IV. ContenU, — Like the majority of Paul's epistles, that to the Colossians consists of two main divisions, one of which contains t^e doctrinal, the other the prac- tical matter.
After his usual salutation (chap, i, 1-2), the apostle returns thanks to God for the faith of the Colossians, the spirit of love they had shown, and the progress "^hich the Gospel had made among them as preached
Epaphras (i, 8-8). This leads him to pray with-
out ceasing that they may be fruitful in good wofb. and especially thankftil to the Father, who gave ^ks an inheritance with his saints, and translatwl tbea into the kingdom of his Son — hi» So%^ the image of tie mvidbk God, the first-born before every creature, the Creator of all things earthly and heav«[kly, the Heai of the Church, He in whom all things subsist, and Itt whom all things have been reconciled to the etunl Father (i, 9-20). This reconciliation, the apostk re- minds them, was exemplified in their own caeet; t^ were once alienated, but now so reconciled as to be presented holy and blameless before God, if only tbty continued firm in the fruth, and were not moved frge the hope of which the Gospel was the aouroe and o^ igin (i, 21-24). Of this Gospel the apoetle dedara hhnself the minister ; the mystery of salvation «« that for which he toiled and for which he anfiTered Q, 24-29). Nor were his sufferings only for the Oturck at large, but also for them and othen whom be had not personally visited, even that they might come to i^efuB Imowipdffe of Christy and might not liall vktiw to plausible sophistries ; they were to walk in ChriA and to be bnilt on him (ii, 1-7). Here the apostk brings in the particular theme of the epbtle. Espe- cially were the Colossians to be careful that no pfaik^ ophy was to lead them from Him in whom dwek aO the ftilness of the Godhead, who was the Head <^a6 spiritual powersy and who had quickened them, Ut- given them, and in his death had ^umphed over sO the hosts of darkness (ii, 8, 15). Surely with emk spiritual privileges they were not to be judged in the matter of mere ceremonial observances or beguBel into creature-worship. Christ was the head of the bo^: if they were truly united to him, what need was then of bodily austerities? (ii, 16-28.)
In the latter half of the episde the apostle enfarres the practical duties fiowing from these truths. Ih« Colossians were, then, to mind things above — spiritcil things, not carnal ordinance?, for their life was hiddca with Christ (iii, 1-4) : they were to mortify their mcu- be^^and the evil principles in which they once waK- ed ^he old man was to be put off, and tiie new man put on, in which all are one m Christ (iii, 5-12). Far- thermwe, they were to give heed to special dntk»: they were to be forgiving and loving, as was Chri^ In the consciousness of his abiding word were they to sing ; in his name were they to be thankfril (in, 13- 17). Wives and husbands, children and parents, were all to perform their duties ; servants were to be fu&- ful, masters to be just (iii, 18-iv, 1).
In the last chapter the apostle gives f^irther special precepts, strikingly similar to those given to his Kpfa*> sian converts. They were to pray for the apostle, and for his success in preaching the Gospel ; they wa« to walk circumspectly, and to be ready to give a season- able answer to all who questioned them ( iv, 2-7). Tychicus, the bearer of the letter, and Onesimns woqM tell them all the state of the apostle (iv, 7-9) : Aris- tarchus and others sent them friendly greetings (iv, 10-14). With an injunction to interchange this ktta' with that sent to the neighboring chorch of Laodku (iv, 16), a special message to Archippus (W, 17), and an autograph salutation, this short but striking cpisde comes to its close. — Smith, s. v. See Epistlb.
y. Commetttaries, — ^The following are expressh-oa tills Epistle (including, in some instances, one or more of the other Pauline letters), the most important beinf designated by an asterisk (*) prefixed : Jerome, Cm- ment, (in 0pp. ISttpposJ] ii) ; Chrysostom, Bom. (m 0pp. ii, 868); Zuingle, Atmotationes Qn 0pp. iv, 51^): Melancthon, Enarrationec (Wittenb. 1559, 4to); Zaxh- chius, Comment, (in 0pp. vi) ; Musculus, Commewiar- us (BasU. 1565, 1578, 1595, fol.) ; Aretina, Commemfopi (Morg. 1680, 8vo) ; Olevianus, Notm (Gen. 1580, 8vo); Grynsns, EapUcatio (BasU. 1585, 8vo) ; RoUock, Cm- mentarius (Edinb. 1600, 8vo; Genev. 1602); aLso Lee- twres (Lond.l60S,4to); Cuiwngbt,CommetU(try (LckL
COLT
423
COHJMBA
1612, 4to) ; *Byfield, Erpodtim (Lond. 1616, fol. ; also 1627, 1649); Elton, ExpotUion (Loud. 1615, 4to; 1620, 1631, fbl.) ; Qoiros, Commentaritu (in Disput.^ Lugd. B. 1628); Grelliiu, C<mmentarius (in 0pp. i, 523); Coc- ceins, In £^. ad Col, (in Opp, xii, 218) ; Alting, Anal- ysii Cm 0pp. iv) ; *Davenant, Estposiiio (Cantab. 1627, fol. ; also 1630, 1689, fol. ; Genev. 1655, 4to; in Eng- liah, London, 1831, 2 vols. 8vo) ; Calixtus, Expotitio (Bransw. 1654, 4to) ; DaiI16, Sermons (in French, Gen. 1662, 2d ed. 8 vols. 8vo ; in English, Lond. 1672, fol.) ; and ExponHon (Lond. 1841, 8yo) ; Fergusson, Convmen- tarius (Lond. 1658, 8vo) ; Martin, Andgfsia (in Opp, It, 889) ; ^D'Oatrein, Sendbrirf, etc (Amst. 1695, 4to ; in German, Frankfort, 1696, 4to) ; Schmid, Commeniarius (Hamb. 1696, 4to; also 1704); Suioer, Commeniarius (Tignri, 1699, 4to); Streso, Meditationes (Amst. 1708, 8to); Gleich, iV«^^i<«n (Dresden, 1717, 4to) ; Lutken, Predigtm (Gardel. 1718, 1787, 4to) ; Hazevoet, Ver- Uaeriag (Lugd. B. 1720, 4to) ; Van Til, Commeniarius (Amst 1726, 4to); Roell, Exegesis (Trig. 1781, 4to); Peirce, Partqthraae (London, 1788, 4to) ; Koning, Open- kggmg (L. B. 1739, 4to) ; Storr, InterpretaUo (in his <^c, Acad, ii, 120-241) ; Boysen, Erhlarung (Quedlb. 1766-1781); Jones, F«moi» (London,! 820, 12mo); Jun- ker, ComiiMntor (Mannheim, 1828, 8vo); Bohmer, AusU- gmg (8vo, Bcrl. 1829; Breslau, 1885); Flatt, Erkldr, ed. by Kling (TQb. 1829, 8vo) ; ♦Bfthr, Commentar (Ba- sel, 1833, 8vo); Watson, Discourses (Lond. 1884, 8vo; also 1838) ; Steiger, Uebers, u. Erlddr, (Erlang. 1885, 8yo); Schleiermacher, Predigten (Berlin, 1885, 2 vols. 8vo) ; Lange, HamUien (Barmen, 1839) ; Decker, Bear- iedufl^ (Hamb. 1848, 8vo); HQther, Commentor (Hamb. 1841, 2 vols. 8vo) ; ♦De Wette, ErJOdrung (Lpz. 1848, 1847, 8vo) ; Wilson, Lectures (London, 1845, 8vo ; also 1846); Baumgarten-Cmsius, Commentar (Jena, 1847, 8vo); Meyer, Handbuch (Gdtt. 1848, 8vo, pt. ix) ; K&b- ler, Ausi^ftmff (Eisleb. 1858, 8vo) ; Bisping, Erkldrung (MQnst. 1855, 8yo) ; *£adie, Commentary (Glasg. 1856, 8vo); Dalmer, Aushgtmg (Gotha, 1858, 8vo); ♦Elli- cott, CommetUary (London, 1858, 1861, 8vo ; Andover, 1865, 8vo) ; Gisbome, Exposition (Lond. 1860, 12mo) ; Messmer, ErhUmmg (Brixen, 1863, 8vo); Passavant, Auikgung (Basel, 1865, 8vo) ; "^Bleek, VorUtungen (Berihi, 1866, 8vo). See Cokmsntabt.