Having become callous (524) (apalgeo from apó = denoting privation + algéo = to feel pain) means to become apathetic, to cease to feel pain or grief or to be insensitive to pain. It is used metaphorically here meaning to be insensitive to honor or shame. It means to lose the ability to feel shame or embarrassment. To be so accustomed to something undesirable that one is not bothered by the implications of what one is doing. This is the word from which the English. "analgesic" is derived which is that which takes away pain. Note that once again Paul uses the perfect tense (past completed action with ongoing effect) to describe the permanence of their condition. Vincent writes that apalgeo... means to cease from feeling pain. Hence to be apathetic. (Ephesians 4) Expositors Greek Testament says that apalgeo expresses the condition, not of despair merely, but of moral insensibility, ‘the deadness that supervenes when the heart has ceased to be sensible to the stimuli of the conscience’ (Ellicott). (Ephesians 4:19-20 Commentary) In his first epistle to Timothy, Paul paints a parallel picture of those who have fallen from the faith (not lost their salvation - they were never saved in the first place) and paid attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons (1Ti 4:1) and who... by means of the hypocrisy of liars (speak lies disguised as truth, pretending to be religious, wrong doctrinally and so wrong morally - believing and behaving always travel the same road) seared in their own conscience ( scarred to the point where they can carry on their hypocritical lies with no compunctions because their consciences have been destroyed) as with a branding iron (branded with a hot iron - gives us English cauterize or sear tissues with heat) (1Ti 4:2) The pagan, godless, God hating (Ro 1:30-note) Gentiles are past feeling, an accurate expression of the idea inherent in apalgeo. They can no longer respond to moral stimuli. Their consciences are so atrophied that sin registers no stab of pain. The lack of moral feeling and discernment means that they in turn manifest an inability to exercise proper restraint in moral and ethical matters. What Paul is saying is that they don’t experience pain any more. Beloved, our physical bodies are in great danger when we don’t experience physical pain. You might think, "I don’t want pain". Sure pain is an uncomfortable sensation but it serves a vital function, as it warns the body that something is wrong. Pain causes us to experience caution. Picture, the tragic state of a leper who has lost the sensation of touch and pain in his hands. And because the leper cannot feel, he can burn himself producing great damage. How tragic to keep hurting himself, because he doesn’t feel pain any longer. That's what the unregenerate sinner does to himself or herself. And it is a tragic state, producing damage far greater than the physical damage inflicted by the leper. Paul says don't go back to your spiritually "leprous" state! Now ponder these "attributes" of the unregenerate pagans for a moment. Is it any wonder that it very difficult to speak with them about the Truth about God and the Bible! But remember that this picture describes not just "them" but it was "us" before we were saved by grace through faith. We should never forget what God has saved us from. We need to continually remember where we came from, so that we maintain a high view of His miracle working gift of salvation transferring us from the kingdom of darkness to light (Acts 26:18 where "domain" = Satan's right to rule over us! Col 1:13-note = where "domain" ='s the right and might of the darkness to control us! 1Pe 2:9-note). Remembering from where God has rescued us, should keep us grateful and foster loving obedience (Jn 14:15, 21, 23), and even that obedience (Php 2:12-note) only possible by His grace and Spirit (Php 2:13-note, Ro 8:13-note). I think that is one aspect of what Jesus meant when He said "Do this in remembrance of me" (1Co 11:24, 25). The Lord's Supper can be a profitable time to ponder what it cost God to redeem us from the guttermost to the uttermost! John reminds us that we as believers have been rescued from futile thinking and darkened understanding, writing... And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding (dianoia), in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life (1Jn 5:20) J Vernon McGee writes that the Gentile's... continuance in this state of moral ineptitude brings them down to the level where they have no feeling of wrongdoing. There are a lot of folk like that today. They are apathetic. The resultant condition is to plunge further into immorality and lasciviousness. This vicious cycle leads to a desire to go even deeper into sin. If you paint the town red tonight, you have to have a bigger bucket and a bigger brush for tomorrow night. The meaning here is to covet the very depths of immorality. Men in sin are never satisfied with sin. They become abandoned to sin. This is what it means in chapter 1 of Romans that God gave them up to all uncleanness through their own lusts. You can reach the place, my friend, where you are an abandoned sinner. (McGee, J V: Thru the Bible Commentary: Thomas Nelson) W. C. Wright explains Moule translates it: “having got over the pain.” How expressive! When conscience is at first denied, there is a twinge of pain; there is a protest that can be heard. But if the voice is silenced, presently the voice becomes less clear and clamant; the protest is smothered; the twinge is less acute, until at last it is possible to “get over the pain.” (Ephesians) HAVE GIVEN THEMSELVES OVER TO SENSUALITY FOR THE PRACTICE OF EVERY KIND OF IMPURITY WITH GREEDINESS: heautous paredokan (3SPAI) te aselgeia eis ergasian akatharsias pases en pleonexia: (Eph 4:17; Romans 1:24, 25, 26; 1Peter 4:3) (Job 15:16; Isaiah 56:11; 2Pe 2:12, 13, 14,22; Jude 1:11; Rev 17:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 18:3) Note how the downward spiral culminates in an abominable description of their warped, despicable behavior. Given themselves over to sensuality - When they became spiritually callous, their hearts were insensitive to pain and to God, and being "past feeling", those sins governed by sensuality become easy choices to make. And so they delivered themselves over to the power and passing pleasure of lasciviousness which is always a poor choice. See the verses below from Romans 1 which describe God's giving them over to the power of their fallen nature! "Copy and paste the address below into your web browser in order to go to the original page which will allow you to access live links related to the material on this page - these links include Scriptures (which can be read in context), Scripture pop-ups on mouse over, and a variety of related resources such as Bible dictionary articles, commentaries, sermon notes and theological journal articles related to the topic under discussion." http://www.preceptaustin.org/ephesians_417-19.htm#callous