Bible Commentaries

I. The apostle exhorts us to set our hearts upon heaven and take them off from this world, Col 3:1-4. II. He exhorts to the mortification of sin, in the various instances of it, Col 3:5-11. III. He earnestly presses to mutual love and compassion, Col 3:12-17. And concludes with exhortations to relative duties, of wives and husbands, parents and children, masters and servants, Col 3:18-25.

In the previous chapter, the apostle had showed what a true Christian ought not to follow after. He had warned the Colossians against the dangers of false philosophy, and the doctrines of erroneous teachers. In this chapter, he teaches them what they ought to pursue and to seek. He therefore enjoins various duties in the different relations of life, which they ought to perform in such a way as to show that true religion had a controlling influence over their hearts. He specifies the following:

(1) The duty of setting the affections on things above; Colossians 3:1-4. They were risen with Christ Colossians 2:12, they were dead to sin Colossians 3:3; they were soon to he like Christ Colossians 3:4, and they should, therefore, fix their affections on heavenly things.

(2) the duty of mortifying their corrupt passions and carnal propensities; Colossians 3:5-8.

(3) the duty of speaking the truth, since they had put off the old man with his deeds; Colossians 3:9-11.

(4) the duty of kindness, gentleness, charity, and the spirit of peace; Colossians 3:12-15.

(5) the duty of edifying one another by psalms and songs of praise; Colossians 3:16-17,

(6) The duty of wives, Colossians 3:18;

(7) of husbands, Colossians 3:19;

(8) of children, Colossians 3:20;

(9) of fathers, Colossians 3:21;

(10) of servants, Colossians 3:22-25.

There is a very striking similarity between this chapter and Ephesians 5; 6, and a full exposition of the principal subjects adverted to here may be found in the notes there.

The apostle exhorts the Colossians to heavenly-mindedness after the example of Christ, that they may be prepared to appear with him in glory, Colossians 3:1-4. Exhorts them also to mortify their members, and calls to their remembrance their former state, Colossians 3:5-7. Shows how completely they were changed from that state, and gives them various directions relative to truth, compassion, meekness, long-suffering, forgiveness, charity, Colossians 3:8-14. Shows that they are called to unity and holiness; and commands them to have the doctrine of Christ dwelling richly in them; and how they should teach and admonish each other, and do every thing, in the name of the Lord Jesus, Colossians 3:15-17. The relative duties of wives, Colossians 3:18. Of husbands, Colossians 3:19. Of children, Colossians 3:20. Of fathers, Colossians 3:21. Of servants, Colossians 3:22. He concludes by showing that he that does wrong shall be treated accordingly, for God is no respecter of persons, Colossians 3:23-25.

INTRODUCTION TO Colossians 3

This chapter contains exhortations to several duties, some more general, which relate to all Christians, and others more particular, which belong to saints in such and such a state of life. The apostle begins with an exhortation to seek things heavenly, and not earthly, and to set the affections on the one, and not on the other: the arguments used to enforce it are taken from the saints being risen with Christ; from Christ being in heaven at the Father's right hand; from their being dead to sin, the law, and the world; from their having life in Christ safe and secure; yea, from Christ being their life, and their appearance with him in glory, Colossians 3:1. And next he proceeds to an exhortation to the mortification of sin, and the deeds of it, which he urges from the wrath of God coming upon men for these things, and from the consideration of their former state and condition, expressed by walking and living in them, Colossians 3:5, and by a metaphor taken from the putting off and on of garments, he exhorts to the putting off of the old man, with his deeds, several of which are mentioned, Colossians 3:8, and to the putting on of the new man, and to the exercise of various graces, as mercy, meekness, forbearance, forgiveness, charity, and peace, Colossians 3:10. And then he proceeds to exhort to such duties as relate to the word and worship of God; as that the word of Christ should have an abiding place in them, and that they should teach and instruct one another by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and do all they did in a religious way, in the name of Christ, with thankfulness to God by him, Colossians 3:16. And closes the chapter with the duties of wives to their husbands, and of husbands to their wives, and of children to their parents, and of parents to their children, and of servants to their masters, Colossians 3:18.

CHAPTER 3

Colossians 3:4. Instead of ὑμῶν, which Griesb. approves, and Lachm. puts in the margin, but Tisch. 8 in the text, ἡμῶν is read by Elz. Scholz, and Tisch. 7, in opposition to C D* E* F P G א min. Arm. Slav. ed. Vulg. It. and many Fathers (not Origen). A is defective here. Considering this weighty evidence in favour of ὑμῶν, and seeing that the following καὶ ὑμεῖς suggested the change of person to the copyists, as indeed the beginning of a lesson with Colossians 3:4 could not but have favoured the insertion of the general ἡμῶν, we have stronger grounds for regarding ὑμῶν as original than as a repetition from Colossians 3:3.

Colossians 3:5. ὑμῶν] is wanting, indeed, in B C* א* min. Clem. Or. (five times) Eus., but has all the VSS. in its favour; hence the evidence against it is not sufficient to warrant its rejection, with Tisch. 8, as an inserted supplement.

διʼ ἅ] C* D* E F G Clar. Germ. read διʼ ὅ or διό. Rightly; the Recepta, though strongly attested, is an alteration to correspond with the plurality of the preceding objects under comparison of Ephesians 5:6.

ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τ. ἀπειθείας] is wanting in B D* (?) Sahid. Aeth. Clem. Cypr. Ambrosiast., bracketed by Lachm. and omitted by Tisch. The evidence against it is too weak to justify its rejection, especially in the face of the agreement of the passage otherwise with Ephesians 5:6, and of the incompleteness of the thought which would remain, in case those words were omitted; Reiche properly defends them.

Colossians 3:7. Instead of τούτοις Elz. and Scholz have αὐτοῖς, in opposition to decisive Codd., although defended by Reiche.

Colossians 3:11. Before ἐλεύθ. Lachm. inserts καί; considerably attested, it is true (not by B C א), but nevertheless an addition which crept in easily in consequence of the first two clauses of the verse; nearly all the same authorities (not A) have it also before Σκύθης.

Colossians 3:12. Instead of οἰκτιρμοῦ Elz. has οἰκτιρμῶν, in opposition to decisive testimony.

Colossians 3:13. ὁ Χριστός] Lachm. reads ὁ κύριος, following A B D* F G 213, Vulg. It. Aug. (once) Pel. Rightly; the Recepta is an interpretation, instead of which ὁ Θεός (א) and Deus in Christo (Arm. Aug. once) are also found.

Colossians 3:14. ὅς] A B C F G P Vulg. It. Clem. Chrys. read ὅ, which is approved by Griesb. and adopted by Lachm. and Tisch. ὅς (א*) and the Recepta ἥτις (א**) are emendations.

Colossians 3:15. Instead of τοῦ Χριστοῦ Elz. has τοῦ Θεοῦ, in opposition to decisive evidence, from Php 4:7.

Colossians 3:16. The καί before ὕμν. and ᾠδαῖς should in both cases be omitted (Scholz omits only the first), in accordance with preponderating evidence. Borrowed from Ephesians 5:19.

ἐν χάρ.] Lachm. and Tisch.: ἐν τῇ χάρ., which, on the authority of B D* E* F G א** Clem. Chrys. Theodoret, is to be preferred. The article was passed over as superfluous.

Following far preponderant testimony (also א), we must read subsequently with Lachm. and Tisch. 8: ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμ. τῷ Θεῷ, not: ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ ὑμ. τῷ κυρίῳ (Elz. Reiche), or: ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ ὑμ. τ. Θεῷ (Tisch. 7). Comp. Ephesians 5:19.

Colossians 3:17. κυρίου Ἰησοῦ] Lachm.:Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, which is to be adopted on the authority of A C D* F G min. VSS. and Fathers; א has κυρ. Ἰησοῦ Χρ.

καὶ πατρί] καί is to be omitted, with Lachm. and Tisch., following A B C א min. VSS. and Fathers; from Ephesians 5:20.

Colossians 3:18. After τοῖς Elz. reads ἰδίοις, in opposition to decisive evidence; from Ephesians 5:22.

Colossians 3:19. After γυναῖκας Lachm. has ὑμῶν, which, with considerable evidence in its favour, is the more especially to be adopted, as in Ephesians 5:25 ἑαυτῶν is found. The omission easily occurred, because τοῖς ἀνδράσιν previously was also without genitival definition.

Colossians 3:20. Instead of ἐν κυρίῳ Elz. has τῷ κυρίῳ, which is to be regarded on decisive evidence as an omission of the apparently superfluous ἐν.

Colossians 3:21. ἐρεθίζετε] Lachm. and Scholz, as also Griesb, recommend: παροργίζετε, following, it is true, A C D* E* F G K L א (παροργίζεται) min. Vulg. It. Theodoret, ms. Theoph.; but it comes from Ephesians 6:4.

Colossians 3:22. Elz. and Tisch. have ὀφθαλμοδουλείαις, which Reiche approves. But ὀφθαλμοδουλείᾳ (recommended by Griesb. and adopted by Lachm. and Scholz) is the reading in A B D E F G min. Damasc. Theoph.; and Chrysostom also by κατʼ ὀφθαλμοδουλείαν testifies in favour of the singular. The singular is to be preferred as preponderantly attested, and because the final syllable AI (ᾳ) might very easily bring about the conversion into the plural. If the singular had come in from Ephesians 6:6, “Chrysostom’s reading, κατʼ ὀφθ., would be more frequent.

Instead of κύριον Elz. has Θεόν, contrary to decisive witnesses.

Colossians 3:23. καὶ πᾶν ὅ, τι ἐάν] The reading ὅ, ἐάν, which Griesb. approves, and Lachm. Scholz and Tisch. have adopted, is decisively attested; the Recepta is from Colossians 3:17.

Colossians 3:24. τῷ γάρ] γάρ has so decisive witnesses against it (also א), that, with Lachm. and Tisch. (Griesb. also condemns it), it is to be deleted as a current connective addition.

Colossians 3:25. ὁ δέ] ὁ γάρ is decisively attested (also by א); it is approved by Griesb., and adopted by Lachm. and Tisch. The antithetical δέ crept in from misunderstanding.

κομιεῖται] The form κομίσεται (Lachm.) is found in B D *** E K L א ** min. Fathers. To these may be added F G, which have κομίζεται. The Recepta must give way to the more strongly attested κομίσεται. Comp. on Ephesians 6:8.

CONTENTS.

The generally hortatory second portion of the Epistle, preceded in Colossians 2:6 merely by a special exhortation against the danger of heresy, does not begin with Colossians 2:6 (Hofmann), but only now, and seeks to promote in the readers the essential moral direction of the Christian life (Colossians 3:1-4); after which they are encouraged to lay aside and abandon everything which is contrary to that direction (Colossians 3:5-11), and to adopt and follow all that is good and edifying in a Christian sense (Colossians 3:12-17). Then follow exhortations in reference to the various relations of the household (Colossians 3:18 to Colossians 4:1).

Col 3:1-25.

EXHORTATIONS TO HEAVENLY AIMS, AS OPPOSED TO EARTHLY, ON THE GROUND OF UNION TO THE RISEN SAVIOUR; TO MORTIFY AND PUT OFF THE OLD MAN, AND TO PUT ON THE NEW; IN CHARITY, HUMILITY, WORDS OF EDIFICATION, THANKFULNESS; RELATIVE DUTIES.

1. If . . . then--The connection with

Col 2:18, 23,

is, he had condemned the "fleshly mind" and the "satiating to the full the flesh"; in contrast to this he now says, "If then ye have been once for all raised up (Greek, aorist tense) together with Christ" (namely, at your conversion and baptism,

Ro 6:4).

seek those things . . . above--

(Mt 6:33; Php 3:20).

sitteth--rather, as Greek, "Where Christ is, sitting on the right of God"

(Eph 1:20).

The Head being quickened, the members are also quickened with Him. Where the Head is, there the members must be. The contrast is between the believer's former state, alive to the world but dead to God, and his present state, dead to the world but alive to God; and between the earthly abode of the unbeliever and the heavenly abode of the believer

(1Co 15:47, 48).

We are already seated there in Him as our Head; and hereafter shall be seated by Him, as the Bestower of our bliss. As Elisha

(2Ki 2:2)

said to Elijah when about to ascend, "As the Lord liveth . . . I will not leave thee"; so we must follow the ascended Saviour with the wings of our meditations and the chariots of our affections. We should trample upon and subdue our lusts that our conversation may correspond to our Saviour's condition; that where the eyes of apostles were forced to leave Him, thither our thoughts may follow Him

(Mt 6:21; Joh 12:32)

[PEARSON]. Of ourselves we can no more ascend than a bar of iron lift itself up' from the earth. But the love of Christ is a powerful magnet to draw us up

(Eph 2:5, 6).

The design of the Gospel is not merely to give rules, but mainly to supply motives to holiness.

If ye then be risen with Christ - The apostle in this place evidently founds the argument on what he had said in Colossians 2:12; see the notes at that passage. The argument is, that there was such an union between Christ and his people, that in virtue of his death they become dead to sin; that in virtue of his resurrection they rise to spiritual life, and that, therefore, as Christ now lives in heaven, they should live for heaven, and fix their affections there.

Seek those things which are above - That is, seek them as the objects of pursuit and affection; strive to secure them.

Where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God - Notes, Mark 16:19. The argument here is, that since Christ is there, and since he is the object of our supreme attachment, we should fix our affections on heavenly things, and seek to be prepared to dwell with him.