ledge of the truth," and ' thanksgiving' (ver. 3, 6), are presently after commended. The medical use of cautery is for the pur pose of curing ; here, therefore, a different use is denoted, it is for the purpose of branding men as infamous. Those who are a-jroKardxpiroi, condemned of themselves, are here intended, Tit. iii. 11 ; those who are infamous of themselves in their own con science, which is branded with spots (scars) of deceit ; having a conscience not good and pure, because they have cast it from them, but ^s/x/a^s^v, polluted. For so, in Tit. i. 15, those seared as with a hot iron here, are described by the expression, their conscience is defiled; just as liars (-^sudoXoyoi) here, are de scribed by the words there, their mind is defiled. Kavrqp, a branding iron, denotes the same thing, in a bad sense, as tppayis, a seal, in a good sense, 2 Tim. ii. 19 ; although Macarius uses both words in a good sense, concerning the flock of Christ, Homil. xii. § 13. Plato, in Gorgias, speaks of "the soul marked with stripes (dia^^affri'/u^s^v) and covered with scars (o&Xuv ftearriv), in consequence of perjury and iniquity, which every man's own conduct has deeply impressed (egw/^Jaro) upon his soul." Claudian says, " Why do you foolishly deny what is manifest? lo ! branded spots disfigure the breast."1 — r^v /Wav, their own) while, however, they urge others.
3. KuXvovruv yaftelv, d'irs^sffdai (Bpupdruv, forbidding to marry — to abstain from meats) The hypocritical appearance of false doctrines, very austere and plausible, which gains a show for all the rest of their dogmas (giving colour to them in the eyes of the dupes), is here expressed : comp. Col. ii. 23. Explain the sense by analysis thus, commanding, not to marry, to abstain from meats. KwXuw is the same as / command, that not, not to. To marry and to abstain are construed with commanding ; the ne gative belongs only to the expression, to marry. Pricaeus has pointed out examples of this Zeugma, of which examples that of Chrysostom corresponds most nearly to the present instance : Tat/rot \tyu, ou xqdeuziv xwXuwv, aXXri [Atra, ffv/j,fj,erpi(x,$ TOIITO wasti/, " I mention these things, not forbidding you to take care, but desiring you to do this only in due measure." Paul refutes the more specious error respecting meats. He considers it enough 1 " Quid demens manifesta negas? En pectus inustte Deformant maculae."