.  This material will at least give some idea of some of the concepts.

 

III.  SOME RELATIONSHIP OF WORDS WITH THE WORKS OF THE FLESH IN CLUSTERS IN SCRIPTURE -- THE SHARING OF SIMILAR TERMS IN THE LISTS INCLUDING WORKS OF THE FLESH -- DO THESE RELATIONSHIPS GIVE AN INDICATION OF SIMILAR WORKS OF THE FLESH?

        A.  The Words That Occur with Works of Flesh More Than Once

              1.  Railing -- loi,doroj -- 1 Cor. 5:11 (#4); 6:9 (#9) {Two lists}

              2.  Anger -- ovrgh, -- Eph. 4:31 (#3); Col. 3:8, 9 (#1)  {Two lists}

              3.  Arrogance -- katala,louj -- Matt. 7:21, 22 (#12); Rom. 1:29-31 (#14) {Two lists}

              4.  Deceit (Guile) -- do,loj -- Mk. 7:21, 22 (#8); Rom. 1:29-31 (#8)  {Two lists}

              5.  Extortioners -- a[rpagej -- Lu. 18:11 (#1); 1 Cor. 5:10 (#3), 11 (#6); 6:9 (#10) {Four lists}

              6.  Blasphemy -- blasfhmi,a -- Matt. 15:19 (#7); Mk. 7:22 (#11); Eph. 4:31 (#5); Col. 3:8, 9 (#4); 1 Tim. 6:4, 5 (#4); 1 Pe. 4:3, 4 (#8)  {Six lists}

        B.   The Words Occurring With the Works of the Flesh That Are Not Identified as Lusts from Satan in Scripture -- 68 Different Terms Including General Terms

        C.  Words of a More General Nature Occurring in the Lists Including Works of the Flesh

              1.  Malignant Evil -- ponhro,j

                  a.  Alone -- Mk. 7:21, 22 (#5); Rom. 1:29-31 (#2)

                  b.  In Combination

                       (1)  Matt. 15:19 (#11) -- Malignantly Evil Thoughts

                       (2)  Mk. 7:21, 22 (#10) -- Malignantly Evil Eye

                       (3)   1 Tim. 6:4, 5 (#5) -- Malignantly Evil Surmisings

              2.  Lacking in Character Evil -- kako,j / kaki,a

                  a.  Alone -- Rom. 1:29-31 (#4); Eph. 4:31 (#6); Col. 3:8, 9 (#3); Tit. 3:3 (#5)

                  b.  In Combination

                       (1)   Mk. 7:21, 22 (#1) -- Lacking in Character Workings of the Mind

                       (2)   Rom. 1:29-31 (#9) -- Disposition for Lacking in Character

                       (3)   Rom. 1:29-31 (#16) -- Inventors of Lacking in Character Thoughts

                       (4)   Col. 3:5 (#4) -- Lacking in Character Strong Desires

              3.  Passion -- Col. 3:5 (#3) -- pa,qoj

              4.  Lust -- Rom. 13:9 (#4) -- evpiqumh,seij

              5.  Sinners -- 1 Tim. 1:9-10 (#4) -- avmartwloi/j

        C.  The Words Paired with Works of the Flesh Not Identified as Works of the Flesh

              1.  Empty Glory -- Phil. 2:3 -- kenodoxi,an

              2.  Deceit [Leading Astray] -- 1 Thess. 2:3 -- pla,nhj

              3.  Profane One -- Heb. 12:16 -- be,bhloj

 

TRANS:   How then does one identify other lusts that come from the flesh if they aren't identified as such by God in His Word?  Here are some ways to identify to recognize some from Scripture.

 

 IV. SENSIBLE RECOGNITION OF LUSTS THAT RELATE TO THE FLESH -- THE SUBSTANCE OF THE SIMILAR OR SAME THINGS RELATED TO THE SIN NATURE -- HOW CAN ONE IDENTIFY THE "SUCH LIKE" THINGS OR LUSTS FROM THE FLESH?

        A.  Larger Terms with Lesser Parts

              1.  Idolatry with Covetousness -- Col. 3:5; Eph. 5:5

              2.  Fornication with Adultery, Uncleanness, Lasciviousness, Chambering (Rom. 13:13); without Natural Affection (Rom. 1:31); Effeminate Ones (1 Cor. 16:9); Homosexuals (1 Cor. 6:9); Defilers with Men (1 Tim. 1:10)

        B.   Accompanying Terms That Relate to Identified Work of the Flesh

              1.  Titus 3:9, 10 -- Foolish Questionings, Genealogies, Contentions

              2.  1 Pe. 4:3, 4 -- Excess of Wine, Revellings, Drinking Bouts

              3.  1 Timothy 6:4, 5 -- Strife, Blasphemy

              4.  1 Cor. 5:11; 6:9 -- Railer, Drunkard

              5.  1 Cor. 5:10 -- Covetous, Extortioners, Idolaters

        C.  Other Terms Identifiable as Similar to the Seventeen or Eighteen

        1.  Listed or Not?  Needed or Not?

        2.  Sensed by Gratification of Appetite Resulting

        3.  Recognized by Similar Qualities in Lusts

              4.  Seventeen Are Adequate to Establish Qualities

              5.  The Solution to the Whole Issue Is for a Believer to Be Spiritual and Not to Fulfill

                  the Lusts of the Flesh

 

TRANS:     The provisions of Christ for the sin nature make it possible for the Christian to have victory over the lusts of the flesh that war against the soul.  This is the best option to the issue.  Live as a spiritual believer and one does not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.

 

      Conclusion

              A.

              B.

              C.

              D.

 

© by David K. Spurbeck

Valley Baptist Church

P. O. Box 99, Gaston, OR 97119