Colossians 3:5

Partially parallel to Ephesians 5:3-5. νεκρώσατε οὖν. “Put to death, therefore” (cf. Romans 8:13). The aorist implies a single decisive act. Perhaps νεκ. is chosen as a weaker word than θανατόω (Cremer, Haupt), implying the cessation of functions during life, οὖν is interesting. It seems strange that the assertions in the previous verses, of their death and resurrection with Christ and hidden life with Him in God, should be followed by the exhortation to put their members to death. Clearly these assertions are idealistic. The death and resurrection potentially theirs are to be realised in the putting to death of their members, τὰ μέλη τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. The members are referred to in so far as they are the instruments of the σάρξ, and are included in the “things on the earth,” with which the Christian has no more concern (Colossians 3:2). Lightfoot places a stop at γῆς, and regards πορνείαν κ. τ. λ. as governed by ἀπόθεσθε (Colossians 3:8). He thinks Paul intended to make these accusatives directly dependent on ἀπ., but, owing to the intervening clauses, changed the form of the sentence. It is true that the apposition of μέλη and the list of sins that follows is strange, but not so strange as to make this very forced construction preferable. We should have expected ἀπ. at the beginning of the sentence. καὶ τὴν πλεονεξίαν : “and covetousness,” not “impurity”. It comes fitly here, for gold provided the means for indulging these lustful passions. For the noun with the article at the end of a series without it, see Winer-Moulton, 9 p. 145. ἥτις ἐστὶν εἰδωλολατρία : “inasmuch as it is idolatry”. ἥτις refers simply to πλ., not to the whole series of vices enumerated, nor to μέλη, by attraction for ἅτινα. The lust for wealth sets riches in the place of God (cf. Matthew 6:24).