The Pulpit Commentary — Colossians — Section 182

II. THE DUTIES OF SERVA?-Ts. These are all summed up in the one word "obedience." But this obedience must be becomingly rendered in several important respects. 1. "Not ·u•i'.t~ ,:y_e-serv_ice, as men-pleasers; but in sin_qleness of heart,fearing God." (1) Eyo- sc1-v1ce 1s designed to plc.nse man. ,vork will bo dona only so long as the master's eye is on the sen•ant, There is no thought of pleasing aught but man. (2) 'l.'here must be sindeness of heart, that is, simplicity and sincerity of spirit, that will lead to an undivided de'l"otion to work, arising from "the fear of God," because they realizo that the eye of the Di'l"ine Ma~ter is ever upon them. Dissimulation, duplicity, pretence, deceit, must be far from Clmst1an servants. 2. It mu.~t be hearty ser1Jice. "And whatsoever ~-e do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not to men." Servants, in obeying their masters, ~,·r,e the Lord. They do the will of God from the heart, not grudgingly or murmuringly, hut with a truly hearty obedience. 3. It must be obedience "in all things;" that is, in all things lawfol. Bnt servants must consider the master's commands as well as his interests, and seek to obey them in everything, howevei: irksome or humiliating. III. Tm: EKCOURAGEMENTS OF SERVANTS. "Knowrng that of the Lord .re shall rccei ve the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ." 1. It is an encouragement Jot them to know that masters are only "according to the flesh." This limits human slavery. The master cannot touch the soul, which is the temple of the Holy Ghost (1 Cor. iii. 16), for the slave is " Christ's freeman" (1 Cor, vii. 22). 2. There is a reward for true obedience as well as a compensation for wrongs endured. (1) Servants ought to know of their blessed prospects. (2) Their works will be surely rewarded, reckoned, no doubt, of grace, not of debt. They shall receive "the reward of the inheritance," the heavenly glory, by the Father's bequest. God will bo their Paymaster if they are wronged or defrauded by man. 'l'herefore they have strong encouragement to give just obedience to man. 3. :/.'here is a retribution on unjust oi· tyrannical masters for the wrongs they have done to their servants, "But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he ha.th done: and there is no respect of persons." Sorue think this refers to dishonest servants, or to both servants and master~ who may have failed in their duty to ea.eh other. It is more natural to regard it as referring to the case of masters, for the passage is designed to encourage servants suffer- ing injustice \\·ith the 1irospect of a. day of judgment for those who wronged them. God is "no resl'ecter of persons." Man may make a. difference. God finds the claim of the dave as valid as the claim of the master.-'£. C. Vers. 1, 2.-Theheavenlylife, Paul has been warning his Colossian converts against the superstitious interest in ceremonies which the false teachers tried to foster; and now he passes to the higher things and thoughts which should occupy the soul. He speaks of their resurrection with Christ if they are real converts, and of the consequent duty of livin::; a heavenly life, which consists in setting one's heart upon heavenlf things in contrast to the things which a.re upon the earth. Ho further shows that this heavenly life is to end in a glorious manifestation at the second advent of Christ. The line of thought here is consequently of the highest character. L TnE DEATH TO EARTHLY THINGS. (Ver. 3.) 'l.'ha apostle here affirms that the Colossian Christians "died" (Revised Version). Now, this represents a distinct element in Christian ex:perieace; it means that the soul passes through a. death to earthly things-to sin and the allurements of the flesh, just as our Lord died upon the tree. The Crucifixion must have its counterpart within us. We die to the attrac- tions of the world. " The dead," says Augustus Ha.re, in a scrmou on this passage, "know not nor care for anything in this world. Their love and hatred and envy are clean wiped out. A dead man is as cold and motionless as a st_one, to all that the Ji1,ing make the greatest stir about. How perfectly, then, how entirely, ought we to be free from sin in order to be dead to it! It is not enough to keep from outwartl acts of sin if the he;rt cherishes any secret likin" for it. This is not dying to it. Defore we ea~ attain to that perfect sinlessness, our'"bea.rts must bo as completely closed again~t the tempter as if we were nailed down in our coffins; our cars m~st ho deaf to h~s voice; our eyes must be blind to his charms. We '?ust not only give up every evil practice; we must also stifle every evil desire.. Noth~ng less can ~eserve the name_ of l,eiug dead to sin. This, then, is the perfection of lllnocency wluch we aro to strive after." Now, every true CLristian has experienced in larger or smaller mmsnre this OJI, III, 1-25.] 'l'HE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS. 179