Colossians 1:6

ἐν παντὶ τῷ κόσμῳ ἐστὶν καρποφορούμενον. Text. Rec. inserts καί after κόσμῳ, with DbcGKL, Old Lat. Vulg. Syrr. It is an attempt to improve a very difficult construction, but is practically limited to “Western” authorities.

καὶ αὐξανόμενον, omitted by Text. Rec. with DbcK and many late MSS. perhaps by a mere error of sight, cf. Colossians 1:9. But apart from the external evidence we might have supposed the words to be added from Colossians 1:10.

6. τοῦ παρόντος εἰς ὑμᾶς, “which (i.e. the Gospel) is come unto you.” πάρειμι εἰς† frequently in Classics, e.g. Thuc. vi. 88, cf. 1Ma 11:63. In N.T. with πρός, Acts 12:20; 2 Corinthians 11:8; Galatians 4:18; Galatians 4:20†.

καθὼς. He wishes to bring out the fact that they do not stand alone. Others, yes even the whole world, are experiencing the vigorous life of the true Gospel.

καὶ ἐν παντὶ τῷ κόσμῳ. πᾶς ὁ κόσμος, Romans 3:19†, cf. “Mark” Mark 16:15. ὅλος ὁ κ., Romans 1:8; 1 John 2:2; Matthew 16:26 (|| Luke), Matthew 26:13 (|| Mark)†. An hyperbole (Colossians 1:23; 1 Thessalonians 1:8 b; 2 Corinthians 2:14; Romans 1:8; cf. Romans 10:18) made easier to St Paul by his habit of choosing important towns as his centres of mission work, and regarding their several districts as evangelised through them, cf. 1 Thessalonians 1:8 a Acts 19:10. St John’s letters to the Seven Churches imply a similar mode of thought.

ἐστὶν καρποφορούμενον καὶ αὐξανόμενον καθὼς καὶ ἐν ὑμῖς. The punctuation is exceedingly doubtful.

(1) Consider it first as printed. St Paul in this case purposely uses the paraphrastic present, 2 Corinthians 9:12, and perhaps Colossians 2:23 (cf. Blass, § 62. 2), “to express continuity of present action” (Lightfoot), and then, after still further enlarging the contents of the analogy in the preceding καθώς by καὶ αὐξανόμενον, doubles back upon the analogy, and states that even the fuller blessing is found in the Colossians (καθὼς κ. ἐν ὑμῖν).

The construction is intelligible, but very awkward, and it has no real parallel in the N.T. 1 Thessalonians 4:1 has been adduced (καθὼς παρελάβετε παρʼ ἡμῶν τὸ πῶς δεῖ ὑμᾶς περιπατεῖν καὶ�, καθὼς καὶ περιπατεῖτε), but in that passage the second καθὼς introduces a fresh fact, that their “walk” corresponded to the lesson in it that they had “received.”

(2) Print ἐστίν, καρποφορ. κ.τ.λ. In this case the force of the first καθὼς stops at ἐστίν. The Gospel has come as far as you, even as it is, in fact, in all the world. καρποφορ. κ.τ.λ. then becomes an additional, but loosely appended, thought of the success of the Gospel in the world. To this very naturally is added the further statement that it is successful not only in the world but also in the Colossians (καθ. κ. ἐν ὑμῖν). This second method of punctuation is perhaps preferable in that it puts less force upon the language.

καρποφορούμενον. The middle comes here only in the Greek Bible. The active, though used of plants in Habakkuk 3:17; Wis 10:7, suits excellently persons (e.g. Colossians 1:10) or the ground (Mark 4:28). Even in Matthew 13:23 (and more clearly in ||s) the thought of the seed is merged in that of the person. For the middle comprises the notion of having life in itself, which persons and the earth do not possess. “The middle denotes the inherent energy, the active the external diffusion. The Gospel is essentially a reproductive organism, a plant ‘whose seed is in itself’  ” (Lightfoot).

καὶ αὐξανόμενον. αὐξάνομαι is connected with καρποφορεῖν also in Colossians 1:10. Observe that in the parable of the Sower Matthew 13:23 reads ὅς δὴ καρποφορεῖ καὶ ποιεῖ κ.τ.λ., and Mark 4:8, ἐδίδου καρπόν, ἀναβαίνοντα καὶ αὐξανόμενα. St Paul’s words are apparently a reminiscence of our Lord’s parable, but he divides the Gospel term, “seed,” into its component parts, (1) the message (Colossians 1:6), and (2) those who receive the message (Colossians 1:10).

Of the two words καρποφ. implies that the activity of the Gospel is seen in its effect on life; believers are changed in character. αὐξαν in its spread; believers are continually being added. Compare Colossians 1:10 note.

καθὼς καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν, vide supra.

ἀφʼ ἦς ἡμέρας. To be closely connected with the preceding words. The proper result of the Gospel among you was not postponed for a single day.

ἠκούσατε. The object (the Gospel) is understood (cf. Colossians 1:9), “since the day ye heard of it” (A.V.). For though it is possible to connect ἠκούσατε with τὴν χάριν (“since the day ye heard and knew the grace of God” R.V.), this construction is improbable, because (1) ἐν� must go solely with ἐπέγνωτε; (2) the καθώς of Colossians 1:7, “heard … the grace … even as ye learned,” would be tautological.

καὶ ἐπέγνωτε. The verb occurs in Colossians here only. Cf. Colossians 1:9. On the much disputed question of the force of ἐπὶ in this compound see J. A. R.’s valuable detached note in his Ephesians, pp. 248–254, where he shows that in the Classics (and he sees no occasion to depart from this in the N.T.) “the preposition is not intensive, but directive.… So that to perceive a particular thing, or to perceive who a particular person is, may fitly be expressed by ἐπιγινώσκειν.”

Moulton (Gram. Proleg. 1906, p. 113) attributes less force to the ἐπί, saying only that it makes the aorist more decisive, and in the present “includes the goal in the picture of the journey there.”

τὴν χάριν τοῦ θεοῦ, i.e. His love to man as shown in the Gospel. Compare Acts 20:24 διαμαρτύρασθαι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς χάριτος τοῦ θεοῦ and 32 (both addressed to the Elders of the Church at Ephesus), Titus 2:11; 1 Peter 1:10.

“The true Gospel as taught by Epaphras was an offer of free grace, a message from God; the false Gospel, as superposed by the heretical teachers, was a code of rigorous prohibitions, a system of human devising. It was not χάρις but δόγματα (Colossians 2:14); not τοῦ θεοῦ but τοῦ κόσμου, τῶν� (Colossians 2:8; Colossians 2:20; Colossians 2:22)” Lightfoot.

In addition to these thoughts there is probably that of the universality of the offer of salvation, whether in contrast to Jewish exclusiveness generally, or, as perhaps with special reference here, to the apparently esoteric doctrine of the false teachers at Colossae in particular.
J. A. R., Ephesians, pp. 220–226, has a valuable detached note upon χάρις, showing that St Paul used it in part to bring out “the surprising mercy of God, by which those who had been wholly outside the privileged circle [of Israel] were now the recipients of the Divine favour” (p. 224).

ἐν�. Not adjectival with τὴν χάριν τοῦ θεοῦ, but adverbial with ἐπέγνωτε, cf. Matthew 22:16; 2 John 1:1; 3 John 1:1. It is more than “in sincerity,” and rather “in right and accurate fashion.” See especially Matthew 22:16, with the parallel passages Mark 12:14; Luke 20:21. You knew in proper fashion, you not only heard the message, but grasped its contents rightly. Observe the undercurrent of assurance that their first perception of the Gospel was better than that which the false teachers desired to see in them now.