Ver. 5. Partially parallel to Eph. v. 3-5δ.--νεκρώσατε οὖν. “Put to death, therefore” (cf. Rom. viii. 13). The aorist implies a single decisive act. Perhaps vex. is chosen as a weaker word than θανατόω (Cremer, Haupt), implying the cessation of functions during life. οὖν is interesting. It seems strange that the assertions in the previous verses, of their death and resurrection with Christ and hidden life with Him in God, should be followed by the exhortation to put their members to death. Clearly these asser- tions are idealistic. The death and resur- rection potentially theirs are to be realised in the putting to death of their members, --τὰ μέλη τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. The mem-
538
Ill.
ς Only bere θυμίαν κακήν, καὶ τὴν πλεονεξίαν ἥτις ἐστὶν " εἰδωλολατρία, 6. δι᾿
and
Cor. x. 14; 1 Pet. iv. 3 in class. or Bib. Gk.
ὅτε ἐζῆτε ἐν τούτοις.
v.20;1 ἃ ἔρχεται ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ, 7. ἐν οἷς καὶ ὑμεῖς περιεπατήσατέ ποτε 8. νυνὶ δὲ ἀπόθεσθε καὶ ὑμεῖς τὰ πάντα, ὀργήν, θυμόν, κακίαν, βλασφημίαν, αἰσχρολογίαν ἐκ τοῦ στόματος
*So T., Tr., W.H., R.V. mg., Ws. with B, Sah., Eth. [Rom.], and probably
archetype of ἢ. επι τοὺς νιονς της απειθειας : added by all other MSS. all other authorities. Added from Eph. v. 6.
bers are referred to in so far as they are the instruments of the σάρξ, and are in- cluded in the “things on the earth,” with which the Christian has no more concern (ver. 2). Lightfoot places a stop at γῆς, and regards reat πτ' κ.τ.λ. as governed by ἀπόθεσθε (νετ. 8). He thinks Paul intended to make these accu- satives directly dependent on ἀπ., but, owing to the intervening clauses, changed the form of the sentence. It is true that the apposition of μέλη and the list of sins that follows is strange, but not so strange as to make this very forced construction ngage ns We should have expected
π. atthe beginning of the sentence.— καὶ τὴν πλεονεξίαν : “and covetousness,” not “impurity”. It comes fitly here, for gold provided the means for indulging these lustful passions. For the noun with the article at the end of a series without it, see Winer-Moulton,® p. 145.— ἥτις ἐστὶν εἰδωλολατρία: “inasmuch as it is idolatry”. ἥτις refers simply to πλ., not to the whole series of vices enumer- ated, nor to μέλη, by attraction for ἅτινα. The lust for wealth sets riches in the place of God (cf. Matt. vi. 24).
Ver. 6. Parallel to Eph. v. 6, from which ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῆς ἀπειθείας has been added in most MSS. The sentence is abrupt without them, and ver. 7 is more easily explained if they are retained (as by Mey., ΚΙ., Ol.), yet their omission in B, combined with their presence in the parallel Eph. v. 6, is too strong to admit of their retention. The verse may refer to a general principle which acts in human life, or the reference may be eschatological. The latter seems to be more in accordance with Paul’s usage. ὀργὴ is here the outward manifestation of the anger which God even now feels at sin.
Ver. 7. ἐν ols: in which vices. If τ. νἱοὺς τ. ἀπ. be retained, the probable translation is “in whom”, Lightfoot thinks in any case the reference to the vices is to be preferred, the chief reason being that Paul could not blame his readers for living among the Gentiles.
and almost
But, as Meyer points out, περιεπ. implies participation in conduct.—kal ὑμεῖς: you as well as those who still practise these vices. — περιεπατήσατέ: a Hebraistic metaphor expressing moral conduct.— ἐζῆτε ἐν τούτοις: “ye were living in them,” #.e.,in these vices. The reference is to their pre-Christian state, in which sin was the atmosphere of their lives. The change of tense should be noticed. Ver. 8. Vv. 8-ro are largely parallel to Eph. iv. 22-24, 25, 31.---ψνυνὶ δὲ: “ but now,” emphatic contrast to ποτε, now that you have passed from that life of sinful conduct, see that you strip your- selves of these νίςεβ.---ἀπόθεσθε καὶ ὑμεῖς τὰ πάντα: “ do ye also put away all of them ".—«. ὑμ.: obviously not you as well as the Ephesians (Holtzm.), but you as well as other Christians. It is not clear whether τὰ π. refers exclusively to the preceding sins, to which then . κ.τ.λ. forms a loose apposition, or whether it includes the latter also. It seems less harsh to give the injunction a forward as well as a backward reference. vy ν: usually the former is regarded as ΡΝ anger, of which the intter is the sudden and passionate outburst. Cremer, however, followed by Haupt, regards ϐ. as the inner emotion, of which dp. is the external expression. ὀρ. is certainly used of the external manifestation of wrath in ver. 6.--κακίαν: “ malignity,” the feeling which prompts a man to injure his neigh- Ὀουτ.---Αλασφημίαν : as the other sins are against men, so this, “slander” not