Ver. 29. εἰς ὃ: to achieve which end, -- κοπιῶ expresses toil carried to the point of weariness. — ἀγωνιζόμενος : a metaphor from the arena. Meyer takes the reference to be to inward striving against difficulties and hostile forces.
518
a Only here, Gal. vi. τί (B 17);
ere 5
ἐξ νὰ b Only here,
5; Heb. vi. I1, x. 22 in class: or Bib. Gk.
Perhaps both inward and outward struggle are referred to (De W.).—xara. The struggle is carried on in proportion not to his natural powers, but to the mightily working energy of Christ within him,— ἐνεργουμένην: a dynamic middle (ef. ver. 6).
CuapTER II.—Vv. 1-3. PAvuL’s DEEP CONCERN FOR THE COLOSSIANS AND OTHER CHRISTIANS UNKNOWN TO HIM, THAT THEY MAY BE UNITED IN LOVE, AND ATTAIN FULL KNOWLEDGE ΟΡ CHRIST, IN WHOM RESIDE ALL THE TREASURES OF WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE. -θέλω γὰρ ὑμᾶς εἰδέναι : for the formula cf. 1 Cor. xi. 3, and for a similar formula Phil. i. 12. More frequently the negative is used, οὐ θέλω .... γὰρ intro- duces the proof of what he has just said, by the illustration from the case of his readers, and thus prepares the way for the warning that follows in ver. ἀγῶνα : the inward struggle of Paul will embrace his prayers, his anxiety and his earnest meditation on the implications of the false teaching and the best manner of tefuting it. Added to this are the diffi- culties caused by his imprisonment and the fact that the Colossians were - sonally unknown to Ηἶπι,---Λαοδικίφᾳ. The members of this Church were probably exposed to the same dangers as their neighbours. —«at ὅσοι κ.τ. So far as the words themselves go, they may mean that the Colossians and Laodiceans did belong to the number of those who had not seen him or that they did not. But the latter alternative is very improbable, for Paul would not have joined a general reference to Churches unknown to him to a special mention of two Churches that were known to him. Further, Paul con- tinues with αὐτῶν, which refers to καὶ ὅσοι, but must include the Colossians, since in ver. 4 he says, “ This I say that no one may delude you”. This also cor- responds to the use of καὶ ὅσοι after an enumeration. The narrative in Acts favours this view, as does the absence of any hint in the Epistle that Paul had visited Colosse. We may therefore safely assume with almost all commen- tators that the Apostle was personally unknown to both of these Churches.—