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understanding"). He does not follow up his statement by specifying the separate
members, as hands, feet, eyes, but by the evil things which these members do: "I see
another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind" (Rom. 7: 23).
It is a humbling thought, that in epistles of such high spiritual standing as Ephesians
and Colossians, the apostle does not refrain from warning against sins of the deepest dye.
We generally feel a slight hesitation in public reading when we come to such a list of
uncleanness as is set out in Gal. 5: 19, Eph. 5: 3-5, or Col. 3: 5; yet He Who knows
the heart of man and the power of the flesh in us all has made no mistake. We must
"deaden" or "treat as a corpse" all that belongs to the "flesh" or the "old man". Otherwise
our state will by no means correspond with our standing. Seeing that our life is hid with
Christ in God, our mind should be set on things above, to the mortifying of the members
on the earth.
It may be useful, in spite of a natural reticence, to give a few words of guidance as to
what is intended by the Holy Spirit in these forbidden acts of the old man.
Fornication.--The word so translated comes from pernao, "to sell", and so focuses
the mind on the prostitution of one of the highest of God's gifts to man.
"Uncleanness."--This word needs no explanation, yet no one can realize the horror
resident in it who has not read through the loathsome details of the Levitical law of
uncleanness, and the eighteen references to unclean spirits found in the Gospels.
"Inordinate affection."--This is the translation of pathos, a word which, when used in
a good sense outside the Scriptures, means "to suffer", but whenever it is used in the N.T.
it indicates an overbearing passion. There are but two other occurrences of the word,
viz., Rom. 1: 26 and I Thess. 4: 5, supplying contexts that settle the apostle's meaning
here.
"Evil concupiscence."--This word is seldom used outside theology, and to the average
person does not convey a very clear-cut idea. It is derived from the Latin cupere, "to
long for", and indicates intense desire. Now desire is the mainspring of action, and where
desire is dead activity ceases. The desire here reproved, however, is evil, and is a fruitful
source of trouble. The Greek word is epithumia. That the word does not in itself mean
anything evil, may be seen from such a passage as Matt. 13: 17: "Righteous men have
desired to see (See also Luke 22: 15; I Tim. 3: 1; Phil. 1: 23). On the other hand such
passages as Matt. 5: 28 and Rom. 7: 7 show how easily desire can become sinful. It
is this that is in view in Col. 3:
"Covetousness."--This is the translation of pleonexia, a word which literally means,
"to have a fullness". Here we are at the extreme antipodes of the truth of Col. 2: 9, 10,
for there the believer "has a fullness" in Christ Himself. To "have a fullness" outside of
Christ is nothing less than spiritual idolatry, which is the word the apostle uses both here
in Col. 3: and in Eph. 5: 5.