Commentary on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians

Comm on Phil, Col, Thes
412 23. Quae speciem quidem habent
sapientiae in superstitione, 413 23. Which things have indeed a shew of
wisdom in will worship, and humility, and
et humilitate animi,
et neglectu corporis: 414 non in honore aliquo ad
expletionem carnis. 415
neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the
satisfying of the flesh.
20. If ye are dead. He had previously said, that the ordinances were fastened to the cross of
Christ. (Colossians 2:14.) He now employs another figure of speech — that we are dead to them,
as he teaches us elsewhere, that we are dead to the law, and the law, on the other hand, to us.
(Galatians 2:19.) The term death means abrogation, 416 but it is more expressive and more emphatic,
(καὶ ἐμφατικώτερον.) He says, therefore, that the Colossians, have nothing to do with ordinances.
Why? Because they have died with Christ to ordinances; that is, after they died with Christ by
regeneration, they were, through his kindness, set free from ordinances, that they may not belong
to them any more. Hence he concludes that they are by no means bound by the ordinances, which
the false apostles endeavored to impose upon them.
21. Eat not, taste not. Hitherto this has been rendered — Handle not, but as another word
immediately follows, which signifies the same thing, every one sees how cold and absurd were
such a repetition. Farther, the verb ἅπτεσθαι is employed by the Greeks, among its other
significations, in the sense of eating, 417 in accordance with the rendering that I have given. Plutarch
makes use of it in the life of Caesar, when he relates that his soldiers, in destitution of all things,
ate animals which they had not been accustomed previously to use as food. 418 And this arrangement
is both in other respects natural and is also most in accordance with the connection of the passage;
for Paul points out, (μιμητικῶς,) by way of imitation, to what length the waywardness of those who
bind consciences by their laws is wont to proceed. From the very commencement they are unduly
rigorous: hence he sets out with their prohibition — not simply against eating, but even against
slightly partaking. After they have obtained what they wish they go beyond that command, so that
they afterwards declare it to be unlawful to taste of what they do not wish should be eaten. At length
they make it criminal even to touch. In short, when persons have once taken upon them to tyrannize
over men’s souls, there is no end of new laws being daily added to old ones, and new enactments
starting up from time to time. How bright a mirror there is as to this in Popery! Hence Paul acts
admirably well in admonishing us that human traditions are a labyrinth, in which consciences are
more and more entangled; nay more, are snares, which from the beginning bind in such a way that
in course of time they strangle in the end.
412 “Espece, ou, forme;” — “Appearance, or form.”
413 “Superstition, or will-worship.”
414 “En mespris du corps, ou, en ce qu’elles n’espargnent le corps;” — “In contempt of the body, or, inasmuch as they do not
spare the body.”
415 “Sans aucun honneur a rassasier la chair, ou, et ne ont aucun esgard au rassasiement d’iceluy: ou, mais ne font d’aucune
estime, n’appartenans qu’a ce qui remplit le corps;” — “Without any honour to the satisfying of the flesh, or, and they have no
regard to the satisfying of it, or, but they hold it in no esteem, not caring as to what fills the body.”
416 “Et abolissement;” — “And abolishment.”
417 An example occurs in Homer’s Odyssey, (6: 60,) σίτου θ ᾿ ἅπτεσθον καὶ χαρ́ετον. — “Take food and rejoice.” See also
Xenoph. Mem. 1. 3. 7. — Ed.
418 “The passage referred to is as follows: — “ ᾿Εβρώθη δὲ καὶ φλοιὸς ὡς λέγεται, καὶ ζώων ἀγεύστων πρότερον ἥ ψαντο.”
— “Even the bark of trees, it is said, was devoured, and they ate animals not previously tasted.” — Ed.
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John Calvin