Colossians 3:5-6

5. Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry; 6. for which things-' sake cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience:

Translation and Paraphrase

5. Put to death, therefore, the (sins done by your physical) members upon the earth. (Bring them into such complete control that it will be as if they were dead. These include such things as:) fornication, uncleanness (of mind and life), passionate desire, evil desire (for what is forbidden), and covetousness (the desire to have more and more), which is (a form of) idolatry.
6. On account of these (things) the wrath of God comes upon the sons who are disobedient.

Notes

1.

Colossians 3:5-11 gives a list of some of the sins that we are to put to death. Paul declares that these sins are the work of the old man, our old nature that we had before we became Christians. This old man is contrasted with the new man.

The five vices Paul lists in Colossians 3:5 involve the sinner as he is in himself. In Colossians 3:8 he lists five more vices that involve the sinner in relation to other people.

2.

MORTIFY therefore your members which are upon the earth. (Colossians 3:5, KJV). Mortify means to put to death, or give over to death. (The words mortify, mortuary, and mortal are all related words, referring to death in various ways.) The Greek verb (nekrosate) is in the aorist tense, a form indicating point action, rather than continuous action. When dealing with sins, the way to stop is to stop! Tapering off gradually does not get the job done. Putting sins to death can be done. It must be done. Now. (Galatians 5:24).

3.

Put to death your members. These members are identified as being certain sins that are done by the members of our bodies, by our minds, hands, eyes, etc. John Calvin said that our vices are here called members because they adhere so closely to us. (Matthew 5:29-30).

Perhaps a simpler explanation for their being called members is that they are called such by a figure of speech (a metonomy, the container standing for the contained objects). We sometimes use similar expressions: e.g. I-'ll have none of your lip.

4.

Though we put our members to death, this death is of such nature that they may revive, if a man walks in any other power than the Lord'S.

5.

We might wonder: How can we put to death our members when we have already died? (Colossians 3:3). Both the scriptures and experience tell us that in this life our state as children of God does not always fully coincide with our condition in the flesh. Nonetheless, our intentions must always be that our fleshly members be dead to disobeying God.

6.

These are the five sins which Paul calls members:

(1) Fornication. This term refers to illegal sexual intercourse in general, both by those married and those unmarried. Acts 15:29; 1 Corinthians 5:1; 1 Corinthians 6:15; 1 Corinthians 6:18; 1 Corinthians 7:2.

(2) Uncleanness. In its moral meaning this refers to a state of mind that delights in immoral, lustful, luxurious, lawless things. Paul uses the word to refer to impure motives in 1 Thessalonians 2:3. Compare Romans 1:24; Romans 6:19; 2 Corinthians 12:21; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 4:19; Ephesians 5:3.

(3) Passion (KJV, inordinate affection; Gr. pathos). This word may refer to various feelings which the mind suffers; emotion; passion; passionate desire. Paul obviously uses it here in a bad sense, referring to depraved passions. Passion is a more specific term than evil desire (No. (4)). Passion is the ungovernable desire. It refers to desire for sexual perversion in Romans 1:26-27.

(4) Evil desire (KJV, evil concupiscence; Gr. epithumia). The word desire by itself simply refers to yearning, or longing, and may be good or bad. Note the good meaning in 1 Thessalonians 2:17; Philippians 1:23. In a bad sense it is desire for what is forbidden, or lust. (Romans 7:7; James 1:14; 1 Peter 1:14; Galatians 5:24). Evil desire seems to describe that type of life which is always desirous of things forbidden. This evil desire frequently rises to peaks of passion.

(5) Covetousness (Gr. pleonexia). Covetousness is greedy desire to have more. It is the constant desire for material things, and the feeling that material things make up real life. (Luke 12:15).

Covetousness is rooted in selfishness and a mistrust of God. Its fruit is discontent, stealing, debt, and other such undesirables.

7.

Anything that normally occupies our minds and loyalties is a god to us. Covetousness is a constant desire for earthly things. Hence the things are a god to us, and the desire for them is a form of idolatry. It takes us from God, Ephesians 5:2; Ephesians 5:5.

8.

The sins which Paul mentionsfornication, covetousness, evil desire, etc.are practically unchecked by human laws, even the finest human laws. The thief will probably be punished, but the fornicator goes on his way almost unhindered. The law of Christ is therefore superior to human law, because it blocks evil at its source, in the heart.

9.

If Paul felt obliged to warn the Christians in Colossae about the sins of the flesh, how much more must the non-Christians have given themselves over to immortality and covetousness. These sins must have been rampant in Colossae.

10.

The wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, those who are guilty of fornication, evil desire, covetousness, etc. Sons of disobedience is an expression referring to those people who disobey God. The wrath of God is coming upon all such. Too little is said today about the wrath of God. Some people are opposed to teaching about the wrath of God, as if we had developed beyond this doctrine. We never shall.

Whether we like it or not, the wrath of God is coming upon all who disobey Him. (John 3:36; Matthew 3:7; Ephesians 5:6). The disobedient will drink the full cup of God's wrath, undiluted. (Revelation 14:10). God has seven fearsome bowls (or vials) of wrath to pour out upon evildoers; in these is completed the wrath of God (Revelation 15:1-8; Revelation 16:1-21). God's wrath is fierce. Revelation 19:15). Evil-doers will suffer frightening vengeance for their defiance of God the Almighty, and His son.

Study and Review

13.

Define the word mortify in King James version. (Colossians 3:5)

14.

What are we to put to death? (Colossians 3:5)

15.

What sins are called members which are upon the earth?

16.

To what does uncleanness refer?

17.

What is covetousness?

18.

Why is covetousness called idolatry?

19.

What comes upon those who do the sins listed in Colossians 3:5? (Colossians 3:6)

20.

Explain the phrase sons of disobedience.