ὑπὸ τοῦ νοὸς τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ, ^{19}καὶ οὐ
εἰκῇ φυσιούμενος] ‘_vainly puffed up_.’ Their profession of humility was
a cloke for excessive pride: for, as St Paul says elsewhere (1 Cor.
viii. 1), ἡ γνῶσις φυσιοῖ. It may be questioned whether εἰκῇ should be
connected with the preceding or the following words. Its usual position
in St Paul, before the words which it qualifies (Rom. xiii. 4, 1 Cor.
xv. 2, Gal. iv. 11; there is an exceptional reason for the exceptional
position in Gal. iii. 4), points to the latter construction.
τοῦ νοὸς κ.τ.λ.] ‘_the mind of his flesh_’, i.e. unenlightened by the
Spirit; comp. Rom. viii. 7 τὸ φρόνημα τῆς σαρκός. It would seem that the
Apostle is here taking up some watchword of the false teachers. They
doubtless boasted that they were directed ὑπὸ τοῦ νόος. Yes, he answers,
but it is ὁ νοῦς τῆς σαρκὸς ὑμῶν. Compare Rev. ii. 24, where the
favourite Gnostic boast γινώσκειν τὰ βαθέα is characterized by the
addition of τοῦ Σατανᾶ (see _Galatians_ p. 298 note 3). Comp. August.
_Conf._ x. 67 ‘Quem invenirem qui me reconciliaret tibi? Ambiendum mihi
fuit ad angelos? Qua prece? quibus sacramentis? Multi conantes ad te
redire, neque per se ipsos valentes, sicut audio, tentaverunt hæc et
inciderunt in desiderium curiosarum visionum et digni habiti sunt
illusionibus. Elati enim te quærebant doctrinæ fastu, etc.’
19. οὐ κρατῶν] ‘_not holding fast_.’ This is the most common
construction and meaning of κρατεῖν in the New Testament; e.g. Mark vii.
8 _ἀφέντες_ τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ _κρατεῖτε_ τὴν παράδοσιν τῶν
ἀνθρώπων; comp. Cant. iii. 4 ἑῦρον ὃν ἠγάπησεν ἡ ψυχή μου, ἐκράτησα
αὐτὸν καὶ οὐκ ἀφῆκα αὐτόν.
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