Colossians 1:10

walk A very frequent word in St Paul; most frequent in Eph., where see Colossians 4:1 for a close parallel. See 1 Thessalonians 2:12 for one still closer verbally. The word denotes life in its action and intercourse. The spiritual knowledge which he asks for them is thus sought for the most sacredly practical of purposes in order to their closer conformity to the will of God in real life.

worthy of the Lord Lit., worthily &c.; so R.V. But all previous English versions read as A.V., perhaps using the adjective adverbially. Ideally, of course, no human "walk" is "worthy of the Lord." But practically it can and should be so, in the sense of being governed at every step by the Divine motive of His love and presence, and so presenting a true correspondence to that motive.

" The Lord:" "St Paul's common, and apparently universal, usage requires us to understand [-the Lord"] of Christ." (Lightfoot). The "worthy of God" of 1 Thessalonians 2:12 thus gives to the phrase here a deep significance in relation to the Godhead of Christ. Such alternative expressions indicate how truly for St Paul the Father and the Son are Persons of the same Order of being. Cp. for similar indications (among very many passages) Romans 8:35 with 39; Ephesians 2:22 with Colossians 3:17.

unto all pleasing "So as to aim at, and go the length of, meeting every wish(of the Lord's)." The word rendered "pleasing" is most instructive. In classical Greek it denotes a cringing and subservient habit, ready to do or say anything to please a patron; not only to meet but to anticipate his most trivial wishes. But when transferred to the spiritual region, and the believer's relations to his Lord, the word at once rises by its association. To do anythingto meet, to anticipate, His wishes, is not only the most beneficial but the most absolutely right thing we can do. It is His eternal and sacred due; it is at the same time the surest path to our own highest development and gain. See Lightfoot's excellent note. For a close parallel to the wording here, see 1 Thessalonians 4:1, where the cognate verb is used.

fruitful See above on Colossians 1:6. The verb here is in the active, not middle, and so somewhat less pregnant in meaning.

every good work Observe the characteristic impartiality and whole-heartedness of Christian obedience; as just above, "allpleasing."

increasing See above on Colossians 1:6; and cp. below Colossians 2:19; 1Pe 2:2; 2 Peter 3:18.

in the knowledge The Greek, in the best-attested reading, is capable also of the rendering "by the knowledge;" and so Ellicott, Lightfoot, and margin R.V. But the text R.V. renders as A.V., though using this other and better-attested Greek, which gives epignósisin the dative, without preposition. This is quite good grammatically; cp. e.g.the Greek of Romans 4:20; Philippians 2:8. The dative is used as the case of reference; the growth is growth with regard tospiritual knowledge of God; that is, it is a development of that knowledge in the believer, a growth in it. The other (and we think inferior) rendering meanwhile conveys an undoubted and important truth.

" The knowledge of God:" which "is life eternal" (John 17:3). "You must needs know that to enjoy God and His Christ is eternal Life; and the soul's enjoying is in knowing" (Baxter, Saint's Everlasting Rest, Part i. sect. vii.).