Colossians 1:12

εὐχαριστοῦντες. B alone adds ἅμα, thus separating μετὰ χαρᾶς from εὐχαρ. There is no precise parallel to this addition in St Paul’s writings (cf. Colossians 4:3; Philemon 1:22, and cf. Acts 27:40).

τῷ πατρὶ. Text. Rec. with ABC*DP amiat., Syr.Harcl. text; τῷ θεῷ πατρὶ א, Vulgclem fuld. Pesh. Syr. Boh.; θεῷ τῷ πατρὶ G; τῷ θεῷ καὶ πατρὶ C3.

The variety in the forms of the additions is instructive. Contrast the absence of evidence against θεῷ in Colossians 1:3 and Colossians 3:17.

τῷ ἱκανώσαντι. Certain “Western” authorities read τῷ καλέσαντι, D*G Ambrst.; and B alone reads both participles τῷ καλέσαντι καὶ ἱκανώσαντι.

ὑμᾶς, so אB amiat. Syr.Harcl.mg; ἡμᾶς ACD, etc. It was easy to make St Paul express gratitude for himself as well as for others.

12. εὐχαριστοῦντες, Colossians 1:3. Too distant from οὐ παυόμεθα (Colossians 1:9) to be coordinate with προσευχόμενοι καὶ αἰτούμενοι, suitable though the thought of St Paul giving thanks for them in itself is. The word is either coordinate with καρποφοροῦντες and δυναμούμενοι, expressing a third condition of their Christian walk (Colossians 1:10), or, as is more probable, primarily a development of the thought of μετὰ χαρᾶς, explaining the direction which their joy would take.

τῷ πατρὶ. See notes on Textual Criticism. In Colossians 1:3 St Paul thanked the God and Father of Christ (see note) as the source of all the blessings that had been given, but here he represents the Colossians as thanking Him only as the Father, i.e. as the one who had admitted them into possession and thus sonship, through, as St Paul is careful to add (Colossians 1:13), Him who was Son in a supreme degree. The thought closely resembles Galatians 4:6-7.

τῷ ἱκανώσαντι. See notes on Textual Criticism. The verb occurs elsewhere in the N.T. only in 2 Corinthians 3:6. It is found in the LXX., in no case apparently throwing light on our passage, and only in the middle or the passive.

The not infrequent use of [ὁ] ἱκανός in the Greek versions of the O.T. to translate Shaddai (the Almighty), suggests that this name for God may have been in St Paul’s mind when writing this passage. Compare especially Genesis 17:1, “I am El Shaddai, walk before me” with our Colossians 1:10. With the accuracy of the translation we have no concern, but the rendering suggests that He who was sufficient for the needs of the O.T. saints, and who made St Paul and others sufficient as the ministers of the New Covenant (2 Corinthians 3:6), also made the Colossians sufficient for the share etc. Observe that ἱκάνωσεν implies that besides the general invitation both the personal call and the grace to accept it came from God. St Paul thus strikes at the root of the Jewish doctrine of זִכות (merit), even in its more refined forms of gratia de condigno or de congruo.

The tense probably refers to the time of their conversion, when they entered upon the privileges which St Paul is about to mention.

ὑμᾶς. See notes on Textual Criticism. The O.T. colouring of the verse makes ὑμᾶς especially suitable, for the Colossian Christians might well thank God that, though Gentiles, they had been admitted into what had been the unique privilege of Jews, cf. Ephesians 2:12-13.

εἰς τὴν μερίδα. In the LXX. μερίς (gen. = חֵלֶק) is usually distinguished from μέρος (very seldom = חֵלֶק, often קָצֶה) as share from part; i.e. μερίς connotes that others also have a share. In the N.T. μερίς occurs only five times, but = “share” evidently in 2 Corinthians 6:15 and probably in Luke 10:42. This helps, as will be seen, to fix the determination of the following genitive.

τοῦ κλήρου. (1) As to the meaning of the word in itself:

(a) It was originally a lot; (b) thence, presumably from the primitive practice of redistributing at stated periods the land of the community by lot to the several members, an allotment; (c) then, as plots of land were held permanently by individuals, a portion, a possession, a piece of land generally. Hence the LXX. uses it frequently as an equivalent to גּוֹרָל, lot, or allotment, and also for נַחֲלָה, יְרֻשָׁה possession, or in certain cases inheritance.

We cannot therefore insist on κλῆρος maintaining its original connotation of possession acquired by lot, though perhaps it still implies that it has not been earned by the possessor’s efforts. If so τοῦ κλήρου carries on the thought of ἱκάνωσεν. Compare Ephesians 1:11, ἐν ᾧ ἐκληρώθημεν (probably = we were given a possession). Neither, be it observed, can we insist on the meaning “inheritance” as compared with “possession[96].”

[96] Mr H. St J. Thackeray, Relation of St Paul to Contemporary Jewish Thought, 1900. p. 251, mentions the interesting fact that the Book of Enoch also speaks of “the lot of eternal life” given to Enoch (37:4), of the “portion” predestined for him (39:8), of the “lot” of the Son of Man (46:3), of “the glorious lot” of the righteous and elect (58). But the absence of these Chapter s in the Greek fragments forbids a very close comparison.

(2) Its reference here:
As Mt Seir was given to the sons of Esau ἐν κλήρῳ, Deuteronomy 2:5 (Heb. “for a possession”), so Canaan was given to the Israelites also ἐν κλήρῳ, Exodus 6:8; Numbers 33:53; Deuteronomy 3:18 (Heb. “for a possession,” or “to possess it”), although it does not appear to be actually called their κλῆρος. Yet it is probable that the thought of Canaan as the κλῆρος of the Lord’s people underlies our passage[97].

[97] The familiar phrase “the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance” Psalms 105:11 = 1 Chronicles 16:18, represents different words, σχοίνισμα κληρονομίας ὑμῶν (Heb. “the measure of your inheritance”).

(3) The relation of τοῦ κλήρου to τὴν μερίδα:

What then is the relation in which τοῦ κλήρου stands to the preceding τὴν μερίδα? Two answers have been given.

(a) The genitive is of apposition, “the share, i.e. the possession.” But in this case it is (α) hard to see why both substantives are employed; (β) μέρις, as stated above, would then suggest that others besides τῶν ἁγίων partake of it.

Hence (b) the partitive genitive, “the share in the possession,” is preferable. You have your share in the lot possessed by the saints. “The κλῆρος ἐν τῷ φωτί is represented as the joint inheritance of the saints, of which each individual has his μερίδα” (Ell.).

τῶν ἁγίων. Colossians 1:2 note. Possessive genitive.

ἐν τῷ φωτί. Defining the sphere of the κλῆρος. For the O.T. worthies it lay in Canaan; for Christian believers it is ἐν τῷ φωτί. The Book of Enoch, § 58 (see note below), speaks of the lot of the righteous and elect being glorious; “and the righteous will be in the light of the sun, and the elect in the light of eternal life,” thinking chiefly, it would seem, of physical splendour, but the contrast of τὸ σκότος in Colossians 1:13 shows that (a) St Paul has in mind chiefly not physical but spiritual light; and (b) this light is something already enjoyed. The possession of the saints is not merely a future heaven but present spiritual privileges ἐν τῷ φωτί. Compare 1 Peter 2:9; Ephesians 5:8 is even stronger. St Paul’s words in Acts 26:18 present several points of close resemblance to our Colossians 1:12-14, τοῦ ἐπιστρέψαι�σκότους εἰς φῶς καὶ τῆς ἐξουσίαςτοῦ Σατανᾶ ἐπὶ τὸν θεόν, τοῦ λαβεῖν αὐτοὺς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν καὶ κλῆρον ἐν τοῖς ἡγιασμένοις πίστει τῇ εἰς ἐμέ.

“ἐν in est quasi praepositio loci. Conferatur oppositum, Matthew 4:16, ubi bis est in” (Beng.).