Ephesians 4:19

Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

Who {G3748} being past feeling {G524} have given {G3860} themselves {G1438} over {G3860} unto lasciviousness {G766}, to {G1519} work {G2039} all {G3956} uncleanness {G167} with {G1722} greediness {G4124}.

They have lost all feeling, so they have abandoned themselves to sensuality, practicing any kind of impurity and always greedy for more.

Having lost all sense of shame, they have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity, with a craving for more.

who being past feeling gave themselves up to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

Ephesians 4:19 describes the moral degradation of those who have rejected God's truth, highlighting a progression from spiritual insensitivity to rampant sin. Paul uses this verse as a stark contrast to the transformed life in Christ that believers are called to live.

Context

This verse is part of Paul's exhortation in Ephesians 4, where he urges believers to "walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called" (Ephesians 4:1). After discussing the unity of the Spirit and the diverse gifts within the church, he pivots to a powerful contrast between the Gentile way of life, characterized by spiritual darkness and moral decay, and the new life found in Christ. Verses Ephesians 4:17 and Ephesians 4:18 set the stage, describing a mind "darkened" and "alienated from the life of God" due to ignorance and hardness of heart. Verse 19 then elaborates on the practical outcome of such a state.

Key Themes

  • Spiritual Insensitivity: The phrase "being past feeling" (Greek: apalgeo) describes a state where one has become so hardened by sin that they no longer feel shame, guilt, or the conviction of their conscience. It's a spiritual numbness, a despairing apathy towards moral boundaries, often leading to a further downward spiral.
  • Moral Abandonment: "Have given themselves over unto lasciviousness" speaks of a deliberate surrender to unbridled lust and sensuality. Lasciviousness (Greek: aselgeia) implies open, shameless indecency, a blatant disregard for societal or moral norms. This is not merely falling into sin, but actively choosing to indulge in it without restraint.
  • Pervasive Uncleanness: "To work all uncleanness" indicates that this moral abandonment leads to a comprehensive practice of impurity. Uncleanness (Greek: akatharsia) refers to moral defilement and impurity in various forms, suggesting a life where sin is not an occasional lapse but an active, ongoing pursuit.
  • Driven by Greediness: The powerful concluding phrase "with greediness" (Greek: pleonektia) reveals the underlying motivation. This isn't just about pleasure, but an insatiable desire for more—more gratification, more indulgence, more possessions, more power. This covetousness often serves as a driving force behind other sins, as seen in Colossians 3:5 where covetousness is equated with idolatry.

Linguistic Insights

The Greek word for "past feeling," apalgeo (ἀπαλγέω), literally means to cease to feel pain, to become callous, or to despair. It vividly portrays a condition where the conscience has been seared, losing its ability to register moral distress or conviction. This spiritual deadening allows for the free reign of sinful desires. The term "lasciviousness," aselgeia (ἀσέλγεια), signifies an unbridled, shameless sensuality that is often public and defiant. It is a key characteristic of the "works of the flesh" mentioned by Paul in Galatians 5:19. The coupling of "uncleanness" (akatharsia) with "greediness" (pleonektia) underscores that these immoral acts are not accidental but pursued with an insatiable, grasping desire for more, reflecting a deep-seated spiritual emptiness.

Practical Application

Ephesians 4:19 serves as a sober warning for believers today. It highlights the dangers of allowing spiritual apathy to creep into one's life, which can lead to a hardening of the heart and a diminished sensitivity to sin. We are called to be vigilant, to cultivate a tender conscience, and to continually put off the "old man" with his corrupt practices, and instead "put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:22, Ephesians 4:24). This verse reminds us that true freedom is not found in indulging every desire, but in living a life transformed by Christ, marked by purity, self-control, and love, rather than the destructive path of insatiable desire and moral decay.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • 1 Timothy 4:2

    Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

  • Colossians 3:5

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

  • Romans 1:24

    Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

  • Romans 1:26

    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:

  • Jude 1:11

    Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

  • Revelation 18:3

    For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

  • 2 Peter 2:12

    But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

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