Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible · Colossians Capitolo 3

Colossians 3:1. If ye then be risen, &c.— The Apostle here proceeds, upon the principles that he had laid down, to graft a most important practical exhortation on what he had said; than which nothing could more effectually tend to take them off from those bigotted attachments which he was so solicitous to root out;—a remarkable instance of that happy address which we have so often had an opportunity of observing. See the Inferences.

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Colossians 3:2. Set your affection on things above,— The original is mind, regard: "Prefer and pursue the things that are above:" — Τα αω φρονειτε .

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Colossians 3:3. For ye are dead, &c.— "For ye are, by profession and obligation, and all true believers really are, by communion with Christ in his death, dead in your hearts and affections as to the Mosaic law, and crucified with Christ to sin and the world; so as not to seek your portion, and place your happiness, in earthly things: and all the entertainments and enjoyments of your spiritual life are maintained, and carried on, in secret transactions between God and your own souls, by virtue of your mystical union with Christ, your Head, who himself is essentially united with God the Father, as he is in the Son, and the Son in the Father (John 14:11; John 17:21.) The things of this heavenly life are out of sight, they being hid, as much as Christ himself now is, from an eye of sense, and from the conceptions of a carnal mind: and, after all that believers themselves experience of them, they knew not what they shall be. (1 John 3:2.)"

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Colossians 3:5. St. Paul, having concluded the principal design of his writing, comes now, according to his usual manner, to give the Colossians some rules and directions for their Christian behaviour and conversation. These rules are of four kinds: First, such as concerned themselves personally, and their own purity in abstaining from sensual lusts, Colossians 3:5-7.—Secondly, such as concerned them as Christians in society, and were to be observed by them with regard to, and in conversing with each other, Colossians 3:8-17. Thirdly, the duties resulting from the several relations that men stand in to each other, Col 3:18—ch. Colossians 4:1. Fourthly, such as had respect to their enemies, among whom they lived, ch. Colossians 4:2-6. Instead of covetousness, the English expositors in general, after Mr. Locke, render the word πλεονεξια, insatiable desire, or licentious intemperance. See Ephesians 4:19.

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Colossians 3:7. In the which ye also walked— Amongst whom ye also once walked, [partaking in all their enormities,] when ye lived among them. Doddridge. Mr. Peirce paraphrases the verse as follows: "Among which children of disobedience you also some time had your conversation, when, being unconverted, you lived in the commission of those sins."

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Colossians 3:8. Blasphemy,— The original word properly signifiesblasphemy; but it includes not only impious speeches with regard to God, which is the highest degree of malignant language, but all railing and reproachful speeches against ourbrethren. See Matthew 15:19. Ephesians 4:31. By filthy communication, obscene and lewd discourse is generally understood. Dr. Whitby explains the original word of reproachful language; but the former sense is, I think, rather to be preferred, as reproachful language seems abundantly forbidden in the former article; and as in the parallel Epistleto the Ephesians the Apostle expressly forbids such filthycommunication. See Ephesians 4:29.

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Colossians 3:11. Where there is neither Greek, &c.— St. Paul's main design in this Epistle was, to establish the Colossians in theiradherence to the gospel mystery of the calling of the Gentiles, and maintaining their freedom against the Jewish dogmatizers; and though he had already concluded that matter, yet, having it very much at his heart, he takes an occasion here, in the midst of quite other things, to drop a word with relation to it. The sense of the verse is, that,in the point of obtaining acceptance with God, our regard must be paid solely to Christ; upon him alone we must depend, and not upon the Mosaic law, or any other person or thing whatever:—that cordial faith in Christ is the only term on which God insists for justification; and that this is the case in all, or among all men, let them be Jews, or let them be Gentiles; of whatever nation, or whatever condition, it matters not. Upon this term alone they should be received into favour, without submitting to the ordinances which the Judaizers would gladly obtrude upon them. The Apostle seems to make use of a kind of climax in mentioning the Scythians, as they were reckoned more barbarous than any other barbarous nation.

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Colossians 3:12. Put on therefore, &c.— The exhortation in this verse is not inconsistent with what was said in Col 3:10 of their having already put on the new man; as the Apostle intended here to exhort them to advance more and more in those benevolent dispositions which did, through divine grace, in some considerable degree, already prevail in their hearts.

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Colossians 3:14. Put on charity,— "Put on love, which is the bond of that perfect union which ought to reign in the body of Christ, and by which the whole church becomes perfect." See l John 4:12; John 4:18.

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Colossians 3:15. And let the peace of God rule, &c.— See Philippians 4:7. The word Βραβευετω, rendered rule, is a term borrowed from the Grecian games, and alludes to the office of the master, who presided at those games, deciding all the controversies between the competitors, and determining who should have the preference; in which view the Apostle's meaning is, "Let the peace of God always preside, as the great umpire in your hearts."

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Colossians 3:16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, &c.— That is, "The gospel which you have received;" which the Apostle exhorts them to lay up in their hearts, to meditate upon continually, and to endeavour to improve wisely to the best purpose. But Peirce and others give a different interpretation, as follows: "It would be of good service to prevent the sins from which I have dissuaded you, and to promote the love that I have recommended, if, in your conversing together, you would take care that your discourse and talk should be much of Christ, in all wisdom; and that you entertain each other in conversing together in a Christian manner, teaching and admonishing, &c." See Ephesians 5:18-20. Beza, Schmidius, Bengelius, and Gataker point the verse thus: Let, &c. richly: in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another; in psalms, &c.

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Colossians 3:20. Children, obey—in all things:— That is, "which are lawful, or to which the parental authority extends." This must be understood with some such limitation; and there can be no hurt in supplying the sense from Col 3:18 with εν κυριω, in the Lord; and so it is expressed, Ephesians 6:1. That is, "as the Lord requires you, and as far as is consistent with your duty to him."

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