Concupiscence Defined (Part I)
There are 3 instances of this word, all in Paul’s Epistles. Let’s look at the references.
5. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
6. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
7. What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
8. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
Romans 7:5-8 KJV
1. If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
5. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
6.For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
7.In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
Colossians 3:1-7 KJV
3. For this is the will of God, even your sanctificationm that ye should abstain from fornication:
4.That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
5.Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:
6.That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.
7.For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-7 KJV
So, let’s look at each of these passages separately then combine them and see what the King James Bible’s built-in dictionary shows us about this word.
5. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
6. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
7. What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
8. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
Romans 7:5-8 KJV
Look at verse 8. How sin able to wrought “all manner of concupiscence”? By the commandment. What commandment? The answer is in verse 7: “except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.”
What was the result of the law commanding “Thou shalt not covet?” The world was taught the meaning of lust, as Paul readily acknowledges. So if the world was taught the meaning of lust, that must be what sin wrought in Paul.
Therefore, concupiscence is synonymous with or is a form of lust.
Let’s make a note of that and move to the next passage.
1. If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
5. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
6. For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
7. In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
Colossians 3:1-7 KJV
Here I think the answer lies solely in verse 4. Notice how there are word pairs of the different descriptions? I’ll pair them by color to make it easier to see.
5. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
There is a 1-word pair (fornication and uncleanness), a 2-word pair (inordinate affection and evil concupiscence) and then a 1-word pair again (covetousness and idolatry).
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