The Pulpit Commentary — Colossians — Section 153

Christ," t1.ie one object of their thought nnd The apostle says, "in God'' (" in heaven," enrl0R i-onr. So they will master the flesh by Phil. iii. 19), to emphnsize tho foot. of the ri.,ing above ;1, instead of fighting it on its union of Christ with God, or perhaps to own ground by C'C'rC'monial rite and nsC'ctio deepen the reader's sense of the sacredness rc)::imcn. "The things abo,e" a.re no ab- of this life in Christ (comp. I 'rim. vi. etract, transccudcntal conC'eption, as in tho 14-16). "Is hid" (eh. i. 2u, 27; ii. 2, 3), theology of St. Paul's opponents, for they another allusion to the fondness of the Colos- nre "where Christ is." The things "in sian crrorists for mysteries. In eh. i. 2G the bca,cns" e.s well as those "upon the St. Paul spoke of tho ancient mystery of a earth" were created" in him, throu~h him, Christ for all the world; then of the new, unto him" (eh. i. 16); ihe1·e he is Lord, e,cn per_pet_unl mystery of a Ch~ist dwelling within as he-re (eh. i. 17; ii. 10; llfatt. xxviii. 18). belicvmg hearts. Bnt this second mystery is 1-Jis presence gi,es distinctness and positive- equally that of our life in Ghrist a.s of Ohrist•s ness to the Christian's new of heaven, and life in us, lifting us to heaven while it brings concentrates his interests and affections him down to earth. This mutual indwelling there (comp. Phil. i. 23; iii. 20; I Thess. i. of the Head in heaven ann the members 10; Eph. i. 3; ii. 6_; Matt. vi. 19, 20; John upon cnrth is the most intimate e.nd in- xii. 26; xiv. 3; Acts i. 11; vii. 56). scrutable of all secrets (John xiv. 20; xv. "SC'nted" is placed with ('mphasie at the 1-7; xvii. 22, 23, 26). "The world knows end of its clause, indicating the complete- neither Christ nor Christians, and Christians ness of the Sa,iour's work and the dignity do not even know themselves" (Bengel). nf his position (comp. Eph. i. 20-22; Heh. But as the old historic secret had its mnui- i. 3; x. 12, 13; Rev. iii. 21; and see Pearson festation at last (eh. i. 26), so will tho new on the Creed, art. Yi.). (For "the things secret that lies enfolded within every Chris- nbo,e," eee Yers. 3, 4 ; also eh. i. 5 and ii. 18 tian life- compared with Phil. iii. 11-14, 20, 21; Rom. Ver. 4.-When Christ shall be manifested, ii. 7 ; nil. 17-23; I Cor. xv. 42-49; 2 Cor. our ( or, your) life, then shall ye also with iv. 16-v. 8; John xvii. 24.) To "seek" him be manifested in glory (Rom. viii. these things is to strim that they may be 18-23; Phil. iii. 21 ; 1 Cor, i. 7; iv. 5; ours in the fnture; to ''mind" them iB to 1 These. i. 10; 1 Tim. vi. 15; 2 Tim. ii. occupy our thoughts with them in the 10-12; iv. 8; Titus ii. 13; 1 John iii. 2; present. (For the word "mind" (,Ppovl.,), ii. 28). Our future destiny, with our present comp. Phil. iii. 19 and Rom. viii. 5-7 redemption (eh. i. 14), :is wrapped up in (tpplw11µa, minding); in Rom. xiv. 6 it iB Christ. Our life is not only "with him" rendered by" regard.") (ver. 3); it is "himself" (Phil. i. 21 ; John Ver. 3.-For ye died, and your life iB hid, i. 4; vi. 50-57; xiv. 6; 1 John v. 12); he with Christ, in God (eh. ii. 11-13, 20; ie its source end ground, way and rule, Eph. iv. 22; Phil. iii. 20; Rom. vi. 1-14; means and end-ite all (ver. 11: comp. eh. ,ii. 1-6; 2 Cor. v. 14, 15; Gal.ii. 20; I Cor. i. 20; ii. 6-10; Eph. i. 3, 23; iii. 17-19; iii. 23; John xv. 5; xii. 26; Rev. iii. 21). iv. 13; Phil. iii. 10; iv. 19, etc.). From the In this hidden life of the Christian lies the hour of his ascension he hns been hidden ground and the spring of the more outward (Acts i. 9; iii. 21 ; 1 Pet. i. 8); e.nd his life of thouglit and endeavour of vers. 1, 2. manifestation is as much e. po.rt of the And this life comes through death, from Christian creed as his death and resurrection that "dying with Christ" out of which we (Acts xvii. 31; 1 These. i. 10; iv. 16; 2 "ro~e with him" (Yer. 1; eh. ii. 11-13, These. i. 10; ii. 8; 1 Cor. xv. 23; Phil. iii. 20 ; Rom. vi. 3, 4, 8). " The aorist l11re8dven 20; 2 Tim. iv. l; John xiv. 3; 1 John iii. (' ye died') denotes the past a.et; the per- 2, 3; Rev. x.xii. 12, 20). Then the Christian fect 1ce,cp111rra, (' hath Leen and iB hid') the will have his manifestation also witll him, in permanent eJfects" (Lightfoot). (On the the "revclntion of the sous of God" (Rom. nature of this death, see notes to eh. ii. viii. 19); who will receive their second 11-13.) "Died-and your life J" this para- "adoption, to wit, tho redemption of their dox is explained in Hom. vi. 10, 11, e.nd body" (Rom. viii. 23). "Seeing him as ho repeated in Gal. ii. 20; 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. is" in his glory, " we shall bo like him" The Christian's life is lodged in the sphere (1 John iii. 2) in glory.. At Inst the spiritual of" the unseen and eternal." It centres in life of the soul will have its d no organic Christ, and ae he is hidden-withdrawn from expression, in 1:1 body perfect e.nd heavenly the world of sense, yet with ue always in BB itself (1 Cor. xv. 35-49; 2 Cor. v. 1-5). his Spirit (John xiv. 16-20; xvi. 16-22)- This is already tho case with our humnn eo our life with him. And if "with Christ," nature in Christ (Phil. iii. 21); and the then "in God;" for "Christ ie God's" (1 change will proceed from the He1:1d to the Cor. iii. 23); "lives to God" (Rom. vi. 10), members (1 Cor. xv. 23), who will be con- and "is at God's ri,;lit hand'' (ver. 1), being formed to his "body of glory," 1:1s now they "the Son of hie Ion," (eh. i. l3; Johll i. 18). ~f';j being conformed to his spiritunl imago on. m. 1-25.J TllE EPISTLE 'I'O THE COLOSSIANS. 149