The Pulpit Commentary — Colossians — Section 12

"Wisdom o.nd knowledge" (oh. H. 8), "anrl 111) the knowledge of God (eh. ii. 19; Eph. prudence" (~Jph. i. 8),ctc. For this Church iv. 13-16; 2 Pet. iii. 18; 1 Cor. iii. I, 2; the apostle asks spccio.lly the gift of under- xiv. 20; xvi. 13; Heb. v. 12-14). His own atanding or comprelienaion (comp. eh. ii. 2; nature becomes larger, stronger, more com- only in Eph. iii. 4 and 2 Tim. ii. 7 besides, plete. Here it is individual (internal) in St. Po.ul; I Oor. i. 19 from LXX), the growth, in ver. 6 collective (external) growth power of putting things together (u6v-,uis ), of (of the gospel, the Chmch) that is implierl; disoerning the relations of different truths, the two are combined in Eph. iv. l::l-IG. the logical bearing o.nd consequences of one's The dative Ti, i1rryvd,u" (so best copies and principles. For the errors invading Colossm Revised Text : the Received, un!o tke know- were of a Gnostic type, mystic o.t once iind ledge, is a repetition of ver. 9) is "dative of ro.tionalistic; against which a clear o.nd instrument" (Alford, Lightfoot) rather than well-informed understanding was the best "of respect" (in I.he knowkdge; so R.V.). protection (comp. notes on "truth," in vers. Ver. 11.-In all power being empowered, 5, 6; also eh. ii. 4, 8, 18, 23; Eph. iv. 13, according to the might of his glory, unto all 14). Thie "wisdom and understanding" patience and long-su1t'eriDg with joyfulness o.re "spiritual," as inspired by the Di vine (vers. 24, 29; Eph. i. 19; iii. 16; vi. 10; l Spirit (comp. the use of" spirit," '' spiritual," Cor. xvi. 13; 2 Tim. i. 7, 8; ii. I, 3, 9, 10; 1 in 1 Oor. xii. 1-11; Ge.I. vi. 1 and v. 16, Pet. v. 10). The ee.me word is repeo.ted o.s 25; Eph. i. 17; iii. 16--19), and opposed t.o noun and verb (66va.~1s, 6uva.,,&,.,, powe-r, all " wisdom of the flesh," the unrenewed empowe-r) with a strong Hebraistic sort of nature of mo.n (eh. ii. 18; I Oor. ii. 4-6, emphasis (otherwise in Eph. iii. 16). In 13-15; Jas. iii. 15). all (every kind of) power gi,es the mo<le, Ver. 10.-To walk worthily of the Lord according to the might of hiJJ gu,ry the mea- nnto all pleasing (Eph. iv. I; Phil. i. 27; sure, and unto all patience, etc., the end of this 1 These. ii. 12 ; iv. I ; 2 Thess. i. 5, II ; 1 Divine strengthening. "Mii;ht" (,cpcfros), John ii. 6; Rev. iii. 4; Heh. xiii. 21); so as to in distinction from '· power" (o6va.i,is) and please him in every/ way. " The end of all other synonyms (comp. ver. 29; Eph. i. knowledge, the apostle wonld say, is con- 19; vi. 10), implies "mastery," "sovereign duct" (Light.foot). Spiritual enlightenment sway," and, except in Heb. ii. H (" might of (var. 9) enables the Christian t.o walk (e. death"), is used in the New Testa.men t Hebraism adopted also into biblical English) only of the power of God. "Glory," a., in in e. way "worthy of the Lord" (Christ, Phil. iii. 21, bears a snbstantive meaning of eh. ii. 6; iii. 24; Acts xx. 19, et.o.), becom- its own, and is not a mere attributive of ing those who have snob a Lord and who 11 might." It is the splendour of God's profess to be his servants. And to be revelations of himself, in which his might "worthyofChrist" is to "please God" (Rom. is so conspicnons. Gazing on this glory, viii. 29; Eph. i. 4, 5, 11; I Cor. i. 9). This especially as seen in Christ (2 Cor. iv. Li) is the ideal and the o.i.m of the religious life and the gospel (1 Tim. i. 11, R.V.), the throughout the Bible (comp. 1 Sam. xiii.14; Christian discerns the might of him from Micah vi. 6-8; Heh. xi. 5, 6; John viii. 29; whom it streams forth, and nndersto.nd.i Rom. viii. 8). The characteristics of this how that might is engaged in his behalf walk are set forth by three co-orclino.te par- (Eph. i. 19, 20; comp. Isa. xl. 28, 29; xiii. ticipial phrases (vers. 10 b-12), standing 5, 6) ; and this thought fills him with in- in the half-independent nominative case vincible courage and eudumnce. Palience instead of the more regular accusative (as is steadfastness and stout-heartedness under agreeing with the understood object of the ill fortune (not a mere resigned patience); infinitive w,p11ra.T71ua.,: see Winer's 'N. T. l0'1lg-suffering is gentleness of temper and Grammar,' p. 716: compare, for the idiom, eh. magnanimity under ill treatment (comp. iii 16, also ii. 2). In every good work bearing eh. iii. 12 ; and see Lightfoot, in loc., and fnlit (Eph. iv. 28; Gal. vi. 9, 10; 1 These. v. Trench's 'Synonyms'). Cbrisi, in his 15; 2 These. ii.17; I '.rim. v.10; Titus iii. 8; earthly life, was the supreme example of Heh. xiii. 16; Acts ix. 36). " Good work " patience (2 Thess. iii. 5, R.V.; 1 Pet. ii. is that which is benefioial, pt'actically good 21-23; Heh. xii. 3, 4), which is "wrought (see parBllel passages). " In every good by tribulation" (Rom v. 4): long-sufferi'AIJ work" might grammatically quo.lify the finds its pattern in God's dee.ling with foregoing" pleo.siug" (so R.V. margin and 11 the unthankful and eTil" (Rom. ii. 4; many older interpreters), but appears to be I Tim. i. 16; 1 Pet. iii. 20; 2 Pet. iii 15). parallel in position and sense with "in nil "Witli joyfulaeas" belongs to this clause power" (ver.11). On "bearing fruit" (o.etive (Theodwet, Ce.Mn, Bengel, Alford, Light- in voice where the subjeot is peraona!: comp. foot) rather the,n the next, e.nd lentis a lv,p;,J., in oh. i. 29 o.nd in Phil. ii. IS), eee more vivid force to the foregoing words, note t.o ver. 6. While doing good to his while comparatively needleaa if prefixed lo fellow-men, the Ohrietiim is growing b:, (or, those that follow (so, however, Chry1S011tom,  6 THE EPISTLE TO THE OOLOSSIAN"S. [Clll. I, 1-29,