The Epistle of Paul to the Colossians
Col 1:11 Paul
[ par. 1 2 ]
Col 1:11 [1] The background of this book is that culture had been mixed into the church life in Colossae. Originally, Christ was the unique element in the church life, yet at that time a disturbance was created because Christ was being replaced by culture. The constituent of the church should be Christ and Christ alone, yet the church had been invaded by certain elements of culture—especially religion, in the form of asceticism related to Judaic ordinances and observances (2:16, 20-21), and philosophy, in the form of mysticism related to Gnosticism and the worship of angels (2:8, 18). Hence, the central concept of this book is that nothing should be allowed to replace Christ.
Col 1:11 [2] This book concentrates on Christ as the Head of the Body. It reveals the profoundness, all-inclusiveness, and unlimitedness of Christ to a fuller extent than any other book in the Bible.
Col 1:12a will 1 Cor. 1:1
See note 12 in Eph. 1.
Col 1:1b Timothy 2 Cor. 1:1; 1 Thes. 3:2; Heb. 13:23
Col 1:21a saints Eph. 1:1
I.e., the holy ones, those separated and sanctified unto God. They were living in Colossae, but they were separated from the world.
Col 1:2b Grace John 1:17; Eph. 1:2
Col 1:31 Father
See note 32 in Eph. 1.
Col 1:41a faith Col. 2:5, 7; 1 Thes. 1:3; 1 Cor. 13:13
To have faith is to substantiate and receive what is in Christ, to love is to experience and enjoy what we have received of Christ, and to hope (v. 5) is to expect and wait for the glorification in Christ.
Col 1:41b love Col. 1:8
See note 41.
Col 1:51a hope Col. 1:23, 27; Eph. 1:18; 4:4
Hope, faith, and love, mentioned in vv. 4 and 5, are the three things that the apostle stressed in 1 Cor. 13:13. The emphasis there was on love because of the Corinthians’ situation; the emphasis here is on hope, which, strictly speaking, is Christ Himself (v. 27), that Christ may be revealed as everything to us.
Col 1:52 laid
It is by living and experiencing Christ that we lay up hope in the heavens. The more we live and experience Christ, the more we lay up hope in the heavens. Hence, hope is being laid up now in our daily life.
Col 1:53 truth
The truth of the gospel is the reality, the real facts, not the doctrine, of the gospel. “The word” may be considered the doctrine of the gospel, but “the truth” must refer to reality. Christ, in His all-inclusive person and His multifaceted redemptive work, is the reality of the gospel.
Col 1:61a grace Acts 4:33; 11:23; Rom. 5:2
The grace of God is what God is to us and what God gives to us in Christ (John 1:17; 1 Cor. 15:10).
Col 1:62b truth Rom. 1:25; John 16:7; Mark 5:33; 12:32; Luke 4:25
Truth here means reality (see point 8 of note 66 in 1 John 1). To know the grace of God in truth is to know it experientially in its reality, not just mentally in vain words or doctrines.
Col 1:7a Epaphras Col. 4:12; Philem. 23
Col 1:71b minister Col. 4:7
A minister of Christ is not only a servant of Christ, one who serves Christ, but a serving one who serves others with Christ by ministering Christ to them.
Col 1:8a love Rom. 15:30; Gal. 5:22
Col 1:91 His
Here God’s will is His will regarding His eternal purpose, regarding His economy concerning Christ (Eph. 1:5, 9, 11), not His will regarding minor things.
Col 1:9b will Eph. 1:9; Rom. 12:2
Col 1:92 spiritual
Spiritual wisdom and understanding are of the Spirit of God in our spirit, in contrast to Gnostic philosophy, which is merely in the darkened human mind. Wisdom is in our spirit and is for us to perceive God’s eternal will; spiritual understanding is in our mind, renewed by the Spirit, and is for us to understand and interpret what we perceive in our spirit.
Col 1:101 walk
Walking worthily of the Lord issues from having the full knowledge of God’s will. Such a worthy walk is a walk in which we live Christ.
Col 1:102 in
I.e., in all ways.
Col 1:103 bearing
Here bearing fruit refers to living Christ, growing Christ, expressing Christ, and propagating Christ in every respect. This is the real essence of every Christian good work.
Col 1:104 knowledge
Not knowledge in letters in the mind but the living knowledge of God in spirit, by means of which we grow in life.
Col 1:11a empowered Eph. 6:10; Phil. 4:13; 2 Tim. 2:1
Col 1:111 power
This power is not only the power of Christ’s resurrection (Phil. 3:10) but Christ Himself as a dynamo that empowers us in all things (Phil. 4:13) unto all endurance and long-suffering with joy that we may have a living in which we experience and live Christ.
Col 1:112b might Eph. 1:19
The might that expresses God’s glory, glorifying God in His might.
Col 1:121 qualified
God the Father has qualified us by the redemption of God the Son and through the sanctification of God the Spirit for a share of the all-inclusive Christ, the very embodiment of the processed Triune God, as the allotted portion of the saints.
Col 1:122 allotted
This refers to the lot of the inheritance, as illustrated by the allotment of the good land of Canaan given to the children of Israel for their inheritance (Josh. 14:1). The New Testament believers’ inheritance, their allotted portion, is not a physical land; it is the all-inclusive Christ. He is the allotted portion of the saints as their divine inheritance for their enjoyment.
Col 1:12a portion cf. Acts 20:32
Col 1:123b light Acts 26:18; 1 Pet. 2:9
Light here is in contrast to darkness in the next verse. When we were under Satan’s authority, we were in darkness. But now we are in the kingdom of the Son of God’s love, enjoying Him in light.
Col 1:131 delivered
For Christ to be the Head of the Body, and for us, His believers, to be the members of His Body, God needed to deliver us out of the authority of darkness, the kingdom of Satan (Matt. 12:26b), and transfer us into the kingdom of the Son of His love. This is to qualify us to partake of the all-inclusive Christ as our allotted portion.
Col 1:132a darkness Acts 26:18; Eph. 6:12; Luke 22:53; 1 Pet. 2:9
Lit., the darkness.
Col 1:133c Son Matt. 3:17; Eph. 1:6
The Son is the expression of the Father as the source of life (John 1:4, 18; 1 John 1:2). The beloved Son as the object of the Father’s love becomes to us the embodiment of life in the divine love.
Col 1:141a redemption Eph. 1:7; Rom. 3:24
Deliverance, mentioned in the preceding verse, deals with Satan’s authority over us by destroying his evil power, whereas redemption, mentioned in this verse, deals with our sins by fulfilling God’s righteous requirement.
Col 1:142b forgiveness Luke 24:47; Acts 2:38; 10:43
The forgiveness of sins is the redemption that we have in Christ. Christ’s death accomplished redemption unto the forgiveness of our sins.
Col 1:151a image Col. 3:10; 2 Cor. 4:4; Gen. 1:26; Heb. 1:3; 2 Cor. 3:18; Rom. 8:29
God is invisible. But the Son of His love, who is the effulgence of His glory and the impress of His substance (Heb. 1:3), is His image, expressing what He is. The image here is not a physical form but an expression of God’s being in all His attributes and virtues (see note 62 in Phil. 2). This interpretation is confirmed by 3:10 and 2 Cor. 3:18.
Col 1:15b invisible 1 Tim. 1:17; Heb. 11:27
Col 1:152c Firstborn cf. Rev. 3:14
Christ as God is the Creator. However, as man, sharing the created blood and flesh (Heb. 2:14a), He is part of the creation. Firstborn of all creation refers to Christ’s preeminence in all creation, because from this verse through v. 18 the apostle stresses the first place that Christ has in all things.
Col 1:161 in
In Him here means in the power of Christ’s person. All things were created in the power of what Christ is. All creation bears the characteristics of Christ’s intrinsic power.
Col 1:162 thrones
Thrones refers to those who are in authority on the throne.
Col 1:163a lordships Eph. 1:21
See note 211 in Eph. 1.
Col 1:164b through John 1:3
Through Him indicates that Christ is the active instrument through which the creation of all things was accomplished in sequence.
Col 1:165 unto
Or, for Him. This indicates that Christ is the end of all creation. All things were created unto Him for His possession. In, through, and unto indicate that creation is subjectively related to Christ. The creation was created in Him, through Him, and unto Him.
Col 1:171 before
This indicates Christ’s eternal preexistence.
Col 1:172a cohere cf. Heb. 1:3
Or, subsist together in Him. To cohere in Christ is to exist together by Christ as the holding center, just as the spokes of a wheel are held together by the hub at their center.
Col 1:18a Head Eph. 1:22-23; 4:15
Col 1:18b Body 1 Cor. 12:12; Rom. 12:5
Col 1:18c beginning Rev. 21:6; 22:13
Col 1:181d Firstborn 1 Cor. 15:20, 23
Verses 15-17 unveil Christ as the first in creation, as the One who has preeminence among all creatures. Verse 18 shows that Christ is the first in resurrection as the Head of the Body. As such, He has the first place in the church, God’s new creation (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15).
Col 1:191 all
All the fullness refers to the fullness in both the old creation and the new creation.
Col 1:192a fullness Col. 2:9; John 1:16; Eph. 3:19
[ par. 1 2 ]
Col 1:192 [1] The word fullness has no modifier, indicating that this fullness is the unique fullness. It denotes not the riches of what God is but the expression of those riches. The full expression of the rich being of God, in both creation and the church, dwells in Christ. All creation and the whole church are filled with Christ as the expression of God’s riches. Such a fullness is pleased with this. This is pleasant to Christ.
Col 1:192 [2] The fullness in this verse refers to the image of God in v. 15, who is Christ, a living person. Such a fullness is pleased to dwell in the expression of God and to reconcile all things to the expression of God.
Col 1:201 through
Through Him means through Christ as the active instrument through which the reconciliation was accomplished.
Col 1:20a reconcile 2 Cor. 5:18; Eph. 2:16
Col 1:202b all Heb. 2:9
Not “all people” but “all things,” referring not only to human beings but also to all creatures, which were created in Christ and now subsist, cohere, in Him (vv. 16-17) and are reconciled to God through Him.
Col 1:203 Himself
Himself here refers to the fullness in v. 19.
Col 1:204c having Eph. 2:15
To reconcile all things to Himself is to make peace with Himself for all things. This was accomplished through the blood of the cross of Christ.
Col 1:20d blood Eph. 2:13; 1:7
Col 1:205 heavens
Not only things on the earth but also things in the heavens needed to be reconciled to God. This indicates that things in the heavens also are wrong with God because of the rebellion of Satan, the archangel, and the angels who followed him. His rebellion has contaminated the heavens.
Col 1:211b enemies Rom. 5:10
Because we were sinners, we needed redemption. Because we were also enemies of God, we needed reconciliation.
Col 1:212c mind Eph. 4:17
Our enmity toward God was mainly in our corrupted mind.
Col 1:221 He
Both He and Him refer to the fullness in v. 19. It is the fullness that dwells in Christ (v. 19), it is the fullness that reconciles us to Himself (v. 20), and it is to the fullness that we will be presented. This fullness is God Himself expressed in Christ.
Col 1:231 faith
Not our act of believing but the object of our belief.
Col 1:232b hope Col. 1:5, 27; Eph. 1:18; 4:4
Christ in us the hope of glory (v. 27), from whom we should not be moved away.
Col 1:23c all Mark 16:15
Col 1:23d minister Col. 1:25; Eph. 3:7; 2 Cor. 3:6
Col 1:24a rejoice Phil. 2:17
Col 1:241 fill
The afflictions of Christ are of two categories: those for accomplishing redemption, which were completed by Christ Himself, and those for producing and building the church, which need to be filled up by the apostles and the believers.
Col 1:24b afflictions 2 Cor. 1:5; Phil. 3:10; Rev. 1:9; 2 Tim. 2:10
Col 1:251 which
Referring to the church in the preceding verse, indicating that Paul became a minister not of a certain teaching, preaching, or mission work but of the church, the Body of Christ, for its building up.
Col 1:252a minister Col. 1:23
In Greek, the same word as that for deacon, meaning one who serves.
Col 1:253b stewardship Eph. 3:2
See note 22 in Eph. 3.
Col 1:254 complete
The word of God is the divine revelation, which had not been completed before the New Testament was written. In the New Testament the apostles, especially the apostle Paul, completed the word of God in regard to the mystery of God, which is Christ, and the mystery of Christ, which is the church, to give us a full revelation of God’s economy.
Col 1:261a mystery Eph. 3:3-5, 9; Rom. 16:25-26
According to Greek grammar, the mystery in this verse is in apposition to the word of God in v. 25, showing that the mystery is the word of God. This mystery concerns Christ and the church (Eph. 5:32), the Head and the Body. The unveiling of this mystery through the apostle Paul is the completing of the word of God as the divine revelation.
Col 1:262 from
From the ages means from eternity, and from the generations means from the times. The mystery concerning Christ and the church was hidden from eternity and from all the times until the New Testament age, when it was manifested to the saints, including all of us, the believers in Christ.
Col 1:271a riches Rom. 9:23; Eph. 1:18; 3:16
The riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles are the riches of all that Christ is to the Gentile believers (Eph. 3:8).
Col 1:272 which
Which refers to this mystery. This mystery, full of glory among the Gentiles, is Christ in us. Christ as life in us is mysterious as well as glorious.
Col 1:273c Christ Rom. 8:10; 2 Cor. 13:5; Gal. 2:20; 4:19
Christ, who dwells in our spirit to be our life and person, is our hope of glory. When He comes, we will be glorified in Him. This indicates that the indwelling Christ will saturate our entire being that our physical body may be transfigured and conformed to the body of His glory (Phil. 3:21).
Col 1:274 in
In this book a number of important phrases point to our experience of Christ: Christ in you (v. 27), full-grown in Christ (v. 28), walk in Him (2:6), according to Christ (2:8), made alive together with Him (2:13), died with Christ (2:20), holding the Head (2:19), out from whom (2:19), and grows with the growth of God (2:19). These expressions give us a complete picture of the proper experience of Christ.
Col 1:27d hope 1 Tim. 1:1
Col 1:275e glory Col. 3:4
Christ is the mystery that is full of glory now. This glory will be manifested to its fullest extent when Christ returns to glorify His saints (Rom. 8:30). Hence, it is a hope, the hope of glory. Christ Himself is also this hope of glory.
Col 1:281a full-grown Eph. 4:13; Heb. 6:1
Or, perfect, complete, mature. Perfect denotes full in quality, whereas complete denotes full in quantity. The apostle’s ministry, whether in announcing Christ or in admonishing and teaching men in all wisdom, was altogether to minister Christ to men that they might become perfect and complete by maturing with Christ as the element of the divine life unto full growth.
Col 1:282 in
The preceding verse says that Christ is in us; this verse, that we are in Christ. First, we are put into Christ; then Christ is in us. The more we get into Christ, the more He comes into us, and the more He comes into us, the more we get into Him. It is by this cycle that we grow in life.
Col 1:291a struggling Col. 2:1; 4:12
Or, contending (as in wrestling). So also in 4:12.
Col 1:29b operation Eph. 1:19; 3:7, 20
Col 1:292 power
See notes 73 and 203 in Eph. 3.
Col 2:1b Laodicea Col. 4:13, 15, 16
Col 2:21a comforted Col. 4:8
To comfort people’s hearts is to cherish people and lovingly warm them up, that they may be knit together unto the full assurance of understanding of the mystery of God.
Col 2:22 love
The divine love that we have enjoyed and by which we love God’s beloved. This love is the factor and element that knits the saints together.
Col 2:23 riches
The riches of the full assurance of understanding equal the full knowledge of the mystery of God, which is Christ.
Col 2:24b full Col. 4:12
To be knit together in love involves the emotion, whereas to have the riches of the full assurance of understanding involves the mind. When our hearts have been comforted, we being knit together in love, and our minds function properly, we will have the full knowledge of Christ as the mystery of God.
Col 2:25c mystery Col. 1:26, 27; Eph. 3:3, 9
The book of Ephesians concerns the mystery of Christ, which is the church, the Body (Eph. 3:4). This book concerns the mystery of God, which is Christ, the Head.
Col 2:31a wisdom 1 Cor. 1:24, 30; 2:6-7
According to history, the influence of Gnostic teaching, which included Greek philosophy, invaded the Gentile churches in Paul’s time. Hence, the apostle told the Colossians that all the treasures of genuine wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ. This is the spiritual wisdom and knowledge of the divine economy concerning Christ and the church. Wisdom is related to our spirit, and knowledge is related to our mind (Eph. 1:8, 17).
Col 2:41 delude
In order for believers to be deluded, or carried off as spoil, something close to the truth, such as philosophy, must be used to deceive them. If we have a clear vision of Christ as the center of God’s economy, no one will be able to delude us (v. 8). If we take Christ as life (3:4), hold Him as the Head of the Body (v. 19), know Him as the mystery of God (v. 2), experience Him as the hope of glory (1:27), and walk in Him as the all-inclusive Spirit (2:6), we will not be deceived by anything or anyone.
Col 2:42a persuasive Rom. 16:18
We should beware of persuasive speech and of eloquence. A speaker may be very persuasive and very eloquent, but the reality of Christ may not be in his persuasive and eloquent speech.
Col 2:51a spirit 1 Cor. 5:3-4
The human spirit indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
Col 2:52 in
Lit., into.
Col 2:61a received John 1:12
Christ is the allotted portion of the saints (1:12) for their enjoyment. To believe into Him is to receive Him. As the all-inclusive Spirit (2 Cor. 3:17), He enters into us and dwells in our spirit (2 Tim. 4:22) to be everything to us.
Col 2:62b walk Rom. 8:4; Gal. 5:16
As we have received Christ, we should walk in Him. Here to walk is to live, to act, to behave, and to have our being. We should walk, live, and act in Christ that we may enjoy His riches, just as the children of Israel lived in the good land, enjoying all its rich produce. The good land today is Christ as the all-inclusive Spirit (Gal. 3:14), who dwells in our spirit (2 Tim. 4:22; Rom. 8:16) to be our enjoyment. To walk according to this Spirit (Rom. 8:4; Gal. 5:16) is the central and crucial point in the New Testament.
Col 2:71a rooted Eph. 3:17
Like plants, we are living organisms. As such, we have been rooted in Christ, our soil, our earth, that we may absorb all His riches as nourishment. These riches become the element and substance with which we grow and are built up. To be rooted is for the growth in life. This rooting has been completed already. To be built up is for the building of the Body of Christ. This is still going on. Both these matters are in Christ.
Col 2:72 in
In the faith here means in our faith, the subjective faith by which we believe.
Col 2:81 philosophy
This refers to Gnostic teaching, a mixture of Jewish, oriental, and Greek philosophies, which is an empty deceit.
Col 2:8a empty 1 Tim. 6:20
Col 2:82b tradition Matt. 15:2; Gal. 1:14
Tradition is related to culture and has its source in culture. The source of the Gnostic teaching at Colossae was the tradition of men; it was based not on the revealed writings of God but on the traditional practices of men.
Col 2:83c elements Col. 2:20; Gal. 4:3, 9
The same expression, elements of the world, is used in Gal. 4:3 (see note there). Here it refers to the rudimentary teachings of both Jews and Gentiles, consisting of ritualistic observances regarding the eating of meats, drinking, washings, asceticism, and other matters.
Col 2:84d Christ Col. 1:27; 2:2, 6, 17; 3:4, 11
Christ is the governing principle of all genuine wisdom and knowledge, the reality of all genuine teaching, and the only measure of all concepts acceptable to God. This book focuses on Christ as our everything.
Col 2:91a fullness Col. 1:19
Fullness refers not to the riches of God but to the expression of the riches of God. What dwells in Christ is not only the riches of the Godhead but the expression of the riches of what God is. See note 193 in Eph. 3.
Col 2:92 Godhead
This refers to deity, which is different from the divine characteristics manifested by the created things (Rom. 1:20). This strongly indicates the deity of Christ. The fullness of the Godhead is versus the tradition of men and the elements of the world. The world’s tradition and elements simply cannot be compared with the fullness of the Godhead.
Col 2:93 bodily
This points to the physical body that Christ put on in His humanity, indicating that all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Christ as One who has a human body. Before Christ’s incarnation, the fullness of the Godhead dwelt in Him as the eternal Word, but not bodily. From the time that Christ became incarnate, clothed with a human body, the fullness of the Godhead began to dwell in Him in a bodily way; and in His glorified body (Phil. 3:21) now and forever it dwells.
Col 2:101 full
The Greek word implies completion, perfection. Because all the fullness dwells in Him, after we have been put into Christ (1 Cor. 1:30), we are made full, filled up, with all the divine riches. Hence, we need no other source. Because Christ is our perfection and completion, we do not need other rules and authorities as objects of adoration, for He is the Head of all these. This is versus angel worship (v. 18).
Col 2:102 rule
The rule and authority here are the fallen angels occupying positions of power in the air in subordination to Satan. See note 152.
Col 2:11a circumcised Rom. 2:28-29; Phil. 3:3
Col 2:111 circumcision
This is spiritual circumcision, the circumcision of Christ, referring to the proper baptism, which puts off the body of the flesh by the effectual virtue of the death of Christ. This is contrary to asceticism (vv. 20-22).
Col 2:112 not
The circumcision that is the putting off of the body of the flesh was not made with hands; it was accomplished by the death of Christ, and it is applied, executed, and carried out by the powerful Spirit.
Col 2:113 putting
Putting off here means to strip off something, as one would strip off clothes.
Col 2:121a Buried Rom. 6:4
To be buried in baptism is to put off, to strip off, the body of the flesh.
Col 2:122b raised Col. 3:1; Eph. 2:6; Rom. 6:5
In baptism there is the aspect of burial, which is the termination of our flesh, and the aspect of raising, which is the germination of our spirit. In the aspect of raising, we are made alive in Christ with the divine life.
Col 2:123 faith
Faith is not of ourselves; it is the gift of God (2 Pet. 1:1). The more we turn to God and contact Him, the more faith we have. The Lord is the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Heb. 12:2). The more we abide in Him, the more we are infused with Him as our faith. It is through this living faith produced by the operation of the living God that we experience the resurrection life, signified by the raising aspect of baptism.
Col 2:131a dead Eph. 2:1, 5
Dead in spirit because of sin.
Col 2:132b made Eph. 2:5
In Christ’s resurrection, God enlivened us together by His divine life. This was accomplished in Christ’s resurrection (1 Pet. 1:3) and is experienced through our faith.
Col 2:141a Wiping Eph. 2:15
Or, blotting out, obliterating, erasing, annulling (a decree of law).
Col 2:142 handwriting
A legal document, a bond. Here it refers to the written law.
Col 2:143 ordinances
Referring to the ordinances of the ceremonial law with its rituals, which are the forms or ways of living and worship. So also in vv. 20 and 21.
Col 2:144 nailing
This is to abolish the law of the commandments in ordinances (Eph. 2:15). It kills the heresy of keeping the Judaic rituals.
Col 2:151 Stripping
[ par. 1 2 ]
Col 2:151 [1] Or, putting off, as in 3:9. Verses 13-15 unveil the economy of God’s salvation: (1) to make us alive with Christ, (2) to abolish the ordinances of the ceremonial law, and (3) to strip off the evil angelic powers.
Col 2:151 [2] God was busy while Christ’s crucifixion was going on: He nailed the law on the cross and stripped off the rulers and authorities, that the way and the atmosphere might be cleared for us to enter into the participation in Christ.
Col 2:152a rulers Eph. 2:2; 6:12; Heb. 2:14
These are the angelic rulers and authorities. Because at Colossae there was the heretical teaching of angel worship, the passage here must refer to the evil angels. The law was ordained through angels and was even considered to be ordinances of angels (Gal. 3:19; Acts 7:53). Based on this, the heresy at Colossae taught people to worship angels (v. 18) as mediators between God and man. The apostle dealt with this heresy by unveiling the fact that the law, consisting of ordinances, had been nailed to the cross (v. 14), and that the leading evil angels had been stripped off from God. This left Christ as the sole Mediator, who is the Head of all rule and authority (v. 10). This killed the heresy of angel worship.
Col 2:153 He
Here and throughout vv. 13 and 14, He refers to God (v. 12).
Col 2:154 display
Or, show, exhibit in the sense of an open shame. God openly shamed the evil angelic rulers and authorities on the cross and triumphed over them in it.
Col 2:155 it
Or, in Him; referring to Christ. It refers to the cross.
Col 2:161 in
Or, in food and in drink. Food and drink signify satisfaction and strengthening.
Col 2:16a eating cf. Lev. 11:2; Rom. 14:2-3
Col 2:162b feast Lev. 23:2
Referring to the annual Jewish festivals, which signify joy and enjoyment.
Col 2:163c new Num. 28:11
Signifying a new beginning with light in the darkness.
Col 2:164d Sabbath Lev. 23:3; Mark 2:27
Signifying completion and rest. Feasts are yearly, new moons monthly, Sabbaths weekly, and eating and drinking daily. Daily we eat and drink Christ, weekly we have completion and rest in Him, monthly we experience a new beginning in Him, and throughout the year He is our joy and enjoyment. Therefore, daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly Christ is to us the reality of every positive thing, implying the universal extensiveness of the all-inclusive Christ.
Col 2:171a shadow Heb. 8:5; 10:1
All the aforementioned items of the ceremonial law are a shadow of the spiritual things in Christ, which are the things to come. But the body belongs to Christ and is Christ.
Col 2:172 body
As with a man’s physical body, the body here is the substance. And like the shadow of a man’s body, the rituals in the law are a shadow of the real things in the gospel.
Col 2:173b Christ Col. 1:27; 2:2, 8; 3:4, 11
Christ is the reality of the gospel. All the good things in the gospel belong to Him and are Him. This book unveils such an all-inclusive Christ as the focus of God’s economy.
Col 2:181 defraud
The heretical teachers judged the saints unworthy to worship God directly and maintained that they had to approach Him through the mediation of angels. This was to defraud the saints of their prize, depriving them of the enjoyment of Christ. In Christ, our sole Mediator, we can worship God directly.
Col 2:18a prize Phil. 3:14; 1 Cor. 9:24
Col 2:18b self-chosen Col. 2:23
Col 2:182 lowliness
The heretical teachers of angel worship taught the saints to show lowliness in realizing that they were not worthy to worship God directly. They defrauded the saints of their prize in Christ in the element and sphere of such self-chosen lowliness and angel worship.
Col 2:183 dwelling
Or, looking into, investigating (secret things).
Col 2:184 seen
The heretical teachers lived in the realm of sight, in contrast to the faith mentioned in v. 12. They liked to have curious visions. Such insistence on visual experience resulted in fleshly pride, the vain puffing up by the mind set on the flesh.
Col 2:18c puffed 1 Cor. 8:1
Col 2:185 his
Lit., the mind of his flesh.
Col 2:191 not
The heresy of angel worship distracted the saints from holding Christ as the Head. God’s economy is to head up all things in Christ (Eph. 1:10) through His Body, the church, making Christ the center of all things. The subtle one’s device is to carry the saints away and thus cause the Body of Christ to collapse.
Col 2:192b out Eph. 4:16
The phrase out from whom indicates that the Body of Christ grows out from the Head, for all the supply comes from the Head.
Col 2:193 Body
The heresy caused the saints to be severed from the Head, and thus it damaged the Body. The apostle’s revelation uplifted Christ and caused the Body to be safeguarded and built up.
Col 2:194 joints
Joints are for the supply of the Body.
Col 2:195 sinews
Sinews are for the knitting together of the members of the Body.
Col 2:196 grows
Growing is a matter of life, which is God Himself. As the Body of Christ, the church should not be deprived of Christ, who is the embodiment of God as the source of life. By holding Christ, the church grows with the growth of God, with the increase of God as life.
Col 2:197 growth
The growth of the Body of Christ has nothing to do with doctrinal knowledge of the Bible, the way of worship, or any such matter. Rather, the growth of the Body depends on the growth of God, the increase of God’s element, in the Body.
Col 2:201 If
Or, since.
Col 2:202a died Rom. 6:2-4, 6-8
In baptism (Rom. 6:3).
Col 2:203b elements Col. 2:8
The elements of the world are the elementary principles of outward, material things, the childish teachings of externalism, such as asceticism. This is altogether different from God’s way, the way of the cross. See note 83.
Col 2:20c ordinances Col. 2:14
Col 2:211 Do
These are ordinances, rules, and regulations concerning material things and deal with, respectively, things that move, things that are edible, and things that are tangible. Handling, tasting, and touching include virtually every kind of action, and the ordinances concerning them are related to the practice of asceticism.
Col 2:221a perish 1 Cor. 6:13
Or, become corrupted. All material things are destined to decompose and perish through corruption when used (1 Cor. 6:13; Matt. 15:17).
Col 2:222 used
Or, consumed.
Col 2:22b commandments Matt. 15:9; Titus 1:14
Col 2:231 Such
Such things refers to the commandments and teachings of men (v. 22) and ordinances (v. 20).
Col 2:232 reputation
The Greek word denotes a word or a saying; hence, expression, show of reason, and, therefore, a reputation.
Col 2:233b severe 1 Tim. 4:3
This is asceticism.
Col 2:234 not
The ordinances, rules, and regulations of the elementary teachings of externalism and asceticism are of no value in restraining the indulgence of the flesh.
Col 2:23c indulgence Rom. 13:14; Gal. 5:16
Col 3:11 If
Verses 1-4 imply that with Christ we have one position, one life, one living, one destiny, and one glory.
Col 3:12a raised Col. 2:12; Eph. 2:6
This is the raising aspect of baptism, which is altogether contrary to asceticism. We were raised together with Christ. We are now where Christ is, sitting in the heavens. Hence, in contrast to the ascetics, we should not practice the things on the earth. We should seek the things that are in the heavens, such as knowing Christ as everything to us, so that we take Him as life and thereby walk in Him.
Col 3:13 above
I.e., in the heavens; in contrast to on the earth in v. 2. The heavens are linked to Christ and joined to the church. The things above include the ascended Christ and all things pertaining to Him. Therefore, to seek the things above is to seek to live Christ in and with the church.
Col 3:1b right Rom. 8:34; Eph. 1:20; Heb. 10:12
Col 3:21 things
The things on the earth include culture, religion, philosophy, and improvement in behavior, as spoken of in the preceding two chapters.
Col 3:31a died Col. 2:20
We died with Christ and so were set free from the things on the earth, especially things related to asceticism. We were baptized into His death (Rom. 6:3).
Col 3:32 life
Because our life (not our natural life, but our spiritual life, which is Christ) is hidden with Christ in God, who is in the heavens, we should no longer be concerned for things on the earth. God in the heavens should be the sphere of our living. With Christ we should live in God.
Col 3:33 hidden
That our life is hidden with Christ in God means that it is hidden with Christ in the heavens.
Col 3:41 Christ
That Christ is our life is a strong indication that we are to take Him as life and live by Him, that we are to live Him in our daily life in order to experience the universally extensive Christ revealed in this book, so that all He is and has attained and obtained will not remain objective but will become our subjective experience.
Col 3:42a life John 11:25
[ par. 1 2 3 ]
Col 3:42 [1] In God, Christ is our life. This life is now hidden but will be manifested. Then we will be manifested with this life in glory.
Col 3:42 [2] In 2:20—3:4 the unique way and the unique person are revealed to us. The unique way is the cross, the center of God’s government, and the unique person is Christ, the preeminent, all-inclusive One, the center of the universe. By the cross, not by asceticism, we were saved from the negative things. By Christ, not by philosophy, we live the life hidden in God.
Col 3:42 [3] Christ, who is our life, is the allotted portion of the saints (1:12), the image of the invisible God (1:15), the Firstborn of all creation (1:15), the Firstborn from the dead (1:18), the One in whom God’s fullness dwells (1:19; 2:9), the mystery of God’s economy (1:26), the mystery of God (2:2), the reality of all positive things (2:16-17), and the constituent of the new man (vv. 10-11). By taking such an all-inclusive Christ as life and thus living Him, we experience and enjoy all His riches.
Col 3:4b manifested 1 John 3:2; 1 Pet. 1:7; Heb. 9:28
Col 3:4c glory Rom. 8:17; 1 Cor. 15:43; Phil. 3:21
Col 3:51a Put Rom. 8:13; Gal. 5:24
This is based on the fact that we have been crucified with Christ (Gal. 2:20a) and baptized into His death (Rom. 6:3). We execute Christ’s death upon our sinful members by crucifying them, by faith, through the power of the Spirit (Rom. 8:13). This corresponds with Gal. 5:24. Christ accomplished the all-inclusive crucifixion. Now we apply it to our lustful flesh. This is absolutely different from asceticism.
Col 3:52b members Rom. 6:13; 7:5, 23
In our sinful members is the law of sin, making us captives of sin and causing our corrupted body to become the body of death (Rom. 7:23-24). Hence, our members, which are sinful, are identified with sinful things, such as fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and greediness.
Col 3:5c greediness Eph. 4:19; 5:3
Col 3:91b put Eph. 4:22; Col. 2:11
Putting off the old man is like putting off an old garment. First, we put to death the physical lusts, then we put away the psychological evils, and last, we put off the entire old man with his practices. This is not by our own energy but by the power of the all-inclusive Spirit.
Col 3:92c old Rom. 6:6
See note 224 in Eph. 4.
Col 3:101a put Eph. 4:24
Putting on the new man is like putting on a new garment.
Col 3:102b new Eph. 2:15
The Greek word here means new in relation to time, whereas the word in Eph. 4:24 means new in nature, quality, or form. Concerning the new man, see note 242, par. 1, in Eph. 4. Since Christ is the constituent of the new man, we, who are the new man, are one with Christ. This is the most basic and crucial point in this book.
Col 3:103c renewed Rom. 12:2; Titus 3:5
Because the new man was created with us, who belong to the old creation (Eph. 2:15), as his constituents, he needs to be renewed. This renewing takes place mainly in our mind, as indicated by the phrase unto full knowledge. The new man was created in our spirit and is being renewed in our mind unto full knowledge according to the image of Christ.
Col 3:104d image Col. 1:15
Referring to the image of Christ as the very expression of God (1:15; Heb. 1:3a).
Col 3:105 who
Referring to Christ the Creator, who created the new man in Himself (Eph. 2:15).
Col 3:111 Where
Where, referring to the new man in v. 10, means in the new man.
Col 3:112 cannot
Not only is there no natural person in the new man, but there is no possibility and no room for any natural person to exist.
Col 3:113 Greek
The Greeks favored philosophical wisdom; the Jews, miraculous signs (1 Cor. 1:22).
Col 3:11a Jew Gal. 3:28; 1 Cor. 12:13
Col 3:114b circumcision 1 Cor. 7:19; Gal. 5:6; 6:15
Circumcision here refers to those who observed the Jewish religious rituals; uncircumcision, to those who did not care for the Jewish religion.
Col 3:115c barbarian Rom. 1:14; 1 Cor. 14:11
A barbarian is an uncultured person.
Col 3:116 Scythian
Scythians were considered the most barbarous.
Col 3:117 slave
One who has been sold into slavery.
Col 3:118 free
One who has been freed from slavery.
Col 3:119d Christ Col. 2:2, 17; 3:4
In the new man there is room only for Christ. He is all the members of the new man and in all the members. He is everything in the new man. Actually, He is the new man, His Body (1 Cor. 12:12). In the new man He is the centrality and universality. He is the constituent of the new man, and He is all in all in the new man.
Col 3:1110 all
All refers to all the members who constitute the new man.
Col 3:121 Put
Put on here is in the sense of putting on a garment.
Col 3:12a chosen Eph. 1:4; Titus 1:1; 1 Pet. 2:9
Col 3:122 holy
To be holy means to be not common or worldly but separated unto God. See note 21 in ch. 1.
Col 3:12b inward Luke 1:78; Phil. 1:8
Col 3:13a forgiving Mark 11:25; Eph. 4:32
Col 3:131 one
Lit., yourselves.
Col 3:132 Lord
The forgiving Lord is our life and lives within us; forgiving is a virtue of His life. When we take Him as our life and person and live by Him, our forgiving of others will be spontaneous—it will become a virtue of our Christian life.
Col 3:141a love Col. 2:2; 1 Cor. 13:4, 13; Eph. 4:2
God is love (1 John 4:16). Love is the very essence of God’s being, the very substance of the divine life. Hence, to put on love is to clothe ourselves with the element of God’s life. Such a love is the uniting bond in the combination of perfectness, completeness, and mature virtues. We need to put on not only the new man (v. 10) but also the virtues of the new man (v. 12), and to put on love over all the virtues (v. 14).
Col 3:142 perfectness
Or, completeness.
Col 3:151a peace John 14:27
The peace of Christ is Christ Himself. By this peace Christ has made the two peoples, the Jews and the Gentiles, one new man, and this peace has become a part of the gospel (Eph. 2:14-18). We should let this peace arbitrate in our hearts for the Body life.
Col 3:152 arbitrate
Or, umpire, preside, be enthroned as a ruler and decider of everything. The arbitrating peace of Christ in our hearts dissolves the complaint mentioned in v. 13.
Col 3:153 which
Which refers to the peace of Christ. We were called to this peace in the one Body of Christ. For the proper Body life we need the peace of Christ to arbitrate, to adjust, and to decide all things in our heart in our relationship with the members of His Body.
Col 3:154 also
That we were called to the peace of Christ should also be a motive for our letting this peace arbitrate in our hearts.
Col 3:155c thankful Col. 2:7; 3:17
We not only should let the peace of Christ arbitrate in our hearts, but we also should be thankful to the Lord. In the Body life our heart should always be in a peaceful condition toward the members and should be thankful to the Lord.
Col 3:161a word Rom. 10:17; 1 Thes. 1:8
[ par. 1 2 3 ]
Col 3:161 [1] The word spoken by Christ. In His New Testament economy God speaks in the Son, and the Son speaks not only by Himself in the Gospels but also through His members, the apostles and prophets, in Acts, in the Epistles, and in Revelation. All these speakings can be considered His word.
Col 3:161 [2] In this passage the infilling of spiritual life that overflows in praising and singing is related to the word, whereas in the parallel passage, Eph. 5:18-20, the infilling of spiritual life is related to the Spirit. This indicates that the word is the Spirit (John 6:63b). A normal Christian life should be one that is filled with the word, that the Spirit may bubble over with praise and lauding melodies from within the believers.
Col 3:161 [3] This book is focused on Christ as our Head and life. The way for Him to exercise His Headship and minister His riches to us is through His word. Hence, the emphasis is on the word of Christ. Ephesians is concerned with the church as the Body of Christ. The way for us to live a normal church life is to be filled in our spirit unto all the fullness of God. Hence, the Spirit is emphasized. In Ephesians both the Holy Spirit and our spirit are emphasized again and again; the word is even considered to be the Spirit (Eph. 6:17). However, in this book each of the two spirits is mentioned only once (1:8; 2:5). In Ephesians the word is for washing away our natural life (Eph. 5:26) and fighting against the enemy (Eph. 6:17), whereas in this book the word is for revealing Christ (1:25-27) in His preeminence, centrality, and universality.
Col 3:162b dwell John 15:7
Lit., to be in a house, to indwell, to inhabit. The word of the Lord must have adequate room within us that it may operate and minister the riches of Christ into our inner being.
Col 3:163 richly
The riches of Christ (Eph. 3:8) are in His word. Such a rich word must inhabit us richly.
Col 3:164 in
The phrase in all wisdom may also be placed so as to modify teaching and admonishing.
Col 3:165 teaching
Teaching and admonishing and singing modify the verb dwell. This indicates that the way to let the Lord’s word dwell in us richly is by teaching, admonishing, and singing.
Col 3:166 one
Lit., yourselves.
Col 3:167c psalms Eph. 5:19
We should teach and admonish not only with words but also with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
Col 3:16d spiritual cf. 1 Cor. 14:15
Col 3:168 grace
See notes 146 and 171 in John 1.
Col 3:171 name
The name denotes the person. The Lord’s person is the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:17a). To do things in the name of the Lord is to act in the Spirit. This is to live Christ.
Col 3:181a Wives 3:18–4:1: Eph. 5:22–6:9
[ par. 1 2 ]
Col 3:181 [1] The section from this verse through 4:1 is a sister passage to Eph. 5:22—6:9, regarding the believers’ ethical relationships. In Ephesians the emphasis is on the need of having spirit-filled ethical relationships for the expression of the Body of Christ in the normal church life. In Colossians the emphasis is on our holding Christ as our Head and taking Him as our life by having His rich word dwell in us, that the highest ethical relationships, issuing not from our natural life but from Christ as our life, may be realized for His expression.
Col 3:181 [2] For each point in this passage, see the appropriate note in Ephesians.
Col 3:241 inheritance
This point is not made as clear in Eph. 6:8 as it is here. The inheritance here is what the believers will inherit (Rom. 8:17; Acts 26:18; 1 Pet. 1:4). The inheritance as recompense indicates that the Lord uses the inheritance that He will give to His believers as an incentive for them to be faithful in their service to Him. The unfaithful ones will surely miss this recompense (Matt. 24:45-51; 25:20-29).
Col 3:24a recompense Matt. 5:12; 16:27; 1 Cor. 3:8, 14; Rev. 22:12
Col 3:242 serve
Lit., serve as a slave.
Col 3:25a receive 2 Cor. 5:10
Col 3:25b respect Acts 10:34; Rom. 2:11
Col 4:21a Persevere Eph. 6:18; Acts 1:14
I.e., continue persistently, steadfastly, and earnestly.
Col 4:22 prayer
Prayer preserves the grace that we received in chs. 1—3.
Col 4:23 watching
In prayer we need to be watchful and alert, not negligent. Such watchfulness should be accompanied by thanksgiving. A lack of thanksgiving is an indication of prayerlessness. The prayer life is kept by watching with thanksgiving.
Col 4:3a us Eph. 6:19-20; 2 Thes. 3:1
Col 4:31 door
This implies that we need to keep ourselves open to the word of God.
Col 4:3b mystery Col. 1:26-27; 2:2; Eph. 3:4
Col 4:3c bound Col. 4:18; Phil. 1:7
Col 4:5b without 1 Thes. 4:12; Mark 4:11
Col 4:51c redeeming Eph. 5:16
See note 161 in Eph. 5.
Col 4:61a grace Eph. 4:29
See note 293 in Eph. 4. Every word proceeding out of our mouth must be with Christ and must be the uttering of Christ, who is grace.
Col 4:62b salt Mark 9:50
Salt makes food agreeable and pleasant to the taste. Speech seasoned with salt keeps us at peace with one another (Mark 9:50).
Col 4:6c answer 1 Pet. 3:15
Col 4:71 All
In vv. 7-17 the apostle’s fellowship shows us that the new man as practiced at the apostle’s time was an issue of the apostle’s work, which encouraged the believers to seek after Christ, the very constituent of the new man, as their enjoyment. By means of the traffic among the churches, we experience in a practical way the living of the new man. Such a living has Christ as its reality.
Col 4:7a Tychicus Acts 20:4; Eph. 6:21; 2 Tim. 4:12; Titus 3:12
Col 4:8a comfort Col. 2:2; Eph. 6:22
Col 4:9a Onesimus Philem. 10
Col 4:9b brother Philem. 16
Col 4:10a Aristarchus Acts 19:29; 20:4; 27:2; Philem. 24
Col 4:10b Mark Acts 12:12, 25; 15:37, 39; 2 Tim. 4:11
Col 4:10c Barnabas Acts 4:36; 9:27; 11:22, 24-26; 13:1, 7; 15:36-39
Col 4:11a Justus cf. Acts 1:23; 18:7
Col 4:11b circumcision Acts 11:2
Col 4:11c kingdom John 3:3, 5; Acts 1:3; 28:31; Rom. 14:17
Col 4:11d consolation Philem. 7
Col 4:12b struggling Col. 1:29
Col 4:121 stand
In the Greek, stand here is in the passive voice. Hence, it implies being placed, being presented, and corresponds with present in 1:28.
Col 4:122c mature Col. 1:28; Phil. 3:15
Or, complete.
Col 4:123e will Col. 1:9
See note 91 in ch. 1.
Col 4:14a Luke Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1; 2 Tim. 4:11; Philem. 24
Col 4:14b Demas 2 Tim. 4:10; Philem. 24
Col 4:151 church
The church in the house of Nymphas was the local church in Laodicea, which met in Nymphas’s house. Such meetings in the saints’ homes afford every attending believer the opportunity to function, and they also strengthen the mutual fellowship among the saints.
Col 4:152 his
Some MSS read, her; others, their.
Col 4:15b house Rom. 16:5; 1 Cor. 16:19; Philem. 2
Col 4:16a read 1 Thes. 5:27
Col 4:16b Laodiceans Rev. 3:14
Col 4:17b ministry 2 Tim. 4:5
Col 4:18a my 1 Cor. 16:21; 2 Thes. 3:17
Col 4:18d Grace 1 Tim. 6:21; 2 Tim. 4:22; Titus 3:15; Philem. 25; Heb. 13:25