κράτος τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ εἰς πᾶσαν ὑπομονὴν καὶ μακροθυμίαν μετὰ χαρᾶς·
^{12} εὐχαριστοῦντες τῷ πατρὶ τῷ ἱκανώσαντι
12 τῷ ἱκανώσαντι _ὑμᾶς_.
τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ] The ‘glory’ here, as frequently, stands for the majesty
or the power or the goodness of God, as _manifested_ to men; e.g. Eph.
i. 6, 12, 17, iii. 16; comp. ver. 27, below. The δόξα, the bright light
over the mercy-seat (Rom. ix. 4), was a symbol of such manifestations.
God’s revelation of Himself to us, however this revelation may be made,
is the one source of all our highest strength (κατὰ τὸ κράτος κ.τ.λ.).
ὑπομονὴν καὶ μακροθυμίαν] ‘_endurance and long-suffering_.’ The two
words occur in the same context in 2 Cor. vi. 4, 6, 2 Tim. iii. 10,
James v. 10, 11, Clem. Rom. 58, Ign. _Ephes._ 3. They are distinguished
in Trench _Synon._ § liii. p. 184 sq. The difference of meaning is best
seen in their opposites. While ὑπομονὴ is the temper which does not
easily succumb under suffering, μακροθυμία is the self-restraint which
does not hastily retaliate a wrong. The one is opposed to _cowardice_ or
_despondency_, the other to _wrath_ or _revenge_ (Prov. xv. 18, xvi. 32;
see also the note on iii. 12). While ὑπομονὴ is closely allied to _hope_
(1 Thess. i. 3), μακροθυμία is commonly connected with _mercy_ (e.g.
Exod. xxxiv. 6). This distinction however, though it applies generally,
is not true without exception. Thus in Is. lvii. 15 μακροθυμία is
opposed to ὀλιγοψυχία, where we should rather have expected ὑπομονή; and
μακροθυμεῖν is used similarly in James v. 7.
μετὰ χαρᾶς] So James i. 2, 3, πᾶσαν _χαρὰν_ ἡγήσασθε ... ὅταν
πειρασμοῖς περιπέσητε ποικίλοις, γινώσκοντες ὅτι τὸ δοκίμιον ὑμῶν τῆς
πίστεως κατεργάζεται ὑπομονέν κ.τ.λ.: comp. 1 Pet. iv. 13, and see below
i. 24. This parallel points to the proper connexion of μετὰ χαρᾶς, which
should be attached to the preceding words. On the other hand some would
connect it with εὐχαριστοῦντες for the sake of preserving the balance of
the three clauses, ἐν παντὶ ἔργῳ ἀγαθῷ καρποφοροῦντες, ἐν πάσῃ δυνάμει
δυναμούμενοι, μετὰ χαρᾶς εὐχαριστοῦντες; and this seems to be favoured
by Phil. i. 4 μετὰ χαρᾶς τὴν δέησιν ποιούμενος: but when it is so
connected, the emphatic position of μετὰ χαρᾶς cannot be explained; nor
indeed would these words be needed at all, for εὐχαριστία is in itself
an act of rejoicing.
12. εὐχαριστοῦντες] most naturally coordinated with the preceding
participles and referred to the Colossians. The duty of thanksgiving is
more than once enforced upon them below, ii. 7, iii. 17, iv. 2; comp. 1
Thess. v. 18. On the other hand the first person ἡμᾶς, which follows,
has led others to connect εὐχαριστοῦντες with the primary verb of the
sentence, οὐ παυόμεθα ver. 9. But the sudden transition from the second
to the first person is quite after St Paul’s manner (see the note on ii.
13, 14, συνεζωοποίησεν ὑμᾶς ... χαρισάμενος ἡμῖν), and cannot create any
difficulty.
τῷ ἱκανώσαντι] ‘_who made us competent_’; comp. 2 Cor. iii. 6. On the
various readings see the detached note.
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