Colossians 2:5

2:1-7 The soul prospers when we have clear knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. When we not only believe with the heart, but are ready, when called, to make confession with the mouth. Knowledge and faith make a soul rich. The stronger our faith, and the warmer our love, the more will our comfort be. The treasures of wisdom are hid, not from us, but for us, in Christ. These were hid from proud unbelievers, but displayed in the person and redemption of Christ. See the danger of enticing words; how many are ruined by the false disguises and fair appearances of evil principles and wicked practices! Be aware and afraid of those who would entice to any evil; for they aim to spoil you. All Christians have, in profession at least, received Jesus Christ the Lord, consented to him, and taken him for theirs. We cannot be built up in Christ, or grow in him, unless we are first rooted in him, or founded upon him. Being established in the faith, we must abound therein, and improve in it more and more. God justly withdraws this benefit from those who do not receive it with thanksgiving; and gratitude for his mercies is justly required by God.

Colossians 2:5 . Χαίρων καὶ Βλέπων , joying and beholding ) i.e. beholding with joy.— τάξιν , order ) lest anything should be out of joint (‘lame’), Hebrews 12:13 . Both individuals and those who are joined together should maintain order . Paul looks to those joined together, that they be knit together , συμβιβασθέντες , Colossians 2:2 .— στερέωμα , stedfastness ) that it may not easily lose order . Stedfast faith does not permit anything to be removed out of its order. This stedfastness is required in individuals, as the full assurance in Colossians 2:2 . Order is understood to belong to love Faith is stedfastness when it is itself stedfast.

Order (τάξιν) Or orderly array. A military metaphor, quite possibly suggested by Paul's intercourse with the soldiers in his confinement. See on Philippians 1:13. Steadfastness (στερέωμα) Only here in the New Testament. See on 1 Peter 5:9. The kindred adjective στερεός solid, occurs 2 Timothy 2:19; Hebrews 5:12; 1 Peter 5:9; and the verb στερεόω to make solid, Acts 3:7; Acts 16:5. The military metaphor is continued. Faith is represented as a host solidly drawn up: your solid front, close phalanx. The verb is found in this sense in the Apocrypha, 1 Macc. 10:50, "ἐστερέωσε τὸν πόλεμον, he solidified the battle; massed his lines. Compare Ezekiel 13:5, where the noun has the sense of stronghold: "They stood not ἐν στερέωματι in the stronghold." So Psalm 17:2, "The Lord is my strength;" stronghold or bulwark. The firmament, Genesis 1:6; Ezekiel 1:22. In Esther 9:22, of the confirmation of a letter.

(5) Absent in the flesh. —Comp. 1Corinthians 5:3 , “I as absent in body and present in spirit.” Your order, and the stedfastness.—The word “order” is used in 1Corinthians 14:40; the word “stedfastness,” or solidity, is not found elsewhere in the New Testament, though the verb from which it is derived is found in Acts 3:7; Acts 3:16; Acts 16:5, and the original adjective, from which the verb is derived, in 1Peter 5:9, “stedfast in the faith.” From the days of the ancient Greek interpreters downwards, it has been noted that both words have military associations—the one being used for discipline generally, and the other for the firm compact solidity of the phalanx; and (as in Ephesians 6:11-17) that the use of them may have been suggested by St. Paul’s captivity under military guard. If both words be referred to their “faith,” the Apostle obviously characterises it as having right “order” (or, harmony) in its various parts, and a strong “solidity” against all trials.

5. For—argument against their suffering themselves to be beguiled, drawn from a regard to his personal authority as though he were present. joying and beholding—beholding with joy. order—your good order; answering to "knit together" (Col 2:2) as a well-organized body; the same Greek as that for knit together, is used of the body" of the Church compacted," in Eph 4:16. Compare 1Co 14:33, 40. steadfastness—Greek, "the firm (or 'solid') foundation." As "order" expresses the outward aspect of the Church; so "steadfastness" expresses the inner basis on which their Church rested. The Greek literally implies not an abstract quality, but the thing in the concrete; thus their "faith" here is the solid thing which constituted the basis of their Church.

For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit - That is, I seem to see you; I feel as if I were there, and were looking upon you; and I have the same solicitude as if I were there, and saw all the danger which exists that your beautiful order and harmony should be disturbed by the influence of false philosophy; see the notes at 1 Corinthians 5:3 . The word "spirit," here, does not refer to the Holy Spirit, or to any inspiration by which the apostle was enabled to see them; but it is equivalent to what we mean when we say, "My heart is with you." He seemed to be beholding them. Joying and beholding your order - That is, I rejoice as if I saw your order. He had such confidence that everything would be done among them as became Christians, that he could rejoice as if he actually saw it.

Colossians 2:5 . γὰρ is difficult. Meyer thinks that the fact of his spiritual presence is mentioned, in contrast to his bodily absence, as a reason why they should not let themselves be deceived. Ellicott (after Chrysostom) thinks that he is explaining why he can advise them, it is because he thus knows their need. Lightfoot, Soden, Findlay and Haupt think he explains his warning by his personal interest in them.— καὶ goes closely with τῇ σαρκὶ . The dative is one of reference, and τῇ σαρκὶ is equivalent to “in the body”. There is not the least ground for the inference that Paul had ever been to Colossæ.— τῷ πνεύματι : not “by the Holy Spirit,” but “in spirit”. Paul’s own spirit is meant as in 1 Corinthians 5:3-4 .— σῦν ὑμῖν εἰμί : not simply among you, but “united with you through the warmest community of interest” (Sod.).— χαίρων καὶ βλέπων . Many take this as if it were equivalent to “rejoicing to see,” but it is questionable if the words can mean this. If the object of his joy is the condition of the Church, we should have expected an inversion of the order, first seeing and then rejoicing at what he saw. Lightfoot explains the order as indicating that he looked because it gave him joy to look. Ellicott assumes a continuation of the words σῦν ὑμῖν , “rejoicing with you and beholding”. Meyer thinks χαίρων means rejoicing to be thus present with you in spirit. It is very difficult to decide as to the meaning, possibly Ellicott’s view is best.— τὴν τάξιν καὶ τὸ στερέωμα .

A military sense is often found in both of these nouns, though sometimes (as by Ol.) it is restricted to the latter. Meyer and Abbott deny the military reference altogether. Both words are used in a military sense, but this is suggested by the context, and it is said that “here the context suggests nothing of the kind” (Abb.). Haupt decides for it on the ground of the connexion. If the terms had been general, Paul would not have placed his joy over their order before his mention of their faith. But in representing them as a well-ordered army, and then expressing the same idea under the image of a bulwark which consists in their faith, the order is correct. It is, however, very questionable if an argument from order of this kind is to be pressed. Lightfoot translates στερέωμα “solid front”. It may have simply the sense of firm foundation. Whatever the precise force of the words, it is clear that the Church as a whole remained true to the doctrine it had been taught.— πίστεως : cf. Acts 16:5 , 1 Peter 5:9 .

For though I be absent in in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit: to prevent any surmise that his distance at Rome might take him off from minding of them at Colosse, he shows that the great affection he bare to them did oblige him to interest himself in all their concerns, ( the care of all the churches being incumbent on him, 2 Corinthians 11:28 ), and therefore that his bodily confinement at Rome did not hinder his presence with them in spirit. Not that we can conclude, that by some extraordinary operation of the Holy Ghost God gave him now and then a clear prospect of what they did, as he did to Elisha of Gehazi’s behavior, 2 Kings 5:26 ; and to Ezekiel in Babylon of the secret actions of the Jews in Jerusalem; but that he was with them as with the Corinthians, 1 Corinthians 5:3 , when distant in body his thoughts and affections were exercised about them. Joying and beholding your order; as it follows there is moving of fears lest they shonld be insnared, so of joy understanding their order, i.e. their good estate, constitution, and consent in orderly walking and discipline, 1 Corinthians 14:10 1 Thessalonians 4:1 5:14 . And the stedfastness of your faith in Christ; and the firmament of their faith in Christ, it being (if genuine) as firm as the firmament itself; stable as the heavens and heavenly bodies, keeping their constant stations and regular courses, and admitting nothing heterogeneous into them: all heavenly truths are as fixed stars in this orb.

Seeing all grace, because Divine, hath an establishing proverty; so faith coming from the eternal mountains, all graces being connected in faith, which is a kind of firmament to them all, it comes to pass that faith, in actuating any true grace, gives a strength and further growth to every other grace.

Verse 5. - For if indeed I am absent in the flesh, yet in the spirit I am with you ( 1 Thessalonians 2:17 ; 1 Corinthians 5:3, 4 ). The connection of this verse with the last is not obvious. Ellicott, following Chrysostom, makes St. Paul's spiritual presence the reason for his being able to give the Colossians this warning; Meyer, his bodily absence the reason for their needing it. It is better, with Lightfoot, to see here a general explanatory reference to the previous context, a renewed declaration (ver. 1) of watchful interest in these distant brethren and a hearty acknowledgment of their Christian loyalty. The tone of authoritative warning just assumed (ver. 4) is thus justified, and yet softened (compare the apologetic tone of Romans 15:14, 15 ). The phrase, "if I am absent," does not imply a previous presence (see note, ver. 1). Rejoicing and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ ( Philippians 1:4-8, 27 ; 1 Corinthians 1:5-8 ; 1 Thessalonians 2:13 ; 2 Thessalonians 1:4 ). St. Paul dos not say, "rejoicing in beholding." The consciousness of union with brethren far away, whom he has never seen (ver. 1), is itself a joy; and this joy is heightened by what he sees through the eyes of Epaphras ( Colossians 1:4, 6-8 : comp. 2 Corinthians 7:7 ) of the condition of this Church. Τάξις and στερέωμα are military terms, denoting the "ordered array" and "solid front" of an army prepared for battle (Lightfoot, Hofmann): comp.