_Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ_ To convince the Colossians that all the things contained in this epistle were dictated by the Spirit of God, and therefore were at once infallibly true, and deeply important, the apostle begins with assuring them both that he was an apostle of Jesus Christ, and tha... [ Continue Reading ]
_We give thanks_, &c. See on Romans 1:8; _to God and the Father_ Or, _even the Father of our Lord_, &c.; or, as the original expression is still more literally rendered, _To the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: praying always for you_ Making express mention of you in all our addresses to the... [ Continue Reading ]
_For this cause_ The report of your faith and love; _we do not cease to pray for you_ We fail not to remember you in all our prayers. This was mentioned in general, Colossians 1:3, but now more particularly; _that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will_ That is, his revealed will concerni... [ Continue Reading ]
_Giving thanks unto the Father_ Of all mercy and grace, who, by justifying and sanctifying us through faith in his Son, and the influence of his Spirit, hath not only entitled us to, but wrought in us, a meetness, that is, an increasing meetness, for _the inheritance of the saints in light_ For, bei... [ Continue Reading ]
_Who_ That is, the Son of God, in whose blood we have redemption; _is the image of the invisible God_ By the description here given of the glory of Christ, and his pre-eminence over the highest angels, the apostle lays a foundation for the reproof of all worshippers of angels. The Socinians contend... [ Continue Reading ]
_For by him were all things created_, &c. The casual particle οτι, _for_, or _because_, with which this verse begins, refers to both parts of the preceding verse. The Son is the _image of the invisible God_, as well as _the firstborn of the whole creation_, because _by him were all things created._... [ Continue Reading ]
_And he is the head of the body, the church_ The apostle having displayed the greatness of the Son, as Creator of all things, visible and invisible, in the heavens and upon the earth, proceeds, in this clause, to display his glory as head of _the church_, which is called _the body_, and _his body_,... [ Continue Reading ]
_And having made peace through the blood of the cross_ The blood shed thereon, by which the design of the ceremonial law having been answered, the obligations of it were abolished, and the wall of partition between Jews and Gentiles broken down, in order to their being united in one church; by which... [ Continue Reading ]
_And you_ Colossians, in particular, with all other Gentiles; _that were sometime_ Greek, ποτε, _once, formerly; alienated_ Estranged from the knowledge, love, and life of the one living and true God, (see note on Ephesians 4:18,) being destitute not only of all conformity to him, and union with him... [ Continue Reading ]
_Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you_ Endured for your benefit, having been exposed to them in consequence of my preaching the gospel to you and other Gentiles; _and fill up_ That is, whereby I fill up; _that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ_ That which remains to be suffered by his... [ Continue Reading ]