VERSE 27:
“To whom God would make known what {is}the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentles; which is Christ in you, the hope of gory:”
“To whom God would make known”
Literally: “To whom God willed to make known”— That is, He was pleased to make this known. It was concealed in His bosom until He chose to reveal it to His apostles. This was a doctrine which the Jewish people did not understand, (Eph. 3:5, 6).
WOULD: (Grk.–ēthelēsen)–Literally: “willed.” or “was pleased to make known.” He resolves all into God's good pleasure and will, that man should not glory save in God's grace. “Willed” stands emphatically first in the Greek. The revelation was so momentous in its issue, so signal in its method, and so contrary to human foresight and prejudice, that it proceeded evidently from “the will of God.”
“what {is}the riches of the glory of this mystery”
Literally: “what {are} the riches of the glory of this mystery”—God manifests to these how abundantly glorious this Gospel is among the Gentiles; and how effectual is this doctrine of Christ crucified to the salvation of multitudes.
This is the crowning wonder to Paul that God had included the Gentiles in His redemptive grace, “the riches of the glory of this mystery”–and that Paul himself has been made the minister of this grace among the Gentiles (Eph 3:1-2). He feels the high honor keenly and meets the responsibility humbly.
RICHES: (Grk.––ploutos)–The rich glory of this great, long-concealed truth. This is a favorite word of Paul’s to denote that which is valuable, or that which abounds. The meaning here is, that the truth that the gospel was to be preached to all mankind, was a truth abounding in glory.
GLORY: (Grk.–doxēs)–“The glory of this mystery” must be the glory which this once hidden, and now revealed, truth makes you Gentiles partakers of, partly now, but mainly when Christ shall come (3:4; Rom. 5:2; 8:17-18; Eph. 1:18).
This sense is proved by the following: “Christ in you the hope of the glory.” The lower was the degradation of you Gentiles, the higher is the richness of the glory to which the mystery revealed now raises you. You were “without Christ, and having no hope” (Eph. 2:12). Now you have “Christ in you the hope of the glory” just mentioned.
Paul, besides calling the Gospel a “mystery,” as before, ascribes “glory” to it; it is a glorious mystery, there is a glory in all the mysteries of it; it is a glorious Gospel, as it is often called, in its author, subject, matter, use, and efficacy: and also “riches” of glory, or glorious riches; containing rich truths, an immense treasure of them, comparable to gold, silver, and precious stones; rich blessings of justification, pardon, reconciliation, adoption, and eternal life; and rich promises, relating both to this life, and that which is to come; all which were opened and made known, not to the Jews only, but “among the Gentiles” also; who before were aliens, enemies, exceeding wicked, poor, blind, and miserable, but now, through the Gospel, were become rich and glorious, wise, knowing, and happy\
“among the Gentles”
Literally: among the nations”–What is, the glory of this truth is manifested by the effects which it has produced among the Gentiles. Because it is in the reception of the Gentiles to God's spiritual fold that the glory of this mystery is especially displayed.
VERSE 28:
“Whom we warning every man, preach, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:”
“Whom we preach, warning every man,”
Literally: “Whom we proclaim, warning every man”—This does not mean warning of danger, but “admonishing all of the claims of the gospel to attention.”
This is connected with faith, refers to doctrines, and is addressed primarily to the intellect. These are the two heads of evangelical teaching. The idea of Paul is, that he made it his great business to bring the offers of the gospel fairly before the mind of every man. As it had the same claims on all, as it might be freely offered to all, and as it furnished the only hope of glory, he made it the object of his life to apprize every man of it, as far as he could.
PREACH: (Grk.–katangellomen)–This verb originally meant to denounce, but in the N.T. it means to announce (angellô) throughout (kata), to proclaim far and wide (Acts 13:5). The noun form of this Greek verb is the root for our word, “angel.”
Paul, Timothy and all like-minded preachers against the Gnostic depreciation of Christ.
“warning every man,”–Of his lost state and condition by nature; of the wrath to come, and the danger he is in of it; of the terrors of the Lord, and of an awful judgment.
Showing sinners that they are unrighteous and unholy, that their nature is corrupt and impure, their best righteousness imperfect, and cannot justify them before God; that they stand guilty before him, and that destruction and misery are in all their ways; and therefore advise them to flee from the wrath to come, to the hope set before them in the Gospel. Here “warning” is connected with repentance, refers to one's conduct, and is addressed primarily to the heart
WARN: (Grk.–nouthetounetes)–means “to put in mind; to admonish; to exhort.” Old verb from nouthetês, “admonisher.”. Warning about practice. Our word “warn” is commonly used in the sense of cautioning against danger, but that is not the meaning here. The meaning here seems to mean “to exhort” or “to broadcast.”
EVERY MAN: (Grk.–panta anthrôpon)–Note that this is repeated three times in the verse. Paul impresses the fact that the gospel is not for a favored few, but for everyone.
The word “every” (Grk.–panta) is repeated three times in order to emphasize the universality of the Gospel against the intellectual exclusiveness encouraged by the false teachers. For similar emphatic repetitions of all or every, compare I Cor. 10:1-2, 112:13; Rom. 9:6-7; 11:32, etc. Something to remember, whenever the Holy Spirit repeats something in the Word of God, He does so for emphasis.
Paul is zealous lest the false teachers should seduce one single soul of Christ's people at Colosse. So each individual among them should be zealous for himself and his neighbor. Even one soul is of incalculable value.
“and teaching every man in all wisdom;”
Literally: “and teaching every man in all wisdom;”—Paul made it his business to instruct men, as well as to exhort them.
TEACHING: (Grk.–didaskontes)–About doctrine. Such teaching calls for “all wisdom.”
Exhortation and warning are of little use where there is not sound instruction and a careful inculcation of the truth. It is one of the duties of the ministry to instruct men in those truths of which they were before ignorant. See Matt. 28:19; II Tim.2:25. “Warning” is connected with repentance, refers to one's conduct, and is addressed primarily to the heart. “Teaching” is connected with faith, refers to doctrines, and is addressed primarily to the intellect. These are the two heads of evangelical teaching.
“in all wisdom”–In every form of wisdom. This is opposed to the idea of esoteric and exoteric wisdom presented by the false teachers; i.e., so-called higher knowledge for the few philosophic minds, and blind faith for the masses.
In Christian teaching the highest wisdom is feely open to all (comp. 2:2-3). The word has other forms of wisdom:
1. Esoteric: inner wisdom—that which is profounder and more abstruse, and which is reserved only for the cultivated few who can receive it.
2. Exiteric: outer wisdom—that which is more rudimentary and simple, and adapted to the popular comprehension.
The meaning is, that Paul and his fellow-laborers worked to display true wisdom in the method in which they instructed others. Not natural wisdom, but spiritual and evangelical wisdom; the whole Gospel of Christ, the counsel of God, the wisdom of God in a mystery, and all the branches of it. They were teaching “every man”
1. To believe in Christ for salvation, to lay hold on his righteousness for justification,
2. To deal with His blood for pardon, and with His sacrifice for the atonement of their sins;
3. To observe all things commanded by Christ, and,
4. To live soberly, righteously, and godly: by these two words, “warning” and “teaching.”
The several parts of the Gospel ministry are expressed; and which extend to all sorts of men, rich and poor, bond and free, greater and lesser sinners, Gentiles as well as Jews; and who are chiefly designed here, and elsewhere, by every man and every creature.
“that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:”
Literally: “that we may present every man full-grown in Christ Jesus”–When we come to appear before God.
Paul was anxious that no one to whom this gospel was preached should be lost. He believed it to be adapted to save every man; and as he expected to meet all his hearers at the bar of God, his aim was to present them made perfect by means of that gospel which he preached. But not in themselves, in which sense no man is perfect in this life; but in the grace, holiness, and righteousness of Christ, in whom all the saints are complete: or it may regard that ripeness of understanding, and perfection of knowledge, which, when arrived unto, saints become perfect men in Christ; and is the end of the Gospel ministry, and to which men are brought by it; (see Eph. 43); and to be understood of the presentation of the saints, not by Christ to Himself, and to His Father, but by the ministers of the Gospel, as their glory and crown of rejoicing in the day of Christ.
We should all aim at perfection; the apostle aims to bring all to this ideal. The high ideal is before, for which we all should aim. However, he whose sins are all blotted out will be counted perfect in the great day.
VERSE 29:
“Whereunto I also labor; striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily.”
“Whereunto I also labor;”
Literally: “For which I also labor”–Namely, “to present every man perfect in Christ.”
In order to accomplish this end, I labor with the utmost zeal and earnestness; and with all that strength with which God has most powerfully furnished me. God worked energetically in Paul, and he wrought energetically with God; and all this was in reference to the salvation of mankind.
In the word and doctrine, by preaching Christ, warning sinners of their danger, teaching them the way of salvation, and their duty; with this view, that, in the great day of account, he might bring a large number of them, and set them before Christ as the seals of his ministry, as instances of the grace of Christ, and as perfect in him:
“striving according to His working,”
Literally: “struggling according to th eworking of Him”–Not by my own strength, but by the power which God alone can give.
STRIVING: (Grk.–agōnizomenos)-–Literally: “struggling.” As to contend in athletic games, to agonize, a favorite metaphor with Paul who is now a prisoner.
The same Greek word is used of Epaphras (4:12), “laboring fervently for you in prayers:” literally, “agonizing,” “striving as in the agony of a contest.” So Jesus in Gethsemane when praying (Luke 22:44): so “strive” (the same Greek word, “agonize”), Luke 13:24. So Jacob “wrestled” in prayer (Gen. 32:24-29).
Compare “contention,” Greek, “agony,” or “striving earnestness,” I Thess. 2:2. In “conflict” (2:1) of spirit (compare Rom. 8:26). Our root word for “agonize.” Paul avows that he has power to “strive” in spirit for his converts, so far only as Christ works in him and by him (Eph. 3:20; Phil. 4:13). In “conflict” (2:1) of spirit (compare Rom. 8:26).
WORKING: (Grk.–energeian)–Root of our word “energy.” Paul is doing one of his play on the words here with the present passive participle of energeô, “to work.” See energoumenên (energy; energized) as in Eph. 1:19. Paul was conscious of God's “energy” at work in him “mightily.”
“which worketh in me mightily.”
Literally: “Who works in me in power”–God working in Paul was the cause of his working, and the reason why his work was efficacious in reconciling men to God through Christ.
MIGHTILY: (Grk.-en dunamei)–Literally: “in power;”– like dynamite.
Nowhere else do we find this consciousness of the Divine power indwelling himself expressed by Paul with such joyous confidence as at this period (cf. Phil. 1:20-21; Eph. 3:9, 20).