The Pulpit Commentary — Colossians — Section 117

their rrop7c a_qainst t_hcm. Ilowoflen did th_e apostle say," De not deceived;" "lle 11ot cnmcd nbout with ~rn_ry w1!1d of do~tnnc, by the sleight of men, and cunuiug crnrtJtJcss, whereby t.hey he in wait to decen·e" (Eph. iv. 14) I Ministers are thus to •• take heed to the flock of God, over which the Holy Ghost bath made them bishops" (Acts xx. 28?, 2. We mu.st "try the spii;its" ourselves (;John iv. 1), and try the~, above all tlnngs, by the standard of Gods Word (Isa. vm. 20), 3. We must retam the knowledge and faith Q./ Jesus Christ as the treasui·c-house of all wiEdom and know- leagB.. 'l'hc knowledge of his excellency is a preservative against seducing spirits. 4. We must live under _the constant power of the Word, which is "ab~e to build us UJJ." (Acts xx. 32.) 5. lle must wallc purely in the/ear of (hd. For" 1f any man will do bis will, ho shall know of the doctrine" (John vii. 17). III. TnE REASON FOR TRIS WARNING AGA.INST DECEl'TIOJ:if, "For thouah I be absent in the flesh, yet am I w!th _you in tho spirit, joying and beholding yo;r order, a,:d the steadfastness of your faith m Christ." He was anxious lest such a solid fruit of orthodoxy should be broken down by the arts of plausible teachers. 1. True love rejoices in the work of grace wherever it is discerned. The apostle heard from Epaphras good tidings of Colossian faithfulness and firmness, and wa8 glad, as llarnabas was glad at Antioch when he saw" the grace of God" (Acts xi. 23). The Apostle John like- wise says," I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth" (2 Jol~n 4). "A holy mind can rejoice in the good things of those he warneth and reproveLh." 2. Order and steadfastness are signs of soundness in the faith. These words have military associations which may have been suggested by the presence of the Prmtorian soldiers with the apostle (Phil. i. 13). (1) Order marks the outwaru relation of Church fellowship. The Colossians did not break rank or" walk disorderly." . ,ve are to "walk by rule" (Gal. vi. 16); "to guide our feet into the ways of peace" (Luke i. 79) ; and generally to "order our affairs with discretion" (Ps. cxii. 5). As God is "a God of order," we are to do all things "discreetly and in order" (1 Cor. xiv. 40). (2) Steadfastness of faith marked their state as inwarclly considered. (a) This must always be our principle of resistance to the devil; "Whom resist, steadfast in the faith" (1 Pet. v. 9). (b) It is nDcessary to our success in prayer, for we are to pray" in faith, without wavering" (Jas. i. 6). (c) It is the means of our greater victory over tho world (1 John v. 4). (d) It is, above all, our surest protection against errorists (Judo 3). (e) It causes good mon to rejoice. "Now we live if ye stand fast in the Lord." (1 Thess. ii. 8).-T. C. Ven<. 6, 7.-The principle of a consistent Christian walk. "As ye received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him." . I. TnE IlECEPTION OF' CmusT 18 THE SUBSTANCE OF' CHRISTIANITY, 1. This includes the reception of hinn doctrinally, as the historical Person Jesus, and the acceptance o/ him as Lord. The false teachers misrepresented his true character in these respects. 2. But it expressly points to a believing reception of himself as at once the sum and S"fb- stanr:£ Qj all teaching and the foundation of all hope for man. Those who thus rece1vo him (1) become sons of God (John i. 11, 12); (2) receive the promise of. an eLernal inheritance (Heb. ix. 15), are co-heirs with himself (Rom. viii. 17); (:3) receive the very Spirit of Christ (Rom. viii. 9); (4) receive rest for the soul (Matt. x1. 28); (5) possess security that he will save to the uttermost (Heb. vii. 25). lL T1ra WALK MUST CORRESPOND TO THE SPIRITUAL RECEPTION, "So walk ye in him." 'l'his implies: 1. That we are carefully to guard the true doctrine of Christ's person. One apostle rejoiced to bear that his children" walked in truth" (::l J"ohu 4). 'l'hcre were men who "walked not after the traditions which they received of ctho apostle" (2 'l'hess. iii. 6). Let us give earnest heed ~ what has been "received of the Lord" and is delivered" to his apostles" (1 Cor. x1. 23). Let us not" lose what we have \\'rougbt" (2 John 9). 2. That we are to walk in all holy obedienre to Ohrisl's comm.ands. "Ye aro my friends, if ye do whataoever I command you" (John xv.14), 3. But the passage essenti,ally means that we are to wallc in Chr~st °'!l the sphere or element in which our life is tc find development. _Wear~ to_walk rn hu:q as the War_, the Truth and the Life, and our life iB to be the life of faith m the Son of God (Gal. 11. 20). All 'our strenglh, guidance, motives, are to bo found in him. "His grace will bo sullicleut for us," as he" dwells in our hearts by faith." Oll, II. 1-23.] THE EPISTLE TO 'l'HE COLOSSIANS. 111