Fragments on Colossians

2A true and unfalse gospel. This is so as to add to and confirm their faith in all the world; for he says that the gospel has reached not only to you, but already even to all the world, which is a sign of the power of Christ working in the preaching. It was not neglected, but it bears fruit and grows.

And the hope laid up for the resurrection and the kingdom was not established by the administration of angels, but by the presence of Jesus Christ. And the gospel of the one present among you, he says, is not a falsehood, so that it might be nullified; nor did it reach only to you alone, but to all people. And although it did not reach everyone, it was not bypassed, but it is bearing fruit and growing.

Epaphras is presented as being one of the saints and having instructed them, so that they might more attend to his teaching (Col 1:7). And what was the will of God? To know you and to realize that it is not possible for you to be saved through angels but through Jesus Christ (Col 1:9). How then do we come to knowledge? In spiritual wisdom, not worldly.

Above all, it brought patience along with long-suffering (Col 1:11); for patience without long-suffering does not stand, and without joy, patience has no reward. And it is necessary above all in these things to have joy; for not the one who grieves over afflictions for Christ, but the one who rejoices over them receives a reward from God. And what is the reward? The adoption, the inheritance, the fellowship with the angels.

And before the flood and after the flood, and before the law and in the law, the angels served God toward your salvation (Col 1:13–14). But God did not transfer us into his kingdom, but now through our Lord, his only-begotten, his kingdom is given to us. And the title of the Son of his love—not that Christ is the Son of the love of God, but just as certain sons of disobedience and other sons of hell, and the devil is a son of destruction, and another son of this was named, who joined himself to him and added himself, being not a son by nature but by the familiarity of manner—in this way also the Savior was called the Son of the love of God, because he is not only a Son of God by nature but also by the genuineness of love; for the Father loves the Son, he says, and has given all to him.

That the Father delivered us into his hands; or that having loved us, he suffered on our behalf. Thus it must be read: into the kingdom of the love of his Son.

And before the flood and after the flood, before the law and in the law, there were angels ministering to God for our salvation, but they did not establish us. But now God, through the administration of the Lord, has transferred us into his kingdom. Whom he loved: for indeed he loves angels as servants, but Christ as a Son. Therefore he did not lead you into the kingdom of the angels, but into the kingdom of the Son of his love. We are under the heir, not under the slaves.

Thus he says 'Son of love', because he is loved as a son, not because he is of the love of God; for neither are the sons of this disobedience sons by nature, nor are the sons of this Gehenna children, nor is the devil a son by nature of destruction, nor is the adversary a son of sin; likewise, the Lord is not a son of love. But since we are loved slaves, and the Son is loved as a son, he said: of the Son of his love.

Thus: he transferred us into the kingdom of the love of his Son. Because the Son, having loved us, suffered on our behalf so that he might make us worthy of his kingdom, for this reason he says: he transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of his love; for having the unchanging relation toward the one begotten, according to the loving and benefiting of sinners, he is the icon of the Father.

He intends to say that he was before: for if he were not before all, how would all things be created in him? And in him he said all things are being created, so that, having turned away from hoping in angels, we might have hope in Christ; and the 'in him' is instead of 'through him'. These things are said toward the Jews, so that they might not think from then on that he is of that which came into being in the flesh with them. All things were created through him and unto him. Instead of the cause of creation turning toward him, he said 'into him', meaning that nothing of the created things is outside him, but all things are contained by him. And all things consist in him; that is, through him, or instead of being in his will and power to hold all things together according to the mystery that is hidden in God, the one who created all things. In order to show you that he also is before all, he has said that also...

3Having been born firstborn of all creation. And by the inference, this shows it more, saying that all things were created in him. For if he was not before all things, how were all things created in him? So that the term 'firstborn' is not strictly applied, since it is contrary to 'only-begotten'; for by nature the only-begotten is the only one of the Father, but the firstborn is he who has other brothers, of whom he is first. It is not possible to take both terms in the strict sense.

But he said that all things were created in him, so that, turning away from hoping in angels, we might have our hopes in Christ. And Paul has this as the reason for his theology, to show him as the Creator of all creation. And what is said 'in him' is instead 'through him'. Just as he said him to be the firstborn of all creation, being before the creation (Col 1:15-17), so he is firstborn from the dead, having risen before all other dead unto incorruption (Col 1:18). For no one would say that the risen dead will all be brothers of Christ, and for this reason it is said toward the end: for the majority are sinners and ungodly. So also in the present text, time passes just as it does here. So that he might become first in all things.

In all, in what way? According to the economy; for first in obedience, first in baptism, first in citizenship, first in suffering, first from the dead, so that it is fitting for him to be first in all, having become the beginning to those who follow. And he is the head of the body, the church. Creator indeed of creation, but also Creator of our return. So that he might become first in all things himself. For if he is head of the church and firstborn from the dead, and first in citizenship, and first in sufferings, and first in obedience, and first in baptism: he himself is first in all according to the economy.

This has the sequence toward him being the head of the church. And he said 'fullness' referring to the church, which is rightly and already said of him because the church is being filled with the Holy Spirit. He says, however, that Christ was pleased that all the fullness should dwell in him, and thus through himself to reconcile and to unify all things to himself. In the epistle to the Ephesians, he was showing that the church is called the fullness of God (Eph 1:23). Therefore God was pleased with the fullness of himself, that is, the church being filled...

the rectifications for the world

4you are filled in him, instead of being filled through him

Circumcision is for the Jew, but sin is for soul and body. He remained in that way entirely. He calls the circumcision of the flesh sin.

When the law was given, which condemns those who transgress (Col 2:14–15), all the people of Israel, standing, cried out, and they consented to those things being said, accepting them; and the consent became like a handwritten document. This, then, the handwritten document, the consent toward the law, Christ erased with his own dogmas; for he demonstrated according to the observances of the law, as regarding uncleanness, that it is not the things entering but the things exiting that defile a man, and regarding the keeping of the Sabbath, that he healed in the Sabbath; and one will find many other such things. Previously, therefore, he abolished the punishments of the law against sinners by the dogmas of sin, giving forgiveness of sins and repentance unto salvation. And since the people said 'Amen' in the curses, it was cast as a sub-script to the handwritten document.

Having stripped off the rulers and the authorities, he demonstrated in boldness, triumphing in the cross (Col 2:15). Since through the stripping off and the laying aside of the flesh he brought down the opposing powers, having stripped off the rulers and the authorities, he boldly demonstrated, triumphing over them in it. For even until the cross and even death, our Lord was being revealed as being both God and Son of God, and with miracles he struck, but with the body he was covered; therefore also the Satan tempted him, desiring to learn if he is the one being proclaimed by the prophets, so that if he might learn that he is, he might obstruct the economy. But the evil one did not prevail, for he was not able to learn; so finally Christ was revealed.

And since he was crucified and died and was buried and rose and fulfilled all the things of the economy, he stripped off the hiddenness, and with a bare head he showed the divinity existing with the body. First, indeed, the resurrection from the dead was a work of God, then the ascent into the heavens, then the energy through the servants and the other saints in his name. Having stripped off the hiddenness, he demonstrated the opposing authorities in boldness. And what is the demonstration of these? That they are weaker than the...

5They have become men, because they are being trampled and played with in the name of the Lord. Others took 'having stripped off' instead of 'having stripped off'.

How did the handwriting that was against us erase itself? When the law was given, which condemns those transgressing, all the people of Israel cried out, accepting and agreeing; so then the agreement became a handwriting. Therefore, the handwriting was erased by the dogmas. By which ones? Those that free from the citizenship according to the law, but provide the citizenship in grace. Since he lived as a citizen on our behalf, loosening the disobedience and canceling sin, he was also led forward and bore our sins. By destroying these, he erased the diabolical power; instead of saying he stripped off the rulers and the authorities, he demonstrated it having stripped off, and through this stripping, he triumphed and exemplified the opposing powers. In himself, therefore, he stripped those off, and he triumphed through those things which he suffered and overcame.

Therefore let no one judge you (Col 2:16-18a). It teaches that the law is abolished, having erased the handwriting against us of Christ. And it teaches that also the evil one has fallen, of the Lord having stripped off and having exemplified the rulers and the authorities. It commands therefore not to obey any longer these things which have been abolished through the energy of Christ; so that neither, he says, let the Jews persuade you to keep the things that are under the law. For those were a shadow of the body of Christ, which is the church (Col 2:17). The shadow indeed runs ahead of the body, but it does not have standing by itself. Therefore he says: do not obey the law. But also, let no one lead you Greeks into worshiping angels or the elements of this world; for they enter into things which they have not seen with their own mind and with their own reason, being overthrown. Therefore, 'let no one judge you' is said concerning the Jews, and 'let no one condemn you' concerning the Greeks. He says: let no one encroach upon you, for he is already conquering and contending against the evil one. That which is a shadow of the things to come, but the body is Christ (Col 2:18).

6These things happened, he says, being a shadow of the things that were to come; and the shadow runs ahead of the body. Since therefore the shadow is the legal requirements, what is the body? The Christ is not a shadow. Therefore, having come the body, the shadow is superfluous.

In saying that we indeed are humble, but God is great and surpassing being healed by us. Since therefore until Him we do not reach, through His angels we are being led to Him and being brought to Him. And more highly he was saying: He who is head of every rule and authority, and now he says: Why are you returning to the elements and angels, having abandoned the head of these, which is Christ? Since they were saying that God is great, He is ungraspable, He is invisible, and we do not reach there. Because of this, since we do not make room for the Great One, through the angels we are being brought. And this is humility, he says.

From there he showed the aim which we speak of, that because of some to exhort by means of angels to be brought, because of this he was moved. (Col 2:19) It is necessary, he says, to have the head; for God the Word is the head of all. What therefore, having left the head, do you hold the body? For even if it has a reason of harmony joining two members or more, the power is of the angels. But therefore from the head comes to all the benefit, to angels as angels, to archangels as archangels, to the visible things as visible things. Set for me the heaven to be instead of a head to the world, instead of eyes the sun and the moon, and thus having arranged each part of the world in a growing order, you will find one body of the all. And just as soul is in a body and body of a soul, so the invisible powers are in the visible things. And of all these the head is more masterful, from which the benefit comes to the whole body, being supplied, it is evident, from the head.

If because of this, he says, you die with Christ, so as not to [the elements of the...]

8He enumerates. And having counted the man composed of these members, he exhorts to strip off the old man along with his practices; so that the old man is the mindset of sin, and his members are the practices of sins. And just as there is an old man, so there is also a new man, that is, the spiritual mindset; and his members are the good practices, as he enumerates, saying kindness, patience, and the following. Col 3:11 This is similar to the statement that all things may be in all (Col 3:11). And what he says is such: that in all those who think the things of God, God may work all things. For when you think the things of Christ and do them, he is the one doing through you and is in you. It is similar: that God may be all things in all; not heaven in heaven, nor earth in earth. But what he says is such: when you think and do these things, God is the one doing through you, and he is in you to do in you what he intends.

Col 3:14 If love does not precede, nothing of the required things is perfected; for then we both refrain from doing evil to one another and we care for doing good, when we love one another. Col 3:15 Let not those who mislead you be awarded, he says, but let the peace of Christ be the umpire in you unto being united to Christ; and become thankful. To whom? Evidently to him who called you in Christ, and do not run to angels. Let not those who mislead be awarded, but let the peace of Christ be the umpire in your hearts, that is, to be united to Christ and to think the things of him. Then again an exhortation. Col 4:1 To the slaves, he says, serving with goodwill, and you masters, according to what is just and equal, repay them with the proper care. Therefore, equality according to goodwill.