Galatians 5:19

Though this verse enumerates only evil works of the flesh, it is not thereby suggested that its action is wholly evil; for the flesh has been shown to have its appointed function from God, and to be essential to the human will. The opening ἅτινα puts the following catalogue of crimes and vices in its true light as samples, produced by way of specimen of the evil effects wrought by excessive indulgence of natural appetites without due control, and not an exhaustive list of the works of the flesh, as the rendering which, in our versions, rather suggests. The list begins and ends with sensual vices due to the lower animal nature; it couples idolatry with its habitual ally sorcery : in specifying the various quarrels between man and man it adds two διχοστασίαι and αἱρέσεις to the corresponding list in 2 Corinthians 12:20, perhaps owing to the prevalence of religious dissensions in the Galatian churches. ἀσέλγεια. This term, which in classical Greek expresses insolent contempt for public opinion, denotes in the N.T. shameless outrages on public decency a fit climax to fornication and uncleanness.