Dictionary Home / C

concupiscence

theological_term theological_term standard

Concupiscence is strong sinful desire, especially inward craving that pulls a person toward sin. In older Bible usage, it often refers to lust or covetous desire.

At a Glance

Concupiscence refers to sinful or disordered desire within the human heart.

Key Points

Description

Concupiscence is a theological term for strong sinful desire or inward inclination toward what God forbids. In many older English writings it refers especially to lust, but the idea can include other forms of corrupt craving, such as covetous or self-centered desire. Scripture consistently treats sinful desire as part of humanity’s fallen condition and as something believers must resist by the Spirit rather than indulge. At the same time, interpreters do not all use the term in exactly the same technical way, especially when discussing the relation between inward desire, temptation, and indwelling sin. The safest summary is that concupiscence refers to disordered desire that inclines a person toward sin.

Biblical Context

The Bible distinguishes between legitimate desire and sinful desire. Human beings can desire good things rightly, but fallen desire can become lust, greed, envy, or coveting. The New Testament describes sinful desire as arising within the heart and, when embraced, leading to sin and death. Believers are therefore called to put to death earthly passions and walk by the Spirit.

Historical Context

Concupiscence is an older Latin-based theological term that appears frequently in Christian moral theology and older English devotional and doctrinal writing. In some traditions it is used in technical discussions of original sin, the will, and the lingering effects of the fall. Because of that history, modern readers may need a brief explanation rather than assuming a fixed technical definition.

Jewish and Ancient Context

Second Temple Jewish and biblical moral teaching often speaks of the inclination of the heart, the pull of passion, and the danger of coveting what belongs to another. The concept behind concupiscence is not foreign to the Old Testament emphasis on inward desire, though the term itself is later and Latin in form.

Primary Key Texts

Secondary Key Texts

Original Language Note

From Latin concupiscentia, meaning desire or craving. In biblical studies it is often used to describe the idea behind Greek words such as epithymia, which can mean desire, lust, or coveting depending on context.

Theological Significance

Concupiscence helps explain how sin is not only outward behavior but also inward desire. It highlights the biblical teaching that the heart must be transformed, not merely external conduct restrained. The term is useful when discussing sanctification, temptation, and the need for Spirit-empowered holiness.

Philosophical Explanation

In moral terms, concupiscence is desire that has become disordered: the appetite for a good thing is detached from God's boundaries, timing, or purpose, or the person desires a bad thing altogether. It is not desire as such that is evil, but desire bent away from righteousness.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not treat concupiscence as a magic synonym for every form of desire. Scripture recognizes good and lawful desires as well. Also avoid collapsing temptation, inward impulse, consent, and committed sin into a single category. Different Christian traditions use the term with varying technical precision, especially in debates about original sin.

Major Views

Some traditions use concupiscence narrowly for the remaining disordered desires present even in believers; others use it more broadly for sinful cravings in fallen humanity. Conservative evangelical usage typically emphasizes its connection to the flesh, temptation, and the need for sanctification without making it a standalone doctrine.

Doctrinal Boundaries

Concupiscence should be distinguished from the goodness of created desire, from temptation itself, and from the act of sin. The Bible teaches that inward desire can be sinful, but it also teaches that believers, by the Spirit, can resist and increasingly mortify sinful passions. The term should not be used to deny human responsibility or to imply that all desire is inherently evil.

Practical Significance

This term helps readers identify the inward roots of sin—lust, greed, envy, and self-centered craving. It reminds believers to seek heart-level repentance, to guard the mind, and to depend on the Holy Spirit for purity and self-control.

Related Entries

See Also

Data

Machine-readable JSON for concupiscence

↑ Top