The Pulpit Commentary — Colossians — Section 13

Enu!mn!.', Meyer, Ellioott - "with joy Aots n. 82; Heb. ix. 15 ; 1 Pot, f. 4), la ginng thank&." et.o.). This paradox is used in the Old Testament (LXX) of tho genuinely Pauline, and arises from personal 11BCred land ns "divided by lot,'" and BI! experience (oomp. ver. 2-l; Phil. i. 29; Rom. "the lot" assigned to Israel (Numb. xulv. T. S; l Th-. i. 6; 2 C,or. i. i--8; vi.10; 13; Dent. iv. 21, eto.~, nleo of Jehovn!1 xii. 9. 10). himself ns "the lot ' of the landless Ver. 12.--Gi.ving thanks to the :Father, Le'°ites (Deut, x. 9), and of Israel in turn who ma.de us (or, you) meet for our(or, your) as "the lot" of Jehovah (Deut. iv. 20). It ■hare in the lot (or, portio,i) of the saints in is the divinely Rllocated possession of the the light (,ers. 3..:..::5; Acts :a:. 32; xxvi. people of God in his kingdom. It be- IS; Titus iii 7; Eph. i. 5, 11-14; G&l. iii. longs to them as "saints" (ver. 2; Eph. ii. 29; Rom. nii. 15-17). Thel"el\<ling"us"is 19; Acts xx. 32; xxvi. 18: Pa. :ir.v.; Numb. .ery douhtfnl. Westcott anil Hort, with Ti- xxxv. 34; Jer. ii. 7); and it lies "in the schcn<lorf, prefer "you," as in the two oldest light," in "the kingdom of the Son of God's manuscripts: for the transition from first love" (ver. 13) that is filled with the light to sooond person, comp. eh. ii. 13, 14 (vers. of the knowledge of God prooeeding from 9-12). In the same strain the apostle gave Christ (2 Cor. iv. 1-6; John i. 4; viii. 12),- thanks on their account (ver. 5). " Thanks- light here manifest "in po.rt" and in conflict giYing" is prominent in this letter (eh. ii with Satanio darkness ( ver. 13; Eph. v. 7; iii. 15, 17; iv. 2), as .. joy" in Philip- 8-14; vi. 11, 12; I Thess. v. 4-8; Rom. pians. The title "the Father" frequently xiii. 11-13: John i. 5), hereafter the full i;:t&.nds a.Ione in St. John's Gospel, coming possession of God's saints (eh. iii. 4; 1 Cor. from the lips of fhe &m, but St. Paul :xiii. 12; Rom. xiii. 12; John xii 36; Rev. employs it thus only here and in Eph. Di. 23-25; Isa. Ix. 19, 20). iii. 14, R.V. ; Rom. viii 15; Gal iv. 6 Vere. 13 and 14 proceed to show how this (comp. I John iii. I); see note on ver. 2. qualification has been gained. Th09e .. give thanks to the Father'' who Ver. 13.-Who (so. the Father) resoued us gntefnlly acknowledge him in "the spirit from the dominion of the darkness, and of adoption " as their Father through tre.nlllated us into the kingdom of the Son of Christ (Rom. nii. 15; Gal iv. 1-7; Eph. his love (Eph. v. 8; vi. 12; Rom. vii. 14- i. 5). And tM Father makes us meet for the viii. 4; I Cor. xv. 56, 57; 1 Thess. i. 9, 10; 1nheriulne.tl when be enables us to call him I Pet. ii. 9; I John i. 5-7; ii. 7-11). To "Father"-" If children, then heirs." "To "rescue" (p6oµ.a, : I Thess. i. 10 ; Rom. vii. make meet" (i,ca,,orr,, the verb found besides 24; 2 Cor. i. 10; 2 Tim. iv. I 7, 18,-to be only in 2 Cor. iii. 5, 6 in the New Testa- carefully distinguished from other Greek ment, "to make sufficient," R.V.) is "to verbs rendered "deliver") implies the evil make competent," "to qualify" for some state of the rescued, the superior power of position or work. This meetneu, already the rescuer, and a conflict issuing in conferred on the Colossians, consists in their deliverance. St. Paul repeatedly associates forgiTeness (ver. 14) and adoption (Eph. i the figure of darkness with the lt\ngnage 5-7), which qualify and entitle them to of warfare (Eph. vi. 12; Rom. xiii •12; 1 receive the blessings of Christ's kingdom These. v. 8; comp. John i 5, R.V. margin). (ver. 13; Rom. v. 1, 2; Gal iii 26-29; Eph. "Dominion of darkness "-same as "do- ii. 5, 6; Titus iii. 7), and which anticipate minion of Se.tan" (Acts :uvi.18). 'E~ov11la~ 11.ncl form the basis of that worthiness of as distinguished from li6va.µ.1s (" power," character and fitness of condition in which vers. 11, 29), iB" right," "authority" (comp. they are finally to be presented "perfect in 1 Cor. ix. 4-6; John i. 12; xvii. 2) : the Christ" (vers. 10, 22, 28; 1 These. v. 23,-24): power of Satan is not mere external force, "not qui dig-no, Jecit (Vulgate), but qui but takes the form of established and (as it ido,-.eo,jeeit" (Ellicott). "Ce.J.led and (~~e were) legalized duminion (1 Cor. xv. 56; us meet J " ill one of the few. cba.ractenstio Luke iv. 6; John xii 31). "The dark- readings of the great Vatican Manuscript, ness" is precisely opposed to "the light" which Westcott and Hort reject (see their (ver. 12), being the region of falsehood and • Introduction,' § 320, and Lightfoot's • De- hatred, whether in thiB world or outside of tached Notes,' p. 251). "The lot of the it, where Ba.tau rules (Eph. vi 12 ; v. 8, 11 : ae.ints" iB tLat entire wealth of blessedness 2 Cor. iv. 4; 1 John ii. 8-11; Matt. viii. laid up for the people of God (Eph. i. 3; 12; Luke xxii. 53; John iii. 19, 20; xii. 85). ii. 12; iii. 6; iv. 4-7), in which each h.a.8 To " translate " (p.,6l11-r71µ.1) is to remove his due eli.a.re or part (Meyer, Ellicott, Light- from one place, office, etc., to another; Jose- foot, less suitably: "parcel of (consisting in) phus (' Ant.,' ix. 11, 1) uses it of the depor- tl,E: lot" J; comp. ver. 28; Eph. iY. 7. K.\~po~ tation of the Israelites by the Assyrian king. (" lot," A.et.a viii. 21 ; n:vi. 18), l!C8d'Cely dis- The Father, rescuing his captive children, tinguishable from the more usua.J. K>.71poroµ.la. brings them " into the kingdom of the Bon {" inherit&ace," eh. iii. 24 ; Eph. i. U., etc. ; of his Jove." Hare we touch the central OD. I. 1-29,] THE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS. 7