Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Colossians 1:8
Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.
8. also ] “As he preached to you from us, so also he brought back from us to you the tidings, etc.” (Lightfoot.)
your love ] See on Col 1:4 above.
in the Spirit ] “In” Whom they were (Rom 8:9). Cp. Rom 15:30, where probably “the love” spoken of is that quickened in the hearts of the saints by the Holy Ghost. (See our note there. Cp. also 2Ti 1:7). “Love” is the first and ruling ingredient in the “fruit of the Spirit” (Gal 5:22), by Whom “the love of God hath been poured out in our hearts” (Rom 5:5), sure prelude and secret of a regenerate love to others.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit – The love wrought in you by the Holy Spirit. It was not mere natural affection, but love worked in their hearts by the agency of the Holy Spirit.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Col 1:8
Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.
The apostle rejoiced over the fact that the Colossians lived. This affirmation is to be proved.
I. There are various kinds of life–of the plant, animal, man. Man has several lives, that of the animal, since he has a body; that of the intellect, since he thinks; that of the heart, since he loves. It will not be contested that thought is the life of the intellect, for the one separated from the other is nothing: and so with the life of the heart–love. Some will say that it hates also. So it does, for we cannot love a thing without hating its opposite. But the life of the heart is not to hate and to love, because hatred is not the true object of the heart. It is impossible to produce fire without making ashes, but to make ashes is not the end of our labours. Hatred forms the ashes of the fire which love kindles, but it is not on those ashes that the heart lives. The hatred which springs not from love is not the life but the death of the heart; as error is not the life of reason. But the heart has another death which is egotism; which, however, involves hatred, for a man cannot love himself exclusively without hating others.
II. The life of the heart is supreme.
1. The life of the plant is inferior to that of the animal, that of the animal inferior to that of man, that of the body beneath that of the intellect, that of the intellect beneath moral life. Matter and form are far inferior to knowledge, and knowledge cannot be put on a level with love.
2. Then that which constitutes, the value of each of these lives is its relation to a superior life. Matter is of value as it does service to the intellect, and the intellect is degraded when it does not terminate in love. If therefore a man wants the principal life for which he has received all others, and does not love, he is dead.
3. The gospel uniformly gives supremacy to this life of the heart or love.
III. The love of which the apostle speaks is love in the spirit. What is this spirit? spirit in opposition to matter? and is the expression equivalent to spiritual love? Rather Paul means love in the Spirit of God, love which He teaches and inspires. But this does not exclude the former. For our spirit is the better part of us which the Spirit of God has come to set at liberty, that part of our being which holds communion with God. This love, then, is–
1. According to the Holy Spirit.
2. A spiritual love towards the true, just, divine, immortal.
3. And so not
(1) carnal affection, which is death (Rom 8:6);
(2) interested affection;
(3) mere natural affection; although these are consecrated and renovated by the Spirit, after which the creature is loved in and for God.
IV. The object of this love. God supremely and then others, forming one grand unity (Joh 17:23).
V. The greatest example of this love is Christ. In Him we know what love is, but it was manifested in Him that it might be diffused. His disciples are to reflect His love.
VI. This love being life, and animated by the spirit of life, is immortal. VII. Hell is the absence of this love. It is that empty heart which has been violently dissevered from its affections without being united to God, a heart which has need of love, and which finds no object to supply this want. (A. Vinet, D. D.)
Two reasons for love in the Spirit
The first, a general one, which regards the very nature of love: to wit, because the Holy Spirit is the author of it; and also because love flows from spiritual heart, i.e., from a heart regenerated and renewed. Hence observe the dignity of Christian love. For natural love, or predilection, arises from those inclinations which they call natural affections. Worldly love arises either from views of interest or from conformity of manners; carnal, from the appetite for pleasure. To all these something corrupt, sordid, and vicious always adheres. But Christian love arises from the Holy Spirit, and is altogether full of holiness and purity. The other reason why the love of the Colossians is said to be in the spirit is special, and hath respect to Paul himself; for, they had never seen Paul, but had only heard of him through Epaphras and others. Because, therefore, they had loved him whom they never saw in the flesh, they are said to love in the spirit. Therefore the word spirit is taken in the same sense as in 1Co 5:3. Hence observe, that the duty of every good man is, to embrace with spiritual love all good men, although known only by report. That any one may be esteemed worthy of our love, it is sufficient if he be known in respect to his virtue, although he be unknown in person. (Bishop Davenant.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 8. Your love in the Spirit.] So we preached, and so ye believed. The heavenly flame in the heart of this minister communicated itself to those who heard him; it was like priest like people. They enjoyed a spiritual, energetic ministry, and they were a spiritual people; they had a loving spirit, and love through the Spirit of God which dwelt in them. And of this love of theirs in the Spirit, and particularly towards the apostle, Epaphras gave full proof, not only by describing to the apostle the affection they felt for him, but in presenting to him those supplies which their love to him caused them to furnish.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Having with kindness and delight reported to Paul and Timothy, &c., what a spiritually fervent affection, not moved by carnal considerations, but inwrought by the Spirit, Gal 5:6,22, arising from a renewed heart, 1Ti 1:5; 2Ti 1:7, they had for Christ, for the gospel, the apostle, and all that did love the Lord Jesus in sincerity, Gal 6:10; 1Pe 1:22,23.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
8. your love (Col1:4); “to all the saints.”
in the Spiritthesphere or element IN whichalone true love is found; as distinguished from the state of those”in the flesh” (Ro 8:9).Yet even they needed to be stirred up to greater love (Col3:12-14). Love is the first and chief fruit of the Spirit (Ga5:22).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit. Not only their love to God, and Christ, and to all the saints, which is before mentioned, but their love to the apostle; though they had only heard of him, and of his great capacity for, and faithfulness and usefulness in preaching of the Gospel, which had greatly endeared him to them. This, he says, was in the Spirit; it was spiritual love, to distinguish it from a carnal and worldly one; they loved him for the spiritual grace that was in him, the spiritual gifts bestowed on him, the spiritual service he was engaged in, and the spiritual usefulness he was of: or they loved him in, and with their spirits, with all their hearts, sincerely, and without dissimulation; and though they had never seen him in the flesh, yet being, as it were, present with him in spirit, their affections were knit unto him: or this their love was “in the Holy Spirit”, as the Ethiopic version reads it; it was a fruit of the Spirit of God, which he had implanted in their hearts in regeneration, as is also love to God, and likewise to Christ.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Who also declared ( ). Articular first aorist active participle of , old verb, to make manifest. Epaphras told Paul about their “love in the Spirit,” grounded in the Holy Spirit.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Declared [] . Or made manifest. See on 1Co 1:11. In the Spirit. Connect with your love. Compare Gal 5:22.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “Who also declared unto us” (ho kai delosas hemin) ‘Who even showed to us” by his conduct, testimony, and devotion to Paul and his prison companions.
2) “Your love in the Spirit” (ten humon agapen en pneumati) “Your love in the Spirit.” This refers to the high holy spiritual love of brethren, who showed the fruits of the Spirit by their sending Epaphras to minister to Paul’s physical needs and assure him and his brethren that the brethren at Colosse cared for them. Gal 5:22-25.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
Love in the Spirit I take to mean, spiritual love, according to the view of Chrysostom, with whom, however, I do not agree in the interpretation of the preceding words. Now, spiritual love is of such a nature as has no view to the world, but is consecrated to the service of piety, (286) and has, as it were, an internal root, while carnal friendships depend on external causes.
(286) “ Mais est commencee et comme consacree a l’adueu de la piete et cognoissance de Dieu;” — “But is commenced and, as it were, consecrated to the service of piety and the knowledge of God.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(8) Who also declared unto us.This refers to news recently brought by Epaphras to St. Paul at Rome. He had been a minister in St. Pauls stead; he now, like Timothy afterwards, visited him to give account of his deputed work.
Your love in the Spirit.In the Spirit is in the grace of the Holy Ghostthe Spirit of love. The love here would seem to be especially love towards St. Paul, a part of the love towards all the saints ascribed to them above (Col. 1:4).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
8. Love in the Spirit Brotherly love, the impartation of the Holy Spirit. Epaphras had been careful to emphasize this side of their character.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Col 1:8. Your love in the Spirit The Apostle’s meaning seems to be, that their love to him was purely upon a spiritual account;for the sake of the doctrine that he taught; they not having reason to love him upon any inferior consideration, since they had never seen him. See ch. Col 2:1; Col 2:5.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
8 Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.
Ver. 8. Who also declared unto us ] His heart was over joyed with his people’s forwardness, and he could not but impart it to the apostle. It was a pride in Montanus to overly ween his Pepuza and Tymium, two pelting parishes not far from Colosse, and to call them Jerusalem, as if they had been the only churches in the world. But this was a commendable practice of Epaphras to relate to St Paul the good he found in his people, that he by an Epistle might further encourage and quicken them.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Col 1:8 . may be taken in the general sense of Col 1:4 , though many think it is their love to Paul that is meant; and this is favoured by . ., and perhaps by in Col 1:9 . is added to show that this love is in the Holy Spirit.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
also,&c. = declared also.
declared. See 1Co 1:11,
spirit. I.e. the product of the new nature. App-101.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Col 1:8
Col 1:8
who also declared unto us your love-By this he means that Epaphras had come to Rome and there told Paul the story of the Colossian church. Consequently, from Epaphras the Colossians heard the good news of salvation, and Paul hears the report of the good work at Colossae from Epaphras.
in the Spirit.-This implies genuine Christian love, which is the fruit of the Spirit. (Gal 5:22). The love here would seem to be especially towards Paul, a part of the love toward all the saints. (Col 1:4).
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Col 1:4, Rom 5:5, Rom 15:30, Gal 5:22, 2Ti 1:7, 1Pe 1:22
Reciprocal: Isa 11:2 – the spirit of wisdom Rom 15:14 – full Eph 1:22 – gave 3Jo 1:3 – when
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
(Col 1:8.) -Who has besides made known to us your love in the Spirit. It narrows the meaning too much to restrict this love to the apostle himself and Timothy-your love to us. Yet this is the view of the great majority of expositors, from Chrysostom in early times, and Erasmus and Grotius in later days, down to Bhr, Bhmer, Steiger, Huther, and Baumgarten-Crusius. But the language of the apostle does not warrant such a sense except by inference. Nor may the phrase be applied solely to brother-love, but, with Meyer, Theodoret, Heinrichs, and De Wette, we take it in a general sense as denoting the Christian grace of love. And the reason why this grace is selected and eulogized is evident from the concluding words-it was love in the Spirit-
. To give this phrase, as in the opinion of Rosenmller, a-Lapide, Trollope, and others, the mere sense of true Christian love, is a weak dilution. Nor can we with Wolf and others regard it as in tacit contrast to , a love based on domestic or national ties; or as if the meaning were-a love to the absent apostle which must be spiritual, as they had never seen his face in the flesh. The words, as in Pauline usage, refer to the Holy Spirit, and point out the source and sphere of this gracious affection. Thus, Rom 14:17, . Gal 5:22; Rom 15:13. will not stand for , as Grotius renders it. Not as if Epaphras had spoken only of their love, and had made no mention of their other spiritual attainments. But love is regarded as the crown and consequence of all the other graces, and the mention of it presupposed their lively and effective exercise. For this love is no affection based on common relations-such as human friendship or social instincts. It is the offspring of spiritual influence in a heart so full of antagonism by nature to what is good and pure. The Spirit of Him who is Love takes possession of the believing bosom, and exerts upon it His own assimilating power. And as love is at the same time the combined product or resulting fervour of the other graces, as it gives man his closest resemblance to God, as it is the life and glory of heaven; and as it is the great object of the gospel to create and perfect it in the church, it may be safely taken as the index of spiritual advancement. The more it is seen in its vivid sympathies with all that is fair and God-like, the more its genial harmonies pervade the churches, the more its chivalrous impulses are felt, the more token is there that the Spirit of God has been in powerful and characteristic operation, and therefore as the true summation or totality of its various spiritual gifts , a Christian community may be congratulated on its love. When Epaphras declared their love in the Spirit, he spoke of the result, and from such a result it was at once inferred what a Divine change had been wrought, and how the elements of that change had been surely and successively developed and matured. He that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him.
The reader will easily mark the course of thought. In Col 1:3, the apostle intimates that as he prayed, he gave thanks for them. Then naturally he tells the reason, but the telling of the reason in full prevents him from recording at once what formed the theme of his prayer. Now, however, in Col 1:9, he reverts to the contents of his supplications, and he says that he asked from God, for the Colossians, blessings fitted for mind, heart, and conduct,-a higher degree of knowledge, holiness, usefulness, persistence, and strength-all of them at once gifts of present possession, and elements of preparation too for future blessedness-all of them provided by the Father, and enjoyed by those who have been translated into the kingdom of His Son.
Fuente: Commentary on the Greek Text of Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians and Phillipians
Col 1:8. Epaphras had been associated with the church at Colosse, and could give a first hand report of its conduct to Paul and the other brethren in Rome. Love in the Spirit denotes their love was spiritual because it was prompted and directed by the teaching of the Holy Spirit.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Col 1:8. Who also declared unto us. Epaphras was with Paul at Rome (chap. Col 4:12), and had brought tidings respecting the Colossian Christians.
Your love in the Spirit. This love is that spoken of in Col 1:4, but here described as to its source and sphere; it was in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit; comp. Rom 15:30, love of the Spirit, i.e., wrought by the Spirit. The phrase is not to be limited to love to the Apostle, nor weakened into spiritual, sincere love. Notice: the Apostle commends where he can, even when he must also rebuke. Comp. the words of praise in chap. Col 2:5, preceding the most earnest warning. The mystical (Gnostic) errorists in every age have frequently deserved similar praise, but this should not hide, or excuse (still less be turned into argument in favor of) their errors. Epaphras, from whose teachings some of the Colossian Christians had swerved, gladly declared what was commend-able in the congregation.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 8
Your love in the Spirit; your Christian fellowship and affection.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
“Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.”
We see that “love” is a fruit of the Spirit in Gal 5:22. “In the Spirit” indicates our love – true love comes from God rather from our magnanimousness. Now some might argue with that, but Paul saw love as proceeding from the Spirit.
Fuente: Mr. D’s Notes on Selected New Testament Books by Stanley Derickson
1:8 {2} Who also declared unto us your love in the {e} Spirit.
(2) He declares his good will towards them, telling them that they must not still remain at one place, but go on further both in the knowledge of the Gospel, and also in the true use of it.
(e) Your spiritual love, or your love which comes from the Spirit.