Lexical Summary akatharsia: Impurity, uncleanness Original Word: ἀκαθαρσία Strong's Exhaustive Concordance uncleanness. From akathartos; impurity (the quality), physically or morally -- uncleanness. see GREEK akathartos HELPS Word-studies Cognate: 167 akatharsía (from 1 /A "not" and 2513 /katharós, "clean because unmixed, pure") – ritual impurity, caused by leprosy, open infection, child birth, touching a corpse, etc. See 169 (akathartos). [This use of 167 /akatharsía occurs in the LXX (see Lev 9:6, 12:5, 13:11, etc.).] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom akathartos Definition uncleanness NASB Translation impurity (9), uncleanness (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 167: ἀκαθαρσίαἀκαθαρσία, (ας, ἡ (ἀκάθαρτος) (from Hippocrates down), uncleanness; a. physical: Matthew 23:27. b. in a moral sense, the impurity of lustful, luxurious, profligate living: Romans 1:24; Romans 6:19; 2 Corinthians 12:21; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 4:19; Ephesians 5:3; Colossians 3:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:7; used of impure motives in 1 Thessalonians 2:3. (Demosthenes, p. 553, 12.) Cf. Tittmann i., p. 150f. The term designates any state—thought, desire, word, or deed—that makes a person morally unclean before God. While Old Testament law regulated external uncleanness (Leviticus 11–15), the New Testament usage centers on inner defilement that expresses itself in outward acts. It encompasses every distortion of God-given sexuality (Romans 1:24), but also wider corruptions of heart and life. Uncleanness in the Teaching of Jesus Matthew 23:27 exposes religious pretense: “Inside are … every kind of impurity.” The Lord locates the problem not in ritual oversight but in the hidden recesses of the heart. By condemning hypocrisy, He reveals that impurity can disguise itself beneath respectable forms unless confronted by the truth of God’s Word. Paul’s Diagnosis of Fallen Humanity • Romans 1:24 presents impurity as a judicial consequence: persistent idolatry leads God to “give them over” to it. Paul therefore treats impurity as both symptom and accelerator of rebellion; left unchecked, it “creases” into ever-increasing lawlessness. Impurity Opposed to Sanctification In 1 Thessalonians 4:7 the apostle affirms, “God has not called us to impurity, but to holiness.” Sanctification is not optional refinement but the very purpose of salvation. Thus congregational life must be guarded: “our appeal does not arise from … impurity” (1 Thessalonians 2:3), and unrepentant impurity demands apostolic grief (2 Corinthians 12:21). Ethical Boundaries for the New Community Ephesians 5:3 raises the standard: “there must not be even a hint.” Colossians 3:5 places impurity in the same breath with idolatry. These texts reveal that purity is both personal and corporate; what a believer tolerates privately will eventually influence the body of Christ. Leaders therefore teach and model purity to preserve gospel witness. Pastoral Care and Church Discipline Impurity wounds relationships, dulls spiritual perception, and invites divine discipline. Pastors follow the apostolic pattern by: 1. Warning against sources of impurity (media, relationships, false teaching). This ministry safeguards the weak and upholds the holiness of God among His people. Historical Background First-century Jews recognized ritual impurity, yet Greco-Roman culture often celebrated sexual excess. New Testament writers insist that Gentile converts abandon prevailing mores. The church’s radical purity distinguished it from pagan temples where sexual rites were common. By calling impurity sin, Scripture confronts every culture in every age. The Promise of Cleansing Where impurity once reigned, Christ now “gave Himself up … to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word” (Ephesians 5:25-26). The gospel offers not mere restraint but renewal, enabling believers to “present [their] members … to righteousness leading to sanctification” (Romans 6:19). Contemporary Application • Guard the heart: impurity begins internally; regular Scripture intake and prayer strengthen resistance. Hope of Final Purity The struggle persists in a fallen world, yet believers anticipate the day when Christ “will transform our lowly bodies” (Philippians 3:21). Until then, the call remains: “Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:3). Englishman's Concordance Matthew 23:27 N-GFSGRK: καὶ πάσης ἀκαθαρσίας NAS: bones and all uncleanness. KJV: and of all uncleanness. INT: and of all uncleaness Romans 1:24 N-AFS Romans 6:19 N-DFS 2 Corinthians 12:21 N-DFS Galatians 5:19 N-NFS Ephesians 4:19 N-GFS Ephesians 5:3 N-NFS Colossians 3:5 N-AFS 1 Thessalonians 2:3 N-GFS 1 Thessalonians 4:7 N-DFS Strong's Greek 167 |
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