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Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,

Paul an apostle, … — This golden Epistle is an epitome, as it were, of that other to the Ephesians; like as that he writeth to the Galatians is an abstract of that other to the Romans.

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To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Which are at Colosse — A city in Phrygia, swallowed up by an earthquake not long after this Epistle was written. God’s judgments are sometimes secret, but ever just. It may be that these Colossians, being led away with the error of these false teachers (who sought to entangle them with many pharisaical observations and philosophical speculations, Colossians 2:16-23 ), had fallen from their own stedfastness, 2 Peter 2:17 , had suffered a heartquake, being shaken in mind, 2 Thessalonians 2:2 , and were sucked in by the whirlpool of divers and strange doctrines, μη περιφερεσθε , Hebrews 13:9 . I affirm nothing, but God sometimes speaks from heaven against heretics: as he did against Arius, Nestorius, Stephen Langton, Stephen Gardiner, Arminius (who craftily revived the Pelagian heresy), all which died miserably; that I speak not of those two monsters in New England brought forth by Mistress Hutchinson and Mistress Dyer, and the fearful end that the former of these two women came to, being burnt with her family by the savages of that country. Aliorum perditio tua sit cautio. Christ will have all the Churches know, Revelation 2:23 , that he is jealous of his glory, and will revenge the quarrel of his covenant. Those primitive Churches sinned away their light, and are therefore now given up to darkness. Infatuati seducebantur, et seducti iudicabantur, saith Austin; that is, being infatuated, they were seduced; and being seduced, they were justly punished. (Melancth.) They were first overspread with Arianism, and therefore now with Mahometism, which is nothing else but Arii stercus, the odour of Arius, as one rightly calleth it.

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We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

We give thanks-praying, … — Prayer and thanks (saith one) are like the double motion of the lungs; the air that is sucked in by prayer is breathed out again by thanks.

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Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,

And of the love, … — Faith in Christ Jesus maketh love to all the saints. Therefore they go commonly coupled in Paul’s Epistles. And therefore when the disciples heard how often they must forgive an offending brother, "Lord, increase our faith," say they,Luke 17:5; Luke 17:5 . See Trapp on " Luke 17:5 "

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For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;

For the hope — It is hope (saith an interpreter here) that plucks up the heart of a man to a constant desire of union by faith with God and of communion by love with man. But by "hope" is here meant the "object of hope."

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Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it , and knew the grace of God in truth:

As it is in all the world — Eusebius saith that the gospel spread at first through the world like a sunbeam, Αθροως οια τις ηλιου Βολη . The reformation begun by Luther in Germany went on abroad Christendom, as if he had been carried upon angels’ wings. That of the Church of England is such as former ages despaired of, the present admireth, and the future shall stand amazed at. It is that miracle, saith one, which we are in these times to look for. (Spec. Europ.)

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As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;

Who is for you a faithful minister — Epaphras was their city preacher; whom therefore the apostle here so highly commendeth. Luther is much blamed by his best friends for opposing and disparaging Carolostadius among his own charge at Orlamund, A.D. 1524. (Scultet. Annul.) A faithful minister should have all good respect, before his own people especially.

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Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.

Who also declared unto us — His heart was over joyed with his people’s forwardness, and he could not but impart it to the apostle. It was a pride in Montanus to overly ween his Pepuza and Tymium, two pelting parishes not far from Colosse, and to call them Jerusalem, as if they had been the only churches in the world. But this was a commendable practice of Epaphras to relate to St Paul the good he found in his people, that he by an Epistle might further encourage and quicken them.

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