12, note. — anoxpvpoi, hidden) for it is a mystery, ibid : comp. 1 Cor. ii. 7, 8.
4. M?j ng, lest any man) So ver. 8, 16, 18. — cra^aXoy/^ra/ Jv KiQavoXoyia, beguile you with enticing or plausible words) Comp. Eom. xvi. 19, with what goes before. That is, an enticing plausible speech, which, for example, makes a show of humility, ver. 18, 23. Some mixed together Judaism and the Eastern philosophy. See Budd. eccl. apost., pp. 466, 467.
5. Xa/puv xat fihiiruv, joying and beholding) i.e. beholding with joy. — rd^iv, order) lest anything should be out of joint (' lame'), Heb. xii. 13. Both individuals and those who are joined together should maintain order. Paul looks to those joined together, that they be knit together, <sv/Jt*(Bi(3a,(i6evrs$9 ver. 2. — (rrspeuf&a, stedfastness) that it may not easily lose order. Sted- fast faith does not permit anything to be removed out of its order. This stedfastness is required in individuals, as the full assurance in ver. 2. Order is understood to belong to love. Faith is stedfastness when it is itself stedfast.
6. Tbv Kvpiov, the Lord) The article shows that they had re ceived Christ as the Lord. — Jv aur& leepiKarsTre, walk ye in Him) This is the scope of the epistle. We give the following summary : —
I. THE INSCRIPTION, i. 1-2.
II. THE DOCTKINE, by which the apostle pathetically explains the mystery of Christ, in the way of thanksgiving for the Colossians, ver. 3 seq., and prayer for the same, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16,21,22 :
Along with a declaration of his affection for them, 24, 25 ; ii. 1, 2.