Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, lust, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is the service of idols.

“For it is not one thing which dies and another which is quickened, as neither is it one thing which is lost and another which is found, but the Lord came seeking for that same sheep which had been lost. What was it, then, which was dead? Undoubtedly it was the substance of the flesh; the same, too, which had lost the breath of life, and had become breathless and dead. This same, therefore, was what the Lord came to quicken, that as in Adam we do all die, as being of an animal nature, in Christ we may all live, as being spiritual, not laying aside God's handiwork, but the lusts of the flesh, and receiving the Holy Spirit; as the apostle says in the Epistle to the Colossians: "Mortify, therefore, your members which are upon the earth." And what these are he himself explains: "Fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence; and covetousness, which is idolatry." The laying aside of these is what the apostle preaches; and he declares that those who do such things, as being merely flesh and blood, cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven. For their soul, tending towards what is worse, and descending to earthly lusts, has become a partaker in the same designation which belongs to these [lusts, viz., "earthly"], which, when the apostle commands us to lay aside, he says in the same Epistle, "Cast ye off the old man with his deeds." But when he said this, he does not remove away the ancient formation [of man]; for in that case it would be incumbent on us to rid ourselves of its company by committing suicide.”

“Fornication in a woman is in the raising of the eyes. "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, and concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: for which things' sake cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience," cries the apostle. But we enkindle the passions, and are not ashamed.”

“If we think over the rest of faults, tracing them from their generations, let us begin with covetousness, "a root of all evils," wherewith, indeed, some having been ensnared, "have suffered shipwreck about faith." Albeit covetousness is by the same apostle called idolatry. In the next place proceeding to mendacity, the minister of covetousness (of false swearing I am silent, since even swearing is not lawful )-is trade adapted for a servant of God? But, covetousness apart, what is the motive for acquiring? When the motive for acquiring ceases, there will be no necessity for trading.”

“Neither let the new heretics flatter themselves in this, that they say that they do not communicate with idolaters; although among them there are both adulterers and fraudulent persons, who are held guilty of the crime of idolatry, according to the saying of the apostle: "For know this with understanding, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, whose guilt is that of idolatry, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." And again: "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; putting off fornication, uncleanness, and evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which are the service of idols: for which things' sake cometh the wrath of God." For as our bodies are members of Christ, and we are each a temple of God, whosoever violates the temple of God by adultery, violates God; and he who, in committing sins, does the will of the devil, serves demons and idols. For evil deeds do not come from the Holy Spirit, but from the prompting of the adversary, and lusts born of the unclean spirit constrain men to act against God and to obey the devil. Thus it happens that if they say that one is polluted by another's sin, and if they con tend, by their own asseveration, that the idolatry of the delinquent passes over to one who is not guilty according to their own word; they cannot be excused from the crime of idolatry, since from the apostolic proof it is evident that the adulterers and defrauders with whom they communicate are idolaters. But with us, according to our faith and the given rule of divine preaching, agrees the principle of truth, that every one is himself held fast in his own sin; nor can one become guilty for another, since the Lord forewarns us, saying, "The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him." And again: "The fathers shall not die for the children, and the children shall not die for the fathers. Every one shall die in his own sin." Reading and observing this, we certainly think that no one is to be restrained from the fruit of satisfaction, and the hope of peace, since we know, according to the faith of the divine Scriptures, God Himself being their author, and exhorting in them, both that sinners are brought back to repentance, and that pardon and mercy are not denied to penitents.”

“But the saints, and they who truly practise virtue, "mortify their members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, passions, evil concupiscence;" and, as the result of this, are pure and without spot, confiding in the promise of our Saviour, who said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." These, having become dead to the world, and renounced the merchandise of the world, gain an honourable death; for, "precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." They are also able, preserving the Apostolic likeness, to say, "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." For that is the true life, which a man lives in Christ; for although they are dead to the world, yet they dwell as it were in heaven, minding those things which are above, as he who was a lover of such a habitation said, "While we walk on earth, our dwelling is in heaven."”

“"Mortify therefore your members," he saith, "which are upon the earth." What sayest thou? Was it not thou that saidst, "Ye are buried; ye are buried together with Him; ye are circumcised: we have put off the body of the sins of the flesh"; how then again sayest thou, "Mortify"? Art thou sporting? Dost thou thus discourse, as though those things were in us? There is no contradiction; but like as if one, who has clean scoured a statue that was filthy, or rather who has recast it, and displayed it bright afresh, should say that the rust was eaten off and destroyed, and yet should again recommend diligence in clearing away the rust, he doth not contradict himself, for it is not that rust which he scoured off that he recommends should be cleared away, but that which grew afterwards; so it is not that former putting to death he speaks of, nor those fornications, but those which do afterwards grow. He said that this is not our life, but another, that which is in heaven. Tell me now. When he said, Mortify your members that are upon the earth, is then the earth also accused? or does he speak of the things upon the earth as themselves sins? "Fornication, uncleanness," he saith. He has passed over the actions which it is not becoming even to mention, and by "uncleanness" has expressed all together. "Passion," he said, "evil desire." Lo! he has expressed the whole in the class. For envy, anger, sorrow, all are "evil desire." "And covetousness," he saith, "which is idolatry." But why did he begin his list with fornication? For having said, "Mortify your members which are upon the earth," he immediately says, "fornication"; and so he does almost everywhere. Because this passion hath the greatest sway. For even when writing his Epistle to the Thessalonians he did the same. And what wonder? since to Timothy even he saith, "Keep thyself pure"; and again elsewhere, "Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification," without which "no man shall see the Lord." "Put to death," he says, "your members." Ye know of what sort that is which is dead, namely, hated, loathed, dropping to decay. If thou put anything to death, it doth not when dead continue dead, but presently is corrupted, like the body. Extinguish then the heat; and nothing that is dead will continue. He shows one having the same thing in hand, which Christ wrought in the Laver; therefore also he calleth them "members," as though introducing some champion, thus advancing his discourse to greater emphasis. And he well said, "Which are upon the earth," for here they continue, and here they are corrupted, far rather than these our members. So that not so truly is the body of the earth, as sin is earthly, for the former indeed appears even beautiful at times, but those members never. And those members lust after all things that are upon the earth. If the eye be such, it seeth not the things in the heavens; if the ear, if the hand, if thou mention any other member whatsoever. The eye seeth bodies, and beauties, and riches; these are the things of earth, with these it is delighted: the ear with soft strains, and harp, and pipe, and filthy talking; these are things which are concerned with earth. When therefore he has placed his hearers above, near the throne, he then says, "Mortify your members which are upon the earth." For it is not possible to stand above with these members; for there is nothing there for them to work upon. And this clay is worse than that, for that clay indeed becometh gold, "for this corruptible," he saith, "must put on incorruption," but this clay can never be retempered more. So that these members are rather "upon the earth" than those. Therefore he said not, "of the earth," but, "which are upon the earth," for it is possible that these should not be upon the earth. For it is necessary that these should be "upon the earth," but that those should, is not necessary. For when the ear hears nothing of what is here uttered, but only in the heavens, when the eye sees nothing of what is here, but only what is above, it is not "upon the earth"; when the mouth speaketh nothing of the things here, it is not "upon the earth"; when the hand doeth no evil thing-these are not of things "upon the earth," but of those in the heavens. So Christ also saith, "If thy right eye causeth thee to stumble," that is, if thou lookest unchastely, "cut it out," that is, thine evil thought. And he (Paul) seems to me to speak of "fornication, uncleanness, passion, desire" as the same, namely fornication: by means of all these expressions drawing us away from that thing. For in truth this is "a passion"; and like as the body is subject to any affection, either to fever or to wounds, so also is it with this. And he said not Restrain, but "Mortify" (put to death), so that they never rise up more, and "put them away." That which is dead, we put away; for instance, if there be callosities in the body, their body is dead, and we put it away. Now, if thou cut into that which is quick, it produces pain, but if into that which is dead, we are not even sensible of it. So, in truth, is it with the passions; they make the soul unclean; they make the soul, which is immortal, passible. How covetousness is said to be idolatry, we have oftentimes explained. For the things which do most of all lord it over the human race, are these, covetousness, and unchasteness, and evil desire.”

“Thus, in movements according to the spirit, the soul sometimes opposes other movements of itself according to the flesh. Conversely, in movements according to the flesh, it opposes others which it has according to the spirit, and this is why we say the flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit lusts against the flesh. But this is also why "it is being renewed day by day," for the soul does not fail to make progress in virtue as it gradually diminishes the carnal desires to which it does not consent. It is to those already baptized that the apostle says, "Mortify your members, which are on the earth." .”

“Those who had possessions He freed from the bondage of senseless stuff, lest while they served it they should become servers of idols, concerning which it is written, "They have no breath in their mouth, and although they have eyes, and ears, and hands, they see not, and hear not, and work not." And for this reason the Apostle Paul called the love of mammon "idolatry," for as the heathen worship things which have no feeling, and in which there is neither life nor perception, even so do those who love riches worship the gold which is silent, and the silver which is dumb, together with all their possessions which have neither feeling nor knowledge.”

“Above, the Apostle warned the faithful against those who lead astray; here he instructs them against perversity of morals. And first he sets forth the general teaching; second, the specific teaching, at the words wives, subject. Concerning the first he does two things: first he instructs them about having a right intention of the end; second, about the rightness of human action, at the word mortify. Again the first is divided into two parts: first he sets down the manner of the instruction; second he assigns the reason, at the words for dead. Concerning the first, first he sets down the benefit received; second from this he draws the lesson of the instruction, at the words the things that are above. The benefit is that we have risen with Christ, he rising; but this in two ways: in one way through the hope of bodily resurrection. 1 Cor. 15:12: But if Christ is preached that he rose from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? Likewise, with him rising, we are restored to the life of righteousness. Rom. 4:25: He was handed over on account of our sins, and rose again on account of our justification. As if to say: if with Christ rising, you too have risen. 2 Cor. 4:14: He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus. Then when he says the things that are above, etc., he draws the lesson owed to the end. And first by comparison to the end, namely that one should principally intend the end; second, that one should judge other things according to the end. He says therefore: if you have risen with Christ, seek the things that are above. Matt. 6:33: Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, etc. For this is the end. Ps. 26:4: One thing have I asked of the Lord, etc. And therefore seek this, where Christ sits at the right hand. Mark, last chapter: The Lord Jesus indeed, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God. Ps. 109:1: Sit at my right hand. And the right hand is to be understood not as some bodily part, but by way of likeness. For the right hand is the stronger part of man. Christ therefore sits at the right hand because, insofar as he is man, he is in the greater goods of the Father, but insofar as he is God, he is in equality with him. And so let the order be in you: that just as Christ died, and rose, and thus was taken up to the right hand of God, so also you should die to sin, that afterward you may live the life of righteousness, and thus be taken up to glory. Or: we have risen through Christ; but he himself sits there, therefore our desire ought to be toward him. Matt. 24:28: Wherever the body shall be, there also will the eagles be gathered together, etc. Matt. 6:21: Where your treasure is, there also is your heart. Likewise we ought to judge other things according to him. And therefore he says mind the things that are above, etc. He asserts one thing, and denies the other. Now he minds the things that are above who orders his life according to the reasons of things above, and judges all things according to it. James 3:15: This is wisdom descending from above. But he minds the things that are upon the earth who orders and judges all things according to earthly goods, judging them to be the highest goods. Phil. 3:19: and glory in the shame of those who mind earthly things. Then when he says for dead, etc., he sets down the reason for the admonition. And first he recalls a certain death; second he hints at the hiddenness of a certain life, at the words and life; third he teaches the manifestation of this life, at the words but when Christ. For before he forbade one thing, and asserted the other, and now he returns to these two. First thus: do not mind the things that are earthly, because you are dead to an earthly way of life. For one who is dead to this life does not mind the things that belong to this world; so also you, if you are dead with Christ, are dead to the elements of this world. Rom. 6:11: Reckon yourselves indeed to be dead to sin, but living to God. Is. 26:14: Let the dying not live, let the giants not rise again, etc. But when he said reckon, etc., he adds: living. And therefore there is another, hidden life; hence here too he says and your life, etc. And we acquire this life for ourselves through Christ. 1 Pet. 3:18: Christ died for our sins, the just for the unjust, etc. But because this life is through Christ, and Christ is hidden from us, because he is in the glory of God the Father, likewise the life which is given to us through him is hidden, namely where Christ is, in the glory of God the Father. Prov. 3:16: Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and glory. Ps. 30:20: How great is the multitude of your sweetness, which you have hidden for those who fear you, etc. Apoc. 2:17: To him who overcomes I will give the hidden manna, etc. Therefore when he says but when Christ, etc., he shows how it is manifested, namely just as Christ also is, because it is said in Ps. 49:3: God shall come manifestly. And therefore he says but when Christ shall appear, your life, because he himself is the author of your life, and because your life consists in love and knowledge of him. Gal. 2:20: I live, now not I, but Christ lives in me. Then you also shall appear. 1 John 3:2: When he shall appear, we shall be like him, namely in glory. Hab. 3:3: He shall come from the south, and the Holy One from mount Pharan, etc. Then when he says mortify therefore, he orders human action. First through the restraint of sins; second through the instruction of good morals, at the words put on. Concerning the first he does two things: first he sets forth the admonition; second he explains its reason, at the words stripping yourselves. Again the first into two: first he forbids the carnal vices, second he assigns the reason, at the words on account of which. Concerning the first he does two things: first he sets down the general prohibition; second he explains it specifically, at the words which are. He says therefore: You ought not to mind the things that are upon the earth, but mortify whatever is earthly, and especially the members which are, etc. This can be explained by way of likeness, because our way of life contains many acts, just as the body contains many members; and in a good way of life, prudence is like a directing eye, while fortitude is like a carrying foot. But in a bad way of life, cunning is like the eye, and obstinacy like the foot. These members, therefore, are to be mortified. Or otherwise: concerning the carnal members of the body he said: you are dead, etc., namely to an earthly way of life. How? And answering, he says mortify, etc. To the extent, therefore, that we die to fault, to that extent we are brought to life through grace. For the life of grace restores us as to the mind, not wholly as to the body, on account of the tinder. Rom. 7:25: I myself with the mind serve the law of God; but with the flesh, the law of sin. And a little before: I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, etc. You therefore who are dead as to the mind, mortify the concupiscence in the members, which are upon the earth, insofar as they are upon the earth, and earthly bodies. 1 Cor. 6: I chastise my body and bring it into subjection, etc., that is, by not permitting it to be drawn to carnal things. And therefore he sets down the sins specifically. And first the purely carnal ones; second the intermediate ones, at the words and greed. Among carnal things, concupiscence especially inclines toward lust, where there is a shameful act. And this either according to the nature of the animal — I will not say of reason, because every sin is contrary to reason — and therefore he says fornication. Tob. 4:13: Keep yourself from all fornication, etc. Or against nature, and thus he says uncleanness. Likewise the delight is unclean, hence he says lust. Likewise depraved desire, hence he says evil desire. Second he sets down the intermediate sins; and first greed, whose object is bodily, namely money, and which is completed in a spiritual delight, namely dominion over such things. And therefore it shares something in common with the carnal sins. And he adds which is the service of idols. Eph. 5:5: or covetous, which is the service of idols. But is greed, by its very kind, a species of idolatry, and does the greedy man sin as an idolater? I answer. It must be said: not according to species, but according to likeness, because the greedy man places his life in money. One is an idolater when he shows to some image the honor owed to God. But the greedy man shows to money the honor owed to God, because his whole life is occupied with this. But because the greedy man does not intend to relate himself to money as to God, as the idolater does, therefore it is a lesser sin. Then when he says on account of which the wrath of God comes, he shows the reason why these sins are to be avoided, and it is twofold. One which moves all, and another which moves these in particular. The first is the vengeance of God, because on account of carnal things the wrath comes, that is the vengeance of God, upon the sons of unbelief, that is, the sinners who distrust God, because lust is the daughter of despair, since many out of despair of spiritual things give themselves totally to carnal things. Or unbelief, because as far as it is in itself, it is not to be trusted that they will be corrected, and therefore the wrath of God comes, as in Gen. 6:17 and 7, in the flood, and 18:26 and 19:24, concerning the Sodomites. The other reason is that they themselves were once such. Hence he says in which you also once walked, namely from bad to worse. And he sets down this reason on account of two things: namely, on account of what Peter says in 1 Pet. 4:3: the time past is sufficient to have fulfilled the will of the Gentiles, who walked in lusts, etc.; and because you have found by experience that in these there is no benefit, but confusion. Rom. 6:21: What fruit therefore did you have then in those things of which you are now ashamed?”

“The apostle exhorts the Colossians to the mortification of sin, the great hindrance to seeking the things which are above. Since it is our duty to set our affections upon heavenly things, it is our duty to mortify our members which are upon the earth, and which naturally incline us to the things of the world: "Mortify them, that is, subdue the vicious habits of mind which prevailed in your Gentile state. Kill them, suppress them, as you do weeds or vermin which spread and destroy all about them, or as you kill an enemy who fights against you and wounds you." - Your members which are upon the earth; either the members of the body, which are the earthly part of us, and were curiously wrought in the lower parts of the earth (Psa 139:15), or the corrupt affections of the mind, which lead us to earthly things, the members of the body of death, Rom 7:24. He specifies, I. The lusts of the flesh, for which they were before so very remarkable: Fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence - the various workings of the carnal appetites and fleshly impurities, which they indulged in their former course of life, and which were so contrary to the Christian state and the heavenly hope. II. The love of the world: And covetousness, which is idolatry; that is, an inordinate love of present good and outward enjoyments, which proceeds from too high a value in the mind, puts upon too eager a pursuit, hinders the proper use and enjoyment of them, and creates anxious fear and immoderate sorrow for the loss of them. Observe, Covetousness is spiritual idolatry: it is the giving of that love and regard to worldly wealth which are due to God only, and carries a greater degree of malignity in it, and is more highly provoking to God, than is commonly thought. And it is very observable that among all the instances of sin which good men are recorded in the scripture to have fallen into (and there is scarcely any but some or other, in one or other part of their life, have fallen into) there is no instance in all the scripture of any good man charged with covetousness. He proceeds to show how necessary it is to mortify sins, Col 3:6, Col 3:7. 1. Because, if we do not kill them, they will kill us: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience, Col 3:6. See what we are all by nature more or less: we are children of disobedience: not only disobedient children, but under the power of sin and naturally prone to disobey. The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies, Psa 58:3. And, being children of disobedience, we are children of wrath, Eph 2:3. The wrath of God comes upon all the children of disobedience. Those who do not obey the precepts of the law incur the penalties of it. The sins he mentions were their sins in their heathen and idolatrous state, and they were then especially the children of disobedience; and yet these sins brought judgments upon them, and exposed them to the wrath of God. 2. We should mortify these sins because they have lived in us: In which you also walked some time, when you lived in them, Col 3:7. Observe, The consideration that we have formerly lived in sin is a good argument why we should now forsake it. We have walked in by-paths, therefore let us walk in them no more. If I have done iniquity, I will do no more, Job 34:32. The time past our lives may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, Pe1 4:3. - When you lived among those who did such things (so some understand it), then you walked in those evil practices. It is a hard thing to live among those who do the works of darkness and not have fellowship with them, as it is to walk in the mire and contract no soil. Let us keep out of the way of evil-doers.”

“Mortify therefore your members,.... Not your bodies, as the Ethiopic version reads, nor the members of the natural body, but of the body of sin, indwelling sin; which as a body consists of various members, which are parts of it, rise out of it, and are used by it, as the members are by the body; and intend the sins of the flesh, or sinful actions, which are generally performed by the members of the natural body, in which the law of sin is, and by which it operates; so that the mortification the saints are here exhorted to, in consideration of having a spiritual life in them, and a hope of eternal life in Christ, from whence the apostle argues, is not a mortification or destruction of the body of sin itself, or of the being and principle of it in the soul, where it is, and lives, and dwells, and will as long as the saints are in this tabernacle, but of the deeds of the body, or of sinful actions, as to the life and conversation; and signifies a denial of them, an abstinence from them, and a non-performance of them; See Gill on Rom 8:13. These members, or deeds of the body, or acts of sin, are called "your": for as the old man is ours, the vitiosity of nature is what we bring into the world with us, and is rooted and incorporated into us; so the actions that flow from it, and are done by it, are not to be ascribed to God, nor even to Satan, but they are our own actions, and which are performed by the members of our mortal body, or by the faculties of our souls: and are, which are on earth: or earthly; are concerned about earthly things, the things of the world, worldly lusts and pleasures, which rise out of earthly mindedness, and incline unto it, and are only what are done here on earth, and will have no place in heaven. The particulars of which follow: fornication; the sin of uncleanness committed by single persons, or out of the state of marriage, and which the Gentiles did not account sinful: hence so much notice is taken of it, with a censure, and so often, by the apostle, in almost all his epistles, and dehorted from, as a sin against the body, as what disqualified for church communion, and was not to be named among the saints, who should be dead to that, and that to them, as to the commission of it. Uncleanness; of every sort, all other impure actions, as adultery, incest, sodomy, and every other unnatural lust; all which should be abstained from, and never committed by those who profess to be alive unto God. Inordinate affection; which may intend the passions, or first motions of sin, stirred up by the law, and which work in, and operate by the members of the body, and bring forth fruit unto death, and therefore to be opposed by such as have a life in Christ; and also those vile affections, which some in a judicial way are given up unto, and prevail with those who are effeminate, and abusers of themselves with mankind, and which are to be abhorred and denied by all who are heirs of the grace of life, and expectants of an heavenly one. Evil concupiscence; so called to distinguish it from that natural concupiscence, or desire after things lawful and necessary, and which is implanted in nature by God himself; and from that spiritual concupiscence or desire after spiritual things, and that lusting against the flesh and carnal things, which is formed in the heart of a regenerate man by the Spirit of God. It is the same with , "the evil imagination", or corruption of nature so much spoken of by the Jews. This here is what is forbidden by that law, "thou shalt not covet", Exo 20:17; and includes every fleshly lust and inordinate desire, or every desire after that which is not lawful, or does not belong to a man; as what is another's property, his wife, or goods, or anything that is his; and so very naturally follows, covetousness; an immoderate love of money, the root of all evil, an insatiable desire of having more, and of having more than a man's own; and is enlarged as hell, and as death is not satisfied, but still craves more, without making any good use of what is possessed: which is idolatry. The covetous man, and the idolater, worship the same for matter and substance, even gold and silver; the covetous man lays up his money, makes no use of it, as if it was something sacred; he looks at it, and adores it, and puts his trust and confidence in it, and his heart is so much set upon it, that he neglects the worship of the true God; and indeed no man can serve God and mammon. Some think, that by this rendered "covetousness", is meant, that greedy desire after the commission of all uncleanness, and impure actions, which were perpetrated by the followers of Simon Magus in their religious assemblies, and under the notion of worship, and as acceptable to God, and therefore called idolatry; and which ought not to be once named, much less practised, among the living members of Christ. Moreover, such filthy actions were performed by the Gentiles in the worship of their deities.”

“Mortify, therefore, you members - Νεκρωσατε· Put them to death: the verb is used metaphorically to signify, to deprive a thing of its power, to destroy its strength. Use no member of your body to sin against God; keep all under dominion; and never permit the beast to run away with the man. To gratify any sensual appetite is to give it the very food and nourishment by which it lives, thrives, and is active. However the body may suffer by excessive sensual indulgences, the appetite increases with the indulgence. Deny yourselves, and let reason rule; and the animal will not get the ascendency over the rational man. See the notes on Rom 6:11, etc. Inordinate affection - Παθος· Unnatural and degrading passion; bestial lusts. See Rom 1:26, Rom 1:27; and the notes there. Evil concupiscence - Επιθυμιαν κακην. As επιθυμια signifies strong and vehement desire of any kind, it is here joined with κακη, evil, to show the sense more particularly in which the apostle uses it. Covetousness, which is idolatry - For the covetous man makes his money his god. Now, it is the prerogative of God to confer happiness; every godly man seeks his happiness in God; the covetous man seeks that in his money which God alone can give; therefore his covetousness is properly idolatry. It is true his idol is of gold and silver, but his idolatry is not the less criminal on that account.”

“Your members,…fornication, uncleanness, &c. He considers man’s body as made up of sins and sinful inclinations. (Witham) — It is not to bring back Judaism we practise abstinences and fasts, nor with the same motive as the Jews, but to accomplish the precepts of mortifying the irregular desires of the flesh among which gluttony must find a place. In a mortified body sensuality is more easily subdued. (Haydock)”

“Mortify--Greek, "make a corpse of"; "make dead"; "put to death." therefore--(See on Col 3:3). Follow out to its necessary consequence the fact of your having once for all died with Christ spiritually at your regeneration, by daily "deadening your members," of which united "the body of the sins of the flesh" consists (compare Col 2:11). "The members" to be mortified are the fleshly instruments of lust, in so far as the members of the body are abused to such purposes. Habitually repress and do violence to corrupt desires of which the members are the instruments (compare Rom 6:19; Rom 8:13; Gal 5:24-25). upon the earth--where they find their support [BENGEL] (Compare Col 3:2, "things on earth"). See Eph 5:3-4. inordinate affection--"lustful passion." evil concupiscence--more general than the last [ALFORD], the disorder of the external senses; "lustful passion," lust within [BENGEL]. covetousness--marked off by the Greek article as forming a whole genus by itself, distinct from the genus containing the various species just enumerated. It implies a self-idolizing, grasping spirit; far worse than another Greek term translated "the love of money" (Ti1 6:10). which is--that is, inasmuch as it is "idolatry." Compare Note, see on Eph 4:19, on its connection with sins of impurity. Self and mammon are deified in the heart instead of God (Mat 6:24; see on Eph 5:5).”