{"collection":"Bible & Christianity","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/bib/cmt/vws/col004.htm","path":"bib/cmt/vws/col004.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/bib/cmt/vws/col004.htm","text":"Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent, [1886]\nMasters, etc.\nThe best texts attach this verse to the preceding chapter.\nRender (\u03c0\u03b1\u03c1\u03ad\u03c7\u03b5\u03c3\u03b8\u03b5)\nThe Greek implies on your part.\nEqual (\u03c4\u1f74\u03bd \u1f30\u03c3\u03cc\u03c4\u03b7\u03c4\u03b1)\nLit., the equality. Not equality of condition, but the brotherly equality growing out of the Christian relation in which there is neither bond nor free. See on Plm 1:16.\nContinue (\u03c0\u03c1\u03bf\u03c3\u03ba\u03b1\u03c1\u03c4\u03b5\u03c1\u03b5\u1fd6\u03c4\u03b5)\nSee on Act 1:14. Compare Act 2:42, Act 2:46; Act 6:4; Rom 12:12; Rom 13:6; Th1 5:17. Rev., correctly, continue steadfastly.\nWatching (\u03b3\u03c1\u03b7\u03b3\u03bf\u03c1\u03bf\u1fe6\u03bd\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2)\nSee on Mar 13:35; see on Pe1 5:8. In Eph 6:18, \u1f00\u03b3\u03c1\u03c5\u03c0\u03bd\u03bf\u1fe6\u03bd\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2 watching is used, on which see Mar 13:33.\nTherein (\u1f10\u03bd \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u1fc7)\nIn prayer. Compare thereunto, Eph 6:18.\nDoor of utterance (\u03b8\u03cd\u03c1\u03b1\u03bd \u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u03bb\u03cc\u03b3\u03bf\u03c5)\nRev., better, a door for the world. Compare Co1 16:9; Co2 2:12; Rev 3:8. See also entering in, Th1 1:9; Th1 2:1. And the parallel passage, Eph 6:19. There may be an allusion to a release from imprisonment.\nThat I may make it manifest (\u1f35\u03bd\u03b1 \u03c6\u03b1\u03bd\u03b5\u03c1\u03ce\u03c3\u03c9)\nCompare speak boldly, Eph 6:20. That connects with the clause that God-Christ.\nIn wisdom (\u1f10\u03bd \u03c3\u03bf\u03c6\u03af\u1fb3)\nCompare Eph 5:15, as wise.\nThose that are without (\u03c4\u03bf\u1f7a\u03c2 \u1f14\u03be\u03c9)\nAs Co1 5:12, Co1 5:13; Th1 4:12. Compare \u03c4\u03bf\u1f7a\u03c2 \u1f14\u03c3\u03c9 those within, Co1 5:12.\nRedeeming the time (\u03c4\u1f78\u03bd \u03ba\u03b1\u03b9\u03c1\u1f78\u03bd \u1f10\u03be\u03b1\u03b3\u03bf\u03c1\u03b1\u03b6\u03cc\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd\u03bf\u03b9)\nCompare Eph 5:16, and Dan 2:8, Sept. The word is used in the New Testament only by Paul, Gal 3:13; Gal 4:5; Eph 5:16. The compounded preposition \u1f10\u03be has the meaning out of; as Gal 3:13, \"Christ redeemed us out of the curse,\" etc., and out and out, fully. So here and Eph 5:16, buy up. Rev., in margin, buying up the opportunity. The favorable opportunity becomes ours at the price of duty.\nSeasoned with salt (\u1f05\u03bb\u03b1\u03c4\u03b9 \u1f20\u03c1\u03c4\u03c5\u03bc\u03ad\u03bd\u03bf\u03c2)\nBoth words only here in Paul. The metaphor is from the office of salt in rendering palatable. Both in Greek and Latin authors, salt was used to express the pungency and wittiness of speech. Horace speaks of having praised a poet for rubbing the city with abundant salt, i.e., for having wittily satirized certain parties so as to make them smart as if rubbed with salt, and so as to excite the laughter of those who are not hit (\"Satires,\" 1 x., 3). Lightfoot gives some interesting citations from Plutarch, in which, as here, grace and salt are combined. Thus: \"The many call salt \u03c7\u03ac\u03c1\u03b9\u03c4\u03b1\u03c2 graces, because, mingled with most things, it makes them agreeable and pleasant to the taste.\" Seasoned is, literally, prepared. It is not likely that the fact has any connection with this expression, but it is interesting to recall Herodotus' story of a salt lake in the neighborhood of Colossae, which has been identified, and which still supplies the whole surrounding country with salt (vii., 30). The exhortation to well-seasoned and becoming speech is expanded in Eph 4:29; Eph 5:4, in a warning against corrupt communication.\nTychicus\nMentioned Act 20:4; Eph 6:21; Ti2 4:12; Tit 3:12.\nMinister (\u03b4\u03b9\u03ac\u03ba\u03bf\u03bd\u03bf\u03c2)\nProbably to Paul himself. Compare Act 19:22; Act 20:4. Scarcely in the official sense of deacon.\nFellow-servant (\u03c3\u03cd\u03bd\u03b4\u03bf\u03c5\u03bb\u03bf\u03c2)\nUsed by Paul only here and Col 1:7, of Epaphras. By this term he designates Tychicus as, in common with himself, a servant of Jesus Christ. Probably not with a strict, but with a quasi official reference.\nI have sent\nEpistolary aorist. Tychicus carried the letter.\nHe might know your estate (\u03b3\u03bd\u1ff7 \u03c4\u1f70 \u03c0\u03b5\u03c1\u1f76 \u1f51\u03bc\u1ff6\u03bd)\nThe correct reading is \u03b3\u03bd\u1ff6\u03c4\u03b5 \u03c4\u1f70 \u03c0\u03b5\u03c1\u1f76 \u1f21\u03bc\u1ff6\u03bd ye might know the things about us, or our estate. Compare Eph 6:21.\nOnesimus\nSee on Plm 1:10.\nThe faithful and beloved brother\nWhom the Colossians had known only as the worthless, runaway slave. See Plm 1:11, Plm 1:16.\nAristarchus, my fellow-prisoner\nSee on Plm 1:23, Plm 1:24. Unnecessary difficulty is made over the fact that the term fellow-prisoner is applied to Epaphras in Plm 1:23, and not to Aristarchus; while here the case is reversed. It is not necessary to suppose that the two had changed places, or that the captivity was voluntary, if a literal captivity was meant. All the three terms fellow-prisoner, fellow-servant, fellow-worker - might be applied to both; and, as Dwight remarks, \"Reasons unknown to us may easily have determined the use of one word or the other, independently of the question as to the particular time when they were in imprisonment.\"\nMark\nSee on Plm 1:24.\nSister's son (\u1f00\u03bd\u03b5\u03c8\u03b9\u03cc\u03c2)\nOnly here in the New Testament. Rev., correctly, cousin. The sense of nephew did not attach to the word until very late. Lightfoot remains that this incidental notice explains why Barnabas should have taken a more favorable view of Mark's defection than Paul, Act 15:37, Act 15:39.\nJesus Justus\nNot mentioned elsewhere. The only one of these names not mentioned in the salutations of the Epistle to Philemon.\nHave been a comfort (\u1f10\u03b3\u03b5\u03bd\u03ae\u03b8\u03b7\u03c3\u03b1\u03bd \u03c0\u03b1\u03c1\u03b7\u03b3\u03bf\u03c1\u03af\u03b1)\n\u03a0\u03b1\u03c1\u03b7\u03b3\u03bf\u03c1\u03af\u03b1 comfort, only here in the New Testament. Properly, an address, an exhortation: an exhortation for the purpose of encouraging: hence a comfort. Plutarch, in his \"Life of Cimon,\" uses it with \u03c0\u03ad\u03bd\u03b8\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2 grief; a comfort, for grief; and in his \"Life of Pericles,\" of consolation for a dead son. Aretaeus, a medical writer, of the assuaging of a paroxysm. This word, and the kindred adjectives \u03c0\u03b1\u03c1\u03b7\u03b3\u03bf\u03c1\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc\u03c2 and \u03c0\u03b1\u03c1\u03b7\u03b3\u03bf\u03c1\u03b7\u03c4\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc\u03c2 soothing, are common in medical writings. So Galen, of soothing fictions, pretenses to quiet the diseased. Have been is, more strictly, have proved.\nLaboring fervently (\u1f00\u03b3\u03c9\u03bd\u03b9\u03b6\u03cc\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd\u03bf\u03c2)\nRev., striving. See on Col 1:29; see on Col 2:1. Compare Rom 15:30.\nPerfect (\u03c4\u03ad\u03bb\u03b5\u03b9\u03bf\u03b9)\nSee on Co1 2:6, Co1 2:7; see on Co1 1:28.\nComplete (\u03c0\u03b5\u03c0\u03bb\u03b7\u03c1\u03bf\u03c6\u03bf\u03c1\u03b7\u03bc\u03ad\u03bd\u03bf\u03b9)\nSee on most surely believed, Luk 1:1; and compare full assurance, Col 2:2. Rev., fully assured.\nIn all the will (\u1f10\u03bd \u03c0\u03b1\u03bd\u03c4\u1f76 \u03b8\u03b5\u03bb\u03ae\u03bc\u03b1\u03c4\u03b9)\nLit., in every will. Will means the thing willed, as Luk 12:47; James 5:30; Th1 5:18. Hence used sometimes in the plural, as Act 13:22, shall do all my will (\u03b8\u03b5\u03bb\u03ae\u03bc\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1), i.e., perform all the things willed by me. Eph 2:3, desires, strictly willings. So here the sense is, everything willed by God. The connection is apparently with \u03c3\u03c4\u03b1\u03b8\u1fc6\u03c4\u03b5 ye may stand. For a similar construction see Joh 8:44; Rom 5:2; Co1 15:1; Co1 16:13. As Meyer observes, this connection gives stand both a modal definition (perfect and fully assured) and a local definition (in all the will).\nZeal (\u03b6\u1fc6\u03bb\u03bf\u03bd)\nRead \u03c0\u03cc\u03bd\u03bf\u03bd labor, which occurs elsewhere only in Rev 16:10, Rev 16:11; Rev 21:4, in the sense of pain. \u03a0\u03bf\u03bd\u03bf\u03c2 labor is from the root of \u03c0\u03ad\u03bd\u03bf\u03bc\u03b1\u03b9 to work for one's daily bread, and thence to be poor. \u03a0\u03cc\u03bd\u03bf\u03c2 toil, \u03c0\u03ad\u03bd\u03b7\u03c2 one who works for his daily bread, and \u03c0\u03bf\u03bd\u03b7\u03c1\u03cc\u03c2 wicked, have a common root. See on wickedness, Mar 7:22. In their original conceptions, \u03ba\u03cc\u03c0\u03bf\u03c2 labor (Co1 15:58; Co2 6:5) emphasizes the fatigue of labor: \u03bc\u03cc\u03c7\u03b8\u03bf\u03c2 hard labor (Co2 11:27; Th1 2:9), the hardship: \u03c0\u03cc\u03bd\u03bf\u03c2 the effort, but \u03c0\u03cc\u03bd\u03bf\u03c2 has passed, in the New Testament, in every instance but this, into the meaning of pain.\nHierapolis\nThe cities are named in geographical order. Laodicaea and Hierapolis faced each other on the north and south sides of the Lycus valley, about six miles apart. Colossae was ten or twelve miles farther up the stream. Hierapolis owed its celebrity to its warm mineral springs, its baths, and its trade in dyed wools. It was a center of the worship of the Phrygian goddess Cybele, whose rites were administered by mutilated priests known as Galli, and of other rites representing different oriental cults. Hence the name Hierapolis or sacred city.\nLuke - Demas\nThe beloved physician\nSee Introduction to Luke.\nNymphas\nProbably contracted from Nymphodorus, as Artemas from Artemidorus (Tit 3:12): Zenas from Zenodorus (Tit 3:13); Olympas from Olympiodorus (Rom 16:15).\nThe Church\nCompare Plm 1:2; Rom 16:5; Co1 16:19; Act 12:12.\nHis house (\u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6)\nOthers read \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd their (so Rev., Lightfoot, Meyer). Others, as Westcott and Hort, \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u1fc6\u03c2 her, regarding the name as female, Nympha. It is difficult, however, to know to whom the plural can refer. Some explain, Nymphas and his family. Meyer refers it to the brethren at Laodicaea and Nymphas, and thinks that the allusion is to a foreign church in filial association with the church at Laodicaea, and holding its meetings in the same place.\nThe epistle from Laodicaea (\u03c4\u1f74\u03bd \u1f10\u03ba \u039b\u03b1\u03bf\u03b4\u03b9\u03ba\u03b5\u03af\u03b1\u03c2)\nThat is, the letter left at Laodicaea, and to be obtained by you from the church there. This letter cannot be positively identified. The composition known as the Epistle to the Laodicaeans is a late and clumsy forgery, existing only in Latin MSS., and made up chiefly of disconnected passages from Philippians, with a few from other epistles.\nWith mine own hand\nThe letter was written by an amanuensis, Paul adding his autograph.\nGrace be with you\nOn the benedictions, see on Co2 13:14. This short form occurs only here, Ti1 6:21; Ti2 4:22.","title":"Vincent's Word Studies: Colossians: Colossians Chapter 4","type":"page"}