"Who is n faithful minister of Christ on our behalf." He repregented Christ in minis- tering the gospel nt Colossro; ancl testimony is borne to his having faithfully repre- sented him. lie bad not shrunk from declaring unto them the whole counsel of God. lie bml prrached unto them grace which, while free, bore good fruit. 'We may, there- fore, rega.rd him (and not Paul directly) as the founder ef the Colossian ()hurch. At the samo time, he represented Paul (and bis coadjutors). He was acting on their boha.lf. There wero friendly relations between Coloss::e and Ephesus. In connection with the sojourn of the apostle for three years at that Asian centre, it is said tbat "all thoy which dwelt in Asia heard the Word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks." Among those who had occasion to visit Ephesus during that period, and were led to hear the Word, was probably Epaphras. Converted by the apostle, we can understand him charged by him to preach the gospel at his native Colossre. And thus, though Pan! had never visited Coloss::e, yet he claimed an interest in the Church as having led to Hs formation, in having given them Epaphras. V. EPAPHRAB CONVEYED TO ROME THE TIDINGS OF THEIR LOVE (FOR WHICH Goo WAS THANKED). "Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit." He not only had conveyed the gospel from them to the Colossians, but had also conveyed to them now at Rome the tidings of their love. It was the love for which God was thanked, and it is here characterized as "in the Spirit" (one of the two references to the Spirit in an Epistle which is largely taken np with the Person of Christ). It was a love within that sphere in which the Spirit works (and wide as it), and sustained by the Spirit. Epaphras had acted a kindly part toward them. In giving an account of matLers relating to the Colossian Church, he had not concealed what was to their credit. The whole of the allusion to Epaphras (so honourable to him) was fitted and intended to establish his influence at Coloss::e, which may have been shaken by false teachers. 'l'his paragraph, so remarkable, bears a resemblance in form to the Sorites in logic. It is a series of propositions, in which the predicate of one becomes the subject of the next, and in which in the last there is a reference back to the first. The propositions are these: 1. We thank God especially for your love. 2. Your love, for which we thank God, was caused by hope. 3. 'l'he hope, which caused your love, was communi- cated in the gospel. 4. 'l'he gospel, which communicated the hope, was rightly presented by Epaphras. 5. Epaphras, who rightly presented the gospel, gave us tidings of your love (for which wo thank God). These propositions (if with some loss of clearness, yet with gain of force) are (with considerable detail) all compacted by the apostle into one unbroken paragraph.-R. F.
Vers. 9-23.-Prayer leading up to the Person of Christ. L M.AKIXG REQUEST. 1. Impulse under which request was made /01· the Colossians. "For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray and make request for yo1L" It was formerly praying and giving thanks; it is now praying and making request. (1) It was an impulse with a sufficient cause, viz. the same which led to the thanksgiving. It was an impulse, not founded on fiction, but on matter of fact, on well-accredited testimony. Information received regarding the faith and love of the Colossians had led to praying and thanking God on their behalf. This information also (such is the force of "also," it is wrong to connect it with" we") led to praying and makin~ request on their behalf. (2) It was a united impulse. We; i.e. Paul and Timothy. So that here it is literally the carrying out of the Lord's words, "If two of you shall agree on earth, as touching anythin~ that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven." (3) It was a well-sustained impulse. It did not spend itself in a day (as is sometime3 thi> case); but, commencing with the clay when the first hearing ba.d taken place, it batl continued without interruption and was still operative. How much, then, did all this represent of availing prayer, of influence going forth on behalf of the Colossian Church I Illessed is the Church tha.t has two such men from da.y to clay mingling th(lir prayers together in its interest. 2. For what request was made. (1) For know- ledge. 'l'horo is the same notable 1)0tition in the Epistle to the Ephesians and in tht-> Epistle to the Philippianli. '!'here can be no doubt that the apostle was the friend of enlightenment. If ignornnco is the mother of superstition, then knowleuge is the mother of truo religion. (a) It ls a request for progressive knowledge, "'l'hat ye may bo filled with tho knowlcdgL·." \Vo nro not born with our minds full of knowledge. COLOSSI ANS. E 50 THE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS, [OH, I, 1-20,