An Exploration of Galatians: Deeds of the Flesh Part 5
Galatians 5:19-21 - Do not act from selfish ambition and discord; wisdom and discernment are essential.
”Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.“
Galatians 5:19-21 NASB1995
Three more relational sins are described by Paul in this passage and are examined in this devotional: Disputes, dissensions, and factions. The last relational sin, envying, will be the subject of its own devotional.
So what are disputes? Dispute comes from the Greek word ἐριθεία or eritheia. So, dear reader, I’m sure you are thinking that dispute means to disagree or to argue or debate something, which is the relatively benign definition from modern dictionaries that it has today (although it can be used to describe someone who is particularly irritating in their arguments). But Biblically, this word means something quite different. This same word root is used for selfishness, ambition, and self-promotion. It is also used to describe electioneering or “intriguing” around public office. I was today years old when I first learned this historical connotation for dispute. Here’s a commentary on the word from Enduring Word:
Selfish ambitions translates the ancient Greek word eritheia, and the word has an interesting history. It started out as a perfectly respectable word meaning “to work for pay.” Over time, it began to mean the kind of work that is done for money and for no other reason. Then it was used to describe politicians who campaign for election, not for what service they can give to the government and the people, but only for their own glory and benefit. “It ended up meaning ‘selfish ambition’, the ambition which has no conception of service and whose only aims are profit and power.” It is the heart of a person whose first question is always, “What’s in it for me?” To be sure, the Holy Spirit never led anyone into selfish ambitions.
So why is it that politicians have become the poster children for selfish ambitions? I’m sure there are many who serve the people in this country with honor and honesty, but there are many others who are in it strictly for themselves and it gets mighty difficult to tell the difference. This explains why octogenarians can’t quit the game and even die in office. It explains why so many gain substantial wealth while in national public office (and more afterwards, with book deals and other perks). It explains why so many who have succeeded at a state or local level can never be satisfied and they aim for the bigger prizes. It explains why campaigns for Senate and House seats in disputed regions (no pun intended) can cost millions of dollars.
But this type of ambition isn’t limited to politicians. Paul is concerned about the church leaders who may also engage in these tactics, especially those in Galatia who are pandering to the Judaizers and using their political intrigue in these selfish disputes. Eritheia is the antithesis of humility, selflessness, and obedience to God.
So what is dissension? Dissension comes from the Greek word διχοστασία or dichostasia and means division, disunion or sedition. In secular Greek, this word has been used to describe a political revolt. I didn’t find a lot of commentary about this particular deed of the flesh, but dissensions can also defined as partisan or contentious quarreling, similar to strife or conflict. Here is what GotQuestions.org says about those sow discord:
Anyone who loves to quarrel loves sin,” stated Solomon (Proverbs 17:19, NLT). Believers cannot walk in the light of God’s love and continue spewing hatred and sowing discord: “If anyone claims, ‘I am living in the light,’ but hates a fellow believer, that person is still living in darkness. Anyone who loves a fellow believer is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. But anyone who hates a fellow believer is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness” (1 John 2:9–11, NLT).
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Paul warned believers against involving themselves in arguments and fights, even about spiritual matters: “These things are useless and a waste of time. If people are causing divisions among you, give a first and second warning. After that, have nothing more to do with them. For people like that have turned away from the truth, and their own sins condemn them” (Titus 3:9–11, NLT).
“Any fool can get himself into a quarrel,” stated the wise old teacher, but “honor belongs to the person who ends a dispute” (Proverbs 20:3, CSB). Solomon compared people who sow discord to troublemakers who go around lighting fires: “As charcoal for embers and wood for fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife” (Proverbs 26:21, CSB). Fires leave death and destruction in their wake. Proverbs 6:15 explains that the consequence of such foolish and evil behavior is sudden “calamity,” which literally refers to “a crushing weight.” A person who continually and actively sows discord is pursuing a life of sin, and such a life is destined for destruction (Romans 6:23; James 1:15).
I confess to having been quite quarrelsome in my life. I have created discord by disagreeing or finding it necessary to be ridiculously pedantic and correcting people for minor mistakes or misinformation (at least it was misinformation in my mind). I set many fires of dissension and it is a sin that I have repented of MANY times.
So what are factions? Faction comes from the Greek word αἵρεσις or airesis and has the following Biblical usages:
act of taking, capture: e.g. storming a city
choosing, choice
that which is chosen
a body of men following their own tenets (sect or party)
of the Sadducees
of the Pharisees
of the Christians
dissensions arising from diversity of opinions and aims
This word, airesis, is the root word of heresy and originally meant merely the act of choosing something. In modern definitions, faction can mean an irreconcilable difference between parties. Here’s what Enduring Word says about factions/heresies:
Heresies translates an ancient Greek word (hairesis) which originally simply meant “to choose.” Over time, it came to mean someone who divisively expressed their “choices” or opinions. We think today of heresies in terms of wrong ideas and teachings; but the emphasis in the word is actually the wrongful dividing over opinions. Heresies can be thought of as hardened dissensions. “There is all the difference in the world between believing that we are right and believing that everyone is wrong. Unshakable conviction is a Christian virtue; unyielding intolerance is a sin.” (William Barclay, Flesh and Spirit, cited in Leon Morris) The Holy Spirit never led anyone into heresies.
Paul is concerned about factions developing in the early church that could lead to sects that promoted heresies about the Gospel. The church history is loaded with factions pointing at each other and having unyielding intolerance as opposed to faith and conviction. If you believe that everyone else in the world is wrong and you are right, you have created a faction of one, but only in your mind. As noted in the Guzik commentary, the emphasis is in the wrongful dividing over opinions.
We live in a society that has fractioned into many factions, with many people taking on the task of “correcting” the other side for their heresies. These hardened dissensions are political, cultural, scientific, and religious. People even divide up into warring factions about mundane things like types of travel and entertainment options. One only has to look at the countless types of Christian churches and wannabes (like Latter Day Saints and Jehovah’s Witnesses) to know that factions are alive and well and discernment based on the wisdom of the Gospel is absolutely necessary.
My next devotional examines the last relational sin in this list: Envying. Although jealousy was covered previously, envy is a much bigger bucket of sinfulness.
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - Please help me to do nothing from selfish ambition, to actively seek not to sow discord, and to approach my understanding of faith with discernment and wisdom based on the Gospel. Amen.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
The Blue Letter Bible was accessed on 12/28/2023 to review the lexicon for the words dispute, dissension and faction.
Gotquestions.org was accessed on 12/28/2023 to ask the question about dissension/discord.
Commentary from Enduring Word by David Guzik is used with written permission.