1:8. Who also hath manifested your love in the spirit.
1:9. Therefore we also, from the day that we heard it, cease not to pray for you and to beg that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding:
1:10. That you may walk worthy of G.o.d, in all things pleasing; being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of G.o.d:
1:11. Strengthened with all might according to the power of his glory, in all patience and longsuffering with joy,
1:12. Giving thanks to G.o.d the Father, who hath made us worthy to be partakers of the lot of the saints in light:
1:13. Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love,
1:14. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the remission of sins:
1:15. Who is the image of the invisible G.o.d, the firstborn of every creature:
The firstborn... That is, first begotten; as the Evangelist declares, the only begotten of his Father: hence, St. Chrisostom explains firstborn, not first created, as he was not created at all, but born of his Father before all ages; that is, coeval with the Father and with the Holy Ghost.
1:16. For in him were all things created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominations, or princ.i.p.alities, or powers. All things were created by him and in him.
1:17. And he is before all: and by him all things consist.
1:18. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he may hold the primacy:
1:19. Because in him, it hath well pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell:
1:20. And through him to reconcile all things unto himself, making peace through the blood of his cross, both as to the things that are on earth and the things that are in heaven.
1:21. And you, whereas you were some time alienated and enemies in mind in evil works:
1:22. Yet now he hath reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unspotted and blameless before him:
1:23. If so ye continue in the faith, grounded and settled, and immoveable from the hope of the gospel which you have heard, which is preached in all the creation that is under heaven: whereof I Paul am made a minister.
1:24. Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh, for his body, which is the church:
Wanting... There is no want in the sufferings of Christ in himself as head: but many sufferings are still wanting, or are still to come, in his body the church, and his members the faithful.
1:25. Whereof I am made a minister according to the dispensation of G.o.d, which is given me towards you, that I may fulfil the word of G.o.d:
1:26. The mystery which hath been hidden from ages and generations, but now is manifested to his saints,
1:27. To whom G.o.d would make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ, in you the hope of glory.
1:28. Whom we preach, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
1:29. Wherein also I labour, striving according to his working which he worketh in me in power.
Colossians Chapter 2
He warns them against the impostures of the philosophers and the Jewish teachers, that would withdraw them from Christ.
2:1. For I would have you know what manner of care I have for you and for them that are at Laodicea and whosoever have not seen my face in the flesh:
2:2. That their hearts may be comforted, being instructed in charity and unto all riches of fulness of understanding, unto the knowledge of the mystery of G.o.d the Father and of Christ Jesus:
2:3. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
2:4. Now this I say, that no man may deceive you by loftiness of words.
2:5. For though I be absent in body, yet in spirit I am with you, rejoicing, and beholding your order and the steadfastness of your faith which is in Christ.
2:6. As therefore you have received Jesus Christ the Lord, walk ye in him:
2:7. Rooted and built up in him and confirmed in the faith, as also you have learned: abounding in him in thanksgiving.
2:8. Beware lest any man cheat you by philosophy and vain deceit: according to the tradition of men according to the elements of the world and not according to Christ.
2:9. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the G.o.dhead corporeally.
2:10. And you are filled in him, who is the head of all princ.i.p.ality and power.
2:11. In whom also you are circ.u.mcised with circ.u.mcision not made by hand in despoiling of the body of the flesh: but in the circ.u.mcision of Christ.
2:12. Buried with him in baptism: in whom also you are risen again by the faith of the operation of G.o.d who hath raised him up from the dead.
2:13. And you, when you were dead in your sins and the uncirc.u.mcision of your flesh, he hath quickened together with him, forgiving you all offences:
2:14. Blotting out the handwriting of the decree that was against us, which was contrary to us. And he hath taken the same out of the way, fastening it to the cross.
2:15. And despoiling the princ.i.p.alities and powers, he hath exposed them confidently in open shew, triumphing over them in himself.
2:16. Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of a festival day or of the new moon or of the sabbaths,
In meat, etc... He means with regard to the Jewish observations of the distinction of clean and unclean meats; and of their festivals, new moons, and sabbaths, as being no longer obligatory.
2:17. Which are a shadow of things to come: but the body is of Christ.
2:18. Let no man seduce you, willing in humility and religion of angels, walking in the things which he hath not seen, in vain puffed up by the sense of his flesh:
Willing, etc... That is, by a self willed, self invented, superst.i.tious worship, falsely pretending humility, but really proceeding from pride.
Such was the worship, that many of the philosophers (against whom St.
Paul speaks, ver. 8) paid to angels or demons, by sacrificing to them, as carriers of intelligence betwixt G.o.d and men; pretending humility in so doing, as if G.o.d was too great to be addressed by men; and setting aside the mediatorship of Jesus Christ, who is the head both of angels and men. Such also was the worship paid by the ancient heretics, disciples of Simon and Menander, to the angels, whom they believed to be makers and lords of this lower world. This is certain, that they whom the apostle here condemns, did not hold the head, (ver. 19,) that is, Jesus Christ, and his mediatorship; and therefore what he writes here no way touches the Catholic doctrine and practice, of desiring our good angels to pray to G.o.d for us, through Jesus Christ. St. Jerome [Epist.
ad Algas.] understands by the religion or service of angels, the Jewish teachers, who sought to subject the new Christians to the observance of the Mosaic law.
2:19. And not holding the head, from which the whole body, by joints and bands, being supplied with nourishment and compacted, groweth into the increase of G.o.d.
2:20. If then you be dead with Christ from the elements of this world, why do you yet decree as though living in the world?