Colossians 1:23 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
Colossians 1:23
If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
I · personal pronoun — 1st person nominative singular
Paul
ΠαῦλοςPaulos
G3972
(little · noun — nominative singular masculine, a proper name
made
ἐγενόμηνegenomēn
G1096
to cause to be ("gen"-erate) · verb — second aorist middle deponent indicative, 1st person singular
minister
διάκονος.¶diakonos
G1249
an attendant · noun — nominative singular masculine
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Hebrews 3:14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
Hebrews 3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
Matthew 24:13-14 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Hebrews 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
Acts 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the…
Colossians 1:5-6 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;
Romans 10:18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Colossians 1:12–end
Here is a summary of the doctrine of the gospel concerning the great work of our redemption by Christ. It comes in here not as the matter of a sermon, but as the matter of a thanksgiving; for our salvation by Christ furnishes us with abundant matter of thanksgiving in every view of it: Giving thanks unto the Father, Col 1:12. He does not discourse of the work of redemption in the natural order of it; for then he would speak of the purchase of it first, and afterwards of the application of it. But here he inverts the order, because, in our sense and feeling of it, the application goes before the purchase. We first find the benefits of redemption in our hearts, and then are led by those stream…
If--"Assuming that," &c.: not otherwise shall ye be so presented at His appearing (Col 1:22).
grounded--Greek, "founded," "fixed on the foundation" (compare Note, see on Eph 3:17; Luk 6:48-49).
settled--"steadfast." "Grounded" respects the foundation on which believers rest; "settled," their own steadfastness (Pe1 5:10). Co1 15:58 has the same Greek.
not moved away--by the false teachers.
the hope of the gospel-- (Eph 1:18).
which ye have heard . . . which was preached to every creature . . . whereof I . . . am . . . a minister--Three arguments against their being "moved away from the Gospel": (1) Their having heard it; (2) The universality of the preaching of it; (3) Paul's minist…
If ye continue in the faith - This will be the case if you, who have already believed in Christ Jesus, continue in that faith, grounded in the knowledge and love of God, and settled - made firm and perseveringly steadfast, in that state of salvation.
And be not moved away - Not permitting yourselves to be seduced by false teachers.
The hope of the Gospel - The resurrection of the body, and the glorification of it and the soul together, in the realms of blessedness. This is properly the Gospel Hope.
To every creature which is under heaven - A Hebraism for the whole human race, and particularly referring to the two grand divisions of mankind, the Jews and Gentiles; to both of these the Gospel…
The Church Fathers
And pray ye without ceasing in behalf of other men. For there is in them hope of repentance that they may attain to God. See, then, that they be instructed by your works, if in no other way. Be ye meek in response to their wrath, humble in opposition to their boasting: to their blasphemies return your prayers; in contrast to their error, be ye stedfast in the faith; and for their cruelty, manifest your gentleness. While we take care not to imitate their conduct, let us be found their brethren in all true kindness; and let us seek to be followers of the Lord (who ever more unjustly treated, more destitute, more condemned?), that so no plant of the devil may be found in you, but ye may remain in all holiness and sobriety in Jesus Christ, both with respect to the flesh and spirit.
"If so be that ye continue in the faith grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Gospel." Here he strikes a blow at their listlessness. And he said not simply "continue," for it is possible to continue wavering, and vacillating; it is possible to stand, and continue, though turned this way and that. "If so be that ye continue," he saith, "grounded and steadfast, and not moved away." Wonderful! What a forcible metaphor he uses; he says not only not tossed to and fro, but not even moved. And observe, he lays down so far nothing burdensome, nor toilsome, but faith and hope; that is, if ye continue believing, that the hope of the things to come is true. For this indeed is possible; but, as regards virtuous living, it is not possible to avoid being shaken about, though it be but a little; so (what he enjoins) is not grievous. "From the hope," he saith, "of the Gospel, which ye heard, which was preached in all creation under heaven." But what is the hope of the Gospel, except Christ? For He Himself is our peace, that hath wrought all these things: so that he who ascribes them to others is "moved away": for he has lost all, unless he believe in Christ. "Which ye heard," he saith. And again he brings themselves as witnesses, then the whole world. He saith not, "which is being preached," but hath already been believed and preached. As he did also at the outset, being desirous by the witness of the many to establish these also. "Whereof I Paul was made a minister." This also contributes to make it credible; "I," saith he, "Paul a minister." For great was his authority, as being now everywhere celebrated, and the teacher of the world.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Backsliding · Blessedness of those who keep from — Blessedness of those who keep from
Blessing · CONTINGENT UPON OBEDIENCE — CONTINGENT UPON OBEDIENCE
Contingencies · IN DIVINE GOVERNMENT OF MAN — IN DIVINE GOVERNMENT OF MAN
Decision · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Gospel, The · Preached to: Every creature — Preached to: Every creature
Hope · Obtained through: The gospel — Obtained through: The gospel
Minister, Christian · .OF THE GOSPEL — .OF THE GOSPEL
Perseverance · An evidence of reconciliation with God — An evidence of reconciliation with God
Preaching · UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO — UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO
Titles And Names Of Ministers · Ministers of the gospel — Ministers of the gospel
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
If ye continue in the faith,.... In the doctrine of faith which they had received and embraced; and in the grace of faith, and the exercise of it which was implanted in them; and in the profession of faith which they had made: not that the virtue and efficacy of Christ's blood, sufferings, and death, and reconciliation of their persons to God thereby, depended upon their faith, and abiding in it; but that faith and continuance in it were necessary means of their presentation in unblemished holiness and righteousness; for if they had not faith, or did not abide in it or if the good work of grace was not wrought upon their souls, and that performed until the day of Christ, they could not be pr…
Colossians 1:21-23
21. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
21. Et vos quum aliquando essetis alienati, et inimici cogitatione in operibus malis,
22. In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
22. Nunc reconciliavit in corpore carnis suae per mortem; ut sisteret vos sanctos et irreprehensibiles in conspectu suo:
23. If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
23. Si quidem perman…
preached all over the world (literally preached to every creature under heaven): The point of Paul’s hyperbole (exaggeration for emphasis) is that centers for preaching the Good News had been established in key cities throughout the Roman world (see also 1:6).
