The Pirates Code:

Theyre more guidelines than actual rules

Colossians 3:5 8
Fairview Presbyterian Church
November 20, 2011
Christ the King
The Pirates Code and the ethical Christian life
therefore
The concept of the pirates code is a running joke through the Pirates of the
Caribbean movie series. As I often remind my family, there is movie reality and there is
real reality. Pirates had rules for how they managed their ships and divided captured
prizes, for running a man-o-war is a complex enterprise. But the idea that the pirates
code was an ethical understanding, permitting the pause of a battle at the request to
parley, is a figment of Captain Jack Sparrows imagination. This, of course, is part of
the joke. We can be sure that there were no copies of Miss Manners Guide to
Excruciatingly Correct Behavior to be found aboard the Black Pearl. ! As one
character observes, Theyre more like guidelines, then actual rules.
We have spoken before that Christianity is not a rule based faith. In our passage
today Paul is about to describe aspects of how Christians ought to live their lives, but he
is not going to give a list of rules, of dos and donts. Rather, he will provide very helpful
and specific guidelines.
We will look at his catalog of guidelines later in this message. Before we do, I
want to point out to you that we have come to a turning point in the letter to the
Colossians. In his letters, it is typical for Paul to begin his letters articulating Christian
theology and end the letters explaining Christian ethics. He talks about what we believe
and then what we do. Paul easily moves from dogma to practice, from belief to action.
One believes rightly in order to know how to do rightly. In v. 5, with the word therefore,
we encounter this turning point in the letter to the church at Colossae. Up till now, Paul
has been talking theology. From this point, he will apply it.
There is a recurring theme to how Paul speaks of Christian ethical obligations in
this letter. It is what I call the real left behind series.
The real Left Behind series
Put to death what is earthly in you:

You may be familiar with a very famous series of books known as the Left
Behind series. While the authors are certainly sincere in their Christian intent, it is my
conviction that the very premise of the book series is based upon a faulty biblical
interpretation. At the same time, the Bible does teach a left behind principle, and we
find it in these verses.

The left behind principle the Bible teaches is summed up in Pauls words to put
off and put on. In Christ is new life, therefore, leave the old behind. In Christ we are
dead to sin and now alive to God. Last week we heard Paul tell us to seek what is
above. This week we hear him call us to put to death anything in our lives which does
not honor God. Last week we heard Paul articulate what we are to pursue, this week we
hear him describe what we are to reject. Christianity is not rule based, but what we
believe leads to changed behavior. Because we seek what is above, where Christ is,
there will be corresponding changes in how we live our lives. Faith is not just
knowledge, it is not just intellectual. Right belief is expressed in right living. The basic
principle Paul teaches is that old practices are to be abandoned and new practices to be
embraced.
We see this principle of putting off and putting on reflected in the catechetical
questions from the Westminster Shorter Catechism we have been working through each
week in worship. The catechism is explaining the meaning of each of the Ten
Commandments. With each commandment, the catechism explains both what is
required, and what is prohibited. There is a putting off and putting on in the application
of the Ten Commandments to our lives. What does the commandment forbid and what
does it require? We need both. The overall message then is this: because we are in
Christ, we are new creations. We ought therefore to live like it. Be in practice, what you
are in Christ.
Let us look at some of the things Paul tells us that Christians are called to leave
behind.
Christians are called to leave behind:
7
In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.8 But now you must put them all
away:
What we find in these verses is what is known as a catalog of sin. Paul is
enumerating a list of things Christians should reject because they do not honor God.
These are behavioral imperatives for the Christian. Interestingly, the ancient pagans
would make catalogs of sins as well. Their lists were different from Pauls lists. In some
respects, we are seeing the re-paganization of the world, except the modern world has
renamed it. The old paganism is now the modern secularism. What would be some of
the elements in the modern secular catalog of sins? A secular catalog of sins would
include: cigarette smoking; water boarding; any restriction on the right to an abortion;
global warming skepticism; questioning of evolution and its opposite, embracing
creationism; and any limitation or restriction of a persons sexual expression. In the
modern world, as in the ancient pagan world, standards of sexual morality reflect the
great chasm between the Christian world view and the secular world view.
Paul begins his list of the catalog of sins naming first, sexual immorality.
Sexual immorality
sexual immorality, impurity,

The first two words Paul uses are translated fornication and impurity. The first
refers primarily to frequenting prostitutes and the second word is based upon the
Hebrew idea of making distinctions between what is clean and unclean. In this context,
it means embracing sexual irregularities more generally, giving oneself over to things
that are not permitted. In ancient Greece and Rome, much like modern America,
anything goes. The cultural belief then and now is that sexual appetites should be
gratified. What Paul says here in his letter to Colossae, he repeats in his letter to the
Thessalonians and, at much great length and exploration, in his letters to the church at
Corinth. Our understanding of the place of sexual expression in life is the great divide
between the Christian world view and that of the secular neopaganism being
popularized today.
Judaism and Christianitys gift to the world is their articulation of clear,
reasonable, God honoring standards of sexual continence. Summed up, Judaism and
Christianity teach chastity in singleness and fidelity in marriage, between one man and
one woman. Sexual expression is intended by God for marriage. First Judaism, and
then Christianity, have proclaimed this standard through six thousand years of history. I
know that what I am proclaiming is not popular or affirmed in the secular world about us.
Sexual anarchy rules in the modern world. Yet I would argue that much of what is wrong
with our world absentee fathers, trafficking, sexual abuse, divorce, cohabitation,
promiscuity, out-of-marriage pregnancies, abortion, polygamy, prostitution and
polyamory can be traced to our abandonment of these Judeo-Christian sexual
standards.
If you would like to explore these questions further, I commend to you George
Guilders book, Men and Marriage. It is a very helpful book exploring why these JudeoChristian standards are so important to maintain a stable and vibrant culture.
Next, in the catalog of things a Christian is to leave behind, Paul names passion.
Passion
passion, evil desire,
The words translated passion and evil desire also have sexual overtones.
Passion refers to being a slave to your desires, a lack of self-control in general and lack
of sexual self-control in particular. Passion is the opposite of chastity. The second word,
translated here as evil desire refers to lust. Pauls point is that those who are in Christ
are to put their sexual houses in order. Christian believers are not to be ruled by lust,
unrestrained passion or sexual appetites.
Sexual expression within marriage is like fire in the fireplace. In the fireplace a
fire brings warmth and light. But if the fire escapes the fireplace, it brings hurt and
damage. Intimate relations within marriage are good and positive, drawing husband and
wife closer, strengthening their married union: whereas intimacy outside of marriage
brings hurt and loss.

Paul begins with words that call us as Christians to reject the sexual anarchy of
the day. Next he tells us to put to death the endless desire for more.
The endless desire for more
and covetousness, which is idolatry.
The next word Paul uses is a terrible word in Greek, of which there is no exact
English equivalent. But I can illustrate it this way. Researches sought to determine how
much, is enough. How much money does a person need, in order find satisfaction and
fulfillment in life? The researches embarked upon a series of interviews of people at
various stages of life and at various income levels. They did the interviews, compiled
the data, and arrived at their conclusion. How much money is enough? Just a little bit
more.
That is what this Greek word means. It is the desire for more, the never ending
desire for more. The opposite of this is contentment. Christs people are to learn to be
content. Constant striving, unfettered ambition, always fretting about money, is not
honoring to God. Indeed, Paul calls this attitude idolatry. Paul calls it idolatry because it
involves setting our affections on earthly things and not upon what is from above. Our
desire for things and money squeezes out our desire for God.
Paul calls us to properly discipline our intimate relations. He instructs that we are
to discipline our desires for things and wealth. The next two words he uses refer to
anger. First, we are to control flash pan anger.
Flash pan anger
anger,
The word translated anger refers to a sudden blaze of anger. Imagine fire
burning among straw. It spreads rapidly. It modern American idiom we might say, I lost
my cool. This is the anger expressed when we curse somebody. This is the anger
behind an obscene gesture. This is the emotion behind domestic violence. It is the loss
of emotional self-control.
Note that the presence of such anger and meanness in ones life are indicators of
being separated from God. Folk given to anger are not being guided and directed by the
Holy Spirit. Unrestrained anger is a symptom of an unregenerate heart.
The second word Paul uses also refers to anger, but this angers expression is
more weighed and calculating. It is the pursuit of smoldering revenge.
The pursuit of smoldering revenge
wrath,

The word translated here refers to anger that is slow burning, long lasting, and
deliberately nurtured. This is the anger that leads to calculated revenge. This word
refers to keeping track of slights and offences. Lois Ann and I have a missionary friend
who lives and works in Papua New Guinea. He tells of one tribe whose homes are
made of tree branches and thatch. He describes how, upon entering a home, you may
notice some sticks that, instead of being woven into the wall as expected, jut outwardly,
into the room. The language spoken by this people includes a word that specifies these
particular sticks jutting from wall. The purpose of the stick-in-the-wall is to serve as a
reminder of an offence. If your neighbor slights you in some way, you return home and
place a stick in the wall, to remind you of the offence. And the stick remains until you
have received satisfaction.
As Christians, we are called to forgive others, as God has forgiven us. There are
to be no memory sticks of revenge stuck in the walls of one who is in Christ. We know
the grace of God in Christ, and we are to give that grace to others, especially those who
have hurt and offended us. I hear the objection, But they have done nothing to deserve
forgiveness. You are right. What have you done to deserve the grace God has lavished
upon you in Christ?
Christian people follow Gods guidance when it comes to ordering their intimate
world. Those in Christ seek to know contentment and to resist and limit anger, both
white hot and slow burning. Next, Paul tells us to put away malice.
Malice
malice,
The remaining words in the catalog of sin given by Paul in this passage address
our speech. Christians are to be people who speak kindly, whose words offer
encouragement. We put away malice. Malice refers to a viciousness of mind. Speech
shows the heart. What is inside of us comes out and is revealed in our speech. Taylor
Swift sings a catchy song called Mean, in which she sings about words like knives.
Malice refers to the deliberate use of hurtful words. Words can really hurt.
The next word Paul uses is slander.
Slander
slander,
Slander refers to what we say about others, to others. This word refers to tale
bearing, whispering, to saying things about another with the intent of damaging their
reputation. Interestingly, the word Paul uses is blaspheme, though in this context Paul is
not speaking about slandering Gods name, but rather the slander of our fellow humans.
Insulting speech directed at God is blasphemy. Insulting speech about fellow humans is
slander.

The opposite of slander is truthful speech. Christian speech is to be kind (not

malicious) and it is to be truthful (not slanderous). We put away the one, in order to
embrace the other.
The next word is foul talk.
Foul Talk
and obscene talk from your mouth.
A Christian is to put away the use of obscenities. A Christian should not speak in
a vulgar manner. There are some words that should rarely be on a Christians lips. We
are not to be coarse, scatological, or crude. Again, the words of our mouth reflects the
state of our heart. The crude words on our lips first find their existence in our heart and
mind.
The positive side of this is that we turn from obscenity and turn toward purity. The
Christian seeks to speak words that are good, true, and beautiful.
things.

Paul includes in these verses a warning, telling us that we are to put off such

Put off things such as these

6
On account of these the wrath of God is coming.
We do not like to talk about the wrath of God. And, most people do not know how
to think clearly about the wrath of God. Paul tells us that the practice of these things
i.e. the items in his catalog of sins bring Gods wrath. A mistake is made when we
think about that judgment of God as being something that is only to be experienced at
some point in the far future Judgment Day. There will be a Judgment Day, to be sure.
But Gods judgment can also be experienced in the here and now. God brings judgment
today. God sends punishment in the temporal realm in order to encourage repentance
here and now. God uses different means to impose judgment, to encourage true
repentance and turning to him in faith.
Let me lay out some of the levels of Gods judgment. The first level of Gods
judgment is the human conscience. There are those things that we know to be right and
wrong, and we violate our conscience and its guidance anyway. The result is the feeling
of guilt. The experience of the feelings of guilt is the judgment of God. Guilt is a good
thing; for it reminds that we are not the men or women we ought to be and encourages
us to turn in our needfulness to Christ. The second level of Gods judgment might be an
adverse consequence to our actions. If you cross the boundaries of sexual morality and
contract a STD, the STD is a temporal judgment upon the sexual sin. God has created
the world in a certain way. If we live outside the rules as God has established them, we
may experience an adverse consequence that is the practical expression of Gods
judgment upon our disobedience. A good rule of thumb for discerning when you are
facing this type of judgment is when you find yourself praying, God, if you get me out of

this, I promise I will never do this again! That prayer is a good indicator that we have
done something we know we should not have done. Let Gods Spirit work on you to
bring true repentance when you pray it. The third level of Gods judgment are the
governing authorities of life. God has established the authorities to punish wrong-doing.
Break the law and we may experience the formal judgment by the law: give in to your
road-rage anger and you may be given a ticket for reckless endangerment. These are
examples of temporal judgments intended by God to spark spiritual re-evaluation.
Let me quickly add two caveats to what I have just said. First, ours is a fallen
world. The examples of temporal judgment I have just listed are neither certain nor
perfect. Our conscience does not always convict us as it should. We may do something
really stupid, and we do not repent or learn from it. And, the temporal justice of the state
is far from perfect. The second caveat is to say again, life is not fair. This is the
message of the book of Job. Job has done nothing to deserve the calamity that has
come upon him. While some of the bad things that happen to us are the consequences
of our own action and sin, at the same time, sometimes bad things happen for no
discernable reason this side of heaven.
The task of turning from sin and turning to Christ is never ending in this life. We
are repeatedly called to put off the old and put on the new. A couple of years ago, I
sprayed a section of my backyard with grass and weed killer. I killed everything growing
in that section. And then I planted a meadow of wild flowers. It has been fun these last
two summers to see the wild flowers return and bloom. A couple of months ago, I was
examining the meadow, and I realized that there were many weeds growing among the
wild flowers. How did that happen? I know I killed all the weeds. I know I planted only
wild flowers. Where did those weeds come from?
We all know, this is the nature of life. The weeds come back. You never
eradicate them fully. There is an aspect of the Christian walk of faith that is perpetually
pulling the weeds, turning from the things that corrupt, and turning again, in believing
faith to Jesus Christ.
Say Amen! Somebody.

Colossians 3:5 8
5
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire,
and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these
you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away:
anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.