Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Colossians 1:27

Colossians 1:27. To whom God willed; ‘ it was His will,' etc. ‘Would' is not strong enough; both ‘desired' and ‘purposed' are inexact. ‘Free grace' may be interred from the term, but is certainly not expressed. God's design in thus making manifest the mystery to the saints was to make known what (both in degree and kind) is the riches, etc. Comp. on Ephesians 1:18; Ephesians 3:16. As in the parallel passage, Meyer renders: ‘What the riches, etc., is among the Gentiles.' But this seems forced.

The glory of this mystery. Some take ‘glory' here as identical with ‘glory' in the last clause of the verse; but the latter seems to have a more special reference, while here a wider sense is more appropriate, including both the grace and glory of God revealed by this gospel mystery and the glorious effects upon men (the Gentiles). The latter alone is allowable, if the word has the same reference in both clauses.

Among (lit, ‘in') the Gentiles. Calvin: ‘What could be more deserving of admiration than that the Gentiles, who for so many ages had been sunk in death, and whose condition might seem altogether desperate, should suddenly be received into the family of God, and receive the inheritance of salvation?'

Which (‘mystery,' or better, ‘the riches of the glory of this mystery) is Christ in (or, ‘among') you. As the preposition is the same, and ‘you' refers to those who were Gentiles, it is more natural to translate ‘among you;' so the best commentators from Bengel to Meyer and Ellicott. The thought of Christ's dwelling in them individually is so true, and so useful for homiletical purposes, that ‘in you' will probably be preferred by most readers.

The hope of glory. In apposition with ‘Christ,' who is Himself the hope of glory, i.e., future blessedness. ‘In Him we have here as seed, what we shall have in Him there as harvest' (Braune).

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Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Colossians 1:27

Old Testament

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