{Mortify} (
ekr(9373)ate). First aorist active imperative of
ekro(935c), late verb, to put to death, to treat as dead. Latin
Vulgate _mortifico_, but "mortify" is coming with us to mean
putrify. Paul boldly applies the metaphor of death ( 2:20 3:3 )
pictured in baptism ( 2:12 ) to the actual life of the Christian.
He is not to go to the other Gnostic extreme of license on the
plea that the soul is not affected by the deeds of the body.
Paul's idea is that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit
( 1Co 6:19 ). He mentions some of these "members upon the earth"
like fornication (porneian), uncleanness (akatharsian),
passion (pathos), evil desire (epithumian kak(886e)),
covetousness (pleonexian) "the which is idolatry" (h(8874)is estin
eid(936c)olatria). See the longer list of the works of the flesh in
Gal 5:19-21 , though covetousness is not there named, but it is
in Eph 4:19 5:5 .
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