The first four “sins” in Paul’s “works of the flesh” list pertain to sensuality, sexuality. Which was really the “blight” of the Roman world.
“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; ADULTERY, FORNICATION, UNCLEANNESS, LASCIVIOUSNESS, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21, those first four are capitalized on purpose, for emphasis.
Today in our Lesson we think about “uncleanness.” In Greek it is spelled “akatharsia.” See the English word, borrowed from Greek (hence called a “loan word”), “catharsis,” here shown in its Anglicized spelling. Meaning “to cleanse, to purify.” But in our Text the “a” in front of “kathairo” negates it! NOT PURGED!
And “akatharsia” perfectly illustrates the gradual shifts of meaning (over many years) a word can experience.
Originally it means “dirt” on the floor of your house! Something needing to be swept and discarded! Physical dirt.
Next it acquired a ritual meaning, used in religion. These would be things that disqualify a person from coming to worship the Lord! Impurities that had to be address, if one was going to the Temple! Ceremonial dirt!
As such, the scholars say the word’s Hebrew equivalent, “tumah,” occurs 36 times in the Old Testament! As in Leviticus 22:5 … “Or whosoever toucheth any creeping thing (a forbidden insect), whereby he may be made unclean,” that man cannot come to the Temple (the Tabernacle) to worship God … not without being cleansed!
Wow!
Then thirdly, “uncleanness” came to mean “sexual impurity.” And that is the definition Paul is emphasizing here in our Galatians Paragraph. Sins in this area that are so blatant men and women around the offender are repulsed by him, by his deeds!
So “akatharsia” has then journeyed (evolved) from the physical world (dirt) to the ritual world (religious impurity, violating a “taboo”) to the moral world (sexual impropriety, brashly so)!
Interesting!
Outside of one single time when Jesus used the word (“uncleanness”), it is exclusively Pauline (found 9 more times) in the New Testament.
Here are some (Bible) examples. They help define the word about as well as any method I have discovered. Letting the Holy Spirit be our grammar Teacher!
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all UNCLEANNESS.” Jesus in Matthew 23:27.
“Wherefore God also gave them up to UNCLEANNESS through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves.” Paul in Romans 1:24, what preaching!
The Power of the Gospel to change us! “I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have (when you were unsaved) yielded your members servants to UNCLEANNESS and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now (having been saved) yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.” Romans 6:19, praise the Lord!
Here our word is (again) linked with sexual deviation. “And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the UNCLEANNESS and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.” 2 Corinthians 12:21
“But fornication, and all UNCLEANNESS, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints.” An order, Ephesians 5:3, “all” uncleanness must go! Not a single episode of it should reoccur!
One more example, and just a short one at that. “For God hath not called us unto UNCLEANNESS, but unto holiness.” 1 Thessalonians 4:7
Enough!
The Greek language, what a blessing!
The language God chose to bring us the New Testament!
Largely, I think, due to its preciseness, its specificity in meaning.
Thank You, Lord.
— Dr. Mike Bagwell