Awakening - Part 2

Seeking what is above does not ignore things;

It reorders things under Christ’s dominion.

This is where we ended last week.

The passage was challenging us to ‘seek the things above, mind the things above, not the things on earth.’

Paul is going to pick up here because the question is: How does one do that?

Therefore, you all put to death (imp) the members (limbs) that belong to what is upon the earth: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). Because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience, among whom you all also walked once when you all were living in these things. (Colossians 3:5-12)

νεκρώσατε — aorist active imperative 2nd person plural: A decisive command addressed to the entire group: “you all put to death.” This is not an ongoing process. It is a decisive decision

ἔρχεται — present middle/passive indicative 3rd person singular: A statement describing ongoing reality: “the wrath of God comes.” Not a future event, but an ongoing aspect, an active reality.

περιεπατήσατε — aorist active indicative 2nd person plural: A simple past statement about the whole group: “you all once walked.” Refers to something in the past.

ἐζῆτε — imperfect active indicative 2nd person plural: Continuous past action of the group: “you all were living.” Refers to something in the past

Often, people will combine this list above and the list that is about to come:

What is missed is the distinction between what is called Idolatry

And what will follow

Also, Paul makes a very interesting distinction regarding the ‘wrath of God’ which is an ACTIVE, present, ongoing activity.

Often it is translated as ‘will come’

But that is not the aspect of the word

Who are these ‘sons of disobedience’?

And you all, being dead in your trespasses and your sins, in which you all once walked according to the age of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, of the spirit now working in the sons of disobedience. (Ephesians 2:1-2)

This phrase appears again in Ephesians 5

But sexual immorality and all impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is fitting for holy ones, and shamefulness and foolish speech or coarse talk, things not appropriate, but rather thanksgiving. For this you know, being ones who recognize, that every sexually immoral person or impure person or greedy person (who is an idolater), does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of the Messiah and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. (Ephesians 5:3-6)

You can hear the similarity of the language between Ephesians and Colossians

Therefore, you all put to death (imp) the members (limbs) that belong to what is upon the earth: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). Because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience, among whom you all also walked once when you all were living in these things. (Colossians 3:5-12)

Sexual Immorality (πορνεία) Porneia

Meaning: Using sex transactionally, outside of marriage, especially in ways involving payment, power imbalance, or dishonor. How they would hear it: “Sex that treats someone like a commodity.” Example sentence: “He went to the brothel last night because he was looking for porneia.”

Impurity (ἀκαθαρσία)

Meaning: Anything socially or physically “dirty,” shameful, or polluted, especially sexual behavior that violates honor or community norms. How they would hear it: “Behavior that leaves a stain on you or your family.” Example sentence: “After what he did at the festival, the whole town says he brought akatharsia on his household.”

Passion (πάθος) Like Pathalogical

Meaning: A loss of self-control driven by overpowering urges, often sexual but not limited to sex. How they would hear it: “Letting your urges run you.” Example sentence: “When the wine flows, some men are ruled by pathos and do foolish things.”

Evil Desire (ἐπιθυμία κακή)

Meaning: A focused craving for something you should not pursue, especially desire that leads to harming others. How they would hear it: “Wanting something wrong and starting to plot ways to get it.” Example sentence: “He looked at his neighbor’s wife with epithymia, and it became a bad desire.”

Let’s talk about that term Greed:

the act of gaining more by ignoring the rightful boundaries of others, usually through exploitation or advantage-taking.

Not because greed is a feeling in your heart, but because:

you treat the other person as an object

you treat yourself as the central god

you reorder the world around your desire to gain

you violate the boundary between what belongs to God and what belongs to another image bearer

In Hebrew terms, πλεονεξία breaks:

“you shall not covet”

“you shall not steal”

“you shall not oppress”

“you shall not take advantage of your neighbor”

Because coveting in Hebrew means desiring with intent to seize.

Put to death…

“Members” means body parts, so the phrase sounds intentionally shocking.

Jesus…cut off your hand, gouge out your eye

They would hear it as moral amputation, not physical mutilation.

It means eliminate the part of your life that participates in the behavior.

A common Greek moral idea: “kill off” destructive impulses or habits.

In simple terms: “Cut off whatever in you enables the wrong action.”

But now, you all, yourselves put away (imp) all of these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and shameful speech from your mouth. Do not be lying to one another, since you all have stripped off the old human with its practices and you all have put on the new, the one being renewed into knowledge according to the image of the one who created him. (Colossians 3:5-12)

How They Would Hear “Put Away” (ἀπόθεσθε)

The verb literally means to take something off.

Most commonly: take off clothing, remove gear, strip off armor.

Everyday sense: “set it aside,” “remove it from yourself,” “take it off like a garment.”

Moral sense: throw away behaviors the way you throw off dirty clothes.

It is decisive: you take it off and leave it, not store it for later.

How They Would Hear “Renewed” (ἀνακαινούμενον)

The verb means to make new again or to make fresh again.

Everyday usage: repairing a building, restoring a tool, refreshing worn clothing.

It carries the idea of restoration, not replacement.

The focus is on being made new in quality, not becoming something different.

The verb form (present passive) means “being continuously made new”, not a one-time event.

ἀπόθεσθε — aorist middle imperative 2nd person plural: A command to the whole community: “you all put off/remove.”

ψεύδεσθε (μὴ ψεύδεσθε) — present middle imperative 2nd person plural: A prohibition aimed at the whole group: “you all stop lying” or “do not keep lying.”

ἀπεκδυσάμενοι — aorist middle participle nominative masculine plural: A completed past action describing the group: “you all, having stripped off.”

ἐνδυσάμενοι — aorist middle participle nominative masculine plural: Another completed act of the community: “you all, having put on.”

ἀνακαινούμενον — present passive participle accusative masculine singular: Describes the singular “new human”: “the new human is being renewed.”

κτίσαντος — aorist active participle genitive masculine singular: Refers to “the one who created,” a single creator: “of the one who created.”

In this place there is no Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free, but Christ is all and in all (the above peoples). Therefore, you all put on as chosen ones of God, holy and beloved, compassion from deep within, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience. (Colossians 3:5-12)

(We are going to unpack this a bit more next week)

ἐνδύσασθε — aorist middle imperative 2nd person plural: A group command: “you all put on” (these virtues).

How They Would Hear “Chosen Ones” (ἐκλεκτοί)

The term means picked out, selected, singled out.

Most common everyday usage: selecting soldiers, picking messengers, choosing trusted workers.

It implies approval and value: the ones chosen are the ones deemed worthy or suitable.

Not a mystical or philosophical idea. It is a practical selection word.

It usually carries the sense: “these are the people you rely on,” “these are the dependable ones.”

LAST WEEK…

Seeking what is above does not ignore things;

It reorders things under Christ’s dominion.

LEADS TO:

One-sentence everyday paraphrase

Put to death, Put off, Put on…

“You are the people God picked out for service because He considers you fit for the task.”

There is no Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free

Means that:

Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free…

Are the people of God, the ones ‘chosen for a service’

It does not mean chosen like ‘you and not you’

If you are going to carry the banner of Christ, of God the Father, of Yahweh of the Jews

Then you carry the burden of raising the banner high

You are not allowed to carry (bear) the Name of God in an unworthy manner

Awakening - Part 2