Colossians 3:11 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Where there is neither Greek, &c.— St. Paul's main design in this Epistle was, to establish the Colossians in theiradherence to the gospel mystery of the calling of the Gentiles, and maintaining their freedom against the Jewish dogmatizers; and though he had already concluded that matter, yet, having it very much at his heart, he takes an occasion here, in the midst of quite other things, to drop a word with relation to it. The sense of the verse is, that,in the point of obtaining acceptance with God, our regard must be paid solely to Christ; upon him alone we must depend, and not upon the Mosaic law, or any other person or thing whatever:—that cordial faith in Christ is the only term on which God insists for justification; and that this is the case in all, or among all men, let them be Jews, or let them be Gentiles; of whatever nation, or whatever condition, it matters not. Upon this term alone they should be received into favour, without submitting to the ordinances which the Judaizers would gladly obtrude upon them. The Apostle seems to make use of a kind of climax in mentioning the Scythians, as they were reckoned more barbarous than any other barbarous nation.