αὐθάδεις, δόξας oF τρέµουσιν βλασφημοῦντες.
> fee ‘ , ” > ἰσχύὶ καὶ δυνάµει μείζονες ὄντες οὐ
is used in the abstract sense of the Lord- ship of Christ in Didache iv. 1. Honour him who speaks the word of God, ὡς κύριον, ὅθεν yap 4 κυριότης λαλεῖται, ἐκεῖ κύριός ἐστιν.
As is suggested by this passage in the Didache, we may conclude that by κυριότητος καταφρονοῦντας is meant a despising ofthe Lordship of Christ, which was the central theme of the apostolic teaching and preaching. The writer in ver. 10b, goes on to speak of their attitude towards δόξας, or ‘‘angelic beings”. Cf. Jude 8, xvptornta δὲ ἀθετοῦσιν, δόξας δὲ βλασφημοῖσιν. It is true that in Col. i. 16, κυριότητες form one of the ranks of angels in the false Gnostic teaching, but there is no indication that the Libertines here spoken of taught any elaborate angelology. On the contrary, they spokelightly of the Unseen Powers generally. Their teaching seems to have been materialistic in tone. They were ὡς Goya ζῷα γεγεννηµένα hvorka (ver. 12)—creatures of natural instinct, not employing the higher powers of reason (ἄλογα).
Vv. 10b-14 Further description of the False Teachers. “' Presumptuous and ar- rogant, they do not shrink from irreverent speech about the unseen powers, while even angels, who are far superior to these false teachers in greatness and might, do not dare to bring against these powers an irreverent accusation. Their irreverence is therefore of an ignorant type, as of un- reasoning animals, who are born creatures of instinct, and are fitted only for capture and destruction. Their destruction will be in keeping, and they will be defrauded of what is really the wages of fraud. Their notion of pleasure is to spend the day in delicate living. They are spots and blemishes, luxuriating in their pleasures, while they feast with you. Their eyes are full of adultery, and they are insatiable in sin, alluring unstable souls. With hearts experienced in covetousness, they are children of the curse.”
Ver. τοῦ. τολμηταὶ αὐθάδεις. avd. is to be taken as an epithet of τολμηταὶ. The idea in roAp. is of shameless and irreverent daring. αὐθάδεις (αὐτὸς and ἥδομαι) = “ self-willed,’’“‘arrogant”. In 1 Tim. i. 7, the ἐπίσκοπος must not be αὐθάδης, where the thought seems to be of irresponsibility in regard to the com- munity. Cf. Didache iii. 6, μὴ γίνου