“Heresies” as a “work” of the flesh in Galatians 5

In Galatians 5:17-23, "heresies" are one of the works of the flesh--something we do, not something we believe. These works are opposed by the fruit of the Spirit.

The next use of hairesis in the Epistles—again in the plural—is in the great parade of horribles, the nonexclusive listing of examples of “the works of the flesh” in Galatians 5:

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,[i]dolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies (haireseis), [e]nvyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:19-21 (KJV) (emphasis added).

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions (haireseis),envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:19-21 (NASB) (emphasis added).

            It is notable that everything included in this list is a “work,” a “deed,” something the flesh within us lusts to do—verses 16 and 17 in the same chapter even say as much: “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want” (italics added).  By contrast, if we live by the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit is not a list of things we do, but a list of qualities we start to manifest, a list of things we become—love, joy, peace, patience, and the rest.  Galatians 5:22.  So, whatever “strife,” “seditions” and “heresies” are in the KJV list of the works of the flesh, they are things people do, not things people believe.  In fact, the whole portion of this list of fleshly works, starting with “variance” and ending with “heresies,” (or from “enmities” to “factions” in the NASB list)  describes the process in which the community as a whole breaks into separate, hostile groups—it starts with an emphasis on differences (“variances”) joined with an insistence that some are better than others because of these differences, and progresses through anger and  attacks on each other into attacks on the larger community (“seditions”) and progresses finally into the formation of separate, hostile groups (“heresies”/”factions”).  And it is, unfortunately, true that, even in the church, people following their own lusts will break into hostile factions (haireseis), sometimes over very trivial things.  It is this tendency to form or join factions that is the “work” to which haireseis in Galatians 5 refers.  It is not having an unorthodox belief.

NEXT: The “Heretick” in Titus 3