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(1:24–2:5)
Bibliography
Bandstra, A. J. Dimensions, 329–43. Bauckham, R. J. “Colossians 1:24 Again: The
Apocalyptic Motif.” EvQ 47 (1975) 168–70. Bowers, W. P. “A Note on Colossians 1:27a.”
Current Issues in Biblical and Patristic Interpretation. Studies in Honor of Merrill C. Tenney
Presented by His Former Students, ed. G. F. Hawthorne. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975, 110–
14. Brown, R. E. The Semitic Background of the Term “Mystery” in the New Testament. FBBS
21. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1968. Dahl, N. A. Jesus, 30–36. Kamlah, E. “Wie beurteilt Paulus
sein Leiden? Ein Beitrag zur Untersuchung seiner Denkstruktur.” ZNW 54 (1963) 217–32.
Kremer, J. Was an den Leiden Christi noch mangelt. Eine interpretationsgeschichtliche und
exegetische Untersuchung zu Kol. 1, 24b. BBB 12. Bonn: Hanstein, 1956. Lührmann, D. Das
Offenbarungsverständnis bei Paulus und in paulinischen Gemeinden. WMANT 16.
Neukirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener, 1965. Montague, G. T. Growth in Christ, 81–85. Pfitzner,
V. C. Paul and the Agon Motif. NovTSup 16. Leiden: Brill, 1967. Reumann, J.
“OIKONOMIA—Terms in Paul in Comparison with Lucan Heilsgeschichte.” NTS 13 (1966–
67) 147–67. Trudinger, L. P. “A Further Brief Note on Colossians 1:24.” EvQ 45 (1973) 36–
38. Yates, R. “A Note on Colossians 1:24.” EvQ 42 (1970) 88–92. Zeilinger, F. Der
Erstgeborene, 44–49, 82–115.
Translation
24
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and I fill up in my flesh what is still
lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25I
have become its minister in accordance with the commission God gave me concerning
you to preach the word of God fully and effectively—26 the mystery that was kept secret
for ages and generations, but has now been disclosed to the saints. 27To them God chose
to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ
in you, the hope of glory. 28We proclaim him, warning and teaching everyone with all
wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. 29To this end I labor,
striving with all the energy he so powerfully works in me.
2:1
I want you to know how greatly I strive for you, for those at Laodicea, and for all
who have not met me personally. 2My purpose is that they may be strengthened in heart
and instructed in love, so that they may have the whole wealth of full understanding and
thus know the mystery of God, namely Christ, 3in whom all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge have been stored up. 4I am saying this in order that no one may deceive you
with persuasive language. 5For even if I am absent from you in body, I am present with
NT New Testament
TDNT G. Kittel and G. Friedrich, eds., tr. G. W. Bromiley Theological Dictionary of the New
Testament, 10 vols., ET (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964–76)
BDF F. Blass, A. Debrunner, and R. W. Funk, A Greek Grammar of the New Testament
(University of Chicago/University of Cambridge, 1961)
The first clause (v 24a) does not state in what way Paul’s sufferings are for the
Colossians (ὑπέρ ὑμῶν). This issue can only be settled by reference to the following
words (v 24b) which clarify and explain more closely the meaning of verse 24a (the καί
is explicative: so Lohse, 69, and Zeilinger, Der Erstgeborene, 83):
καί ἀνταναπληρῶ τὰ ὑστερήματα τῶν θλιψεων τοῦ Χριστοῦ κτλ This may be
translated literally as: “And in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions
for the sake of his body, that is, the church.” The significance of the statement is by no
means clear and it has occasioned a considerable amount of comment and discussion.
Our method will be to examine the critical phrases in the clause, noting several
alternative interpretations, before suggesting the lines along which we judge the
meaning is to be sought.
τὰ ὑστερήματα τῶν θλιψεων τοῦ Χριοτοῦ. The Greek may be rendered by “what is
lacking in Christ’s afflictions,” and the following are some of the more significant
interpretations (cf. Kremer, Leiden Christi) that have been suggested:
(1) H. Windisch (Paulus und Christus. Ein biblisch-religionsgeschichtlicher
Vergleich. [Leipzig: Heinrich, 1934] 236–50) took the phrase to mean that there was
still something lacking in the vicarious sufferings of Christ which must be supplied by
the apostle. Paul bore away the sufferings “which Christ could not carry away
completely” (244). This view has been largely abandoned by recent scholars, and with
good reasons. Paul, like the other NT writers, regarded the death of Jesus as the means
by which reconciliation was truly and uniquely accomplished. To go no further than
Colossians itself Paul states that because of Christ’s death on the cross all our trespasses
have been forgiven (2:13, 14; cf. 1:12–14, 19–22). In addition to this, it has been
correctly pointed out by Staab, Schweizer and others that nowhere else in the NT is the
phrase “Christ’s afflictions” used of his redemptive act or general experience of
suffering. Instead, Paul uses the concepts “blood,” “cross” and “death” to refer to that
act of redemption.
(2) A popular view in seventeenth and eighteenth century Protestant interpretation
was to understand the genitive τοῦ Χριστοῦ as objective (or as a genitivus auctoris) so
that the phrase meant suffering “for the sake of Christ.” It was argued that this was
consistent with Pauline thought (cf. 2 Cor 4:10, 11), while Acts 9:16 records how much
Paul will suffer for the sake of Christ’s name. So, with this perspective, the exegetical
difficulties are said to disappear. Paul is not speaking of completing or filling up the
sufferings of Jesus; instead, he is suffering for Christ’s sake. The difficulty with this
approach, however, is that it does not really explain the phrase “what is lacking” (τὰ
ὑστερήματα), nor does it indicate how the apostle can “fill up” these sufferings.
(3) Another line of approach that was popular among some early interpreters was to
understand τοῦ Χριστοῦ as a genitive of quality referring to the sufferings of Paul
“which resemble those of Christ.” Greek commentators such as Photius and Theodoret
adopted this line as did Pelagius on the Latin side, and it appears to have been revived
during the nineteenth century by Meyer, von Soden and Abbott. Paul’s sufferings were
similar to the distresses experienced by Christ; Christ’s afflictions “are regarded as the
type of all those that are endured by His followers on behalf of the church (Abbott,
232). But again it may be asked: In what sense can one meaningfully speak of a lack in
Christ’s afflictions, and how is Paul able to remedy such a deficiency?
(4) A fourth approach which has been very influential in times past is the Christ-
mysticism view. All that Paul does and suffers happens in mystical union with Christ
(cf. Gal 2:20). The “afflictions of Christ” are those sufferings experienced in mystical
fellowship with him. Deissmann and Schmid, two exponents of this theory, held that the
words applied to Paul alone, while Schneider and Dibelius thought they referred to the
whole church. Advocates of the Christ-mysticism approach considered that Paul could
write in this way without bringing into question or reducing the suffering of Christ on
earth. This mystic union with Christ in his dying and resurrection (supposedly supported
by Phil 3:10) in some way or other conferred a benefit on the church. Lohmeyer’s
criticisms (76–79; cf. Percy, Probleme, 128–34) of this view, however, are still
trenchant. He finds difficulty with the word ὑστερήματα (“what is lacking”) claiming
that in “a ‘mystical suffering in accordance with Christ’ either the entire suffering of
Christ is present and ‘what is lacking’ is never perceptible, or else the personal suffering
of faith remains separate from the exemplary sufferings of Christ” (Lohmeyer, 77; cf.
Lohse, 69, 70). In other words, it seems incomprehensible how, in the light of this
intimate communion of suffering, there could be a measure of afflictions which still
lacked something.
(5) Clearly any satisfactory explanation of the passage (as Best, Body, 136, notes)
must take the words τά ὑστερήματα seriously without suggesting that Christ’s sufferings
were insufficient to redeem, and explain why Paul’s sufferings can be linked with those
of the Messiah, at the same time indicating why he should rejoice in his sufferings for
the sake of Colossians. Several scholars (including Best, Body, 136, Moule, 76, Lohse,
70–72, Martin, NCB, 70, and Zeilinger, Der Erstgeborene, 82–94; note, however, the
criticisms of Ernst, 184, 185) consider a more fruitful line of inquiry into the meaning of
“Christ’s afflictions” is the OT and Jewish background with its apocalyptic conception
of the afflictions of the end time, the woes of the Messiah. The presence of the definite
article “the afflictions of Christ” (τῶν θλίψεων τοῦ Χριστοῦ) suggests a definite or
well-known entity such as the birth-pangs of the Messiah (cf. Kremer, Leiden Christi,
168). Since the immediate context contains references to other concepts which have an
apocalyptic ring (the mystery previously hidden but now revealed, v 26; “the riches of
the glory of this mystery,” v 27; “God’s mystery,” 2:2; and “in whom all the treasures
of wisdom and knowledge are hidden,” 2:3) it is considered that the attempt to find such
associations in this disputed phrase is appropriate.
The term θηῖψις (“affliction”) which stands in the LXX for several Hebrew terms
that more or less denote the distresses of life in various nuances gained its theological
significance from the fact that it predominantly signified “the oppression and affliction
of the people of Israel or of the righteous who represent Israel” (Schlier, TDNT 3, 142;
cf. Zeilinger, Der Erstgeborene, 84). Israel constantly experienced “affliction” (θηῖψις)
in its history, for example, the oppression in Egypt and the affliction of the exile, both
important events of salvation history (Exod 4:31; Deut 4:29; 28:47–68; Judg 6:9; 10:6–
16; 1 Sam 10:18, 19; 2 Kings 19:3), while the righteous in Israel, according to the
Psalms, were afflicted too (Pss 9:10; 12:5; 22:5; 31:7; 33:7, 18, etc). In addition to this
continual visitation of the chosen people by God, according to Daniel 12:1 there
belongs also a future ἠμέρα θλίψεως (“There is going to be a time of great distress,
unparalleled since nations first came into existence,” JB; cf. Hab 3:16; Zeph 1:15). So
Schlier (TDNT 3, 142) concludes: “The judgment fulfilled in the history of Israel will be
totally revealed in the eschatological θλῖψις.”
OT Old Testament
Str-B H. Strack and P. Billerbeck, Kommentar zum Neuen Testament, 4 vols. (Munich:
Beck’sche, 1926–28)
BAG W. Bauer, W. F. Gingrich, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, (Chicago: Chicago
U. P., 1979)
Though the precise significance of ἀντί in the verb ἀνταναπληρόω (“complete”) is
not certain (it has been taken to mean “in quick succession,” or “instead,” “for someone
else” [cf. BAG, 72]; Lightfoot, 162, 163, after a comparison of classical and Hellenistic
Greek occurrences rendered the verb “I fill up on my part,” “I supplement,” arguing that
the preposition “signifies that the supply comes from an opposite quarter to the
deficiency”; while Schweizer, 84, and Moule, Idiom Book, 71, suggest it may anticipate
the force of the ὐπέρ which follows), the simplest interpretation is to regard the prefix as
suggesting correspondence, i.e. the supply corresponds to the deficiency so that the
filling up replaces the lack (cf. Bruce, 215).
The apostle, through the sufferings which he endures in his own flesh (ἐν τῇ σαρκί
μου refers to his bodily sufferings, or as Schweizer, TDNT 7, 136, puts it: “the reference
is to the physical existence of the apostle as this is exposed to affliction”; cf. Gal 6:17:
ἐν τῷ σώματί μου; 2 Cor 4:10 and 12:7), contributes to the sum total of these
eschatological afflictions. By helping to fill up this predetermined measure Paul brings
the end, the dawning of the future glory, so much closer (Lohse, 71).
ὑπὲρ τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ. (On the background and meaning of the “body of Christ”
see on v 18). In verse 24a the apostle had indicated that his sufferings were “for your
sake” (ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν, a reference as we have seen to the Colossians and their Lycus valley
Christian neighbors). Here Paul’s statement is parallel (note the repeated ὑπέρ) though
the designation is wider. His contributing to the sum total of the messianic afflictions,
through his service and suffering bound up with his calling as an apostle or minister to
the Gentiles, is on behalf of Christ’s body. By filling up what was lacking of a
predetermined measure of afflictions which the righteous must endure, Paul also
reduces the tribulations other believers, especially these Gentile Christians at Colossae,
are to experience. The more of these sufferings he personally absorbed, as he went
about preaching the gospel, the less would remain for his fellow Christians to endure.
Though presently exalted in heaven Christ continues to suffer in his members, and
not least in Paul himself. This was driven home to him on the Damascus road when
Christ said to him: “Why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4). Up until this moment, Paul
had been actively engaged in making Christ suffer in the person of his followers in
Judea. But from now on he would suffer for Christ’s sake (Acts 9:16, cf. Acts 13:47,
quoting Isaiah 49:6, where not only is the Servant’s mission of enlightenment among
the nations to be carried on by Paul [and Barnabas], but also the Servant’s sufferings are
borne by him [Bruce, 216]) or, to use an equivalent expression, for the sake of his body,
the church (Col 1:24).
ὅ ἐστιν ἡ ἐκκλησία. (See introduction 57–60.)
25. ῆ̔ς ἐγενόμην ἐγὼ διάκονος κατὰ τὴν οἰκονομίαυ τοῦ θεοῦ … τὸν λόγον τοῦ
θεοῦ. Paul was known as a “minister” (διάκονος, cf v 23) in the Gentile communities.
This appointment was “in accordance with the commission of God” given to him (κατὰ
τὴν οὶκονομίαν τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν δοθεῖσάν μοι, a somewhat unusual expression since Paul
normally speaks of the “grace” of God that is given to him: Rom 12:3; 15:15; 1 Cor
3:10; Gal 2:9; cf. A. Satake, “Apostolat und Gnade bei Paulus,” NTS 15 [1968–69] 96–
107).
οἰκονομία (see Michel, TDNT 5, 151–53) is employed in the Pauline corpus to
denote either (1) Paul’s administration of his apostolic office (1 Cor 9:17; cf. 4:1 where
he describes himself as one of the stewards [οἱκονόμοι] of God’s mysteries), or (2)
God’s administration of the world and salvation (Eph 1:10; 3:9; cf. 3:2). In the earlier
references Paul is the οἰκονόμος; (1 Cor 4:1), having been entrusted with a commission
(οἰκονομίας; 1 Cor 9:17); he is not able to withdraw from this solemn responsibility,
but must fulfill it obediently. He is a steward of the mysteries of God (1 Cor 4:1) and it
is naturally expected of him that he be found trustworthy (4:2; cf. Luke 16:2). In the
later Pauline texts the emphasis is upon God’s οἰκονομία. (This need not necessarily
imply that the earlier epistles come from a time when Paul had no notion of a divine
plan of salvation; so rightly Reumann, NTS 13 [1966–67] 155–66.) Most examples of
the οἰκονομία terminology in Paul occur in close proximity to the word “mystery”
(μυστήριον: the only exception being 1 Cor 9:17) suggesting that the latter was
important for understanding the meaning of οἰκονομία.
At Colossians 1:25 this nuance of God’s plan, which is administered by him, is most
likely for the following reasons: (a) οἰκονομία τοῦ θεοῦ had this general sense in the
Hellenistic world; (b) the genitive τοῦ θεοῦ which is subjective supports this
interpretation; and (c) κατά (“according to”) suggests the notion of a plan in this context
(so Reumann, NTS 13 [1966–67] 163).
At the same time, since the apostle speaks of the οἰκονομία as “given to me” some
commentators have concluded that the phrase must be interpreted exclusively of Paul’s
office or activity, his assignment rather than God’s plan which can hardly be said to be
given. Perhaps the way forward is to understand that what is given to Paul is insight into
that plan, a suggestion probably confirmed by verse 26 with its statement about the
mystery being revealed to him and others. If we allow the meaning of “office” to be
attached, then it must be done with Dibelius’ comment (24) in mind: “the office stems
from the plan.” The double sense seems to be intended as Masson and Reumann have
pointed out: Paul says, “I am a minister according to the plan of God, the execution of
which has been conferred upon me in that which concerns you” (Masson, 111, 112; cf.
Reumann, NTS 13 [1966–67] 163, and Moule, 80).
If this double sense is intended in verse 25 then the passage stands at an important
pivotal point between the earlier and later references. In all three examples in Ephesians
(1:10; 3:2, 9–10) οἰκονομία has to do with God’s gospel-plan or mystery, together with
its divine administration, while Ephesians 3:2, like Colossians 1:25, also deals with the
role given to Paul in this, namely the making of the mystery known (1:9). (On the
meaning of οἰκονομία see in addition to the works noted above: M. Bouttier,
“Remarques sur la conscience apostolique de St. Paul,” ΟΙΚΟΝΟΜΙΑ. Heilsgeschichte
als Thema der Theologie, ed. F. Christ [Hamburg—Bergstadt: Reich, 1967] 100–108;
A. van Roon, The Authenticity of Ephesians, [NovTSup 39; Leiden, Brill, 1974] 175,
176; and C. C. Caragounis, The Ephesian MYSTERION. Meaning and Content [ConB,
New Testament Series 8; Lund: Gleerup, 1977] 97, 98).
The Colossians are bound up with that ministry of Paul, and indeed the very gospel-
plan of God, since it is for their benefit (εἰς ὑμᾶς). His ministry as apostle to the
Gentiles vitally concerns them (cf. vv 26–29), and that is why he can style himself a
“minister of the church,” even though most of the members of the congregation do not
know him personally. This expression is therefore not as unusual (Schweizer, 86) as
some think (bearing in mind that Paul employs a variety of expressions to describe his
ministry: he is a minister of God, 2 Cor 6:4; a minister of Christ, 2 Cor 11:23; and of the
new covenant, 2 Cor 3:6), and not “obviously in tension with v. 23, ” as F. Hahn
contends (Mission in the New Testament. Tr F. Clarke [London: SCM, 1965] 146
lit. literally
˓Or. ˓Orla
This was consistent with his regular practice, for elsewhere he describes his apostolic
work in terms of the individual care of souls, e.g., 1 Thessalonians 2:11, 12: “For you
know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you (ἕνα ἕκαστον
ὑμῶν) and encouraged you and charged you to lead a life worthy of God, who calls you
into his own kingdom and glory” (RSV). Paul lays strong emphasis in these passages (cf.
Acts 20:20) on the personal character of his work and the fact that at Colossians 1:28 he
deliberately returns to the plural verbs (“we proclaim, warning … and teaching”)
suggests that his colleagues who ministered with him had followed his example. One
could not have been a member of this apostolic band for long without realizing that
Paul, like his Master, cared for the ultimate well-being of individual men and women.
ἵνα παραστήσωμεν ηάντα ἄνθρωπον τέλειον ἐν Χριοτῷ. The goal of this
Christcentered instruction, Paul’s preaching and teaching, is “that we may present every
man perfect in Christ.” This is similar to the end God had in view in reconciling the
Colossians through the death of his Son, verse 22: to present them (the aorist of the
same verb παρίστημι is used) holy, blameless and irreproachable before him (see 68,
69). God’s work of reconciliation in Christ and Paul’s active ministry have the same end
in view, namely, the perfection of each man in Christ on the final day (Rom 14:10).
The term τέλειος (“perfect,” “whole”) appeared in a variety of contexts in the
Hellenistic world (for details see P. J. Du Plessis, ΤΕΔΕΙΟΣ. The Idea of Perfection in
the New Testament [Kampen: Kok, 1959] 36–121) to denote unblemished sacrificial
animals (Homer Il, 1, 66), a person who has reached the limit of his professional
abilities and the cosmos which contains all kinds of living creatures. The word was also
employed to designate the “perfect” man in Greek philosophy (Delling, TDNT 8, 69–
72), but whether it was also a technical term for initiates in the Hellenistic mystery
religions is disputed (cf. Reitzenstein, Mystery-Religions, 150, 432, BAG, 809, and the
literature cited there). It is just possible that the letter to the Colossians opposes those
who claimed to have the experience of being filled with supernatural wisdom and divine
power and as such were regarded as “perfect” (τέλειοι); cf. Lightfoot, 168, 169, and
Lohse, 78.
τέλειος is attested twenty times in the OT (often rendering, שלם, shālēm or תמים
tām̂ m) to denote that which is whole, perfect or intact. It is used of the heart which is
wholly turned to God (1 Kings 8:61; 11:4), and of the man who has bound himself fully
to him (Gen 6:9; cf. Deut 18:13). In the Qumran material the Hebrew term tām̂ m is
understandably colored by the OT. Those who are perfect (tām̂ m) are those who keep
God’s law wholly and so walk perfectly in his ways (1QS 1:8; 2:2). Members of the
community are also called “the perfect” (1QS 8:20). The contexts in which tām̂ m
(“perfect”) appears in the Qumran writings show clearly that the reference is to a total
fulfillment of God’s will through keeping all the rules of the community (Delling,
TDNT 8, 73).
The relationship of perfection to the will of God is found explicitly in Paul at
Romans 12:2 as well as by implication in other NT writings (cf. Matt 5:48 in the context
of the Sermon on the Mount; James 1:4, 25; 3:2). The two notions are specifically
NS New Series
Briefe [Bibliotheca Theologica Norwegica 1; Oslo: Universitetsforlaget, 1967]). While
the translation “comfort” is perfectly legitimate in many contexts (see O’Brien,
Introductory Thanksgivings, 241–47, for an examination of this “consolation” theme in
2 Cor 1 in the light of its rich OT background), and is preferred here by Lohse (80),
Schmitz-Stählin (TDNT 5, 797) and others, such a rendering appears to be too weak (cf.
Bruce, 223, and Zeilinger, Der Erstgeborene, 108). The verb implies more than
“comfort” and ought to be rendered “strengthen” (cf. v 4, the context of which supports
this rendering). In Colossians there is no mention of, or allusion to, distresses or
persecutions that would have elicited consolation or comfort as the object of the
apostle’s energetic activities. What made Paul concerned was the readers’ danger of
being carried away by the heretical teaching. Consequently their hearts needed to be
strengthened (note the parallel in 2 Thess 2:16, 17 where παρακαλέω is used, with
reference to the addressees’ hearts, synonymously with στηρίζω, “strengthen”). “Heart”
(καρδία) is employed in its customary OT sense denoting the inner life of the person,
the center of his personality, understood as the source of will, emotion, thoughts and
affections.
ουμβιβασυέντες ἐν ἀγάπῃ. A good case has been made for rendering this phrase as
“being instructed in love,” so referring to the loving admonition given to the
community. Several commentators (including Dibelius-Greeven, 25, 26, Scott, 36, and
Montague, Growth in Christ, 82) have adopted this line. The verb συμβιβάζω does, on
occasion, carry this didactic meaning outside the Bible (for examples in Aristotle, Philo,
etc see Delling, TDNT 7, 763) while all ten LXX instances mean “instruct,” “make
known,” “teach,” and refer exclusively to authoritative direction (cf. Exod 4:12, 15;
18:16; Lev 10:11; Deut 4:9; Judg 13:8; etc Isa 40:13 is cited by Paul with the meaning
“instruct” at 1 Cor 2:16). The same connotation occurs at Acts 9:22 and 19:33. Further,
Scott observed that Paul’s preoccupation in Colossians was less the issue of unity than
that his readers be enlightened in their faith over against heretical teachings and
practices (the Vulgate seems to have caught this point with its rendering “instructi in
caritate”). Also this interpretation suits the immediate context with its strong emphasis
on “knowledge,” “understanding” and “wisdom.” ἐν ἀγάπῃ then refers less to Paul’s
love for the readers—as though they were “charitably instructed”—than to love in its
full breadth of meaning, as the foundation of the Christian life (cf. Eph 3:17). (Note the
discussion of Montague, Growth in Christ, 82.
The majority view, however, takes the verb ουμβιβάζω in the sense of “unite,” “knit
together,” a meaning equally well known from ancient times (cf. Herodotus 1.74.3,
Thucydides 2.29.6, and Plato, Prot 337E; cf. Delling, TDNT 7, 763), and which Paul
gives it in verse 19 and Ephesians 4:16. In this sense (taking ἐν instrumentally) love
binds them all together (as some interpret 3:14 where love is called the “bond of
perfection,” ούνδεσμος τῆς τελειότητος), and from the union that results they would
attain to full understanding and knowledge.
The issue is a finely balanced one and while most argue that the translation “being
knit together” is preferable in the light of the later verses in Colossians, our inclination,
because of the immediate context, is in favor of the sense “taught,” “instructed.”
καὶ εὶς ηλοῦτος κτλ. Martin, NCB, 75, aptly remarks: “There is an appeal to clear-
sighted appreciation of theological truth in the second part of the verse.” The object
toward which Paul’s instruction moves (εὶς) is a deeper understanding of the divine
mystery, while the stress on the superabundance of such knowledge is signified through
the accumulation of synonyms (cf. Percy, Probleme, 25, 26, and Bujard,
Untersuchungen, 147–50).
As at chapter 1:9, 10 “insight” (σύνεσις) and “knowledge” (ἐπίγνωσις) are linked to
express the concern of the apostle for the community. Here he goes out of his way to
emphasize the abundant fullness of this σύνεσις (“insight” or “understanding” implies,
as at 1:9, the capacity to distinguish the true from the false) by connecting the words
“riches” (πλοῦτος; cf. the comments at 1:27) and “fullness” (πληροψορία). The latter
term can mean “full assurance,” “certainty” (BAG, 670), and this is its connotation at 1
Thessalonians 1:5 (and also in non-Christian literature, so Delling, TDNT 6, 310). If this
is the correct rendering here, then Paul has introduced the note of assurance or certainty
which was important for the Colossians in the face of false doctrines: either Paul desires
that their judgment be exercised with full certainty (so Abbott, 239, on the grounds that
σύνεσις has an intransitive sense and means “the faculty of judging”) or, more likely, he
is looking for the conviction which results from insight (as Moule, 86, Turner, Syntax,
211, and Montague, Growth in Christ, 83, take it).
On the other hand, it is equally possible that ηλπροψορία means “fullness” (so
among others Lohse, 81, and van Roon, Ephesians, 246), is tautologous with “riches”
(ηλοῦτος) and, together with the additional word “all” (ηᾶν), underscores in an
emphatic manner the rich fullness of this insight.
εὶς ἐπίγωσιν τοῦ μυστπρίου τοῦ υεοῦ Χριστοῦ. From the abundance of this
understanding Paul turns to speak of the uniqueness of its object. The two phrases
introduced by the preposition εὶς (“to”) are parallel, though the second emphatically
points out the special object toward which the σύνεσις is directed (Meyer, 342; Abbott,
239): it is the “knowledge of God’s mystery, of Christ.” (On the meaning of ἐπίγνωσις
see on 1:9 where the parallel expression, “that you may be filled with the knowledge of
his will [τὴν ἐπίγνωσιντοῦ υεηπ́ματος αὑτοῦ],” occurs.)
The Greek editions of the NT show that the textual witnesses are divided over the
exact wording of the last phrase (note the bewildering variety of alternatives in the
United Bible Societies edition of The Greek New Testament, edited by K. Aland and
others). However, the reading τοῦ μυστηρίου τοῦ υεοῦ, Χριστοῦ (RSV “[knowledge] of
God’s mystery, of Christ”) appears to have been original. It asserts that the Christ
proclaimed among the nations and who is the hope of glory for these Gentile readers (cf.
1:27) is the content of the divine mystery. This text is plainly to be preferred because of
the strong external testimony (being supported by P46 B Hilary). Also, because of the
difficulty of this reading it gave rise to manifold alterations. Later scribes attempted to
clarify the sense by their changes and additions, but each of them can be explained as
variants of this original text (for a brief note see Metzger’s Textual Commentary, 622,
and for a more detailed treatment cf. his volume The Text of the New Testament. Its
Transmission, Corruption and Restoration. 2nd ed. [New York/London: Oxford
University Press, 1968, 236–38]).
The knowledge of which Paul speaks is personal. Christ himself is God’s mystery
revealed, the Christ with whom these Colossian readers had become one (Bruce, 224).
There could be no appreciation of divine wisdom apart from this personal knowledge of
him.
3. ἐν ῷ̔ εὶσιν πάντες οἱ υησαυροὶ τῆς σοφίας καῖ γνώσεως ἀπόκρυφοι. The person
whom the readers are to know more fully is Christ in whom (ἐν ᾡͅ; rather than “in it,”
i.e. the mystery, which is more distant from the relative pronoun and less likely to be the
P Pesher (commentary)
MM J. H. Moulton and G. Milligan, The Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (London: Hodder,
1930)
that they are with him. Certainly at 1 Corinthians 5:4 it is a real presence, not simply
that he agrees with their verdict, for he writes, “When you and my spirit are assembled.”
He clearly conceived of his spirit’s presence in a place far removed from where his
body stood. Otto may be right when he states: “In all reality and without hesitation he
believed that he was capable of operating spiritually at a distance” (cited by J. D. G.
Dunn, Jesus and the Spirit. A Study of the Religious and Charismatic Experience of
Jesus and the First Christians as Reflected in the New Testament [Philadelphia:
Westminster, 1975] 73), but this does not tell us much, while Dunn’s hint that it was
due to the power of a charismatic personality makes the reference too narrow. Best’s
suggestion (Body, 59) is nearer the mark. Commenting on the Corinthian passage, he
affirms that Paul is present with the Corinthians since both live with Christ. Because
Best takes the idea of Christ as an inclusive or corporate personality seriously, he
envisages the presence of the whole personality whenever a “part” of it is acting. Paul is
truly at Corinth and Colossae not because his πνεῦμα is to be “regarded as the gift of
the Spirit of God which has been given to him, which denotes his authority, and which
also exerts an influence beyond his physical presence” (so Schweizer, TDNT 6, 436),
but since the Spirit of God has united both him and the Colossians to Christ. Because
both live with Christ, he is present in spirit with them.
ξαίρων καὶ βλέπων κτλ. These words indicate by way of summary how the
Colossian community was faring, and the description is a positive one. The two
participles χαίρων and βλέπων are best taken together and rendered “rejoicing to see”
(with Bengel 2, 459, Robertson, Grammar, 426, 427, BDF para. 471[5], etc, against
Meyer, 347, who considers that ξαίρων refers to Paul’s joy at the fact that he is with
them spiritually, while βλἐπων adds to the thought by indicating what is perceived).
Obviously because of Paul’s physical absence βλέπω is used figuratively meaning
“perceive,” “note” (cf. Rom 7:23; 2 Cor 7:8; Heb 2:9; 10:25).
Two interesting terms are employed in this positive description of the church’s
condition: τάζις (“order”) and στερέωμα (“firmness,” “steadfastness”), both of which
could appear in military contexts, the former denoting the positions which soldiers
occupy (cf. Xenophon, Anabasis 1.2.18; the Qumran community called itself a camp
and its order was to be maintained at all costs: 1QS 10:25; cf 4:4; 1QM 3:1, where the
Hebrew equivalent of τάξις is used; cf. Bertram, TDNT 7, 614), the latter describing a
bulwark or fortification (1 Macc 9:14; cf. Bertram, TDNT 7, 609–14). So some have
pressed the military metaphor in this context. For Lohmeyer, “The apostle is ‘with
them’ as a field commander standing before his troops and arranging the ranks for battle
once more” (95), while Martin (NCB, 76, 77) interprets the words of Paul to mean that
he viewed with approval their steadfast intent to close ranks and stand firm, without
yielding to erroneous propaganda from an intruding enemy (cf. Moule, 89).
An examination of the different occurrences of these two terms in a variety of
contexts (Classical Greek writers, the LXX, papyri and patristic material) shows that
from earliest times τάξις and στερέωμα did not necessarily have a military nuance but
only assume one from their respective contexts (Abbott, 243; cf. Dibelius-Greeven, 26;
the lexicons of BAG, MM, Hatch and Redpath, and Lampe draw attention to a variety
of instances where there is no military meaning). Further, the context here does not
suggest the positioning of troops for battle. Both concepts are employed in a more
general sense so that τάξις denotes the well-ordered Christian behavior of the
community (cf. 1 Cor 14:40) which previously had not been disturbed by sectarian
1
O'Brien, Peter T.: Word Biblical Commentary : Colossians-Philemon. Dallas : Word,
Incorporated, 2002 (Word Biblical Commentary 44), S. 73