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Abandoned to Evil, No. 2
RO10-01© Berean Memorial Church of Irving, Texas, Inc. (1975)
Please open your Bibles to Romans 1. We are studying the effects of the condition of God abandoning a human being to the consequences of his negative
volition. We have indicated that the mind of a human being, having rejected what comes into the learning side (the perceptive side) results in a
darkness in the directive side, so that the madness actually descends upon that person, and all of the decisions that he makes, and all the
opinions that he expresses, are the experience of a fool (the Bible says), and of a madman. This can be true of anybody, no matter what his human IQ
is. Usually the smarter you are, the harder it is for you to have an enlightened mentality, because you have great confidence in your human thinking.
Lesbianism
These consequences involve descending into vile, corrupt practices. They are motivated by this blackened mentality so that there is no spiritual
understanding to guide. This corruption expresses itself as a worship of the elements of creation rather than the Creator. This corruption expresses
itself in the form of dishonoring of one's own physical body. We looked at the scriptural specifics in reference to this concerning, first of all,
the dishonoring of the female body through the practice of lesbianism. The Scripture that we looked at was verse 26, which said, "For this cause, God
gave them up unto to vile affections, for even the women ..." And you remember that the Greek says, "Their females," because it is stressing their
lack of true womanhood, and stressing the sexual factor which is involved in their perversion: "Their females did exchange their natural use (that is,
the natural sexual relationships of a woman) for that which is against nature – that which is against God's divine order.
Homosexuality
Verse 27 picks up the horrible picture relative to the male side. We begin with the declaration: "And likewise, also the men." The word "and" is the
Greek word "te," which is a connecting particle which indicates to us a close connection between verses 26 and 27. That's why it's put in there –
to show that the women were terrible in this respect. They were unbelievably so. But immediately, Paul says, "I want to make it very clear that there
is a close connection between what the women were doing and the men, and they were equally bad. It indicates that men who have been abandoned by God
were involved in the same kind of sexual perversion as the females were:
"And likewise:" The word "likewise" is the Greek word "homoios," which means "in like manner." The men were doing the same kind of thing that the
women were doing: "And likewise (or in like manner), also the men." Here again, you do not have the normal word for "men." The word here in the Greek
is "arsen," because it is the word for "male." Here again, the Holy Spirit stresses the fact that this is not an "aner," which is the normal word
for "man" – man in his splendid manhood, because we are not dealing with human beings who have manhood. They have no manliness. And furthermore,
it wants to use the word "male" in order to stress the sexual aspect of the perversion that's involved here. The consequences of the darkened minds
of these people, because of their rejection of doctrine, is expressed specifically in that which is specifically male in the way of sex.
So, the language here, again, in comparison to the female, verse 26 uses the word "male:" "And likewise also the males, leaving the natural use of
the female." "Leaving is the Greek word "aphiemi," which means "to forsake." They forsook (they abandoned) normal male sex. Aorist is the tense here,
which indicates that they did this at the point where their minds became darkened. They departed from heterosexual practices. The active voice
indicates that they deliberately chose to do this. I cannot stress that enough to you – that homosexuality is a problem of the soul as
lesbianism is. It is not something you're born with. It is something you elect to do. It is something you choose to do. It is a participle, indicating
that here is a principle. Here, in particular, it is expressing the circumstances of this particular version.
This is an aorist participle, which indicates that it's the action that comes before the main part of the sentence. The action here is "leaving." The
main part of the sentence is "burning" (a sexual passion). First, they left their normal male function in sex, and then they descended into the
perversion of that function. Likewise, also, the males, abandoning the natural (which means 'according to nature') use (the heterosexual pattern of
male sex) of the female (again stressing sex structure of the female), burned." The word "burned" is "ekkaio." "Ekkaio" refers to physical passions.
It means "inflamed with a sexual drive." One man is inflamed toward another. They burn in their lust, one toward another.
This is not the kind of burning that you read about in 1 Corinthians 7:9. There it is another kind of sexual passion on the part of a man. But in
1 Corinthians 7:9, it's a commendable kind of passion because that is the desire of the right man for his right woman. That's a different Greek word.
That's the Greek word "puroo." And that kind of burning is legitimate. But the burning of "ekkaio" is a degrading, debased, immoral, corrupt kind of
attitude and desire. This is in the aorist tense. It's at the point in the past when they began this abrupt switch in desires. It is passive in voice,
indicating that these poor characters, having developed and accepted a darkened mind, were unable to defend themselves from this sort of thing. They
were abandoned by God, and now they were carried away by what they had created for themselves.
Burning in their Lust
What they had created was described here as: "Burning in their lust (in the spirit of) a longing appetite." This is the general word for evil of all
kinds (referenced here as sexual evil): "They burned toward one another." The Greek word is the word "allelon." That means "mutually" or
"reciprocally." These males we're looking to each other for a mutual, reciprocal relationship. And then it spells it out: "Men with men." Again, it
uses the words "male with male," and the "with" is actually the little Greek word "en." Here it means "by means of:" "Men, by means of men." It
identifies the specific sexual perversion after forsaking God's heterosexual order – that men, by means of men, were accomplishing this
particular perversion:
Indecent
"Men, by means of men, working." The Greek word is "katergazomai." This means "to achieve." This is a very descriptive word. A male with another male,
achieving, under these circumstances, something here. And it is middle voice: "Achieving for themselves" (toward each other). They are achieving
something constantly, which the Bible says, "Is unseemly." And the word unseemly here means "indecent." It's the word "aschemosune." This is the word
to describe a shameful sexual practice – one with absolutely no redeeming values.
This is the cover word for obscenities and for pornography in the world of entertainment of one kind and another. It is justified on the fact that it
has socially redeeming values. The Word of God says that this kind of unseemly conduct (indecent conduct) never has redeeming social values. You would
have to take that out of some liberal court, such as we have in this country, to pass down a wording like that – that there is a perversion;
there is an obscenity; and, there is an indecency that can ever have redeeming social values – that somehow, someplace along the line, this sort
of practice can be of benefit to people.
Well, God is not mocked. "Whatsoever man sows, that shall he also reap." The result is that the Bible tells us that these men, working male with male,
achieving that which is indecent, then receiving." The word "receiving" is the Greek word "apolambano." This little preposition "apo" means "back,"
and "lambano" means "received." So, what we have here is "receiving back" or "receiving in return for." They received in return for this conduct, that
they smugly thought they were getting away with, something from God that was horrendous in itself. They receive an effect upon their own physical
bodies. It said, "They received this in themselves." This was that recompense, or that reward (that which was a return). It connotes here a
retribution of their error (their "plane"), and the word "plane" means delusion. That's a good word. Their error here is called their delusion (their
perversion).
A Fitting Retribution
They received a reward which was fitting. The word "fitting" here is the Greek word "dei," which means "necessary." It was necessary, or we would say,
"It was inevitable." They received within themselves the results of their perverted actions. We won't go into what happens to a homosexual physically
in the process of this perversion. The results are of a variety of kinds, and they are by divine judgment, and they don't concern us at this moment.
The thing that this passage is pointing out is that once a person has said "No" to God; has said, "No" to doctrine; or, has ignored the Word of God,
so that he never has doctrine, then that mind goes dark. And when that mind goes dark, it's the kind of a mind that sucks in all kinds of evil and
perversions and misconceptions. And eventually, it expresses itself in a physical way – here, in one of the most degraded ways.
So, let's put it all together. Verses 26 and 27 say this: "On account of this (exchanging the truth of divine viewpoint for the lie of human
viewpoint, the God handed them over to dishonorable sex passions; for even their females exchanged their natural pattern in sex for that which is
contrary to the natural functioning of female sex." Verse 27: "And in like manner also, the males, having forsaken the natural function of sex with
the females, burned in the sphere of sexual desire toward each other; males by means of males, achieving that which is indecent, and receiving back
in return within themselves the retribution of their perversion, which was a necessity by the divine laws of morality."
God's Abandonment
Now, beginning at verse 28, the apostle Paul then turns to the subject of God's abandonment – being abandoned by God. Verses 28-30 spell out
how terrible this is, and where a person goes. Now, I know, as we look at these things, you may be inclined to say, "Not I; other people, yes.
Debased people, yes. But not I." So, I preface all this by reminding you that everything we read in these verses comes only from one place. It comes
from within the human soul out of the old sin nature. Therefore, this is in you today. This is in every one of us today. All we have to do, in order
to start letting some of these things, in one way or another, surface within us, is for us to have resistance to instruction in the Word of God,
and resistance to God's viewpoint, because when you resist God's truth, there's only one other thing you can do, and that is to have accepted the
lie. That's exactly what Paul says these people did. They exchanged God's truth for a lie. And the result was a darkening of the mind. And out of that
darkened mind, the old sin nature was able to bring up the things that we'll be looking at.
God will Abandon you
So, starting at verse 28: "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge." First of all, notice that these people abandon God. The
word "and" is the Greek word "kai," which is another little connecting word. It shows that it's connecting what the heathen did with what God did.
What you're going to find here is that these people abandoned God. The day came when God said, "All right, I will abandon you." You have this little
world connecting those two factors which are going to be shown to us in this verse – that you go ahead and abandon God, and there will come a
time when He will abandon you. While you may know that in theory, if you ever experience that in practice, you will know what a pitiful condition
this is.
Approve
"Just as" is the Greek word "kathos." "Kathos" goes back to verse 21. In verse 21, we have described for us how all this began with these people,
because: "When they knew God (when they had divine viewpoint and enlightenment), they glorified Him not as God; neither were thankful. But they
became empty in their own perceptive minds, and their stupid directive minds (consequently) were darkened." That verse explains what has happened.
This way "just as" refers back to verse 21 – "Just as these people did not like." The world "like" is the Greek word "dokimazo." Here's what
this tells us. "Dokimazo" is a word that's used to describe a test for something with a view to approving it. It is like sometimes somebody gives you
a piece of cake, and you taste it because it looks beautiful, and it smells delicious. And you are going to sample it by taste in order to confirm
that it is really a great piece of cake. That would be described as "dokimazo." You are testing it in order to approve what you believe is there
– in order to prove this thing.
It is used for establishing the value of metal. In the ancient days, they would simply trade with one another, not with metal coins, but with ingots
of gold and silver. They would weigh these things, and they would test these things, in order to ascertain that it was pure gold or pure silver. What
they were doing was "dokimazo" the thing.
Now, the heathen, with their revelation that they had received from creation about God, had received some divine viewpoint information, and here's
what they did. They took their reason, and they looked at this information that had come to them concerning God, and they decided to test this
information against what they believed God should be like, and against their specifications concerning God. And when they did this, the heathen, by
and large, concluded that they could not approve the God who was revealed to them through creation. Their reason dismissed this God. They went
negative toward the revelation. And after they got through with their "dokimazo" test, they concluded that this God was not to their liking. So,
they refused to worship him.
Consequently, they did not consider the information that they had received about this God through creation as having any merit. It wasn't worth
something that they should remember. They had a high opinion of themselves and, consequently, a low opinion of God. Any time a human being has a high
opinion of himself, he will always inevitably have a low opinion of God. This word "dokimazo" is in the aorist tense, which means the point in the
past when they took this information from creation, and matched God up to it, and said, "That's not satisfactory. We cannot accept you as God." It is
active voice. This was personal volition. It is indicative – a statement of fact.
They Disapproved of God
It adds the word: "that they did not like to approve." It uses the Greek word "ou," which is that strong negative. So, we may translate this portion
this way: "And just as, after putting God, revealed to them through creation, to the test, for the purpose of approving Him, should He meet their
specifications of their reason, and finding that He did not, they disapproved."
What did they disapprove? "Even as they did not like to retain." This is the Greek word "echo." "Echo" means "to keep." They did not choose to
remember the information they had about God. Consequently, they dismissed Him from "their knowledge." They did not retain God in their knowledge.
Here we have our old word "epignosis." This word in the Greek means full, complete, useful, accurate knowledge. It is the knowledge that we as
believers hear with our minds. We hear doctrine. We hear God's information. In addition to our minds, we also have our emotions and our will. Then
we have a human spirit. That is why we are spiritually alive. When we go positive to the information of doctrine in the mind, God the Holy Spirit
stores that in our human spirit. And this becomes a great storage basin. God teaches our spirit. From here, we have direction given to our mentality.
That is why the mind of a Christian is a bright and enlightened place, because he has doctrine flowing automatically up to his mind. He has principles
for living automatically going to guide him in all of his life situations. From there, the mind tells the emotions what to do. It governs our
feelings. It tells our wills what to do. Here is a mind which is acting like a husband who is carrying his responsibility with his wife: guiding;
making decisions; and, exercising the authority that God has placed upon him. So, the mind is placed in a position of authority, but it cannot
exercise that authority in an enlightened way toward emotions and will unless the Word of God is up there.
Now, what we have down in the human spirit is "epignosis." Up in the mind, it's just "gnosis" knowledge. It's just something you learn. You will
learn some things in this session. You will hear some things explained. God the Holy Spirit, if you are in a status of spirituality, having confessed
all known sins, will enable you to understand that. Now you may believe it, or you may disbelieve it. As of this point, you just have it up in a
storage area; in a considering area, so to speak. But you may say, "That I believe. Amen to that." Then God the Holy Spirit moves it down into the
human spirit, and that comes up to the mind as enlightenment.
What these people had was an opportunity to bring enlightenment to their minds. God brought the enlightenment of creation. They said, "No" to it.
They rejected it, and kicked it out. They immediately created a vacuum condition, and into the learning side of their mind flowed all of this vile
doctrine of demons; human viewpoint; and, everything that was wrong and false. This was transferred over here to the decision-making side of the mind,
and darkness flooded that part of the mind.
Now, what these people could have had here was "epignosis" guidance. Instead, the Bible says, "They rejected that." Creation gave them a knowledge of
God. They looked at that, and they said, "Now let me see. I'm a smart and reasonable man. As I look upon the information that comes to me from
creation concerning this God, I cannot accept it. I cannot bow to an authority such as I see reflected to me in creation. Therefore, they reject the
full knowledge of that God could have come to them. And that's what it means when it says, "And even (just as)." They did not approve of retaining
God in their understanding. They went negative toward this knowledge, and the deliberate denying of that information about God resulted in darkness.
When that mind is darkened in this way, then the mind is a helpless, wishy-washy victim. Then the emotions can go off in any direction, and the mind
feebly tries to control the emotions but cannot. The world goes off in its own pointless direction, and the mind tries to make decisions and control
it, but it cannot, because the mind has been enfeebled. This is the condition of the unenlightened heathen, as well as the unenlightened believer.
Now, what does God do when this condition of darkness develops in the mind? When the mind is in this condition, now a very terrible thing happens,
for they have abandoned God. God comes to the point where He abandons them. It's just like sometimes you have a youngster at home that keeps bugging
you to do something, and you say, "No, you can't do it." And he says, "Why can't I? I got this costume. It's a Superman costume. I've watched him on
television. He gets on top of a building, and he goes zooming out through the street. I want to get on top of the house and zoom across the lawn."
And you say, "No, you can't do that. You can't do that in your Superman costume." And he keeps bugging you, and he wants to do it. And finally, you
say, "All right, go ahead and jump off the top of the house in your stupid Superman costume." So, he jumps off the house and breaks his leg, and you
come by and say, "Now, do you believe me?"
You may think nobody would be dumb enough to do that, don't you. But the people who make Superman costumes don't think that nobody would be dumb
enough not to do it, because I noticed on my old Superman costume that it said right there: "Not designed for flying." That's what it said. It's not
designed for flying: "Warning: you can't fly in this costume." You can ask my number three son, because he had a costume like that, and that's exactly
what it said in order to make it clear to parents who were going to be bugged by their kids not to give in to them.
However, when you become so dark and backwards in your thinking, finally the time comes when God does exactly that. He says, "All right, do you want
to fly in your Superman costume? Go ahead and fly. See where it will get you. If you have to learn by destroying yourself, and by wounding yourself,
then learn that way, since you will not learned by the enlightenment which I have given you.
God gave them over to a Reprobate Mind
So Paul says, "God gave them over to a reprobate mind." It is the God again (God the Father). The word "gave over" is one that we have had
several times: "paradidomi." "Paradidomi" means "to hand over." God just hands over. This is aorist tense – in the past when they rejected
that full knowledge that they could have had. Then God hands them over to their delusion. This is active. It is God's choice.
Now, we have had this word three times in Romans 1. Have you noticed? "Paradidomi" has cropped up three times in Romans 1 to describe God handing
people over. You have it first in verse 24, where we are told that God handed the heathen over to corruption as a way of life. Because of their
negative quality and the darkness they brought upon their minds, God abandoned them to live a life of corruption. We've looked at some of the
expression of that corruption already. In verse 26, the word appears again. This time it spells out that God allowed them, and handed them over to
dishonor their physical bodies. Now we have it a third time in verse 28. God, again, handed these people over.
A Reprobate Mind
This time it says that God hands them over to a reprobate mind. And the world is "adokimos." "Adokimos" means "not standing the test." You noticed,
perhaps, that there is a relationship between "dokimazo" and "adokimos." That's exactly what you have, and you have a play on words in the Greek
language. If you were reading this is the Greek, you would notice that the writer, the apostle Paul, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, was
making a play upon the words here. It means that, as God did not stand the test of their reason, so they will not stand the test of God's reason
against them. The word means "not standing the test." Again, it is primarily used of testing metals for their values.
It did not Stand the Test
What is it that did not stand the test? It was their minds. The Greek world is "nous." The Greek means "their understanding." What this is speaking
about is this learning side of the mind. This is where understanding takes place. The other side in the Greek is called generally the "kardia." That
is the "heart." That is the place out of which the Bible tells us we make decisions. Consequently, if it is darkened, we make evil decisions.
So, here the minds have now been rejected by God, and disapproved by God. It signifies, in other words, a mind that God could not approve. They have
learning (understanding) that God cannot approve. Why? Because when they were negative, they created a vacuum in the learning side of the mind. They
sucked in all this falsehood; all this evil; all this human viewpoint; and, all this misconception. This place is a garbage pile. Everything these
people understand; everything they think; and, everything they know is rejected, and cannot be approved under the judgment of God's standards. The
perceptive mind refused to go positive to the information about God from creation. They refused to keep that information. They refused to convert it
over to the other side as full knowledge (as "epignosis").
Consequently, the perceptive mind is filled with false spiritual information. This false information cannot meet God's test of what a mind should be.
God has a standard of what our thinking should be. That's what this passage is saying. Whether you be a heathen or a believer, you better be
concerned for your thinking for your mind, because God has a standard which is related directly to your blessing. If you think you have some problems
in your life, it is in large measure because your mind is not approved by God. You have things in your thinking (in your understanding) that God
condemns. You have things that are transferred over to the action side of your mind that are darkness, and which violate the kind of a mind that God
approves. If God does not approve your thinking, then God will bless your decisions; your actions; and, your feelings. This is a play on words between
"adokimos" and "dokimazo." Both of them mean "disapprove." The heathen disapprove of God as He was revealed to them; so, God disapproved of them. He
disapproved of their mind. As the heathen reject God's thinking, so God rejects their thinking, and He leads them to stumble through life in their
darkness, as Romans 1:21 tells us.
A Person Becomes an Animal
So, what does He do? "He abandons them to do ..." This is the Greek word "poieo." It explains now to us what it is that God is handing these people
over to – the inevitable consequences of the mind that God disapproves. It is present (constant). It is active. It is infinitude, which
indicates this is God's purpose: "He abandoned them to do those things which are not seemly," and the word "seemly" means "fitting" or "proper" or
"becoming." He abandoned them to do things that were unbecoming. When the mind is abandoned by God, it does things which are not befitting of any
human being. In other words, a person becomes an animal.
Now here are the marks of a human being who has descended to an animal level. I hope you understand that I did not make this up. I did not choose
this passage of Scripture because I knew you were going to be in church today. Therefore, don't take it personally, because sooner or later in this
list, something is going to strike a familiar chord and you're going to think I'm speaking to you. If anybody is speaking to you, it is God the Holy
Spirit, and I trust that you will accept it accordingly. Here, in verses 29-32, we have the results of a disapproved mind.
Verse 29: "Being filled with all unrighteousness." "Being filled" is the Greek word "pleroo." It refers to the heathen back in verse 28 – these
who did not like to retain God in their minds. The word "pleroo" means "to fill up a deficiency." These people have a deficiency because they have
abandoned God. They have an emptiness in their minds, and it is going to be filled up. And the things that it is going to be filled up with are these
things that are now to be described.
This feeling is passive, which means that you cannot keep from being filled with these kinds of things, and from these things being expressed in your
life, because these are already in your old sin nature. Thus, if you have set up the condition of a darkened mind by abandoning God, which you do
through rejecting the Word of God, then these things will be true of you.
Sins of the Mind
These sins are the sins of the mind that God disapproves.
Unrighteousness
First of all is unrighteousness. Unrighteousness is "adikia." This is the general terms for wrongdoing. It's the kind of wrong that you do from one
person to another. This is all unrighteousness – all wrongdoing before people. This is the oppression of one person against another. George
Orwell in his book 1984 says that if you want to have a picture of the future, just imagine a boot grinding forever into a human face. Imagine
a boot stomping on a human face forever. That's a picture of the future in his book which envisions a totalitarian world. That's the kind of
unrighteousness that this word describes – one person abusing another.
Fornication
The word fornication, which is next in line, is not in the Greek text. It is, of course, a sin which is disapproved and condemned elsewhere in
Scriptures.
Wickedness
Next is wickedness. This is the Greek word "poneria." "Poneria" stresses the bad effects caused by evil. This word stresses the pain and the sorrow
that comes from evil. We may describe it as a pernicious evil. The word pernicious means "destructive in character." This is an evil which is a
malignant thing in itself. There is a quality of evil that crops up within us.
Covetousness
Next is covetousness. This is the Greek word "pleonexia." Covetousness is the desire to have more though you don't need more, or though you don't
have a noble purpose for having more. One of the favorite covers for covetousness is to say, "Oh if I just had more money, I would do so many
wonderful things for people. I would help the missionaries, and I would buy more tapes for the tape ministry." These people think that they're going
to con God into saying, Oh, would you do that? Well, then I'll give you money." It is their way of seeking to gain more than they need, or than they
may noble desire for. It expresses a frantic search for happiness. It includes also the idea of taking advantage of some simpleton.
Maliciousness
Next is maliciousness. The Greek word is "kakia." This is badness in quality or character rather than badness in the effects it produces, as
wickedness was. This is an innate depravity or malice.
Envy
Next is "full of envy." "Full" means "full measure." "Envy" is the Greek word "phthonos." What is envy? Envy is the feeling of displeasure which is
produced by witnessing or hearing of the advantage or prosperity of others. When something goes well for somebody else, you rise up with a spirit of
greed and ill feeling. That's envy. It is not being able to be happy in the face of somebody else's prospering and commendation.
Murder
Murder is next. This is homicide. This is illegal killing of a human being. This is the normal act of the mind abandoned by God. Have you ever heard
somebody say, "Oh, I'd like to kill you?" Have you ever said that? In the moment that those words passed your lips, you are reflecting a facet
of the darkened mentality: "I'd like to kill you." Murder is one of the prime qualities of the old sin nature. Satan was a murderer from the
beginning, and he is constantly motivating people to it.
The newspapers this week carried the article about a 19-year-old who was looking over a house with an elderly mother. The house belonged to her son,
and in the process of examining the house, he killed her. He murdered her. He choked her, and when she pushed his hands off her throat, he pulled a
knife; stabbed her in the side; cut her throat; and, took her life. His trial has come up. His explanation was, "The demons made me do it. I don't
know why I did it for." Well, the reason he did it is because deep within his soul lies the potential expression of murder. And because the mind was
darkened toward God, that individual was in the position of abandonment by God – abandonment to the full consequences and expression of that
sin nature. And something triggered within him that murderous quality that caused the death of an innocent person.
Strife
Next is strife. This is the Greek word "eris." "Eris" means contention and wrangling – snarling conversation. That's what this describes. Does
that ever pose a problem for you – snarling conversation? That's the wrangling. That's "eris."
Deceit
Next is deceit ("dolos"). The word "dolos" means "guile." It's a word which is used in the Greek to describe the bait in a trap. It was to trap a
person into something. It was an act of luring someone by deception into some loss or injury. There is within the human soul the desire to lure
people into traps,
Malignity
Next is malignity. This is "kakoetheia." This means "an evil disposition." The "kakoetheia" person is the one who puts an evil interpretation on
everything somebody says – an evil construction on everything somebody says. That is because he has a "kakoetheia" attitude. You want to put an
evil interpretation on everything that you hear. That's a reflection of a mind that God has abandoned to the normal expressions of its darkness. It's
a disposition to cause mischief.
Whisperers
Next is whisperers ("psithuristes"). This is a word that sounds like what it means. It is a whisperer. This is somebody who is a secret slanderer. It
is not somebody who stands openly, but somebody who secretly comes up (and here's the picture here) and drops something into your thinking. It is
usually under a pious pose, but it does injury to somebody else. The Bible strongly condemns gossip even if it's true. It is not your right to invade
another person's privacy with dealing with it.
Backbiter
Next is backbiter ("katalalos"). This is one who speaks ill against others in open slander. This is one who's a detractor. It is the opposite of a
whisperer.
Haters of God
Then those haters of God ("theotuges"). This can be either "haters of God" or "hated by God." Here, it is probably "haters of God."
Insolent
Next is insolent ("hubristes"). It connotes a person who has a quality of violence, and a violence which is triggered by an arrogance. He views
himself as better than other people. Therefore, he is an insulting type.
Proud
Next is proud. The Greek word is "huperephanos". It describes an arrogant attitude – parading self with a haughty air, or esteeming your own
merit above that of other people.
Boasters
Well, the list goes on, to boasters ("alazon"). An "alazon" is a quack or an impostor. This is somebody who has verbal pride, and he expresses it
with an arrogance.
Inventors of Evil
Next is inventors of evil ("epheuretes"). This is one who devises things that are inherently evil. This is a person who devises new ways of
expressing evil.
Disobedient to Parents
Next is disobedient to parents ("apeithes"). It means unwilling to be persuaded – spurning your parents, for those who beget children. This is
an obstinate rejection of parental authority.
We have several more, and we want to look at those in a little more detail next time.
Dr. John E. Danish, 1975
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