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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
"Mortify therefore your members," he saith, "which are upon the earth." What sayest thou? Was it not thou that saidst, "Ye are buried; ye are buried together with Him; ye are circumcised: we have put off the body of the sins of the flesh"; how then again sayest thou, "Mortify"? Art thou sporting? Dost thou thus discourse, as though those things were in us? …
Athanasius of Alexandria
But the saints, and they who truly practise virtue, "mortify their members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, passions, evil concupiscence;" and, as the result of this, are pure and without spot, confiding in the promise of our Saviour, who said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." These, having become dead to the world, and renounced the merchandise of the world, gain an honourable death; for, "precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." They are also able, preserving the …
Theophylact of Ohrid
He did not say "cast off," but "put to death," so that they might no longer rise again. By "earthly members" he probably means our bodily members: if they do not contribute to the acquisition of heavenly things, then they are earthly, but if heavenly things are accomplished through them, then they are no longer earthly, just as we ourselves become, as it were, not of the earth if we neither see nor hear anything evil. …
Western Saints
Jerome
In a general way all that is of the devil savors of enmity to God, and what is of the devil is idolatry, since all idols are subject to him. Yet Paul elsewhere lays down the law in express and unmistakable terms, saying: "Mortify your members, which are upon the earth, laying aside fornication, uncleanness, evil concupiscence and covetousness, which are idolatry, for which things' sake the wrath of God cometh." Idolatry is not confined to casting incense upon an altar with finger and thumb, or to pouring libations of wine out of a …
Thomas Aquinas
Next (v. 5), Paul puts order into their actions: first, by restraining them from sin; secondly, by teaching them about good habits (v. 12). In regard to the first he does two things: first, he starts with a warning; secondly, he explains it (v. 9b). The first is divided into two parts: first, he forbids carnal vices; secondly, he gives his reason (v. 6). With respect to the first he does two things: first, he lays down a general prohibition; secondly, he goes into detail about it (v. 5). …
Bonaventure
All perverse valuations of worldly natures are prohibited. Now every perverse valuation of creatures proceeds either by reason of sublimity, or by reason of sufficiency, or by reason of delight. In the first way it is the idolatry of the proud; in the second way it is the idolatry of the avaricious; in the third way it is the idolatry of the lascivious. Against the second the Apostle says: Avarice is the servitude of idols.
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