_AFTER SALUTATION, HE THANKETH GOD FOR THEIR FAITH, CONFIRMETH THE DOCTRINE OF EPAPHRAS, PRAYETH FURTHER FOR THEIR INCREASE IN GRACE, DESCRIBETH THE TRUE CHRIST, ENCOURAGETH THEM TO RECEIVE THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND VINDICATES HIS OWN MINISTRY._ _Anno Domini 62._ Effectuallyto silence the false t... [ Continue Reading ]
TIMOTHEUS OUR BROTHER— Or, _Timothy the brother._... [ Continue Reading ]
TO THE SAINTS AND FAITHFUL BRETHREN— _To the holy and faithful brethren._ They might receive this appellation of _holy,_ not only on account of their strong attachment to the purity of the Christian faith, but likewise as a society by profession _separated_ from the rest of the world.... [ Continue Reading ]
TO GOD AND THE FATHER— _To the God and Father._ Pierce, Doddridge, &c. P. Franck has a good observation here, which illustrates the beauty of many scriptures: "The order which would seem most artificial is transposed, to make the sense plainer. It is not,—_having heard of your faith, I bless God,_—b... [ Continue Reading ]
SINCE WE HEARD OF YOUR FAITH, &C.— See on Ephesians 1:15 and Philippians 1:3.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE HOPE WHICH IS LAID UP, &C.— There is an ambiguity in the connection of this clause. It may either signify that the Apostle gives thanks for this their hope, (supposing the 4th verse to come in as a parenthesis,) or it may more directlyrefer to the immediately preceding words, and intimate, t... [ Continue Reading ]
IN ALL THE WORLD— "In all the provinces of the Roman empire," as the phrase often signifies. See Romans 10:18. The words _in truth,_ at the end of the verse, may be referred to their _knowledge;_ and then it should be rendered, _since you truly knew the grace of God._ But St. Paul seems rather here... [ Continue Reading ]
YOUR LOVE IN THE SPIRIT— The Apostle's meaning seems to be, that their love to him was purely upon a spiritual account;—for the sake of the doctrine that he taught; they not having reason to love him upon any inferior consideration, since they had never seen him. See ch. Colossians 2:1; Colossians 2... [ Continue Reading ]
SINCE THE DAY WE HEARD IT,— Our translators, by inserting _it,_ shew that they thought this verse stood connected with Colossians 1:7 whereas those two verses are rather a parenthesis; and the present verse is to be joined with Colossians 1:6. This seems clear from what he says,—_That ye might be fi... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT YE MIGHT WALK WORTHY, &C.— The Apostle seems here most pathetically to propose the great subject and design of this Epistle; which was chiefly intended to excite them to a temper and behaviour worthy their Christian character, and which, indeed, is the leading view in all his writings. Some wou... [ Continue Reading ]
MADE US MEET TO BE PARTAKERS,— The words rendered, _partakers of the inheritance,_ literally signify, the _proportion of an inheritance,_ which falls by lot to each of those among whom it is divided; alluding, as is supposed, to the manner in which the land of Canaan was divided among the tribes. It... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO HATH DELIVERED US.— Some think that the _us_ and _we,_ in these verses, refer to the Gentile converts only; but though there is no doubt that the Apostle refers to their dark andsinful state, yet there is no reason to believe that he means to exclude himself: for when divine grace made him sensi... [ Continue Reading ]
_COLOSSIANS 1:14_.— St. Paul having, in the 13th verse, mentioned _God's dear Son,_ he here, accordingtohisusualmanner,runsoutimmediatelyintoadigressionconcerning him; but it is such a digression as is very much to his main purpose; _viz._ to establish them in their adherence to Christ, and to make... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO IS THE IMAGE— Adam is said to have been _made in the image of God,_ and dominion given him over the creatures of the earth; by which he became Lord of this lower world. St. Paul, in Philippians 2:6 tells us, that _Christ was in the form of God,_ which gave him dominion over the works of nature,... [ Continue Reading ]
WHETHER THEY BE THRONES, &C.— See Ephesians 3:10. _For him,_ at the end of the verse, means _to be in subjection to him,_—to be created particularly for his glory. This is justified by what is said, Colossians 1:18 _that in all things he might have the pre-eminence._... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BY HIM ALL THINGS CONSIST— This is a new argument which St. Paul uses, to prove the super-eminent dignity and authority of Christ; namely, that as the Father _made_ all things by him, so he _upholds_ and _preserves_ all things by him too. The same is asserted, Hebrews 1:3 where he is said to _up... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE IS THE HEAD OF THE BODY— St. Paul had proved Christ's superiority to all the creatures, by his _making_ and _sustaining_ them; and now, by a third argument, he confirms his full authority over the church, and that is by God the Father's constitution and appointment at his resurrection. The in... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR IT PLEASED, &C.— Or, _For in him all fulness pleased to dwell._ The 9th verse of the next Chapter seems clearly to explain this passage—"It pleased the Father that all the plenitude of the Godhead should reside inhim bodily." The word rendered _dwell_ signifies a _permanent_ and _inseparable pre... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HAVING MADE PEACE, &C.— _And by him to reconcile all things unto the same_ (_having made peace by the blood of his cross_) _by him, I say,_ &c. Dr. Whitby would render it, _by him to make all things friendly in him, making peace between them by the blood of his cross._ But if we take the words i... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE BODY OF HIS FLESH, &C.— That body, or mortal flesh, which he was pleased to assume, that he might be capable of suffering. See Ephesians 2:16; Ephesians 5:27 and Colossians 1:10 of the present chapter.... [ Continue Reading ]
IF YE CONTINUE IN THE FAITH, &C.— "You will certainly be so presented, _if ye continue established and grounded in the faith_ in which you have been instructed, _and be not_ by any floods of affliction or tempers of temptation, _removed_ and carried away _from the_ important _hope_ of a happy immort... [ Continue Reading ]
AND FILL UP, &C.— Nothing could be further from the Apostle's intention (as is manifest from the whole tenor of his writings), than to intimate that the sufferings of Christ were imperfect as to that fulness of atonement which was necessary in order to the justification of believers. But he deeply r... [ Continue Reading ]
EVEN THE MYSTERY, &C.— See Romans 16:25.Ephesians 3:9; Ephesians 3:21.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH IS CHRIST IN YOU, THE HOPE OF GLORY,— "This rich display of divine grace is all summed up in one word, _That Christ is in you the hope of eternal glory._ Being formed by divine grace in your hearts, he brings to you, who were once _without hope, and without God in the world,_ (Ephesians 2:12.)... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOM WE PREACH— All this discourse centers in the great view of engaging the Colossians to adhere to genuine Christianity; and it is pleasing to observe how everyverse, and almost every clause, suggests more directly orobliquely some strong argument to that purpose. The words _every man_ occurring n... [ Continue Reading ]
STRIVING ACCORDING TO HIS WORKING, &C.— This may import the many signs and wonders which God enabled him to perform for the confirmation of the doctrine that he preached; (comp. Galatians 2:8. 2 Corinthians 13:3.) or else the divine influence upon himself, whereby he was excited and enabled with suc... [ Continue Reading ]