Personal Associations
The personal openings of St. Paul’s Epistles almost invariably contain revelations of the writer’s Christian character, and at the same time they suggest elements which should mark our life in and for Christ.
I. The Greeting (vs. 1, 2)
1. The Source. Paul describes himself as “an Apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God,” and the term “Apostle” indicates here, as elsewhere, the thought of commission (Luke 6:13). St. Paul realises that he had been “sent” by Christ Jesus to do His work. The reference to “the will of God” is a further reminder of the Apostle’s authority as derived from God and as independent of man. The phrase also suggests the truth of the title of Bushnell’s sermon, “Every Man’s Life a Plan of God.” And yet the Apostle, while insisting upon the Divine source and authority of his work, nevertheless showed himself to be truly humble, for he was not only independent of man, but in a sense independent of him¬ self, since his authority came from God and through God’s will.
2. The Fellowship. The association of the Apostle with “Timothy our brother” is another indication of Paul’s humility, because, although he had much to say that was deep and important, his naming of Timothy proves that he was ready to connect his young colleague with all this revelation of Christian truth. The word “brother” is of special interest, because, according to Bishop Westcott, (Epistles of St. John, p. 55), the term in the New Testament always signifies the Christian relationship, and is never to be enlarged into the modern meaning of the brotherhood of humanity, true though that may be in itself.
3. The Destination. The Epistle is addressed to “the saints and faithful brethren in Christ that are at Colosse.” The word “saints” means “consecrated,” and is a title applied to all Christians without exception. It is particularly important to realise that in the New Testament it never refers to spiritual condition, but only to spiritual position. Nowadays the term “saint” is often used cynically or in scorn as indicative of a pretence to special holiness, but the Bible view of “saint” is just one who belongs to God. It is not known why the Apostle addresses these later Epistles to Christians instead of to the Church as a whole. The change from “Church” to “saints” is marked by the Epistle to the Romans. These saints are described as “faithful,” implying steadfastness and trustworthiness (Acts 16:15). This was their attitude to God, just as “brethren” suggests their relationship to those around them. Thus the term, “faithful brethren,” describes their relation both to God and man. The further designation of them as “in Christ” and “at Colosse” is a beautiful reminder of what has often been pointed out as the two spheres of the Christian life, heavenly and the earthly. Notwithstanding all the sin and danger involved in their living “at Colosse,” they were safe and strong, and could feel satisfied, because they were “in Christ.” Our Lord similarly describes the twofold environment of the Christian when He said, “In Me ye may have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation” (John 16:33). Happy is the Christian who realises this two¬ fold sphere and lives for Christ in his “Colosse.”
4. The Character. The Apostle, as usual, except in the Pastoral Epistles, greets them with “grace to you and peace.” Grace is the source, of which peace is the result:
Personal Associations, 1:1-4 the one is the cause, the other is the effect. The two words are also descriptive respectively of the Greek and Hebrew salutations. But beyond this, “grace” is the great Bible word expressive of God’s undeserved and positive favour to the sinner, while “peace” is the outcome of that grace in the experience of the one who receives it. It is somewhat difficult to understand why this grace and peace should be limited here to “God our Father,” because, as a rule, Christ is associated in this salutation. This is the more difficult to understand, because the Apostle has so much to say about the Divine nature of our Lord. The two words, “God” and “Father,” are helpfully expressive of the two aspects of “power” and “love.” The Hebrew term for God invariably means strength, while the thought of God as our “Father” necessarily indicates His loving interest in us as His children.
II. The Thanksgiving (vs. 3, 4)
1. The Fact. With the exception of the Epistle to the Galatians, St. Paul’s letters always commence with thanks¬ giving. This seems to indicate a prominent feature of his religious life. He rejoiced to see every sign of the work of grace in the various communities of Christians, and had equal joy in acknowledging this in thanksgiving to God. It would be well for all Christians if the note of thanksgiving were made more definitely a part of our life.
2. The Association. With thanksgiving came prayer, and here again we notice the combination of prayer and thanksgiving in the Apostle’s life. Like the two wings of the bird which are required to enable it to soar into the sky, St. Paul felt the need of both petition and acknowledgment. Both of these are expressions of faith, prayer being the faith that asks, and thanksgiving implying the faith that takes. The object of the thanksgiving and prayer is, as usual, “God the Father of our Lord Jesus
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Christ.” The Apostle was deeply conscious of the reality of God, and this relation of the Father to Christ is of particular interest (Rom. 15:6; 2 Cor. 1:3, 11:31; Eph. 1 :3; 1 Pet. 1 :3). God’s Fatherhood in relation to Christ is one of the three aspects of the Divine Paternity found in the New Testament, and, of course, refers to the unique connection between God and our Lord. It is interesting to notice that in one passage we have the corresponding and complementary phrase, “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 1:17).
3. The Ground. Three reasons are assigned for the thanksgiving and prayer of the Apostle. He had not been to Colosse or come in contact with the Christians there, but had heard of these things from his friend Epaphras, who had been the means of leading the Colossians to Christ (1:7).
(a) Faith in Christ Jesus. This is naturally the first element of the Christian life, because it brings the soul in contact with our Lord. Three Greek prepositions are found in connection with faith. In some verses Christ is the object (eis) of faith; in others He is the foundation ( £7rt ) of faith; while yet again, as here, He is the sphere (£v) of faith.
(b) Love Toward all the Saints. This naturally sprang out of their faith in Christ, because “faith worketh by love” (Gal. 5:6), and those who are spiritually related to Christ are thereby of necessity related to those who belong to Him. The universality of the Apostle’s reference to love is noteworthy, because it is said to have been directed toward “all the saints.” This emphasis on the unity of the Christian community is to be specially noted, and the companion Epistle to the Ephesians similarly refers to this, as it speaks of the necessity of all the saints for the purpose of comprehending Christ’s love (Eph. 3:18), and the equal necessity of intercessory prayer for
Personal Associations, 1 :1 -4 all God’s people (Eph. 6:18). There is scarcely any¬ thing in which we can more definitely show our love than by this interest in “all the saints.”
(c) The Hope Laid up in the Heavens. It is a little difficult to know the precise connection here, for the Apostle uses a different expression, “because of” the hope. Some think that the thought looks back to his thanks¬ giving and prayer, which have hope as well as faith and love for their object; others favour the idea that “faith” and “love” are based on the hope, and that this is the explanation of the change of expression. While the latter is more naturally grammatical, it is thought to be somewhat strange theologically, though in reality there does not seem any insuperable difficulty in thinking of the faith and love as springing from the absolute certainty of the great and glorious future which was theirs in Christ through the Gospel. But in either case, we have the three Christian graces of faith, love, and hope. Faith rests on the past, love works in the present, and hope looks towards the future. These three constitute the true Christian life, and not one should be omitted (1 Thess. 1 :3, 9, 10). We are only too apt to emphasise faith and love and forget hope, but inasmuch as hope is invariably connected with the coming of the Lord, it is a vital part of our Christian life. Faith accepts, hope expects; faith appropriates, hope anticipates; faith receives, hope realises; faith is always and only concerned with the past and present, hope is always and only concerned with the future. This hope is said to be “laid up” for Christian people in the heavens, and the phrase is worthy of notice because of its use elsewhere. Thus, righteousness is said to be “laid up” for those who love Christ’s appearing (2 Tim. 4:8), while it is also recorded that it is “laid up” for men once to die (Heb. 9:2 7)’. A solemn contrast is also seen in the parable of the pounds, where the unfaithful servant “laid up” his Master’s gift and did not use it (Luke 19:20).
As we review this section of the Epistle, we observe three elements of the Christian life which were prominent in the Apostle’s experience, and should characterise ours.
1. Consciousness of Relationship to God. The Apostle had no doubt as to what he was and where he stood. As a servant of Christ he was fully assured of the will of God and of the grace that was continually coming from God. This “blessed assurance” is one of the essential secrets of true, buoyant, vigorous Christian living.
2. Concern for the Christian Life of 0 thers. The Apostle not only exercised faith in Christ, but love towards Christ’s followers, and this again is one of the fundamental realities of true Christianity. It is impossible for anyone to possess spiritual life without showing an interest in others, for the man who claims to love God without loving those who belong to God contradicts the very elements of the Christian faith (1 John 3:16; 4 :7, 11, 20, 21; 5 :2).
3. Completeness of Christian Character. In the three¬ fold reference to faith, love, and hope, the Apostle shows the necessity of a “full-orbed” Christian life. In the picture of the Holy City we are told that the length, breadth, and height of it are equal (Rev. 21:16), and this, as Phillips Brooks has pointed out in one of his great sermons, suggests the necessity of a true proportion in the Christian life. Some people emphasise depth with¬ out breadth; others are concerned with breadth while failing in depth. The true believer will aim at being both deep and broad, lest his depth alone should tend to narrowness, and his breadth alone lead to shallowness. Every true character will possess the two elements of intensity and extensiveness, and faith, love, and hope in their pro¬ portion and balance will thus be at once the proof and guarantee of a life that will constantly glorify God.