Colossians 1:9-12 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you… I. THE FOUNTAIN OR ROOT OF ALL CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. "That ye might be filled... understanding." 1. The thing desired is the perfecting of the Colossians in religious knowledge. (1) The idea of completeness up to the height of their capacity is given in "filled"; like some jar charged with sparkling water up to the brim. (2) The advanced degree of the knowledge is given in a favourite word which signifies mature knowledge, deeper apprehension of God's truth. (3) The rich variety of that knowledge is set forth in the clauses which may read "filled...so that ye may abound in... wisdom and understanding," or with "the knowledge of His will," i.e., manifested in that will. That knowledge will blossom out into every kind of wisdom and understanding. 2. The principles which these words involve. (1) That the foundation of Christian character and conduct is laid in the knowledge of the will of God. What concerns us to know is not abstract truth, or revelation or speculative thought, but God's will. No revelation has accomplished its purpose when a man has simply understood it. The light is knowledge which is meant to shape practice. Had this been remembered two opposite errors would have been avoided. (a) The error threatening the Colossians, that Christianity was merely a system of truth to be believed. An unpractical heterodoxy was their danger, an unpractical orthodoxy is ours. The one important question is, does our Christianity work? (b) The converse error to that of unpractical knowledge, that of unintelligent practice, is quite as bad. A numerous class profess to attach no importance to Christian doctrine, but put all the stress on Christian morals. What God hath joined together let no man put asunder. Knowledge is sound when it moulds conduct; action is good when based on knowledge. (2) Progress in knowledge is the law of the Christian life. There should be continual advancement in the apprehension of God's will from the first glimpse which saves to this mature knowledge. The progress does not consist in leaving behind old truths, but in the profounder conception of what is contained in them. The same constellations which burn in our midnight sky looked down on Chaldean astronomers, but how much more is known about them at Greenwich than was dreamed at Babylon. II. THE RIVER OR STEMS OF CHRISTIAN CONDUCT. 1. Worthily of the Lord. There are other forms of the same expression (Ephesians 4:1.; Romans 16:2; Philippians 1:27; 1 Thessalonians 2:12), in all of which there is the idea of a standard to which the practical life is to be conformed. (1) The Christian should "walk" in a manner corresponding to what Christ has done for him. We say that we are not our own, but bought with a price. Then how do we repay that costly purchase. Nothing short of complete self-surrender can characterize the walk that corresponds with our obligations to Christ. Repugnant duties then become tokens of love, pleasant as every sacrifice made at its bidding ever is. (2) The Christian should act in a manner corresponding to Christ's character and conduct. Nothing less than the effort to tread in His footsteps is a walk worthy of the Lord. All unlikeness to His pattern is a dishonour to Him and to ourselves. 2. "Unto all pleasing," which sets forth the great aim as being to please Christ in everything, and satisfy Him by our conduct. We are not to mind other people's approbation. We can do without that. What does it matter who praise, if He frowns? or who blame if He smiles. Nothing will so spur us to diligence, and make all life solemn and grand as the thought that "we labour that... we may be well pleasing to Him." Nothing will so string the muscles for the fight, and free us from entanglements as the ambition to "please Him who hath called us to be soldiers." Men have willingly flung away their lives for a couple of lines of praise in a dispatch. Let us try to live and die so as to get "honourable mention" from our Captain. III. THE FOURFOLD STREAMS OR BRANCHES INTO WHICH THIS GENERAL CONCEPTION OF CHRISTIAN CHARACTER PARTS ITSELF. 1. "Bearing fruit in every good work."(1) Here the man in whom the word (ver. 6) is planted is regarded as the producer of fruit. The worthy walk will be first manifested in the production of a rich variety of forms of goodness. The only true fruit is goodness; all else is leaves. Much of our work and its results is no more fruit than galls on oak leaves. (2) The Christian life is to be "fruitful in every good work." We should seek to fill the whole circuit of the year with various holiness, and to make widely different forms of goodness our own. Let us aim at this all round multiform virtue, and not be like a scene for a stage, all gay and bright on one side, and dirty canvas and stretchers hung with cobwebs on the other. 2. "Increasing in the knowledge of God." The figure of the tree is probably continued here. If it fruits, its girth will increase, its branches spread, its top mount, and next year its shadow will cover a larger circle. Fruitfulness in good works leads to increased knowledge, and all true knowledge tends to influence action. Obedience gives insight. "If any man will do His will, he shall know," etc. Moral truth becomes dim to a bad man. Religious truth grows bright to a good one. 3. "Strengthened... joyfulness." Knowing and doing are not the whole of life; there are sorrow and suffering too. (1) Here again we have Paul's favourite "all." Every kind of strength that God can give and man receive is to be sought after. And that Divine power is to flow into us, having this for its measure and limit — "the might of His glory." His "glory" is the lustrous light of his self-revelation; and the far-flashing energy revealed in that is the immeasurable measure of the strength that may be ours. (2) And what exalted mission is destined for this? Nothing that the world thinks great — (a) patience, including the idea of perseverance in the right course and uncomplaining bearing of evil as sent by God; (b) long. suffering, the temper under suffering considered as a wrong and injury done by man. (c) With joy — flowers beneath the snow, songs in the night. 4. Giving thanks unto the Father. This is the summit of all, and is to be diffused through all. Thankfulness should mingle with all our thoughts and feelings, like the fragrance of some perfume penetrating the scentless air. (A. Maclaren, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; |
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