"gentle, mild," comis, blandus, synonymous with exápiros. The latter meaning suits the context better, for the summons to gratitude appears very incoherent here; it has no place till the end of the section at ver. 17.-But the summons to let inward peace be also outwardly perceptible in mildness and meekness is connected very properly with what precedes. In Eph. iv. 32, the clause yíveoÛE Els áλλńλovs XPηoτoí, be kind to each other, answers to this passage.)

Ver. 16.-To these admonitions for the subjective wants of individuals an exhortation is now annexed with reference to the public worship of God in teaching, preaching, and singing. But what is necessary on this passage has already been observed at the parallel passage, Eph. v. 19, 20, which coincides with it almost word for word. Only in regard to the words at the beginning, which are peculiar to this passage, we may doubt whether the dwelling of the word of Christ is to be understood of its inward indwelling in the heart, or of the dwelling of the word of God in the church. Under the latter explanation, ἐν ὑμῖν would be = ἐν μέσῳ ὑμῶν. However, I prefer, with Böhmer, the former, and consider these words as the necessary presupposition to the διδάσκειν ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ κ. τ. λ. For there only, where Christ dwells in the heart with the fulness of his word, i. e., of his Divine power, which, as such, is the principle of truth and pure doctrine, can a successful teaching and preaching take place, and spiritual songs be pleasing to God. (The readings Taïç kapdíais and Oɛ are, with Griesbach and Lachmann, to be preferred to those of the text. rec., τῇ καρδίᾳ and κυρίου.)

Ver. 17. With the summons to do and say all in the name of Christ, and in gratitude to the Father, Paul concludes this general ethical part. On this passage, too, what was needful has been already observed at Eph. v. 20. With regard to the construction, it may be doubted whether πάντα is a resumption of the πᾶν with ποιεῖτε supplied, or is to be taken adverbially, so that exaρLoтouvтes is immediately subjoined: "in all that ye do thanking God." Storr defends this latter view. But it is clearly forced, especially because then πάντα must be taken quite arbitrarily = πάντοτε ; we therefore decide, with Bähr and others, for the former.

§ 4. SPECIAL MORAL PRECEPTS.

(iii. 18-iv. 19.)

Vers. 18-21 contain, in a few brief words, exhortations to wives and husbands, children and parents, which have been already treated of by us in the Epistle to the Ephesians in a more detailed form. (Here also, as in the Epistle to the Ephesians, the subordinate par

ties always precede those who are above them. See at Eph. v. 21, seq., vi. 1, seq.) Only in ver. 19 the phrase un Tiкpaívɛole пpòç avTás, be not bitter towards them, which is peculiar to this passage, requires a remark. The word Tкpaíνw occurs in the physical sense at Rev. viii. 11, x. 9, 10. Here it is used ethically. In the construction with Tрóç it is to be taken passively, "let not yourselves be exasperated against them." (Lachmann has adopted the reading TaρopуíšεTe in ver. 21; but it is, no doubt, derived from the parallel Eph. vi. 4. Here ¿pɛlíčεTE is to be regarded as the original reading.)

Chap. iii. ver. 22, to chap. iv. ver. 1.-The exhortations to Christian slaves and their masters which follow, have also been already discussed at the parallel passage, Eph. vi. 5-9, which corresponds almost literally with this, and to the remarks on which, in the Commentary, we refer.

Vers. 2-4.-Before Paul passes on to purely personal relations (ver. 7, seq.), he utters a further exhortation to prayer, and particularly an invitation to intercession for himself, and for a blessing on his labours. With this passage, too, the parallel one, Eph. vi. 18, seq., is nearly connected. We refer here, also, in general to the remarks there made in the Commentary. We only add to them what follows. In ver. 2 the preceding Tроσkартεрeiтε is more accurately defined in ypηyopoũvτes ¿v avτy. By "watching," here, no physical keeping awake is to be understood, but the spiritual wakefulness of the inner man, without which no perseverance well-pleasing to God in prayer is imaginable. But by iv eixapioría the more general πроσενXý is again more accurately defined. The Christian's prayer can never, in the consciousness of the grace which has befallen him, be anything else than a thanksgiving. In ver. 4 Lachmann reads di öv for de ő on the authority of B.F.G. No doubt the ov might easily have been changed into o, on account of the position of uvoTiptov; but the majority of the copies is for ő, for which numerous MSS. also vouch, reading dió. As to the rest, dédeuar points to the fact that this epistle was written during an imprisonment of Paul's; which, as was shewn in the Introduction, we are to refer to his first imprisonment at Rome.

Vers. 5, 6.-The exhortation to a prudent walking (verse 5) is found word for word at Eph. v. 15, to which we refer in like manner; only the restriction of the "walking in wisdom" (TEρITATEÏv ¿v oopía) to non-Christians (pòç Toùç ěžw) is peculiar to this passage. Eph. iv. 29 is parallel with ver. 6, as to matter, but not as to form. What is here expressed positively is there given negatively, thus: πᾶς λόγος σαπρὸς ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ὑμῶν μὴ ἐκπορευέσθω. The xápis, which is here recommended in conversation, points most to the necessity of meekness; the äλari prvμévos, seasoned with salt, which

follows, denotes, on the contrary, the animating and seasoning quality which should mark the speech of the believer at the same time, in order to be able to give every one such address and answer as becomes a child of God. At Mark ix. 50 it is said just in the same way, Exeтe Ev tavroiç äλaç. (See at Matth. v. 13.)

Vers. 7-9.-To these verses, too, Eph. vi. 21, seq., is parallel. As we have already remarked in the Introduction to the Epistle to the Ephesians, Tychicus brought both epistles, that to the Ephesians and that to the Colossians. According to ver. 9, Onesimus, of whom particulars will be noted in the Introduction to the Epistle to Philemon, was in Tychicus' company. (Ver. 7. 'Ev kupią refers not merely to σύνδουλος, but also to διάκονος and ἀδελφός.—Ver. 8. The reading yvete tà tepì ýμõv has such important authorities for it that we cannot hesitate to prefer it. Bähr thinks, as the same thing is put in vers. 7 and 9, it would be inconceivable that Paul should again have said in ver. 8 that he would communicate to the readers news of himself; it would be more reasonable to suppose he had here expressed the wish to hear through Tychicus something of the readers too. But that very consideration might easily cause the alteration of the original text. But a more accurate view also will shew that there is no mere repetition in these verses; for in ver. 7 Paul announces that Tychicus will make communications to the readers as to his state; in ver. 8 he remarks that he has sent this his fellow-labourer expressly for the purpose of making these communications; finally, in ver. 9 he speaks not of himself alone, but of all that was occurring in Rome, where he wrote. Here, therefore, he gives news of the circumstances of the church in general, not of himself alone.

Vers. 10, 11.-Paul first transmits greetings from some fellowcountrymen, born Jews, Aristarchus, Marcus, and Jesus with the surname of Justus. Aristarchus has already been named Acts xix. 29, xx. 4, and his name occurs also Philem. ver. 24. Marcus' name often occurs in the Acts, especially xii. 12, 25, xv. 37, 39, and he is also named by Paul at Philem. ver. 24; 2 Tim. iv. 11.-We see by this passage that he was connected with Barnabas which throws light on the relation of these two to one another, according to the accounts of the Acts. (See the Comm. on Acts xv. 37.) It does not admit of being determined what the addition περὶ οὐ ἐλάβετε ἐν· Toλás, concerning which ye received commands, refers to. It is to be presumed that the "commands" had proceeded from Paul, but it is wholly unknown through whom they had come to the Colossians, and what they embraced. Mosheim's opinion, that they must, from the words immediately following, have referred to the reception of Marcus if he came to Colossæ, is very improbable; because neither would the plural (¿vroλás) have been used, nor would the command

need to be repeated, if the Colossians were already informed that Marcus was coming, and was to be well received. The third Jewish Christian from whom Paul sends a salutation, Jesus, with the surname Justus, is known no further. Here we find that the name of Jesus is still given to other persons also; in later times it was disused in the church, out of reverence towards the Redeemer. It seems striking that Paul designates these three alone as his fellowlabourers in the kingdom of God, as he in vers. 12 and 14 transmits salutations from several more, who must surely, therefore, have also been in his circle. We may presume, however, that the μóvo refers to the preceding ovтes έk tepɩtoμns, thus designating these three as the only Jewish Christians who approved themselves to him as fellow-labourers in the kingdom of God, and so became a comfort unto him. For the majority of the Jewish Christians were his opponents, and prepared grief for him, instead of comfort. (Ver. 11. Hapηyopía is found in the New Testament only here. Plutarch often uses the term in the sense "comfort.")

Vers. 12, 13.-To this are annexed salutations from Gentile Christians, and first from Epaphras, the apostle of the Colossians and of the Christians of the neighbouring cities of Laodicea and Hierapolis. (See on Col. i. 7.) Epaphras was a Colossian born (ó vuv), and therefore took an especially hearty interest in his nearer and more remote countrymen. This interest declared itself by earnest prayer for them, which Paul compares with a spiritual wrestling and a labouring. The object of this supplication of Epaphras is the spiritual welfare of the Christians there: they are, as being perfect, to stand fast (with an allusion to the fight which the faithful have to wage in the world), and as πεπληρωμένοι ἐν παντὶ θελήματι τοῦ Θεοῦ. It is very intelligible that the transcribers stumbled at these words; in fact A.C.D.F.G. read пεлλnрopopnuevo, which Lachmann, in accordance with his critical principles, was obliged to receive into the text. But precisely the circumstance that ελnроpopquévoɩ is better and more easily connected with the σTTE Téλeo makes it more probable that it is a correction of the copyists. If, however, we compare at Col. i. 9, ἵνα πληρωθῆτε τὴν ἐπίγνωσιν τοῦ θελήματος, it is conceivable how Paul could employ along with Téλo the term лεπληρωμένοι. λnowμévo. To be filled but defines more closely perfection, as the being filled with the Holy Ghost is meant, by which alone man is made perfect. The words ἐν παντὶ θελήματι τοῦ Θεοῦ, in all the will of God, connect themselves quite naturally with πεñanрwμévo. For the interpretation defended by Bähr, "by means of, or by virtue of, the whole will or decree of God," is forbidden by the use of πãν. The whole will of God has unmistakably its reference to the ideas of perfection and of the being filled, in which it arrives at fulfilment. The connexion of manpovolaι with ev has no difficulty; at Eph. v. 18

we read πληροῦσθε ἐν πνεύματι, and we see no reason why that passage should be translated, with Bähr, "through the Spirit." Being filled by or through anything presupposes a being in that element, and accordingly λnpovoda is united immediately with v. But the referring of anpovolai here to the will, rests upon the view that God's will is one with his Spirit and Essence; "to be filled with the whole will of God" is to be made capable, through the Spirit, of executing the will of God in every relation. The two cities which Paul names in ver. 13 as near Colossæ are both situated in Phrygia. Laodicea, situate on the Lycus, was a very considerable city, to the church of which one of the seven epistles in the Revelation is addressed. (See Rev. iii. 14.) Hierapolis was only a small place, but has become celebrated in the ancient history of the church by means of the well-known bishops of the church there, Papias and Claudius Apollinaris.

Vers. 14, 15. Further salutations are delivered from Luke and Demas. It has been doubted whether the Luke named here is the Evangelist; for it has been said Paul meant by the designation ó largós, the physician, to distinguish this Luke from the well-known Evangelist, whom Paul, at 2 Tim. iv. 11 designates by no addition. But Bengel has already pertinently remarked in opposition to this, that in an Epistle to Timothy the person of Luke required no more definite designation, but it did in an epistle to a whole church, among the members of which might be many who did not know Luke more nearly. Therefore, not to multiply without reason the persons of the same name mentioned in the Bible, we take this Luke for the Evangelist. As to the rest, tradition differs with respect to his calling it is well-known that he is also designated as a painter; however, the two might be conceived as combined in him, the physician's art and love for painting, if the account of his works as a painter did not belong to too late a time to be able to lay claim to credibility. (See Winer's Encyclopædia in voc.) Demas, contracted from Demetrius, is brought in without an epithet of praise; as he, according to 2 Tim. iv. 10, again fell in love with the world, and forsook Paul, it is not improbable that Paul even then was not quite satisfied with him, when he wrote to the Colossians. Paul delivers salutations to the brethren of the neighbouring chuch in Laodicea, and especially to Nymphas and the Christians who were associated with the church which was in his house. (See on ἐκκλησία κατ' οἶκον at Rom. xvi. 5.) As to the rest, this man is not to be supposed in Colossæ, but in Laodicea; at Colossæ Philemon had the church in his house (Philem. ver. 2). True, there might have been several places of meeting in Colossæ; but the way in which Paul proceeds (ver. 16) to speak of the church in Laodicea makes it extremely probable that Nymphas belonged to it and not to the Colossian church. (The