Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Colossians 1:5

διὰ τὴν ἐλπίδα κ.τ.λ. This should be taken with the whole sentence from τὴν πίστιν onwards. Both the faith and the love of the Colossians are stated to be due to the news of the glorious future brought to them by the Gospel. We have thus the triple idea of faith, love, and hope (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:8-9). That hope is objective here causes but little difficulty, for it implies and includes the subjective meaning.

Observe that “hope” is given a much more important part in the N.T. than in our popular theology. To the heathen the good news of a real heaven, a blessed life after death, must have proved a special means of leading them to faith on Christ. Contrast Ephesians 2:12. Compare infra, Colossians 1:27. For the connexion of hope with faith compare 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10.

τὴν�, “the hope that is laid by for you,” Luke 19:20; 2 Timothy 4:8; Hebrews 9:27†. Frequently in the Classics of money put on one side so that it may be brought out in due course. Compare Luke 19:20, the talent in the napkin. In Deuteronomy 32:34 Symm. translates כָּמֻם† “laid up in store,” R.V., by ἀπόκειται. For reference to the glory reserved for the Christian cf. 2 Timothy 4:8, and the difficult passage, 2Ma 12:45. For the thought cf. also 1 Peter 1:4.

ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, Colossians 1:16 note.

ἣν προηκούσατε† (not in LXX.). The frequent difficulty of correctly interpreting a word not in itself difficult may be seen here, where the value of the preposition in the compound verb has been understood in at least seven different ways. Of these only two appear to be worthy of mention: (1) It may mean “before exercising faith and love.” The words of the truth etc. contained the message of this “hope.” (2) More probably, however, it means “before you heard the later lessons of the false teachers,” cf. 23. See also the next note.

ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῆς�. Here only, though see Ephesians 1:13. But ἡ�. εὐαγγ. occurs in Galatians 2:5; Galatians 2:14†, where it means the Gospel in its integrity as compared with Judaistic perversions of it. So also here St Paul probably is silently contrasting a false conception of the Gospel, cf. ἐν�, Colossians 1:6.

λόγος here is presumably the message spoken by the first preacher to the Colossians, apparently Epaphras, Colossians 1:7. Compare Acts 15:7; Matthew 13:19. Contrast ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ, Colossians 1:25 note.

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Colossians 1:5

Old Testament

New Testament