COLOSSIANS CHAPTER 1 COLOSSIANS 1:1,2 After saluting the saints at Colosse, COLOSSIANS 1:3 Paul testifieth his thankfulness to God for the good account he had heard of their faith and love, COLOSSIANS 1:9 and his continual prayers for their improvement in spiritual knowledge, right practice, an... [ Continue Reading ]
TO THE SAINTS: SEE POOLE ON "PHILIPPIANS 1:1". AND FAITHFUL BRETHREN IN CHRIST: SEE POOLE ON "PHILIPPIANS 4:21". WHICH ARE AT COLOSSE: see the Argument: (SEE POOLE ON "COLOSSIANS 1:1".) GRACE BE UNTO YOU, AND PEACE, FROM GOD OUR FATHER AND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST: SEE POOLE ON "EPHESIANS 1:2", and SEE... [ Continue Reading ]
WE GIVE THANKS TO GOD: SEE POOLE ON "PHILIPPIANS 1:3". He doth here take in Timothy and others, in acknowledging of God's grace to them, which might express his great good-will to them. AND THE FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST; describing God, to whom they render thanks both absolutely and relatively... [ Continue Reading ]
He instanceth in principal graces, as the matter of his thanksgiving, beginning with FAITH, described and differenced from the special object of it, CHRIST JESUS, implying not a bare knowledge or assent, but a trust in him alone for salvation; so ROMANS 1:8. Understanding this saving grace with the... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE HOPE WHICH IS LAID UP FOR YOU IN HEAVEN: hope here, in this description of it, seems chiefly by a metonymy to be put for the glorious eternal salvation hoped for, ROMANS 8:24 EPHESIANS 1:18 which may also include that lively grace whereby we lay hold of eternal life contained in the promise,... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH IS COME UNTO YOU, AS IT IS IN ALL THE WORLD; and passing the narrow bounds of Judea, unto all or most of the regions of the world, COLOSSIANS 1:23 MATTHEW 24:14 ACTS 2:5 ROMANS 1:8, ROMANS 10:18. So admirable was the progress of it east, west, north, and south, well nigh over the world as it w... [ Continue Reading ]
AS YE ALSO LEARNED OF EPAPHRAS: to maintain the truth, it did much concern them to have a good opinion of him, who was an eminent instrument in communicating it to them, and therefore Paul doth here very opportunely commend Epaphras, in opposition to those false teachers, who likely might insinuate... [ Continue Reading ]
Having with kindness and delight reported to Paul and Timothy, &c., what a spiritually fervent affection, not moved by carnal considerations, but inwrought by the Spirit, GALATIANS 5:6,22, arising from a renewed heart, 1 TIMOTHY 1:5 2 TIMOTHY 1:7, they had for Christ, for the gospel, the apostle, an... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THIS CAUSE WE ALSO; he doth here suggest the motive mentioned in the precedent verses, viz. their faith and love, COLOSSIANS 1:4,5, and their special love to him, COLOSSIANS 1:8, why he and his brethren had them so much upon their hearts: SEE POOLE ON "EPHESIANS 1:15". SINCE THE DAY WE HEARD IT,... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT YE MIGHT WALK WORTHY OF THE LORD: they prayed for the above mentioned gracious habits, that the Colossians might exercise them in a course of life as it becomes those who are effectually called by the gospel to be the sons of God, and the servants of Christ; suitable to the members of the body... [ Continue Reading ]
STRENGTHENED WITH ALL MIGHT, ACCORDING TO HIS GLORIOUS POWER: whereunto that they might be enabled, it was needful to pray for a power from above, for the best Christians here below are but infirm as well as imperfect, not able to perform what is required of them for doing and suffering the will of... [ Continue Reading ]
GIVING THANKS UNTO THE FATHER; he passeth from petitioning, COLOSSIANS 1:9, to thanksgiving to God the Father, upon the consideration of his grace manifested in his Son for our redemption. In the Ephesians, EPHESIANS 1:3,4, he began with election, here with effectual vocation; he acknowledgeth God t... [ Continue Reading ]
THE POWER OF DARKNESS, which signifies the sadness and despair of the damned, EPHESIANS 6:12 JUDGES 1:8, that they who are made meet to walk in the light _as children of the light,_ EPHESIANS 5:8, are eternally freed from. The word which the apostle useth to express God's delivering of believers fro... [ Continue Reading ]
IN WHOM; i.e. in the person of Christ alone God-man, deputed of his Father to die for our salvation, ACTS 4:12, ACTS 20:28. _We; _ as we are in him, made meet, COLOSSIANS 1:12. HAVE REDEMPTION; we have eternal deliverance, HEBREWS 9:12, effected by a full ransom paid, 1 CORINTHIANS 6:20, 1 CORINTHIA... [ Continue Reading ]
Having touched on the benefit of Christ's sacrifice, which implies his human nature, he doth here rise higher, to set forth the dignity of his person, (which made it satisfactory), both with respect to his Father and the creature. As to the former, he styles him his _image, _ which is not to be unde... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR BY HIM WERE ALL THINGS CREATED: he proves Christ to be before and Lord over every creature, more excellent than them all, with a prerogative other princes want, for none of them is a creator of his subjects, who were not made by him or for him, as all creatures without exception were made by and... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE IS BEFORE ALL THINGS: to obviate all exceptions to what he had said before, the apostle doth expressly assert (what was implied before) Christ's pre-existence to all the things that were created, and therefore that he himself was not made, but eternally begotten, and so did exist, and was act... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE IS THE HEAD OF THE BODY, THE CHURCH: having spoken of Christ in reference to the creatures in general, or old creation, showing how he is the Creator, Preserver, and Governor thereof, the apostle doth here speak of him with a special reference to his church, or the new creation, whereof he sh... [ Continue Reading ]
A learned man reads it: For all fulness pleased to dwell in him. Others: He liked, or approved, that all fulness should dwell in him, bringing instances for that construction of the word IT PLEASED. FOR IT PLEASED THE FATHER; it is true the word _Father_ is not in the Greek text, nor in the oriental... [ Continue Reading ]
Some, from the Greek, would (not have that clause we read in a parenthesis to come next the copulative _and, _ but) have it: And by himself he should reconcile unto himself (in or to himself) all things, (having made or obtained peace through the blood of his cross), I say, &c. But the reading of th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YOU, THAT WERE SOMETIME ALIENATED: the particle _and, _ by a Hebraism, is put for therefore, or wherefore, leading the Colossians from the doctrines he had proposed, to consider their own estrangement from God and the things that please him, before they were effectually called by the gospel, bei... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE BODY OF HIS FLESH THROUGH DEATH; the means whereby their reconciliation to God was purchased, (which they had particularly applied by faith, COLOSSIANS 1:4), was the sacrifice of that fleshy (not fantastical) body which Christ had assumed, subject to the condition of an animal life, being cap... [ Continue Reading ]
IF YE CONTINUE IN THE FAITH GROUNDED AND SETTLED: this _if_ doth not import the believers continuance in faith to depend merely upon their own free-will, or a carnal doubting of being kept to salvation, 1 PETER 1:5, but infers that they are then reconciled to God when they do indeed persevere in the... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO NOW REJOICE IN MY SUFFERINGS FOR YOU; he confirms his call to the ministry of the gospel from his cheerfulness in his present sufferings, so that they should not be discenraged, being it highly contented him to witness and seal his doctrine by bearing his cross for them, REVELATION 5:2,3 2 CORIN... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREOF I AM MADE A MINISTER; see under what title he suffers for the church, because _a minister, _ (in the more general acceptation of the word), as COLOSSIANS 1:23, not (as one of the ancients saith) to give the price of redemption, but to preach. He looked not on his apostleship as a domination,... [ Continue Reading ]
EVEN THE MYSTERY WHICH HATH BEEN HID FROM AGES AND FROM GENERATIONS; viz. that holy secret of godliness, COLOSSIANS 2:2,3 COLOSSIANS 4:3 MATTHEW 13:11 ROMANS 16:25,26 1 CORINTHIANS 2:7 EPHESIANS 3:3,4,6,8-10; see 1 Timothy 3:16 Revelat [ Continue Reading ]
TO WHOM GOD WOULD MAKE KNOWN; he refers the manifestation purely to God's good will and pleasure, as Christ himself doth, MATTHEW 11:26,27 LU 10:21; so in the like case, REVELATION 9:18; that having mentioned saints, none might conceit it was for foreseen faith, but the Colossians might value their... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOM WE PREACH: here he shows that the subject of his and other ministers preaching was Christ, (as he had before described him), in whom alone hope of glory was to be had, ACTS 4:12 1 CORINTHIANS 2:2 GALATIANS 5:4 1 JOHN 1:3. WARNING EVERY MAN, AND TEACHING EVERY MAN IN ALL WISDOM; the manner of it... [ Continue Reading ]
To perform which, saith he, I earnestly endeavour and take pains to weariness, as a husbandman, 2 TIMOTHY 2:6, contending as one in an agony, 1 THESSALONIANS 5:12, by his grace which was with me _\1 CORINTHIANS 15:10\_ in power; not by my own strength or wisdom to do or suffer, but by his effectual... [ Continue Reading ]