14--:ἀτϊ.
ἃ ἂν θέλητε, ταῦτα ποιῆτε. ὑπὸ νόμον.
18. εἰ δὲ πνεύματι ἄγεσθε, οὐκ ἐστὲ 19. φανερὰ δέ ἐστι τὰ ἔργα τῆς σαρκὸς, ἅτινά
ἐστι πορνεία, ἀκαθαρσία, ἀσέλγεια, 20. εἰδωλολατρεία, φαρμακεία, ἔχθραι, ἔρις, ζῆλος, θυμοὶ, ἐριθεῖαι, διχοστασίαι, αἱρέσεις, 21. φθόνοι,3 φόνοι, μέθαι, κῶμοι, καὶ τὰ ὅμοια τούτοις - ἃ προλέγω ὑμῖν, καθὼς προεῖπον, ὅτι οἱ τὰ τοιαῦτα πράσσοντες βασιλείαν Θεοῦ οὐ
Ἱερις SABD!'; ερες CD°EFGKLP. Ξζηλος BDEFGP 17; ζηλοι ΝΟΡ)ΚΙ.. 5 Insert φονοι ACDEFGKLP after φθονοι ; om. NB 17, εἴς,
ἵνα. After the coexistence of two con- flicting forces, spirit and flesh, in the heart of man has been definitely affirmed, it is here added that these are set (sc. by divine appointment) in mutual antago- nism to each other for the express purpose of due control over the human will. Both alike derive their being from the same Creator, though one belongs to the natural, the other to the spiritual, creation: both alike continue by His will to fulfil their several parts in the scheme of Christian life. It is beside the purpose of the Epistle to analyse the functions of the flesh in the economy of nature, or to affirm the absolute dependence of the human will on the spontaneous action of its desires for vital force and energy: enough that by the will of God they too form an essential element in Christian life: the Epistle deals not with their beneficial action, but with their liability to perver- sion. For their indiscriminate craving for indulgence renders them constantly liable to become ministers of sin. The mind of the flesh, if left without a check, issues in enmity to God and death (cf. Rom. viii. 6, 7). Wholesome restraint is therefore a condition essential to their healthy action. In every community this is to a certain extent provided by the discipline of education, by social order and law. But in true Christians a far more effective control is maintained by the spirit, since it is capable of combating every wrong desire within the heart before it issues in sinful action, and so by constantly checking any wrong indul- gence it gradually neutralises the power of selfish appetites, and establishes an habitual supremacy over the whole mind and will, until in the ideal Christian it brings them into perfect harmony with the mind of Christ.
Ver. 18. Law finds no just occasion against men who are led by the spirit, for they themselves check every wrong Gesire within them, and so fulfil the
whole Law. The identity of Law with justice and right is, of course, assumed.
Ver. 19. Though this verse enume- rates only evil works of the flesh, it is not thereby suggested that its action is wholly evil; for the flesh has been shown to have its appointed function from God, and to be essential to the human will. The opening ἅτινα puts the following catalogue of crimes and vices in its true light as samples, produced by way of specimen of the evil effects wrought by excessive indulgence of natural appetites without due control, and not an exhaus- tive list of the works of the flesh, as the rendering which, in our versions, rather suggests. The list begins and ends with sensual vices due to the lower animal nature; it couples idolatry with its ha- bitual ally sorcery: in specifying the various quarrels between man and man it adds two διχοστασίαι and αἱρέσεις to the corresponding list in 2 Cor. xii. 20, perhaps owing to the prevalence of religious dissensions in the Galatian churches.—acéAyeva. This term, which in classical Greek expresses insolent con- tempt for public opinion, denotes in the N.T. shameless outrages οπ public decency—a fit climax to fornication and uncleanness.
Ver. 20. ζῆλος. See note on iv. 17.— ἐριθίαι. The apparent derivation of this word from ἔριθος (a hireling) points to mercenary motives. The Apostle else- where associates it with jealousy, envy and vainglory, and contrasts it with sin- cerity, union and love. It denotes, pro- bably, selfish intrigues.—aipéoets. This term is used in the N.T. to designate any religious sect or party, é.g., the Pharisees, Sadducees, Nazarenes (as the Jews desig- nated Christians).