Commentaires bibliques

Title

The oldest known form is the briefest, To (the) Colossians, or Colassians (see note on Colossians 1:1 below). So in the “Subscription” to the Epistle, which see. The title as in the Authorized Version agrees with that adopted in the Elzevir editions of 1624, 1633.

Ch. Colossians 1:1-2. Greeting

1. Paul] Paulos. See Acts 13:9. The Apostle probably bore, from infancy, both the two names, Saul (Saoul, Saulos) and Paul. See on Ephesians 1:1, and Romans, p. 8, in this Series.

an apostle] Lit., an envoy, a missionary; in the Gospels and Acts always in the special sense of an immediate Delegate from the Saviour; except perhaps Acts 14:14, where Barnabas bears the title. In Romans 16:7 the sense is perhaps more extended; certainly so in 2 Corinthians 8:23 (Greek). It always, however, in N.T. designates at least a sacred messenger, not excepting Php 2:25 (Greek), where see note in this Series.—St Paul needed often to insist on the fact and rights of his divinely given apostleship; 1 Corinthians 9:1; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Galatians 1:1.—See further Ephesians, in this Series, Appendix F.

of Jesus Christ] Of Christ Jesus is the better-attested order; an order of our blessed Lord’s Name and Title almost peculiar to St Paul, and the most frequent of the two orders in his writings. It is calculated that he uses it (assuming the latest researches in the Greek text to shew right results) 87 times, and the other order 78 times (see The Expositor, May, 1888). The slight emphasis thus laid on the word “Christ” suggests a special reference of thought to our Lord in glory.—See further our notes on Romans 1:1.

by the will of God] So, in the same connexion, 1 Corinthians 1:1; 2 Corinthians 1:1; Ephesians 1:1; 2 Timothy 1:1.—Lit., by means of the will of God (so too Romans 15:32; 2 Corinthians 8:5; besides the places just quoted). The will of God is regarded as the means of the Apostle’s consecration, because with God to will implies the provision of the means of fulfilment.—See Galatians 1:1 for the deep certainty of a direct Divine commission which underlay such a phrase in St Paul’s mind. He knew himself to be “a vessel of choice, to bear the name” (Acts 9:15) of his Lord.

and Timotheus] Timothy is thus associated with Paul, 2 Corinthians 1:1 (in the same words); Php 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:1; Philemon 1:1 (in the same words). The association (which in Philippians begins and ends with the first sentence) is here maintained throughout the opening paragraph, dropping at the words (Colossians 1:23) “whereof I Paul, &c.” It is remarkable that Timothy is not mentioned in the contemporary Epistle to Ephesus; an omission probably to be explained by the more public and circular character of that Epistle (see Introd., pp. 41, 42, and Ephesians in this Series, pp. 24–29), making it more suitable that it should go as from the Apostle of Asia alone.

Timothy is named 24 times in the N.T. See Acts 16:1 for his parentage and early home. For indications of his character as man and Christian cp. 1 Corinthians 4:17; 1 Corinthians 16:10-11; 1 Timothy 1:2; 2 Timothy 1:4-5, and esp. 2 Timothy 2:19-22. His association with St Paul was intimate and endeared. He appears oftenest in connexion with the Apostle’s work in Europe; but he was himself an Asiatic by birth (Acts 16:1), and we last see him as the delegate of St Paul at Ephesus (1 and 2 Tim.).

our brother] Lit., the brother. So he is called also 2 Corinthians 1:1; Philemon 1:1. So too are designated Quartus (Romans 16:23), Sosthenes (1 Corinthians 1:1), Apollos (1 Corinthians 16:12). Cp. 2 Corinthians 12:18; Ephesians 6:21; below, Colossians 4:7. Strictly the term is the equivalent of “Christian;” but thus used it has a certain point and speciality, not as denoting an office or position, but known Christian worth and work.

2. to the saints] Holy ones; persons possessed of holiness, separated from sin to God. It is true that this is the language of “charitable presumption” (Pearson, Exposition of the Creed, Art. ix. p. 353); when a community is thus described St Paul does not thereby positively assert that each individual answers the description. But this presumptive use of the word “saint” does not lower the true sense of the word so as to make it properly mean merely a member of the baptized community, a possessor of visible Church privileges. “The saints” are supposed to be really separated to God, by purchase, conquest, and self-surrender.

faithful] The adjective is used of Christians frequently; see (in the Greek) Acts 10:45; Acts 16:1; 2 Corinthians 6:15; Colossians 1:2; 1 Timothy 4:3; 1 Timothy 5:16; 1 Timothy 6:2; Titus 1:6. These and similar passages, and the contrast of the word “unfaithful” (infidelis, infidel), shew that as a designation of Christians it means not trustworthy but trustful; full of faith, in the Christian sense. The “faithful” are (see last note) supposed to be those who have really “believed unto life everlasting” (1 Timothy 1:16) and now “walk by faith” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

brethren] Because “children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26; and see next note).

in Christ] See for parallels to this all-important phrase, Romans 8:1; 1 Corinthians 15:18; 2 Corinthians 5:17; &c. And cp. the Lord’s language, John 6:56; John 14:20; John 15:1-7, and the illustration given by e.g. Ephesians 5:30.—These “brethren” are regarded as one with their Lord in respect of inseparable interest, holy dearness, and union by the life-giving Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17); especially the latter. They are “brethren in Christ,” brothers because “in” the Firstborn Son (Romans 8:29).—This phrase occurs some 12 times in the Epistle, and closely kindred phrases raise the number to about 20. It is likely that the special doctrinal perils of Colossæ led to this emphasis on the Christian’s union with Christ.

Colosse] Properly Colossœ (Colassai), or Colassœ. On the spelling, see Introd., p. 20, and on the topography of Colossæ and its neighbourhood, Introd., ch. 1 generally.—The older English Versions read Colise (Wyclif, 1380), Colossa (Tyndale, 1534, Cranmer, 1539, Rheims 1582), Collossœ (Geneva, 1557).

The verse thus far may perhaps be rendered more exactly, To those who at Colossæ are holy and faithful brethren in Christ. But the A.V. (and text R.V.) is grammatically defensible and is certainly practically correct.

Grace be unto you, and peace] So in the openings of Rom., Cor., Gal., Phil., Col., Thess., Philem., Pet., and Rev. In the Pastoral Epistles, and in 2 Joh., the remarkable addition “mercy” appears; in Jude, “mercy, peace, and love.”—In these salutations “Grace” is all the free and loving favour of God in its spiritual efficacy; “Peace” is specially the complacency of reconciliation with which He regards His people, but so as to imply also its results in them; repose, serenity of soul; happiness in its largest sense. See further on Colossians 3:15 below.

from God our Father] To St Paul, God is the Pater Noster of Christians, in the inner sense of their union by faith with His Son. The Scriptures, while not ignoring a certain universal Fatherhood of God, always tend to put into the foreground the Fatherhood and Sonship of special connexion, of covenant, grace, faith. Among many leading passages see John 1:12; Romans 8:14 &c.; Galatians 3:26; 1 John 3:1-2.—Cp. the Editor’s Outlines of Christian Doctrine, p. 34.

and the Lord Jesus Christ] These words, present in the parallel passage Ephesians 1:2, are probably to be omitted here, on documentary evidence.

3–8. thanksgiving for the colossian saints

3. We give thanks] So Romans 1:8; 1 Corinthians 1:4; Ephesians 1:16; 1 Thessalonians 1:2; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Philemon 1:4.—Thanksgiving is the instinct of the life of grace.—These thanksgivings recognize God as the whole Cause of all goodness in His saints.

God and the Father] Better, with the more probable reading, God, the Father. Here, as often, the Father is called simply, and as it were distinctively, God. Not that He is more truly God than the Son, but that He is the Fountain of Godhead in the Son. Cp. Pearson, Exposition. Art. i., pp. 34, 35, 40.

praying always for you] Better perhaps, always, when at prayer for you.—The “prayer” here meant is prayer in its most inclusive sense, worship, of which thanksgiving is a part.—For St Paul’s prayers for his converts cp. Colossians 1:9; Ephesians 1:16-17; Ephesians 3:14; Php 1:9; 2 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Timothy 1:3; and see below, Colossians 4:12.

4. since we heard] More simply, having heard. He refers to the information given by Epaphras (Colossians 1:7), probably quite recently. On the question whether he had ever visited Colosssæ, see on Colossians 2:1 below, Introd., pp. 20, 21, and Appendix A. This verse gives no decisive evidence in the matter.

faith in Christ Jesus] Cp. Ephesians 1:15 for a closely parallel passage. “The preposition [‘in’] here … denotes the sphere in which their faith moves, rather than the object to which it is directed” (Lightfoot). But it is not easy to draw a clear distinction between “sphere” and “object” in this case. And surely Mark 1:15 (Greek) (cp. Romans 3:25; John 3:15; and, in the LXX., Psalms 77 :(Heb. and Eng. 78.) 22) proves the possibility of reference here to the Object of faith, on and in whom it reposes, as an anchor in the ground. On the other hand 2 Timothy 1:13 (quoted by Lightfoot) shews the possibility of explaining, “faith maintained by union with Christ.” But this more recondite meaning scarcely fits this context, where the parallelism of clauses seems to suggest the saints’ regard towards Christ first and then one another.

and of the love … saints] “This is His commandment, that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another” (1 John 3:23). Divine faith, in true and full exercise, issues by its nature in a life and work of love towards men, regarded as either actual (as here) or potential brethren of Him who is faith’s goal and rest.

all the saints] Doubtless not at Colossæ only, but everywhere. It was one of the earliest glories of the Gospel, illustrated everywhere in the N.T., to bind together in love a world-wide family. Cp. Colossians 3:11 below.—The words which ye have are probably in the true text.

5. for the hope] I.e. on account of the hope. “That blessed hope,” full of Christ, and the object of an intensely united expectation, gave special occasion, by its nature, for the exercise alike of the faith and the love just mentioned.

“Faith, love, hope,” thus appear together, as 1 Corinthians 13:13; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; and cp. 1 Peter 1:3; 1 Peter 1:5; 1 Peter 1:22. Lightfoot compares also Polycarp, Ep. to the Philippians, c. 3: “Faith, which is the mother of us all, followed by hope, whose precursor is love.” See Lightfoot’s note on that place (Apost. Fathers, Pt. ii. vol. ii. sect. ii. p. 911).—The interaction of the three great graces has many different aspects. Faith, which alone accepts Christ, and so unites us to Him, is indeed the antecedent in the deepest sense to both the others, and their abiding basis. But in the experience of the life and walk of grace, faith itself may be stimulated by either or both of the sister-graces; and so on.

Meanwhile “hope” here, strictly speaking, is not the subjective grace but its glorious object, the Return of the exalted Lord to receive His people to Himself. See e.g. Php 3:20, with our note; Titus 2:13; 1 Peter 1:4-7; Revelation 22:20.

laid up for you in heaven] See for a close parallel, 1 Peter 1:4; and cp. Hebrews 11:16; Hebrews 13:14.

“In heaven:”—lit., in the heavens; as often in N.T. On this plural see our note on Ephesians 4:10. The hope is “laid up” there, because He who is its Essence (1 Timothy 1:1; cp. below Colossians 1:27) is there, “sitting at the right hand of God” (below, Colossians 3:1); and our final enjoyment of it, whatever the details of locality may prove to be, whatever e.g. be the destiny of this earth with regard to the abode of the Blessed, will take place under the full manifestation of His presence in heavenly glory. See our Lord’s own words, Matthew 6:20-21; Luke 12:34; Luke 18:22; John 14:3; John 17:24.

ye heard before] He might have said simply, “ye heard.” But the expression “seems intended to contrast their earlier with their later lessons—the true Gospel of Epaphras with the false gospel of their recent teachers” (Lightfoot). On that “false gospel” see below, on Colossians 2:8, etc., and Introd., ch. 4.

the truth of the gospel] Not merely “the true Gospel,” but that holy and mighty Truth, “Jesus and the Resurrection” (Acts 17:18), which is the basis and the characteristic of the one Gospel. The rivals of that Gospel could produce on the contrary only arbitrary assertions and a priori speculations, the cloud of a theory of existence and of observance instead of the rock of Jesus Christ.

The word “Gospel” (euangelion) occurs more than 60 times in St Paul’s writings and addresses; elsewhere, 12 times in SS. Matthew and Mark together, once in the Acts, once in St Peter, once in the Revelation.—The expositor must never forget its true meaning; “good tidings.” Paradoxically but truly it has been said that the Gospel as such contains no precepts and no threatenings, though deeply and vitally related to Divine law and judgment. Its burthen is Jesus Christ as our perfect Peace, Life, and Hope, with a Divine welcome in His name to sinful man, believing.

6. is come unto you] Lit., “is present to you;” but the A.V. and R.V. are idiomatically right.

as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth, &c.] The word “and” here is textually doubtful; the adverse evidence though not decisive is considerable. If it is omitted, the rendering will be, as also in all the world it is fruit-bearing; and the meaning will be, practically, “it has reached you, as it reaches others everywhere, as a secret of fruit-bearing power.”

“In all the world:”—“in all the cosmos,” as Mark 16:15. Cp. Matthew 4:8; Matthew 26:13; and, for a similar hyperbole, Romans 1:8, and below, Colossians 1:23. Here the cosmos, which sometimes means the universe at large (Acts 17:24), sometimes human society (1 Corinthians 5:10), sometimes man as alienated with all his interests from God (Galatians 6:14; 1 John 3:1; 1 John 3:13, etc.), is used by a perfectly lawful liberty of speech for space indefinitely large, places indefinitely many. The readers would well understand that Paul meant not that the Gospel had reached every spot of Europe, Asia, and Africa, but that wherever, in the already vast extent of its range among men, it had come, it proved always its proper power.

“Bringeth forth fruit:”—the Greek verb is (here only in Greek literature, apparently) in the middle voice, and this indicates specially the innate, congenital, fruit-bearing power of the Gospel. It is “essentially a reproductive organism, a plant whose seed is in itself” (Lightfoot). Hence the Christian is, if we may put it so, nothing if not a fruit-bearer (Matthew 7:17-20; Luke 13:6; John 15:2-8; John 15:16; Romans 6:22; Galatians 5:22; Php 1:11; James 3:17).

Here add, with full MS. and other evidence, and increaseth, or, in view of the reading advocated above, and increasing. The noble and beautiful fact is thus given us that the Gospel’s fruit-bearing does not exhaust its source but rather developes the outcome. Transferring the imagery from the Gospel to its believing recipients, we gather that the more freely the Christian yields, as it were, his soul and his life to the fruitful energy of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) the stronger will he become for always ampler production. And so it is with the believing Church as a whole.

as it doth also in you] “The comparison is thus doubled back, as it were, on itself” (Lightfoot). He returns, careless of literary symmetry, to the thought closest to his heart, the fruitful and growing life of faith at Colossœ, which is now his bright example and illustration of the blessing experienced “in all the world.”

since the day] From the very first hour of intelligent faith the Divine secret of fruit and growth had worked; as it was, and is, always meant to do.

ye heard of it, and knew] Better, ye heard and knew.

“Knew:”—the Greek verb is a strong one, epiginôscein. It, or its kindred noun epignôsis, occurs e.g. Matthew 11:27; Romans 3:20; 1 Corinthians 13:12; Ephesians 1:17; Ephesians 4:13; below, Colossians 1:9-10, Colossians 2:2, Colossians 3:10; 2 Timothy 2:25; 2 Timothy 3:7; Hebrews 10:26; 2 Peter 1:8; 2 Peter 2:20. The structure of the word suggests developed knowledge; the N.T. usage tends to connect it with spiritual knowledge. The Colossians had not only heard and, in a natural sense, understood the Gospel; they had seen into it with the intuition of grace (cp. 1 Corinthians 2:12; 1 Corinthians 2:14).

the grace of God] His free and loving gift of Christ to the believing soul, and Church, to be “all in all;” “righteousness, sanctification, and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30). This they had “heard” as Gospel, and “known” as life and peace.

For the phrase, cp. Acts 11:23; Acts 13:43; Acts 14:26; Acts 15:40; Acts 20:24; Romans 5:15; 1 Corinthians 1:4; 1 Corinthians 3:10; 1 Corinthians 15:10; 2 Corinthians 1:12; 2 Corinthians 6:1; 2 Corinthians 8:1; 2 Corinthians 9:14; Galatians 1:15; Galatians 2:21; Ephesians 3:2; Ephesians 3:7; 2 Thessalonians 1:12; Titus 2:11; Hebrews 12:15; 1 Peter 4:10; 1 Peter 4:12, and cp. Colossians 1:10.

in truth] The words, grammatically, may refer to the reality of either the reception or the thing received. Order and connexion, and the drift of the whole Epistle, with its warning against a visionary and illusory “other Gospel,” favour the latter. So we render, or explain, in (its) reality; in its character as the revelation of eternal fact and pure spiritual truth. Cp. Ephesians 4:21, and our note.

7. as ye also learned] In the word “as” he refers to the “truth” just spoken of (Lightfoot). So, and not otherwise, had Epaphras phrased his message.

The word rendered “also” should certainly be omitted, on documentary evidence. As it stands, it simply emphasizes the fact; “as you actually learned from Epaphras.” But its omission leaves the English reader less likely to misunderstand the sentence, as if it implied some other informant of the Colossians, besides Epaphras.

Epaphras] Named also below, Colossians 4:12, and Philemon 1:23. The name is an abbreviation of Epaphroditus, and it has been guessed that the Epaphroditus of Php 2:25; Php 4:18, and this Epaphras, are the same person. But both name-forms were very common at the time; and nothing but the name tends to an identification in this case, unless indeed the warm and devoted Christian character indicated in both Philippians 2 and Colossians 4 does so. And this happily was not so rare in the Church as to make an argument.

From the notices in this Epistle and in Philemon we gather that he was a Colossian by birth, or at least by abode; that he had been the first, or at least chief, evangelist of Colossæ (see further, Introd., p. 21), and that he was now at Rome, arrived from Asia, and was St Paul’s “fellow-prisoner of war;” i.e. either actually imprisoned with him on some charge connected with the Gospel, or so incessantly with him in his captivity as practically to share it. The latter is more probable.—For his character, see further, on Colossians 4:12.—Tradition makes Epaphras first bishop of Colossæ, and a martyr there.

fellowservant] Strictly, fellow-bondservant, fellow-slave. He uses the word again, of Tychicus, Colossians 4:7, and not elsewhere. It occurs Revelation 6:11; Revelation 19:10; Revelation 22:9; and, of non-spiritual servitude, Matthew 18:28-33; Matthew 24:49.—To the Christian, in a life of humble surrender to his Lord, the fact of his own holy bondservice is inexpressibly dear; and so the thought of his association in it with others is an endearing and uniting thought.

for you] Another reading is for us, on our behalf (so R.V.). For this there is weighty documentary evidence, though it cannot be called overwhelming. It is however supported internally by the evidence in the context that Epaphras was, so to speak, vice-evangelist “for” St Paul at Colossæ.

minister] Greek, diâconos; so Ephesians 6:21, and below, Colossians 1:23; Colossians 1:25, Colossians 4:7. The word essentially implies activity and subordination. In Php 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:8-12; the word denotes holders of a subordinate and active office in the organized Christian ministry (and cp. Romans 16:1). See our notes on Php 1:1, and Appendix C. to that Epistle. But such a reference here is unlikely, if only because of the wording, “diaconos of Christ.” Epaphras, whatever his church-office, was the loving worker under Christ for Paul and Colossæ. For such a use of the word cp. John 12:26; 1 Corinthians 3:5 (a close parallel); 2 Corinthians 6:4; 2 Corinthians 11:23; 1 Thessalonians 3:2.—The Latin Versions render, minister.