Galatians 5:20 Commentary and Bible Study

‘Idolatry’ is the worship of any other than the true and living God. This sin includes more than just worship of false gods made by human hands. It also includes the construction of any false god in the mind. Paul also calls covetousness a form of idolatry, because it involves raising human possessions to a height that belongs to God alone, and serving them as if they could provide what the Lord alone can give. It is the greatest possible insult to God to compare him with any created thing.‘Witchcraft’ or sorcery. Our word ‘pharmacy’ is derived from the same Greek word, since sorcery made use of potions and drugs to induce states of mind supposed to involve religious experience. This sin is grouped with idolatry because it is another form of false worship. Witchcraft however differs from idolatry in that it is not simply the worshiping of false gods but turning to Satan himself, for men and women may seek power from the devil to access forbidden knowledge and to the supernatural, some not succeeding in gaining power and forced to fabricate them, and others even obtaining them to the extent that God permits (Ferguson).Next there is a group of sins all coming under the sixth commandment. ‘Hatred’ or enmity is a heart sin and is not always expressed. It is poison that eats away all good within us and does more harm to the one who feels it than to the one it is directed towards. Of course what is meant is hatred for no good reason, for there are some things that we are commanded to hate and there are those things that God himself hates. We are to hate what is evil; cleave to what is good. It is too easy to be deceived by pride into responding with hatred, therefore in general we are best to avoid any hatred that comes from any perceived injury to self. ‘Variance’ means strife, contention, wrangling, which arises from hatred but tries to justify itself by finding fault with the other, for a contentious man is looking for an excuse to hate. He therefore contends about matters which really should not cause disagreement, so that he can create a channel for his hatred. He enjoys strife and is on the lookout for how he can bring some charge against his enemy. There is a great deal of dishonesty and self-deception involved in this process.To emulate is to ‘to attempt to equal or surpass by imitation’. The Greek word means jealousies or envies leading to contentious rivalry. It comes from resentment that another is better or greater than us springing from a desire not to be outdone. It is a work of the flesh and we must take care not to let it disguise itself as something good. ‘Wrath’ or anger differs, says Calvin, from hatred in that hatred is long-term whereas wrath is short term. Wrath suggests emotions that are so strong that they must be expressed. Do we feel anger welling up within us? Many enjoy these strong emotions. But if we give expression to anger once, it will be harder to prevent it coming out next time. It convinces itself that it is right because it is so strong. Anger blinds us to some extent and our judgment is impaired; Spurgeon called it a form of madness. We must learn to be distrustful of our judgment at such times. ‘Strife’ is derived from a Greek word for hireling. It means a desire to put oneself forward, a partisan and factious spirit. This is the unashamed promotion of self, whereas those who trust in God should realize that ‘promotion cometh neither from the east, not from the west, north from the south, but God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.’‘Seditions’ are dissensions, or divisions, either between ourselves and another, or between two other parties. Why should we love to see division and breakdown of peace? It may be fuelled partly out of jealousy. We cannot bear to see others living at peace when we feel such hostility towards them in our own hearts. Therefore we pick a quarrel and find fault with them in matters which we would overlook in ourselves. How carefully the believer needs to guard against such things and how fearful he must be of letting such perverse motives get control of him.The word ‘heresies’ means that which is chosen, a chosen opinion and hence a sect or party. Having broken down existing friendships, he wishes to build new alliances - not however for the sake of friendship but to strengthen some evil purpose for which he wishes to contend - for it is useful to have others on our side and since the carnal mind trusts in human strength then this is the way to do things. The point to note about a sect is not that it is a joining together of certain people, but that it is a division away from others.