ἀπὸ τῆς ἐλπίδος τοῦ εὐαγγελίου οὗ ἠκούσατε, τοῦ κηρυχθέντος ἐν πάσῃ
κτίσει τῇ ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανόν, οὗ ἐγενόμην ἐγὼ Παῦλος διάκονος.
τῆς ἐλπίδος κ.τ.λ.] ‘_the hope held out by the Gospel_,’ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου
being a subjective genitive, as in Ephes. i. 18 ἡ ἐλπὶς τῆς κλήσεως
(comp. iv. 4).
ἐν πάσῃ κτίσει] ‘_among every creature_,’ in fulfilment of the Lord’s
last command, Mark xvi. 15 κηρύξατε τὸ ευαγγέλιον πάσῃ τῇ κτίσει. Here
however the definitive article, though found in the received text, ἐν
πάσῃ τῇ κτίσει, must be omitted in accordance with the best authorities.
For the meanings of πᾶσα κτίσις, πᾶσα ἡ κτίσις, see the note on ver. 15.
The expression πᾶσα κτίσις must not be limited to man. The statement is
given in the broadest form, all creation animate and inanimate being
included, as in Rev. v. 13 _πᾶν κτίσμα_ ... καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς
_πάντα_ ἥκουσα λέγοντα κ.τ.λ. For the hyperbole ἐν πάσῃ κτίσει
compare 1 Thess. i. 8 ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ. To demand statistical exactness in
such a context would be to require what is never required in similar
cases. The motive of the Apostle here is at once to emphasize the
universality of the genuine Gospel, which has been offered without
reserve to all alike, and to appeal to its publicity, as the credential
and guarantee of its truth: see the notes on ver. 6 ἐν παντὶ τῷ κόσμῳ
and on ver. 28 πάντα ἄνθρωπον.
οὖ ἐγενόμην κ.τ.λ.] Why does St Paul introduce this mention of himself
so abruptly? His motive can hardly be the assertion of his Apostolic
authority, for it does not appear that this was questioned; otherwise he
would have declared his commission in stronger terms. We can only answer
that impressed with the dignity of his office, as involving the offer of
grace to the Gentiles, he cannot refrain from magnifying it. At the same
time this mention enables him to link himself in bonds of closer
sympathy with the Colossians, and he passes on at once to his relations
with them: comp. Ephes. iii. 2–9, 1 Tim. i. 11 sq., in which latter
passage the introduction of his own name is equally abrupt.
ἐγὼ Παῦλος] i.e. ‘weak and unworthy as I am’: comp. Ephes. iii. 8 ἐμοὶ
τῷ ἐλαχιστοτέμω πάντων ἁγίων.
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