{"collection":"chr","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/chr/ecf/008/0080033.htm","path":"chr/ecf/008/0080033.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/chr/ecf/008/0080033.htm","text":"Chapter VIII.\u2014Virgins, by the Laying Aside of All Carnal Affection, are Imitators of God.\nFor, if a man be only in name called holy, he is not holy; but he must be holy in everything: in his body and in his spirit. And those who are virgins rejoice at all times in becoming like God and His Christ, and are imitators of them. For in those that are such there is not \u201cthe mind 352 of the flesh.\u201d In those who are truly believers, and \u201cin whom the Spirit of Christ dwells\u201d 353 \u2014in them \u201cthe mind of the flesh\u201d cannot be: which is fornication, uncleanness, wantonness; idolatry, 354 sorcery; enmity, jealousy, rivalry, wrath, disputes, dissensions, ill-will; drunkenness, revelry; buffoonery, foolish talking, boisterous laughter; backbiting, insinuations; bitterness, rage; clamour, abuse, insolence of speech; malice, inventing of evil, falsehood; talkativeness, 355 babbling; 356 threatenings, gnashing of teeth, readiness to accuse, 357 jarring, 358 disdainings, blows; perversions of the right, 359 laxness in judgment; haughtiness, arrogance, ostentation, pompousness, boasting of family, of beauty, of position, of wealth, of an arm of flesh; 360 quarrelsomeness, injustice, 361 eagerness for victory; hatred, anger, envy, perfidy, retaliation; 362 debauchery, gluttony, \u201coverreaching (which is idolatry),\u201d 363 \u201cthe love of money (which is the root of all evils);\u201d 364 love of display, vainglory, love of rule, assumption, pride (which is called death, and which \u201cGod fights against\u201d). 365 Every man with whom are these and such like things\u2014every such man is of the flesh. For, \u201che that is born of the flesh is flesh; and he that is of the earth speaketh of the earth,\u201d 366 and his thoughts are of the earth. And \u201cthe mind of the flesh is enmity towards God. For it does not submit itself to the law of God; for it cannot do so,\u201d 367 because it is in the flesh, \u201cin which dwells no good,\u201d 368 because the Spirit of God is p. 58 not in it. For this cause justly does the Scripture say regarding such a generation as this: \u201cMy Spirit shall not dwell in men for ever, because they are flesh.\u201d 369 \u201cWhosoever, therefore, has not the Spirit of God in him, is none of His:\u201d 370 as it is written, \u201cThe Spirit of God departed from Saul, and an evil spirit troubled him, which was sent upon him from God.\u201d 371\nRom. viii. 6 (\u03c6\u03c1\u03cc\u03bd\u03b7\u03bc\u03b1).\n57:353 57:354\nLit. \u201cthe worship of idols.\u201d The single word *** sometimes used to express \u201cidolatry\u201d (as in Eph. Syr., opp. tom. i. p. 116), is not found in these epistles.\n57:355 57:356 57:357\nThe word thus rendered is not in the lexicons, but is well illustrated by Isa. xxix. 21 (\u201cthat make a man an offender\u201d), where the Hiphil of \u05d0\u05d8\u05b8\u05d7\u05b8 is used, corresponding to the Aphel of the same root, from which the present word is derived.\n57:358\nThe word is used in the Peschito of 1 Tim. vi. 5, to express \u03b4\u03b9\u03b1\u03c0\u03b1\u03c1\u03b1\u03c4\u03c1\u03b9\u03b2\u03b1\u03af (\u201cincessant quarrellings,\u201d Alf.); [R.V., \u201cwranglings.\u201d\u2014R.].\n57:359\nEx. Conject. Beelen. The word is not in the lexicons.\n57:360 57:361\nLit. \u201cfolly;\u201d but so used in 2 Cor. xii. 13.\n57:362 57:363 57:364 57:365 57:366 57:367 57:368 58:369\nGen. vi. 3. [This is an example of the vicious method of interpretation, not yet extirpated, which carries Paul\u2019s distinctive use of the term \u201cflesh\u201d back to the Pentateuch, where no ethical sense is necessarily implied.\u2014R.]\n58:370\nRom. vii. 9. [The Apostle speaks of \u201cthe Spirit of Christ.\u201d\u2014R.]\n58:371","title":"Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol VIII: Two Epistles Concerning Vi...","type":"page"}