24–2:5. _St Paul’s appeal based on_ (Colossians 1:24-29) _his own joy in enduring suffering in order to make known the secret of Christ’s presence in their heart, and_ (Colossians 2:1-5) _his personal interest in them_ 1–5. _I say this because I want you to be cheered, united, and of assured convic... [ Continue Reading ]
ΘΈΛΩ ΓᾺΡ ὙΜΑ͂Σ ΕἸΔΈΝΑΙ. St Paul is becoming more personal. Having set them thinking about his contest he states the reason for his mentioning it. Part of it was for them and he wishes them to know this. The formula γινώσκειν σε θέλω occurs frequently in the Papyri; see reff. in P. Ewald. For εἰδέν... [ Continue Reading ]
ΣΥΝΒΙΒΑΣΘΈΝΤΕΣ. So א*ABCD*P Old Lat. Vulg. -θέντων is read by the Text. Rec. with אCDCKL. τοῦ θεοῦ, Χριστοῦ. In B Hil. _de Trin._ ix. 62 only. This difficult reading was altered in several ways: (_a_) τοῦ θεοῦ, ὅ ἐστιν Χριστός D* Aug. (_b_) τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ Χριστοῦ Cyr. Alex. (_c_) τοῦ θεοῦ DbP and... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΝ ὯΙ; cf. Colossians 1:14; Colossians 2:11-12. The antecedent is Χριστοῦ. ΕἸΣῚΝ. Its position indicates that it is not a mere copula to ἀποκρυφοί, “are hid,” but is here a substantive verb almost our “lie,” to which ἀποκρυφοί is afterwards added as a secondary predicate; vide infra, and compare Co... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΟΥ͂ΤΟ ΛΈΓΩ. The exact phrase here only, but with δέ [1 Corinthians 1:12]; Galatians 3:17, and οὗν Ephesians 4:17 (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:15), in all of which cases the reference is to what follows and not, as here, primarily to what has preceded. τοῦτο does not designate only Colossians 2:3, but Col... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕἸ ΓᾺΡ ΚΑῚ ΤΗ͂Ι ΣΑΡΚῚ ἌΠΕΙΜΙ. “For even though I am absent in my flesh.” ΓᾺΡ gives a further reason for τοῦτο λέγω. My interest in you, encouraged too as I am about you, is a reason for my writing. ἈΛΛᾺ. Strengthening the apodosis in a conditional sentence, as often, e.g. Romans 6:5; 2 Corinthians... [ Continue Reading ]
ὩΣ. Cf. 2 Corinthians 7:14, where however οὕτως follows. ΟΥ̓͂Ν. The immediate reference is to the latter part of Colossians 2:5, but the next verse shows that St Paul is going back in thought as far as events mentioned in Colossians 1:4; Colossians 1:7. ΠΑΡΕΛΆΒΕΤΕ. (1) Does this compound here mean... [ Continue Reading ]
6, 7. _Transition to direct warning against the false teachers_. Right reception of truth is well as far as it goes, but truth must be put into life (Colossians 2:6) Your faith is sound, therefore live: as you received from Epaphras the message about this Christ, nay as ye received Christ Himself,... [ Continue Reading ]
[ἘΝ ΑΥ̓ΤΗ͂Ι] ἘΝ ΕΥ̓ΧΑΡΙΣΤΊΑΙ. The reading is very uncertain, for though in itself ἐν αὐτῇ is more difficult yet its undoubted presence in Colossians 4:2 makes it possible that it was introduced thence. It is found in BDcH**KL(P) Syr.Pesh. and Harcl. (on the reading of H see [Dean] J. Arm. Robinson,... [ Continue Reading ]
ΒΛΈΠΕΤΕ ΜΉ … ἜΣΤΑΙ. A classical author would have written ὁρᾶτε μή, and so St Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:15; cf. Matthew 8:4 (|| Mark 1:44), Matthew 9:30; Matthew 18:10, [Matthew 24:6]; Revelation 19:10; Revelation 22:9†. The abruptness gives force; cf.... [ Continue Reading ]
_You have in Christ far more than what the false teachers promise you and demand of you, for He is superior to all spiritual powers_ (Colossians 2:8) Be watchful not to be led astray. Many a false teacher is trying to carry you off as booty for himself by means of that philosophy of his of which you... [ Continue Reading ]
ὍΤΙ. The reason for the warning of Colossians 2:8. Hence the emphatic ἐν αὐτῷ. The fact has been already stated in Colossians 1:19, which however is here defined by the addition of τ. θεότητος, and the important word σωματικῶς. ἘΝ ΑΥ̓ΤΩ͂Ι, Colossians 2:6. ΚΑΤΟΙΚΕΙ͂, see Colossians 1:19. Observe ... [ Continue Reading ]
ὍΣ ἘΣΤΙΝ. So אACHKLP Chrys. qui est efg Vulg. Ambrst. ὅ ἐστιν is read by BDG, quod est caput d. Hilary988. Possibly the similarity of the letters ⲞⲤⲈⲤ led to the omission of the c. 10. ΚΑῚ ἘΣΤῈ ἘΝ ΑΥ̓ΤΩ͂Ι ΠΕΠΛΗΡΩΜΈΝΟΙ. Probably still under the government of ὅτι (Colossians 2:9). A second reason wh... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΝ ὯΙ. He now states in some detail what believers obtained in Christ. ΚΑῚ ΠΕΡΙΕΤΜΉΘΗΤΕ. The suddenness of the reference to circumcision can only be accounted for by its being advocated by the false teachers (who were evidently Jewish), not (at any rate chiefly, cf. Colossians 2:14) because they des... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΝ ΤΩ͂Ι ΒΑΠΤΊΣΜΑΤΙ. So א*ACDcKLP, Chrys.4.467 Thdt. ἐν τῷ βαπτισμῷ is read by אcBD*G, a few cursives. Although the evidence for βαπτισμῷ is suspiciously “Western,” yet, in view of the fact that βάπτισμα became the technical word for the sacrament, its substitution for βαπτισμός is readily explicabl... [ Continue Reading ]
13. St Paul still dwells upon the magnitude of the change wrought in the Colossians through Christ, though he now ceases to place this directly under the figure of circumcision. ΚΑῚ ὙΜΑ͂Σ, “and you too”; cf. Colossians 1:21. To be connected closely in thought with the end of Colossians 2:12. God ra... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΞΑΛΕΊΨΑΣ ΤῸ … ΧΕΙΡΌΓΡΑΦΟΝ. The mention of forgiveness in Colossians 2:13 leads the apostle to the figure of a bond which is first described as cancelled, then as permanently removed, as it were, from being between us and God, and then as because settled and being in itself worthless nailed up in tr... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΠΕΚΔΥΣΆΜΕΝΟΣ. What is the force of the middle? I. In itself it may = stripping for Himself, i.e. despoiling τὰς�. τὰς ἐξουσίας for His own purposes. But it is not only very improbable that St Paul should use the same word, and that a rare one, in one sense here, and in another sense so soon as Colo... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑῚ ἘΝ ΠΌΣΕΙ. καὶ is read only by B Pesh. Boh. Origen (once). Tert. (once), ἢ is read by Text. Rec. with אACD, etc. In spite of the following threefold ἢ the juxtaposition ἐν βρώσει καὶ ἐν πόσει is so natural that καὶ is very suspicious. 16. ΟΥ̓͂Ν refers at least as far back as Colossians 2:9, but... [ Continue Reading ]
16–19. _Practical application of_ Colossians 2:6-15 _and more especially_ Colossians 2:9-15 You have everything in Christ (Colossians 2:10), and have been joined to Him in all His redemptive acts (Colossians 2:11-13). He has too cancelled the ceremonial law, doing away with the law itself (Colossian... [ Continue Reading ]
A reason why these things should not be objects of scrupulous anxiety on the part of the Colossians. Ἅ. The plural most naturally refers to the five points in Colossians 2:16 considered singly, for even the dietary laws served as a preparation for higher things, and thus may be fairly included unde... [ Continue Reading ]
Ἃ ἙΌΡΑΚΕΝ. μὴ is omitted by א*ABD* Boh. Marc. Ambrst. μὴ is inserted by Text. Rec. with אcCDcHKLP, etc. οὐκ by G. The negative is also found in vulg. Syrr. Chrys., and is so much easier upon a superficial examination that it is hardly likely to be genuine. 18. ΜΗΔΕἸΣ. Contrast μή τις, Colossians 2:... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑῚ ΟΥ̓ ΚΡΑΤΩ͂Ν ΤῊΝ ΚΕΦΑΛΉΝ. Apparently σάρξ suggested the true body to which Christians belong, with its Head. For a fuller elaboration of the figure cf. Ephesians 4:15-16. “οὐ not μή, the negation here becoming direct and objective, and designed to be specially distinct” (Ell.). Cf. 2 Corinthians... [ Continue Reading ]
20. εἰ. No οὗν. For the forcible brusqueness cf. Colossians 2:8 and contrast Colossians 3:1. ἈΠΕΘΆΝΕΤΕ. As already stated in Colossians 2:11-13. Cf. Romans 6:8-11 where the argument closely resembles our Colossians 2:20_ to_ Colossians 3:4; also 2 Corinthians 5:15;... [ Continue Reading ]
20–3:4. _Transition to the detailed practical directions of the Epistle_ (Colossians 3:5 to Colossians 4:6). St Paul, first negatively (Colossians 2:20-23), and secondly positively (c. Colossians 3:1-4), describes in general terms the right attitude of the believer to Christ in his daily life. His l... [ Continue Reading ]
21. ΜῊ ἍΨΗΙ ΜΗΔῈ ΓΕΎΣΗΙ ΜΗΔῈ ΘΊΓΗΙΣ, “Handle not, nor taste, nor touch.” On the force of the aor. subj. in prohibitions, and its infrequency in St Paul’s Epp., see Moulton, _Gram. Proleg._ 1906, pp. 122–126. The three prohibitions indicate the nature of the δόγματα, and are on a scale both descend... [ Continue Reading ]
22. Ἅ ἘΣΤΙΝ ΠΆΝΤΑ ΕἸΣ ΦΘΟΡᾺΝ ΤΗ͂Ι�. A parenthesis giving St Paul’s judgment on the things that they are bid avoid. The false teachers say these must not be even touched and yet in their very use they perish! Ἅ. The antecedent is readily supplied in the objects of the preceding prohibitions. ἘΣΤΙΝ... [ Continue Reading ]
[ΚΑῚ] ἈΦΕΙΔΊΑΙ ΣΏΜΑΤΟΣ. καὶ is omitted by B Origint. Hil. Ambrst. Ambr. Augustine gives a very remarkable exposition of this chapter in his Epistle to Paulinus (_Ep._ 149), §§ 23–30 (Migne, II. 639 sqq.). 23. ἍΤΙΝΑ, “which in fact.” Referring primarily not to τὰ ἐντάλματα κ.τ.λ. but to the precept... [ Continue Reading ]