An Exposition Upon Colossians, Biblical commentary 2 · Chapter 2 · Verse 1
VERSE I.
For I would ye knew what great fighting I hauehave for your sakes, and for them of Laodicea, and for as many as hauehave not seene my person in the flesh.
THe exhortation begun in the 23. verse of the former chapter,The order of the first part of this chapter. is continued in the first 7. verses of this chapter: wherein the Apostle propounds three other reasons for confirmation, and answers diuers secret obiections. The reasons are in the three first verses, and the answer to the obiections in the foure next.
The first reason is taken from the care the Apostle tooke for them in the worke of his ministerie, in this verse. The second reason is from the effects of the Gospell, viz. consolation and louelove, vers. 2. The third reason is from certaine adiuncts of the Gospell, viz. certaintie, sublimitie, and perfection, vers. 3.2.
Ob. But what needs all this a doe, might some of the Colossians say? Why are we thus tediously vrged, and with so many reasons?
Sol. vers. 4. This I say lest any man beguile you.
Ob. But you are a stranger to vsus, and absent from vsus, how know you our estate?
Sol. vers. 5. Though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am present with you in the spirit.
Ob. But it is vncharitablenesse to entertaine such conceits of vsus, as if wee were a people corrupt and fallen away.
Sol. vers. 5. For your present condition, I reioice in your order, being fully assertained of your present stedfastnesse of faith in Christ. But I write this to keepe you as you are, that you may not be drawne away.
Quest. But what would you aduise vsus? Tell vsus briefly, and at once, what you would hauehave vsus to doe.
Answ. As you hauehave receiued Christ Iesus the Lord, so walke in him, &c. v. 6.7.
Thus wee see the order and generall meaning and dependance of all these first 7. verses.
In this first verse the Apostle would stirre vp the Colossians to constancie in the Gospell receiued, by shewing his great care and daily strife for them and their good.
It is not vnlawfull in some cases to praise a mans selfe; the Apostle heere doth it: nor is it vnlawfull to vse rhetoricall insinuations, to winne and excite affection in the people. Paul would perswade by shewing his owne care for them. But sure it is, Ministers shall hardly euer profit the people, or powerfully perswade with them vntounto constancie in receiuing and retaining the care of their doctrine, vnlesse they shew their owne care in teaching, and their owne louelove to the people they would perswade.
What a great conflict.] Paul shewes his great louelove to them: hee fighteth for them, and this he did when in all likelihood he should imploy his cares for himselfe, being now in such straits, as it were in the middest of death, and the rather they should be affected with this proofe of his louelove in them, because they were absent from him.
For.] This for shewes an aitiologie; for it points to a dependance vponupon the last verse of the former chapter: there he had shewed what paine hee tooke, and how mightily the Lord had shewed his power in working through his ministerie. Now he tels of a fight and combat, which euidently imports, that when the Gospell workes vponupon mens consciences, and the ministerie of Gods seruants proues effectuall and powerfull, there will follow some stirre and opposition, there will be a conflict and strife.
Yet hence also may be gathered, that the grace of the Gospell is excellent, and worthie the hauing, else there would not be so much adoe to hinder it.
What great conflict or fighting.] foreign the originall word is diuersly rendred: some render it care or solicitude, some danger; sometimes it signifies a race, as Heb. 12.1. sometimes it signifies only to striue: but heere and in diuers places it is fitly rendred a conflict, or fighting, or wrestling. But leauing the signification, the matter is plaine, that if Ministers execute their offices sincerely, they must looke for a battle and opposition. Indeed the life of faithfull Ministers is but a continuall battle; they must looke to suffer and be shamefully intreated a1. Thess. 1.2.: if they be bold to speake the Gospell of God, it will be with much contention: if they discharge the trust God hath put in them, not pleasing men, but God that trieth the hearts bVers 3.4., warre they must, this is their comfort, it is a good warfare c1. Tim. 1.18, and a good fight d1. Tim. 4 7.: to vndertake the ministerie, it is to goe a warfare e1 Cor. 9 7 12. Enemies to sincere preaching..
If any aske how this fight should grow: I answer: First, it is manifest the deuill is the enemie of all goodnesse, and will crosse the Gospell what hee can: Besides, the flesh both in Ministers and people will lust and striue against the …pirit; a Minister should hauehave something to doe to beat downe his owne flesh f1. Cor. 9.27.. And in the Apostles times Tyrants with their ciuill or rather vnciuill sword did fight against the truth: so did heretickes with the tares and poison of their infectious doctrine: so did the Infidels also with slanders and outrages. And though these cease, yet opposition will rise from other sorts of men: for in generall all men of wicked life will be contrarie to sound doctrine g1. Tim. 1.10.; and particularly both worldlings and epicure, doe in all places discouer their dislike of the faithfull and diligent preaching of the Gospell, in as much as the word would restraine the excesse of their pleasures and cares of life; yea the ciuill honest men of the world, though they giuegive heauen good words, and can be long more quiet then the former, yet let once their inward corruption bee ransacked, or their speciall euils powerfully vnmasked, they will become like horses and mules, they will strike at all that crosseth the praise of their quiet estate. And for temporizers, it is wonderfull euident, that in all places they hold it a point of their care, to see that sound preaching be disgraced. For howsoeuer by Gods singular merciemercy amongst vsus in this Nation, by the lawes of the Kingdome, preaching is both established and protected with honour, yet because in practise people of all degrees tend to libertie, and many great ones like not that preaching that should discouer or restraine the greeuous excesses of the time: hence it is that such as serue the humours of men, and run in the current of prophanenesse, doe eueryevery where take all aduantages to disgrace painfull and godly Preachers and preaching. Besides, such is the hellish spight and rage of Papists and popish persons in all places, that in imitation of their holy father, who is noted to oppose and exalt himselfe h2. Thess. 2.4., they, especially the locusts among them are as horses prepared to the battle iReuel. 9., as soone as the Gospell begins in any place to be sincerely taught. Lastly, this opposition many times is made by corrupt teachers, men that either are poysoned with vnsound opinions, or otherwise be of corrupt and ambitious mindes, as Iannes and Iambres resisted Moses, so doe these resist the truth k2. Tim. 3.8., and withstand the words of faithfull men, and doe much euill l2. Tim. 4 14.15., these by cunning craftines he in waite to deceiue mEph. 4.14.. So that there are 12. opposites, that set against the sinceritie of the preaching of the Gospell.
Now if any aske how Paul, How many waies faithfull Ministers fight.and so eueryevery faithfull Minister doth fight against these: I answer, that as the aduersaries are diuers, so their sight is diuers also. For against their owne flesh they fight, by renouncing the world, and the care or confidence in worldly hopes, making profit and credit stoop to the calling of God.
2. Against the temptations of Satan and the many obiections by which he labours to discourage or hinder them, they fight by care, that is, by a daily studie, deui…ing how to aduantage the good of the Churches, deuoting their best desires for the peoples good.
3. They fight by apologie and iust defence, and so both against corrupt reachers, and the calumnies and slanderous reproches of the wicked.
4. They fight against the corruptions and abuses of the time, by reproofes and the denuntiation of the threatnings of Gods word. 5. They wrestle and fight euen in prayer to God,Col. 4.12. and so they fight by complayning against the iniuries of wicked men, or else by striuing with God himselfe to ouercome him by importunitie. 6. They fight euen by their sufferings: they winne many battles by their very patience, and faith in affliction, by enduring the fight of affliction.
The consideration of this fight, may first awaken carelesse Ministers, in as much as they proportion out such a course of preaching as they can escape blowes, it giues iust cause of suspition that they are combined with the enemie, in that they are let alone and not opposed.
Againe, this may both sound an alarme, to all faithfull Ministers to arme, and prepare for a fight: and it may comfort them, in that this hath been the case of the best of Gods seruants. And withall the people may learne how to be affected to their godly Teachers: doe your Ministers so many wayes labour and striue for you, and shall not you striue for them, by apologie, prayer, care, and all wayes of iust defence?
I would you knew] Q. Why was the Apostle so desirous they should know, his care, patience, fighting &c. for them? Answ. There might be great cause of it. 1. To remoue all conceit that he did not respect them. 2. To incourage them to constancie in that doctrine for which he suffered so much. 3. It might arme them with patience to suffer, if they should be called to it, considering his example. 4. That so they might be stirred vp the more earnestly to pray for him. In generall this shewes that it is not enough, that wee louelove one an other, but we must manifest it, especially affection between the Minister and his people should not be concealed.
For you and for them of &c.] There were two sorts of godly men in the Apostles times. 1. such as were conuerted mediately by the Apostles, in their own persons. 2. such as were conuerted by others sent of the Apostles. The Apostle here shewes he loues these latter as well as the former.
There is a communion with the absent members of Christ, euen with such as we neuer saw in the face, a communion I say in the same head, and in the same spirit, and in the same priuiledges, of a regenerated life. And we see here we are bound to desire and indeuour the good of the absent Saints aswell as the present, we may fight for the absent, by prayer, by apologie, by our sufferings, and by vsing the meanes of consolation or information, yea herein is a liuely tryall of our true louelove, to the brethren, if we can louelove them wee neuer saw, for the grace of God we heare to be in them.
For them of Laodicea.] Though there were many Cities of this name, yet I thinke this is the Laodicea mentioned Reuel. 3. If the estate of these Laodiceans be well marked as it is there described, we may obserue, That in matters of religion and Gods worship, they were neither hot nor cold, That they thought they had as good hearts to God as any, that they were in louelove with no sauing grace, that they were vtterly ignorant of the doctrine of their miserie, that they would take no paines either about iustification or sanctification, &c. yet no doubt God had his remnant among these, Christ was Amen in this Church, he did faithfully performe his promises, and they were such as by a new creation of God were begotten againe, euen amongst so carelesse a multitude. The generall securitie of a people, doth not simply dissolue the couenant with a people, and the Gospell is with all care to be taught, though but the tythe of men be wrought vponupon by it.
And for such as neuer saw my face.] Two things may bee here further noted.
1. That we hauehave the profit of the prayers and holy indeuours of such as we neuer saw in the flesh.
2. That it is a great benefit to enioy the presence, of those that are eminent in Gods seruice, for that is implyed in the words. Certainly it is one thing should make vsus willing to die, because then wee shall see the Worthies of the Lord, face to face; if so much griefe, Act. 20. because they should see Pauls face no more, then what ioy shall it be when we shall sit downe in the kingdome of heauen, with Abraham, Isaac and Iacob.