The Pulpit Commentary — Colossians — Section 217

"Jesus" (" Joshuo," Acts vii. 45; Heh. iv. 1 Cor. vii. 22)? We a.re reminded again of 8) wos a common Jewish no.me. "Justus" eh. ii. 6 (see note). Always striving on your (" just," "righteous") was frequently behalf in hill prayers, that ye may ltand o.dopted by individunl Jews, or conferred on fast, (being) perfect and folly assured in all them, o.s e. Gentile (Latin) sumo.me (comp. the will of God ( eh. i. 9, 23, 29; ii. I, 2, 5; Acts i. 23; xviii. 7); it implied devotion to Rom. xv. 30; Eph. vi. 11-14; Phil. i. 27; the Le.w, end we.s the equivalent of the iv. I; l Cor. xvi. 13; I Thess. iii. 8; 2 Thess. Hebrew ZadoT, (see Lightfoot). Its Greek ii. 15). Epaphras "strives" ("wrestles") equivo.lent, lil,«1.1os, is the standing epithet for his spiritual charge, like the apostle him- of Jo.mes, the brother of the Lord, e.nd the self ( eh. i. 29, see note on i'z.'Ywv,(oµa,, eh. ii. I; head of the Church o.t Jerusalem; o.nd is Rom. xv. 30; Luke xxii. 44). npoo-"o.pup,w emphatically applied to Christ himself in ver. 2 denotes the patient persistence, (Acts iii. 14; vii. 52; xxii. 14; 1 Pet. iii. 18; this word the intense energy, of prevailing 1 John iL 1). Who a.re of the oircumci.sion, prayer. For "stand" (where Lightfoot, -these only (my) fellow-workers unto the Westcott and Hort, and other critical editors kingdom of God, (men) who have been a read the stronger ,,--ro,B-;}-re for ,,--,-;i,,.,), comp. comfort to me (Phil em. 1, 24; 1 Thess. iii. eh. i. 23; ii. 7; it is four times repeated in 2; Rom. xvi. 3, 9, 21; 2 Cor. viii 23; Phil. the stirring appeal of Eph. vi. 11-H. l!'nr ii. 25; iv. 3). Axiste.rchus, therefore, was a Churches theatencd by the attacks nf heresy Jew, e.s well as !\lark and Jesus Justus. it was above all things needful •• that they "These only," etc., must be read o.s in close should stand fast." On" perfect," see eh. i. apposition to the previous clause. This 28 ; also eh. iii. 14 ; the 'word bears a primary statement accords with the apostle's com- reference to "knowledge," e.nd implies o. plaint in Phil. i. 15-17; ii. 19-24; but fully instructed e.nd enlightened condition the still stronger language of the latter (Phil. iii. 15; I Cor. xiv. 20; Heh. v. 14; passages seems to point to a later time when vi. 1), attended with corresponding spirit- he was yet more solitary, having lost ual e.dvancement (Eph. iv. 13). "Fully Tychicus e.nd Mark, and perhaps Aristar- e.ssured" (1re,r>..71pocpop11µl110,, Revised Text) chus also, and when he ho.d e. more defiuite carries ns back to eh. ii. 2 ( see notes ; on this prospect of release. The title "fellow- verb, compare Lightfoot's exhaustive note). worker" he frequently confers on his It bears the same sense in Rom. iv. 21 o.ncl associe.tes (see references). In Philem. 24 xiv. 5; a slightly different ono in Luke i. I. it is applied to Luke e.nd Demas nlso. "The From the tenor of the letter it appears that kingdom of God" we.s, in eh. i. 13, "the the Colossians needed o. deeper Christian kingdom of his Son;" as in Epl,. v. 5 it is insight cmd more intelligent o.nd well- "the kingdom of Christ e.nd God." On his grounded convictions respecting tlio truth arrival at Rome, St. Pe.ul is described ns "ns in Jesus." "All (the) will" is strictly "testifying, and preaching the Tdngdom of distributive (every will); Be>..71µa (eh. i. U) God" (Acts xxviii. 23, 31: comp. Acts viii. differs from our will in having II concrete 12; xiv. 22; xix. S; 1 These. ii. 12; 2 Thess. re.ther the.n abstract sense, denoting an act i. 5). On the force of uY-rivu (" men who," or e:epression of will. "such e.s "), see eh. ii. 23; e.nd for ''Y•vfi6-r],,-av Ver. 13.-For I bear witness to him that (" proved," "became in point of fact"), comp. he hath muoh le.hour (1r611ov for (ii>..ov, Re,·isetl eh. iii. 15. nap11"1'op/a., comfort, e. word found Text) for you ( eh. i. 29; ii. 1; Phil. ii. 19-23; only here in the Greek Teste.ment, is a 1 These. v.12, 13; 1 Tim. v.17; 1 Cor.xvi. medical term (compare" paregoric"), imply- 15, 16). n6vos occurs in the New Testo.ment ing "soothing relief." besidos only in Rev. xvi. 10, 11 and xxi. -1, Ver. 12.-Epaphras, who ie (one) of you, whero it means" pain;" in classiral Greek it saluteth you, a servant (bond man) of Christ implies" pain ful,tlistrPS$fuJ exertion" ( comp. leans (Rom. i. l ; Phil. i. 1 ; Titus i. 1; 1<01r1w, eh. i. 29). It indicates the cleop anxiety Gal. i. 10; 2 Cor. iv. 5: 1 Cor. vii. 22; of EpRphro.s for this beloved and cnd,rngerctl 1 These. i. 9; 2 Tim. ii. 2-1; Acts iv. 29; Church. There is nothing here to point to Jas. i. 1; 2 Pet. i. l; Jude l; Rev. i. 1; "outwC1rd toil" (LigLtroot), any more tho.n xxii. 3, 6). "Of you," like Onesimus (ver. 9). in eh. ii. I. The o.postlo loves to comment! He wo.s e. nc1tive of Colosslll, e.s well ns evan- his fcllow-lBbourers (eh. i. 7; l'hil ii. 20-22, gelist and minister of the Church tl,ere 25, 26; 2 Cor. viii. lli-23). And for those (oh. i. 7, 8). "Bondmun of Christ Jesus" in Laodicea and those in Hierapolis (vers. iij the title the apostle so often daims for 15-17; eh. ii. l). The Church in Hieupolis himself (see references), only here put by is C1cldcd to that of Laodicea, singled. out iu him on any one else. Is there an implied re- eh. ii. 1 e.s a special object of the npostle's ference to Onesimus (ver. 9), who wllB "a concern (on these cities,see Introductiou, § 1). bondman after the flesh," but " the Lord's Whether Epe.phre.s were the ollicin.l head of freedman'' (Philem. 16), while I~puphrllB, thcso Churches or not, ho eouhl not but be "th111 freeman," is "Christ's bond man" ( oomp. deeply concerned in thoir welfare. Vor. 17  THE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS. [cu. 1v. 1-18.