ἁγίοις καὶ πιστοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ἐν Χριστῷ· χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ Θεοῦ
πατρὸς ἡμῶν.
^3Εὐχαριστοῦμεν τῷ Θεῷ [καὶ] πατρὶ τοῦ Κυρίου
ἁγίοις] ‘_saints_,’ i.e. the people consecrated to God, the Israel of
the new covenant; see the note on Phil. i. 1. This mode of address marks
the later epistles of St Paul. In his earlier letters (1, 2 Thess., 1, 2
Cor., Gal.) he writes τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ, ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις. The change begins
with the Epistle to the Romans, and from that time forward the Apostle
always uses ἁγίοις in various combinations in addressing Churches (Rom.,
Phil., Col., Ephes.). For a similar phenomenon, serving as a
chronological mark, see the note on ἡ χάρις, iv. 18. The word ἁγίοις
must here be treated as a substantive in accordance with its usage in
parallel passages, and not as an adjective connected with ἀδελφοῖς. See
the next note.
καὶ πιστοῖς ἀδελφοῖς] This unusual addition is full of meaning. Some
members of the Colossian Church were shaken in their allegiance, even if
they had not fallen from it. The Apostle therefore wishes it to be
understood that, when he speaks of the saints, he means the true and
stedfast members of the brotherhood. In this way he obliquely hints at
the defection. Thus the words καὶ πιστοῖς ἀδελφοῖς are a supplementary
explanation of τοῖς ἁγίοις. He does not directly exclude any, but he
indirectly warns all. The epithet πιστὸς cannot mean simply ‘believing’;
for then it would add nothing which is not already contained in ἁγίοις
and ἀδελφοῖς. Its passive sense, ‘trustworthy, stedfast, unswerving,’
must be prominent here, as in Acts xvi. 15 εἰ κεκρίκατέ με πιστὴν τῷ
Κυρίῳ εἶναι. See _Galatians_ p. 155.
ἐν Χριστῷ] most naturally connected with both words πιστοῖς ἀδελφοῖς,
though referring chiefly to πιστοῖς; comp. Ephes. vi. 21 πιστὸς δίακονος
ἐν Κυρίῳ, 1 Tim. i. 2 γνησίῳ τέκνῳ ἐν πίστει. For the expression πιστὸς
ἐν Χριστῷ, ἐν Κυρίῳ, see also 1 Cor. iv. 17, Ephes. i. 1. The Apostle
assumes that the Colossian brethren are ‘stedfast in Christ.’ Their
state thus contrasts with the description of the heretical teacher, who
(ii. 19) οὐ κρατεῖ τὴν κεφαλήν.
χάρις κ.τ.λ.] On this form of salutation see the note to 1 Thess. i. 1.
πατρὸς ἡμῶν] The only instance in St Paul’s epistles, where the name of
the Father stands alone in the opening benediction without the addition
of Jesus Christ. The omission was noticed by Origen (_Rom._ 1. § 8, IV.
p. 467), and by Chrysostom (_ad loc._ XI. p. 324, _Hom. in 2 Cor._ XXX,
x. p. 651). But transcribers naturally aimed at uniformity, and so in
many copies we find the addition καὶ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. The only
other exception to the Apostle’s usual form is in 1 Thessalonians, where
the benediction is shorter still, χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη, and where
likewise the copyists have supplied words to lengthen it out in
accordance with St Paul’s common practice.
3–8. ‘We never cease to pour forth our thanksgiving to God the Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ on your account, whensoever we pray to Him. We are
full of thankfulness for the tidings of the _faith_ which ye have in
Christ Jesus, and the _love_ which ye show towards all the people of
God, while ye look forward to the _hope_ which is stored up for you in
heaven as a treasure for the life to come. This hope was communicated to
you in those earlier lessons, when the Gospel was preached to you in its
purity and integrity—the one universal unchangeable Gospel, which was
made known to you, even as it was carried throughout the world,
approving itself by its fruits wheresoever it is planted. For, as
elsewhere, so also in you, these fruits were manifested from the first
day when ye received your lessons in, and apprehended the power of, the
genuine Gospel, which is not a law of ordinances but a dispensation of
grace, not a device of men but a truth of God. Such was the word
preached to you by Epaphras, our beloved fellow-servant in our Master’s
household, who in our absence and on our behalf has ministered to you
the Gospel of Christ, and who now brings back to us the welcome tidings
of the love which ye show in the Spirit.’