1) General, by which he stirs them up to perseverance in
Christ, 6, 7 :
And admonishes them not to be deceived, 8. Here again he describes the mystery of Christ, in order,
9, 10:
And in the same order derives his admonitions from Christ, the Head, 16 :
And from His death, 20, et seqq. : And from His exaltation, iii. 1—4.
2) Special.
1. That vices should be avoided, 5-9 : And virtues practised, 10, 11 : Especially love, 12, 13 :
And the study of the word of Christ, 16, 17.
2. That they should do their duty.
1. Wives and husbands, 18, 19.
2. Children and parents, 20, 21.
3. Servants and masters, 22, 23; iv. 1.
3) Final, To prayer, 2, 3.
To spiritual wisdom, 5, 6.
7. 'Ep/5/£w,ttsvo/, rooted) Eph. iii. 18. Time past instead of the commencement.1 — J</ro/xo5o^oi»/agvo/) The present, as being even still in progress, Acts xx. 32. — sv aura), in Him) in Jesus Christ, as Lord. In the faith is the parallel, which presently follows. — Iv svxapHrriq, with thanksgiving) This constitutes and shows the lawful and joyful use of (external) things, which some burden with prohibitions, ver. 21 ; 1 Cor. x. 30 ; 1 Tim. iv. 3, 4.
8. Mr, rig sffrcu) So, '/va 'iffrai, Rev. xxii. 14. — ffvXayuyuv) who not only makes spoil out of you, but makes yourselves a spoil. Both to this word tfuXa^w/wv, and to the word xgvJjs, vain, are opposed fulness, riches, treasures [ver. 2, 3, 9]. — 8ia, by) This expresses the instrument. — p/Xo<rop/«£ xat xsvyjg drtdryg, phi losophy and vain deceit) a Hendiadys, as ver. 18. Philosophy is in itself a kind of thing indifferent (midway between good and bad) ; but its abuse, however, tending to deceit, is more easy [than its use for good], especially in that Jewish philosophy of which they at that time boasted, and which they endeavoured to accommodate to the purity of the faith ; for Paul does not say, that we are brought to Christ by philosophy. Paul maintains that what his opponents boasted to be philosophy and 6 wisdom,'
1 i.e. Their faith was already long established, not merely beginning. —ED.