being entrusted to Chrift, will be restored at the resurrection. So that when he fhall appear, to raise the dead and judge the world, they fhall appear with him in glorious immortal bodies, and be put in poffeflion of the joys of heaven by his fentence of acquittal, ver. 4.-Wherefore that they might be capable of this great felicity, the apoftle exhorted them to mortify themfelves, not after the Pythagorean manner, but by putting to death their inordinate carnal affections and actions, which he called their earthly members; namely fornication, &c. ver. 5.Then told them, that however pleafing the heathens might think these things were to their gods, they were fo provoking to the true God, as to draw down his wrath on the persons who were guilty of them, ver. 6.-And that, though formerly while heathens, they lived in the habitual practice of these vices, ver. 7.-it now became them in their chriftian state, to put them all away, together with anger, &c. ver. 8.- becaufe at their baptifm they profefied to put off the old man, with his deeds, ver. 9.-By calling fornication, with the other vices, their old man, the apoftle infinuated that the Phrygians were much addicted to thefe vices. Farther, he exhorted the Coloffians to put on the new man, who is new made through knowledge of the truth, after the image of God, ver. 10. And to encourage them to acquire the new nature of which he fpake, he told them, that it communicates fuch a dignity to the perfon who poffeffes it, that God does not regard whether he be a Greek or a Jew, &c. But that in the new creation, every man is honourable every where, according to the degree in which he poffcffes the nature of Christ, Withal, to fhew them the excellence of the new man, he defcribed his qualities; Bowels of mercies, &c. and exhorted the Coloffians, as the elected of God, to put them on, ver. 12, 13. And over all to put on love, which he reprefented as a girdle wherewith the fpiritual drefs is made perfect, or complete, ver. 14-Then prayed, that in confequence of their putting on the qualities above mentioned, the peace of God might rule in their hearts; which was an implied promife, that fo it fhould be, ver. 15. ver. II. - Next, because the worshippers of Cybele and Bacchus feigning themselves to be infpired by these idols, ran through the ftreets and fields, during their feftivals, in a frantic manner, committing numberlefs extravagancies, and finging lewd fongs in honcur of the gods whom they worshipped, the apostle, to prevent the Coloffians from joining in thefe madneffes, commanded them to have the word of Chrift dwelling in them richly, that is, to call it frequently to their remembrance, and to fpeak it to one another with all prudence; And in their social meetings, when they felt themselves moved by the fpirit, instead of of finging lewd fongs after the manner of the heathens, to teach and admonish one another by finging pfalms, and hymns, and odes dictated by the Spirit; and to do fo with true inward devotion, to the honour of the Lord, ver. 16.-And whatever they faid or did by infpiration, to do all in fuch a manner as to promote the honour of the Lord Jefus, whofe difciples they called themselves. Farther, becaufe the heathens offered folemn thanksgivings to Bacchus, as the giver of all the good things mankind enjoy the apo tle ordered the Coloffians to ascribe the honour and praife of all bleffings to God alone, who is the real Father, or author, of every thing good: And to give him thanks for his favours, through the mediation of Christ, ver. 17. Having thus directed the Coloffians to mortify their corrupt earthly affections, and to acquire the holy difpofitions of the new man, who is created after the image of God, and to avoid imitating the heathens in their lewd fpeeches and fongs; the apostle, in the remaining part of the chapter, inculcated the relative and focial duties of life; that in their behaviour as citizens, the Coloffians might be as much diftinguished from the heathens, as they exceeded them in the knowledge of true religion. His account of relative duties, he began with explaining the duties of husbands and wives, ver. 18, 19.-From these he paffed to the duties of children and parents, ver. 20, 21.Then defcribed the duties of flaves; on which he infifted at greater length, on account of the difficulty of these duties, ver. 22.-25. And laft of all, he inculcated the duties of masters, chap. iv. 1. with which this chapter fhould have ended.-See the illuftration prefixed to Ephef. vi. at the beginning. -- OLD OLD TRANSLATION. CHAP. III. 1 If ye then be rifen with Chrit, feek thofe things which are 3 For ye are dead, and GREEK TEXT. 2 Τα ανω φρονείτε, μη τα επί της γης. 3 Απεθανετε γαρ και ἡ your life is hid with Chriit ζωη ύμων κεκρυπται συν τῷ in God. 4 When Chrift who is our life fhall appear, then shall Χρισῳ εν τω Θεώ. 4 Όταν ὁ Χριςος φανε ye allo appear with him in ρώθη, ή ζωη ἡμων, τοτε και ύμεις συν αυτώ φανερώθησε σε θε εν δόξη. glory. 5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, un cleanners, inordinate afection, evil concupifcence, and covetouiuefs which is idola try: 5 Νεκρώσατε εν τα μέλη ύμων τα επι της γης πορνείαν, ακαθαρσίαν, παθος, επιθυμιαν κακην, και την πλεονεξίαν, ήτις εςιν ειδωλολατρεία, Ver. 1. Seek the things which are above. In fcripture, seeking, de. notes the conftant employing of one's thoughts, and endeavours for obtaining the object of one's defire, Matth. vi. 33. Wherefore, in this paffage, the apoftle exhorted the Coloffians earnestly to pursue the joys of heaven, not by the fuperftitious practices condemned in the foregoing chapter, but by the practice of real piety and virtue. And that they might be effectually excited to do fo, he advised them, ver. 2. to make the joys of heaven the objects of their strongest affections. Ver. 3. Your life is hid with Chrift by God. This is faid in allufion to the custom of hiding treafures, for their fafe preservation.-At the time the apoftle wrote this to the Coloffians, they were in poffeffion of their life. Wherefore, his meaning muft have been, that whether they were put to death by their perfecutors, or died in the common courfe, their life would not be loft. God and Chrift had bound themfelves by promife, to reftore it to them at the resurrection. Ver. 5-1. Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth, fornication, &c. The apoftle having reprefented the vicious appetites and paffions of the human heart, under the idea of a body, chap. ii. 17, the body of the fins of the flesh, because they have their feat in the body, he in this paffage, elegantly calls the finful actions to which thefe COMMENTARY. CHAP. III. 1 Since then ye bave been raifed with Christ in baptifm (ch. ii. 12. note) in token that ye thall be raised from the dead, purfue the joys which are above, where Chrift now fitteth at the right hand of God, to beftow thefe joys on his people. 2 And that ye may be earnest in the purfuit, Set your affections principally on heavenly things, and not on the empty perishing riches, honours, and pleasures of the earth. 3 To do fo is wife: For ye muft die, and leave all the things which are on earth. Nevertheless, your bodily life will be fafely laid up with Chrift by God, to be reftored to you at the refurrection of the juft. 4 So that When Chrift fhall appear to judge the world, with whom our life is hid, then ye alfo fhall appear with him, raised to life in glorious im mortal bodies. 5 Since ye are thus to be raised, inftead of the Pythagorean mortifications, Put to death your corrupt actions which are committed on earth; namely, fornication, whether with married or unmarried women, lafcivioufnefs in thought and fpeech, fodomy, evil defire of every kind, and covetoufnefs which is idolatry. See Ephef. v. 5. note 2. these bad affections prompt men, the members of that body, or old man. See Rom. vi. 13. note 1. and the illuftration prefixed to Rom. vii. 14. -According to fome commentators, Members which are on the earth, is an hebraifm, for earthly members. 2. Unnatural luft. The word 9, denotes the unnatural luft which men indulge with men. Hence the fubjects of that luft were called Pathics. The heathens were extremely addicted to that vice. See Rom. i. 26, 27. 1 Cor. vi. 9. 1 Theff. iv. 5. notes. In confirmation of the tranflation which I have given of the word ad, I obferve 1 6 For which things fake the wrath of God cometh on the children of difobedience. 7 In the which ye alfo 7 Εν οἷς και ύμεις περιο walked fometime, when ye επάτησατε ποτε, ότε εζητε lived in them. obferve that the Syriac verfion hath here, libidines præpofteras, unnatural Iasis. 3. Evil defire. Επιθυμίαν κακην. Under this appellation, immoderate defire of every kind is forbidden; and more especially the im moderate defire of the pleasures of the table, which lead men to glut tony and drunkennefe. Ver. 6-1. For which things the wrath of God cometh. See Ephef. v. 6. note. The apoftle fpake in this fevere manner against the vices mentioned, because they were commonly practifed by the heathens, and had been practifed by the Coloffians; and because the perfons addicted to them, are feldom or never reclaimed from them. 2. Children of difobedience. According to fome commentators, the heathens are called the children of disobedience, because they refused to obey the gofpel. See Ephef. v. 6 note. Ver. 7. In which things ye alfo walked formerly, when ye lived with them. The tranflation of this verfe in our Bible is an evident tautology. By their walking in these things, the apoftle meant their committing the vices mentioned, ver. 5. habitually, and with pleasure.-Coloffe being a city of Phrygia, where the rites of Bacchus and of the mother of the gods, confifting of all forts of lewdness in speech and action, were practifed with a frantic kind of madnefs, the Coloffians no doubt had been much addicted to these grofs impurities in their heathen state. Ver, 8. |