An Exposition Upon Colossians, Biblical commentary 3 · Chapter 3 · Verse 24 – Verse 25
VERS. 24.
Knowing that of the Lord yee shall receiue the reward of the inheritance: for ye serue the Lord Christ.
In this verse Seruants are perswaded to obedience, by a reason taken from the retribution or reward of their seruice; and the matter of the verse is comprehended in this Syllogisme. What faithfull men soeuer serue Christ, and doe their dutie to him faithfully and cheerfully, shall receiue of Christ the reward of inheritance: but you Christian seruants, when you performe your obsequious obedience to your Masters, serue the Lord Christ, ergo, you shall hauehave the reward of the inheritance.
Knowing] Doctr: Seruants may and ought to know, and bee assured of their owne saluation.
Vse is for confutation of Papists, and vnsound men, that denie certaintie of saluation; for if seruants that hauehave not the greatest wits or knowledge, that are imploied about small businesses, that hauehave not so much liberty, nor learning as other men, &c. yet may be assured not by coniecture, or hope, but by certaine knowledge, by most vndoubted faith: then what colour of reason, can there be, why other Christians, the Lords people, should bee denied this knowledge? and therefore in the second place it should teach vsus to make our calling and election sure.
Reward] Doctr: The workes euen of seruants shall be rewarded.
Vse is for the comfort of seruants, and for reproofe of the vnbeliefe, that is many times in Gods children, doubting of Gods acceptation of their praier and holy indeauours; shall the base and secular workes of mens seruants be rewarded, and the great workes of Piety in Gods seruice not be regarded?
Of the Lord] God will be pay-master vntounto seruants, and in that they are turned ouer to God for payment, it implies that the most masters are careles and vnmercifull; and this they are not onelyonly in withholding conuenient food and raiment, but in sending their seruants after long time of wearie labour out of their Families empty, and without meanes to liue in the world.
Reward of inheritance.]
Two things are heere affirmed of heauen: first, it is a reward, and so free. Secondly, it is an inheritance, and so sure.
There are foure vses may be made of this Doctrine. 1. We should much louelove, esteeme, and desire heauen, it is the reward of God. Princes giuegive great gifts, but Gods least gift must needs be glorious. 2. We should learne to be liberall as God is liberall, giuegive freely, giuegive largely. 3. Heere is a plaine confutation of the merit of heauen, for heauen is an inheritance; now the Sonne doth not inherit the Fathers Lands, he hath not his Lands in measure according to his deserts, for most an end, the Land is purchased before the Sonne be borne; much lesse can we merit heauen, and the rather because we cannot alledge so much as this, we came out of the loines of the Father, seeing we are children but by adoption.
For yee serue the Lord Christ] Doctr: Christ is the chiefe Lord, and therefore masters should be well aduised how they vse their seruants, for they are Christs seruants; and seruants should be carefull how they obey their masters, for they must account to this Steward.
Thus of the first maine reason.
VERS. 25
But he that doth wrong, shall receiue for the wrong that he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.
Some take this twentie fiue verse to bee a conclusion of the whole Doctrine before concerning Familie-duties, as if hee would signifie, that hee would not hauehave this doctrine of houshold gouernment more contemned then the doctrine of piety or righteousnesse; for whatsoeuer wife, husband, childe, father, or seruant, shall doe wrong in the neglect or breach of these commandements, for the familie, shall be sure to receiue for the wrong hee doth, at Gods hand without respect of persons.
Some vnderstand the verse as a threatning to seruants, if they doe any way wrong their masters.
But the commonest interpretation is meetest, viz: to vnderstand it as a reason taken from the certaine vengeance of God against all Masters that wrong their seruants, and so is the second maine reason to vrge their obedience.
In the Verse I likewise obserue 7. Doctrines.
1 Masters must accompt to God for all the wrong they doe to their seruants in word or deede.
2 All Masters shall be punished of God that doe wrong, if they repent not, though they were otherwise neuer so greate, yea, though they were neuer so good or righteous men, for if good men wrong their seruants, God will require it, and chasten them for that aswell as for other sinnes.
3 The soueraignety of disposing an exact full and finall vengeance be longs to God onelyonly, men administer onelyonly a part or drop of it.
4 God will rise vp in the defence of the poorest and meanest Christians to right their wrongs.
5 Seruants may not right their owne wrongs and returne words for words or blowes for blowes, but commit that to God.
6 Seruants must be subiect not onelyonly to the curteous and iust, but to the froward and iniurious masters.
Lastly, God is no respecter of persons, or faces, hee cares no more for the master then for the man, all are one in Christ Iesus, there is neither bond nor free, Iew nor Graecian, rich nor poore, but Christ is all in all things, as is before declared, Verse 11.
Thus of the duties of Seruants.
Thus also of the Doctrine of the third CHAPTER.