Colossians 3:5

Colossians 3:5

Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

a. NLT: So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

b. NIV: Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

c. YLT: Put to death, then, your members that are upon the earth -- whoredom, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and the covetousness, which is idolatry --

d. Amplified Bible Classic: So kill (deaden, [a]deprive of power) the evil desire lurking in your members [those animal impulses and all that is earthly in you that is employed in sin]: sexual vice, impurity, sensual appetites, unholy desires, and all greed and covetousness, for that is idolatry (the deifying of self and other created things instead of God).

e. Worrell Translation: Make dead, therefore, your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which, indeed, is idolatry.

f. Wuest Translation: By a one-for-all act, and at once, put to death your members which are upon the earth: fornication, impurity, depraved passion, wicked craving, and avarice which is of such a nature as to be idolatry.

1. “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth…”

a. Mortify [Strong: 3499 nekroo nek-ro'-o from 3498; to deaden, i.e. (figuratively) to subdue:--be dead, mortify.]

b. therefore [Strong: 3767 oun oon apparently a primary word; (adverbially) certainly, or (conjunctionally) accordingly:--and (so, truly), but, now (then), so (likewise then), then, therefore, verily, wherefore.]

c. your [Strong: 5216 humon hoo-mone' genitive case of 5210; of (from or concerning) you:--ye, you, your (own, -selves).]

d. members [Strong: 3196 melos mel'-os of uncertain affinity; a limb or part of the body:--member.]

e. which [Strong: 3588 kiy kee a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed:--and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-)as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al- )though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.]

f. are upon [Strong: 1909 epi ep-ee' a primary preposition; properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution (with the genitive case), i.e. over, upon, etc.; of rest (with the dative case) at, on, etc.; of direction (with the accusative case) towards, upon, etc.:--about (the times), above, after, against, among, as long as (touching), at, beside, X have charge of, (be-, (where-))fore, in (a place, as much as, the time of, -to), (because) of, (up-)on (behalf of), over, (by, for) the space of, through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), with. In compounds it retains essentially the same import, at, upon, etc. (literally or figuratively).]

g. the [Strong: 3588 kiy kee a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed:--and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-)as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al- )though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.]

h. earth [Strong: 1093 ge ghay contracted from a primary word; soil; by extension a region, or the solid part or the whole of the terrene globe (including the occupants in each application):--country, earth(-ly), ground, land, world.]

1). In Christ our bodies are no longer our own, we are in Christ and we are members of His one body (1 Corinthians 6:19). We are to present our bodies as living sacrifices in obedience to God, making our bodies do what a relationship with God requires.

a). Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

b). Romans 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

c). Galatians 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

d). 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

9:26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

2. “…fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

a. fornication [Strong: 4202 porneia por-ni'-ah from 4203; harlotry (including adultery and incest); figuratively, idolatry:--fornication.]

b. uncleanness [Strong: 167 akatharsia ak-ath-ar-see'-ah from 169; impurity (the quality), physically or morally:--uncleanness.]

c. inordinate affection [Strong: 3806  pathos path'-os from the alternate of 3958; properly, suffering ("pathos"), i.e. (subjectively) a passion (especially concupiscence):-- (inordinate) affection, lust.]

1). This word is used 3 times in the New Testament. One of those instances describes male and female homosexuality.

a). Romans 1:26, 27 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

1:27  And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

b). Male and female homosexuality is not an orientation, it is a lust.

d. evil [Strong: 2556 kakos kak-os' apparently a primary word; worthless (intrinsically, such; whereas 4190 properly refers to effects), i.e. (subjectively) depraved, or (objectively) injurious:--bad, evil, harm, ill, noisome, wicked.]

e. concupiscence [Strong: 1939 epithumia ep-ee-thoo-mee'-ah from 1937; a longing (especially for what is forbidden):--concupiscence, desire, lust (after).]

f. and [Strong: 2532 kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

g. covetousness [Strong: 4124 pleonexia pleh-on-ex-ee'-ah from 4123; avarice, i.e. (by implication) fraudulency, extortion:--covetous(-ness) practices, greediness.]

h. which [Strong: 3748 hostis hos'-tis, including the feminine hetis hay'-tis, and the neuter ho,ti hot'-ee from 3739 and 5100; which some, i.e. any that; also (definite) which same:--X and (they), (such) as, (they) that, in that they, what(-soever), whereas ye, (they) which, who(-soever).]

i. is [Strong: 2076 esti es-tee' third person singular present indicative of 1510; he (she or it) is; also (with neuter plural) they are:--are, be(-long), call, X can(-not), come, consisteth, X dure for a while, + follow, X have, (that) is (to say), make, meaneth, X must needs, + profit, + remaineth, + wrestle.]

j. idolatry [Strong: 1495 eidololatreia i-do-lol-at-ri'-ah from 1497 and 2999; image-worship (literally or figuratively):--idolatry.]

1). As the passage continues it declares that engaging in these behaviors will bring the wrath of God.

a). Colossians 3:6  For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

b). See notes of Colossians 3:6 concerning wrath.