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Exhortation to vital sanctification
Col_3:1 to Col_4:6
1. The foundation and prospect of a genuine Christian mind and walk.
(Col_3:1-4)
Col_3:1. If ye then were raised together with Christ takes up from the foregoing (Col_2:12) a comprehensive thought, in a form reminding us of Col_2:20, to make it the basis of the exhortation. “If,” like Col_2:20, is not a doubtful hypothesis, but fact (Col_2:12), from which, as undeniable, a certain conclusion is deduced ( ïὗí ). By “raised together with Christ” we must understand the ethical renewal (see notes on Col_2:12). Meyer, who apparently refers this also to the corporeal resurrection, overlooks the “shall be manifested” (Col_3:4), and errs in regarding “actual” and “objective” as identical notions in contrast with “ethical;” this latter is no less actual. [Alford, Ellicott, Wordsworth refer the aorist to “baptism.” It refers to the definite point of time when this actual, “ethical” change took place. Is that necessarily at baptism? The two former object to the ethical sense on the ground that the injunction which follows would then be superfluous. Why should not a motive be drawn from this? What has been done for them is the ground for their doing, “seeking.”—R.]
Seek those things which are above.— Ôὰ ἄíù , placed first for emphasis, is like ôὰ ἑðïõñÜíéá (Eph_2:6); to seek such things is a necessary consequence and requirement of being “raised together with Christ.” Bengel: Christus a resurrectione statini contendit ad cælum (Joh_20:17). Comp. Php_3:14; Php_3:20; Mat_6:20; Mat_6:23; Rom_2:7.—Where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.—“Where” marks “the things above” as the region of the heavenly things of the Messianic salvation; “Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God” indicates both the exultation after deep humiliation and certain rest after severe conflict. Thus a motive is given for the exhortation. Comp. Psa_110:1. [The passage seems to abound in motives, though this is the principal one. The E. V. overlooks the fact that there are two enunciations: “Christ is there, and in all the glory of His regal and judiciary power” (Ellicott).—R.]
Col_3:2. Set your mind on things above.—The emphasis rests on the object; hence it is placed first here also. This is not mere repetition. After “seek” ( æçôåῖí ), which manifests itself in active and outward conduct, prominence is given to the cogitations of thought ( öñïíåῖí , Php_3:15; Php_3:19). Bengel: qui vere suprema quærunt, non possunt non sapere suprema.—Not on things on the earth.—This is= ôὰ ἐðßãåéá , “earthly things” (Php_3:19), ôὰ ἐí ôῷ êüóìῳ , “the things that are in the world” (1Jn_2:15). The earthly, that which is “to perish with the using” (Col_2:22), should not be the object of inward care and thought; this is a sign of being “of the world,” which is not=being “in the world” (Joh_17:14; Joh_17:16; Joh_17:12). The use of earthly things is not forbidden, but we are bidden, in the right use of the earthly to mind and seek heavenly things. [Theophilus: Four-footed beasts are like images of men who mind earthly things; but they who live righteous lives soar aloft, like birds, on the wings of the soul, and mind those things that are above (Wordsworth).—R.]
Col_3:3. The Proof. For ye died, i. e., died to the world, to the earth (Col_2:20 : “from the rudiments of the world”). The aorist ( ἀðåèÜíåôå ) is used to denote an act that has occurred. Ye cannot then go backwards, live again or longer after the former fashion: your life is now another one.—And your life is hid with Christ in God.—“And” adds to the negative side, the having died, the positive side, “your life,” which however is “hid.” The perfect ( êÝêñõðôáé ) denotes the continued relation, the verb itself marks the state of the existent life as still hidden, of course from the world, from men, from themselves also (1Jn_3:2 : “It doth not yet appear”): the coherence of the life of Christians is denoted by “with Christ,” the inherence by “in God” (Meyer). Comp. 1Pe_3:4 : “the hidden man of the heart;” Act_17:28 : “in Him we live and move and have our being.” [Eadie, against Barnes: “the idea of concealment, and not that of security, seems to be principally contained in the verb, for it is placed in contrast with open manifestation of Christ’s appearance. But this concealment is no argument against present and partial enjoyment.”—R.]—Evidently this is to be understood of eternal life, which has been awakened and is furthered in the present in consequence of the new birth. It remains concealed until its completion, which enters (Col_3:4; Rom_8:19) with “the coming” (2Th_2:8; 1Ti_6:14; 1Co_1:7; 2Th_1:7) of its Author and Finisher, Christ. The Greek fathers, Calvin, Grotius, Meyer, incorrectly regard it as the life hereafter, [Alford: the resurrection life—R.], as if the Christian life were not already substantially, though incipiently, the life to be completed hereafter. Grotius is incorrect, jus ad rem rei nomine appellat; Heinrich: sicuti Christus; Rosenmueller: in mente dei. [Alford: notice the solemnity of the repetition of the articles; and so all through these verses.—R.]
Col_3:4. The exalted prospect. When Christ shall appear.—Rapidly, without êáß or äÝ , this reminder and prospect is added, to animate their zeal. “When” marks the time, viz.: the appearing of Christ.—Our life—[the E. V. inserts “who is,” thus bringing out the force of the passage.—R.] This is in apposition with “Christ,” as “the hope of glory” (Col_1:27). It forms the basis of the conclusion (“then shall ye also appear”); hence it is added to signify not merely that Christ is a remote and sundered Cause, but Impulse, Power, Object and Substance of the Life itself (Php_1:21; Joh_11:25). Bengel: Ratio sub qua manifestabitur. [Eadie is unfortunate in his interpretation: “shall appear in the character of our life.” Christ is our life itself, the essence and the impersonation of it (Ellicott).—R.]
Then shall ye also appear with him in glory.—“Then” refers to “when” (Bengel: prius non debemus postulare); “ye also” to “Christ.” [Ellicott: The more verbally exact opposition would have been “your hidden life;” but this the Apostle perhaps designedly neglects, to prevent æùÞ being applied as it has been applied, merely to the resurrection-life.—R.] “With Him,” which might otherwise have been omitted, is emphatic. “Appear with Him in glory” is=“glorified together” (Rom_8:17), there preceded by “suffer with Him,” as this is by “died” (Col_3:3; Col_2:20 : “with Christ”). Comp. 1Co_15:42-44; 1Co_15:53.
2. The Ethical Consequence of the Christian view is: in the earthly life to begin the heavenly, in time to seek and to find eternity, faithful in the least, the perishing, to gain the greatest, the eternal. Aptly and elegantly says the Epistle to Diognetus (chap. v. 6 in scholz: Apostolic Fathers, p. 170) of Christians; they inhabit—Being in heaven. Comp. the beautiful hymn of Richter : es glänzet der Christen inwendiges Leben.
3. Only in and with Christ can we be even here assured of and joyful in eternal life; the true life is Christ in us.
4. The motive to constancy and fidelity in such a life is the glimpse of future glory, not the slavish fear of perdition, but child-like confidence and joy in the glory of the heritage and the heritage of glory.
Starke:—Ascendamus interim corde, ut olim sequamur et corpore (Augustine).—Think not, that by earnest meditation on the kingdom of God, all duties of house and office must be laid aside. We can find a place for that, even when the body is outwardly busy. Indeed through spiritual care of the soul, external business is properly regulated, sanctified and blessed.
Gerlach:—As Christ has concealed Himself from the bodily eye, and now lives a higher, heavenly, divine life; so does the Christian united to Him through faith. But the life of Christ will not always be thus concealed.
Schleiermacher:—The old man and the new man: this is the great contrast in which Paul’s entire proclamation of the gospel moved. The old man is both the man of sin and the man of the law; the new man is both the new creature in whom Christ lives, and he, who serves the righteousness, which comes through faith and avails before God.—The walk is manifest, the life is hid, we can conclude respecting the latter, only from what is manifested in the former.
Passavant:—The world knows not, sees not, what a new being has arisen in the believer through the risen Christ. He feels the life of Jesus in his heart.—Highest stand the prophets, apostles, martyrs, who “overcame by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and loved not their lives unto the death” (Rev_12:11). But all the rest, who have fought unto death, in patience and long-suffering, in holy fidelity, who are made kings and priests, will be called conquerors by their Head.
Heubner:—The higher, heavenly sense of the Christian proceeds from Christ, the Risen One,—this is its origin, its power—thither it goes also to His heavenly glory as its goal. He who has found the higher, forgets the lower.—Palmer:—The life in God: 1) a life of profound concealment, yet to be made manifest; 2) a life in blessed rest, yet with daily unrest and labor; 3) a life in heaven, yet with an appropriate blessing for earth.
Gesetz und Zeugniss [a German theological periodical.—R.] : Live with Christ in God! 1) We have to make this way clear to ourselves; 2) to acquaint ourselves with the nature and quality of this life; 3) to inquire respecting the end, to which it develops itself.—The sign of spiritual resurrection; 1) heavenly mind; 2) divine life; 3) blessed hope.—The exhortation of the Apostle: Seek the things which are above! 1) How the Apostle explains it; 2) what grounds he adduces for it.—Our past and present and future [Unser Sonst und Jetzt und Einst.] 1) our past; a seeking and minding what is on the earth; a life without Christ and without God, manifest in sin and shame. 2) Our present; a seeking and minding what is above, where Christ is; a life hid with Christ in God. 3) Our future; a possessing and enjoying all that after which we here strive in faith; a life with God manifested with Christ in glory.
[Andrewes: Col_3:1-2. Christ is risen, and if Christ then we. If we so be, then we “seek;” and that we cannot unless we “set our minds.” On what? On “things above,” not on earth, but where “Christ is.” And why there? Because where He is, there are the things we seek for, and here cannot find. There He “is sitting” and so at rest. And at “the right hand” so in glory. “God’s right hand” and so forever. These we seek, rest in eternal glory. These Christ hath found and so shall we, if we begin to “set our minds” to search after them.—Luther:
Ver, 2. We live not in the flesh, but we dwell in the flesh. Bp. Dan. Wilson :—Things on earth too naturally draw us down, attract us, fix us. Esau’s red pottage prevails over the birthright. The guests in the parable turn away to their land, or oxen, or families. The Gadarene mind wishes Christ to depart from its coasts.—R.]
[Eadie :—The pilgrim is not to despise the comforts which ho may meet with by the way, but he is not to tarry among them, or leave them with regret.—Wordsworth:—Be ye good trees. Now, in the world’s eye, is your winter; to men ye appear like dry sticks. Your life is hid with Christ. Ye are dead in appearance, but not dead in reality; dead as to show of luxuriant leaves, but not dead in your spiritual root. Your root is Christ. His coming will be your summer. Then ye will put forth a glorious foliage. Ye will appear with Him in glory. And the leafy fig-tree of this world will be withered by His coming.—R.]
[Beveridge: Sermon on Col_3:2. 1) Why “not on things on the earth?” a) they are below you and unsuitable to you both as men and Christians; b) they can never satisfy your desires; c) are troublesome and disquieting; d) unimportant and unnecessary (can neither make you happy themselves, nor conduce thereto); e) fleeting and unconstant, 2) Why “on things above?” a) nothing was made or designed as a proper object for our affections but these; b) our relations “above;” c) our possessions. 3) What affections? a) our thoughts and meditations; b) our affection of love; c) our desires; d) our joy. Thus become holy and happy.—R.]
Footnotes:
Col_3:1.—[So Ellicott, Alford. The former renders the whole verse: “If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, sitting on the right hand of God,” which rendering is justified in the notes below. His note on the distinction between “which” and “that” is interesting.—R.]
Col_3:3.—[ ἈðåèÜíåôå ; aorist, referring to definite past time, hence: “died”—as in Col_3:1 : “were raised.”—R.]
Col_3:4.— à . C. D.1 E.1 F. G. and others read ὑìῶí ; while B. and many others have ὴìῶí . A. has a lacuna here. The authorities are equal, the internal grounds also; the former is more striking, fitting, the latter the stranger, more difficult reading; not like the other dependent on Col_3:3. Certainly it cannot be referred merely to Paul and Timothy (Schenkel), but to Christians in general. [Braune, following Meyer, seems to prefer ὑìῶí ; but with Rec., Lachmann, Tischendorf, and modern English editors, ἡìῶí (“our,” E. V.) is to be preferred.—R.]