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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
Mention of the ground of Christian fellowship and warning against apostasy
Col_1:3 to Col_2:23
1. Thanks to God for the faith and love of his readers from the beginning
(Col_1:3-8)
To God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.—See Eph_1:3.—Praying always for you defines more particularly “we give thanks;” the participle marks the thanksgiving as part of the prayer, and the adverb renders it prominent, that the former was never wanting in the latter. “Always” is not to be joined with the participle “praying” (Greek Fathers, Bengel, Luther, etc.) [Alford, Ellicott, E. V. The majority of modern commentators join it with the verb,—Eadie renders: “We bless God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ always, when praying for you.”—R.] Still less is “for you” to be joined with “we give thanks” (Baehr). The latter cannot be decided by Rom_1:8; 1Co_1:4; 1Th_1:2, while the former opinion is confirmed by Eph_1:16. On the difference between ðåñß and ὑðÝñ , see Eph_5:2; Eph_6:18.
Col_1:4. The occasion of thanksgiving.—Since we heard, ἀêïýóáíôåò .—This second participle (aorist) sets forth what had preceded the thanksgiving, while the first one (present) appends what had accompanied it. See Winer’s Gram. p. 323. The plural here marks the fact as publicly known, not merely made known to the Apostle and his friends.
Of your faith in Christ Jesus, and the love which ye have to all the saints.—“Your faith in Christ Jesus” is the first ground of this thanksgiving; your faith, resting on Christ, moving itself in Him; the phrase “in Christ Jesus” limits “faith” so Eph_1:15, not ὑìῶí (De Wette). The preposition does not affect the meaning of “faith,” so that it becomes “believing constancy” (Luther), but it only denotes that the object is to be regarded, not as the end of effort ( åἰò ), but as the element and ground. [Ellicott: “In Him as the sphere or sub-stratum of the ðßóôéò , that in which the faith centres itself. The omission of the article gives a more complete unity to the conception, ‘Christ-centred faith.’ ” Alford: “the immediate element of their faith, not its distinctive character, is the point brought out,”—R.] On the remainder of the clause, “and of the love which ye have to all the saints,” see Eph_1:15.—[The reading: ἣí ἔ÷åôå carries “more affectionate commendation” (Alford) than the simple article of the Rec. It draws attention to the love and points to its persistence (Ellicott).—R.]
Col_1:5 : describes this love more closely.—On account of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven.—[Joined to “love.”—R.] Since äéὰ ôὴí ἐëðßäá is joined grammatically to ἣí ἕ÷åôå , Paul has not written ἀãÜðçí ôÞí as in the parallel passage, Eph_1:15, but subjoined the relative clause. “The hope” is characterized by the clause “which is laid up for you in heaven,” as objective, like the ἐëðὶò âëåðïìÝíç (Rom_8:24), “that which is hoped for,” which is preserved, set aside ( ἀðü ), in deposito reconditum (Lösner), as a securely placed treasure (Chrysostom: ôὸ ἀóöáëὲò ἔäåéîåí ; Bengel: sine periculo), or rather as a reward and prize according to 2Ti_4:8; 1Pe_1:4; Mat_19:21; comp. Heb_9:27; Heb_6:18. On “in heaven,” see Eph_1:10. Accordingly this hope gives a motive for the love in its activity as well as its extent; it does not depend upon the present, on temporal life and possessions, nor on the men, the brethren whom it reaches. It is certain of the eternal, heavenly, divine possessions and salvation, and has in these enough. “Hope” is not therefore the third with “faith” and “love” (Steiger and others), nor does it furnish a motive for faith (Baehr and others); least of all for the thanksgiving (Bengel: “from the hope is manifest how great the ground of thanks giving for the gift of faith and love”). [So Eadie, Barnes. The E. V.—“for the hope” seems obscure. Both “on account of” (Eadie, Alford), and “because of” (Ellicott), leave the reader uncertain as to the connection, which is the main difficulty here.—R.]
Whereof ye heard before, ἣí ðñïçêïýóáôå .—In the ἅðáî ëåãüìåíïí : ðñïáêïýåéí , according to the context the ðñü refers to the object, “the hope laid up” which ðñü is future and concealed. Meyer is therefore incorrect: before you had this hope; Heinrichs: alio doctore (Epaphra) ante me; Böhmer, Huther: before the Epistle was written; Schenkel: before he had received tidings of their faith. The interpretation (Grotius): prima rudimenta accepistis, as if ðñïáêïýåéí described the first instruction of catechumens, is unwarranted. [Braune seems to follow De Wette and Olshausen in their view of the force of “before,” “before the fulfilment of the hope,” but as Eadie well remarks “such an exegesis is a species of truism.” Ellicott: “not before any definite epoch, but merely at some undefined period in the past,” “formerly.”—Eadie gives the sense of “already,” as intimating that this hope had been made prominent in preaching, and they of course heard of this in hearing the gospel; a view to be preferred as giving more point to the passage and fully accordant with the context.—R.] To “laid up in heaven” corresponds what is joined to “heard before,” viz:
In the word of the truth of the gospel—through which the “hearing before” has its guarantee. This expression is another briefer and independent setting forth of Eph_1:13, “after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.” The hearing before of the hope is mediated by the preaching ( ἐí ôῷ ëüãù ̣) of the truth ( ôῆò ἀëçèåßáò ), which is the substance of the ëüãïò , but is taken out of nothing other than the gospel ( ôïῦ åὐáããåëßïõ ), to which the truth belongs. It is not proper to follow the parallel passage, which is grammatically different, and take “of the gospel” as a genitive of apposition to “in the word of truth” (Steiger), or to “the truth” (Baehr), [Ellicott: “a defining genitive, allied to the genitive possessivus (genitive continintis), which specifies, and so to say, localizes the general notion of the governing substantive: ‘the truth which was preached in and was announced in the gospel’ ”.—R.] Nor is “the word of the truth”=sermo verax (Erasmus), or “the preaching of truth” (Huther, Bleek), nor “of the truth of the gospel”=genuine gospel (Storr), nor is ëüãïò defined as to its substance by ἀëçèåßáò as absolute truth, as to its form by åὐáããåëßïõ as “proclamation of salvation” (Schenkel).
The deeper cause of thanksgiving (Col_1:6-8). Col_1:6. Which has come unto you—lit., is present unto yon. This is spoken of the gospel. Ðáñþí notes its being present (1Co_5:3; 2Co_13:10); with ðñὸò ὑìᾶò , 2Co_11:8; Gal_4:18; Gal_4:20, here åἰò ὑìᾶò . In the passages quoted the Apostle stands before them, turned towards them; here he speaks of the gospel, that penetrates into them; he describes the steady, constant and finally entire penetration of the gospel, which is not forced through with one blow. [The preposition conveys the idea of its having reached them, the participle implies its abiding there (Ellicott).—R.] The added clause: as it is in all the world, renders prominent the simple fact of the presence of the gospel in the world. The preposition ἐí marks the distinction between its presence in the world, and in Colosse, where it has already wrought what it should and would. “In all the world” indicates the whole world as the field, in which the gospel is found and which it will permeate. It is not confined to one part, had already begun its efficacy in the most diverse places, among Jews and Gentiles. Hence it is no synecdoche, “meaning the most noted parts of the world, as Rom_1:8; Rom_10:18” (Grotius), nor only the Roman Empire, nor popular hyperbole (Meyer). [Alford: “No hyperbole, but the pragmatic repetition of the Lord’s parting command.—R.]
And is bringing forth fruit and increasing.—[Alford, omitting êáß , calls the paragraph broken and unbalanced.—R.] It is not merely in all the world, but efficient there also. We have here the usual transition from the participial construction to that of the finite verb (Winer’s Gram., p. 505 sq.); the participle with åἷíáé indicates continuance and duration (Winer’s Gram., p. 326 sq.). [So in English, hence the literal rendering: “is bringing forth fruit and increasing” is preferable.—R.] Theodoret: êáñðïöïñßáí ôïῦ åὐáããåëßïõ êÝëçêå ôὴí ἐðáéíïõìÝíçí ðïëéôåßáí , áὔîçóéí äὲ ôῶí ðéóôåõüíôùí ôὸ ðëῆèïò . The figure is borrowed from a tree which both bears fruit and grows (Mat_7:17; Mat_13:32; Luk_13:19). The former word refers to the faith, the love, the Christian virtues, which the gospel produces in the internal and external life, the latter to the extension and the multiplication of its adherents (Act_6:7; Act_12:24; Act_19:20). [The former the intensive, the latter the extensive progress of the gospel. Ellicott.—R.]—As it is also among you, introduces Colosse as a part of the field, in which the gospel is and is working (“in all the world”), and furnishes a proof that the gospel is, and how it is, “in all the world.” Hence ἐí ὑìῖí is “among you,” not “in you” (Luther). “Bringing forth fruit and increasing” must be supplied. [“It doth,” supplied in E. V., is to be changed to “it is,” to correspond with the participial form of the verb in the former clause.—R.]
Since the day ye heard it, and knew the grace of God in truth.—[Braune, following De Wette, supplies no object after “heard,” making “the grace of God” the object of both verbs. Meyer, Steiger, Eadie, Alford, Ellicott, supply: “the gospel,” which is to be preferred. E. V. “of it,” is unsatisfactory; they must have heard the gospel, as well as heard of it, before it would bring forth fruit among them.—R.] On the construction ἀö ʼ ἧò ἡìÝñáò see Winer’s Gram., p. 130. The first proclamation of the gospel was followed by the acceptance of it, and from that time forth the Christian life and character of the Church developed internally and externally in constant progress. The object is “the grace of God,” the substance of the evangelical preaching (Col_1:6), the marrow of the gospel over against the law. “In truth” is an adverbial qualification of the verbs “heard” and “knew.” The gospel is proclaimed vere et sincere absque fuco, ïὐê ἐí ἀðÜôç ̣ êáὶ ëüãïéò åἰêáßïéò (Greek Fathers), and is accepted non simulate, sed vere. It implies a contrast to the false teachers and is not = ἀëçèῶò , “truly,” nor to be joined with “grace” (Storr and others), nor = in the gospel (Grotius) [Barnes.—R.]. Nor is it to be joined only to “knew” (Meyer and others), nor to “heard” alone (Baehr and others). [Alford: “in its truth, and with true knowledge.” So Eadie: “the words ἐí ἀëçèåßᾳ describe the teaching of Epaphras, or represent that genuine form, in which, by his preaching, the grace of God had been exhibited at Colosse.” This makes it qualify the verb “knew,” and at the same time define “the grace of God” by presenting the element, in which the gospel was proclaimed.—R.]
Col_1:7. Even as ye learned of Epaphras.— Êáèþò refers to “in truth” [Alford: “in which truth”—R.], and describes the manner in which they had learned from Epaphras. The verb, the object of which must be “the grace of God,” marks the intermediate step between “hearing” and “knowing” and describes the earnest, constant effort of the Colossians, to which the activity of Epaphras corresponds.—Epaphras a Colossian or Phrygian (Col_4:12 : “one of you”), with Paul in his imprisonment (Phm_1:23 : “my fellow prisoner”), is not identical with Epaphroditus, the Macedonian, a preacher of Philippi (Php_2:25; Php_4:18), as Grotius arbitrarily assumes; here indicated as the founder of the Church in Colosse, but otherwise entirely unknown to us. Even should we accept the reading êáß before ἐìÜèåôå , we could not, with Wiggers, treat it as though it were êáὶ ἀðὸ Ἐðáöñᾶ (as in Rom_5:7; Eph_4:4), in order thus to maintain that there had been a proclamation of the gospel in Colosse before that of Epaphras. Still less does the êáèþò resume the preceding êáèὼò ἐí ðáíôὶ ôῷ êüóìῳ , as though Epaphras had only told that the gospel was every where proclaimed (Theodoret). The preposition ἀðü indicates that the Colossians had gladly met Epaphras and heard him speak. The words which follow are a confirmation of the preaching of Epaphras: our dear fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ.—“Our dear fellow servant” describes him in his position toward Christ ( äïýëïò ) [no thought of his imprisonment with Paul (Conybeare)—R.], and toward Paul with his helpers ( óὺí — ἡìῶí ), and in his relation to them ( ἀãáðçôïῦ ), as an excellent minister, who, entirely dependent on the Lord, and independent of men, labored as a colleague with the Apostle and his fellow laborers, especially for the Church at Colosse ( ὑðὲñ ὑìῶí ), from the beginning, with proper fidelity ( ὄò ἐóôéí ðéóôüò ) in the service of Christ ( äéÜêïíïò ×ñéóôïῦ ). [The reading of the Rec. ὐðÝñ ὑìῶí “for you,” “on your behalf,” is not only better supported, but avoids the repetition of the other reading, while it is as strong a commendation of Epaphras to the Colossians, to say that he had been a faithful minister of Christ for them, as to say that he had been faithful vice apostoli.—R.]
Col_1:8. Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.—The declaration is made prominent. Epaphras has not only seen in Colosse, but spoken in Rome to Paul in a detailed, perspicuous way, as a witness respecting “your love in the Spirit.” The love was “not carnal, but spiritual” (Œcumenius), “fruit of the Spirit” (Gal_5:22 : Rom_15:30); Spirit is of course the Holy Spirit (as Rom_14:17). Hence it is not the spirit of man, the inner man, nor a “love which depends on an internal sentiment and disposition, a love sincere and earnest” (‘a Lapide, Böhmer and others), and since the context must decide what is the object of the love, it is to be regarded as “love of the brethren” (Col_1:4), including love to the Apostle, but not this latter exclusively (Baehr, Bleek and others); the following “we also” at least cannot decide this to be the meaning, since the Apostle does not pray merely in reciprocity. It is improper to join ἐí ðíåýìáôé with äçëþóáò (Wahl), as though Epaphras had narrated it through inspiration, or to explain it, per spiritum sanctum (Grotius). [Eadie properly expounds “love” as denoting the Christian grace of love, hence “in the Spirit.” Alford: “the chief gift of the Spirit,” “thus in the elemental region of the Spirit;” Ellicott: “genuine and operative only in the sphere of His blessed influence.”—R.]
It is unmistakably the object of Paul in this honoring description, to establish as firmly as possible in every direction the authority of Epaphras; his doctrine is right, his relations to the Apostle hearty and intimate, his interest for the Colossians active and pure, undisturbed from the first. He seems to have been suspected by the false teachers. Paul gives prominence to these facts, in order to shame the errorists, to warn and guard the Church against them; for their sake and that of the cause, he enters particularly upon the efficiency and conduct of Epaphras. Estius: “Lest they might suffer themselves to be led away from the doctrine which they had learned from him by new teachers.”
2. The activity of this love, growing out of faith, which embraces all Christians as brethren, as children of the Father, has its mainspring in the hope of salvation, secure for us in heaven. This is Christian eudæmonism, which indeed has in view the salvation of our own souls, the perfection and blessedness of our own personality, yet not selfishly, but seeks and knows in fellowship with all believers; nor yet externally, sensualistically, like a Turk or heathen German, but internally, in the spirit of the mind; nor yet here, but in heaven, not in time, but in eternity, hence not as a materialist or atheist burning for good fortune and earthly pleasure; and finally not in our own strength, as it has been attempted “in godless virtue,” but as a gift of the gracious God through Christ.
3. Faith grows from the preached word of gospel truth. Since faith as to its essence is God’s word become living in the heart of man, since it grows out of this word as from a seed, its establishment and growth depends altogether upon the preaching of this word of God ( ëüãïò , Col_1:5), which alone contains the truth indispensably necessary for the soul, presenting the grace of God, which is the marrow of the gospel (Col_1:5 : ôῆò ἀëçèåßáò ôïῦ åὐáããåëßïõ , Col_1:6 : ôὴí ÷Üñéí ôïῦ èåïῦ ). This and not the preaching (Schenkel) is the vital principle of Christianity, which penetrates ever more deeply into the believers, producing in them and in the life of the church the fruits of virtues, both active and passive, ever extending more widely, ever permeating more thoroughly every one and all things (Col_1:6). [“To keep the figure of the Apostle, it was like a tree, whose fruit, falling to the earth, germinated, so that there sprang up a youthful and healthy forest on all sides of it” (Eadie).—R.] Preaching is only the principal means, to which we must hold fast in simplicity and freedom from all perversion, deterioration or obscuration.
4. The teachers or preachers of the gospel must labor as belonging to Christ, as entirely dependent on Him (Col_1:7 : äïῦëïò ) yet attached to Him ( äéÜêïíïò ); they are not servants of the church (Schenkel), but only of Christ; servants, but for the church ( ὐðὲñ ὐìῶí ), in doctrine (Col_1:6-7), in supplication to God (Col_1:3), and in the varied intercourse with men, among whom they would advance their cause. They should never forget that they do not stand alone and for themselves, but in fellowship (Col_1:7 : óýíäïõëïò ), that as colleagues they should esteem and love each other, that one should rejoice without envy in the other, as Paul in Epaphras, who meekly flies to him, and should fraternally suffer with each other, as Epaphras with Paul. [Henry:—“Thus he puts an honor on an inferior minister, and teaches us not to be selfish, or think all that honor lost which goes beside ourselves. We learn in his example not to think it a disparagement to us, to water what others have planted, or build on the foundation others have laid.”—“Observe Christ is our proper master and we His ministers. He does not say your minister, but the minister of Christ for you. It is by Christ’s authority, but for the people’s service.”—R.]
Starke:—He who does not believe on Jesus Christ, does not believe on God at all; so though the Jews and Turks think they believe on God, yet they in no wise do; for they do not believe on Jesus, on whom we must believe before we can assure ourselves of grace and salvation from God.—[Always to pray, and always to give thanks are the Christian’s needful duties.—If teaching and learning are of the right sort, then God’s word hath good speed.—Not all loving is praiseworthy; love in the Spirit is commended.—R.]
Rieger:—In the eyes of the world the character of a philanthropist, embracing all in his love, will indeed bring us more honor and glory than love to the saints; for this implies a distinction which the world does not willingly admit. The world has a love to which a Jew or Turk is more acceptable than a saint.—If we consider only the yet feeble beginnings of faith, the still prevailing temptations, we may doubt whether we have cause to rejoice and thank God. But by looking out to the mark of hope, which is set before us, the grace to us becomes very great.—It is certainly unspeakable how much the world, now so unbelieving and unthankful, does yet enjoy of the fruits of the gospel; how many arts and sciences, milder customs and laws would not exist, had not the gospel made the first advance in that direction.
Schleiermacher:—Faith, since it is active, becomes not only love to Christ, but also love to all, who belong to Christ.—We see how readily we allow ourselves to be led into all manner of divisions and limitations of love, which have less ground than then existed in the difference between Jewish and Gentile Christians. It is better to study such a love to all saints, and not one that extends to the few who exactly and specially agree with us, however great enjoyment there may be in it.—[The gospel is a germ, made fruitful by God, which cannot be received, without its making an impression on the spirit.—R.]
Passavant:—There is generally an unspeakably beneficent, tender feeling in giving thanks from the heart for a benefit.—Thanksgiving will be the bliss of eternity. The beginning, the first steps thereto must be made on the porch, else we shall have no voice nor place, no life above in the holy choirs.—It may often be long: days, years, decades may pass as we hear and know the gospel, before we obtain a living knowledge of the grace of God, that permeates our heart and mind and life.—“There are men,” says Pascal, “who admire external greatness alone, as if there were no mental greatness; others can only admire mental greatness, as though there were not one infinitely higher, to be found in wisdom.”
[Lisco:—The Apostolic thanksgiving and the praise therein contained has no other purpose than encouragement, 1) to continued steadfastness; 2) to further advance in all good.—Henry:
Col_1:3. In our thanksgiving we must have an eye to God as God (He is the object of thanksgiving as well as prayer), and as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom and through whom all good comes to us.
Col_1:4-5. Faith, hope, and love, are the three principal graces in the Christian life, and proper matter of our prayer and thanksgiving.—We must love all the saints, bear an extensive kindness and good-will to good men, notwithstanding lesser points of difference and many real weaknesses.
Col_1:6. All who hear the word of the gospel, ought to bring forth the fruit of the gospel.—Wherever the gospel comes, it will bring forth fruit to the honor and glory of God. We mistake, if we think to monopolize the comforts and benefits of the gospel to ourselves.
Col_1:8. Faithful ministers are glad to be able to speak well of their people.—R.]
[Eadie:
Col_1:5. “For the hope.” Every blessing which the gospel makes known has futurity in its eye,—and the Christian life, in the meantime, is one as much of expectation as of positive enjoyment.
Col_1:6. The gospel bore choice and noble clusters of fruit. It is not a ceremonial to be gazed at, or a congeries of opinions to be discussed. It is essentially a practical system, for its ethics are involved in its creed and worship.—The gospel was ecumenical, but the error which menaced them was only provincial in its sphere.
Col_1:8. Love is to be regarded as the crown and consequence of all the other graces. The Spirit of Him who is Love takes possession of the believing bosom, and exerts upon it His own assimilating power. A Christian community may be congratulated upon its love.—R.]
[Schenkel:—The true Christian idiosyncrasy of a church: 1) Its ground—faith in Christ: 2) its fruit—love to the saints; 3) its power—hope of the heavenly treasure of eternal life.—The gospel of Jesus Christ, the tree of life for humanity: 1) The fruit, which it brings; 2) the extension, which it gains.—The power of the gospel: 1) It consists in the word of the grace of God. 2) It is conditioned by a faithful proclamation and simple apprehension of it.—R.]
Footnotes:
Col_1:3.— Èåῷ ðáôñß , B. C. and other MSS. and the oldest versions. à . [with A. K. L.] and others insert êáß , as in Eph_1:3; Rom_15:6; 2Co_1:3; 2Co_11:31 in a similar connexion; here it is an interpolation. [ Ôῷ ðáôñß is another reading, not well supported. Lachmann, Tischendorf, Alford, Ellicott (though not with perfect confidence) reject êáß ; Wordsworth retains it.—R.]
Col_1:3.— Ðåñß , à . A. C. [K. L., Tischendorf, Alford, Ellicott, Wordsworth—R.], the less supported ὑðÝñ [Lachmann—R.] probably from Col_1:9, and because more significant. [See Exeg. Notes on the above emendation.—R.]
Col_1:4.— Ἣí ἔ÷åôå , à . A. C. and others, supported by the context, [so all recent editors—R.]; ôÞí is poorly supported, probably from Eph_1:15. [The italics of the E. V. are therefore unnecessary.—R.]
Col_1:6.— Êáὶ ἔóôéí on the authority of F. G. K. L. and the oldest versions, supported by the context. [Tischendorf, Meyer, De Wette, Ellicott.—R.] Êáß is omitted in à . A. B. C. and others [by Lachmann, Alford, Wordsworth—R.], and is the less difficult reading.
Col_1:6.—[ Êáὶ áὐîáíüìåíïí , supplied on the authority of à . A. B. C. D.1 F. L., many versions and all modern editors.—R.]
Col_1:7.—After êáèþò , à . A. B. C. D. omit êáß . It is a “mechanical repetition” from Col_1:6. [So modern editors. E. V. retains it in “also,” which should be omitted. Êáèþò = “even as,” here (Ellicott).—R.]
Col_1:7.— Ὑðὲñ ὑìῶí , C. E. F. K. L. and à . corrected and in nearly all versions. The otherwise well supported ἡìῶí , à A. B., is an error of the transcriber, accounted for by the prevalence of the first person. [Tischendorf, Ellicott, Wordsworth. Alford, quoting Ambrosiaster (4th century, vice apostoli), reads ç ̇ ìῶí , following Lachmann.—R.]
[The original references are to the 6th German edition; altered throughout to the 7th German ed., 1867.—R.]
[“Truly and sincerely, without dissimulation, not in deceit and rash words.”—R.]
[Conybeare, II. Col 385: “Epaphras is the same name with Epaphroditus” (?)—“but this can scarcely be the same person,” etc.—R.]
[Sludien und Kritiken. 1838. p. 185.—R.]