The Pulpit Commentary — Colossians — Section 159

• Cntonn '). "The peace of Christ" dwelling name of Christ is omphnsized in so many within the hen.rt is to be the security of the ways (comp. 1 'l'hcss. i. 8; 2 These. iii. 1). Colossian believer agaiust the throats of false The apostle, it may bo, alludes prim1\l'ily to teachers: "They seek to rob you of your the personnl teachiug of Christ liimselt' prize; let this assure yon of it." Present, ( comp. Acls xic, 35 ; l Cor. vii. 10). "You" conscious peace with God is o. warrant of is uuderstood oolleotively by l\Ieyer aud the Christiu's hope of e.erlasting life (Rom. others (" amongst you") ; bnt tho verb v. 1-11 ; viii. 31-39; xv. 13; Eph. i. 13, "dwell-in" (Rom. viii. 11; 2 Tim. i. 5, 14) 14; l Thess. v. 23; Titus iii. 7). This requi!·es tho stronger souse, suggested also by nssur,mce is idcnticnl with '' the wit.ncss of the" m your hca1ts" of ver. 15 (comp. noto the Spirit" (Rom. viii. 15, 16; Gal. iv. 6, on "in you," eh. i. 27). As "tho word" iij 7: Ep!,. i. 13, 14). The npostle nrgued in r,ch in the Divine wealth stored in it (eh. i. eh. i. 4, 5 from ihe present faith and love of 27; Eph. i. 7, 18; ii. 4, 7; iii. 8; Titus iii. his readers to " the hope laid up for them in 6), so it is to dwell "richly" in those who hea'l'en;" here he Lids them find in the peace possess it. '' In nil wisdom" God's grace which Christ hns brought to their souls the abounded (Eph. i. 8), nnd St. Paul himself earnest of their future bliss. It is but o. taugi,t ( eh. i. 28); so with the richly indwell- generalizing of the same idea when he ing tCol'd in the minds of tho Uolossians, speaks in Phil. iv. 7 of "the peace of God" especially as they were beset by intellectu11l ns " garrisoning the heart and thoughts" forms of error (eh. i. 9; ii. 2-4, 8, 23: comp. against foar nnd doubt. Unto which also ye eh. iv. 5; Eph. v. 15). In this connecLion of were called, in one body ( eh. i. 12, 18 ; ii. 2; thought, the phrase appears to belong to Eph. iv. H-18, 1-6; Phil. i. 27, 28; the previous sentence; so English Version 1 Cor. x. 17 ; xii. 12, 13; Rom. xii. 5). So nnd Lightfoot. Bengel, Meyer, Alford, nnd this ''peace" is to be at once their in ward Ellicott, however, 11ttach it to the words safeguard, and the ground of their outward which follow. Teaching and admonishing union. They nre to stand together in its each other [or, yourselves: comp. ver. 13, note] defence (Phil. i. 27, 28). Error, which blights (eh. i, 28; Rom. xv. 14; Heb, v. 12; :z:. 24, the Church's hope, destroys her unity. So 25; Eph. iv. 15, 16). (For this absolute par- the maintenance of that "one hope of our ticipial nominative, so marked a feature of calling," assured by a Divine peace within St. Paul's style, comp.· eh. i. 10; ii. 2; Eph. the soul, unites all Christian hearts in a i. 18; iv. 2; Phil. i. 30; iii. l 0; 2 Cor. vii. 5; common co.use ( compare the conuection of Winer, p. 716.) What he is doing in his vera. 18 and 19 in eh. ii.). With St. Paul, the own ministry and by writicg this letter, pence of God's children with him and with he bids the Coloesians do for each other. each other is so essentially one that he "Teaching" precedes, being suggested by speaks almost indistinguishably of both "wisdom." With psalms, hymns, spiritual (Eph. ii. 15, 16; 2 Cor. xiii. 11; ~ TLess. iiL songs (Eph. v. 19; 1 Cor. xiv. 26). Theso 16). He ndcls, and be ye thankful (eh. L 3 nre to be a chief means of mutual edification. -5, 12; ii 7; iii 17; iv. 2; Eph. v. 20); The repeated "and," also the singnlnr 'l'iz. " for this assurance of your future " heart," and " Lord" in place of "Uod" blessedness afforded by the peace of Christ in the sequel of the verse, are borrowed by within vour hearts, with its outward evi- the Received Text from Eph. v. 19. The deuce in your Christi.an unity." The apostle Greeks, the Asiatic Greeks in particular, gave thanks for them ou Ii.kc grounds (eh. were devoted to the arts of music. Song i. 3-5: comp. i 12-14). 'flic command to and jest, stililula.ted by the wine-cup, were give thanks prevaila in this Epistle, as that the entertainment of their social hours (Eph. tu rejoice iu Philippians. "Be" is tlie Greek v. 4, 18, 19). Their Christfan intercourse -yl>oµ.a, ("become"); so in Epb. iv. 32; v. 1, is still lo be enlivened by tho varied uso 17. It implies" striving after an aim as not of song, and by the play of wholesome wit yet realized" (Meyer: comp. John xv. 8)- (eh. iv. 6; Eph. iv. 29); but both song and ruther, therefore, •• to be in act," "to prove" speech nre to he "in grace," stamped with or "show one's self thankful" (seo Grimm's a spiritual character and governed by a • Lexicon ; ' ~nd comp. Rom. iii. 4; Luko serious Christian purpose. A" psalm" (from :z:. a6). ,j,cl.>..>..w, to play an instrument) is "o. song Ver. 16.-Let the word of Christ dwell in set to music;" but this name was o.lready yon richly, in all wisdom (eh. i. 5, 9, 27, in the LXX appropriated to its present use. 28; ii.2,3; iv. 5,6; Eph.i.17,18; iii.8, Whelher its application here is restricted to 9 ; l Cor. i. 5, G; 2 Tim. iii. 15). Tile "word the psalms of the 01<1 TestD.ment is doubtful of Christ" is the Christian doctrine, tJ,e goapel (comp. 1 Cor. :z:iv. 15, 2G). "Hymn" (iJµ.vos) iu ihe widest sense of the ter:n ( eh. i. 5), ae denotes a solemn, religious composition, or 1,roc,:;eding from C!Jriat (Gal. i. 11, 12; lieb. song of Divine praise. The word'' son~" ii. 3; Matt. xxviii. 20; 2 Cor. xiii. 3). '!'his (ode, t;Bf,) is wider in senso; hence is qu11lifiecl rri,ciae pl,rasu occurs only here, where the by" spiritual," equivalent to" with [or,' in'] CU, Ill, 1--25,] THE El'lSTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS. 155