Chapter V: AUTOGRAPH CONCLUSION.--1. The Judaisers' motive (ch. vi. 12, 13) (31)

A stolid indifference to suffering and a heroic endurance of the same were not unknown to the ancient pagans; but it is Christianity alone that has taught us to rejoice in afflictions; it supplies an ecstasy of emotion that renders us oblivious for the time being of encompassing trials. The apostle, as he pondered over the mighty work of reconciliation, and as he caught a glimpse of the amazing extent of Divine mercy, could not but rejoice even in his sufferings. In this verse he _expresses his joy that, in suffering for the Church, he supplements that which was lacking in the afflictions of Christ._ Observe--

+I. The representative character of the apostle's sufferings.+--1. _The apostle represented the suffering Saviour._ "The afflictions of Christ." We are not to suppose that the sufferings of Christ were incomplete in themselves or in their value as constituting a sufficient atonement. The passion of Christ was the one full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world. In this sense there could be no deficiency in Christ's sufferings, for Christ's sufferings being different in kind from those of His servants, the two are incommensurable. Neither the apostle nor any other could represent the expiatory and sacrificial aspect of the Redeemer's sufferings. But while His personal sufferings are over, His afflictions in His people still continue. He so thoroughly identifies Himself with them that their trials, sorrows, persecutions, and afflictions become His own. The apostle represented the suffering Saviour in what he endured for Christ and the Church. Thus, he declared to the Corinthians, "The sufferings of Christ abound in us." The Church to-day is the representative of the suffering Saviour, and so completely is He identified with His people that He endures in them the pangs of hunger and thirst, shares their sickness and imprisonment, and reckons every act of kindness done to them as done to Himself (Matt. xxv.).

2. _The sufferings of the apostle supplemented what was lacking in the afflictions of Christ._--"And fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh." In harmony with the representative character of the Church, we can understand how the afflictions of every saint and martyr do supplement the afflictions of Christ. Every age of the Church has its measure of suffering. The Church is built up by repeated acts of self-denial in successive individuals and successive generations. They continue the work which Christ began. They bear their part, and supplement what is deficient in the sufferings of Christ (2 Cor. i. 7; Phil. iii. 10). As an apostle, Paul was a representative man, and his share in filling up what was wanting in these afflictions was considerable. In his own flesh he bore unexampled hardship, indignities, and distress. "In labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prison more frequent, in deaths oft." The great Head of the Church was made perfect through suffering; so must the body be in all its relations and development. Through tribulation, more or less evident and intense, we must enter the kingdom. Suffering in itself has no virtue to elevate moral character; it is effective to this end only as it tends to fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ, only as it is borne for Christ, and in the Spirit of Christ. The great Mediator suffered to effect our salvation; and His people, on their part, fill up the suffering needed for the perfection of their spiritual life and for the full display of the Divine glory.

+II. The vicarious character of the apostle's sufferings.+--"For His body's sake, which is the Church." The greater part of the suffering of the believer in this world is vicarious--is endured on behalf of others. It is thus we most nearly approach the spirit and example of Christ. St. Paul, as the pioneer missionary, the wise and edifying instructor, the diligent and anxious overseer, occupied a prominent and important position among the Churches, and his sufferings on their behalf would benefit them in many ways.

1. _The apostle's sufferings for the Church confirmed the faith of her converts._--Thousands are shy in embracing Christianity, because they shrink from the suffering it seems to involve; thousands more retire from the Christian profession for the same reason. An example like that of Paul's--a man profoundly sincere, intensely earnest, calm and unmoved by the stoutest opposition, and triumphant amid acutest sufferings--encourages the timid and strengthens and confirms the tempted and wavering.

2. _The apostle's sufferings were for the consolation of the Church._--Writing to the Corinthians, he says: "Whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation." Suffering makes us more capable of sympathising with others. "Great hearts can only be made by great troubles. The spade of trouble digs the reservoir of comfort deeper and makes more room for the water of consolation." The richest anointing of Divine comfort is bestowed in the moment of severest suffering, and the consolation of one is the consolation of many. When Mr. James Bainham, who suffered under the reign of Henry VIII., was in the midst of the flames which had half consumed his arms and legs, he said aloud: "Oh, ye Papists, ye look for miracles, and here now you may see a miracle; for in this fire I feel no more pain than if I were in a bed of down, but it is to me a bed of roses!"

3. _The apostle's sufferings for the Church tended to promote her increase._--The more the Egyptians afflicted the Hebrews the more they multiplied and grew. The devil's way of extinguishing goodness is God's way of advancing it. The apostle could testify, in the midst of his sufferings, that "the things which have happened to me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel." Suffering seals the word spoken with a sacred and impressive significance. Many a convert has been won to the truth by the irresistible example of a suffering life.

+III. The high-toned spirit of the apostle's sufferings.+--"Who now rejoice in my suffering for you." Nature shrinks from suffering. It is altogether above nature to triumph in suffering. It is Christianity alone that lifts the spirit into the tranquil region of patient endurance and inspires us with joy in tribulation. It is not a love of suffering for its own sake--not a mad, morbid craving for the ghastly honours of a self-sought martyrdom; but there is a nameless charm about the truths of Christianity that exalts the mind, thrills the soul, and transmutes sorrow into joy. Paul was imprisoned at Rome, bound in a chain for the Gospel, when he wrote this epistle; but as the thoughts suggested by his theme grew in full-orbed magnificence before his mental vision--as he contemplated the lavish wealth of God's mercy in the call of the Gentiles who constituted the greater portion of the world's population--and as he saw all the glory of being allowed to share, and even to supplement, the sufferings of Christ, he rose above the consideration of his own personal trials, and in a sudden outburst of thanksgiving could exclaim, "_Now_ I rejoice in my sufferings for you." Let us not repine at our afflictions. Not only is our own soul chastened and purified; but every pang, every tear, every trial in our lot, is a contribution to the filling up of that which is still behind in the afflictions of Christ. It baptises suffering with a new meaning, and arrays it in a new dignity, when it is viewed as a grand means of promoting the perfection, the purity, and unfading glory of the whole Church.

+Lessons.+--1. _It is an unspeakable honour to suffer for the Church of Christ._ 2. _The personal experience of the grace of Christ renders suffering for Him a joy._ 3. _The glory of the future will outweigh all we have suffered for the Church below._

_MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses_ 25-27.

_The Pre-eminent Honour and Sublime Theme of the Christian Ministry._

The highest dignity and most solemn responsibility are conferred on man when he is entrusted with the ministration of God's Word. It is the infinite condescension of God that we have this treasure in earthen vessels. He who, in the exercise of His unchallengeable wisdom, calls man to this work, can alone inspire and endow him with the necessary intellectual and moral fitness for the awful charge. In these verses we learn that the apostle was appointed a minister of the Church--a steward in God's household--charged to preach without reserve the whole Gospel of God, to dispense to the Gentiles the stores which His bountiful grace provided. Note:--

+I. The Christian ministry is a Divine institution.+--1. _The true minister is Divinely commissioned._ "Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you" (ver. 25). The word "dispensation" involves the idea of stewardship. God governs His Church, not as a tyrant, who rules what is not his own; not as a monarch, who knows not a thousandth part of his subjects; but as a father, who knows, loves, and provides for his own children. The apostle was entrusted with a stewardship in God's household; he was "a steward of the mysteries of God." He received the office from God. This invested it with the highest dignity; yet he was the minister of the Church, and it was his joy to serve it, whatever might be the labour, sacrifice, or suffering entailed. The Christian ministry is not a lordship, but a stewardship; the minister is solemnly commissioned of God to maintain, defend, and dispense the truth that saves and edifies. There are moments when the minister can derive stimulus and courage for his work only by falling back upon the irrefutable fact of his Divine call.

2. _The true minster is charged with the most complete proclamation of the Divine Word._--"To fulfil the word of God" (ver. 25)--_to preach fully, to give its most complete development to._ The apostle had declared the Gospel in all its depth and breadth of meaning, its wealth of blessing, and amplitude of revelation. He had proclaimed it in every direction, in harmony with his insight into its universal fitness and sufficiency. _Fulfil_ implies the figure of a measure to be filled. The true minister is empowered to preach the Word of God in all the fulness of its internal import, and in accord with the universality of its outward purpose. Whether palatable or unpalatable, he must not shun to declare everywhere the whole counsel of God. The fulness there is in Christ and the urgent needs of humanity alike demand this.

+II. The Christian ministry deals with a theme of profound significance and ineffable worth.+--1. _It is designated a mystery._ "Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations" (ver. 26). Mystery in the Scripture sense does not mean something actually incomprehensible, but something concealed or unknown until it please God to reveal it; something beyond the human mind to discover for itself, and which can only be attained by Divine aid. The mystery comprehended two leading features--the Divine purpose in saving man through a suffering and crucified Saviour, and the free admission of the Gentiles on equal terms with the Jews to the privileges of the covenant. Unlike the heathen mysteries, which were confined to a narrow circle, the Christian mystery is freely communicated to all. The mystery was concealed _from the ages,_ which may be referred to the angels; and _from the generations,_ which may be referred to men. Though faintly shadowed in types and figures, the truth would never have been discovered by man. In the revelation of the mystery the apostle applauded the lavish wealth of the Divine goodness. The Gospel is still a mystery to the unconverted.

2. _It is a mystery unveiled to those who are morally fitted to understand it._--"But now is made manifest to His saints" (ver. 26). God chose His own time for making known the mystery of the Gospel. Like all the Divine procedures, the development was gradual, increasing in clearness and completeness as the fulness of time approached; that time embraced the advent of the incarnate Son of God, His ascension and enthronement in heaven, and the descent of the revealing Spirit. It is an axiom in optics that the eye only sees what it brings with it the power to see; and it is equally true in spiritual things that the soul comprehends the revelation of God only as it is prepared and fitted by the good Spirit. The holier the organ of Divine revelation, the clearer the vision. It was not to the dignitaries of imperial Rome or the ruling powers of Judea, but to humble shepherds that the tidings of the Saviour's advent were first announced; not to the aristocracy of Pharisaic or Sadducean intellect, but to the plain, unlettered, believing fishermen of Galilee that the full glory of salvation by Christ was disclosed. Augustine has said, "Illiterate men rise and seize heaven, while we, with all our learning, are rolling in the filth of sin."

3. _The revelation of the mystery was an act of the Divine will._--"To whom God would make known" (ver. 27). There was nothing impelling Him to unfold this mystery but His own good pleasure. It was His sovereign will to disclose to the humble and devout, rather than to the proud and self-sufficient, the wondrous praise and glory of the Gospel. The most sincere seeker after holiness could not of himself discover the mystery. But though made known in its richer spiritual developments only to the good, the good pleasure of God has put the knowledge of it within the reach of all.

4. _The revelation of the mystery endowed humanity with a vast inheritance of moral wealth._--"What is the riches of the glory of this mystery" (ver. 27). The terms employed seem inadequate to convey the meaning intended. It is impossible fully to explain or illustrate the sublime truths they indicate. The Gospel is a mystery full of glory--a glory unique, resplendent, unsurpassable; and this glory is dowered with riches, abundant, inexhaustible, and Divine. The riches of the glory appear in the manifestation of the nature and attributes of God which the mystery supplies, and also in the moral wealth that has descended upon man. Here is the most lavish provision for the salvation of sinful and perishing humanity--an inheritance of imperishable bliss. (1) _This inheritance enriched the most needy._ It was exhibited "among the Gentiles" (ver. 27). The Jews were the children of promise and possessed every religious privilege; the Gentiles were the children of mercy, and never dared to dream of enjoying the blessings of the Gospel. In the revelation of the mystery to them, the dispensation of grace achieved its greatest triumphs and displayed its transcendent glory. Here, too, was its wealth, for it overflowed all barriers of caste or race. Judaism was "beggarly" in comparison, since its treasures sufficed only for a few. The glory of the Gospel was never so brilliant as in the moral transformations it effected among the degraded Gentiles. (2) _This inheritance includes the hope inspired by the indwelling Christ._ "Which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (ver. 27). The mystery of the Gospel begins and ends in Christ, and Christ is in every believer the hope of glory. Only in Christ can we hope for the highest glory, and in Him we infallibly find all the blessedness we can enjoy in this world or expect in the future. In Him we have here as seed what we shall have in Him there as harvest. "Even now we sit there in Him and shall sit with Him in the end."

+Lessons.+--1. _The Christian ministry involves solemn responsibilities._ 2. _The transcendent theme of the Christian ministry is Divinely revealed._ 3. _Personal experience of the grace of God endows man with the clearest insight into its mystery, and the most satisfying possession of its spiritual riches._

_GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES._

Vers. 25-27. _The Glory of the Gospel_--

+I. A mystery once hidden, but now revealed+ (vers. 26, 27).

+II. Enriches all nations with moral blessings.+

+III. Is entrusted to Divinely authorised messengers to make known+
(vers. 25, 27).

Ver. 27. _Christ in you the Hope of Glory._

+I. What it implies of present experience.+--1. _Generally--Christ among you._ 2. _Personally--Christ in you._

+II. What is presages.+--"The hope of glory."

1. _Personal glory_--in the perfection of being where the servant is like his Lord.

2. _Relative glory_--sharing the throne with Jesus, and sharing in His triumph and glory.--_Preacher's Magazine._

_MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses_ 28, 29.

_The Secret of Effective Preaching._

Much has been written concerning the inefficiency of the modern pulpit; and it has been argued that the press is now the great and successful rival of the preacher and must ere long render his office nugatory. This prediction might possibly be fulfilled if the preaching of the Gospel was simply a human institution and depended only on man for its permanency. But when we remember that preaching is a Divine ordinance, and is adapted to reach and stir the heart as no other agency can, the preacher's function can never cease while human nature remains what it is, or while God honours His own institution with His blessing. Only as the pulpit is faithful to its grand theme and lofty mission will it be effective. The deepest want of the age is Christ; and that preaching will be irresistibly potent that most adequately represents Him. These verses reveal to us _the secret of effective preaching._

+I. In order to effectiveness in preaching Christ must be the changeless theme.+--"_Whom_ we preach" (ver. 28).

1. _Preach Christ as to the special characteristic and unrivalled excellencies of His person._--The greatest men who ever lived, however brilliant and capacious their genius or stupendous their labours, never made so profound and widespread an impression upon humanity as Christ has done and is now doing. Their influence operated for only a limited period; His pervades all time--past, present, and future; theirs was confined to a narrow locality, His is diffused through the universe. The person of Christ is unique in this--that it combines two natures, the Divine and the human. It was necessary He should be both God and man in order to fully accomplish the work He voluntarily undertook. As God, He met and satisfied all the requirements of Deity; and as man--putting Himself in our place--He realised and reached the extremities of our need, and thus fairly laying hold of us, gathering up and grasping the roots of our corrupt nature, He raised from sin to holiness, from earth to heaven. He is Emmanuel--God with us.

2. _Preach Christ in His mediatorial character._--As the Prophet who testified of the truth of God; as the Priest, who, by His one offering of Himself on the cross, has atoned for sin and made reconciliation possible; and as the King who has vanquished all our spiritual enemies and demands our absolute allegiance to His rule.

3. _Preach Christ as the Saviour of every man, and as the only Saviour._--The threefold repetition of the phrase "every man" has a special significance, and emphasises the _universality_ of the Gospel. This great truth, a truth which the apostle sacrificed his life in establishing, had been endangered by the doctrine of a ceremonial exclusiveness taught by the Judaizers in several places, and was now endangered by the doctrine of an intellectual exclusiveness taught by the Gnosticizers at Colossæ. Christ must be proclaimed as the Saviour of men of every class, community, and country. He is the only Saviour, for "there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved" (Acts iv. 12). The preaching of Christ is no narrow theme but stands essentially related to all the noblest truths of the universe.

+II. In order to effectiveness variety of method must be adopted.+--The declaration of the truth must be:--

1. _Authoritative._--"Whom we preach" (ver. 28). The New Testament idea of preaching involves three elements--the announcement of joyful tidings; the proclamation of truth as by a herald, urgently and authoritatively; and the conviction and persuasion of men to belief by means of arguments. The preacher is the ambassador of God, and the message must be delivered as coming from Him, in His name, and by His authority.

2. _Admonitory._--"Warning every man" (ver. 28). Sin has placed man in imminent peril, and its tendency is to deaden his sensibilities and render him oblivious of his danger. Hence, he must be roused to concern and repentance by faithful remonstrance, by earnest exhortation, by solemn admonition, by impassioned appeal.

3. _Instructive._--"Teaching every man" (ver. 28). Not only must the emotions be swayed, but the understanding enlightened. It is not enough to convince the unbeliever of his error, not enough to bring home to the lover of sin the vileness and enormity of his transgressions, but by clear and forcible exposition and persuasion the fill of the individual offender must be seized, and with firm, yet loving pressure biassed to seek after the light, truth, and purity that once were shunned.

4. _With shrewd insight as to its adaptability._--"In all wisdom" (ver. 28). The ancients spoke of a blind faith in their mysteries which belonged to the many, and of a higher knowledge that was confined to the few. The apostle, while declaring that in the Gospel the fullest wisdom was offered to all alike, without restriction, exercised discretion as to the method in which he presented it to the individual. The style of his address at Athens would be different from that adopted at Jerusalem. This involves a study of character, and of what goes to make it--habits, customs, opinions, sympathies, and the general circumstances of life-culture.

+III. In order to effectiveness man must be aided in realising the highest ideal of the Christian character.+--"That we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus" (ver. 28). The Gospel is a mirror in which is glassed the portrait of the character after which each believer is to model his own. That character is not simply a development of one's own natural manhood, so much as it is something added to and thrown around that manhood, lifting it into dignity and transfiguring it with a glorious beauty. The Gospel reveals the ideal of the Christian character after which the soul is continually to aspire. That ideal, in all its loveliness and witchery, is projected before the soul's inmost vision in the Spirit and life of the man Christ Jesus. He who approximates nearest to the Christly character attains the highest moral perfection. It is the sublime mission of the preacher not to gratify the intellect, charm the imagination, or expand the mind by propagating the ideas of a transcendental philosophy; but to strengthen the soul in the great contest with evil, to supply it with holiest motives, to promote its spiritual progress, to present it "perfect in Christ Jesus."

+IV. In order to effectiveness there must be self-denying toil and the vigorous forth-putting of Divinely inspired energy.+--"Whereunto I also labour, striving according to His working which worketh in me mightily" (ver. 29). All great ideas have cost the solitary and individual thinker unspeakable labour, and not a little suffering in the endeavour to elaborate and make them known and set them in their due relation before the world. The world is ruled by ideas; but the revolution they occasion is a slow and painful process. The apostle was the custodian of a great idea--that the Gospel was intended for all and must be fully preached to all. The idea is familiar to us; but it was new to that age and revolutionised the whole realm of human thought. If the apostle had been content to preach an exclusive Gospel, he might have saved himself more than half the troubles of his life. But he saw the magnitude of the issues at stake; he espoused the God-given truth with all the strength of his great nature; he confronted the colossal prejudices of the ages; he trained himself in the discipline of self-denying toil; he suffered as only the true martyr-soul can suffer; he strove with an agony of earnestness to make known the whole truth; and, aided by the mighty working of the Divine power within him, he triumphed signally. Preaching is always effective when it is the consentaneous outworking of the Divinely imparted energy within the man. The preacher alone, however strenuous his efforts, is powerless; but inspired and strengthened by the Divine Spirit, and acting in harmony with His promptness and help, he is mighty to prevail.

+Lessons.+--1. _Every sermon should be full of Christ._ 2. _The preacher should be master of every method that will ensure success._ 3. _That sermon will be most effective that is prepared and preached under the most direct influence of the Divine Spirit._

_GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES._

Ver. 28. _Apostolic Preaching._

+I. They preached Christ as the only foundation of a sinner's hope
of salvation.+

+II. As the object of supreme love.+

+III. As the source of our supplies.+

+IV. As the model of our lives.+--_W. Antiff, D.D._

Ver. 29. _The Christian Ministry_--

+I. Involves strenuous labour and patient suffering.+

+II. Is dependent on Divine help.+

+III. Ascribes all its success to God.+

* * * * * * * *

+CHAPTER II.+

_CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES._

Ver. 1. +What great conflict.+--R.V. "how greatly I strive." It is a repetition of the thought of the previous verse expressed in terms of the arena. +For them at Laodicea.+--About a dozen miles distant from Colossæ.

Ver. 2. +The mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ.+--The R.V. has greatly simplified this perplexing phrase: "The mystery of God, even Christ." Of the eleven various readings extant (given by Lightfoot) that of our A.V. is to all appearance the latest and worst.

Ver. 3. +In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.+--When we have "laid our reasonings at His feet," He does not stultify us. Neither pure reason nor practical reason is to "fust in us unused," if they seek their answers in Him.

Ver. 4. +Should beguile you with enticing words.+--The word for "beguile" is only again found in the New Testament at Jas. i. 22. It means to lead into error by sophistical reasoning. Enticing words, or persuasive speech, plausible but false.

Ver. 5. +The stedfastness of your faith in Christ.+--Some think "stedfastness" (as well as "order" preceding) may have a military significance. If so, it would mean the compact firmness of the phalanx. Others say that meaning is not inherent, but derived from its context, which here does not suggest it. The word is used in the LXX. for firmament--a solid vault, as it was thought.

Ver. 7. +Rooted and built up.+--St. Paul passes over rapidly from one conception to another of quite a different kind. We cannot call it mixed metaphor. We commonly speak of a new town planted or a house planted.

Ver. 8. +Beware lest any man spoil you.+--R.V. "maketh spoil of you." The word for "spoil" means "to lead away as booty," as the Sabeans swooped down on the oxen and asses of Job and carried them away as their own property. +Through philosophy and vain deceit.+--We are reminded of the saying, "It is the privilege of a philosopher to depreciate philosophy." And then men say, "How well he's read to reason against reading!" St. Paul speaks here of philosophy "falsely so called." The love of wisdom can never be a dangerous thing to men whose Master said, "Be wise as serpents"; only it must be the "wisdom which cometh from above." St. Paul's _alias_ for what they call philosophy is "empty fallacy," a hollow pretence; or what George Herbert might name "nothing between two dishes." +After the tradition of men.+--Something passed over from one to another, as the deep secrets of the esoteric religions were whispered into the ears of the perfect. That a matter has been believed always, everywhere, and by all is no guarantee of its truth, as Galileo knew.

Ver. 9. +In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.+--There is no minimising the significance of this statement. It is either true or it is the wildest raving of blasphemy. "Dwelleth"--has its settled abode. A change of prefix would give us the word in Luke xxiv. 18. "Dost thou alone _sojourn_?" etc. Dualism separates God from matter as far as possible; the Incarnation unites Him for ever with it. "Great is the mystery." "Godhead." Though twice before in our A.V. (Acts xvii. 29; Rom. i. 23), the word here differs from both.

Ver. 10. +And ye are complete in Him.+--These minor powers of whom you have heard are all subordinate to Him in whom directly you have all you need. There is no need to go _viâ_ Philip and Andrew, Mary or Michael, when "we would see Jesus."

Ver. 11. +In whom also ye are circumcised . . . by the circumcision of Christ.+--What to the Jew was a bodily act, at best symbolical and of no value otherwise, was to the Colossian disciple a spiritual renovation, so complete as to render the old symbol of it inadequate.

Ver. 12. +Buried . . . risen.+--Referring to the definite acts when, as Christian converts, they went beneath the baptismal waters and emerged to live the faith thus publicly confessed. +Through the faith of the operation of God.+--An obscure phrase. The R.V. is clear: "Through faith _in_ the working of God."

Ver. 14. +Blotting out the handwriting.+--"Wiping out the old score," as we might say. All that bond which was valid against them Christ had for ever rendered nugatory whilst they confided in His salvation. +Against us, which was contrary to us.+--We have here the author of those hot protests against work-righteousness. The threatening aspect of the law is expressed in this reiteration. The law not only menaces wrong-doers; it proceeds against them with punishment. +Nailing it to His cross.+--The bond is discharged and may be filed. We are reminded of St. Peter's equally bold expression: "Who His own self bare our sins in His own body [_to,_ and] on the tree" (1 Pet. ii. 24).

Ver. 15. +Having spoiled principalities.+--R.V. "having put off from Himself." The authorities are divided between the A.V. and the R.V. The English reader must not conclude that he has again the word and idea of ver. 8. The apostle says that Christ had flung off from Himself the powers of wickedness. As these Colossians needed no intercessions of good angels, so, on the other hand, they need fear nothing from the maleficent powers of darkness, now vanquished.

Ver. 16. +Let no man therefore judge you.+--They could not well prevent an adverse judgment being given on their disregard of what the ritualists thought to be of supreme moment, but they could refuse to argue about such trifles.

Ver. 17. +Shadow . . . body.+--The relationship is indicated here of the old ceremonial worship to the worship of the Spirit. To confound shadow and substance, or mistake the shadow for the substance, has ever been the fatal error of ritualism.

Ver. 18. +Let no man beguile you of your reward.+--R.V. "let no man rob you of your prize." There seems to be implied some such thoughts as this: Do not allow these heretical teachers to lay down for you the conditions on which the prize shall be yours; for when they pronounce in your favour, "the Lord, the righteous Judge," pronounces against you. +In a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels.+--In acts of self-imposed abasement in the presence of invisible beings. St. John tells us of the rebuke administered by the angel before whom he prostrated himself: "See thou do it not: . . . worship God." But there are men who would say, "Nay, my Lord," and continue their forbidden worship. +Intruding into those things which he hath not seen.+--The change in the R.V. is considerable: "dwelling in the things which he hath seen." The apostle is apparently speaking ironically of the boasted manifestations made to the Gnostic teachers.

Ver. 20. +Dead . . . from the rudiments of the world.+--Such as are given in ver. 21. +Subject to ordinances.+--Why do you consent to receive these "burdens grievous to be borne?"

Ver. 21. +Touch not; taste not; handle not.+--"These three prohibitions apply probably (1) to marriage, (2) to the use of certain foods, (3) to contact with material objects" (_Godet_). The rigour of the prohibitions is greatest in the last of the three. Note the change in R.V.: "handle not, nor _taste,_ nor TOUCH."

Ver. 23. +Neglecting of the body.+--A.V. margin, "punishing or not sparing." R.V. text, "severity to the body." No doubt the apostle felt that on this subject he would need to tread cautiously, for he himself had beaten his body into subjection (1 Cor. ix. 27). +Not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.+--The R.V. gives light on this obscurity: "not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh." This is the evidence which for ever disqualifies asceticism in its many forms. We can understand how a Lenten fast or a hair-shirt may make a man irritable. If they are of any value _in themselves,_ monastic annals need revision and expurgation, and the Christian finds himself far outdone by the dervish.

_MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses_ 1-4.

_Ministerial Anxiety._

The more clearly we apprehend truth in its many-sided aspects and in its complex and vital relations, the more grievous and calamitous does error appear. Error cannot come into collision with truth without creating confusion of ideas and much mental distraction, and as a consequence robbing the soul of the peace and solace it enjoyed. The apostle saw the dangerous tendency of the doctrines advocated by the false teachers against whom his epistle was directed, and he was deeply concerned lest the pure and simple Gospel embraced by the new converts should be contaminated. As one drop of ink pollutes the whole vessel of water, as one stroke of the hammer diverts the rod from a straight line and spoils it throughout its whole length, so one single error obscures and warps the holiest truth.

+I. This anxiety was intense.+--"For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have" (ver. 1). In the closing words of the preceding chapter the apostle referred to his stern self-discipline in training himself for his arduous and self-denying labours as an apostle; and in this verse he expands the same thought and would have the converts know the magnitude of the struggle which his anxiety for their welfare cost him. This conflict refers not only to his external labours on behalf of the Churches, in journeys, perils, privations, persecutions, and imprisonments, but more especially to his fervent wrestling with God in prayer, like Jacob of old; his importunity, like the widow with the unjust judge; his inward soul struggles in earnest intercession for their stability in the faith. The danger must have been serious that produced in such a man so great an agony of anxiety: great souls are not affected by trifles. People little know what their pastors pass through: when they think them the most at leisure, then are they the least so--the fervent conflict of prayer is going on in secret. A knowledge of the minister's anxiety is sometimes necessary to create a responsive sympathy, and to teach the people the care and anxiety they should feel for their own salvation.

+II. This anxiety was disinterested.+--"For you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh" (ver. 1). The solicitude of the apostle was not restricted to the Colossians, as though they were more liable than others to defection from the truth but embraced the converts in the neighbouring city of Laodicea. In this populous and thriving city, celebrated at that time for its immense commercial wealth and for the high intellectual attainments of its philosophers, the heretic leaven had begun to work; and the subsequent history of the Church there showed that it spread only too surely and disastrously (Rev. iii. 14-18). The apostle also extended his anxious regard to "as many as had not seen his face in the flesh." The bulk of our troubles in this life we endure on behalf of others. The Christian spirit, in its broad, comprehensive charity, gives us a deep interest in all who have any connection with Christ. Fervent prayer on behalf of others, notwithstanding the sneers of some modern scientists, is efficacious, irrespective of locality or of actual personal intercourse. Prayers offered in private are often answered in a strange, unlooked-for manner in public. God has a sovereign right to select the _mode_ in which He answers the prayers of the faithful. An old Divine has said: "If we would reap openly in the conversion of souls and their steady walk, we must plough in secret with prayers and tears." Our anxiety about the welfare of others is a strong evidence of our possessing the genuine love of the truth. It was a trenchant aphorism of Coleridge that, "He who begins by loving Christianity better than truth, will proceed by loving his own sect or Church better than Christianity, and end in loving himself better than all."

+III. This anxiety had special reference to the highest spiritual attainments of believers.+--1. _The apostle was solicitous for the confirmation of their faith._ "That their hearts might be comforted" (ver. 2).--_i.e. encouraged, confirmed._ The apostle knew the subtle power of error in disintegrating the heart's confidence, producing trouble, dejection, doubt, and perplexity. Hence, he was anxious so to present the truth as it is in Jesus, as to restore and cheer the bewildered mind and settle it on the firm basis of an intelligent and cordial faith. No man can reach the high attainments of the Christian life whose heart is not at rest in God.

2. _The apostle was solicitous for their union in love._--"Being knit together in love" (ver. 2). The heart can never enjoy solid comfort till it is united in the love, as well as in the faith, of the truth. Error divides as well as distresses; it snaps the bond of love, splits the Christian Church into parties, rends what ought to be the seamless robe of Christ. Where there is discord in the understanding about fundamental truths, there cannot be concord in the will and affections. The stability of believers depends upon their being knit together in a mutual love, as the timbers of a building are joined and compacted by a carpenter--such is the original signification of the word--each part being fitted in with the rest, and all subserving the firmness and safety of the whole. "He that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him."

3. _The apostle was solicitous they should be enriched with the unspeakable wealth of the Divine mystery._--(1) _The Divine mystery is explained in the unique person and endowments of Christ._ "The mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (vers. 2, 3). Christ embraced in His own person the Divine and human natures. As God, He is equal with the Father, and possesses in Himself all the essentials of Deity; but as man He is dowered with moral treasures surpassing the endowments of the highest angel. The mystery is not so much Christ, as Christ containing in Himself "all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." There is in Christ an all-sufficiency for every possible want of man--copious and inexhaustive riches of eternal and saving wisdom. These riches are hid in Christ as treasure in a field--concealed from the gaze of mere passers-by, the careless, indolent, and proud; but revealed to and enjoyed by the humble, diligent, and persevering seeker. "He who is not content with Christ, but goes out of Him to philosophy or tradition, forsakes the treasures for the miserable beggary of human counterfeits." It is still a mystery to the world how Christ can be the grand depositary of all wisdom; and the mystery is dispelled only as the soul becomes savingly acquainted with Him. (2) _The believer is privileged to gain the full knowledge of the Divine mystery._--"To the acknowledgment of the mystery" (ver. 2). The word implies that the knowledge of God and of Christ is the perfection of knowledge. The ancient sage declared: "If thou criest after knowledge, then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God." And the apostle prayed for the Ephesians that "the God of our Lord Jesus Christ might give unto them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him." This knowledge is to be not a simple perception of the truths continued in the Divine mystery, but a full, firm, and distinct knowledge as the result of careful sifting, and the actual experience of their soul-transforming power. We know nothing to purpose until it is strongly grasped by the heart as well as by the understanding. (3) _A clear and profound understanding of the Divine mystery is the true enrichment of the mind._--"Unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding" (ver. 2). The vast store of moral riches here indicated is opposed to the poverty of the mind, which has only a few confused, unconnected truths about the Gospel laid up in its treasury. By _the full assurance of understanding_ is meant an unclouded perception and firm conviction of the truth revealed in the Gospel. This is obtained only by diligent study and the inner illumination of the Spirit; the understanding is cleared up, the judgment settled, and the individual believer enabled to apprehend each part of the Gospel in its essential relation to the grand whole, and thus to grasp with a firm hold the salient features of the Divine mystery. In this assured knowledge of the greatest truths the mind of man finds it true enrichment; its abiding rest and felicity. "Wisdom is more precious than rubies, and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her" (Prov. viii. 11). Every other kind of knowledge, however rare and extensive, is in itself poor and unsatisfying.

+IV. This anxiety prompted the apostle faithfully to warn the Church.+--"And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words" (ver. 4). Error assumes the most seductive forms: it charms with its eloquence, bewilders with its subtle reasoning, misleads with its bold, assured statements of half-truths. The soul is fascinated as by the gaze of a basilisk, and morally poisoned by its breath. "Men are easily persuaded to believe that which flatters their own vanity, and dilutes or modifies the Gospel, so as to accommodate it to their own degenerate tastes." It is needful to maintain a vigilant outlook and be on our guard against every phase of false teaching. Some contend that words have little to do with religion; that true religion is a sentiment in the soul independent of words. The apostle thought differently when he exhorted to hold fast "the form of sound words"; and in this verse he distinctly avers that enticing words may beguile. He solemnly warns the Ephesians, who were assailed with a similar class of errors: "Let no man deceive you with vain words; for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience" (Eph. v. 6). The most effectual antidote to any heresy is the faithful, simple proclamation of the doctrine of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. This is the clue that leads us out of all the mazes of error.

+Lessons.+--1. _The true minister is anxious to promote the highest good of the people._ 2. _All truth finds its explanation and all error its refutation in Christ, the Source of eternal wisdom._ 3. _False doctrine should be fearlessly and faithfully exposed._

_MAIN HOMILETICS OF VERSE_ 3.

_The Hidden Treasures of Wisdom in Christ._

Wisdom does not consist in the possession of varied and extensive knowledge. The student may be deeply read in ancient and long-forgotten lore, be versed in the entire circle of the arts, sciences, and philosophies, be intelligibly familiar with the best literature of the day, be a walking encyclopædia, a literary fountain gushing in a perennial stream of information, and yet be far from being a wise man. Wisdom is the practical application of knowledge, the attainment of the highest moral results by the use of the best and simplest means. The cry of the human intellect in all ages has been, "Where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?" The greatest souls have toiled painfully in search of the coveted treasure but failed to discover it. Their mightiest endeavours have terminated in disappointment and despair. True wisdom is a Divine revelation. The world by wisdom knew not God; and one of the profoundest philosophers of any age, and who approached as near the threshold of the grand discovery as the unaided human mind was perhaps ever permitted to do, had to confess with a sigh, "If ever man is destined to know the good and the true, it must be by a revelation of the Deity." That wisdom which all need, and of which all are in quest, is found only in Christ. This verse declares that _Christ is the unfathomable depositary of the highest wisdom._ Observe:--

+I. That Christ is the inexhaustible Source of the truest wisdom.+--"In Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." The false teachers at Colossæ, like certain pretentious philosophers of modern times, boasted of the vast range of their wisdom and knowledge. They discussed questions, some of which, strange to say, are reproduced and advocated to-day--questions on the nature of the world, the eternity or non-eternity of matter, the chief good of man, the orders and ranks of the angelic hierarchies and their relation to the mediatorial work of Christ, the necessity of observing the ceremonies and austerities of the law, and of the beauty and grandeur of the theories of Plato and Pythagoras, the ruling philosophers of the time. But all this is simply "the wisdom of this world and of the princes of this world, which come to nought." It is only in Christ we find all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge to furnish and enrich the mind and to guide into the way of salvation. He is "to us who are saved the power of God and the wisdom of God." If, for the sake of illustration, we classify the principal sources of human knowledge into poetry, history, philosophy, and theology, we may assert that only in Christ does each department find its fullest explication, and from Him derive its significance and worth.

1. _Christ is the loftiest ideal and purest inspiration of the poet._--Poetry occupies an important place in contributing to the sum of human knowledge, and to the culture, development, and happiness of man. It was the language of the world's infancy, as it is of the infancy of man; the spontaneous outflow of the soul, on its first acquaintance with the marvels of the present life, expresses itself in strains of poetic music. It is true this great gift has been abused, and often made the instrument of debasing instead of elevating the mind. Hence Plato, in constructing his ideal republic, would exclude the poets because of the evil tendency of some of their productions, though he accords them all honour on account of their learning and genius. The genuine poet pants after the noblest expression of the beautiful and the good. Christ is the glorious ideal and embodiment of the pure and beautiful; the poet drinks in his most ravishing inspiration from Him and exhausts all the resources of his genius in attempting to portray the exquisite lineaments of His matchless character.

2. _Christ is the grandest hero of the historian._--History furnishes us with the knowledge of man and his doings in all ages--in his individual, social, and national aspects. It traces the development of the race from the first solitary man to the peopling of the world with the varied nationalities which now swarm upon its surface. But the history of the world and man would be a dark, unsolvable enigma if the name of Christ could be struck out. The story of redemption unites Christ with the destiny of man in all ages--past, present, and future; and "no history of the world, political or moral, can be either just or accurate that does not find in Christ foretold to come, or in Christ come and crucified, its centre and its key." The world was created by Christ; it exists for Him; and, without interfering with individual freedom, it may be said that He makes its history: His name and influence are traceable everywhere and are everywhere potent. The devout historian finds in Him the hero in whom all excellencies combine, and whose exploits he loves to chronicle.

3. _Christ is prominent among the sublimest themes of the philosopher._--A philosophy that does not recognise the Divine plunges its votaries into labyrinthine darkness; its legitimate office is to conduct to God. Coleridge has well said: "In wonder all philosophy began; in wonder it ends; and admiration fills up the interspace. But the first wonder is the offspring of ignorance; the last is the parent of adoration." In every sphere where philosophy penetrates it is confronted with ineffaceable evidences of the power and presence of Christ. Among the splendid phenomena of the natural creation--the forces that move, and the laws that control its vast machinery--Christ is acknowledged as the creating and ruling spirit; and only as the material world is regarded as the theatre of redemption, and of moral conflict and discipline, does the philosopher reach its highest meaning: in the realm of mind, the true dignity, preciousness, and immortal endowments of the soul are understood only as we apprehend that the life of the great Redeemer was sacrificed to effect its ransom; and, in the sphere of morals, we decipher the relation of man to man, and to society at large, learn the duties and obligations we owe to each other and to God, discover the standard of right actions, and are aided in explaining and harmonising the inequalities that exist, when we gain an insight into the moral relation of Christ to the whole race.

4. _Christ is the all-comprehensive subject of the theologian._--God is inscrutable to the unchristianised reason. "Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven, what canst thou do? deeper than hell, what canst thou know?" Men have sought God in all ages with tears, sacrifices, and sufferings indescribable; but in vain. Christ is the only way to the Father; in Himself He reveals and illustrates the Godhead. All our saving and renewing knowledge of God, and of our manifold relations to Him, we owe entirely to Christ. "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him." In the domain of theology "Christ is all in all." But for Him the office of the theologian would be an impossibility.

+II. That the treasures of Divine wisdom are discoverable by the sincere and earnest seeker.+--They are _hid_; but not so hid as to be beyond our reach. They are intended for discovery and appropriation. Their brilliancy sparkles even in their hiding-place. They are like a mine, whose riches, though faintly indicated on the surface, are concealed in the depths of the earth. The more diligently the mine is worked, the more precious and abundant the ore appears. So, in Christ there are treasures of wisdom unseen by the superficial and careless observer; but to the humble and believing student new and deeper veins are perpetually opening up, until, still pursuing his search, he is dazzled by the splendour and inexhaustible fulness of wealth, surpassing all finite comprehension, and filling him with admiration and awe.

+Lessons.+--1. _Man universally covets wisdom._ 2. _The highest wisdom is treasured up in Christ for man._ 3. _If man finds it not, it is his own fault._

_GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES._

Vers. 1-3. _Christian Unity._

+I. We cannot but lament the divisions and scandals of the professed
disciples of Jesus, which have more than anything else prevented
the universal diffusion of the Gospel.+

+II. We should make it manifest, by acknowledging the truth in
whomsoever found, that we are not bigoted sectarians.+

+III. As regards those with whom we are united in fellowship, let us
prove by our humble, modest, and kind disposition that we are
lovers of peace and concord.+

+IV. Christian unity is promoted by mutual efforts to edify one
another in faith and love.+--_W. France._

Ver. 3. _Christ the Treasury of Wisdom and Knowledge._--The revelation of Christ not merely teaches us a series of truths of inexpressible importance, and without it wholly unattainable, but it also, as a great central discovery, harmonises all our beliefs, sacred and secular, binds them together as its own servants, gives them a new interest, position, and colouring, and dignifies the pursuit of them as a labour in the very cause of God Himself, begun and prosecuted with a view to His glory--for to know the beauty of the temple is to know the glory of the Architect.--_Archer Butler._

_MAIN HOMILETICS OF VERSE_ 5.

_Apostolic Praise of Order and Stability._