Exposition on Colossians

Contents

1. 0Pelagius's argument: Paul praises the Colossians' faith and warns them against philosophy and the law's ceremonies.
2. 1.1Lemma of Col 1:1.
3. 1.2Lemma of Col 1:2.
4. 1.3Lemma of Col 1:3.
5. 1.4The Colossians love holiness in all the saints without partiality.
6. 1.5Lemma of Col 1:5.
7. 1.6The gospel bears fruit everywhere; God's grace is truly known by those who do not cancel it with evil deeds.
8. 1.7Epaphras, the Colossians' teacher, faithfully prays for them.
9. 1.8Epaphras reported the Colossians' spiritual love.
10. 1.9Paul prays that they know God's will, since without such knowledge they cannot do it.
11. 1.10God gives the will and strengthens it by teaching and the grace of understanding, without taking away freedom of choice.
12. 1.11True strength conquers old habits of vice, and true patience rejoices in suffering.
13. 1.12The calling to the saints' inheritance should outweigh present sorrow.
14. 1.13God rescued us from ignorance and error into his Son's kingdom.
15. 1.14Redemption is the forgiveness of sins in baptism through faith.
16. 1.15Christ is God's image and, as man, firstborn in honour, not in time.
17. 1.16All things, visible and invisible, were created by Christ in his divinity, against the Manichaeans.
18. 1.17All things subsist through Christ.
19. 1.18Christ, first risen to incorruption, is head of the church and first over all creation.
20. 1.19In the saints God's gift was partial, but the whole Godhead abounded in Christ.
21. 1.20Christ reconciles earth to heaven, as the Lord's Prayer asks.
22. 1.21Lemma of Col 1:21.
23. 1.22Paul's command to be holy and blameless shows that it is possible.
24. 1.23Only those who stay firm and live by the gospel can hope for it; Paul teaches all so as to present all perfect.
25. 1.29Paul labours to present every person perfect.
26. 2.1Lemma of Col 2:1.
27. 2.2Paul's presence would have comforted them and taught them the mystery of God more fully.
28. 2.3The treasures of wisdom hidden in the law under Moses' veil are revealed in Christ.
29. 2.4Since all wisdom is in Christ, philosophy opposed to him is folly.
30. 2.5The apostles could perceive what happened elsewhere, as Elisha did with Gehazi.
31. 2.6Christ's example suffices for life even with limited knowledge.
32. 2.7Believers grow on Christ as foundation and give thanks for his gifts.
33. 2.8Paul warns against philosophers who measure God by nature and deny creation from nothing, the virgin birth, and the resurrection.
34. 2.9The whole divine nature dwells in Christ's body.
35. 2.10Those who know Christ, maker of the invisible world, need nothing from philosophers who know only the visible.
36. 2.11Christians have Christ's spiritual circumcision and need not heed the false apostles.
37. 2.12In baptism believers put off the old man and rise to new life by faith.
38. 2.13Doubly unworthy, the Gentiles were made alive and forgiven with Christ.
39. 2.14The handwriting nailed to the cross is the law's curse, or God's record of sins, both cancelled.
40. 2.15Christ triumphed over the powers by dying, not by force, as an example for us.
41. 2.16Food laws and feasts were a shadow that ceased when Christ came.
42. 2.17The law was the shadow of Christ's reality.
43. 2.18Paul warns against those who feign humility and boast of visions of angels.
44. 2.19Whoever is outside Christ's body does not live, since Christ the head is life.
45. 2.20Those who died with Christ must not live like worldly people who do not believe in the future.
46. 2.21Paul forbids using worldly things as those do who love them as eternal.
47. 2.22The world, made of parts that dissolve, will itself dissolve and must not be loved as eternal.
48. 2.23Philosophers, taught by nature, practised humble austerity, but philosophy's show of abstinence is a devil's snare.
49. 3.1Those risen with Christ must seek heavenly things.
50. 3.2Lemma of Col 3:2.
51. 3.3Believers should pursue heavenly wisdom, not worldly learning.
52. 3.4Believers' glory will appear with Christ, so they must not seek it now.
53. 3.5Believers must kill the vices of their members; desire is not evil in itself, but greed is idolatry.
54. 3.6God's past judgments on Sodom and the flood warn of wrath to come.
55. 3.7Lemma of Col 3:7.
56. 3.8Believers must put away anger, malice, and foul speech, as unworthy of God's sons.
57. 3.9The sons of truth must not lie, having put off the old man.
58. 3.10The image of God is renewed by striving to be like God in action.
59. 3.11Before God only conduct counts, not sex, race, or status.
60. 3.12Believers must put on mercy and virtues as God's chosen.
61. 3.13Believers must forgive one another as Christ forgave them.
62. 3.14Love is above all virtues and binds the body together.
63. 3.15Christ's peace must rule the heart, and believers must imitate grace, which forgives enemies.
64. 3.16Laypeople should know Scripture abundantly and sing spiritual songs from the heart.
65. 3.17All is to be done for God's glory; wives are to be subject in what befits the Lord.
66. 3.19Paul urges marital love because some spouses had begun to live in continence.
67. 3.21Fathers must teach patience by example, not provoke their children.
68. 3.22Slaves must serve sincerely, fearing God who sees all.
69. 3.23Slaves should turn necessary service into willing devotion.
70. 3.24Service done for God's sake is rewarded by him, even under ungrateful masters.
71. 3.25Lemma of Col 3:25.
72. 4.1Masters must be as fathers to their slaves, as they hope for a kind Master in heaven.
73. 4.2Prayer must be watchful and thankful.
74. 4.3Paul asks prayer for his freedom to preach.
75. 4.4Paul asks for wisdom in what to preach, and urges prudence toward outsiders.
76. 4.6Christian speech should be wise, fitted to pagans, Jews, and heretics alike.
77. 4.7Lemma of Col 4:7.
78. 4.8Lemma of Col 4:8, bracketed by Souter.
79. 4.9Paul sends news so that they will not grieve over him.
80. 4.10Paul sends greetings from his few fellow workers in the gospel, here called the kingdom.
81. 4.12Epaphras's prayers help the Colossians' own efforts to persevere.
82. 4.13Epaphras, like the first disciples, labours for the salvation of all.
83. 4.14Luke is called physician from his former profession, as Matthew was called a tax collector.
84. 4.16Lemma of Col 4:16, bracketed by Souter.
85. 4.17Archippus, said to be a deacon, is to fulfil his ministry; Paul asks to be remembered in his chains.