After salutation, he thanketh God for their faith, confirmeth the doctrine of Epaphras, prayeth further for their increase in grace, describeth the true Christ, encourageth them to receive the Lord Jesus Christ, and vindicates his own ministry.
Anno Domini 62.
Effectuallyto silence the false teachers, who endeavoured to seduce the Colossian brethren to Judaism, the Apostle began the doctrinal part of this Epistle with confuting their leading error; the error for the sake of which all the rest were introduced; namely, that the institutions of Moses, but especially the Levitical sacrifices, were still necessary, because there were no propitiatorysacrifices in the gospel. This false and most destructive doctrine the Apostle exploded, by showing that they who are translated into the kingdom of God's beloved Son, have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins; consequently, that, in the gospel dispensation, God hath appointed a propitiatory sacrifice of real efficacy; namely, the sacrifice of the blood of Christ, to which believers can have sure recourse for pardon, and have no need of any other propitiatory sacrifice whatever, Colossians 1:13-14.—But, as the Colossians might have been told by the Judaizers, that the pardon of the sins of the whole world was an effect too great to be ascribed to the once shedding of Christ's blood, the Apostle observed, that the atonement made by that one sacrifice, was perfectlysufficient for the taking away the sins of all who believe, because the infinite dignity of Christ enhanced infinitely the merit of his death.—Christ's dignity the Apostle described in a magnificence of language suggested by the grandeur of the subject. He is the image of the invisible God, and the Lord of the whole creation, Colossians 1:15.—for he created all things in the heavens, and uponthe earth, visible and invisible, Colossians 1:16.—and by him all things are upheld, Colossians 1:17.—The Apostle having thus described the original and infinite dignity of Christ, as God's beloved Son, for the purpose of displaying the merit of his death, proceeded to speak of the honour and power which he received, in the human nature, as the reward of his death; whereby he showed, in a conspicuous light, the folly of those who endeavoured to persuade the Colossians to prefer the mediation of angels to the mediation of Christ. He is the head of the body, even of the church, and the beginning or author thereof. He is also the first-born, or Lord of the dead; having died to raise them again to life, Colossians 1:18.—This greatness, both in the natural and moral world, he hath received from his Father, that he may unite angels and men in one great community under himself, as their head, in order that they may be happy in their subjection to the Triune God, and in the society of one another, to all eternity. For, says the Apostle, it pleased the Father, that in him all the fulness of perfection and power should constantly abide, Colossians 1:19.—and, through the exercise of his authority and power, by him to unite all things under him as head, having made peace between them by the blood of his cross, Colossians 1:20.—Even the idolatrous Gentiles, notwithstanding their former wickedness, he has thus united, Colossians 1:21.—in one body with the Jews, in his church, through the death of his Son, to render them holy and unblameable in Christ's sight, at the last day, Colossians 1:22.—To be in that manner presented before Christ, the Apostle told the Colossians, would he their happy lot, if they continued firm in the faith of the gospel doctrine, which, because of its efficacy to sanctify sinners, was preached to every creature under heaven; of which gospel St. Paul was made a minister by Christ himself, Colossians 1:23.
But lest his imprisonment, for having preached salvation to the believing Gentiles, equally with the Jews, through the death of Christ, although they did not obey the law of Moses, might have led the Colossians to suspect the truth of his doctrine, the Apostle told them, that he rejoiced in the afflictions which he was enduring for them; that is, for maintaining their titleto salvation; and that these afflictions were expressly appointed to him by Christ, for the purpose of building his body, which is his church, Colossians 1:24.—of which church, he told them, a second time, he was made a minister, or Apostle, to build it by fully publishing God's determination to save thefaithful Gentiles, Colossians 1:25.—Then he informed them, that this determination was a mystery, or secret, which, during the Mosaic dispensation, was kept hid, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles; but was now discovered to such of the Jews as God thought fit to employin publishing it to the world, Colossians 1:26.—To these preachers, God was pleased to make known, by revelation, the greatness of the glory of this mystery concerning the Gentiles;that is, the glorious excellence of that part of his plan which relates to the believing Gentiles; namely, that Jesus Christ, to them also, is the author of the hope of a glorious resurrection to eternal life, as well as to the Jews, Colossians 1:27.—Him, therefore, all the inspired Christian teachers preach as the only Saviour of the world, exhorting every man to receive him as Saviour, and teaching every man, with all wisdom, the true doctrines of religion; that, at the day of judgment, they may present everyfaithful Christian perfect, both in respect of pardon and holiness, Colossians 1:28.—And to accomplish that glorious end, St. Paul himself laboured with the utmost vigour in preaching Jesus Christ the hope of glory, to believers of all nations, and in defending that doctrine with success, in proportion to the supernatural gifts bestowed upon him as an Apostle, Colossians 1:29.
COLOSSIANS.] Colosse was a considerable city of Phrygia, in Asia Minor, situated at a small distance from Laodicea; both which cities were destroyed by an earthquake, not long after the writing of this Epistle. St. Paul himself had not been at
Colosse when he wrote it, though he had, some years before, travelled through Phrygia; however, Epaphras had founded a Christian church at Colosse, and probably in the neighbouring cities of Laodicea and Hierapolis. It is probable that some Colossians, who had heard St. Paul preach at Ephesus, might be converted by him; and among them Philemon, to whom St. Paul addressed his Epistle, so entitled. The churches of Colosse, Laodicea, and Hierapolis, were exposed to more imminent danger of being seduced by false teachers than many others, as they had not received the gospel immediately from an Apostle, but from Epaphras; and as they might question whether Epaphras did not err in some respects. This occasioned St. Paul's anxietyfor them, and induced him to confirm the doctrine of Epaphras by this Epistle, which was written from Rome, about the same time with the preceding, in the year 62 or 63. Lardner thinks, that this and the Epistle to Philemon were sent away together by Tychicus and Onesimus; although that to Philemon was probably delivered first. The more immediate occasion of writing to the Colossians was, an Epistle which St. Paul had received from the Laodiceans, (see ch. Colossians 4:16.) which Michaelis thinks contained some written queries relating to the doctrines of the Essenes, and that this Epistle was intended to answer them. The Epistle to the Colossians is so like that to the Ephesians, both in language and contents, that the one will greatly illustrate the other. See the introduction of the Epistle to the Ephesians, and also Lardner, Doddridge, Michaelis, Locke, and Pierce, to whom I am under considerable obligations in respect to my criticisms on this Epistle.