Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges - Colossians 1:28 - 1:28

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Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges - Colossians 1:28 - 1:28


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28. νουθετοῦντες … καὶ διδάσκοντες, “admonishing and teaching.” Methods by which we καταγγέλλομεν, as is indicated in part by the participial form, in part by the insistence on πάντα ἄνθρωπον. For νουθετεῖν compare Act 20:31; 1Co 4:14; Wis 11:10, and for both verbs infra Col 3:16.

Of the two words the first refers to the more practical, the second to the more theoretical, side of men’s relation to Christ and of His to them. For διδάσκω see also Col 2:7, Col 3:16.

πάντα ἄνθρωπον, three times. The thoroughness of the proclamation of the Gospel includes the thought of its being brought to every member of the human race. Here too such individual work forms a natural transition to St Paul’s special efforts for the Colossians.

Compare 1Co 10:1-4; 1Co 12:29-30.

ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ, “in all (practical) wisdom” (cf. notes Col 1:9).

ἵνα παραστῄσωμεν. See notes on Textual Criticism. “That we may present,” i.e. to God as judge hereafter, see Col 1:22 note.

τέλειον, “perfect.” (1) In Col 1:22 stress was laid on the absence of faults, here on the perfection of development, consequent on the training implied in νουθετοῦντες and διδάσκοντες. Cf. Col 4:12; also Jam 1:4. In a somewhat lower sense it is used of the maturity of the adult compared with the child, e.g. Heb 5:13-14, and perhaps even Eph 4:13.

(2) It should, however, be added that Lightfoot thinks that both here and 1Co 2:6-7 “the epithet τέλειος is probably a metaphor borrowed from the ancient mysteries, where it seems to have been applied to the fully instructed, as opposed to the novices.” He refers to 1Ch 25:8, 2Pe 1:16.

ἐν Χριστῷ. Apart from Christ the believer has no spiritual vigour (Joh 15:5), in Him he has all (cf. Php 4:13).