Colossians 3 - Introduction

CHAP III.

He sheweth how we should seek Christ; he exhorteth to mortification, to put off the old man, and to put on the new man; recommending charity, humility, and several other duties.

Anno Domini 62.

IN the 12th verse of the preceding chapter, the Apostle had told the Colossians, that theyhad been typically buried with Christ in baptism, in token of their relinquishing their former principles and practices: and that, in baptism likewise, they had been typicallyraised with Christ, as an emblem and pledge of the resurrection of the faithful saints withhim to a spiritual life here, and to eternal life hereafter. The former of these doctrines the Apostle had applied, chap. Colossians 2:20 to shew the Colossians the absurdity of subjecting themselves to the ritual precepts, from which they had been freed by their death with Christ: and now, as the application of the latter doctrine, he told them, in the first verse of this chapter, that if they were really raised with Christ to a spiritual life, they were bound to do their utmost, by faith and holiness, to obtain, through grace, the possession of the joys of heaven, where Christ now sitteth at the right hand of God, vested with full power to bestow these joys on all who are capable of receiving them, Colossians 3:1.—In particular, they were to set their affections on the joys of heaven, and not on the grandeur, the riches, and the pleasures of this earth, Colossians 3:2.—The rather, because, according to the present course of things, they were in danger of being put to death by their persecutors, for their faith, and of losing every earthly enjoyment: or, at any rate, they were to die at length, Colossians 3:3.—Yet the fear of death was no to disquiet them: their bodily life, being entrusted to Christ, will be gloriously restored at the resurrection, if they be faithful unto death: so that, in such case, when he shall appear to raise the dead, and judge the world, they shall appear with him in glorious immortal bodies, and be put in possession of the joys of heaven by his sentence of acquittal, Colossians 3:4.—Wherefore, that they might be capable of this great felicity, the Apostle exhorted them to mortify themselves, not after the Pythagorean manner, but by putting to death their inordinate carnal affections and actions, which he called their earthly members, Colossians 3:5.—Then told them, that however pleasing the heathens might think these things were to their gods, they were so provoking to the true God, as to draw down his wrath on the persons who were guilty of them, Colossians 3:6.—And that, though formerly, while heathens, they lived in the habitual practice of these vices, Colossians 3:7.—it now became them, in their christian state, to put them all away, together with anger, &c. Colossians 3:8.—because at their baptism they professed to put off the old man, with his deeds, Colossians 3:9.—By calling fornication, with the other vices, their old man, the Apostle insinuated that the Phrygians were much addicted to these vices.—Farther, he exhorted the Colossians to put on the new man, who is new-made, through the experimental knowledge of the truth, after the image of God, Colossians 3:10.—And to encourage them to acquire the new nature of which he spake, he told them, that it communicates such a dignity to the person who possesses it, that God does not regard whether he be a Greek or a Jew, &c. But that in the new creation every man is honourable according to the degree in which he possesses the nature of Christ, Colossians 3:11.—Withal, to shew them the excellence of the new-man, he described his qualities; bowels of mercies, &c. and exhorted the Colossians, as elect of God, to put them on, Colossians 3:12.—and over all to put on love, which he represented as a girdle, wherewith the spiritual dress is made perfect, or complete, Colossians 3:14.—Then prayed, that, in consequence of their putting on the qualities above mentioned, the peace of God might rule in their hearts; which was an implied promise that, in such case, so it should be, Colossians 3:15.

Next, because the worshippers of Cybele and Bacchus, feigning themselves to be inspired by these idols, ran through the streets and fields in a frantic manner, committingnumberless extravagancies, and singing lewd songs in honour of the gods whom they worshipped, the Apostle, to prevent the Colossians from joining in these madnesses, commanded them to have the word of Christ dwelling in them richly, that is, to call it frequently to their remembrance, and to speak of it to one another, and to get it realized in all its lovely powers in their souls; ands in their social meetings, when they felt themselves moved by the Spirit, instead of singing lewd songs, after the manner of the heathens, to teach and admonish one another by singing psalms, and hymns, and odes dictated by the Spirit; and to do so with true inward devotion, to the honour of the Lord, Colossians 3:16.—And whatever they said or did by inspiration, or at any other time, to do all in such a manner as to promote the honour of the Lord Jesus, whose disciples they called themselves. Farther,because the heathens offered solemn thanksgivings to Bacchus, as the giver of all the good things which mankind enjoy, the Apostle ordered the Colossians to ascribe the honour and praise of all blessings to God alone, who is the real Father, or author, of every thing good; and to give him thanks for his favours through the mediation of Christ, Colossians 3:17.

Having thus directed the Colossians to mortify, through grace, their corrupt earthly affections, and to acquire the holy dispositions of the new man, who is created after the image of God, and to avoid imitating the heathens in their lewd speeches and songs; the Apostle, in the remaining part of the chapter, inculcated the relative and social duties of life, that, in their behaviour as citizens, the Colossians might be as much distinguished from the heathens, as they exceeded them in the knowledge of true religion.—His account of relative duties, he began with explaining the duties of husbands and wives, Colossians 3:18.—From these he passed to the duties of children and parents, Colossians 3:20.—Then described the duties of servants; on which he insisted at greater length, on account of the difficulty of these duties, Colossians 3:22.—And, last of all, he inculcated the duties of masters, chap. Colossians 4:1 with which this chapter should have ended. See Ephesians 6.