"DESIRES" IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

The Greek word hedonon is where we get our English word “hedonism,” meaning the pursuit of pleasure. It only appears in three passages in the NT (all by different authors) and has been rendered as: cravings (NRSV), desires (AB, JB, NIV), passions (RSV, Phillips), bodily desires (NEB), lusts (KJV, The Message), pleasures (NASB), desires for pleasure (TEV), and evil desires (Living Bible).

There is a definite negative connotation to the term in each of these passages.

Beyreuther provides a brief summary of how the meaning of the word changed with time: “Hedone is from the same root as hedys, sweet, pleasant, pleasing. Originally it meant something pleasant to the taste, and then pleasant generally...It occurs in an extended sense as feelings of pleasure, enjoyment (already in Homer in the form hedos). Finally, just as with epithymia, it came to mean desire for pleasure...In Hellenism a distinction was made between higher and lower hedonai, between those of the mind and soul and those of the body. Then the concept was confined to ethically bad elements...The growing pessimism of the late classical period caused the concept to mean man's involvement in his material surroundings, which held down the soul trying to mount up to God. It was considered that the one who let himself be ruled by hedone had missed the purpose of life.”

Luke 8:14

This verse is part of Jesus' explanation of his parable of the soils. It regards “what fell among the thorns, they are whose who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.” Note the company that “the pleasures of life” keeps: care and riches. These are three factors that hinter human beings from reaching their intended goal here on earth and forever in eternity – fullness of life lived in fellowship with God and in accord with His plan.

A close comparison of Luke's explanation with those in the parallel verses in Mark and Matthew reveals that Matthew has entirely left out Mark's difficult phrase literally rendered “and the about other things desires (epithymiai)” (Mark 4:19) while Luke has substituted “the pleasures (hedonon) of life” instead. See below for the close correspondence between those two Greek terms.

Marshall's judgment is that “Brown's view that Luke has altered Mark's meaning by substituting a word referring to external events (feasting and drinking...) for one referring to inward passions is over-subtle.”

Titus 3:3

“For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by men and hating one another.” In writing this letter of advice, Paul actually includes himself with the ignorant gentiles who behaved in this way. As Nute says, “The description is general and Paul does not hold himself aloof from it. In listing seven vices he shows man at his worst...But man's depravity proves no obstacle to God...The consequence, as Paul exultantly declares it, was that he saved us.”

“F. Buchsel notes that hedone and epithymia ['desire'] are closely related and offers as an explanation for that here that 'when epithymia is satisfied we have hedone, and when hedone is sought we have epithumia.'” (Knight)

James 4:1-3 utilizes this word twice, and this passage can be seen to take the form of exalted prose (i.e. writings falling somewhere between poetry and prose).

    1. (a) Wars and (b) fightings among (c) you

        2. pleasures that battle within you

            3. you desire

                4. and have not

            3'. you murder and are jealous

                4'. and cannot obtain

    1'. (c) You (b) fight and (a) war

                4''. you do not have

                    5. because you do not ask

                    5'. when you ask

                4'''. you do not receive

                    5''. you ask with wrong motives

        2'. to indulge your pleasures

Note the reversals of word order going from 1 to 1' and from 2 to 2'. Also compare this passage with Titus 3:3, both of which associate the pursuit of pleasure with hatred of others with whom we are either (a) competing in the battle for the same pleasurable prize or (b) who already possess what we want.

There is one point in this passage which requires some additional explanation, namely, the statement that pleasures “war in your members (or 'within you').”

Tasker points out, “He does not say specifically, as Peter says of lusts (I Pet. ii. 11), that they 'war against the soul', though that is implied...nor does James say that these pleasures are at war with each other...What he asserts is that the human personality has, as it were, been invaded by an alien army which is always campaigning within it. The verb strateuomenon implies that these pleasures are permanently on active service; and the expression in your members means that there is no part of the human frame which does not afford them a battleground.”

And Adamson adds that “there is no reference here to doctrinal disputes, political or literal warfare between rival religious Jewish factions in Samaria and Galilee...These battles arise from the lusts within your body which fight against righteousness.”

And then, concerning members and body, Scott feels that this is “not so much in their physical connotation as in their function of giving expression to the personality.” From this, Adamson concludes, “James traced all sin neither to pleasure nor desire, but ultimately to the core of disordered personality.”

II Peter 2:13

This verse appears in the middle of an extended diatribe against those who purposely rebel against God, the angels, and all of God's commands in their overwhelming pursuit of earthly pleasures, which they carry out openly, even at gatherings of the church congregations, while despising any sort of authority over them, earthly or heavenly. The result of their activities is that they are rightly cursed and destined to be destroyed eternally.

One lesson can be learned from this passage in addition to it being is the strongest warning in the whole Bible to wrongdoers as to the eternal consequences of their actions. That is the fact that these people not only destroy themselves in the process, but also lead others astray with them.

The whole of II Peter 2:10-16 finds its close parallel in the scorching accusations found in Jude 8-12, except that the word hedonon is not found in this latter passage.

As a possible background to this usage of hedonon, Neyrey explains: “In the popular discussions of morality in the ancient world we read of a tradition of four cardinal vices: pleasure (hedone), desire (epithymia), fear (phobia), and grief (lype)...'Pleasure' is said to bring rivalry, boastfulness, and thirst for honor in the soul as well as gluttony and gormandizing in the body...As one of the four cardinal vices, 'pleasure' is a 'passion' (pathos), which the Stoic Zeno defined as an 'irrational [alogos] and unnatural movement of the soul.'”

“We must beware of confounding hedone with the desire for true joy (chara) which is never rejected by the NT. Joy is satisfied rather by communion with God, often even in the midst of suffering and persecution. If G. Stahlin is correct in seeing the contrast to 2 Pet 2:13...in Jas. 1:2 'Count it all joy (charan)...when you meet various trials', then it is clear how paradoxically the Christian's longing for joy finds its fulfillment and goal.” (Beyreuther)

I am reminded of C.S. Lewis' famous formulation – “Aim at Heaven and you will get the Earth thrown it; aim at Earth and you will get neither.”