20 And (having made peace through the blood of his crofs) by him to * reconcile all things unto himself, by him, I fay, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven. into one blessed and 21 And you that were fometime alienated, and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled, 22 In the body of his flesh through death, to prefent you holy and unblameable, and unreprovable in his fight. 23 If ‡ ye continue in the faith grounded and fettled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven, whereof I Paul am made a minister. 24 Who 20. And by his Death upon the A. D. 62. Crofs hath God procured the * Reconcilement of both Jews and Gentiles to himself; giving to them all, Peace and Pardon through his Merits; and intending, at laft, to bring all good and obedient Creatures, Men on Earth, and Angels in Heaven, happy Society ||. 21 & 22. Thus you Gentile Chriftians of Colosse are now in à State of Pardon and Reconciliation with God, and made the pure and holy Members of his Church; even you, who in your Heathen Condition, were utter Strangers to his Covenant, and, by a Habit of idolatrous and wicked Courses, were at perfect Enmity with him. * Ver. 20. To reconcile all things unto himself. Note, this Sense of the Word λáž. is indeed agreeable to the Matter of the Jews and Gentiles being reconciled and brought together by Chrift; [Confonantly to the main Scope of the Epiftle; ] but not to that of Thrones, Principalities; viz. Angels and Men together. I think therefore, that in this Verse it is to be molt truly interpreted by the parallel Phrafe ανακεφαλαι rada, Ephef. i. 10. To unite or fum up all under his Go vernment. Ver. 23. If ye continue. siy, either if ye continue, or fince ye, &c. || See Ephef. i. 10. A.D. 58. 24 Who now rejoice in my fufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of fake of his Body the 25 Whereof I am made a minifter, according to the difpenfation of God, which is given to me for you to fulfil the word of God: 24. Who, instead of being difcouraged, do now glory and triumph in being a Prifoner for preachfhow Christ to be a truly fuffering ing it to you Gentiles; whereby I Meffiah, by his being ftill a Sufferer in me his Apoftle, as he was once in his own Perfon; for the Church. 25. Of which Church, particularly the Gentile Part of it, I am (as I have frequently faid) a special Apoftle, commiffioned to preach its Doctrines to you, and the reft of the World, in common with the Jewish Nation. 26 & 27. A thing, indeed, that the former Generations of Men had little or no Notion of, nor had the Generality of the Jewish Nation any Understanding of what their own Prophets had faid about it; but is now moft exprefly and clearly declared to the Chriftian Church, as agreeable to the many Prophecies of the Old Teftament; viz. that God would, *Ver. 24. And fill up that which is behind of the Afflictions of Chrift ; καὶ ἀνταναπληρῶ τὰ ὑπερήματα κλέψεων ο Χρισ. Note; The Sufferings or Aflictions of Chrift, are, either Chrift's own Sufferings, or thofe of Chriftians for his Sake. St. Paul's filling up, &c. is not well expreffed in our Translation. The Word is, I, in my Turn, fill up, &c. άvтavaπλnpâ, &c. i. e. As Chrift fuffer'd for me, fo now (in my Turn) I fuffer for him. Or elfe, As I have exhorted other Chriftians to endure Afflictions for Chrift, fo now I myself compleat, as it were, that Work, by my own Suffering. The learned and judicious Dr. Clarke rightly alfo obferves, that the Phrase fill up, fignifies the Accomplishment of what remained to be fulfilled of thofe Prophecies which foretold, that, after the Sufferings of Christ, his Servants also should therein follow his Example for the Good of his Church. Serm. Vol. I. pag. 274, 275; tiles, which is Chrift in you, the hope of glory. would, in infinite Mercy beftow up- A. D. 62. Happiness, by Christ the Meffiah, that the Jewish Nation 28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wifdom, that we may present * every man perfect in Chrift Jesus. 29 Whereunto I alfo labour, ftriving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily. 28. Which comfortable Doctrine I therefore preach to all, without Diftinction, in order to train them will make them true and perfect up to that fpiritual Wisdom, that Members of his Church*. 29. Ufing my utmost Endeavours in the Improvement of all those powerful Gifts and Graces which Chrift has endowed me with for that Purpose. *Every Man perfect in Jefus Chrift; i. e. Either perfect in the Understanding of Chriftianity here, or crowned with the Reward hereafter, as the Word riu often fignifies. CHA P. II. The CONTENTS. He repeats his earnest Concern and Prayers for them; the better to warn them against the Error and Subtilty of Heathen Philofophy, and the Vanity of Jewish Traditions; encouraging them to depend upon Chrift and his Religion alone, without any regard to the Jewish Ceremonies, or mixing any Part of Heathen Devotion with their Chriftian Worship; especially that of the Worship of Angels or inferior Dæmons, as Mediators to God, under a Pretence of Religious Humility. POR I would that 1. ye knew what great conflict I have for HUS, I fay, I ftrive A.D. 62. TH H 4 Chri 29. A. D. 62. for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not feen my face in the flesh. not perfonally feen 2 That their hearts might be comforted, rance of understand ing, to the acknow- 3 In whom are hid 4 And this, I fay, left any man fhould beguile you with enticing words. Chriftians; but for none more than you, and the Laodiceans, and all thofe Gentile Chriftians, whom I converted by other Peoples Miniftry under me, but as yet have them, nor they me; 2. Continually praying for their chearful and unanimous Progress in the true Faith, and for their full and compleat Understanding, and free and publick Profeffion of all the Gofpel-Doctrines; particularly this great and unexpected Point, of the Gentiles being now called into the Chriftian Covenant; as God and Chrift have plainly declared it. 3. In whom are all the Perfections of the divine Wisdom, and by whom the Will of God is perfectly and compleatly revealed to Mankind. 4. And this Perfection, both of the Perfon and Revelation of Chrift, I the more carefully obferve to you, to fecure you from the enfnaring InSee Ver. finuations of fome || Men, that lead you into Principles that very much derogate from them both. 9, 10. 5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the fpirit, joying and behold 5. For though I be at fuch a Distance from you, and indeed never faw you, yet, by the Infpirations + of the Holy Spirit, I know the Con dition * In whom it feems ambiguous, whether & refers to Chrift, or the Mystery in the foregoing Verfe: But the following Verfes, especially the 9th and 10th, make it moft agreeable to understand it of Chrift. + Am with you in Spirit. Τῷ πνεύματι σὺν ὑμῖν εἰμὶ. It may be rendered, My Mind or Heart is with you. But the former Senfe is more agreeable to the general Acceptation of this Phrase in the New Teftament. See Acts xx. 22. 1 Cor. v. 3. However I thought fit to exprefs them both. beholding your order, and the itedfaftness of your faith in Christ. dition you are in, and the Tempta- A. D. 62. and I think upon your orderly Behaviour, and conftant Adherence to the 6 As ye have therefore received Chrift Jefus the Lord, fo as 8 Beware left any man fpoil you thro' philofophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after 6 & 7. And I now again exhort you, to keep close to the fame Rule of Chriftian Doctrine, that Epaphras || first instructed you in. | Cap. i. Build your Hopes of Pardon and 7, 8. Happiness upon Chrift and his Religion only; go on in that Profeffion with a thankful Heart, for the Honour of being his Difciples. 8. Taking fpecial Care, That neither the Gentile Philofophers deceive, and make a Prey of you, by mixing their vain Speculations with your Chriftian Principles; nor the Jewish Zealots perfwade you to embrace their Traditions and Ceremonial Obfervances, thofe mere external and figurative Things, that do not at all belong to the Religion of Chrift. Chrift: 9 For in him dwel 9. You can have no reason to leth all the fulness of comply with either of thefe kinds the Godhead bodily. of Corruptions; fince Christ, by his Incarnation, Sufferings, and Exaltation into Heaven, is demonstrated to be invefted with all that Power and *Dominion over the Church of God, which qualifies Him, and Ver. 9. Fulness of the Godhead. Tus Jóτnt of Power and Dominion. 'Tis the fame with his being made the Head or Lord over the Church, as is most evident from Chap. i. 15, 18, 19. which Paffages, compared with the 18, 19, and zo Verfes of this Chapter, will fhow the Juftness of the other Part of my Paraphrafe on this Verfe. I understand the Phrafe Bodily to fignify Chrift's Incarnation, and his whole Tranfaction for us in our Flesh. But if the Reader rather chuseth to understand it to fignify really and fubftantially, in Oppofition to figuratively and typically; [agreeably to Ver. 17.] it will make no Alteration in the main Senfe given of the whole Verse. |