Colossians 1:11

His glorious power. — Properly, the strength of His glory, His glory being His manifestation of Himself in love to man. (Comp. Ephesians 3:16, “According to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His spirit in the inner man.”) On this use of “the glory” of God, frequent in these Epistles, see Ephesians 1:6; Ephesians 1:12; Ephesians 1:14, and Notes there. The prayer, however, in the Ephesian Epistle looks to “knowledge of the love of Christ” as its object; the prayer here to power of endurance of trial and suffering.

Patience and longsuffering with joyfulness. — (1) “Patience” is here “endurance,” rather than what we usually call patience. It is spoken of by St. James (James 1:3) as the result of the bracing effect of trial, and is illustrated by the typical example of Job (James 5:11). Now a glance at the Book of Job will show that, while in respect of physical trial he is resignation itself (Job 1:21; Job 2:10), yet that under the spiritual trial, which is the great subject of the book, he is the reverse of what is commonly called patient. He endures and conquers, but it is not without vehement passion and spiritual struggles, occasionally verging on a repining and rebellion, of which he bitterly repents (Job 41:6). (2) To this “patience,” therefore, here as elsewhere (2 Timothy 3:10), St. Paul adds “longsuffering” — a word generally connected (as in 1 Corinthians 13:4) with the temper of gentleness and love, and coming much nearer to the description of our ordinary idea of a “patient” temper, which, in its calm sweetness and gentleness, hardly feels to the utmost such spiritual trials as vexed the righteous soul of Job. Of such longsuffering our Lord’s bearing of the insults of the Condemnation and the cruelties of the Passion, when “He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,” is the perfect type. (3) Yet even then St. Paul is not content without “joyfulness,” in obedience to the command of our Master (Matthew 5:12), fulfilled in Himself on the cross (Hebrews 12:2). The ground of such joy, so often shown in Christian martyrdom, is given by St. Peter (1 Peter 4:13), “Rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” Of that joy St. Paul himself was a bright example in his present captivity. (See Philippians 1:18; Philippians 2:17.) The words therefore form a climax. “Patience” struggles and endures; “long-suffering” endures without a struggle; “joyfulness” endures and glories in suffering.