The Pulpit Commentary — Colossians — Section 31

iv. 8-10; ii._ 5, ~; John xii. _32); em_ptying himself, he gains a new sovereign /ulness (,er. 19; Phil. 11. 8; Eph. 1v. 10; 1. 20-23) of all that the dark exiled broken miserable w_orld needs to ~tore it and build it up again (eh. ii. 9, io; Phii. iv. 19)'. 4. Round himself as the hvmg Oentre., he gathers a new ht1imanity and forms a new world, which u hu body, the Church (vers. 18, 24; eh. ii. 19; Eph. iv. 16; v. 23; John n. 1--S)-a body wider, and yet narrower, than the visible (Matt. xiii. 24-30 · John x. 16); "a spiritual house,'' built of those united as "living stones" to the ,: livincr Stone" (1 Pet.. ii. 4, 5), which "groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord" (Epb. ii. 21). So he is the Beginni11g (ver. 18) of an agelong, world-wide process of resurrection antl reconstruction. The life that is in him is an organic, formative, spiritual energy with a "mighty working" in it that is "able t.o subdue all things unto itself" (Phil. iii. ~1; Rom. ,iii. 2-11); a leaven destined to leaven the whole lump (Matt. xiii. 31-33). "The kingdom of this world" must "become the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ" (Re,. xi. 15; 1 Cor. xv. 25; Dan. ii. 34, 35; vii. 13, 14); "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" must penetrate, transform, and dominate every sphere of human thought and activity; "the works of the devil" everywhere, and in every form and shape, must be "destroyed" (1 John iii. 8). Then only will he have "recon- ciled all things on the earth to himself." 5. For ourselves, as individuals, the design of Christ's reconciliation is the perfection of our personal character as approved by him- self at the day of f1ulgm.ent (vers. 22, 28). This is true also of the Church collectively (Eph. v. 2i). He is Judge as well as Saviour; and his justice is as inflexibie as his mercy is compassionate. "The King," for as King he will then appear, desires to be able to say to each of us, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom pre- pared for you;" "sit with me in my throne" (Matt. xxv. 34; Rev. iii. 21); but he will only say it to those who are worthy (Rev. iii. 4, 5). To this end he redeemed ns by his blood, bestowed on us his Spirit, brought us into his kingdom, subjects us to its discipline, employs us in its service, instructs us in its wisdom, enriches us with all its spiritual blessings-" to present us (on that day) holy and without biemish and unrepro,able before him" (Jude 24, 25; 1 Thess. iii.12, 13; v. 23, 24). 6. How far the influence of this recunciliation extends beyond the things upon the earth; and, if it does so extend, in what direction; whether or how it touches "the principalities and powers in heavenly places,"-we caunot tell, and dare not attempt t-0 guess. Origen, on the warrant of this passage (ver. 20), fondly thought that even Satan himself would be ultimately reconciled to God. At any rate, when he "through whom and unto whom all things have been created" is the sacrifice, and when the evil of this world is but a part of the realm of evil above and around us, we may not deny the possibility of others sharing with us, somehow, in the atoning virtue of his death. 7. But all this is so far stat.ed from the Divine side, as matter of Gocfs general purpose and plan in Christ (Eph. L 10; 1 'l'im. ii. 4; 2 Tim. i. 9; Acts iii. 21) ; and this plan will certainly be carried out; "all things," as a whole, will certainly be reconciled. But there is nothing here to contradict the possibility of a self-exclusion of individuals, belonging to this world or to other worlds, from the benedts of tbe Divine amnesty, and of their expul- sion from a reconciled universe (2 These. L 9; Matt. xxv. 41; Luke xiii. 25; John xv. 6; Rev. x:riL 15). Ver. 23 intimates as much as this. "All this is yours," the Apostle virtually says, "if ye continue in the faith, not being moved away from the hope of the gospel;" but if not, what then? Contrast 2 Cor. v. 19 and 20; John x. 10 and v. 40. Still the distressing q nestion, "Lord, are there few that be saved?" presses on us, and our Lord's reply 6Jl8&ks in the same tones of stern and solemn warning (Luke xiii. 23---30). For us to whom the message of reconciliation is now addressed, it is clear that "now is the day of salvation " (2 Cor. vL 2). To be a minister of this recon- ciliation, and so a minister of the Church, a builder of the house of_ God, the Body of Christ, how high and respon~iblc the office (ve•e. 23-26; 1 Cor. iv. 1, 2; 2 Cor. v. 11-vi.10)! Yers. 24-29.-Sect. 3. Tl.e aposfle and hu mission. I. PAUL A MINISTER OF CHRTBT. (Yers. 24, 25, 28, 29.) In this passage the apostle draws a picture of himself which, taken wiLb the delineations furnished by him elsewhere, stands before the Church fol' all time as the ideal portrait of the" faithful minister" and the "good soldier of Chri8t Jesw,." The account he gives of himself here concerns ltis calling, liis aim, his work, OH, I, 1-29,] THE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS. 25