Temperance, Chastity, or Continence
This is a sobriety or modesty in the whole life of man, which virtue Paul sets against the works of the flesh. He would therefore that Christians should live soberly and chastely, that they should be no adulterers, no fornicators, no wantons: and if they cannot live chastely, he would have them to marry: also that they should not be contentious or quarrelers, that they should not be given to drunkenness or surfeiting, but that they should abstain from all these things. Chastity or continence contains all these. Jerome expounds it of virginity only, as though they that be married could not be chaste: or as though the Apostle did write these things only to virgins. In Chapters 1 and 2 to Titus, he warns also bishops, young women, and married folks both man and wife to be chaste and pure.
Verse 23. Against such there is no law.
Indeed there is a law, but not against such: as he says also in another place. The law is not given to the righteous man. For the righteous lives in such wise, that he has no need of any law to admonish or to constrain him: but without constraint of the law, he willingly does those things which the law requires. Therefore the law cannot accuse or condemn those that believe in Christ. Indeed the law troubles and terrifies our consciences, but Christ apprehended by faith, vanquishes it with all its terrors and threats. To them therefore the law is utterly abolished, and has no power to accuse them: for they do that of their own accord, which the law requires. They have received the Holy Ghost by faith, who will not suffer them to be idle. Although the flesh resists, yet do they walk after the spirit. So a Christian accomplishes the law inwardly by faith (for Christ is the perfection of the law to righteousness, to all that do believe): outwardly by works and by remission of sins. But those which perform the works or desires of the flesh, the law does accuse and condemn both civilly and spiritually.
Verse 24. For they that are Christ's, have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof.
This whole place concerning works, shows that the true believers are no hypocrites. Therefore let no man deceive himself. For whoever (says he) pertains to Christ, has crucified the flesh with all the vices and lusts thereof. For the saints, in as much as they have not yet utterly put off the corrupt and sinful flesh, are inclined to sin, and do neither fear nor love God so perfectly as they ought to do. Also they are provoked to anger, to envy, to impatience, to unclean lusts, and such like motions, which notwithstanding they accomplish not: for (as Paul here says) they crucify the flesh with all the affections and lusts thereof. Which thing they do, not only when they repress the wantonness of the flesh with fasting and other exercises, but also (as Paul said before) when they walk according to the spirit: that is, when they being admonished by the threats of God, whereby he shows that he will severely punish sin, are afraid to commit sin: also when they being armed with the word of God, with faith, and with prayer, do not obey the lusts of the flesh.
When they resist the flesh after this manner, they nail it to the cross with the lusts and desires thereof, so that although the flesh be yet alive, yet can it not perform that which it would do, for as much as it is bound both hand and foot, and fast nailed to the cross. The faithful then so long as they live here do crucify the flesh, that is to say, they feel the lusts thereof, but they obey them not. For they being furnished with the armor of God, that is, with faith, hope and the sword of the spirit, do resist the flesh, and with these spiritual nails they fasten the same to the cross, so that it is constrained to be subject to the spirit. Afterward when they die they put it off wholly: and when they shall rise again from death to life, they shall have a pure and uncorrupt flesh without all affections and lusts.
Self-control is a sobriety and modesty that extends to a person's entire way of life — a virtue Paul sets against the works of the flesh. He therefore wants Christians to live soberly and chastely: not committing adultery, not engaging in sexual immorality, not living sensuously. If they cannot live a celibate life, he wants them to marry. He also wants them to avoid quarreling and fighting, to stay away from drunkenness and overindulgence, and to abstain from all these things. Chastity and self-control encompass all of this. Jerome limited this to virginity alone, as though married people could not be chaste, or as though the apostle was writing only to virgins. But in Titus 1 and 2 Paul also urges bishops, younger women, and married couples — both husbands and wives — to be chaste and pure.
Verse 23. Against such things there is no law.
The law does exist — but it is not against such people, as Paul says elsewhere: 'The law is not made for a righteous person.' The righteous person lives in such a way that he has no need of the law to admonish or compel him — without any legal pressure he willingly does what the law requires. The law therefore cannot accuse or condemn those who believe in Christ. The law does trouble and terrify our consciences — but Christ, grasped by faith, conquers it along with all its terrors and threats. For such people the law is therefore completely set aside and has no power to accuse them, because they voluntarily do what the law demands. They have received the Holy Spirit through faith, who will not allow them to sit idle. Even when the flesh resists, they walk by the Spirit. A Christian fulfills the law inwardly through faith — for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes — and outwardly through works and through the forgiveness of sins. But those who carry out the works and desires of the flesh, the law accuses and condemns — both in this life and spiritually.
Verse 24. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
This entire passage about works shows that true believers are not hypocrites. Let no one deceive himself. Whoever belongs to Christ, he says, has crucified the flesh with all its vices and desires. For the saints, since they have not yet completely put off their corrupt and sinful flesh, are inclined toward sin and do not fear or love God as perfectly as they should. They are also provoked by anger, envy, impatience, unclean desires, and similar impulses — but they do not carry these out. For, as Paul says here, they crucify the flesh with all its passions and desires. They do this not only by restraining the flesh's unruliness through fasting and other disciplines, but also — as Paul said earlier — by walking according to the Spirit: meaning, when they are sobered by God's warnings of severe punishment for sin and are afraid to sin; and when, armed with God's word, faith, and prayer, they do not obey the flesh's desires.
When they resist the flesh in this way, they nail it to the cross along with its passions and desires — so that although the flesh is still alive, it cannot do what it wants, because it is bound hand and foot and firmly nailed to the cross. The faithful, then, as long as they live here, are crucifying the flesh — that is, they feel its desires, but they do not obey them. Armed with God's armor — faith, hope, and the sword of the Spirit — they resist the flesh, and with these spiritual nails they fasten it to the cross, forcing it to remain subject to the Spirit. When they die, they put the flesh off entirely. And when they rise again from death to life, they will have a pure and uncorrupted flesh — without any passions or desires.
