Galatians 5:20

Idolatry,.... Which some understand of covetousness, which is so called; but rather it means the worshipping of other gods, or of graven images: witchcraft; any real or pretended league and

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Confirming Galatians 5:18 by the contrariety between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit.

Idolatry; either the worshipping of the creature for God, or the worshipping of God in and by the creature, as by images, &c. Witchcraft; the product of compacts with the devil; by virtue of which, the persons so contracting are assisted by the power of evil spirits to produce effects beside the ordinary course and order of nature, and for the most part mischievous to others. And not these gross crimes only are the fruits of the flesh, but also abiding hatred of our brethren in our hearts, enmities to others, as the word signifieth. The result of which are, variance; men’ s quarrellings and contendings one with another for little or no cause: emulations; people’ s endeavouring to hinder others of such good things as they see them desirous of: wrath; heats and immoderate passions of men one against another: strife; a continual readiness and proneness to quarrelling: seditions; dividing into parties, which in the state is called sedition, in the church, schism: heresies; that is, differing and false opinions in the grand doctrine of religion.

20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Ver. 20. Idolatry] This is fitly set after those fleshly sins, as commonly accompanied with them, 1 Corinthians 10:7-8. Sir Walter Raleigh knew what he said, that were he to choose a religion for licentious liberty and lasciviousness, he would choose the Popish religion.

(20) Idolatry.—When the Christian is warned against idolatry, it is not, of course, systematic idolatry that is meant, but that occasional compliance with idolatrous customs—taking part in the idol feasts, or eating of things offered to idols—which he might easily be led into by his intercourse with his heathen neighbours. Witchcraft.—Sorcery, or magic. It would seem that practices of this kind were especially common in Asia Minor. In Acts 19:19 we read that at Ephesus, “many of them which used curious arts brought their books together and burned them before all men;” and there is other evidence to the same effect. Variance.—Strife, or contention.Emulations.—Singular and plural are somewhat strangely mixed throughout the list. There is a division of authorities as to the reading in the case of this word. It seems probable, upon the whole, that the singular is right—emulation, or jealousy. “Wrath,” on the other hand, should be wraths—i.e., ebullitions or outbreaks of wrath. (See the Note on Romans 2:8.) Strife.—This appears to be a mistake in the Authorised version. The word was supposed to be connected with that translated “variance” above, and the two words received the same translation indifferently. The word ereis, which is here translated “variance,” is rendered by “strife” in Romans 13:13, 1 Corinthians 3:3, Philippians 1:15, 1 Timothy 6:4; on the other hand, the word eritheia is rendered by “strife” here and in 2 Corinthians 12:20, Philippians 2:3, James 3:14-16. It is rendered by “contention” in Romans 2:8 (“them that are contentious”) and Philippians 1:16. The true derivation of this latter word is, however, something quite different: it is to be sought in a word meaning “a day-labourer.” Hence we get the senses—(1) labour for hire; (2) interested canvassing for office; (3) a spirit of factious partisanship; factiousness. (This word, too, is really in the plural.) Seditions, heresies.—Rather, divisions, parties. The Authorised version has too special and technical a sound, as if the first related to factions in the State, and the second in the Church. This is not really so. The two words are distinguished from each other, as the lighter and more aggravated forms of division: the first. divisions; the second, divisions organised into parties.

Verse 20. Idolatry] Worshipping of idols; frequenting idol festivals; all the rites of Bacchus, Venus, Priapus, c., which were common among the Gentiles. Witchcraft] φαρμακεια, from φαρμακον, a drug or poison because in all spells and enchantments, whether true or false, drugs were employed. As a drug, φαρμακον, might either be the means of removing an evil, or inflicting one, etymologists have derived it from φερονακος, bringing ease, or φεροναχος, bringing pain. So spells and incantations were used sometimes for the restoration of the health; at others, for the destruction of an enemy. Sometimes, these φαρμακα were used to procure love; at other times, to produce hatred. Hatred] εχθραι. Aversions and antipathies, when opposed to brotherly love and kindness. Variance] ερεις. Contentions, where the principle of hatred proceeds to open acts; hence contests, altercations, lawsuits, and disputes in general. Emulations] ζηλοι. Envies or emulations; that is strife to excel at the expense of another; lowering others to set up one's self; unholy zeal, fervently adopting a bad cause, or supporting a good one by cruel means. Inquisitions, pretending to support true religion by torturing and burning alive those who both profess and practise it. Wrath] θυμοι. Turbulent passions, disturbing the harmony of the mind, and producing domestic and civil broils and disquietudes. Strife] επιθειαι. Disputations, janglings, logomachics, or strife about words. Seditions] διχοστασιαι. Divisions into separate factions; parties, whether in the Church or state. Heresies] αιρεσεις. Factions; parties in the Church separating from communion with each other, and setting up altar against altar. The word, which is harmless in itself, is here used in a bad sense. In stead of αιρεσεις the Slavonic has σκανδαλα, scandals, offences or stumbling-blocks.

19–23. St Paul supplies a test whereby men may ascertain whether they are under the curse of the law or heirs of the promise.First, the Apostle gives a list of the works of the flesh—not complete but comprehensive—the commission of which excludes men from the inheritance. They cannot plead the promise. It is not for such as they. They shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. Then follows, not an enumeration of the works of the Spirit, but a statement of its fruit. Vital Christianity is not a set of acts—a list of good deeds—it is a disposition of the heart—a character. If the tree is good, the fruit will be good; and by its effects ‘a lively faith may be as evidently known as a tree discerned by the fruit’, Art. XII.19 … 21. A fourfold classification of the sins here mentioned has been suggested; (1) sins of sensuality; (2) sins connected with heathenism as a religion (idolatry and sorcery); (3) violations of the law of love, in feeling and in act; (4) sins of intemperance.which are these] ‘such as, for example.’ The catalogue does not pretend to be complete.adultery] Omitted in the best MSS. Jerome, after observing that in the Latin copies ‘adulteries’ and ‘murders’ are contained in St Paul’s catalogue, adds, ‘but it should be known that only fifteen works of the flesh are specified’. It is included in the general term ‘fornication’, which here denotes all improper relations between the sexes, married or single. (Matthew 5:32.)uncleanness] Impurity generally, but with special reference to those unnnatural vices to which many heathen were addicted.lasciviousness] Rather, ‘open, shameless profligacy’.

Witchcraft - Pretending to witchcraft. The apostle does not vouch for the actual existence of witchcraft; but he says that what was known as such was a proof of the corrupt nature of man, and was one of the fruits of it.

20. Wicked supernaturalisms are two. Idolatry—Worship of fictitious deities. Witchcraft—Or sorcery, the use of spells, charms, herbs, and manipulations, to produce preternatural effects.