giving of Paul, which he expressed at the moment, and by the me-
dium of writing ; the intercession, on the contrary, is represented
170 COLOSSIANS I. 5.
as continuous, and to be grounded on what Paul had heard of the
Colossians' life of faith. So, too, ver. 9, where this idea is again
taken up and further carried out. Love is again (as in Eph. i. 15)
conceived of as brotherly love, because Christian love manifests itself
primarily as such, without thereby derogating from universal love.
In ver. 3 MS. B. reads for r<2> GecS aal Trarpt, as Paul generally writes,
rw 6ew rrarpt, and D.G. TW 9ea> roi narpi, which latter reading
Lachmann has received into the text. In fact, it seems to deserve
the preference, as the more unusual form of expression could easily
be changed into the usual one. 'Trrep is to be preferred after
B.D.F.Gr to nepi. In ver. 4 the reading fjv tye-e after TT/J- dyd-rr^v is
vouched for by so many and important MSS., viz., by A.C.D.E.F.G.,
that we cannot hesitate to declare it the orignal one, the rather as
TTJV seems to have come into the text here from Eph. i. 15.
Ver. 5. Paul represents the faith and the love of the Christians
in Colossa? as conditioned by the hope shewn them by means of the
gospel. Here again Paul disdains not to cast his eyes on the Di-
vine reward (/a06f), which even the Saviour himself often places
before his disciples. The fcvUtf, accordingly, is here not, as in 1
Thess. i. 3, subjective hope, but objective hope, i. e., the hoped-for
object, eternal happiness in the kingdom of God. It is designated
as d-rroKeifievT) iv rolg ovpovoZ^, to indicate partly its being securely
laid up, partly its being not yet present. But man cannot deduce
the existence of such a heavenly hope from himself, he perceives it
only in the Word of Truth, which is in the gospel. (Toy evayyekiov is
to be taken as genit. appositioniti.) In this, the Colossians have already
here (before the fulfilment) received information of that hope. For
so the rrpoTjKovaa-e is to be taken, not, as Bohmer, with reference to
the apostle's epistle, as if the meaning were, " of which you have
already heard before the composition of this epistle." For that this
was the case was surely already plain enough from the unovoavreq
preceding. Again, the words which follow, rov napovrog el$ v/ids,
a0wf icai, K. r. A., do not recount the bare fact that the gospel is
preached in Colossae ; the citing of that would be entirely needless,
as the existence of faith necessarily presupposes the preaching of the
gospel. Paul means rather in this addition to render prominent the
nature of the gospel, as a treasure belonging to the whole of man-
kind, and which for that very reason could not be withheld from them
(the Colossians) either : " which is come unto you, as it is also (in
conformity with its destination) in the whole world." The reason
why the apostle makes the universality of Christianity prominent
here is the same which causes him at the end of the chapter (i. 27,
seq.) to repeat so often that he teaches and warns all men, viz., opposi-
tion to the one-sided bias of the Judaistic false teachers, who looked
on the gospel as intended primarily for the Jews merely. Neither,
COLOSSIANS I. 6. 171
therefore, can the sv rravrl T<O KOO/JW be taken with Bohmer as an
hyperbole, for even if, when Paul wrote those words, the gospel was
not actually as yet generally diffused, still it has in its first elements
even the tendency and energy to fill and govern the world ; from
his knowledge of that energy Paul prophetically expresses the future
as if already realized. (See on i. 23.) For the rest, in the rov
xapovTog elg v[i,dg we discover an antithesis to the Zkmg a t noKf,i\is.vr\ iv
role ovpavoig ; while the glory and blessedness of the kingdom of God
are still distant, the substance of these blessings is already spirit-
ually near to the faithful in the Word of Truth.
Ver. 6. Here the connexion of the words is questionable, in con-
sequence of the different readings ; the discourse proceeds with na6u<;
nai thrice repeated : it is true, aai is wanting in the third, in veiy
many and important MSS., but the omission is far more explicable,
from its having twice preceded, than the addition of it. But again,
A.C.D. read in the beginning of ver. 6 Kadug KOI iv Travrl TO> KOCTJUO)
iari Kap7TO(popovfisvov. The clause KaBug KOCT/^CJ is thus separated
from what precedes, and joined with what follows ; to which open-
ing clause, however, the words icaOcbg icdl iv vfuv do not adapt them-
selves, since the Colossians are included of course in the whole world.
It is with reason, therefore, that Steiger, Bahr, and others, have
retained not KO-L tcapTTotyopovpevov, and supplied eon at itadug KOI iv
iravrl TGJ KOCTjUo;. The existence of the Word of Truth in the world
would seem thus to be further represented as not unfruitful, but
efficient ; from its productive power it brings forth fruits in the
souls of those who receive it, and it had shewn itself so in the Co-
lossians also from the moment that they had heard of the grace of
God (viz., in Christ, as the object of the preaching of the Gospel),
and had truly received what they heard. But a difficulty is created
by KOI avZavopevov, which, it is in the highest degree probable, is to
be considered genuine, and to be taken into the text, after A. B.C.
D.E.F.G., though it might have been interpolated here from ver. 10.
But the idea of growing seems of necessity to precede the bringing
forth fruit, and not to follow it. The reference of KapTroQopsiadai
to inward, of avgdveadai to outward growth, is plainly inapposite
after the mention of Kadax; nal iv Travrl r& KOO^. It corresponds
better with the context to refer avgdveaOai to the growing and ripen-
ing of the fruits themselves, with which the parallel passage, ver.
10, also accords best. The influence of the Word of Truth is not
terminated with the bringing forth of fruits ; it works, on the
contrary, on and on, to present the fruits still more ripened and
complete, so that a growing is thus to be recognized in the bring-
ing forth of fruit itself. The acceptation of KV d^deia may be
questionable. That it contains no reference back to the Adyof TTJS
in ver. 5, and therefore must not be joined with
172 COLOSSIANS I. 7, 8.
rov Qeov, in the sense, "grace of God in truth," follows decidedly
from the absence of the article. 'Ev dtydeia can only be taken as an
adverbial subordinate limitation of the whole, designating the na-
ture of the eTTiyvuaif; as a true one, in contrast with a mere apparent
knowledge of the grace of God. as it shewed itself in the false teach-
ers. (See Bahr on this passage, and Winer's Gr., 20, 2, p. 128.)
But K.aQu$ nal Adders points also, as Steiger has already correctly
perceived, to a further reference of tv dhrjdeia to the idea in verse 7.
Paul in it sanctions the preaching of Epaphras in Colossa? as the
genuine apostolical one (perhaps with regard to suspicions which
might have been disseminated on the part of the false teachers
against Epaphras and his doctrine), and with it refers the Christians
there to that, as the only true one, in opposition to the arbitrary
disfigurement of the gospel, in which the false teachers had allowed
themselves.
Vers. 7, 8. The ratification of the doctrine, and authentication
of the person, of Epaphras, here pronounced, are important, as shew-
ing how the apostles considered themselves as the true possessors of
pure evangelical truth, and maintained their title. He whom they
did not recognize was by that very circumstance shut out from the
body of Christ, the true church of the Lord, entirely in accordance
with the word of the Saviour : " As my Father hnth sent me, so do
I send you" (John xx. 21) ; " He that heareth you, heareth me, and
he that despiseth you, despiseth me" (Luke x. 16). The apostles
were representatives of Christ (2 Cor. v. 20), " We are ambassadors
in Christ's stead, for God admoriisheth through us ;" the apostolical
assistants were in their turn representatives of the apostles. This
position Paul here expressly assigns to Epaphras, as he not only
names him as his beloved fellow-servant (see iv. 7, ovvdovXo^ v itvpiu :
in the LXX. it stands for mas^ Ezra iv. 7, 9 ; v. 3, 6 ; vi. 13), but
also marbq didnovoq rov Xpiarov in his (the apostle's) stead. It is
true, the text. rec. reads marb^ vrrt-p vfitiv didicovos, but the MSS. A.
D.G. read v-nep fm>v } which could easily be altered to vpuv, but
scarcely fy5v to jjpuv. Lachmann has, therefore, with reason
admitted rm&v into the text. As to the rest, the person of Epa-
phras has been already mentioned in the Introduction (sect. 1).
According to iv. 12 he seems to have been a born Colossian. Paul
had perhaps, during his long stay in Ephesus, sent him out into the
neighbourhood, and caused the gospel to be proclaimed by him in
those cities of Asia and Phrygia which he could not touch at him-
self. It was Epaphras, too, according to verse 8, who had given
Paul information as to the state of the church in Coloss;e. If here
mention is made merely of the love of the Christians there, of which
Epaphras informed Paul, other information is not thereby excluded,
especially that as to the threatening false teachers ; Paul, however,
COLOSSIANS I. 9. 173
does not find occasion to introduce this at once at the commence-
ment of his epistle. As to the rest, the love of the Colossian Christ-
ians is by the addition iv TrvevpaTi, in spirit, designated as one kin-
dled by the Holy Ghost, and therefore distinguished from mere
natural love.
Ver. 9. Exactly as in Eph. i. 15, Paul in what follows resumes
the subject of his diligence in prayer for them, which had been
already touched on in verse 3, and details what he prayed for on be-
half of the Christians in Colossse. He designates this his praying as
an uninterrupted one since the day that he heard of them and their
faith. (Ata TOVTO connects verse 9 with what precedes, so that the
life then existing in the Colossians was the motive to Paul to
pray for the perfection of his readers in it. -KlrdaBaL after -npo-
oevxeadai denotes the special act of beseeching in the more general
idea of praying. On the use of iva after verbs of commanding,
praying, etc., see Winer's Gr., 41, 1. The construction of rrA?/-
povaOai with the accusative is quite regular. See Winer's Gr.,
32, 5.)
Paul then wishes and beseeches for his readers that they may be
filled with the knowledge of the Divine will, which makes known
and proves itself in all wisdom and spiritual knowledge. On (jo&a
and avveais we have already observed what was necessary at Eph. i.
8, which passage stands parallel to this. The idea of being filled
with the knowledge of the Divine will is explained by the fact, that
iniyvwaig is with Paul no mere act of reflection, to which certainly
TrhijpuOrjvcu would not be adapted, but an essential contemplation,
which has its origin in the communication of the Holy Ghost. The
idea, therefore, might be paraphrased thus : " that ye may be filled
by the Holy Ghost, and by means of his illumination may receive
knowledge." But "knowledge" is, by the addition rov fle/bjparof
avrov, designated as practical knowledge, in opposition to an un-
fruitful theoretical knowledge, such as the false teachers strove to
attain. (See on ii. 8, 23.) Steiger's view is therefore wholly erro-
neous. He distinguishes yvtiaig from vniyvuoig by explaining yv&aig
of vague knowledge without perfect insight into the essence ; KTCL-
yvuoig, of a more minute and special discerning, the result of reflec-
tion and endeavour. The fluctuating nature of his view is suffi-
ciently apparent from the single fact of his adducing alongside of
this still another definition. 'ETuyvwcr^, he says, is sometimes above,
sometimes beneath yv&aig : if the latter, then yv&ois means the full,
pure knowledge of things which arises in intellectual contempla-
tion ; and eTtiyvuaig, on the contrary, is then the result of a partial
investigation in a more laborious way. As already observed at Eph. i.
8, there is no specific difference at all between yvtimg and imyv^aig to
be assumed in the language of the New Testament, and particularly of
174 COLOSSIANS I. 10, 11.
Paul ; both terms always denote immediate knowledge by the reason
through the perception of the eternal, by means of the vovg illuminated
by the Holy Ghost (compare on ii. 3) ; on the other hand, the insight
gained through the understanding by reflective processes is called
<f>p6v7)oi(; or ovveoi$. (See my Opusc. Acad. p. 156, seq.)
Ver. 10. From the true practical knowledge of God proceeds of
itself an outward walk which 'is worthy of the,. Lord, i. e., redounds
to his glory. The infin. TreptTaTTjaai is not a second prayer, as if co-
ordinate with Iva -nkrip^riTE ; the " walking" is to be viewed as de-
pendent on the knowledge of the Divine will, so that the meaning
of the words is : " in order (by means of this knowledge) to be able
to walk worthy of the Lord," in which it is implied that this is im-
possible without that knowledge. The e/c rrdaav dpeoKeiav then indi-
cates the aim of the truly Christian walk, " to please the Lord in
every respect." ('Apea/ma is not found again in the New Testament.
In profane writers it is used reprovingly in the sense of " coquetry."
[See Theophr. char. ch. 5.] Ev&ma is more usual with Paul. On
the relation between napTrotyopelv and avgdveoOcu see at verse 6. Both
are here plainly referred to works by the addition iv -navrl Epyu
dya6&, i. e., in works, which, as proceeding from faith and love, are
truly pleasing to God. The words ry tmyvcjaet rov Qeov represent
the bringing forth fruit as effected through the knowledge of God
designated in verse 9. No distinction is to be sought between the
knowledge of God and that of his will ; every true knowledge of
God is precisely that of his will, because the being of God is not
to be separated from his will. The reading of the text. rec. d?
-ri]v iniyvuotv has most decided extrinsic and intrinsic arguments
against it.)
Ver. 11. The character of those who can bring forth fruit in
every good work is more accurately defined to the effect, that the
spiritual strength requisite for it is imparted to them by God : " as
those who are strengthened in all might, according to the power of
his (i. e., God's) glory." (On the relation between tivvauig and
Kparo? see at Eph. i. 19. On upd-os r^ 66^ see at Eph. i. 6, 12,
14, 18.) It cannot be doubted that by the dwauovfievoi Kara TO
Kpa-of, " strengthened in accordance with his power," the strength-
ening of believers is designated as proceeding from God. God him-
self fulfils his will by his Spirit in them ! Exactly corresponding
to the word : " with God nothing is impossible," and to this other :
" to him that believes all things are possible," for it is God who
works in the believer. (See the Comm. on Matth. xix. 2G ; Mark
ix. 23.) But Qeov must not be supplied at v -ndaq dwd/^si also ; on
the contrary, Trdaq plainly points to the variety of human situations
and wants, and of the strength requisite for them. These forms of
life, in which that strength is a necessity, are more closely defined
COLOSSIANS I. 12.
by / "naaav virofiovriv KOI ftaKpodvfiiav^for all patience and long-suf-
fering. Paul is thinking of times of suffering and temptation of
various kinds, such as then befell every church, in which events the
faithful have to approve their patience and forbearance, and that,
not by any means in peevish despondency, but with joy, as in
this too fulfilling God's will. The words juerd %apa? are indeed by
several critical authorities joined with ev^ap^rotivTef, which follows,
but Steiger and Biihr have rightly rejected it. For evxapiGrelv it-
self alone conveys the idea of joyful resignation to God's will ; but
vnofiovrj and ^anpoBviiia need the defining jwera %apd^ } in order to char-
acterize them as genuinely Christian.
Ver. 12. From the state of mind described in the foregoing
verses flows naturally the prayer of thanksgiving to God. For lie
that in God's might can bring forth fruits in good works finds in it an
inexpressible joy (the feeling of which urges him to thanksgiving
towards the Father of light,' who has regenerated him to such an ex-
istence), and at the same time a guarantee of his future eternal
happiness. He sees that he is by the Spirit made fit for the holy
kingdom of God ; that he bears it in himself even here below, and
that therefore it shall yet certainly belong to him. Under this train
of thought Paul here gives prominence to the idea of '' Father"
(proceeding from the consciousness of adoption), and that of being
made meet. True, the readings vary here too very much, as in
verse 3 ; for in some MSS. roi 6eo5 -narpi, in others rw 0o5 T<3 Trarpi,
etc. , are read for TO> rrarpi. But these various readings are suffi-
ciently explained by the fact that nowhere else in Paul's epistles
does 6 naTijp occur alone. On the import of litavow see 2 Cor. iii. 6.
The aorist points to a single Divine action, by which the faithful
are made meet, viz., to the work of Christ, as described in vers. 13,
14. (MSS. D.G. read KaXioavn for tnavuaavTi ; MS. B. has both,
side by side. Lachmann has, without sufficient reason, received
this latter reading. Doubtless licavuaavTt is the right reading. But
those who referred the having made meet to the subjective state
of mind, could easily take offence at it (because in none was the
meetness absolutely realized), and therefore substitute Kakiaavn
for it.) Lastly, the concluding words of the verse mention the
object for which God the Father makes his children meet, viz., efc
TTJV (j,epida rov KArjpov rwv ayiuv. The saints, i. e., all regenerate,
true children of God, conceived as a unity, have a joint K^fjpog
( n ^t|3), of which each individual has his juepif (j^ti or fgVi-i). In like
manner, it is said, John xiv. 2, " in my Father's house are many
mansions." Here the house answers to the K^?ipog } the mansions in
it to each individual ^ept?. The question whether Paul here has in
mind the earthly kingdom of God, or the heavenly world, is idle,
inasmuch as his purpose is not to distinguish between the various
176 COLOSSIANS I. 13, 14.
forms in which perfection may realize itself. That world is ; as a
portion left by the Father to the children, without further distinc-
tion, contrasted with this sin-infected earthly world. Akin to the
expression in this passage are not only Eph. i. 18, // K^por-ofiia ev
rolg dyiots, hut also Acts XX. 32, Khrjpovofiia tv rolg fiyiao[it;roig Trdoiv,
and xxvi. 18, nXijpog ev roi$ rj-yiaantvoig. But in these passages the
distinction between fiepis and Kkrjpos, which is so prominent here, is
wanting. But a comparison with Canaan, the earthly heritage of
Israel, in which every Israelite had his share, lies at the root of the
whole form of expression. (See Heb. iv. 1, seq.) In conclusion, it
is also a question how ev roi fyuri is to be constructed. To connect
it with iKavuoavTi, as if light were the element througji which God
has made the children of God meet, is altogether erroneous, ^w? is
never used in such connexion, but always -rrvevfia. To refer it, with
several of the Fathers, to baptism, is in like manner entirely inap-
propriate, as for this 0am<7/id, at least, would have been employed ;
and again, iicavuaavTi does not refer, as we have remarked above, to
the already accomplished subjective process of being made meet, for
Paul in fact is now praying (verse 9, seq.) that God may fill them
with the knowledge of his will. We must rather take iv TO> 0om,
as descriptive of the nature of the A?/pof T&V dyiuv. As in verse
13 the element of sin is called OKOTOS, so here the element of good,
in which the saints are, is called 0o5? ; as children of light they are
heirs of the kingdom of light.
Vers. 13, 14. No pause can be made here with Griesbach ; on
the contrary, Paul's discourse moves on again, as at Eph. i. 6, seq.,
by mere relatives, which join one clause to another by connecting it
with the last substantive. God, who is the subject of the last pro-
position, is represented as the author of redemption by Christ (2
Cor. v. 19). Kedemption is represented as accomplished negatively
by deliverance from the power of darkness, positively by translation
into the kingdom of Christ. The power of darkness (efrvaia. OKO-
rov<;\ as an antithesis to the kingdom of Christ, is not merely sub-
jective sinfulness, but this in connexion with the entire element of
evil in the devil and in his angels. The deliverance of the faithful
from the power of darkness does not, however, exclude the continued
conflict against the evil powers ; on the contrary, Paul describes it
as subsisting specially for Christians (Eph. vi. 12, seq.) Deliverance
from the power of darkness consists rather in the very fact that the
believer through faith knows himself as Christ's servant, and there-
fore can fight against darkness as without him, as himself belonging
to it no more. But this deliverance from one element and its de-
termining influence supposes a being transferred to another ele-
ment ; this is denoted by the phrase : nerearrjoev elg r-rjv fiaoiMav
TOV vlov TTfr dydTTw avrov. Here, just as in Luke xvii. 21, the king-
COLOSSIANS I. 15. 177
dom of Christ is imagined as inwardly present, " the kingdom of
God is inwardly in the faithful, and they in it ;" Christ is that
spiritual kingdom itself, he is in us and we in him. Into this spirit-
ual kingdom the regenerate man is even here below transplanted in
the spirit, as he also through the death of the old man presses
through unto life even here below (1 John iii. 14). Christ's kingdom
is, therefore, here not the same as the neplg rov Khrfpov r&v dyicjv
(ver. 12) which designates the future state in glory, in which man
will be in a holy and perfect state as to all his powers, even as to
his body. The name that Christ bears here is also peculiar : 6 vlbg
T7?f dydnrjg avrov } Son of his love. It is erroneously taken as a
merely hebraizing designation of vibg dyanrjro^, beloved Son; the ex-
pression rather corresponds in Paul to the fiovoyev^g of John (see on
John i. 18). Christ is called " Son of his love," inasmuch as he was
born of the essence of God, as Augustine (de Trinit. xv. 19) correctly
interprets it : films caritatis nullus est alius, quam qui de substantia
est genitus. This Son of the Divine love is the personal love itself,
which induced him to give himself up unto death for men ; there-
fore it is further said of Christ : KV o> K^O^KV rip aTrokvrpuaiv, K. r. X.,
words which we have already explained at Eph. i. 7. Not merely
through him, says Paul, is redemption accomplished ; we rather pos-
sess it as an abiding reality in him ; Christ is from his represen-
tative character the never-failing source of redemption ; he alone
who is in him truly possesses it. Finally, cJta rov ai^taro^ avrov is to
be struck out here in accordance with A.B.C.D.E.F.G. It seems to
have only come into the text here from Eph. i. 7.
Ver. 15. To the above Paul now subjoins a detailed description
of the person of Christ, which is unmistakeably designed to have a
bearing on the Colossian false teachers. This passage forms, along
with Eph. i. 20-23 and Phil. ii. 6-11, the leading passage in Paul's
epistles on their doctrine concerning Christ, and has therefore, as
may be supposed, equally attracted the attention of interpreters and
theologians, especially of the writers w r ho treat of Paul's system of doc-
trine. We have even to mention particular treatises on this impor-
tant passage, especially that of Schleiermacher (Stud, for 1832, part
2, reprinted in his collected works relating to Theology, vol. i., p. 321-
361), and against it the works of Holzhausen and Osiander (in the
Tubingen Journal for 1833, pt. 1). As to the division of this entire
important section, Bahr (p. 5^) will have it that in vers. 17, 18, an
advance is indicated by KOL avrog. He supposes in vers. 15, 16 the
relation of the Son to the Father, in ver. 17 that of Christ to the
world in general, and from ver. 18 onwards the relation to the church,
as the new creation, are treated of. But ver. 16 is decidedly against
this view, as it already describes the relation of Christ to the world ;
we can therefore ascribe to nal avrog no such decisive importance in
VOL. V. 12
178 COLOSSIANS I. 15.
the division. Even the np^roroKo^ Trdarjs ariaeuc; contains a reference
to Christ's relation to the creation. We can distinguish two parts