Colossians

1:1-14

Introduction, 1:1-14

Greeting, thanksgiving and prayer

In typical Pauline style, the letter begins with an introduction identifying the author (Paul), the recipients and a greeting, v1-2. Then follows a thanksgiving, v3-8. In the Gk. these verses consist of one sentence. Paul gives thanks to God, v3, and then provides the reason for his thanksgiving, namely the faith and love of the Colossian believers, v4. Paul then makes the point that these two qualities are based on their hope, v5a, a hope founded on the gospel, v5b. Paul goes on to state that the gospel is bearing fruit everywhere, including in Colossae, v6, where Epaphras has furthered gospel ministry, v7, and reported its fruit to Paul, v8. Then follows Paul's prayer for the Colossians, v9-14. He prays that his readers might be filled with a knowledge of God's will, enabling them "to live a life worthy of the Lord" in "bearing fruit", "growing", "being strengthened" and "giving thanks". The prayer concludes with an explanation of what Paul means by being qualified "to share in the inheritance of the saints", v12. The inheritance involves being delivered from the realm of darkness, translated into the kingdom of God's Son and given redemption, v13-14. Paul writes that he has never stopped directing his thanksgiving and prayers to God for the Colossians, v2 and v9. His prayer is focused on truth. He wants the Colossians to perceive, to understand, the will of God. He wants them to know what is spiritually important. Once they know the truth they will be set free to live the truth, v10, in and through the power of God in Christ, v11.

dia touto "for this reason" - because of this. Probably just "therefore", although Moule thinks that kai is emphatic here and so "that is precisely why ..." Probably just adjunctive, eg. "we thank God for you. We also therefore pray for you."

proseucomenoi (proseucomai) pres. part. "praying" - praying. As with the participle "asking", this participle is complementary, completing the sense of the verb "ceased / stopped". The construction would normally call for an infinitive; "we .... do not cease to pray for you", AV. Both participles form a hendiadys (two word joined by "and" expressing a single idea) serving to "enforce the idea of petition in the otherwise general praying", Moo.

iJna + subj. "to [fill]" - that [you may be filled]. Forming an object clause / dependent statement, indirect speech, expressing the content of Paul's prayer, or first prayer point.

plhrwqhte (plhrow) aor. pas. subj. "fill" - may be filled. Theological passive serving to identify God as the agent. Probably in the sense of "complete".

thn epignwsin (iV ewV) acc. "with the knowledge" - the knowledge. A genitive of content would be expected, as NIV. The prefix is probably intensive so "clear knowledge [of his will]", Weymouth.

en + dat. "through [all spiritual wisdom and understanding]" - in, by. The preposition is either going to be instrumental or local. Most translators opt for an instrumental sense, as NIV, "through / by means of", ie. our knowledge of God comes by means of spiritual perception. Yet, a local sense seems more likely. Paul's prayer is that the Colossians be complete in the knowledge of God's will, "in a full measure of (all) spiritual wisdom and understanding." So, the prepositional phrase is appositional / epexegetic, further defining the lead clause; "that you will have complete insight into what God wants for you, a full measure of spiritual wisdom and understanding." Paul, in this letter, wrestles with a false wisdom which has infested the Colossian church. As outlined in the introductory notes, it is likely that this wisdom / knowledge is the theological position espoused by the circumcision party / judaizers. Their heresy teaches that to attain the full blessings of new life in Christ it is essential to adopt a faith and works stance. Paul prays that by means of the gift of spiritual insight, his readers will gain a clear (true) knowledge of God's will.

pash/ "[in] all" - all, every. Wilson takes the view that this adjective and the one following, "spiritual", modify both nouns, "wisdom" and "understanding". So, Paul's prayer is that the Colossians grow "in wisdom and understanding of every sort, on the spiritual level." Throughout this letter, words like "all", "every", "fully" serve to "show that Christ is all in all, that in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and that therefore everything the Christian needs is to be found only in Christ", Pfitzner.

peripathsai (peripatew) aor. inf. "[and we pray this] in order that you may live a life" - to walk. Obviously in an ethical sense, "live / behave / conduct one's life". The infinitive may parallel the iJna + subj. construction of v9 and so serve as an object clause / dependent statement expressing Paul's second prayer-point, "We pray that your life and conduct be worthy of the Lord", Barclay, or possibly form a purpose clause, as NIV, so O'Brien, Barth, Moo, or result clause, "so as a result live lives worthy of the Lord", cf. Lightfoot, so Dunn, or an object clause, epexegetic, defining "the knowledge of his will", Dunn's alternative suggestion, or even an imperatival clause, expressing an apostolic demand. However we take the grammar, "the wisdom and understanding just mentioned are not merely theoretical - they are to lead to right conduct", Wilson.

tou kuriou "the Lord" - The Lord Jesus, or God the Father?

eiV "and [my please him in every way]" - to / toward [all/every desire to please / type of pleasing]. Possibly expressing purpose, "in order to please him in every respect", but more likely expressing result. Living in a way that is appropriate for a believer results in a life that is pleasing to the Lord. The two phrases are closely related and express a similar idea, a life worthy of the Lord / a life pleasing to the Lord. Of course, only one person has lived such a life and only in him, in Jesus, can we live such a life. We can though, try to be what we are, and Paul's prayer serves this end. Yet, it is unwise to imagine that our trying is in any way worthy of, or pleasing to, the Lord!!!

karpoforounteV (karpoforew) pres. part. "bearing fruit" - bringing forth fruit. As with the participles "growing", v10b, "being empowered", v11, and "giving thanks", v12, all being nominative, an accusative would have been expected after the infinitive "to walk", but if the participles are imperatival (in a prayer they would function as an appeal) they would not follow this rule; "He who lives thus (walks worthy / pleases in every way) brings forth fruit and grows", Barth. Of course, they could agree with "praying and asking", v9. In which case we again have dependent statements, indirect speech, expressing further prayer point. This is somewhat of an ask since Paul has then expressed a series of dependent statement with three different constructions, namely iJna + subj. v9, an infinitive, v10a, participles in v10b, 11, and 12. "We pray that your life will be productive of all kinds of good action and that you will continue to come to know God better and better." So also v11, "We pray .... that you receive power ....", v12, "We pray that you will be ever grateful ....", Barclay. This approach makes for a smooth read, although the syntax leads us to take the four participles as adverbial, modal, expressing the manner in which the new walk is accomplished (inf. "to walk / may life a life worthy"), so Moo, spelling out "more precisely what is involved in walking worthily of the Lord", O'Brien, or as above, an appeal to so walk.

en "in [every good work]" - in. "A life which yields a harvest of good works of every and any kind", Cassirer.

auxanomenoi (auxanw) pres. pas. part. "growing" - growing. "Extensive growth", possibly "intensive growth", Schweizer.

th/ epignwsei tou qeou "in the knowledge of God" - The dative may be instrumental, "by the knowledge of God", so Lightfoot, Peake..., but local seems better; "increasing in the knowledge of God", Wilson, ie. come to a better / full / clear knowledge of the will / mind of God.

dunamoumenoi (dunamow) pres. pas. part. "being strengthened" - See karpoforounteV v10a. "We pray that in God's glorious strength you will receive power to cope with anything", Barclay.

en + dat. "with [all power]" - in, on, by. This preposition here is usually taken as instrumental, as NIV; "with strength of every kind", Weymouth. Yet, a local sense is certainly possible. Paul is praying for spiritual strengthening, a powerful strengthening in full measure, a divine strengthening necessary to meet the difficulties of the Christian walk.

kata + acc. "according to [his glorious might]" - in accordance with, corresponding to. "Conformity" is most likely the intended sense. Paul prays that the Colossians be bestowed with a strength that corresponds to God's radiant ("glorious") strength, the power evident in his shekinah glory. The genitive thV doxhV, "glorious", being taken adjectivally, as NIV.

eiV "so that" - to. The preposition here probably expresses result, as NIV, so producing a consecutive prepositional clause; "so as to be led to be steadfast and patient in every way", Cassirer. This clause indicates that the power/strength Paul is praying for is not the power to work miracles, but rather an inward spiritual power that allows a believer to move forward in the Christian life.

meta + gen. " - [joyfully]" - with [joy]. The NIV takes this phrase with v11, but it may also go with the next verse, "giving thanks with joy / joyfully thankful."

eucaristounteV (eucaristw) pres. part. "giving thanks" - See karpoforounteV v10a. "We pray that you will be ever grateful to the Father", Barclay.

tw/ ikanwsanti (ikanow) aor. part. "who has qualified [you]" - the one being made fit, able. The participle is adjectival, limiting "Father". The sense of the verb is "to qualify", moving toward "to authorize", even "to privilege; "making us able to share with his other godly children", Junkins.

uJmaV "you" - The variant hJmaV "us" exists. Certainly "us" reads better, especially as it seem likely that v13 should be taken with this verse, but then that is a good reason to change the original from "you" to "us".

eiV "to" - toward. Probably with the sense toward an advantage, so "for a share in the inheritance."

thn merida tou klhrou "share in the inheritance" - the part of the portion. These two words are close in meaning, "the part" being the part of a whole, "the portion" being the portion given to someone. The language reflects the LXX references to the gift of the promised land to Israel, a gift which was "a part" of the middle east (the lot) "apportioned" to Israel. So, as NIV, using Biblical language, the phrase means "the lot of the inheritance", Wilson; "everything bright and beautiful he has prepared for us", Peterson.

twn aJgiwn "of the saints" - The genitive is adjectival, possessive; "a share of the promised blessings which belong to believers."

en tw/ fwti (wV wtoV) dat. "in the kingdom of light" - in the light. Most commentators take "the light" to refer to "the realm of light" as opposed to "the realm of darkness", so NIV. As to what the prepositional phrase modifies we probably should follow Moo who suggests it modifies "inheritance"; "the inheritance that exists in this realm of light."

"For" - There is nothing in the syntax to indicate a causal clause here, but some commentators take the adjectival participial clause of v12 and the relative clause here, introduced by the pronoun o}V, as relative causal modifiers, cf. Hendriksen; "[We pray that you will be ever grateful to the Father] for making us fit to share ......., for rescuing us from the power of darkness, and transferring us to the kingdom of his beloved Son", Knox, cf. Phillips. A causal sense may be a bit strong, but certainly both clauses provide a motivation for the thanksgiving to the Father, so Wilson; "It was he who has rescued us .......", Cassirer. More particularly v13 "explains what is involved in the Christian's inheritance", Pfitzner, in the terms of "a rescue and transfer operation", Moo, or better, taken concurrently, "rescue by transference", Harris. "[We pray that you will be ever grateful to the Father] who has qualified us to share the lot (inheritance) of the saints in the Light, rescuing us from the power of the Darkness and transferring us to the realm of his beloved Son", Moffatt.

errusato (uJruomai) aor. "he has rescued" - The aorist may be punctiliar referring to a single act, eg. the death of Christ, but most often the aorist is constative where the whole action is viewed in entirety as completed, without reference to one part of the whole, the beginning or the end, or any time signatures. The business of rescuing believers has been a long and involved process, but it is done and dusted. Note the allusion to the rescuing of Israel from the kingdom of Egypt.

thV exousiaV (a) "the dominion [of darkness]" - power, authority, warrant, dominion. Probably "dominion / kingdom" is the sense here, balancing "kingdom of the Son". The genitive "darkness" represents all that is opposed to God, personified in the Devil, and probably functions adjectivally here, limiting / describing, "the dominion" = "the dark domain", possibly epexegetic, so Wallace, but better qualitative, so Moo, Harris.

thn basileian (a) "the kingdom" - A common term in the synoptic gospels for the eschatological reign of God in the long-promised new age, a reality which is both now and not yet. Normally referred to as "the kingdom of God", and only rarely referred to as Christ's kingdom, ICor.15:23-28, Eph.5:5. Of course, there is no distinction between the two.

en w|/ "in whom" - Referring to the Son. The preposition may be local, "in", or instrumental, "by". Although salvation is wrought "by means of" Jesus redemptive act, Paul constantly asserts that a person is forgiven and glorified, so appropriating the full blessings of kingdom membership, "in union with Christ", so "in union with whom we have redemption."

apolutrwsin (iV ewV) "redemption" - redemption, release. The word refers to the release of someone or something, often by the payment of a (ransom) price. Although this "release" is not necessarily obtained by payment, in the NT the word usually implies the payment of a ransom price, namely the sin offering of Jesus, the perfect sacrificial lamb, a payment made as a ransom for sinners (although payment in exchange does not extend to the issue of payment to whom). None-the-less, given that no price is identified in the redeeming of Israel from their bondage in Egypt, "deliverance / being set free" is central to the meaning of the word.

thn afesin (iV ewV) acc. "the forgiveness [of sins]" - This phrase most likely explains (an epexegetic accusative) the nature of redemption (standing in apposition to "redemption"); "that is, the forgiveness of sins", Moffatt. The phrase has added to the doubts some have with regard Pauline authorship of this letter. Paul is certainly inclined to explain salvation in terms of justification, but he does sometimes speak of redemption and it is not unreasonable to contextualize Old Testament theological terms for Gentiles, such that in his later letters he explains the nature of redemption in the terms of forgiveness (the word is only used in Rom.4:7 in Paul's early letters). It is also possible that the false teachers in Colossae, the members of the circumcision party with their start out in faith and go on in obedience style of Christianity, have linked forgiveness with the commencement of the Christian life and redemption with its conclusion, a conclusion reached through a sanctification by obedience stance. Thus Paul ties both redemption and forgiveness together, cf. O'Brien.

twn aJmartiwn (a) "of sins" - of the sins. Possibly the article gives the sense "of our sins." The genitive "sins" is usually taken as objective where it receives the action of the forgiving, "our sins are forgiven", REB, but it is more likely just adjectival, attributive, limiting/describing the type of forgiveness in mind, "obtaining pardon for the sins we had committed", Cassirer.

Colossians Introduction

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