THE SUPREMACY AND ALL-SUFFICIENCY OF CHRIST 1-8. Salutation to the Colossian Christians, and thanksgiving for the news of their spiritual state. PARAPHRASE. '(1, 2) Paul and Timothy salute the saints and believers in Colossæ. (3-5) We always thank God, when we pray for you, on account of your fait... [ Continue Reading ]
FAITHFUL] better, 'believing.' AND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST] RV rightly omits. FULL ASSURANCE] RM 'fulness.' TO THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, etc.] RV, better, 'that they may know the mystery of God, _even_ Christ.' The wealth of full understanding consists in knowledge of the mystery of God, and this mystery... [ Continue Reading ]
Better, 'We always give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ when we pray for you.'... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE HOPE] i.e. based on the hope. 6, 7. It is the gospel as Epaphras taught it them, not that urged on them by the false teachers, which is exercising this worldwide influence. The universal corrects the local. 7B. RV 'who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf' is probably right. The... [ Continue Reading ]
IN ALL WISDOM, etc.] RV 'in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.'... [ Continue Reading ]
RM 'by the knowledge.'... [ Continue Reading ]
MADE US MEET] better, 'qualified you.' Usually THE SAINTS IN LIGHT is taken as. a single phrase meaning 'saints in heaven.' But 'in light' should be connected with 'the lot.' It defines its situation. 'The lot' (AV INHERITANCE) 'of the saints' is the blessedness awaiting them.... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS DEAR SON] RV 'the Son of his love.'... [ Continue Reading ]
REDEMPTION] The view that the word means ransom is very dubious. 'Deliverance' is the best translation. Omit THROUGH HIS BLOOD. 15-23. The supremacy of the Son in the universe and the Church. PARAPHRASE. '(15) This Son of God's love, in whom we have our deliverance, the pardon of our sins, is the e... [ Continue Reading ]
The IMAGE perfectly resembles and reveals the original. FIRST BORN] The word expresses priority to and then supremacy over. Probably the latter only is meant here. EVERY CREATURE] better than RV 'all creation.'... [ Continue Reading ]
BY HIM] RV 'in him.' THRONES, etc.] various ranks of higher angels.... [ Continue Reading ]
CONSIST] RM 'That is, hold together.' The Son is the centre of unity for the universe.... [ Continue Reading ]
RV 'For it was the good pleasure of the Father that in him should all the fulness dwell.' A very difficult v., but probably this is more correct than RM, 'For the whole fulness of God was pleased to dwell in him.' The fulness is not as in Colossians 2:9, the fulness of Godhead, but the fulness of gr... [ Continue Reading ]
The Son's atoning death availed for the whole angelic world, as well as for the world of men, since the Son is Head of both. 20-22. Very difficult, but probably a full stop should be placed at the end of Colossians 1:21. We may translate, 'And through him to reconcile all things unto himself, havin... [ Continue Reading ]
BODY OF HIS FLESH] as against the false teachers who thought non-incarnate angels could redeem. 24—C. COLOSSIANS 2:3. Paul's sufferings, labours, and anxieties for the Church. PARAPHRASE. '(24-26) I rejoice in the sufferings I endure for your sake, and fill up the measure of afflictions Christ has... [ Continue Reading ]
Christ suffers in His members in virtue of their union with Him, and the afflictions Paul undergoes in prison are filling up the measure of suffering Christ has still to endure in him.... [ Continue Reading ]
DISPENSATION] RM 'stewardship.'... [ Continue Reading ]
MYSTERY] truth not to be discovered by man's unaided power, and therefore known only through divine revelation. This mystery was concealed from the ages before the world and the generations of mankind, in other words from angels and from men. COLOSSIANS 2:1. Paul was personally unknown both to the... [ Continue Reading ]