SEV Biblia, Chapter 5:17
Porque la carne codicia contra el Espíritu, y el Espíritu contra la carne; y estas cosas se oponen la una a la otra, para que no hagis lo que quisierais.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Galatians 5:17
Verse 17. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit] God still continues to strive with you, notwithstanding your apostasy, showing you whence you have fallen, and exciting you to return to him; but your own obstinacy renders all ineffectual; and through the influence of these different principles, you are kept in a state of self-opposition and self-distraction, so that you cannot do the things that ye would. You are convinced of what is right, and ye wish to do it; but, having abandoned the Gospel and the grace of Christ, the law and its ordinances which ye have chosen in their place afford you no power to conquer your evil propensities. It was on this ground that the apostle exhorted them, ver. 16, to walk in the Spirit, that they might not fulfill the lust of the flesh; as without the grace of God they could do nothing. Who can suppose that he speaks this of adult Christians?
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 17. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit , etc..] By flesh is meant, not the carnal or literal sense of the Scripture, which is Origen's gloss, as militating against the spiritual sense of it; nor the sensual part of man rebelling against his rational powers; but the corruption of nature, which still is in regenerate persons: and is so called because it is propagated by carnal generation; has for its object carnal things; its lusts and works are fleshly; and though it has its seat in the heart, it shows itself in the flesh or members of the body, which are yielded as instruments of unrighteousness; and it makes and denominates men carnal, even believers themselves so far as it prevails: by the Spirit is meant the internal principle of grace in a regenerate man, and is so called from the author of it, the Spirit of God, whose name it bears, because it is his workmanship; and from the seat and subject of it, the soul or spirit of man; and from the nature of it, it is spiritual, a new heart and a new Spirit; its objects are spiritual, and it minds, savours, and delights in spiritual things: and the meaning of the lusting of the one against the other, for it is reciprocal, hence it follows, and the Spirit against the flesh , is that the one wills, chooses, desires, and affects what is contrary to the other; so the flesh, or the old man, the carnal I, in regenerate persons, wills, chooses, desires, and loves carnal things, which are contrary to the Spirit or principle of grace in the soul; and on the other hand, the Spirit or the new man, the spiritual I, wills, chooses, desire, approves, and loves spiritual things, such as are contrary to corrupt nature; and this sense is strengthened by the Oriental versions. The Syriac version reads, for the flesh desires that aknd , which hurts, or is contrary to the Spirit; and the Spirit desires that which hurts, or is contrary to the flesh; and much in the same way the Arabic version renders it, for the flesh desires that which militates against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires that which militates against the flesh; to which the Ethiopic version agrees, reading it thus, for the flesh desires what the Spirit would not, and the Spirit desires what the flesh would not; the reason whereof is suggested in the next clause: and these are contrary the one to the other ; as light and darkness, fire and water, or any two opposites can be thought to be; they are contrary in their nature, actings, and effects; there is not only a repugnancy to each other, but a continued war, conflict, and combat, is maintained between them; the flesh is the law in the members or force of sin, which wars against the spirit, the law in the mind, or the force and power of the principle of grace; these are the company of two armies, to be seen in the Shulamite, fighting one against the other. So the Jews say of the good imagination, and of the evil one, by which they mean the same as here, that they are like Abraham and Lot; and that though they are brethren, joined in one body, hzl hz ybywa h , they are enemies to one another; hence it follows, so that ye cannot do the good that ye would which may be understood both of evil things and of good things. The former seems to be chiefly the apostle's sense; since the whole of this text is a reason given why those who walk spiritually shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh, because they have a powerful governing principle in them, the Spirit, or grace; which though the flesh lusts against, and opposes itself unto, yet that also rises up against the flesh, and often hinders it from doing the works and lusts of it. There is in regenerate men a propensity and inclination to sin, a carnal I, that wills and desires sin, and wishes for an opportunity to do it, which when it offers, the flesh strongly solicits to it; but the Spirit, or the internal principle of grace, opposes the motion; and like another Joseph says, how can I commit this great wickedness and sin against a God of so much love and grace? it is a voice behind and even in a believer, which, when he is tempted to turn to the right hand or the left, says, this is the way, walk in it, and will not suffer him to go into crooked paths with the workers of iniquity; and so sin cannot have the dominion over him, because he is under grace as a reigning principle; and the old man cannot do the evil things he would, being under the restraints of mighty grace. This is the apostle's principal sense, and best suits with his reasoning in the context; but inasmuch as the lusting and opposition of these two principles are mutual and reciprocal, the other sense may also be taken in; as that oftentimes, by reason of the prevalence of corrupt nature, and power of indwelling sin, a regenerate man does the evil he would not, and cannot do the good he would; for he would always do good and nothing else, and even as the angels do it in heaven; but he cannot, because of this opposite principle, the flesh.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 16-26 - If it be our care to act under the guidance and power of the blesse Spirit, though we may not be freed from the stirrings and opposition of the corrupt nature which remains in us, it shall not have dominio over us. Believers are engaged in a conflict, in which they earnestl desire that grace may obtain full and speedy victory. And those wh desire thus to give themselves up to be led by the Holy Spirit, are no under the law as a covenant of works, nor exposed to its awful curse Their hatred of sin, and desires after holiness, show that they have part in the salvation of the gospel. The works of the flesh are man and manifest. And these sins will shut men out of heaven. Yet what numbers, calling themselves Christians, live in these, and say the hope for heaven! The fruits of the Spirit, or of the renewed nature which we are to do, are named. And as the apostle had chiefly name works of the flesh, not only hurtful to men themselves, but tending to make them so to one another, so here he chiefly notices the fruits of the Spirit, which tend to make Christians agreeable one to another, a well as to make them happy. The fruits of the Spirit plainly show, tha such are led by the Spirit. By describing the works of the flesh an fruits of the Spirit, we are told what to avoid and oppose, and what we are to cherish and cultivate; and this is the sincere care an endeavour of all real Christians. Sin does not now reign in their mortal bodies, so that they obey it, Ro 6:12, for they seek to destro it. Christ never will own those who yield themselves up to be the servants of sin. And it is not enough that we cease to do evil, but we must learn to do well. Our conversation will always be answerable to the principle which guides and governs us, Ro 8:5. We must se ourselves in earnest to mortify the deeds of the body, and to walk in newness of life. Not being desirous of vain-glory, or unduly wishin for the esteem and applause of men, not provoking or envying on another, but seeking to bring forth more abundantly those good fruits which are, through Jesus Christ, to the praise and glory of God __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
η 3588 γαρ 1063 σαρξ 4561 επιθυμει 1937 5719 κατα 2596 του 3588 πνευματος 4151 το 3588 δε 1161 πνευμα 4151 κατα 2596 της 3588 σαρκος 4561 ταυτα 5023 δε 1161 αντικειται 480 5736 αλληλοις 240 ινα 2443 μη 3361 α 3739 αν 302 θελητε 2309 5725 ταυτα 5023 ποιητε 4160 5725
Vincent's NT Word Studies
17. Are contrary (antikeitai). The verb means to lie opposite to; hence to oppose, withstand. The sentence these - to the other is not parenthetical.
So that (ina). Connect with these are contrary, etc. %Ina does not express result, but purpose, to the end that, - the purpose of the two contending desires. The intent of each principle in opposing the other is to prevent man's doing what the other principle moves him to do.
Cannot do (mh poihte). A mistake, growing out of the misinterpretation of ina noted above. Rather, each works to the end that ye may not do, etc. The things that ye would (a ean qelhte). The things which you will to do under the influence of either of the two contending principles. There is a mutual conflict of two powers. If one wills to do good, he is opposed by the flesh: if to do evil, by the Spirit.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
5:17 {Lusteth against} (epiqumei kata). Like a tug of war. this use of sarx as opposed to the Spirit (Holy Spirit) personifies sarx. Lightfoot argues that epiqumei cannot be used with the Spirit and so some other verb must be supplied for it. But that is wholly needless, for the verb, like epiqumia, does not mean evil desire, but simply to long for. Christ and Satan long for the possession of the city of Man Soul as Bunyan shows. {Are contrary the one to the other} (allelois antikeitai). Are lined up in conflict, face to face (anti-), a spiritual duel (cf. Christ's temptations), with dative case of personal interest (allelois). {That ye may not do} (hina me poiete). "That ye may not keep on doing" (present active subjunctive of poiew). {That ye would} (ha ean qelete). "Whatever ye wish" (indefinite relative with ean and present subjunctive).
