CONFLICT or struggle, in allusion to what he has just said of his striving, chap Colossians 1:29. In the original Greek the two words agree, like "struggling" and "struggle." It is an inward conflict, the object of which he explains in the following verse. AS MANY AS HAVE NOT SEEN MY FACE IN THE FL... [ Continue Reading ]
BE COMFORTED, BEING KNIT TOGETHER IN LOVE; that is, comforted in the way of being knit together in love. UNTO ALL RICHES OF THE FULL ASSURANCE OF UNDERSTANDING; these words give the end to which such a union of love tends. The apostle means that understanding of spiritual things which carries with... [ Continue Reading ]
HID; treasured up, to be communicated according to the wants of those who believe. The religion of Christ makes all who possess it truly benevolent, and leads them earnestly to desire the holiness and happiness of others.... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH ENTICING WORDS; false persuasion; words of mere human wisdom, such as are more fully explained afterwards in verses Colossians 2:16-23.... [ Continue Reading ]
CHRIST JESUS THE LORD; emphatically, Christ Jesus as your supreme Lord and Saviour, and no yoke of carnal ordinances. WALK YE IN HIM; continue in the belief and practice of those truths which you received when you gave your hearts to Christ.... [ Continue Reading ]
ROOTED AND BUILT; firmly established, like a tree deep rooted, or a house on a rock. A heart abounding in thanksgiving to God for his mercies, especially for Jesus Christ and life through him, is a great safeguard against error, a source of the purest enjoyment, and a means of the greatest good.... [ Continue Reading ]
LEST ANY MAN SPOIL YOU; literally, make booty of you; rob you of spiritual blessings by leading you to depend on something besides Christ for salvation. RUDIMENTS OF THE WORLD; the Mosaic ceremonies, so called as containing, in comparison with the gospel of Christ, only the first elements of religi... [ Continue Reading ]
GODHEAD BODILY; God incarnate, or dwelling in human nature. John 1:14; ROMANS 9:5; 1 TIMOTHY 3:16; HEBREWS 1:6-8.... [ Continue Reading ]
YE ARE CIRCUMCISED; have experienced that spiritual renovation, that cutting off or renouncing of sin, the necessity of which circumcision taught. WITHOUT HANDS; literal circumcision was made with hands, but the spiritual circumcision which they had experienced was wrought by the Holy Spirit, throu... [ Continue Reading ]
BURIED WITH HIM IN BAPTISM; by openly renouncing sin, and publicly professing to hate and forsake it; thus showing their deadness to its reigning power. RISEN WITH HIM; from their death in sin, by believing on him, and thus experiencing in their own persons the same divine power which raised Christ... [ Continue Reading ]
DEAD IN YOUR SINS; while in their unconverted state. THE UNCIRCUMCISION OF YOUR FLESH; that inward uncleanness of soul which their outward state of uncircumcision well represented. QUICKENED; made spiritually alive.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HANDWRITING OF ORDINANCES; the Jewish ceremonial law, which lay in the letter, and not in the spirit. CONTRARY TO US; burdensome, opposed to our liberty and peace as Christians, and constituting a "middle wall of partition" between Jews and Gentiles. NAILING IT TO HIS CROSS; as a sign of its a... [ Continue Reading ]
PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS; the powers of darkness, of which Satan is the leader. Compare Ephesians 6:12. These our Lord overcame by his death and resurrection. John 12:31; John 14:30; John 16:11. MADE A SHOW OF THEM OPENLY; let them in triumph, as a conqueror his captives. Compare Ephesians 4:8. I... [ Continue Reading ]
JUDGE YOU; pronounce you good or bad, according to your treatment of the ceremonial law. A HOLY - DAY-SABBATH - DAYS; in the original, a festival-sabbaths. The days referred to are those required to be observed in the ceremonial law-days associated by God with meats, drinks, and new moons. The pass... [ Continue Reading ]
A SHADOW; of the Redeemer who was to come; pointing to him as the only and all-sufficient Saviour. THE BODY IS OF CHRIST; he is the substance to which, as shadows, all the Jewish rites referred. Circumcision and all the Mosaic rites and ceremonies were designed to show men their need of inward puri... [ Continue Reading ]
OF YOUR REWARD; that which Christ bestows on those who cleave to him, and seek salvation through him. IN A VOLUNTARY HUMILITY AND WORSHIPPING OF ANGELS; the apostle apparently speaks of that false humility which they had who pretended that God was too great to be approached except through created b... [ Continue Reading ]
HEAD; Christ. THE BODY; the church, which is composed of all who truly believe in him. THE INCREASE OF GOD; the increase which God bestows, consisting in faith, love, joy, peace, and other graces of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23.... [ Continue Reading ]
IF YE BE DEAD WITH CHRIST; compare, for this idea of dying with Christ, Romans 6:3-11, and the notes on that passage. By dying with Christ, the Colossians had renounced sin and worldly confidence in THE RUDIMENTS OF THE WORLD; that is, the Mosaic ceremonies; see note to verse Colossians 2:8. Why th... [ Continue Reading ]
TOUCH NOT-HANDLE NOT; samples of these worldly ordinances pertaining to the Jewish distinction of meats.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH ALL ARE TO PERISH WITH THE USING; a parenthetical remark thrown in by the apostle to show that these meats can bring no real defilement to the soul; for they all perish with the using, and pass away without touching the true inner man. Compare the exactly similar argument of our Saviour, Mark... [ Continue Reading ]
A SHOW OF WISDOM; an empty show without the reality. He then names three things in which this vain show is made. WILL - WORSHIP; of man's invention, not required of God. HUMILITY; a vain show of it. See note to verse Colossians 2:18. NEGLECTING OF THE BODY; unsparing treatment of it by austeritie... [ Continue Reading ]