and they, having become callous, have given themselves up to indecent behavior for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.
Parallel translations
- WEB who having become callous gave themselves up to lust, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
- KJV Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
- BSB 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.
- NKJV who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
- NLT They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Hardened consciences lead to unrestrained indulgence in impurity. When people silence conscience, sin grows greedy and unchecked.
Overview
Paul completes his description of pagan life: callousness toward God produces moral abandonment, giving oneself over to lust and every uncleanness 'with greediness.' The progression shows sin's downward pull when conscience is suppressed. This dark backdrop sets up the bright contrast of the new self created in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Rom 1:24–26Therefore God also gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves,
- Col 3:5Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, depraved passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry;
- 1 Tim 4:2through the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron;
- Jude 1:11Woe to them! For they went in the way of Cain, and ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in Korah’s rebellion.
- 2 Pet 2:12–14But these, as unreasoning creatures, born natural animals to be taken and destroyed, speaking evil in matters about which they are ignorant, will in their destroying surely be destroyed,
- 1 Pet 4:3For we have spent enough of our past time doing the desire of the Gentiles, and having walked in lewdness, lusts, drunken binges, orgies, carousings, and abominable idolatries.
- Rev 18:3For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality, the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from the abundance of her luxury.”
- 2 Pet 2:22But it has happened to them according to the true proverb, “The dog turns to his own vomit again,” and “the sow that has washed to wallowing in the mire.”
- Isa 56:11Yes, the dogs are greedy. They can never have enough. They are shepherds who can’t understand. They have all turned to their own way, each one to his gain, from every quarter.
- Eph 4:17This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind,
- Job 15:16how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks iniquity like water!
- Rev 17:1–6One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here. I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who sits on many waters,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Every spiritual blessing is 'in Christ,' the head over all things for the church, in whom Jew and Gentile are made one new man by his blood.
How Ephesians 4:19 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.