57 lines
3.5 KiB
XML
57 lines
3.5 KiB
XML
<div2 id="Col.i" n="i" next="Col.ii" prev="Col" progress="63.29%" title="Introduction">
|
||
<div class="Center" id="Col.i-p0.1"><h2 id="Col.i-p0.2">Colossians</h2>
|
||
<p id="Col.i-p1">Completed by <span class="smallcaps" id="Col.i-p1.1">William Harris</span>.</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<hr/>
|
||
<pb id="Col.i-Page_748" n="748"/>
|
||
<div class="Center" id="Col.i-p1.3">
|
||
<p id="Col.i-p2"><b>AN</b></p>
|
||
<h3 id="Col.i-p2.1">EXPOSITION,</h3>
|
||
<h4 id="Col.i-p2.2">W I T H P R A C T I C A L O B S E
|
||
R V A T I O N S,</h4>
|
||
<h5 id="Col.i-p2.3">OF THE EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL TO</h5>
|
||
<h2 id="Col.i-p2.4">T H E C O L O S S I A N
|
||
S.</h2>
|
||
<hr style="width:2in"/>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<p class="indent" id="Col.i-p3"><span class="smallcaps" id="Col.i-p3.1">Colosse</span> was
|
||
a considerable city of Phrygia, and probably not far from Laodicea
|
||
and Hierapolis; we find these mentioned together, <scripRef id="Col.i-p3.2" osisRef="Bible:Col.4.13" parsed="|Col|4|13|0|0" passage="Col 4:13">iv. 13</scripRef>. It is now buried in ruins,
|
||
and the memory of it chiefly preserved in this epistle. The design
|
||
of the epistle is to warn them of the danger of the Jewish zealots,
|
||
who pressed the necessity of observing the ceremonial law; and to
|
||
fortify them against the mixture of the Gentile philosophy with
|
||
their Christian principles. He professes a great satisfaction in
|
||
their stedfastness and constancy, and encourages them to
|
||
perseverance. It was written about the same time with the epistles
|
||
to the Ephesians and Philippians, A.D. 62, and in the same place,
|
||
while he was now a prisoner at Rome. He was not idle in his
|
||
confinement, and the word of God was not bound.</p>
|
||
<p class="indent" id="Col.i-p4">This epistle, like that to the Romans, was
|
||
written to those he had never seen, nor had any personal
|
||
acquaintance with. The church planted at Colosse was not by Paul's
|
||
ministry, but by the ministry of Epaphras or Epaphroditus, an
|
||
evangelist, one whom he delegated to preach the gospel among the
|
||
Gentiles; and yet, I. There was a flourishing church at Colosse,
|
||
and one which was eminent and famous among the churches. One would
|
||
have thought none would have come to be flourishing churches but
|
||
those which Paul himself had planted; but here was a flourishing
|
||
church planted by Epaphras. God is sometimes pleased to make use of
|
||
the ministry of those who are of less note, and lower gifts, for
|
||
doing great service to his church. God uses what hands he pleases,
|
||
and is not tied to those of note, that the <i>excellence of the
|
||
power may appear to be of God and not of men,</i> <scripRef id="Col.i-p4.1" osisRef="Bible:2Cor.4.7" parsed="|2Cor|4|7|0|0" passage="2Co 4:7">2 Cor. iv. 7</scripRef>. II. Though Paul had not
|
||
the planting of this church, yet he did not therefore neglect it;
|
||
nor, in writing his epistles, does he make any difference between
|
||
that and other churches. The Colossians, who were converted by the
|
||
ministry of Epaphras, were as dear to him, and he was as much
|
||
concerned for their welfare, as the Philippians, or any others who
|
||
were converted by his ministry. Thus he put an honour upon an
|
||
inferior minister, and teaches us not to be selfish, nor think all
|
||
that honour lost which goes beside ourselves. We learn, in his
|
||
example, not to think it a disparagement to us to water what others
|
||
have planted, or build upon the foundation which others have laid:
|
||
as he himself, as a <i>wise master-builder, laid the foundation,
|
||
and another built thereon,</i> <scripRef id="Col.i-p4.2" osisRef="Bible:1Cor.3.10" parsed="|1Cor|3|10|0|0" passage="1Co 3:10">1 Cor.
|
||
iii. 10</scripRef>.</p>
|
||
</div2> |