Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
16. the word of Christ ] The precise phrase occurs here only. It is (surely, though Lightfoot advocates the explanation, “Christ’s word to the Christian; His influence speaking in the heart”) the message of His Gospel, the terms of the revelation of His personal Glory, redeeming work, and holy will. This “ word ” might be conveyed in the Old Scriptures (see e.g. Rom 15:4; Rom 16:26; Gal 3:8; 1Pe 2:6), or by the mouth or pen of Christian Apostles and Prophets. Cp. e.g. Act 4:29; Act 6:2; Act 8:14; Act 13:26; Act 15:7; Act 15:35; Act 17:13; Act 19:10; Act 20:32; 1Co 1:18; 1Co 14:36 ; 2Co 5:19; Eph 1:13; 1Th 4:15 ; 2Th 3:1; 2Ti 2:9; Tit 1:9; Heb 6:1; Jas 1:18; 1Pe 1:23; Rev 1:9; Rev 6:9. Thus both O. T. citations and such Christian watchwords as 1Ti 1:15; 2Ti 2:11, would be “ the word of Christ ” ; and as each portion of the New Scriptures (2Pe 3:16) appeared and was received its words too would be “ the word of Christ.” The definiteness of the Gospel is powerfully emphasized by its designation as a word, a message.
dwell in you ] as what has become a permanent part of your thought.
richly ] See on Col 1:27 for St Paul’s love of the imagery of wealth. The heavenly “word” was to be abundant as a store (Psa 119:11) in their memories, and also as an element in their thought and utterance.
in all wisdom ] They were not merely to know “the word” verbally, but to handle and apply it with spiritual fitness and rightness. The supreme example appears in our Lord’s use of “the word” of the O.T.; Matthew 4 Such “ wisdom,” infinitely higher than that of the mere critical enquirer, would be learnt in communion with the Lord of the Word. Cp. Eph 1:17.
teaching and admonishing one another ] The Greek is out of grammatical connexion with the previous clauses, but fully intelligible. See Lightfoot’s excellent note. “ One another ” : lit. “ yourselves.” See note on Col 3:13; and on Eph 5:19.
“ Teaching admonishing ” : in the parallel, Eph 5:19 (where see our notes throughout), we have merely “ speaking.” The spiritual importance of Christian hymnody comes out impressively here. It is no mere luxury of devotion, certainly no mere musical pleasure; it is an ordained vehicle of instruction and warning.
psalms hymns spiritual songs ] Verbatim as Eph 5:19. To summarize our comment there; it is impossible to draw absolute limits between these kinds of sacred music; but on the whole the psalm may be exemplified by (in the O.T.) the songs of the Psalter, and (in the N.T.) those of Luke 1, 2, their Christian parallel; the hymn by the chant of the disciples, Acts 4; and the song or ode ( d) by such rhythmic “words” as those of 2Ti 1:11. This last citation is notably full of both “ teaching ” and “ admonition.”
“ Spiritual songs ” : not necessarily inspired, as Scripture, but pregnant with spiritual truth. Yet it is at least possible, from the recent mention of “the word of Christ,” that “songs” due to inspired authorship are here referred to, at least specially. Luther, master and lover of hymns, writes in his Version here, out of the fulness of his heart, mit geistlichen lieblichen Liedern.
with grace ] Lit., “ in the grace ”; conditioned by “ the grace given unto you.” “Grace” here is, in effect, the presence of God in the believer, with its holy, loving power.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Let the word of Christ – The doctrine of Christ.
Dwell in you richly in all wisdom – Abundantly, producing the spirit of true wisdom. That doctrine is adapted to make you wise. The meaning is, that they were to lay up the doctrines of the gospel in their hearts, to meditate upon them; to allow them to be their guide, and to endearor wisely to improve them to the best purpose.
Teaching and admonishing … – See this explained in the notes at Eph 5:19-20. The only additional thought here is, that their psalms and hymns were to be regarded as a method of teaching and admonishing; that is, they were to be imbued with truth, and to be such as to elevate the mind, and withdraw it from error and sin. Dr. Johnson once said, that if he were allowed to make the ballads of a nation, he cared not who made the laws. It is true in a more important sense that he who is permitted to make the hymns of a church, need care little who preaches, or who makes the creed. He will more effectually mould the sentiments of a church than they who preach or make creeds and confessions. Hence, it is indispensable, in order to the preservation of the truth, that the sacred songs of a church should be imbued with sound evangelical sentiment.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Col 3:16
Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly.
The Word of Christ
I. What is it? The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament.
1. Christ is their author.
2. He is their subject-matter–they testify of Him. Christ is the Word, the wisdom of God, the truth; and truth as well as grace came by Him.
II. How shall we treat it?
1. Let it dwell in us. It must not be as a stranger, or a visitor, or as an acquaintance with whom we are not specially intimate, or as a friend away and seldom seen, but rather as a resident member of our family with whom we are in constant and loving communication.
2. Let it dwell in you. It is not enough that it be in our house, study, pocket, and so at hand. It must be in our heart, pervading our whole spiritual nature, directing and controlling all our life and conduct. Thy Word have I hid in my heart. Out of the heart are the issues of life.
3. Let it dwell in you richly, plentifully, profoundly. This implies–
(1) An intimate knowledge of the truth.
(2) A believing, saving experience of the truth.
We should seek to understand it in its inmost compass; in all its bearings and relations, and then gladly receive it, in the love of it, into good and honest hearts (Jam 1:2). (T. W. Sydnor.)
The school of the Word
I. The lesson-book. The Word of Christ, so called, because–
1. He is its central theme. The beginning of the story of the race is told that the first Adam may prepare the way for the second: then the mass of the race is forgotten, and one chosen family selected because Christ was to come out of it. The songs, prophecies, teachings of the Old Testament are full of Christ, and its characters are as fragments of the perfect character of Jesus. The ethics of the book find their full manifestation in Him. The Gospels are biographies of Him, and the Epistles expositions of the truths of that biography.
2. It was originated by Christ. Some write of what they see or hear, but Christ produces the history He causes to be recorded. He not only breathed His Spirit upon mens minds that they might write its doctrines; He produced the facts which are the basis of the doctrines. Pardon is taught; but He made the atonement by His death. Immortality is taught; but He revealed it first by His resurrection.
3. He dwells in it. Men are in quest of Christ, and seek Him in sacraments and holy things and places. But we have not to ascend into heaven to bring Him down, etc. The Word is nigh thee. Christ is in His Word, not as Plato in his republic or Shakespeare in his plays, but as a living and operating power. My words are spirit, and they are life.
4. Through it He works. There is not a process of grace promised or commended that it does not promote.
(1) Conviction of sin. The entrance of Thy Word giveth light. The Word is powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword.
(2) Conversion. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.
(3) Salvation from sin. Thy Word have I hid in my heart, etc.
(4) Edification. The Word of His grace is able to build you up, etc.
(5) All sound Christian profit. Is profitable for doctrine, etc
II. The school.
1. The Church generally. Christ appointed the Church to teach His Word, and His Word forms the basis of her creeds, and the final authority when those creeds are questioned. It is to be exalted in her worship, commemorated in her sacraments, and proclaimed and defended in her pulpits.
2. The school of devotion; the prayer-meeting.
3. The school of experience; the class or fellowship-meeting.
4. The school of the family, where children learn theology, and the Divine character and administration, by object lessons, by what father and mother say and do.
5. But pre-eminently is the Sunday school the school of the Word.
III. The teacher.
1. His qualification. The Word is to dwell in him richly–in his tongue as its expounder; in his memory as a student; in his heart as a believer: so that when he prays he uses it, when he teaches texts come to his tongue-ends, and as he lives he illustrates it. It must so dwell in him that he will delight in it, love to quote it, go to sleep in times of storm resting upon it, and use it in the hour of death as the key to the kingdom.
2. His method.
(1) Teaching;
(2) admonishing;
(3) translating into life. (Bishop Vincent.)
The indwelling of the Word
There is nothing easier than to hear the Word with a general regard, and few things more difficult than to receive it as a principle of spiritual life. Satan hinders; cumbering with much business, diverting with trifles, or disturbing with wicked imaginations or affections.
I. The word of Christ.
1. In a special and limited sense this is the gospel, because He preached and published it.
2. In a larger sense it is both Testaments, for He is the author of both.
3. Then in listening to Bible teaching we are listening to Christ Himself. The Word is one of His titles, and He would have us honour it by honouring the Scriptures which testify of Him.
4. It is sometimes called the Word of the Kingdom, because it shows the way to the kingdom of grace, that we may be partakers of the kingdom of glory; the Word of life, because the instrument of regeneration and spiritual sustentation.
5. But though necessary, how many unnecessary things are preferred before it. It is the polar star which shines out in the spiritual firmament to point you to Christ; and yet in how many instances is the glimmering taper of human reason preferred! It opens a well of life; yet many choose the broken cistern.
II. Its dwelling-place.
1. It is to dwell.
(1) This points out a contrast between a settled and vagrant life. With the mere wanderer we hold little in common: the resident is well known. As you give yourself up to the study of the sacred oracles, the mind of the Spirit becomes imparted to your own.
(2) This is an allusion to Gods dwelling in the Holy of Holies. Christs Word is to be as the Shekinah.
2. It is to dwell within: not in the understanding merely to enlighten it, nor in the judgment to inform and convince it, but to be deeply seated and treasured up in the heart. I will write My law in their inward parts, etc. And unless it is so written it is quite certain that we have no interest in the covenant.
(1) It is to dwell there as a man dwells in his own house, which he is proud of calling his castle, and which is not as a temporary tent. If ye continue in My Word, etc. How many there are who give it only the entertainment of a wayfaring man who obtains with difficulty a lodging for the night, and in the morning is gone.
(2) In order thus to dwell it must be mixed with faith. Without faith it may produce various effects: it may make you, like Herod, do many things, and induce yon, like Felix, to hear Paul gladly; it may produce feelings of wonder, etc.; but it is only when received in faith that it can really profit.
III. The measure in which it is to dwell in us.
1. Richly: not as a scanty stream, but as a full flowing river. You are not to be content with partial views of Gods truth. The whole written Word is the souls pasturage. All Scripture is profitable. Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word, etc.
2. This requires prayerful searching, and much more than reading in haste a chapter in the morning or at night. We do not search after worldly wealth so.
3. This rich indwelling will be fruitful in
(1) comfort;
(2) holiness;
(3) revived spiritual life. (T. Watson, B. A.)
The indwelling Word of Christ
I. This exhortation is connected with the exhortation out of which it springs (Col 3:14-15); and with the outward expression in which it finds vent (Col 3:16).
2. The Word of Christ is not His personal teaching merely, but the whole Bible as His present Word, affording the materials of present speech.
3. Its indwelling is personal, and is not to be evaporated, as if it referred to the Church collective (Rom 8:11; 2Co 6:16; Eph 3:17; 2Ti 1:5; 2Ti 1:14).
I. Let the word of Christ dwell in you.
1. This implies a sense of the preciousness of Christ Himself realized by faith.
(1) No ones word will be precious to you unless he is precious whose word it is. The word of one you dislike will be contemptuously rejected; the word of one who is an object of indifference will pass swiftly by you.
(2) How much of the Word of Christ may be missed unless He is precious. In many parts you think that He is only dimly and distantly to be found, and even passages fullest of Him do not bring Him as speaking personally to you. But it is only as it does that that the Bible is the Word of Christ. A friends letter is his word to me when by means of it I call him up before me in his own loved person speaking to me. Then it dwells in me. Thus, through my love to Him and His preciousness to me, Scriptures which seem to have little to do with Him may become His Word to me.
2. The preciousness of Christs Word, as well as of Christ Himself, is essential to its dwelling in you.
(1) If Christ is precious, His Word must be precious. The word of a precious friend is precious even before you know what it contains. Its very outside is welcome. But it becomes more so as you study it, and especially if it be of real value.
(2) Most Christians can name a text apparently having little to do with Christ, which has become, nevertheless, one of His best remembrancers. It is connected with some marked crisis; as a whisper of consolation, a breath of pity in sinfulness, felt as the Word of Christ just then wanted.
(3) The way of finding Christ all through the Bible is not merely to get it to speak of Christ, but to get Christ to speak to you about it; and so to make it all His, i.e., let it all, every bit and fragment of it, be welded into your experience, with Christ living in you the hope of glory.
(4) This may be by the Spirit being given in answer to the prayer of faith. He teaches you all things as said by Christ. Do not force it to tell of Christ formally, so as to offend critics and offend ordinary readers. Take it in its plain meaning, but expect that Christ in it may have some lesson to teach; some comfort to impart; some rebuke to administer.
3. The felt preciousness of real present and living intercourse between Christ and you will cause the Word, as His, to abide in you.
(1) That Word sustains the intercourse, and is for colloquial uses. You are to dwell in Christ and He in you, but communion cannot long be maintained without language. We may dream of this mutual indwelling after some vague, sleepy fashion; but if it is to be more than a dream there must be talk between us. He Himself deals with this subject (Joh 15:7; Joh 16:23). This can only be realized by the Comforter bringing to remembrance whatsoever He hath said unto you. His Word, then, must be the staple of the verbal intercourse. He uses it in speaking to you, and you in speaking to Him.
(2) Thus used, it will dwell. Otherwise, while whole strings of texts or chapters may be retained in the memory, and may be glibly quoted, the virtue will be gone out of them. If you would have the Word to abide in you as the precious Word of a precious Saviour, you must always turn it to account in fellowship with Him.
II. Richly.
1. In quantity. Let the mind and soul be richly stored. Ah! how much there is of the Bible that does not dwell in you because you do not realize it as the Word of Christ; whole chapters that have not been linked to any gracious dealing of Christ.
2. In quality.
(1) A rich manure is one that enriches the soil; and it dwells in the soil richly in proportion as it enriches it, turning its hard, dry sterility into fruitful mould. So let the Word of Christ dwell in you as to enrich your souls.
(2) But it must be as the Word of Christ. For such is the poverty and perversity of the soil, that otherwise even the Word will, instead of enriching the soul, become partaker of its deadness, and end in being as salt which has lost its savour. The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life, making it truly the living Word of a living Christ.
(3) And how penetrating, as well as powerful, should be its virtue. It should reach to every nook of your life.
3. In correspondence to the riches of Him whose Word it is. Riches of goodness, glory, wisdom, knowledge, grace; unsearchable riches of Christ.
4. It is to dwell in you, not only as rich receivers, but dispensers. Freely ye have received, freely give. You are to be richly productive, fruit-bearing, in faith, in good works.
5. Notice the social hearing of the precept as embedded in the context (Col 3:12-15 on the one hand, and Col 3:16 on the other). In either view this indwelling is not to be like a mass of dead matter crammed into a dead receptacle; as bales are packed in a warehouse, or loads of unread learning are crowded on library shelves for show. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth, the life, the hand must speak. (R. S. Candlish, D. D.)
Indwelling of the Word of Christ
I. The Word of Christ.
1. The literal Word of Christ is one of the most wonderful things that ever has been in the world. Not from Roman rostrum, nor in terms of Greek philosophy, nor as a Jewish rabbi, but simply and naturally to simple and ordinary men wherever they could be got together, and as He spake the words seem to root themselves in the heart, and grew a living force in the life of the nation. Then came the alternative that He must keep silence or die; but He went on speaking till lie said, It is finished. Immediately on His resurrection He began to speak, and when He went away He left nothing behind Him but His Word. At that time His life and death were unknown powers, and He did not leave the least written explanation of them, nor were the Gospels in existence at the time of this Epistle; but there was the Word of Christ in its newness and energy.
2. Whether or not that Word would have lived without a literary embodiment we are not required to settle. For evidently it was Christs purpose to condense His living speech into writings for the instruction of men. And there is clear reference here to the written as well as the spoken Word. Thus the phrase takes its most comprehensive sense–the gospel–all that is revealed of God for human salvation.
3. Manifestly all this lies solely in the Scriptures. There is authoritative Word of Christ for us nowhere else. But here the Book is all His. He has fulfilled it, explained it, inspired it, made it a living Word from first to last, that He might by His Spirit give it living and blessed applications.
II. Its indwelling. Yield yourselves up as sacred dwellings to be occupied with it.
1. This means that other tenants are not to remain unless in full agreement with this chief dweller. Thoughts and words of men, plans of earthly ambition, pleasures of sin–away! All thoughts are to be ruled, all cares hallowed by it, and all enjoyments made safe and good. It must be this much, or it can be nothing vital. Christs Word in the morning, selfish prudence all through the day; Christs Word for religious service, the word of man for the mercantile transaction; Christs Word for sickness and death, other words for times of health and pleasure; will not do. The tenant will only occupy as sole possessor of the tenement.
2. Let it dwell. There is plenty of it to fill the wonderful house.
(1) Down to the deepest base of life it will go, where passions lurk, and flowing round and through them, it will purge away what is unhallowed, leaving only wholesome forces to strengthen and perfect character.
(2) Into the rooms that lie more open to common day, and more level with the world, where many busy feet come and go–where knowledge gathers her stores, prudence holds her scales, judgment records her decisions, diligence plies her tasks, acquisition counts her gains, and foresight watches the opening future; into all these the living Word will enter, and at her ingress the darkening shadow melts, the wrinkles of care are smoothed, and slippery things cease their blandishments, and injustice and unkindness hide their heads.
(3) Up higher yet, where imagination lights her lamp, and invention stirs her fires, and desire bends the knee, looking upward, and hope sits watching with nothing between her and the stars.
3. Richly–in its best forms and sweetest fragrance, with all its luminous, guiding powers. Fill yourselves with it. Open all the doors, fling wide the windows. You have only to do that. You have not to make the Word: it is nigh thee in thy heart and in thy mouth if thou wilt but let it dwell in thee richly.
4. But here is more than a mere passive allowance. There is a direct appeal to the will and to the activity of the mind. The Word, abundant as it is, will not come to dwell at all without consent and careful and diligent endeavour. Much wisdom is needed for the due remembrance and seasonable entertainment of the various parts in order to apply it to meet the wants of life as they arise. In this every man must be his own minister. We do not need the whole Bible every day; we need it as we need corn in the granary, as the lamps by night. There is many a passage in reserve. We glance at them to-day with only a general interest, but the day will come when they will be as thousands of gold and silver. Meantime it is a great matter to know what is daily bread for this day.
(1) Am I in the dark about myself, about the world? Then it will be wise to let the Word of Christ dwell in me as a revelation.
(2) Am I doubting and desponding, finding few signs of grace? Then let me remember the Word of Christ as a word of assured salvation, saving the eyes from tears, the feet from falling, and the soul from death.
(3) Am I, though calmed with forgiveness, very weak, and unfit for continuing the struggle of the nobler life? Then let me take some strong promise, adapted to the need, and drink it up as a tainting man would drink a cordial until I am refreshed.
(4) Am I sorrowing? Can I forget Let not your heart ,be troubled.
(5) Am I passing away from earth and time? More than ever do I need to take Him at His word: I will not leave nor forsake.
III. The outflow. One of the divinest and most necessary truths is that we must give in order to have. The Word of Christ, in order to secure continuance, must be always leaving us. Go among the mountains, and you will see that it is the living stream that flows away; and where it flows the grass is green, and the flowers bloom, and the cattle drink, and the children linger to dip the foot and hear the song. Yet the spring is in no way exhausted. It is fed by the drawing sun, the condensing mountains, the bountiful clouds, the wide sea. Let your inner life, nourished by the indwelling Word, have not ostentatious and noisy, but natural and continuous expression. Its light will come to you from the land of lights. So will you draw from the infinite ocean of Divine love (see Col 3:16-17). A beautiful life; a life of poetry and heart music; a life, too, open alike to all. (A. Raleigh, D. D.)
Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.
I.
II. Hymns. While the psalm by right of primogeniture, as at once the oldest and most venerable, occupies the foremost place, the Church of Christ does not restrict herself to such, but claims the freedom of bringing new things as well as old out of her treasure house, a new salvation demanding a new song. It was the essence of a Greek hymn that it should be addressed to, or be in praise of a god or a hero, i.e., a deified man, as Callisthenes reminded Alexander, who, claiming hymns for himself, or suffering them to be addressed to him, implicitly accepted divine honours. In the gradual breaking down of the distinction between the human and the divine which marked the fallen days of Greece and Rome, with the usurping on the part of men of divine honours, the hymn came more and more to be applied to men; although this was not without remonstrance. When the word was assumed into the language of the Church, this essential distinction clung to it still. A psalm might be a De profundis, the story of mans deliverance, or a commemoration of mercies received; and of a spiritual song much the same could be said; a hymn must always be more or less of a Magnificat, a direct address of praise and glory to God. Augustine in more places than one states the essentials of a hymn.
1. It must be sung.
2. It must be praise.
3. It must be to God.
But though hymn was a word freely adopted in the fourth century, it nowhere occurs in the early Fathers, probably because it was so steeped in heathenism, so linked with profane associations, there were so many hymns to Zeus, Hermes, Aphrodite, etc., that the early Christians shrank from it. We may confidently assume that the hymns referred to in the text were direct addresses to God, such as Luk 1:46-55; Luk 1:68-79; Act 4:24, and that which Paul and Silas sang in the Philippian dungeon (Act 16:25). How noble, how magnificent uninspired hymns could prove we have evidence in the Te Deum, in the Veni Creator Spiritus, and in many a later heritage which the Church has acquired. That the Church, brought at the time when St. Paul wrote into a new and marvellous world of realities, would be rich in those we might be sure, even if no evidence existed to this effect. Of such evidence, however, there is abundance (Eph 5:14; 1Ti 3:16; 2Ti 2:11-14). And as it was quite impossible that the Church, releasing itself from the Jewish synagogue, should fall into the same mistake as some portions of the Reformed Church, we may be sure that it adopted into liturgic use, not psalms only, but also hymns, singing them to Christ as God (Pliny, Ephesians 10.96); though this we may conclude, more largely in Churches gathered out of the heathen world than in those wherein a strong Jewish element existed.
III. Spiritual songs. is the only word of this group which the Apocalypse knows (Rev 5:9; Rev 14:3; Rev 15:3). St. Paul, on the two occasions when he employs it, adds spiritual to it, and this, no doubt, because Ode by itself might mean any kind of song, as of battle, of harvest, or festal, or hymeneal, while psalm, from its Hebrew use, and hymn, from its Greek, did not need such qualification. The epithet thus applied does not affirm that these odes were Divinely inspired, any more than the spiritual man is an inspired man (1Co 3:1; Gal 6:1), but only that they were such as were composed by spiritual men, and moved in the sphere of spiritual things. How are we, then, to distinguish these from the former two. If psalms represent the heritage of sacred song derived by the Christian Church from the Jewish, the hymns and spiritual songs will cover what further in the same kind it produced out of its own bosom; but with a difference. What the hymns were we have seen; but Christian thought and feeling will soon have expanded into a wider range of poetic utterances than those in which there is a direct address to the Deity. If we turn, e.g., to Herberts Temple, or Kebles Christian Year, there are many poems in both, which, as certainly they are not psalms, so as little do they possess the characteristics of hymns. Spiritual songs these might be fitly called; even as in almost all our collections of so-called hymns there are not a few which by much juster title would bear this name. (Archbishop Trench.)
The poets of the New Testament
I. The extent of the poetic endowment in the primitive churches. That it was extensively bestowed we may conceive–
1. From the frequent reference made to it (1Co 14:26). In Corinth it was valued as a charismata (see also Eph 5:19; Jam 5:13).
2. From the universality of the preternatural endowment. The gift of the Spirit was generally bestowed, and this would rouse the poetic faculty in all who had it, and consecrate it to sacred uses.
3. From the universality of excited feelings in the apostolic Churches. Most of those who embraced religion were subject to extraordinary excitement, and poetry is the language of excited feelings. To the unconverted this inspiration was madness or intoxication.
II. Its character. Poetical productions have a character. They are fruitful or barren, corrupt or chaste. There is much in our great poets repugnant to our sense of propriety and which we would fain suppress; but the mere fact that these early Christian poets were under the power of the Spirit would show that their poetry must have been high and pure. There are three things which determine the value of poetry.
1. Intellectual merit. This was high with the primitive Christians. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly. Christian truth is calculated to incite the highest feelings of the soul, and these lofty emotions would find utterance in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. The profoundest feelings of our nature can only be expressed in poetry. The highest strains of the orator are poetical.
2. Moral purity. Admonishing one another. This implies a deep concern for each others moral welfare. The basis of this concern is personal morality, and issued in strains that were morally improving.
3. Poetic conception. The ideas of the primitive Christians were imaginative and creative.
III. Its utility. Every Divine gift is bestowed for a useful purpose. What is the use of this?
1. For personal enjoyment. The true poet lives in a creation of his own, and in the deepest solitude he communes with the infinite source of light, life, love, and beauty. Poetry, said Coleridge, has been to me its own exceeding great reward. It has soothed my affliction, it has endeared solitude, and it has given me the habit of wishing to discover the good and beautiful in all that surrounds me.
2. As an element in public worship. Nothing adorns, enlivens, and augments the interest of public worship more than music. It secures the harmony of hearts as well as of voices.
3. It is of social utility. Poetry has exercised a powerful influence on society in all ages, for consolation, inspiration, etc. (P. L. Davies, M. A.)
The service of song
I. The duty.
1. Singing is Gods ordinance, binding all sorts of men (Eph 6:19; Jam 5:13; Psa 66:1-2; Psa 92:1; Psa 135:3). This is a part of our piety, and is a most comely thing.
2. A Christian should recreate himself chiefly this way (Jam 5:13). God does not allow us to shoulder out this with other recreations.
3. We should sing in our houses as well as in our Churches.
(1) For daily exercise (Psa 101:1-2).
(2) When Christians meet together (1Co 14:26; Eph 5:19).
II. The manner.
1. We should teach and admonish by singing, and that–
(1) ourselves, by considering the matter.
(2) Others, as ministers in appointing hymns for the congregation, or masters of the family, or when Christians meet, there should be choice of such psalms as may comfort or rebuke according to occasion (1Co 14:26).
2. We must sing with grace. This is diversely interpreted; some understand it of the dexterity that should be used in singing; others of the comeliness, right order, reverence, or delight of the heart; others of thanksgiving. Rut I think that to sing with grace is to exercise the graces of the heart in singing, i.e., with holy joy (Psa 9:2); trust in Gods mercies (Psa 13:5); a holy commemoration of Gods benefits (Psa 47:6); yea, with the desire of our hearts that our singing may be acceptable (Psa 104:33-34).
3. We must sing with our hearts, not with our tongues only for ostentation. To sing with the heart is to sing with the understanding (Psa 47:7; 1Co 14:14), with sense and feeling. Hence we are said to prepare our hearts before we sing (Psa 57:7). Then we must sing earnestly and awake out of our lethargy (Psa 57:8).
4. We must sing to the Lord (Eph 5:19), both to Gods glory and with a sense of His presence, and upon a holy remembrance of His blessings.
III. The uses.
1. For instruction. When we are merry to sing psalms (Jam 5:13), yea, to account this a heavenly melody (Eph 5:19).
2. For reproof of such as delight in profane songs. (N. Byfield.)
The conditions of the service of song
I. Psalms, etc., must be spiritual.
1. As to the origin. As Moses, David, and others under the impulse of the Holy Spirit, composed their psalms, etc., so we, whether we sing the same or others, ought to do it under the same direction (Eph 5:18-19).
2. As to matter: they treat of spiritual things, relating to the glory of God and our salvation; not of secular and vain matters.
II. They must be sung with grace.
1. With gratitude. The word sometimes means this (1Co 15:57; 2Co 2:14). Gratitude is not improperly joined to songs; because we are moved to sing in joyous and prosperous circumstances, in which condition thankfulness is binding and necessary.
2. With gracious affability, which conveys both pleasure and utility to the hearers; so that what Horace says concerning poets may he said of these spiritual songs. They would both profit and delight. So the word means in Col 4:6, and Eph 4:29.
III. They must be sung in the heart, i.e., from the inmost affection. And rightly is an ardent emotion required, for the action of singing declares the inward exultation of the heart. He therefore acts the hypocrite who sings with the heart asleep. Hence David not only tunes his voice to the harp, but his voice before either (Psa 57:7-8). So Mary (Luk 1:46-47). Do not think one thing and sing another.
IV. They must be sung unto the Lord. The songs of Christians ought not to aim at promoting dissoluteness or gain; but to be employed in celebrating the praises of the Redeemer. Corollaries:
1. The custom of singing is useful, and is to be adopted in the assembling of Christians, as well in public as in private.
2. It is so to be performed, that they who hear may from thence derive spiritual pleasure and edification. Therefore farewell to all nugatory, and much more to impure songs.
3. In singing it ought to be our especial care that the heart be affected; they who neglect this, may perhaps please men by an artificial sweetness of voice, but they will displease God by an odious impurity of heart.
4. What things are done for cheerfulness and relaxation of the mind by Christians, ought to be of such a kind as are agreeable to Christ and religion: we must therefore detest the madness of those who cannot be cheerful without the reproach of Christ and the ridicule of religion. (Bp. Davenant.)
The service of song a means of Christian edification
Whenever a great quickening of religious life comes, a great burst of Christian song comes with it. The mediaeval Latin hymns cluster round the early pure days of the monastic orders; Luthers rough stormy hymns were as powerful as his treatises; the mystic tenderness and rapture of Charles Wesley have become the possession of the whole Church. The early hymns were of a dogmatic character. No doubt just as in many a missionary Church a hymn is found to be the best vehicle for conveying the truth, so it was in these early Churches, which were made up largely of slaves and women–both uneducated. Singing the gospel is a very old invention though the name be new. In these early communities Paul said, Every one of you hath a psalm, a doctrine. If a man had some fragment of an old psalm, or some strain that bad come fresh from the Christian heart, he might sing it, and his brethren would listen. We do not have that sort of psalmody now. But what a long way we have travelled from it to a modern congregation, standing with hooks that they scarcely look at, and worshipping in a hymn which half of them do not open their mouths to sing at all, and the other half do in a voice inaudible three pews off. (A. Maclaren, D. D.)
The hymnology of the Church
has from the first been a most important element in her holy progress and means of usefulness. A large part of the Bible is poetry. Instruction thus conveyed aids the memory and makes a greater impression on the mind. How constantly did David find relief in expressing his hopes and fears, his joys and sorrows in song; and in the record of his experience how precious is the boon he has left for the instruction and encouragement of Gods children in all ages. There was a special impressiveness in the use of psalms and hymns in the early Church. The first forms of literature in every country and in great national movements are for the most part in song. Thus it was in Greece; thus it was in Scot land. Facts of history, deeds of prowess, wonderful providences, are handed down in song, and are in this form better remembered and more easily preserved. In our own day, with the power of the printing press, this may not be so necessary; but when books had to be copied in MS., and books were scanty, the citation of song and psalm formed an important element of instruction. It has been said, by a well-known author, that if he were allowed to make the songs of a nation, he cared not who made the laws. The hymns of the Church have often been as the very shrine of spiritual life, for the preservation of doctrine, and the means of progress. How many cares have been relieved by some well-known hymn? How many Christians have crossed the river strong in the faith with the words of some precious stanza on their tongues which they learnt in the Sunday school? (J. Spence, D. D.)
Singing with grace in your hearts unto the Lord.–
Phrygia was proverbially a land of music
A music of wild excitement was used in the worship of Cybele, and of Salazion, the Phrygian Diouysos. Hence St. Paul might be the more anxious that Christian singing should be sweet and graceful in a Phryglan Church. For a deep feeling of anxiety on the part of a ruler in the ancient Church that sacred song should be beautiful, see the story how Ignatius brought back the melody of angels heard in vision to his Church at Antioch (Socrates, Hist. 6:8). Heartfelt singing is not voiceless singing (Psa 111:1). The Psalmists praise was in his heart, but it must have been vocal also, for it was such praise as is offered in the assembly. The three conditions of sacred song are sweetness of vocal expression, fulness of inward devotion, direction to a Divine object. These are expressed in this clause.
(1) As to outward expression–gracefully, sweetly, so as to give pleasure and be attractive.
(2) As to inward devotion–heartfelt.
(3) As to the Being addressed–to the Lord.
The clue to the real meaning of the passage is to bear in mind that the apostle is speaking of singing as a Church duty, a part of the Churchs corporate life, a declaration of peace among her children, and a means of edification. The recognition of sweetness and pleasingness as an element of public worship is very interesting and important. Such care for singing, again, is quite of a piece with Pauls high ideal of womanly grace and beauty in youth (1Co 11:15), priestlike dignity in age (Tit 2:3), with his recognition of things lovely (Php 4:3), with his appeal to primary aesthetic instincts (1Co 11:13), with his horror of confusion in public worship (1Co 14:33), with the word for agrave and majestic beauty in public service expressed in that great foundation-rubric (1Co 14:40). It shows how thoughtfully he considered local circumstances, and adapted his lessons to them. Phrygian music was apt to become the accompaniment of the passionate and unmanly wailing of Asian barbarism. As Plato says, The Phrygian strain was adapted for sacred rites and fanatical excitement, being of almost frenzied wildness. (Bp. Alexander.)
Power of a hymn
On one of the days when President Garfield lay dying at the seaside, he was a little better, and was permitted to sit by the window, while Mrs. Garfield was in the adjoining room. Love, hope, and gratitude filled her heart as she sang the hymn commencing Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah! As the soft and plaintive notes floated into the sick chamber, the President turned his eyes up to Dr. Bliss, and asked, Is that Crete Yes, replied the doctor; it is Mrs. Garfield. Quick, open the door a little, anxiously responded the sick man. Dr. Bliss opened the doer, and after listening a few moments Mr. Garfield exclaimed, as the large tears coursed down his sunken cheeks, Glorious, Bliss, isnt it? (W. Baxendale.)
Power of a hymn
A little boy came to one of our city missionaries, and holding out a dirty and well-worn bit of printed paper, said, Please, sir, father sent me to get a clean paper like that. Taking it from his hand the missionary found it was a bill with the hymn Just as I am printed upon it.. He looked down into the little earnest face and asked the boy where he got it, and why he wanted a clean copy. We found it, sir, in sisters pocket after she died; and she used to sing it all the time she was sick, and loved it so much that father wanted to get a clean one to put in a frame to hang up. Wont you give us one, sir? (G. F. Pentecost, D. D.)
Saved by a hymn
On board the ill-fated steamer Seawanhaka was one of the Fisk University singers. Before leaving the burning steamer and committing himself to the merciless waves, he carefully fastened upon himself and his wife life preservers. Some one cruelly dragged away that of his wife, leaving her without hope, except as she could cling to her husband. This she did, placing her hands firmly on his shoulders, and resting there until, her strength becoming exhausted, she said, I can hold on no longer! Try a little longer, was the response of the wearied and agonized husband, let us sing Rock of Ages. And as the sweet strains floated over the troubled waters, reaching the ears of the sinking and dying, little did they know, those sweet singers of Israel, whom they comforted. But, lo! as they sang, one after another of the exhausted ones were seen raising their heads above the overwhelming waves, joining with a last effort in the sweet, dying, pleading prayer, Rock of Ages, cleft for me, etc. With the song seemed to come strength; another and yet another was encouraged to renewed effort. Soon in the distance a boat was seen approaching! Could they hold out a little longer? Singing still, they tried, and soon with superhuman strength, laid hold of the lifeboat, upon which they were borne in safety to land. This is no fiction; it was related by the singer himself, who said he believed Topladys sweet Rock of Ages saved many another besides himself and wife. And this was only salvation from temporal death I But, methinks, from the bright world yonder the good Toplady must be rejoicing that God ever taught him to write that hymn, which has helped to save so many from eternal death, as, catching its spirit, they have learned to cast themselves alone for help on that dear Rock of Ages,–cleft, sinner, for them, for you, and for me, and which ever stands rent asunder that it may shelter those who Utter the cry, Let me hide myself in Thee. (Canadian Baptist)
.
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly] I believe the apostle means that the Colossians should be well instructed in the doctrine of Christ; that it should be their constant study; that it should be frequently preached, explained, and enforced among them; and that all the wisdom comprised in it should be well understood. Thus the doctrine of God would dwell richly, that is, abundantly, among them. But there appears to be here an allusion to the Shechinah, or symbol of the Divine presence, which dwelt in the tabernacle and first temple; and to an opinion common among the Jews, which is thus expressed in Melchita, fol. 38, 4: ; In whatever place the LAW is, there the SHECHINAH is present with it. Nor is this a vain supposition; wherever God’s word is seriously read, heard, or preached, there is God himself; and in that Church or religious society where the truth of God is proclaimed and conscientiously believed, there is the constant dwelling of God. Through bad pointing this verse is not very intelligible; the several members of it should be distinguished thus: Let the doctrine of Christ dwell richly among you; teaching and admonishing each other in all wisdom; singing with grace in your hearts unto the Lord, in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. This arrangement the original will not only bear, but it absolutely requires it, and is not sense without it. See Clarke on Eph 5:19.
The singing which is here recommended is widely different from what is commonly used in most Christian congregations; a congeries of unmeaning sounds, associated to bundles of nonsensical, and often ridiculous, repetitions, which at once both deprave and disgrace the Church of Christ. Melody, which is allowed to be the most proper for devotional music, is now sacrificed to an exuberant harmony, which requires, not only many different kinds of voices, but different musical instruments to support it. And by these preposterous means the simplicity of the Christian worship is destroyed, and all edification totally prevented. And this kind of singing is amply proved to be very injurious to the personal piety of those employed in it; even of those who enter with a considerable share of humility and Christian meekness, how few continue to sing with GRACE in their hearts unto the Lord?
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom: one learned man conceives Paul to have written this first clause of the verse as in a parenthesis, joining in the sense what next follows to be ye thankful in the foregoing verse; another would have the parenthesis to begin from Col 3:14. The thing here exhorted to, is the plentiful inhabitation of the doctrine of the Bible, more especially of the gospel, that it may take up its residence and abode in our souls, which comes from the spiritual incorporation or mixing of it with faith, Heb 4:2; without which it may enter in as a stranger, but will not abide; it may cast a ray, or shine, but is not comprehended and doth not enlighten, Joh 1:5; 2Co 4:4; it may afford some present delight, Mar 6:20, but not lasting. The apostle would have the word to be diligently searched, heartily received, and carefully observed; a child may have it in his memory, that hath it not in his heart: this indwelling of the word imports a regarding, as well as a remembering of it, Psa 1:2; Joh 5:39; 20:31; Act 17:11; 2Ti 3:15-17. If all the saints at Colosse were concerned in this exhortation, the papists oppose the Spirit of God in excluding (those they call) the laity from familiarity with the Scriptures in their mother tongue, being that all Christians are; here indispensably obliged to instruct and warn themselves, (according to the original word), as well as each other mutually, see Eph 5:19. Then the use of the word, and the manner of expressing their thankfulness to God amongst themselves, is in singing to his praise
psalms, and hymns and spiritual songs. He doth not say, teaching and admonishing from these, (as elsewhere, Act 8:35; 28:23), but in them; implying it is a peculiar ordinance of Christ for Christians to be exercised in holy singing, as Jam 5:13, with an audible voice musically, Psa 95:1,2; 100:1,2; Ac 16:25, as foretold, Isa 52:8, with Rom 10:14. Some would distinguish the three words the apostle here useth from the manner of singing, as well as the matter sung; others, from the Hebrew usage of words expressed by the seventy, in the book of Psalms; yet, whoever consults the titles of the Psalms and other places of the Old Testament, they shall find the words used sometimes promiscuously; compare Jdg 5:3; 1Ch 16:8,9; 2Ch 7:6; 23:13; 2Ch 29:30; Psa 39:3; 45:1; 47:1; 48:1; 65:1; 105:1,2; Isa 12:2,4; 42:10; or conjunctly to the same matter, Psa 30:1-12; 48:1-14; 65:1-13; 66:1-20; Psa 75:1-10; 83:1-18; 87:1-7, titles. Hereupon others stand not open any critical distinction of the three words, yet are inclined here to take psalms by way of eminency, Luk 24:44; or more generally, as the genus, noting any holy metre, whether composed by the prophets of old, or others since, assisted by the Spirit extraordinarily or ordinarily, Luk 24:44; Act 16:25; 1Co 14:15,26; Jas 5:13. Here for clearness sake two modes of the psalms, viz. hymns, whereby we celebrate the excellencies of God and his benefits to man, Psa 113:1-9; Mat 26:30; and odes or songs, which word, though ordinarily in its nature and use it be more general, yet here synecdochically, in regard of the circumstances of the conjoined words, it may contain the rest of spiritual songs, of a more ample, artificial, and elaborate composure, besides hymns, Rev 14:2,3; 15:2,3; which may be called spiritual or holy songs from the efficient matter, or end, viz. that they proceed from the Holy Spirit, or in argument may agree and serve thereto; being convenient they be so called from the argument, as opposed to carnal, sensual, and worldly ditties.
Singing with grace in your hearts; and then that this holy singing be not only harmonious and tunable to the ear, but acceptable to God, it is requisite it do proceed from a gracious spirit, or grace wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit, and the inhabitation of the word, Isa 29:13; Mat 15:8.
To the Lord; to the honour of God through Christ our Lord, Luk 1:46,47; Joh 5:23; 1Pe 4:11.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
16. The form which”thankfulness” (Col 3:15)ought to take.
Let the word of ChristtheGospel word by which ye have been called.
richly (Col 2:2;Rom 15:14).
in all wisdomALFORDjoins this clause with “teaching,” c., not with “dwellin you,” as English Version, for so we find in Col1:28, “teaching in all wisdom,” and the two clauseswill thus correspond, “In all wisdom teaching,” and “ingrace singing in your hears” (so the Greek order).
and . . . andTheoldest manuscripts read “psalms, hymns, spiritual songs”(see on Eph 5:19). At the Agapor love-feasts, and in their family circles, they were to be so fullof the Word of Christ in the heart that the mouth should giveit utterance in hymns of instruction, admonition, and praise (compareDe 6:7). TERTULLIAN[Apology, 39], records that at the love-feasts, after thewater had been furnished for the hands and the lights had beenliterally, according as any had the power, whether by his remembranceof Scripture, or by his powers of composition, he used to be invitedto sing praises to God for the common good. Paul contrasts (as inEph 5:18 Eph 5:19)the songs of Christians at their social meetings, with thebacchanalian and licentious songs of heathen feasts. Singing usuallyformed part of the entertainment at Greek banquets (compare Jas5:13).
with graceGreek,“IN grace,” theelement in which your singing is to be: “the grace”of the indwelling Holy Spirit. This clause expresses the seat andsource of true psalmody, whether in private or public, namely, theheart as well as the voice; singing (compare Col3:15, “peace . . . rule in your hearts“), thepsalm of love and praise being in the heart before it finds vent bythe lips, and even when it is not actually expressed by the voice, asin closet-worship. The Greek order forbids English Version,“with grace in your hearts”; rather, “singing in yourhearts.”
to the LordThe oldestmanuscripts read, “to God.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Let the word of Christ dwell in you,…. The Alexandrian copy and Arabic version read, “the word of God”; by which may be meant the whole Scripture, all the writings of the Old and New Testament, which are by inspiration of God, were endited by the spirit of Christ, speak and testify of him, and were written for his sake, and on his account, and therefore may be called his word; and are what should be searched into, carefully attended to, diligently read, and frequently meditated upon; and which are able, under a divine blessing, to furnish with all spiritual wisdom, or to make men wise unto salvation: or by the word of Christ may be meant more especially the Gospel, which Christ is the author of as God, the preacher of as man, and the subject matter of as God-man and Mediator: it is the word concerning him, his person and offices; concerning peace and pardon by his blood, justification by his righteousness, and complete salvation through his obedience, sufferings and death. The exhortation to let it
dwell in them, supposes that it had entered into them, and had a place in them through the spirit and power of Christ; and that it should have a constant and fixed place there, and not be like a stranger or wayfaring man, that tarries but for a night, or like a sojourner, that continues but for a while; but as an inhabitant that takes up its residence and abode, never more to depart; and intends not only a frequent reading, and hearing of, and meditating upon the word of God but continuance in the doctrines of the Gospel, with a steady faith in them, and a hearty affection for them; for such an inhabitation imports a very exact knowledge of the Gospel, and familiarity with it, and affectionate respect for it; as persons that dwell in a house, they are well known by those of the family, they are familiarly conversed with, and are treated with love and respect by them: and so the word of Christ, when it has a fixed and established abode in a man’s heart, he has an inward, spiritual, experimental knowledge of it; he is continually conversant with it; this word of Christ is his delight, and the men of his counsel his guide, his acquaintance, with whom he takes sweet counsel together, and esteems it above the most valuable things in the world, and receives and retains it as the word of God. The manner in which the apostle would have it dwell is
richly; that is, largely, plentifully, in an abundant manner, as this word signifies; see 1Ti 6:17 and so the Vulgate Latin version renders it here, “abundantly”; and to the same sense the Arabic version. His meaning is, that not one part of the Scripture only should be regarded and attended to but the whole of it, every truth and doctrine in it, even the whole counsel of God; which as it is to be declared and preached in its utmost compass, so all and every part of it is to be received in the love of it, and to be abode in and by; there is a fulness in the Scriptures, an abundance of truth in the Gospel, a large affluence of it; it is a rich treasure, an invaluable mine of precious truths; all which should have a place to their full extent, in both preacher and hearer: and that
in all wisdom; or, “unto all wisdom”; in order to attain to all wisdom; not natural wisdom, which is not the design of the Scriptures, nor of the Gospel of Christ; but spiritual wisdom, or wisdom in spiritual things, in things relating to salvation; and which is, and may be arrived unto through attendance to the word of Christ, reading and hearing of it, meditating on it; and especially when accompanied with the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ, and which is to be desired and prayed for.
Teaching and admonishing one another. The Syriac version renders it, “teach and instruct yourselves”; and may regard not only publicly teaching Christ, his Gospel, the truths and doctrines of it, and all his commands and ordinances, for which he qualifies men, and sends them forth in his name; but private teaching, by conference, prayer, and singing the praises of God, according to the measure of the gift of grace bestowed on everyone: and so admonishing may not only respect that branch of the public ministry, which is so called, and intends a putting into the mind, or putting persons in mind both of their privilege and duty; nor only that part of church discipline which lies in the admonition of a delinquent, but private reproofs, warnings, and exhortations; and as by other ways, so, among the rest,
in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs; referring very probably to the title of several of David’s psalms, ; “Maschil”, which signifies giving instruction, or causing to understand; these psalms, and the singing of them, being appointed as an ordinance, of God to teach, instruct, admonish, and edify the saints; for the meaning of these three words, and the difference between them,
[See comments on Eph 5:19].
singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord; that is, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; and what is meant by singing of them, see the note on the above place: the manner in which they are to be sung is, “with grace”; meaning either by the assistance of the spirit and grace of God, without which no ordinance can be performed aright, to the glory of God, and to spiritual profit and edification, see 1Co 14:15, or with grace in the heart in exercise, particularly faith, without which it is impossible to please God, see Heb 11:6 or with gratitude to God, with thankfulness of heart for his mercies, and under a grateful sense of them; or in such a manner as will minister grace unto the hearers, be both amiable and edifying, see Col 4:6 all these senses may be taken in: that the phrase, “in your hearts”; does not mean mental singing, or what is opposed to singing with the voice, [See comments on Eph 5:19]. The object here, as there, is “to the Lord”; the Lord Jesus Christ, to the glory, of his person and grace: the Alexandrian copy, and the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions read, “to God”: and indeed God, in the three divine Persons, and in all his perfections and works, is the object of praise, and his glory is the end of singing praise.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The word of Christ ( ). This precise phrase only here, though “the word of the Lord” in 1Thess 1:8; 1Thess 4:15; 2Thess 3:1. Elsewhere “the word of God.” Paul is exalting Christ in this Epistle. can be either the subjective genitive (the word delivered by Christ) or the objective genitive (the word about Christ). See 1Jo 2:14.
Dwell (). Present active imperative of , to make one’s home, to be at home.
In you ( ). Not “among you.”
Richly (). Old adverb from (rich). See 1Ti 6:17. The following words explain .
In all wisdom ( ). It is not clear whether this phrase goes with (richly) or with the participles following ( , see 1:28). Either punctuation makes good sense. The older Greek MSS. had no punctuation. There is an anacoluthon here. The participles may be used as imperatives as in Rom 12:11; Rom 12:16.
With psalms (, the Psalms in the Old Testament originally with musical accompaniment),
hymns (, praises to God composed by the Christians like 1Ti 3:16),
spiritual songs ( , general description of all whether with or without instrumental accompaniment). The same song can have all three words applied to it.
Singing with grace ( ). In God’s grace (2Co 1:12). The phrase can be taken with the preceding words. The verb is an old one (Eph 5:19) for lyrical emotion in a devout soul.
In your hearts ( ). Without this there is no real worship “to God” ( ). How can a Jew or Unitarian in the choir lead in the worship of Christ as Saviour? Whether with instrument or with voice or with both it is all for naught if the adoration is not in the heart.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
The word of Christ. The only occurrence of the phrase. The word spoken by Christ.
Richly. See on Rom 2:4, and compare ch. 1 27.
In all wisdom. Some connect with the preceding words, others with the following – in all wisdom, teaching, etc. The latter seems preferable, especially in view of ch. 1 28, where the phrase occurs teaching and admonishing in all wisdom; because the adverb richly forms an emphatic qualification of dwell in, and so appropriately terminates the clause; and because the whole passage is thus more symmetrical. “Dwell in has its single adverb richly, and is supported and expanded by two coordinate participial clauses, each of which has its spiritual manner or element of action (in all wisdom, in grace) more exactly defined” (Ellicott).
Admonishing. See on ch. Col 1:28. The participles teaching and admonishing are used as imperatives, as Rom 12:9 – 13 16 – 19; Eph 4:2, 3; Heb 13:5; 1Pe 3:1, 7, 9, 16.
One another [] . Yourselves. See on ver. 13.
Psalms. See the parallel passage, Eph 5:19. A psalm was originally a song accompanied by a stringed instrument. See on 1Co 14:15. The idea of accompaniment passed away in usage, and the psalm, in New – Testament phraseology, is an Old – Testament psalm, or a composition having that character. A hymn is a song of praise, and a song [ ] is the general term for a song of any kind. Hymns would probably be distinctively Christian. It is supposed by some that Paul embodies fragments of hymns in his epistles, as 1 Corinthians 13; Eph 5:14; 1Ti 3:16; 2Ti 2:11 – 14. Jas 1:17, and Rev 1:5, 6; Rev 14:3, are also supposed to be of this character. In both instances of his use of wjdh song, Paul adds the term spiritual. The term may, as Trench suggests, denote sacred poems which are neither psalms nor hymns, as Herbert’s “Temple,” or Keble’s “Christian Year.” 206 This is the more likely, as the use of these different compositions is not restricted to singing nor to public worship. They are to be used in mutual christian teaching and admonition.
With grace [ ] . Lit., the grace. The article limits the meaning to the grace of God. With grace begins the second participial clause.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (ho logos tou Christou enoikeito en humin plousios) “Let the word of Christ indwell you richly, (plutocratically” set up its abode in you” as in experience, memory or a permanent part of your thought processes, as David, Psa 119:11; 1Pe 3:15.
2) “In all wisdom” (en pasa sophia) “in all (manner of) wisdom; wisdom from above, as directed by the word, that perfectly furnishes to every good work, in worship and service, 1Co 1:24; 1Co 1:30; Jas 1:5; Jas 3:17; 2Ti 3:16-17.
3) “Teaching and admonishing one another” (didaskontes kai nouthetountes heautous) “continually progressively teaching and admonishing yourselves, one another, Eph 5:19-20; Act 17:11.
a) “In Psalms” (psalmois) “the music of psalms, or psalms written to be accompanied by music;” This specifically refers to the use of the inspired psalms in which the use of instrumental music was inherent as immersion is in baptism.
b) “And hymns” (humnois) ordained melodic method of confession, devotion, instruction, and warning.
c) “And spiritual songs” (hodais pneumatikais) songs or odes with a spiritual message or testimony.
4)“Singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (en te chariti adontes. en tais kardiais humon to theo) “Singing in the grace in your hearts to God,” the trinity or Godhead, Jas 5:13. Both vocal and instrumental music are here sanctioned, as in Psa 150:1-6.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
16. Let the word of Christ dwell. He would have the doctrine of the gospel be familiarly known by them. Hence we may infer by what spirit those are actuated in the present day, who cruelly (449) interdict the Christian people from making use of it, and furiously vociferate, that no pestilence is more to be dreaded, than that the reading of the Scriptures should be thrown open to the common people. For, unquestionably, Paul here addresses men and women of all ranks; nor would he simply have them take a slight taste merely of the word of Christ, but exhorts that it should dwell in them; that is, that it should have a settled abode, and that largely, that they may make it their aim to advance and increase more and more every day. As, however, the desire of learning is extravagant on the part of many, while they pervert the word of the Lord for their own ambition, or for vain curiosity, or in some way corrupt it, he on this account adds, in all wisdom — that, being instructed by it, we may be wise as we ought to be.
Farther, he gives a short definition of this wisdom — that the Colossians teach one another Teaching is taken here to mean profitable instruction, which tends to edification, as in Rom 12:7 — He that teacheth, on teaching; also in Timothy — “All Scripture is profitable for teaching. ” (2Ti 3:16.) This is the true use of Christ’s word. As, however, doctrine is sometimes in itself cold, and, as one says, (450) when it is simply shewn what is right, virtue is praised (451) and left to starve, (452) he adds at the same time admonition, which is, as it were, a confirmation of doctrine and incitement to it. Nor does he mean that the word of Christ ought to be of benefit merely to individuals, that they may teach themselves, but he requires mutual teaching and admonition.
Psalms, hymns. He does not restrict the word of Christ to these particular departments, but rather intimates that all our communications should be adapted to edification, that even those which tend to hilarity may have no empty savor. “ Leave to unbelievers that foolish delight which they take from ludicrous and frivolous jests and witticisms; (453) and let your communications, not merely those that are grave, but those also that are joyful and exhilarating, contain something profitable. In place of their obscene, or at least barely modest and decent, songs, it becomes you to make use of hymns and songs that sound forth God’s praise.” Farther, under these three terms he includes all kinds of songs. They are commonly distinguished in this way — that a psalm is that, in the singing of which some musical instrument besides the tongue is made use of: a hymn is properly a song of praise, whether it be sung simply with the voice or otherwise; while an ode contains not merely praises, but exhortations and other matters. He would have the songs of Christians, however, to be spiritual, not made up of frivolities and worthless trifles. For this has a connection with his argument.
The clause, in grace, Chrysostom explains in different ways. I, however, take it simply, as also afterwards, in Col 4:6, where he says, “Let your speech be seasoned with salt, in grace, ” that is, by way of a dexterity that may be agreeable, and may please the hearers by its profitableness, so that it may be opposed to buffoonery and similar trifles.
Singing in your hearts. This relates to disposition; for as we ought to stir up others, so we ought also to sing from the heart, that there may not be merely an external sound with the mouth. At the same time, we must not understand it as though he would have every one sing inwardly to himself, but he would have both conjoined, provided the heart goes before the tongue.
(449) “ Si estroitement et auec si grande cruaute;” — “So strictly and with such great cruelty.”
(450) “ Comme a dit anciennement vn poëte Latin; — “As a Latin poet has anciently said.”
(451) “ Probitas laudatur et alget;” — “Virtue is praised and starves,” — that is, is slighted. See Juv. 1:74. — Ed.
(452) “ Il se trouue assez de gens qui louënt vertu, mais cependant elle se morfond: c’est a dire, il n’y en a gueres qui se mettent a l’ensuyure;” — “There are persons enough who praise virtue, but in the mean time it starves; that is to say, there are scarcely any of them that set themselves to pursue it.”
(453) “ Plaisanteries pleines de vanite et niaiserie;” — “Pleasantries full of vanity and silliness.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES
Col. 3:16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.The word for dwell in is the same which assures the believer of an indwelling power which shall quicken the mortal body, and which describes the divine act of grace, I will dwell in them. In psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.See on Eph. 5:18-19. The same composition may be either psalm, hymn, or spiritual song. The first may be a technical word, as in Luk. 24:44. It indicates a song accompanied by a stringed instrument. A hymn is a song in praise of some one, exalting the character and attributes. The third term is the most comprehensive, and to it, with good reason, St. Paul prefixes spiritual. Bacchanalian songs were common enough about Coloss with their noisy, unhallowed mirth. St. Paul, like St. James, would not object to his readers being merry if the spiritual joys
From out their hearts arise
And speak and sparkle in their eyes
And vibrate on their tongues.
MAIN HOMILETICS OF Col. 3:16
The Poetry of the Christian Life.
In the life of the individual and of nations the era of poetry comes first, and is followed by the era of criticism. The impulse of a youthful and enthusiastic passion and the boundless play of a prolific imagination produce certain artistic results; and then comes the cool, reflective critic, with microscopic eye and mathematical rules, to measure and appraise the loved production. How soon the glowing efflorescence withers, and the expanding magnitude dwindles to the smallest practical limits. Genuine poetry is superior to all criticism, outlives the most violent opposition, and is imperishable as humanity. Poetry is the language of the soul in its highest and holiest mood, when it is fired with a divinely kindled rapture, when it strives to grasp the invisible and pants to express the grandest truths of the universe. The Christian life has its poetry. It is of the loftiest order, its theme the noblest, and its melody haunts the soul for ever with strains of ravishing harmony. In this verse we learn that the poetry of the Christian life draws its inspiration from the divine word and ministers to the culture and enjoyment of the Church. Observe:
I. That the poetry of the Christian life draws its deepest inspiration from the divine word.Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.
1. That the divine word is fitly called the word of Christ.It contains the record of His personal teachingthe revelation of new and startling truths, and the resetting of old truths in such a light as to connect the old and new dispensations, and blend them in an unbroken homogeneousness. It unfolds the mystery of that redemption He died to accomplish, and which forms so prominent a part of the teaching of this epistle. It is inspired by the Spirit of Christ, and gleams in every part with brilliant manifestations of His supernal glory. Christ is the all-pervading theme of the Scripturesthe key of the archthe cornerstone of the foundationthe sun, illuminating with light and salvation the whole gospel system to its remotest circumference.
2. The divine word to create a true poetic fervour must wholly occupy the soul.Dwell in you richly. The word of Christ is to be embraced as a whole, and due prominence given to every part of His character and work. Not to exalt His humanity to the denial of His divinity; not to be so enamoured with the moral beauty of His life as to overlook the significance and power of His death. The word is to dwell in us so completely as to possess and enrich every faculty and power of our nature. Not simply to give it a place in the region of intellectual opinion or in judging of moral questions, but to let it have a mighty sway over the affections of the heartlet it enter, saturate, purify, and govern the whole mental, moral, and spiritual being. It is to occupy the soul as a constant and permanent inspiration; to dwellnot as a stranger to stand without, or be saluted at a distance, but to enter, to abide, and be treated as a loved and intimate guest. Let the word of Christ be clearly apprehended, diligently pondered, and firmly grasped, and it will fill the soul with heavenly visions and inflame it with the holiest poetic ardour.
II. That the poetry of the Christian life has made valuable literary contributions to the psalmody of the Church.In psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. It is not easy to make arbitrary distinctions between these poetic effusions. The psalm was a sacred poem on whatever subject, and similar to the productions in the book of Psalms in the Old Testament; the hymn specially celebrated the praises of the Almighty; and the spiritual song, or ode, was more mixed in its matter and more artificial in its arrangement, and referred to personal effusions of a more general character. The gift of poesy was among the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit in the early Church (1Co. 14:26). The first form of literature in all countries is for the most part in song. A certain writer has said, that if he were allowed to make the songs of a nation, he cared not who made the laws. And in the Christian Church, from the earliest period, sacred psalmody has been a mighty power for edification and comfort. The hymnology of the Church is becoming increasingly rich in its poetic treasures.
III. That the poetry of the Christian life ministers to the mutual culture and happiness of the Church.
1. It is intellectual in its character. In all wisdom teaching one another. A more correct punctuation connects the clause in all wisdom with the words that follow, not, as in our version, with the words that precede. To teach in all wisdom demands the highest intellectual exercise, especially when poetry is the medium of instruction and the word of Christ the theme. Without wisdom, poetry would sink into a maudlin sensuousness, a mere verbal jingling, an intolerable monotony. Wisdom is necessary to compare and balance the different parts of Scripture truth, to apply the word on proper occasions to its proper ends and in harmony with its spirit, and to adopt the best means for attaining the highest results in mutual instruction. The profoundest feelings of our nature can only be expressed in poetry. The orator, as he reaches the loftiest strains of eloquence, becomes poetical.
2. It is moral in its tendency.And admonishing one another. There is implied a deep concern for each others moral condition and safety. The poetry of the early Christians was moral in its exercise and tendency. No one can feel an interest in anothers morality who is himself immoral. An eminent critic has said: The element in which poetry dwells is truth, and when imagination divorces itself from that relation, it declines into the neighbourhood of empty fiction or the dreams of lunacy. The poetry of the Christian life is based on eternal truth, and it is to be judiciously used as an instrument of admonition as well as of instruction. There is need for warning and brotherly counsel to restore the wanderer, to raise him if he has fallen, to reprove him if he is wrong, to protect and admonish him if he is in danger (Psa. 141:5).
3. It is joyous in its effects.Singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Music and poetry are sometimes prostituted to the basest purposes, ministering to the lowest passions, and inciting to the vilest actions. But the poetry of the Christian life refines the soul, raises it towards God, and fills it with the music of unspeakable delight. The proper sphere of music is the heavenly and the spiritual.
Beyond the visible world she soars to seek,
For what delights the sense is false and weak;
Ideal form, the universal mould.
As the sea-shell conveys to the ear the faint music of the distant waves, so the poetry of the Christian life indicates in some degree the rapturous music that awaits us on the heavenly shore. Coleridge said: Poetry has been to me its own exceeding great reward. It has soothed my affliction, it has endeared solitude, and it has given me the habit of wishing to discover the good and beautiful in all that surrounds me. And Keats said: Let me have music dying, and I seek no more delight.
Lessons.
1. The highest poetry is found in the divine word.
2. To administer instruction and admonition through the medium of song is at once modest and significant.
3. The Christian life should be one sweet harmonious poem.
GERM NOTES ON THE VERSE
The Word of Christ: its Characteristics as the Saviours Book and the Sinners Book.
I.
It is simple.
II.
Significant.
III.
Saving.
IV.
Sanctifying.
V.
Supporting.
VI.
Suited to all.
Lessons.
1. Let its truths and realities inhabit your convictions.
2. Let its tone be infused into your temper.
3. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.James Hamilton, D.D.
The Indwelling Word of Christ.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you.
1. Implies a sense of the preciousness of Christ Himself.
2. The preciousness of Christs words, as well as of Christ Himself, is essential to its dwelling in you.
3. The felt preciousness of real present and living intercourse between Christ and you will cause the word, as His word, to abide in you.
II. Dwell in you richly.
1. It may refer to quantity.
2. It may have respect to quality.
3. This rich indwelling of the word of Christ in you may be held to correspond to the riches of Him whose word it is.
4. It is to dwell in you not only as rich receivers but as rich dispensers also.
Lessons.
1. Make sure of the first condition of Christs word in youthe preciousness of Christ Himself.
2. Make full proof of all suitable helps for the indwelling of the word of Christ in you.R. S. Candlish.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts unto God.
Translation and Paraphrase
16. Let the word (the message) of Christ dwell within you richly. (Learn it fully; meditate upon it; live by it.) (Then) with all (the) wisdom (you can employ, be) teaching and admonishing one another by psalms (songs and music such as David wrote in the book of Psalms; and) hymns (of praise to God, and) songs having the character of the (Holy) Spirit.
Notes
1.
If we expect to have the peace of Christ (Col. 3:15) in our hearts, we must let the word of Christ dwell in us richly.
2.
The word of Christ must refer to the Scriptures. If it refers to anything else, we are left to be pushed around about in our thinking according to the conflicting and changing ideas of men. We must fill our hearts with written words of the gospel.
3.
The word of Christ is not to dwell within us, and then remain there. We are to teach and admonish (or warn) one another with this word.
4.
The words in all wisdom may be grammatically interpreted as being connected with dwell (as in KJV, dwell in you richly in all wisdom). Or they may be connected with the word teaching that follows them (as in ASV, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing). In the light of verses using similar expressions (Col. 1:28; Eph. 5:18-19), we feel that in all wisdom goes with the phrase that follows it. We are to teach and admonish one another in all wisdom.
5.
One of the most effective ways to teach and admonish one another is by music. (Eph. 5:19). People quickly learn songs and remember them. They hum and meditate upon the music. Ancient peoples taught and preserved the famous events in their history by ballads, before written material was easily available. The ungodly people in our world today know the power of music. They keep a tidal wave of suggestive, lawless, emotion-stirring songs coming on all the time, and see to it that the radio waves are saturated with them. Talented Christians should dedicate themselves to the composition, production, promotion, and teaching of worthwhile gospel music. Christianity has always been a singing religion.
6.
Our music should be designed to teach and admonish, not just to appeal to the emotions, or to vanity. So often a hymn or anthem is just rendered, and is not used for instruction and admonition of one another.
7.
Three types of music are listed as desirable: psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. The distinction between these terms is given in Thayers Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, under the word humnos (hymn).
Ode (song) is the generic term; psalmos (psalm) and humnos (hymn) are specific, the former (psalmos) designating a song which took its general character from the O.T. Psalms (although not restricted to them; see 1Co. 14:15; 1Co. 14:26), the latter (humnos) a song of praise. [Thayer then quotes Bishop Lightfoot, on Col. 3:16.] While the leading idea of psalmos is a musical accompaniment, and that of humnos praise to God, ode is the general word for a song, whether accompanied or unaccompanied, whether of praise or on any other subject. Thus it was quite possible for the same song to be at once psalmos, humnos, and ode.
Paul exhorts us here to use psalms. How many of the psalms have you learned or used?
8.
Psalmos (or its cognate verb psallo) is used to mean instrumental music, or a song played to musical accompaniment in the Greek Old Testament (LXX) in 1Sa. 16:23; Psa. 98:5; Psa. 71:22; and many other places. Also Josephus, the Jewish historian of the first century A.D., used the word to refer to instrumental accompaniment in Antiquities VI, viii, 2; VI, xi, 3; and some other places.
For these reasons and others we believe that Pauls use of the term psalm shows that God approves the use of instrumental music in our teaching and admonishing. However, they do not establish that such music must be used at all times. The music referred to as hymns and spiritual songs is not necessarily accompanied by instruments.
9.
Col. 3:16, when very literally translated, closes by saying, In the grace singing in your hearts unto God. This suggests that we sing in grace. It is perfectly correct to translate this as it is in most versions, singing with grace, but it seems to us that the idea of singing in grace is a very likely situation. Those people who are most keenly aware of the grace of God and what it has done in their lives are the people most likely to sing about it. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound!
Study and Review
5.
How is the word of Christ to dwell in us? (Col. 3:16)
46.
Which does in all wisdom refer to, to dwell in you richly, or to teaching and admonishing?
47.
With what are we to teach and admonish one another? (Col. 3:16)
48.
What distinction can be made between psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs?
49.
How do we go about singing with grace in our hearts?
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(16) The word of Christ.Here again the definite phrase, the word of Christ, takes the place of the commoner phrase, the word of the Lord, the word of God. It is to dwell in their hearts. Hence it is the engrafted word (Jas. 1:21)the truth of Christ conceived in the heart, striking root into it, and making it its dwelling-place. It will be observed how all such phrases prepare for the full conception of Him as Himself the Word of God.
In all wisdom.The symmetry of the original, in all wisdom teaching . . . in grace singing, suggests the connection of the words with those following, not, as in our version, with those going before. The indwelling Word of God is described as manifesting itself, first, in the wisdom of mutual teaching, next, in the grace of hearty thanksgiving.
Teaching and admonishing . . .Here again we have at once general identity and special distinction between this and the parallel passage in Eph. 5:19-20. There, as here, we have the speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, the singing in the hearts to the Lord, and the spirit of thankfulness. But there the whole is described as a consequence of being filled with the Spirit, and, as an outburst of that spiritual enthusiasm, of which the spurious excitement of drunkenness is the morbid caricature. Here the thought starts from the word of Christ in the soul, realised through the gift of the Spirit by all our faculties; and it divides itself accordingly into the function of teaching, which bears on the mind; the singing in grace of thankfulness, which comes from and goes to the heart; and the doing all in the name of Christ, which belongs to the outer sphere of action.
Psalms and hymns.The ascription to those of an office of teaching and admonition describes what is their real, though indirect, effect. In the Church, as in the world, he who makes a peoples songs really guides their minds as well as their hearts. For good and for evil the hymns of the Christian Church have largely influenced her theology.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
16. The word dwell So that the individual members of the Church shall have a perfect familiarity with the teaching of Christ as given by the evangelists and apostles. Ellicott and Alford, following Bengel and others, agree that this clause properly ends with the word richly. The remaining clauses will then correspond: in all wisdom teaching, etc., almost identical with Col 1:28, and in grace singing, etc. The former refers to their singing to each other in public and social worship, and for their mutual edification; the latter is a singing silently, in their hearts, when alone, and to God. See on Eph 5:19.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another, with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace in your hearts to God.’
The ‘logos of Christ’ may be intended to refer to the same thing as the ‘logos of the cross’ (1Co 1:18), referring to preaching concerning Christ and the preaching of the cross respectively. The Christian is to receive such sound teaching gladly, and meditate on it, and let it fill his heart and his mind. However it may also be intended to include especial reference to the teaching of Christ Himself as passed on by eyewitnesses in the tradition of the church. The emphasis here, as all through Colossians, is on Christ and no other. It is the word about Him that they should be drinking in, not speculative teaching and ideas. He should be the centre of their thoughts and His words the guiding principle of their lives.
Another possibility is that it means Christ’s words to the heart of the Christian through preaching, teaching, meditation on the word of God, as Christ speaks directly to each heart. We can compare for this the parallel phrase ‘the word of God remains in you’ (1Jn 2:14). Indeed it is fully possible that on this occasion all these are to be included, as meaning ‘let the word of Christ, however you receive it, dwell in and possess your heart’.
‘Teaching and admonishing one another with all wisdom.’ While ‘with all wisdom’ could refer to either this phrase or the previous phrase it seems to fit better here. It may have been intended as a warning to ensure that the ‘teaching about Christ’ was sound and genuine and received wisely, but it would appear more likely that he meant that such wisdom was especially to be ensured when admonishing and teaching someone else. Such must be done tactfully and wisely so that the hearer might truly benefit. There would seem grounds here for recognising that many in the congregation would take part in ministry (compare 1 Corinthians 14).
‘With psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace in your hearts to God.’ These would be expressions of praise and gratitude for the grace of God at work within them, rounding off their worship both in public and in private, ‘psalms and hymns and spiritual songs’ covering all forms of singing as they do today. The psalms would naturally include the Book of Psalms, but not necessarily exclusively. The hymns, some of which could be designated psalms, would probably include songs specifically composed for worship (as with the Jews), but probably included individual spontaneous contributions. Spiritual songs possibly has a wider meaning of more popular Christian songs sung as catchy tunes in day to day life. But hymns are spiritual songs too, and spiritual songs would be sung in worship. Compare Mat 26:30; Mar 14:26 ; 1Co 14:15; 1Co 14:26; Act 16:25.
Note that here the singing is ‘to God’. In Eph 5:19 it is to ‘the Lord’. So no differentiation is made by Paul, with respect to worship, between God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Both are equally worthy of our worship.
‘Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs’ may attach to the previous phrase. Compare Eph 5:19, ‘Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord.’ But ‘speaking to’ is not the same as ‘teaching and admonishing’, and in Ephesians the phrases connect with each other paralleling each other, whereas in Colossians they do not. For this reason we suggest connecting them as above.
Tertullian (c.200AD) tells us that at the love feast ‘each is invited to sing to God in the presence of the others from what he knows of the Holy Scriptures or from his own heart’. All the singing was thus not formal but even so, while the singing may be seen as teaching, it does not seem to fit in with ‘admonition’.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Col 3:16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, &c. That is, “The gospel which you have received;” which the Apostle exhorts them to lay up in their hearts, to meditate upon continually, and to endeavour to improve wisely to the best purpose. But Peirce and others give a different interpretation, as follows: “It would be of good service to prevent the sins from which I have dissuaded you, and to promote the love that I have recommended, if, in your conversing together, you would take care that your discourse and talk should be much of Christ, in all wisdom; and that you entertain each other in conversing together in a Christian manner, teaching and admonishing, &c.” See Eph 5:18-20. Beza, Schmidius, Bengelius, and Gataker point the verse thus: Let, &c. richly: in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another; in psalms, &c.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Col 3:16 f. The series of exhortations begun in Col 3:12 is now closed, [157] and Paul proceeds to give, before going on in Col 3:18 to the duties of particular callings, an encouraging allusion to the Christian means of grace for furthering the common life of piety, namely, the word of Christ . This ought to dwell richly among them, so that they might by means of its operation (1) instruct and admonish each other in all wisdom with psalms, etc.; (2) by the divine grace sing to God in their hearts; and (3) let all that they do , in word or deed, be done in the name of Jesus with thanksgiving to God. Accordingly, the previous paraenesis by no means ends in a “ loose aggregation ” (as Hofmann objects), but in a well-weighed, steadily-progressive, and connected conclusion on the basis of the of Christ [158] placed at the very beginning. According to Hofmann, Col 3:16 f. is only meant to be an amplification of the in Col 3:15 . This would be a disproportionate amplification especially as . . is not the leading thought in the foregoing and could only be plausibly upheld by misinterpretations in the details; see below.
. ] i.e . the gospel . The genitive is that of the subject; Christ causes it to be proclaimed, He Himself speaks in the proclaimers (2Co 13:3 ), and has revealed it specially to Paul (Gal 4:11 f.); it is His word. Comp. 1Th 1:8 ; 1Th 4:15 ; 2Th 3:1 ; Heb 6:1 . The designation of it, according to its principal author: . , is more current.
] not: among you (Luther and many others), which would not be in keeping with the conception of in dwelling; nor yet: in animis vestris (Theodoret, Melanchthon, Beza, Zanchius, and others, including Flatt, Bhmer, and Olshausen), so that the indwelling which depends on knowledge and faith would be meant, since the subsequent modal definition is of an oral nature: but in you, i.e . in your church , the , as a whole , being compared to a house, in which the word has the seat of its abiding operation and rule (comp. Rom 8:11 ; 2Ti 1:5 ).
] in ample measure . In proportion as the gospel is recognised much or little in a church as the common living source and contents of mutual instruction, quickening, discipline, and edification, its dwelling there is quantitatively various. De Wette explains it, not comprehensively enough, in accordance with what follows: “so that many come forward as teachers, and often.” In another way Hofmann limits it arbitrarily: the letting the word of Christ dwell richly in them is conceived as an act of gratitude . How easy it would have been for Paul to have indicated this intelligibly! But the new point which he wishes to urge upon his readers, namely, to let the divinely-powerful means of Christian life dwell richly in them, is placed by him without any link of connection, and independently, at the head of his closing exhortation.
The following is the modal definition of the foregoing; so that ye , etc.; construction according to the logical subject, as in Col 2:2 .
] Since what precedes has its defining epithet in , and that with all the emphasis of the adverb put at the end, and since, moreover, the symmetry of the following participial clauses, each of which begins with ( . ), ought not to be abandoned without some special reason, the . . is to be referred to what follows (so Bos, Bengel, Storr, Flatt, Bhr, Steiger, Olshausen, Huther, de Wette, Baumgarten-Crusius, Ewald, Dalmer, Reiche, Bleek, Hofmann, and others; Bhmer hesitates, and Beza permits this reference), and not to what precedes (so Syriac, Chrysostom, Luther, and many others). Comp. Col 1:28 . Every sort of (Christian) wisdom is to be active in the mutual instruction and admonition. Regarding the details, see on Col 1:28 .
] mutually, among yourselves , comp. Col 3:13 .
. . .] modal definition of the mutual and , which are to take place by means of (see below, . . . .) psalms, etc. It is all the more arbitrary to refer it merely to . (de Wette), seeing that the position of binds the two participles together, and seeing that inspired songs by no means exclude a doctrinal purport. The conceivableness of a didactic activity in mutual singing (in opposition to Schenkel and Hofmann), and that without confounding things radically different, is still clearly enough recognisable in many of our best church songs, especially in those born of the fresh spirit of the Reformation. Storr and Flatt, Schenkel and Hofmann join the words with , although the latter has already a definition both before and after it, and although one does not say . . ., ( dative ), but . . . ( accusative ), as in Exo 14:31 ; Plat. Symp. 197 E, Rep . p. 388 D, and in all Greek authors. The dative of the instrument with would be appropriate, if it had along with it an accusative of the object praised ( as e.g . Eur. Ion . 1091). See, moreover, on Eph 5:19 . Concerning the distinction between (religious songs after the manner of the Psalms of the O. T., to be regarded partly as Christian songs already in use, partly as improvised effusions, 1Co 14:15 ; 1Co 14:26 ) and (songs of praise), to both of which ( i.e . songs inspired by the Holy Spirit) are then added as the general category, [159] see on Eph 5:19 . Observe, moreover, that Paul is here also (comp. Eph. l.c .) speaking not of divine worship [160] in the proper sense of the term, since the teaching and admonition in question are required from the readers generally and mutually , and that as a proof of their abundant possession of the word of Christ, but rather of the communication one with another in religious intercourse (e.g . at meals, in the agapae and other meetings, in family circles, etc.) in which enthusiasm makes the fulness of the heart pass from mouth to mouth, and brotherly instruction and admonition thus find expression in the higher form of psalms, etc., whether these may have been songs already well known, or extemporized according to the peculiar character and productive capacity of the individual enthusiasm, whether they may have been sung by individuals alone (especially if they were improvised), or chorally, or in the form of alternating chants (Plin. Ep . x. 97). How common religious singing was in the ancient church, even apart from divine service proper, may be seen in Suicer, Thes . II. p. 1568 f. The existence of a multitude of rhythmic songs, composed by Christians, is attested by Eus. H. E . ii. 17, v. 28. Regarding singing in the agapae, see Tertullian, Apol . 39: “post aquam manualem et lumina, ut quisque de scripturis sanctis vel proprio ingenio potest, provocatur in medium Deo canere.” See generally, Augusti, Denkw . II. p. 110 ff.
The asyndetic (see the critical remarks) juxtaposition of ., ., and . renders the discourse more urgent and animated.
. . .] is commonly regarded as subordinate to what goes before; as if Paul would say: the heart also is to take part in their singing , , , , Theophylact. But Paul himself has not in the least expressed any such contrasting reference; and how superfluous, nay, even inappropriate, would such an injunction be, seeing that the and takes place in fact by the . . ., and this is to be the outcome of the abundant indwelling of the gospel; and seeing, further, that there is no mention at all of a stated common worship (where, possibly, lip-service might intrude), but, on the contrary, of mutual edifying intercourse! The entire view is based upon the unfounded supposition of a degeneracy of worship in the apostolic age, which, even though it were true in itself, would be totally inapplicable here. Moreover, we should expect the idea, that the singing is to be the expression of the emotion of the heart, to be represented not by . ., but by . (comp. 2Ti 2:22 ; Mat 12:34 ) or . . Comp. Wis 8:21 , also classical expressions like and the like. No, the participial clause is co-ordinate with the preceding one (as also at Eph 5:19 , see in loc .), and conveys after the audible singing for the purpose of teaching and admonition, to be done mutually as a further element of the pious life in virtue of the rich indwelling of the word of Christ, the still singing of the heart , which each one must offer to God for himself inwardly; i.e . the silent praising of God, which belongs to self-edification in the inner man. Chrysostom already indicates this view, but mixes it up, notwithstanding, with the usual one; Theophylact quotes it as another ( ), giving to it, moreover, the inappropriate antithesis: , but adding with Chrysostom the correct illustration: , . Bengel well describes the two parallel definitions . . . and . . . as distributio of the , and that mutuo et seorsim .
] does not belong to . (Luther: “with spiritual pleasant songs,” also Calvin), but to as the parallel element to . In the same way, namely, as the teaching and admonition above mentioned are to take place by means of every wisdom , which communicates and operates outwardly through them, so the still singing of the heart now spoken of is to take place by means of the divine grace , which stirs and moves and impels men’s minds, a more precise definition, which is so far from being useless and idle (as Hofmann objects), that it, on the contrary, excludes everything that is selfish, vain, fanatical, and the like. Chrysostom says rightly: , , . . .; comp. Oecumenius: , also Estius and Steiger. Hofmann’s view is erroneous: that means to sing of something , thus making the grace experienced the subject-matter of the songs. This it does not mean even in the LXX. Psa 138:5 , where is taken in a local sense. [161] The subject-matter of the singing would have been expressed by an accusative (as ), or with . [162] Inappropriate as to sense (since the discourse concerns singing in the heart ) is the view of others: with gracefulness . So Theophylact (who, however, permits a choice between this and the true explanation), Erasmus, Luther, Melanchthon (“sine confusione, ”), Castalio, Calvin, Beza, Grotius, Calovius, Cornelius a Lapide, Wetstein, Bengel, and others, including Bhr, Baumgarten-Crusius, Schenkel, Reiche. Even though the singing in public worship were spoken of, the injunction to sing gracefully , and especially with the emphasis of being placed first, would touch on too singular an element. Anselm, and in more modern times Bhmer, Huther, de Wette, and Bleek take it: with thankfulness , in which case the article, which Bleek rejects (see the critical remarks), would denote not the gratitude already required in Col 3:15 (so Huther), but that which is due . But the summons to general thanksgiving towards God (in Col 3:15 , grateful conduct was meant by . .) only follows in Col 3:17 ; and inasmuch as the interpretation which takes it of the divine grace is highly suitable both to the connection and to the use of the article (which sets forth the as a conception formally set apart ), and places an admirably characteristic element in the foreground, there is no reason for assuming here a call to thanksgiving.
As . . was contrasted with the preceding oral singing, so is contrasted with the destination for others; the still heart-singer sings to God . It is just for this reason that the otherwise superfluous is added. Comp. 1Co 14:28 .
[157] Lachmann and Steiger have put in a parenthesis, which just as arbitrarily sets aside the new and regulative idea introduced by , as it very unnecessarily comes to the help of the construction.
[158] This applies also in opposition to Holtzmann, p. 54 f., who finds in ver. 16 an echo of Eph 5:19 , which at the same time interrupts the entire connection, and presents something un-Pauline almost in every word (p. 164). Un-Pauline, in his view, is . (but see 1Th 1:8 ; 1Th 4:15 ); un-Pauline the juxtaposition of , , (the reason why it is so, is not plain); un-Pauline the itself, and even the adverb . How strangely has the apostle, so rich in diction, become impoverished!
[159] Many arbitrary more special distinctions are to be found in expositors. See Bhr. Even Steiger distinguishes them very precariously into (1) songs accompanied by stringed instruments; (2) solemn church songs; (3) songs sung in the house and at work.
[160] This applies also in opposition to Holtzmann, who discovers here and in Eph 5:19 an already far advanced stage of worship.
[161] As in the Vulgate, and by Luther.
[162] Nevertheless, Holtzmann, p. 164, adopts the linguistically quite incorrect explanation of Hofmann: he thinks that it alone yields a tolerable sense, but that it is foreign to the linguistic usage of Paul (no, it is foreign to all linguistic usage).
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
DISCOURSE: 2187
LOVE TO THE SCRIPTURES RECOMMENDED
Col 3:16. Let the word of Chist dwell in you richly in all wisdom.
IT was declared to be one of the principal advantages which the Jews enjoyed above the heathen, that they had the Oracles of God committed to them [Note: Rom 3:1-2.]: and we are still more highly privileged, in that we have in our hands the New-Testament Scriptures, whereby we are enabled to understand the writings of Moses and the prophets more fully than the writers themselves understood them. What part of the Christian records the Colossians could possess, we do not exactly know: we are sure that the sacred canon was not yet complete; nor were the different epistles which are come down to us, collected into one volume. It is probable enough that one or two of the Gospels might have been seen by them: and the possession of such a treasure would be a very sufficient ground for the exhortation before us. To us who enjoy a complete collection of all that God has ever seen fit to reveal,at least, as much of it as is at all necessary for our edification and comfort,the exhortation may be addressed with proportionably greater weight. To impress it the more powerfully upon your minds, we shall take occasion from it to shew you, in what light the sacred volume should be regarded, and in what manner it should be improved.
I.
In what light it should be regarded
The word which has been transmitted to us was written by different men, in different and distant ages of the world. But though it was written by men, it is indeed the word of God; because those holy men wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost [Note: 2Pe 1:21.]. Indeed, the word is, properly and strictly speaking, the word of Christ
[Our blessed and adorable Lord ministered to the Church not only before his incarnation, but from the very beginning of the world. It was He who preached by Noah to the antediluvian world [Note: 1Pe 3:18-20.]. It was He who inspired all the prophets in all succeeding ages of the Church; and enabled them to testify beforehand respecting his future sufferings and glory [Note: 1Pe 1:10-11.]. Thus was he the real Author of the Old Testament. With respect to the New Testament, whatever is revealed there must also be traced to the same source. It was Christ who taught his Apostles, and who by his Spirit brought all things to their remembrance, and, in a personal appearance to Saul, revealed to him the whole scheme and plan of redemption [Note: Gal 1:11-12.]. What the Apostles spake in his name, they affirmed to be, not the word of man, but of God [Note: 1Th 2:13.]: and what they wrote in their epistles, they declared to be the commandment of their Lord [Note: 1Co 14:37.]. Hence every part of the sacred volume is justly called by the Apostle the word of Christ.]
In this view it ought to be regarded by us
[Let us suppose that the Lord Jesus Christ were now to come amongst us, and to teach in our Churches, as once he did in the streets and synagogues of Judea: should we not, if we knew him to be that very Jesus, listen to him with the deepest attention? Should we not revolve in our thoughts the various subjects of his discourse, and labour to ascertain their true import? If we could suppose him now addressing us from the cross, and appealing to his sufferings as an unquestionable demonstration of his love, and an irresistible argument for our adherence to him; should we not be melted to tears? should we not be ready to exclaim, What have we to do any more with idols? Other lords have had dominion over us; but by thee only will we make mention of thy name. Or, lastly, Jet us suppose that we saw the heavens opened, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God [Note: Act 7:56.]: let us suppose he spake to us now, as once he did from Mount Sinai, with thunderings, and lightnings, and earthquakes, and the sound of the trumpet waxing louder and louder [Note: Heb 12:18-19.]; should we not tremble? should we not be ready to engage, as the Israelites did, All that the Lord hath spoken will we do, and be obedient? Were we to hear him speaking to us in any of these ways, the word would not more certainly be his, than this word is which we now possess: and therefore whatever sentiments of fear or love or gratitude we should feel on account of such revelations of his will, we ought to feel in reference to that sacred volume which we have in our hands: whenever we look upon it, we should say, This is the word of Him who came down from heaven to instruct me; of Him who died upon the cross to save me; of Him who now sits enthroned in glory, and will hereafter fix my doom according to it [Note: Joh 12:48.].]
Let us next inquire,
II.
In what manner it should be improved
We should not merely regard it with pious veneration, but, should make use of it,
1.
For the furnishing of our minds
[It is to little purpose to have the Scriptures in our houses, unless we read them diligently, and acquire a practical and experimental knowledge of them. As the tables of the law were deposited within the ark, so should the whole word of God be hid within our hearts. It should dwell in us; it should dwell in us richly: its precepts should be treasured up in our minds, that we may know what the will of the Lord is: its promises should be precious to us, that we may be able to plead them at the throne of grace, and obtain the accomplishment of them to our own souls: nor should its threatenings be overlooked, but rather be considered as kind and salutary admonitions which are given us for our good.
It will be said by many, that their memory is defective, and that they cannot retain the things which they read or hear: but if we made a practice of selecting daily some short portion of Scripture for our meditation throughout the day, the most ignorant amongst us would soon attain a knowledge which at present appears far beyond his reach.]
2.
For the regulating of our conduct
[Speculative knowledge, for the most part, administers only to pride and contention. That which alone is valuable to the Christian is practical. The Scriptures are designed to lead him to such wisdom and discretion as will be in vain sought for from any other source. Indeed all wisdom is to be drawn from these wells of salvation. The person whose mind is cast into the mould of the Scripture, will view every thing as God views it: he will have the same practical judgment as God himself has. Good and evil, light and darkness will not be confounded in his mind, as they are in the minds of ungodly men: he will distinguish them with ease, except in cases that are very obscure and complicated: by means of the spiritual discernment which he has obtained, he will be able to judge of the conduct of others, whilst they are not able to appreciate his [Note: 1Co 2:14-15.]: and as far as his actions are regulated by his principles, he will be a light to all around him; and they shall be constrained to acknowledge that God is with them of a truth, Indeed it is fur this end that God sets up a light in his peoples souls; not that it may be put under a bushel, but that it may be set on a candlestick, and give light to all that are in the house; and that the person possessing it may be able to say to all around him, Whatsoever ye have seen and heard in me, do; and the God of peace shall be with you.]
That we may enforce the exhortation in our text, we would remind you, that a love to the Scriptures is,
1.
An inseparable attendant on true piety
[Look at the most distinguished saints, and see how they regarded the inspired records. Job esteemed the words of Gods mouth more than his necessary food [Note: Job 23:12.]: Jeremiah found them the joy and rejoicing of his heart [Note: Jer 15:16.]: and to David they were sweeter than honey and the honey-comb [Note: Psa 19:10.]. Let not us then think that we have any title to be classed with those holy men, if we do not resemble them in this particular ]
2.
A necessary means of advancement in every part of the divine life
[Have we been only just quickened from the dead? we cannot but love that which has been the means of giving us life [Note: Psa 119:93.]. Are we as new-born babes? we must of necessity desire the sincere milk of the word, that we may grow thereby [Note: 1Pe 2:2.]. Are we arrived at the strength and stature of youth? that word must abide within us, in order that we may be able to overcome the great adversary of our souls [Note: 1Jn 2:14.]. In a word, whatever state we be in, it is by them that we are to be furnished for every good word and work [Note: 2Ti 3:16-17.].]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Ver. 16. Dwell in you richly ] , indwell in you, as an ingrafted word, incorporated into your souls; so concocted and digested by you, as that you turn it in succum et sanguinem, into a part of yourselves. This is your riches; and thus David reckons of his wealth Psa 119:32 .
Teaching and admonishing one another ] It is rightly observed by a late reverend writer, a that although we know that which we ask of others as well as they do, yet good speeches will draw us to know it better, by giving occasion to speak more of it, wherewith the Spirit works more effectually, and imprints it deeper, so that it shall be a more rooted knowledge than before. For that doth good that is graciously known; and that is graciously known that the Spirit, seals upon our souls.
In psalms and hymns ] Papists forbid people to sing psalms, and permit only choristers to sing, lest the music should be marred. (Binnius.) But the apostle biddeth every saint to sing. And Nicephorus writeth that the Christians of his time, even as they travelled and journeyed, were wont to sing psalms. Tatianus also saith, That every age and order among the Christians were Christian philosophers, yea, that the very virgins and maids, as they sat at their work in wool, were wont to speak of God’s word. Hist. Eccl. iii. 37
With grace in your heart ] This is the best tune to any Psalm.
a Dr Sibbs on Cant. v.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
16 .] See the connexion in Chrys. above. This thankfulness to God will shew itself in the rich indwelling in you and outflowing from you of the word of Christ, be it in mutual edifying converse, or in actual songs of praise. Let Christ’s word (the Gospel: genitive subjective; the word which is His He spoke it, inspired it, and gives it power) dwell in you (not ‘among you,’ as Luther, De W., al.: which does not suit . As Ellic. observes, St. Paul’s usage (reff., remembering that ref. 2 Cor. is a quotation) seems to require that the indwelling should be individual and personal. Still we may say with Mey. that the need not be restricted to individual Christians: it may well mean the whole community you, as a church. The word dwelling in them richly, many would arise to speak it to edification, and many would be moved to the utterance of praise. And to this collective sense of , below seems to correspond; see above on Col 3:13 ) richly (i.e. in abundance and fulness, so as to lead to the following results), in all wisdom (these words seem to be better taken with the following than with the foregoing. For 1) ch. Col 1:28 already gives us . . 2) has already its qualifying adverb emphatically placed at the end of the sentence. 3) The two following clauses will thus correspond . And so Beng., Olsh., De W., Mey., al.: the usual arrangement has been with E. V., all. (not Chrys.), to join them with the preceding) teaching and warning (see on ch. Col 1:28 ) each other (see on Col 3:13 ) in psalms, hymns, spiritual songs (on the meaning of the words, see notes, Eph 5:19 . The arrangement here adopted may be thus vindicated: . . . . must be joined with the preceding, not with the following, because 1) the instrumental dative is much more naturally taken after . . . ., from the analogy of Eph 5:19 , . . . . . [ .], . . . 2) here has already two qualifying clauses, one before and one after, and . Meyer’s note here is important: “Notice moreover that Paul here also (see on Eph. ut supra) is not speaking of ‘divine service’ properly so called, for this teaching and admonishing is required of his readers generally and mutually, and as a proof of their rich possession of the word of Christ: but of the communication of the religious life among one another (e.g. at meals, at the Agap, and other meetings, in their family circles, &c.), wherein spiritual influence caused the mouth to overflow with the fulness of the heart, and gave utterance to brotherly instruction and reproof in the higher form of psalms, &c.; perhaps in songs already known, or extemporized, according to the peculiarity and productivity of each man’s spiritual gift: perhaps sung by individuals alone (which would especially be the case when they were extemporized), or in chorus, or in the form of antiphonal song (Plin. Ep. x. 97).” How common religious singing was in the ancient church, independently of ‘divine service’ properly so called, see in Suicer, Thes. 2. p. 1568 f. Euseb., H. E. ii. 17, v. 28, testifies to the existence of a collection of rhythmical songs which were composed by Christians ( . , , , v. 28). On singing at the Agap, see Tert. Apol. 39, vol. i. p. 477: “post aquam manualem et lumina, ut quisque de scripturis Sanctis vel proprio ingenio potest, provocatur in medium Deo canere”); in grace ( the grace of Christ (see reff. for the absolute use of ) , Chrys.: so c., : not as Erasm., Luth., Melaneth., Calv. (‘pro dexteritatc qu grata sit’), and indeed Chrys. (alten.: ), Beza, Corn.-a-lap., al., ‘ gracefully ,’ which would be irrelevant as applied to the singing of the heart: see below nor as Anselm, and De W., Conyb., al., ‘ thankfully ,’ which would be a flat and unmeaning anticipation of below. The article marks ‘the grace,’ which is yours by God’s indwelling Spirit) singing in your hearts to God (this clause has generally been understood as qualifying the former. But such a view is manifestly wrong. That former spoke of their teaching and warning one another in effusions of the spirit which took the form of psalms, &c.: in other words, dealt with their intercourse with one another ; this on the other hand deals with their own private intercourse with God . The second participle is coordinate with the former, not subordinate to it. The mistake has partly arisen from imagining that the former clause related to public worship, in its external form: and then this one was understood to enforce the genuine heartfelt expression of the same. But this not being so, that which is founded on it falls with it. The singing is an analogous expression to that in 1Co 14:28 , , . . So the . . describes the method of uttering this praise, viz. by the thoughts only: designates to whom it is to be addressed, not, as before, to one another, but to God):
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Col 3:16-17 . Partially parallel to Eph 5:19-20 .
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Col 3:16 . : probably, as usually explained, “the Gospel,” so called because He proclaimed it and speaks it through His messengers. Lightfoot interprets it as “the presence of Christ in the heart as an inward monitor”. The phrase occurs only here, but cf. 1Th 1:8 , 2Th 3:1 . : according to Pauline usage must mean within you, and probably not collectively (Mey., Alf., Abb.) “in you as a Church,” but individually. : to be taken with the following words (Beng., Mey., Alf., Ell., Ol., Haupt, Abb.), since . is sufficiently qualified by , and . suits . much better than . The balance is better preserved, as . . is then parallel to . Lightfoot meets the last point by taking . with ., but even if this were probable the other arguments are decisive for the connexion with the following words. : cf. Col 1:28 . Lightfoot regards the participles as used for imperatives, which Ellicott thinks impossible. There is a slight, but quite intelligible, anacoluthon here. , as in Col 3:13 . , , : to be connected with . . ., not with (Hofm., Kl [20] , Weiss), with which the accusative should have been used. The precise distinctions intended are not certain, and perhaps they should not be sharply drawn. The meaning is, whatever kind of song it may be, let it be made the vehicle of religious instruction and admonition. . may be restricted to the Old Testament Psalms, but this is improbable, . are songs of praise to God. . has a wider sense, and was used of any class of song. Hence . is added to it, and not to the others, for . is used exclusively and . usually in a religious sense. The word of Christ is to dwell in them so richly that it finds spontaneous expression in religious song in the Christian assemblies or the home. . Not with sweetness or acceptableness (Col 4:6 ), which does not suit . or the emphatic position. It may be “by the help of Divine grace,” but more probably the meaning is “with thankfulness” (De W., Sod., Haupt, Abb.), on account of the reference to thankfulness in Col 3:15 ; Col 3:17 . Thankfulness finds expression in song. . The reference is to the inner song of praise, which is to be the counterpart of the audible singing. What is meant is probably not singing from the heart, though cf. Mat 22:37 .
[20] Klpper.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
word. App-121.
dwell. See Rom 8:11.
richly. Greek. plousios. Only here, 1Ti 6:17. Tit 3:6. 2Pe 1:11.
admonishing. See Col 1:28, and Act 20:31.
hymns. See Eph 5:19.
spiritual. See 1Co 12:1.
songs. See Eph 5:19.
singing. See Eph 5:19.
with. App-104.
grace. See Col 1:2. App-184.
the Lord. The texts real “God”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
16.] See the connexion in Chrys. above. This thankfulness to God will shew itself in the rich indwelling in you and outflowing from you of the word of Christ, be it in mutual edifying converse, or in actual songs of praise. Let Christs word (the Gospel: genitive subjective; the word which is His-He spoke it, inspired it, and gives it power) dwell in you (not among you, as Luther, De W., al.: which does not suit . As Ellic. observes, St. Pauls usage (reff., remembering that ref. 2 Cor. is a quotation) seems to require that the indwelling should be individual and personal. Still we may say with Mey. that the need not be restricted to individual Christians: it may well mean the whole community-you, as a church. The word dwelling in them richly, many would arise to speak it to edification, and many would be moved to the utterance of praise. And to this collective sense of , below seems to correspond; see above on Col 3:13) richly (i.e. in abundance and fulness, so as to lead to the following results), in all wisdom (these words seem to be better taken with the following than with the foregoing. For 1) ch. Col 1:28 already gives us . . 2) has already its qualifying adverb emphatically placed at the end of the sentence. 3) The two following clauses will thus correspond- . And so Beng., Olsh., De W., Mey., al.: the usual arrangement has been with E. V., all. (not Chrys.), to join them with the preceding) teaching and warning (see on ch. Col 1:28) each other (see on Col 3:13) in psalms, hymns, spiritual songs (on the meaning of the words, see notes, Eph 5:19. The arrangement here adopted may be thus vindicated: . . . . must be joined with the preceding, not with the following, because 1) the instrumental dative is much more naturally taken after . . . ., from the analogy of Eph 5:19, . . . . . [.], … 2) here has already two qualifying clauses, one before and one after, and . Meyers note here is important: Notice moreover that Paul here also (see on Eph. ut supra) is not speaking of divine service properly so called, for this teaching and admonishing is required of his readers generally and mutually, and as a proof of their rich possession of the word of Christ:-but of the communication of the religious life among one another (e.g. at meals, at the Agap, and other meetings, in their family circles, &c.), wherein spiritual influence caused the mouth to overflow with the fulness of the heart, and gave utterance to brotherly instruction and reproof in the higher form of psalms, &c.; perhaps in songs already known,-or extemporized, according to the peculiarity and productivity of each mans spiritual gift: perhaps sung by individuals alone (which would especially be the case when they were extemporized), or in chorus, or in the form of antiphonal song (Plin. Ep. x. 97). How common religious singing was in the ancient church, independently of divine service properly so called, see in Suicer, Thes. 2. p. 1568 f. Euseb., H. E. ii. 17, v. 28, testifies to the existence of a collection of rhythmical songs which were composed by Christians ( . , , , v. 28). On singing at the Agap, see Tert. Apol. 39, vol. i. p. 477: post aquam manualem et lumina, ut quisque de scripturis Sanctis vel proprio ingenio potest, provocatur in medium Deo canere); in grace (the grace-of Christ (see reff. for the absolute use of )- , Chrys.: so c., : not as Erasm., Luth., Melaneth., Calv. (pro dexteritatc qu grata sit), and indeed Chrys. (alten.: ), Beza, Corn.-a-lap., al., gracefully,-which would be irrelevant as applied to the singing of the heart: see below-nor as Anselm, and De W., Conyb., al., thankfully, which would be a flat and unmeaning anticipation of below. The article marks the grace, which is yours by Gods indwelling Spirit) singing in your hearts to God (this clause has generally been understood as qualifying the former. But such a view is manifestly wrong. That former spoke of their teaching and warning one another in effusions of the spirit which took the form of psalms, &c.: in other words, dealt with their intercourse with one another; this on the other hand deals with their own private intercourse with God. The second participle is coordinate with the former, not subordinate to it. The mistake has partly arisen from imagining that the former clause related to public worship, in its external form: and then this one was understood to enforce the genuine heartfelt expression of the same. But this not being so, that which is founded on it falls with it. The singing is an analogous expression to that in 1Co 14:28,- , . . So the . . describes the method of uttering this praise, viz. by the thoughts only: designates to whom it is to be addressed,-not, as before, to one another, but to God):
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Col 3:16. , the word) by which ye have been called.-, have its indwelling in you) as in a temple, for ever.- , in you) in your inner man; comp. full, Rom 15:14.-, richly) The distribution follows: in all wisdom[25]-one another [, admonishing yourselves]: with grace-in[26] your heart, i.e. mutually and apart. In wisdom, with grace, occur again, ch. Col 4:5-6.- , teaching in all wisdom) So it must be construed, comp. ch. Col 1:28. The nominative, by Syllepsis,[27] depends on , let the peace dwell in you, i.e. have ye it dwelling in you [and therefore , agreeing with , is put]; and this construction is the more suitable on this account, that , be ye, which occurs a little before, has possession of the readers mind.-, yourselves) , one another. There are parallel expressions at Col 3:13.-, in Psalms) Eph 5:19.- , with grace) , , Psa 45:3.
[25] Engl. Vers. loses this distribution of the rich indwelling of the word of Christ, by putting a semicolon after wisdom, Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; Lachm. rightly puts ( ) in a parenthesis, and thus , etc., is joined with the previous .-ED.
[26] The 2d Ed. prefers, and the Germ. Vers. distinctly expresses the plural, , which is not approved in the margin of the older Ed.-E. B.
[27] Where the concord of the parts of speech is regulated not by strict syntax, but by the meaning in the mind, as here, -, for . But Lachmanns punctuation makes this needless. See my note above.-ED.
ABCD()Gfg Vulg. read . So Lachm. Tisch., without any of the oldest authorities, reads as Rec. Text, .-ED.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Col 3:16
Col 3:16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly;-The word or teaching of Christ dwells in us richly, when we know and understand it, and it fills our hearts, moulds our thoughts and feelings, and guides our lives, accepting it as the fullness and completeness of all wisdom. [Richly suggests abundance. The spoken word of Christ is to have a permanent and abundant place in the church, and on the lips and thoughts of its members, thus making them truly rich.]
in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,-Singing is one means of getting the word of Christ into the hearts of the hearers. By speaking in songs they are to teach and admonish one another, by bringing the thoughts and feelings of the heart into harmony with the sentiment of the songs. These are the ends and purposes of the worship of the song service. To present the sentiment in song helps to carry the impression to the heart. The thoughts contained in the words do the teaching and admonishing; the song is the vehicle by which the sentiments are conveyed to the heart of those who hear and understand.
Instrumental accompaniment does not aid in conveying the thoughts and sentiments to the heart of those who hear. It hinders, rather than helps. The words must be heard and distinctly understood and the sentiments apprehended to effect this end. The instrumental service hinders and diverts the mind from, instead of aiding in, this work. If it aids at all, it is in the execution of the musical performance. This is the danger point and the bane of the song service-that it be diverted to a musical performance to entertain, instead of service to God. The instrumental performance helps to corrupt it at its weakest point, and really hinders it in the main end and purpose for which God ordained it. This, I conclude, would be the case, else God would have connected the instrumental with song service. He knew what is in man, and knew exactly what would be best to effect his purpose. He did not ordain instrumental music in his service. For man to bring it in is at once to impugn the wisdom of the Almighty and to corrupt his service and pervert the end of his appointment. As a musical performance it cannot be called an aid to the singing. An aid or helper is less conspicuous and important than the thing aided. The principal occupies the chief and leading place; the aid the secondary position. The mechanical instrument occupies the leading, not the secondary, part in time and sound, in the service where it is used. It usurps the chief or principal place, and the singing is done as a mere accompaniment of the instrumental service. The attention and thoughts are diverted from the sentiment of the song to the symphonies of the mechanical instrument. It defeats the chief end of the song, the moral and spiritual impression on the heart, and in the musical performance is not an aid, but a hindrance, to the leading end, and makes the singing a minor accompaniment to the instrumental performance. It defeats and perverts the service ordained by God, both in the aim and in the performance.
singing with grace in your hearts unto God.-We are to sing in the sunshine of the favor of God, our song being prompted by his great goodness to us. The melody of the lips coming from and filling the heart. Whatever goes up to God must fill the heart. In the parallel passage it is said: And … be filled with the Spirit; speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord. (Eph 5:18-19). These passages mean exactly the same. To be filled with the Spirit and to have the word of Christ dwell in you richly are one and the same thing; to sing and make melody in the heart to the Lord and to sing with grace in the heart are one and the same thing, and mean to bring the thoughts and feelings into harmony with the sentiment sung. It is the sentiment that is sung that constitutes the worship; there is no acceptable worship in music distinct from the sentiment sung. The music of the song is only the means of impressing the sentiment sung more deeply on the hearts of both singer and hearer. What is sung must be the outgrowth of the rich indwelling of the word of Christ in the heart. The purpose is to praise God and teach the word of Christ.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
grace
Grace (imparted). vs. Col 4:6; Rom 6:1; 2Pe 3:18.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
The Indwelling Word
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.Col 3:16.
We used to read when we were children about the magicians wand which was waved over the hill-side, and the hill-side opened and disclosed caves full of treasures. Here is a text which might open before us as regards the origin of character and life just such a wealth of unsuspected treasure; or, rather, it might be like that hard rock from which, smitten by Moses at the command of God, there trickled, then poured, then gushed, and then flowed like a river, water which satisfied the thirst of rebellious and murmuring Israel for many a long day.
1. The passage from which the text is taken contains one of the noblest ethical exhortations in the New Testament. The subject of the Epistle is Christ. From first to last it is Christological in the fullest sense of the term. It is addressed to those who profess to have accepted Christ; it asserts what that profession must involve. In a very true sense the doctrine or philosophy of the Christian life, which St. Paul is convinced is the true philosophy of humanity, is summed up in one word, the word Christ. St. Paul seems to say: You tell me you have accepted Christ, you profess to believe in Christ; you must therefore realize what this profession means, for it is only when you are filled with, and inspired by, an adequate conception of the doctrine of Christ that you can lead, and that you can induce others to lead, a truly Christian life. For St. Paul knew that the life of every man and of every society must inevitably be the expression of some individual and social philosophy. If there is one book in the New Testament which more than another asserts that it does matter what we believe, and that life and conduct, both individual and social, are ultimately ruled by ideas and convictions, it is this Epistle to the Colossians.
2. Now the Apostle seeks to set forth the true idea of the Christ, as against the false conceptions that were current. He knows that the true conception of the personal Christ is expressed in the Jesus of the Gospels. In the Gospels we study His life, His work, His teaching, His atoning death, His glorious resurrection and ascension, which are all steps in the one process termed by St. John His glorification. In the Gospels we learn the principles which inspired Him, and of the power with which God endowed Him, for He was raised by the glory of the Father. At once, so urges the Apostle, follows the inevitable conclusion; the whole human race must walk (for it has received the power to walk) in newness of life.
3. But how are Christian believers to be adequately equipped to present Christ to those outside? You are, says the Apostle, members of a body with mutual obligations, but also with obligations or responsibilities to the world outside you. For the discharge of these obligations, which is of the nature of a continuous service, you must have an equipment. That equipment must satisfy two conditions. The equipment itself is the word of the Christ, and the first condition is that this wordthe whole Gospel, the whole body of Messianic truthdwell in you richly. You must be richly endowed with its contents and its meaning; your relation to it must be that of men who have made themselves masters of a rich possession, who have so thoroughly assimilated this knowledge that it has become part of themselves. This is the first condition. The second is to remember that towards this wealth you have a stewardship, whose exercise and discharge must be characterized by skill. There must be the skill which comes from intimate knowledge, coupled with constant careful practice, but which also assumes the possession and use of an intimate knowledge of the conditions and needs of those towards whom you are stewards. We must remember that knowledge is only one factor in skill. The word presumes the idea of art as well as that of science. So this practical skill is an essential part of your equipment, namely, the skill which comes from daily discipline and exercise in the use as well as in the acquisition of knowledge.
It is ideas that rule. It is ideas that influence and change the conduct both of the individual and of society. History is full of proofs of this. And the word of the Christ embodies the ideas of the Christ, the ideas which Jesus of Nazareth brought into the world, or upon which He laid special stress. A modern writer on sociology has shown that in lands where the doctrine of the Incarnation has either never been accepted, or where belief in it has been lost, there we find an inadequate conception both of the worth and of the possibilities of man, and that this inadequate conception has resulted in slavery, in regardlessness of the value of human life, in unnecessary human suffering, in the degradation of woman, and generally in the debasement of humanity.1 [Note: W. E. Chadwick.]
I
The Word of Christ
1. What are we to understand by the word of Christ? You might, perhaps, interpret it to mean the recorded utterances of Christ that are found in the Gospels. In that case the word of Christ would be the same thing as the words of Christ. You might understand it as meaning the New Testament, because there you have not only the record of Christs uttered words, but also the explanation of His work and His person and His life given by His own Apostles. You might understand it as meaning the whole of the Bible, because in some sense here the Lord Jesus Christ is for us the centre; to Him all the early books point, and from Him all the later books lead on and forward. But the word of Christ does not consist merely in words written upon parchment, or in any number of words printed in a book. When St. Paul said, Let the word of Christ abide in you, he did not mean, Let the book abide in you. His words are spirit, and they are life. As poetry has been defined to be the breath and finer spirit of all knowledge, so the word of Christ is the quintessence of all sacred utterance. All that it tells us concerning Himself is mind and heart. It is the book because through the book so largely comes our knowledge of Him. But it is the voice of Him who speaks through the book only to those faithful souls who come to catch His accents; and St. Paul says, When you hear Him speak after that fashion take His word into the innermost recesses of your soul, let it dwell there, and fashion your whole character.
At this time I wrote, on a lovely morning in April: The Breath of Life seems to be in the air. On our ride Signor (G. F. Watts) begins to search for the unfound word which Professor Max Mller calls The Self, but from which it is difficult to divest the Myself that has so long been associated with it. The Word, The Life, The Fire of Life, the I Am, Matthew Arnolds Tendency that maketh for Righteousness, even our own word God, seemed to him to contain but a fraction of what the word should convey. He tells me that he is conscious of this Presenceseeks after it and knows that in every great effort of the human mind, from Egypt to Greece, from Greece to Wordsworth, in the poetic philosophy of India and in all sacred books of the East, there is to be found a consciousness of the Presence. In those Parthenon fragments, in all great art, I hear the organ tone; in my own work I am always trying for it. Yes, he added, answering something I had said, religion is nothing unless it is the music that runs through all life, from the least thing that we can do to the greatest. After all there is very little to be said; we know we have to desire to live well, to love goodness and to aspire after it, that is for God: to live in love towards all, and to do rightly towards all, that is for man. There is only one great mysterythe Creator. We can never return to the early ideas of Him as a kind white-bearded old man. If I were ever to make a symbol of the Deity, it would be as a great vesture into which everything that exists is woven. 1 [Note: Mrs. Watts, in George Frederic Watts, ii. 244.]
(1) There is now in the world, and especially in Christendom, something Christian that never came through the Scripturessomething that has come down through the ages by what may be called the tradition of souls, unwritten and almost unspoken. Jesus Christ, by His living presence in this world, and by His spoken word, generated and set in motion a spiritual force that has never died, and never will. But the rule of this force is in the Scriptures. Its explanation is the Scripture. It is not so much a tradition that could be expressed in any human language as a living influence that flows on, and must flow as long as the world lasts. But that general influence is not what, in the ordinary and intelligible sense, we can call the word of Christ. This is, manifestly, something which is to be apprehended by our intelligence, to be kept in our memory; which is to operate, through the understanding, upon the affections, and the conscience, and the will; which is to shape the habits and rule the life.
Some inscriptions are written in antiquated letters, in quaint and curious characters, or even in dead and obsolete tongues. But you never paint a finger-post with Saxon letters or German characters; you draw them broad and square, so that he who runs may read it in his most familiar alphabet. And Christs Word is not only the path but the finger-post, inscribed so broad and clear in the worlds vernacular that the wayfaring man, though a fool, need make no mistake.1 [Note: J. Hamilton, Works, vi. 24.]
The sacred word, so fraught with use,
Is bright with beauty too,
Oft startling us like blooms profuse
Upon a sudden view.
But more amazing than the bloom
Which all the trees bestuds,
See, peering from the leafy gloom,
A hundred thousand buds.
O, bud for ever, glorious tree,
O, ever blossom thus;
So shall thy good fruits plenteously
Hang ripening for us.2 [Note: T. T. Lynch, The Rivulet, 20.]
(2) The literal word of Christ is one of the most wonderful things that ever has been in the world. All at once, up in Galilee, a silent manfor He was then known only as a manbegan to speak. Not from Roman rostrum, not in terms of Greek philosophy, not as a Jewish Rabbi with Targum and Cabala at hand, but simply and naturally to simple and ordinary men wherever they could be got togetherin village synagogue, on the seashore, among the boats and nets, on the road, on the hill-sidesand as He spake, the words seemed literally to root themselves in the hearts of some of the hearers. There were many who heard and idly wondered and straightway forgot; there were some who heard and hated what they heard, because it seemed to make against their own power and influence. But others caught the word like living seed, and gave it living soil within them, where it grew and soon became the power of their whole life. But so it was, amid friends, and foes, and crowds of thoughtless, indifferent people, the Speaker continued to speak; and as He spake the word grew and multiplied and became increasingly a living spiritual force in the life of the whole nation.
God has given only two perfect things to this lost world. One of them is the incarnate Word, which is the Lord Jesus Christ; the other is the written Word, which is the Holy Scripture. There is a Divine element and a human element in both.1 [Note: James H. Brookes.]
Art, literature, philosophy, theology, statesmanship, science, civilization have made colossal strides forward, but Jesus stands just where He stood two thousand years ago, and the world is still at His feet. Why is it? The Gospel is an old story, the preachers sermon is an old message, religion is an old song, and yet the heart of the race stops to listen, and ever and anon some soul, mantling with the light of Calvarys glory, rises up to confess that the old song has brought the new life. Christ is the same because Christ is the best. There is no progress beyond Him. He is all the heart longs for.2 [Note: J. I. Vance, Royal Manhood, 243.]
We are told that Christ spoke to men as one that had authoritynot an authority like that of the Scribes and Pharisees, which is given from without, but an authority which flowed naturally from the absolute conviction of the truth of His own words. Of this too we might find imperfect examples within our own experience. For when a man is possessed with a truth and feels that he has a mission to utter it, he becomes a power in the world. So Christ, having received the truth from His Father, brought it down to men. The opinions of the world, the customs of society, the traditions of Churchesthey too had an authority, but it was of another sort. They did not come immediately from God; they did not find a witness in the better mind and conscience of manthey were the words of an age and country, and might be even unmeaning or absurd in some other age or country. But the words of Christ were eternal and unchangeable; as long as human nature lasts, while the world standsthese and these alone shall never pass away.3 [Note: B. Jowett.]
Give me the Wordthe Word!
Leave me, I pray, with the Word, and the Spirit alone:
Thus shall the Way, and the Truth be made known;
Thus all the depths of my soul with the life shall be stirred.
Who but Himself could tell,
Save in dead words, such a story as this that I learn
Straight from the wonderful pages that burn
Still with the light that sometime on the Mystery fell,
When He revealed His Son,
Chosen to manifest God, in unspeakable love
Linking our lives with His own life above,
Making them one, as Himself and the Father are One
Spirit and flesh in Him
God, the Creator, and man, whom He formed from the dust,
Meeting in Christ whom, receiving, I trust,
Seeing the Life that to wisdom and reason is dim.
Give me the Word, I say!
Let me go into its depths for the treasure I seek;
Let me be still, that the Spirit may speak,
Filling the gloom of my soul with His marvellous ray.
Give me the Wordthe Word!
Leave me, I pray, with the Word and the Spirit to be:
Let the one Life flow unhindered through me;
Let the glad song of His joy in the silence be heard.1 [Note: E. H. Divall, A Believers Songs, 97.]
2. Let us look at some of the chief characteristics of the word.
(1) Its simplicity and wisdom.Who that has ever really studied the words of Christ can help being struck by these characteristic features? The truths He teaches are wise and deep; they provide food for thought for men in all ages. And yet the words which convey them are so simple that he who runs may read. In a word, the teaching of Jesus is like the sea that has shallows in which a little child can wade safely, and unfathomable depths whose bottom no lead can ever touch.
Simplicity and wisdomthat is a combination which is not always, or even generally, found in teachers. Wise men are very often hard to understand when they try to teach others, and deep truths seem to be almost inseparable from difficult words and intricate sentences. Now and again, but very rarely, we come across a teacher who is head and shoulders above his fellows. And if we investigate we shall invariably find that the secret of his superiority is that he has the gift of simplicity as well as of wisdom, and so is enabled to impart to others the knowledge he has acquired and the truths he has grasped.
The excellence of Holy Scripture does not arise from a laboured and far-fetched elocution, but from a surprising mixture of simplicity and majesty, which is a double character, so difficult to be united that it is seldom to be met with in compositions merely human.1 [Note: Newman.]
The teaching of Christ is simple, but it is the simple which is always the hardest to understand; for complexity like mechanism may be puzzling, but it is never profoundpatience can always unravel it; it is a compound and can readily be reduced to its elements; but simplicity is, as it were, an element in itself, and is profound with the profundity of deep clear water. The complex may be a riddle, but the simple is a mystery. The apprehension of Christs profound simplicity is the reward only of long and complex spiritual struggleexcept, of course, in the case of those happy ones who come into it at birth as into an inheritance. It is the simplicity which can only come of experienceor genius.2 [Note: Richard Le Gallienne, The Religion of a Literary Man, 68.]
If we compare the talk of great men and women who will cause this age to be remembered, one element is to be found in them alla certain directness, simplicity, and vivid reality; a gift for reaching their hearers at once, giving straight from themselves, and not in reflections from other minds; sunshine, in short, not moonshine. Perhaps something of this may be due to the habit of self-respect and self-reliance which success and strength of purpose naturally create. Many uncelebrated people have the grace of convincing simplicity, but I have never met a really great man without it. As one thinks of it one recognizes that a great man is greater than we are, because his aim (consciously or unconsciously) is juster, his strength stronger and less strained; his right is more right than ours, his certainty more certain; he shows us the best of that which concerns him, and the best of ourselves too in that which concerns us in his work or his teaching.3 [Note: Lady Thackeray Ritchie, Tennyson, Ruskin, and Browning, 73.]
Lord, with the childrens wisdom make us wise;
For to simplicity Thou dost reveal
The way unto Thyself, and dost unseal
The mysteries that baffle learnings eyes.
We crave the knowledge that for ever lies
Deeper than words. It is enough to feel
Thy presence ever bringing hopes that heal,
Light that can lead, and love that satisfies.
Thy silence hath more meaning than our speech;
And so, beyond our wordy strife and vain,
By sorrowing and gladness, loss and gain,
Bring us into Thy quietness, and teach
Those deep simplicities that mock the brain,
Yet lie within the hearts most easy reach.1 [Note: P. C. Ainsworth, Poems and Sonnets, 77.]
(2) Its preciousness and power.Some words are dead logs and others are living truths; some words are like living creatures that have hands and feet; there are some words which, as you listen to them, make the blood move fast and the pulse beat rapidly, and you want to go forth then and there to do something worth doing; they are words that have life about them. Such words are the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, for they are spirit and they are life. That means that if they dwell in us they minister to our life. Man does not live by bread alone, although he is perpetually trying to persuade himself that he does. What is it that we live by in the life of the spirit? Some of us have in our reading experienced the keen joy of coming across a new lifegiving thought; it is like the joy of an astronomer who, watching the skies, finds new planets come within his ken. We are like a discoverer looking out on the great Pacific ocean of truth, and in a moment there opens before us a world of truth, as by a single flash of insight. But there are no words that will do this for us like the living Word of Christ.
I have been greatly cheered by assurances which have recently reached me again and again of the blessing which God has caused to rest on my ministry in past years, and of the light and strength which, through Gods grace, some are finding in my books; but I seem to have a great deal to say that I have never said yet, and I want to say it. How wonderful the gospel of Christ is! I have been thinking about it and preaching about it for more than forty years, and yet there seem to be vast provinces of truth in it which I am only just beginning to explore.1 [Note: R. W. Dale, Life, 631.]
In the Green Room at Dresden, where for centuries the Saxon princes have gathered their gems and treasures until they have become worth millions of pounds, may be seen a silver egg, a present to one of the Saxon queens, which when you touch a spring opens and reveals a golden yolk. Within this is hid a chicken, whose wing when pressed also flies open, disclosing a splendid gold crown, studded with jewels. Nor is this all; another secret spring being touched, hidden in the centre is found a magnificent diamond ring. So it is with every truth and promise of Gods worda treasure within a treasure; and all to enrich and bless us.2 [Note: Principal Holliday.]
To all mens hearts the words of Christ find a way when they are rightly considered. For no one will say that to hate is better than to love, darkness better than light, impurity than holiness, falsehood better than truth. And it may very likely be the case that when all the endless books and tomes of scholastic divinity, ancient and modern, shall have ceased to interest mankind, the words of Christ, and these alone, shall prevail.3 [Note: B. Jowett.]
(3) Its gracious accent.When a person speaks there is not only the thing he says, but the tone in which he says it. There is a dry and flippant tone which withers the sincerity out of the kindest words, and there is a full-hearted tone which will fill the most common words with a melting magic. And so there is not only Christs Word, but Christs way of speaking it. The Word dwelt among us full of grace and truth. What Jesus spoke was truth, the way He spoke was gracious, so gracious that all men marvelled hearing the words which proceeded out of His mouth. Christs tone was gracious. He spoke the truth, but He spoke the truth in love. Even when moved with indignation at hypocrisy and hardness of heart, there was love enough to make His anger far more awful, that absence of bitterness when goodness frowns on guiltthe wrath of the Lamb.
A chemist may analyse the wine of Lebanon, and he may tell you that it contains so many salts and alkalies; and you may combine all these, you may mix them in the just proportions; but chemistry will never create what the vintage yielded. To make the wine of Lebanon needs Lebanon itselfthe mountain with its gushing heart and aromatic springs. A theologian may analyse the Christian doctrine. He may tell you how many truths and tenets this Bible contains; and you may combine them all. You may put the sound words together and make a system of them, but that system, however orthodox, so long as it abides alone, is not the Word of Christ. It needs Christs own mind, His loving heart and benignant spirit, to reproduce the truth as it is in Jesus. It needs the Evangelic truth and the Evangelic tone to go together. They are essential to one another, and it is Gospel only when they are combined.1 [Note: J. Hamilton, Works, vi. 40.]
He whom God sent into the world, to be the Light of the world, and Head of the whole Church, and the perfect example of true religion and virtue, for the imitation of allthe Shepherd whom the whole flock shall follow wherever He goeseven the Lord Jesus Christ, was a person who was remarkably of a tender and affectionate heart; and His virtue was expressed very much in the exercise of holy affections.2 [Note: Jonathan Edwards.]
The Sacred Infancy teaches us tenderness; the Passion tenderness; the Blessed Sacrament tenderness; the Sacred Heart tenderness. But look at the common life of Jesus among men, and you will see more clearly what this tenderness is like. There is first the tenderness of our Lords outward deportment. The narrative of Palm Sunday is an instance of it. Also His way with His disciples, His way with sinners, and His way with those in affliction or grief who threw themselves in His road. He quenched not the smoking flax nor broke the bruised reed. This was a complete picture of Him. There was tenderness in His very looks, as when He looked on the rich young man and loved Him: and St. Peter was converted by a look. His whole conversation was imbued with tenderness. The tone of His parables, the absence of terrors in His sermons, the abyss of forgiveness which His teaching opens out, all exemplify this. He is no less tender in His answer to questions, as when He was accused of being possessed, and when He was struck on the face. His very reprimands were steeped in tenderness; witness the woman taken in adultery, James and John, and the Samaritan, and Judas; nor was His zeal less tender, as was evidenced when He rebuked the brothers who would fain have called down fire from heaven upon the Samaritan villagers, and also by the sweet meekness of His divine indignation when He cleared the Temple. Now if our Lord is our model, and if His spirit is ours, it is plain that a Christian-like tenderness must make a deep impression upon our spiritual life; and indeed give it its principal tone and character. Without tenderness we can never have that spirit of generosity in which we must serve God.1 [Note: F. W. Faber.]
II
Our Appropriation of the Word
Let the word of Christ dwell in you. The word dwell means more than a temporary lodging. You are said to dwell in the house you inhabit; it becomes your home; you feel at ease in it; you are at liberty in it; you are welcome in it; you do as you like in it; you have authority in it. That is what is meant here. Let the word of Christ dwell in you. He does not sayvisit you; come to you occasionally; reside for a time with you. No, but inhabit, reside continually; have a home in you; be welcome to you; be at ease in you; have authority in you; do as it likes with you; regulate and dispose and arrange everything in you.
St. Paul regards the word as an inhabitant of the souls chamber, so that without it the Christian character would be like a human body without a face, like a face without an eye, like one of those gaunt, untenanted dwellings that you see sometimes staring you in the face, and giving no signs of happy occupancy; it needs men and women to dwell in it to give it shape and character. He says, Let the word of Christ be in your heart of hearts as that which will clothe and form and fashion and give significance and character to your life. Let it abide in you richly in all wisdom.
A human life without the indwelling word of God is as empty as a landscape without human beings in it. All true landscape, whether simple or exalted, depends primarily for its interest on connexion with humanity, or with spiritual powers. Banish your heroes and nymphs from the classical landscapeits laurel shades will move you no more. Show that the dark clefts of the most romantic mountain are uninhabited and untraversed; it will cease to be romantic. Fields without shepherds and without fairies will have no gaiety in their green, nor will the noblest masses of ground or colours of cloud arrest or raise your thoughts, if the earth has no life to sustain, and the heaven none to refresh.1 [Note: Ruskin, Modern Painters, v. (Works, vii. 255).]
1. Let the word of Christ dwell in the memory.Let it dwell in the memory, for there is the place where we should plant the seed. As the seed goes into the soil of the earth and the soil of the earth does not understand it; so the seed of the truth of Christ goes into our memory, and our memory does not understand it. But it strikes its living roots down into our thoughts, and by and by we are liftedtransfigured into the likeness of Jesus Christ. The morning, the springtime of life, is the time to sow the memory with the truth of Christ. In the springtime, when the soil is moist and warm, it takes in the seed and gives back quickly; but in the summer, after the July sun has exhausted the moisture, the seed perishes; and, if scattered over the beaten track, it is wasted. So, the time to pack the memory with the truth of Christ is in youth, before the hot sun of middle age has exhausted the soil of its ambition, thought, and imagination; before the impress of the busy world has come upon the soul.
John Ruskin, that master writer of English prose, says that when he was a boy his mother compelled him to memorize chapter after chapter of the Old Testament, particularly the Psalms, and chapter after chapter of the New Testament; and now whatever John Ruskin has written is filled with quotations from the Bible. As you can taste the June clover in the sweet country butter, so you can taste the Bible in the writings of John Ruskin.2 [Note: O. P. Gifford.]
It has been remarked by those who have had wide opportunities for observation that memory is a most important part of the basis of intellectual pre-eminence. The information we can gather regarding the early training of James Kidd bears out this high estimate that is taken of the function of memory in mental and moral development. When he was a mere child he not only read, but was able to repeat without book, the greater part of the Gospel of John. Every day his mother gave him his portion, causing him to commit to memory the passage that was read, and putting questions to him to induce him to ponder and digest what he had acquired, so that the truth entered into his growing intelligence, and was not a mere mechanical appropriation. When he was an old man, Dr. Kidd often spoke with grateful emotion of the gracious wisdom of his mother in being at such pains so to present Jesus Christ to his mind as to beget in him reverence and love that hallowed the springs of his life.1 [Note: Dr. Kidd of Aberdeen, 5.]
I have a room whereinto no one enters
Save I myself alone:
There sits a blessed memory on a throne,
There my life centres.
While winter comes and goesoh tedious comer!
And while its nip-wind blows;
While bloom the bloodless lily and warm rose
Of lavish summer.
If any should force entrance he might see there
One buried yet not dead,
Before whose face I no more bow my head
Or bend my knee there;
But often in my worn lifes autumn weather
I watch there with clear eyes,
And think how it will be in Paradise
When were together.2 [Note: Christina G. Rossetti, Poems, 334.]
2. Let the word of Christ dwell in the imagination.Memory combined with imagination is a very marvellous power, but alone it is of very little use. A mans memory may be packed with great principles, but they are of no use to him, because they have not entered into his life through faith. But what is faith? It is trust in a person; dependence upon the word of the person. But it is more than that; it is the imagining power of the soul. Faith is the substance of things hoped for; it is the evidence of things not seen. Let the word of Christ dwell in your imagination. Brood over it. Give yourself to it until all doubt, all mists of obscurity pass away. Rise with it to the heavenlies where Christ sits at the right hand of God.
I had a hot march to Blonay among the vines, and between their dead stone walls; once or twice I flagged a little, and began to think it tiresome; then I put my mind into the scene, instead of suffering the body only to make report of it; and looked at it with the possession-taking grasp of the imaginationthe true one; it gilded all the dead walls, and I felt a charm in every vine tendril that hung over them. It required an effort to maintain the feeling: it was poetry while it lasted, and I felt that it was only while under it that one could draw, or invent, or give glory to, any part of such a landscape. I repeated I am in Switzerland over and over again, till the name brought back the true group of associations, and I felt I had a soul, like my boys soul, once again. I have not insisted enough on this source of all great contemplative art. The whole scene without it was but sticks and stones and steep dusty road.1 [Note: Ruskin, in E. T. Cooks Life of John Ruskin, i. 246.]
3. Let the word of Christ dwell in the affections.Pascal said faith must be imbued with feeling or else it will always be vacillating. Of how much modern scepticism have you not there the explanation! A man does not feel deeply his faith, else he would not wave to and fro and be shaken by every wind of doctrine. The word of Christ will not dwell in a mans mind unless it dwells in a mans heart; it will not give the intellect contact with truth unless it graciously sways the currents of his feelings. There are some scents which are as exquisite as the breath of spring, but they are faint and evanescent, you hardly discern them in the air before they are gone; there are others that cling to us and yet never pall. So it is with sounds; there are some tunes that cling to us, that we cannot banish, and that we would not banish if we could.
I remember reading, in a book about travels in South America, about the water-vine. A traveller may be going about not knowing how to quench his thirst, but if he sees one of these plants growing his difficulties are at an end, for he has only to sever the stem and a stream of fresh cold water flows forth to quench the thirst. The reason is the plant is full of sap. The character is full of sap if the word of Christ really dwells in a mans heart.2 [Note: W. T. Davison.]
Jesus idea lifts Christianity above the plane of arid discussion and places it in the region of poetry, where the emotions have full play and Faith is vision. Theology becomes the explanation of the fellowship between the soul and Jesus. Regeneration is the entrance into His life, Justification the partaking of His Cross, Sanctification the transformation into His character, Death the coming of the Lord, Heaven His unveiled Face. Doctrines will be but moods of the Christ-consciousness; parables of the Christ-life. Suffering will be the baptism of Jesus and the drinking of His cup, and if every saint has not the stigmata on his hands and feet, he will at least, like Simon the Cyrenian, have the mark of the Cross upon his shoulder. And service will be the personal tribute to Jesus, whom we shall recognize under any disguise.1 [Note: John Watson, The Mind of the Master.]
4. Let the word of Christ dwell richly in the will.Character lies pre-eminently in the sphere of the will. He who would achieve much in the moral life must be capable of mighty endeavours. The place of will in influence is hardly less obvious. Only he who can set his goal and steadily and firmly pursue it can hope to count greatly with others.
The Great Teacher has said If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine. It is Christs will that every power God has given to man shall find its full employ. It is His will that we shall have life and that we shall have it more abundantly. It is the Spirit of Power within, energizing with our spiritthe human will in its highest action. The mystery of that union of the Divine will with the human will none can ever explain. But the mystery is no greater than that of the human will energizing from the centre to the circumference of our entire being. Striving to harmonize your will with the will of God, you will learn to make the best use of this greatest and grandest of your unused powers.2 [Note: S. Fallows, Health and Happiness, 148.]
The common characteristic of the virtues lies in a state of willa will in harmony with the good. The harmony may indeed be far from perfect; but the more nearly it is approached, the higher is the virtue. Still further, we may be only faintly conscious of the nature of the good which is being realized in our own character. By instinct and training a man may show himself brave and his own master, without thinking much of the ends thereby achieved. Yet virtue is a state of consciousnessnot mere instinct. It does not, of course, require elaborate reflection upon our own motives; far less does it involve the morbid self-examination which turns life to bitterness. Its consciousness is not a consciousness of the individual self and its struggles and weaknesses so much as a contemplation of, and firm hold on, the ideal selfthe good which we approach in the very act of striving after it. From this point of view, the attitude which at once apprehends and wills the good is the root of all the virtues. This may be called the Good Will.1 [Note: W. R. Sorley, The Moral Life, 65.]
Thou who madst the mighty clock
Of the great world go;
Madst its pendulum swing and rock,
Ceaseless to and fro;
Thou whose will doth push and draw
Every orb in heaven,
Help me move by higher law
In my spirit graven.
Like a planet let me swing
With intention strong;
In my orbit rushing sing
Jubilant along;
Help me answer in my course
To my seasons due;
Lord of every stayless force,
Make my Willing true.2 [Note: George MacDonald, Violin-Songs (Poetical Works, i. 354).]
5. Let the word of Christ dwell richly in the whole life.The word should manifest the rich abundance of its dwelling in men by opening their minds to receive every kind of wisdom. Where the gospel dwells in its power in a mans spirit, and is intelligently meditated on and studied, it will flower in principles of thought and action applicable to all subjects, and touching the whole horizon of human life. All, and more than all, the wisdom which these false teachers promised in their mysteries, is given to the babes and the simple ones who treasure the word of Christ in their hearts, and the least among them may say, I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Thy testimonies are my meditation. That gospel which the child may receive has infinite riches in a narrow room, and, like some tiny black seed, for all its humble form, has hidden in it the promise and potency of wondrous beauty of flower, and nourishment of fruit. Cultured and cared for in the heart where it is sown, it will unfold into all truth which a man can receive or God can give, concerning God and man, our nature, duties, hopes and destinies, the tasks of the moment, and the glories of eternity.
Is it possible that from such a life as Jesus lived so long ago, a life that was lived back in the very dust of history and that has come down to us in records which seem sometimes to be flecked with tradition and obscured with the distance in which they livedis it possible that I should get from Him a guidance of my daily life here? Can Jesus really be my Teacher, my Guide, in the actual duties and perplexities of my daily life and lead me into the larger land in which I know He lives? Ah! the man knows very little about the everlasting identity of human nature, little of how the world in all these changeless ages is the same, who asks thatvery little, also, of how in every largest truth there are all particulars and details of human life involved; little of how everything that a man is to-day, upon every moment, rests upon some eternal foundation and may be within the power of some everlasting law. The wonder of the life of Jesus is thisand you will find it so and you have found it so if you have ever taken your New Testament and tried to make it the rule of your daily lifethat there is not a single action that you are called upon to do of which you need be, of which you will be, in any serious doubt for ten minutes as to what Jesus Christ, if He were here, would have you do under those circumstances and with the material upon which you are called to act. The soul that takes in Jesus word, the soul that through the words of Jesus enters into the very person of Jesus, the soul that knows Him as its daily presence and its daily lawit never hesitates. There is no single act of your life, there is no single dilemma in which you find yourself placed, in which the answer is not in Jesus Christ. I do not say that you will find some words in Jesus teachings in the Gospel of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John that will detail exactly the condition in which you find yourself placed; but I do say that if, with your human sympathies and your devoted love, you can feel the presence of that Jesus behind the words that He said, the personal perfectness, the Divine life manifested in the human life, there is not a single sin or temptation to sin that will not be convicted. There is where we rest when we claim that Jesus Christ is the Master of the world, that He opens the great richness and infinite distances of the human life, that He shows us what it is to be men.1 [Note: Phillips Brooks, Addresses, 109.]
The Indwelling Word
Literature
Binney (T.), Sermons in Kings Weigh-House Chapel, 1st Ser., 214.
Dixon (A. C.), The Person and Ministry of the Holy Spirit, 118.
Gibbons (J.), Discourses and Sermons, 97.
Gregg (J.), Sermons Preached in Trinity Church, Dublin, ii. 131.
Hamilton (J.), Works, ii. 419.
Maclaren (A.), Expositions: Colossians and Philemon, 320.
Nicoll (W. R.), Ten-Minute Sermons, 259.
Plumptre (E. H.), Theology and Life, 115.
Ridgeway (C. J.), The King and His Kingdom, 101.
Sadler (M. F.), Sermon Outlines, 19.
Sauter (B.), The Sunday Epistles, 88.
Christian World Pulpit, xxix. 302 (Keghead); l. 218 (Davidson); lxxi. 11 (Chadwick).
Churchmans Pulpit: Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, iv. 182 (Carruthers).
Fuente: The Great Texts of the Bible
the word: Joh 5:39, Joh 5:40, 2Ti 3:15, Heb 4:12, Heb 4:13, 1Pe 1:11, 1Pe 1:12, Rev 19:10
dwell: Deu 6:6-9, Deu 11:18-20, Job 23:12, Psa 119:11, Jer 15:16, Luk 2:51, Joh 15:7, 1Jo 2:14, 1Jo 2:24, 1Jo 2:27, 2Jo 1:2
richly: 1Ti 6:17, Tit 3:6, *marg.
all: Col 1:9, 1Ki 3:9-12, 1Ki 3:28, Pro 2:6, Pro 2:7, Pro 14:8, Pro 18:1, Isa 10:2, Eph 1:17, Eph 5:17, Jam 1:5, Jam 3:17
teaching: Col 1:28, Rom 15:14, 1Th 4:18, 1Th 5:11, 1Th 5:12, 2Th 3:15, Heb 12:12-15
in psalms: Mat 26:30, 1Co 14:26, Eph 5:19, Jam 5:13
and spiritual: 1Ch 25:7, Neh 12:46, Psa 32:7, Psa 119:54, Son 1:1, Isa 5:1, Isa 26:1, Isa 30:29, Rev 5:9, Rev 14:3, Rev 15:3
singing: Col 4:6, Psa 28:7, Psa 30:11, Psa 30:12, Psa 47:6, Psa 47:7, Psa 63:4-6, Psa 71:23, Psa 103:1, Psa 103:2, Psa 138:1, 1Co 14:15
to the: Col 3:23
Reciprocal: Jos 1:8 – thou shalt 2Sa 23:1 – sweet psalmist 1Ch 16:9 – psalms 1Ch 25:6 – for song Psa 19:7 – making Psa 33:3 – a new Psa 81:2 – General Psa 95:1 – sing Psa 100:4 – be thankful Psa 119:24 – my counsellors Psa 119:98 – through Pro 2:10 – General Pro 16:23 – heart Pro 18:4 – words Ecc 2:26 – wisdom Son 2:12 – time Son 4:3 – lips Son 7:9 – the roof Isa 35:6 – the tongue Eze 3:3 – and fill Eze 40:44 – chambers Mat 12:35 – good man Mat 13:44 – like Mat 13:52 – which Mar 14:26 – sung Luk 6:45 – treasure Luk 11:36 – the whole Joh 5:38 – ye have Joh 17:6 – they Act 8:28 – and sitting Act 18:24 – mighty Rom 16:19 – yet 1Co 1:30 – wisdom 1Co 2:13 – spiritual things 2Co 4:15 – the abundant 2Co 6:10 – making Eph 4:29 – that which Eph 6:1 – in Phi 4:19 – according Col 1:5 – the word Col 2:3 – In whom Col 4:5 – Walk 1Ti 4:6 – nourished Heb 5:12 – teachers Heb 10:24 – consider Heb 13:15 – the sacrifice 2Pe 1:8 – in you 1Jo 1:10 – his word 2Jo 1:9 – the doctrine
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
THE WORD OF CHRIST
Let the Word of Christ dwell in you.
Col 3:16
Note those words dwell in you. They mean more than that the Bible should have a place in your library or on your table. Dwell in you means make its home in your innermost being. And thus will it be treasured in your memory, enlighten your conscience, purify your heart, and nerve your will to do what pleases God.
I. We need the teaching of the Holy Spirit.Man as he is by nature cannot understand the Word of God (1Co 2:14). It is the treasure-house filled with boundless stores of holy lore, but only the Holy Ghost can give us the key.
II. The Word of God is living.The Word of God is quick (Heb 4:12), where the Revised Version has it, The Word of God is living and sharper than any two-edged sword, the two edges being either for convincing or destroying. The oracles of God are living oracles (Act 7:38).
III. Read quietly.Do not be in a hurry. The best business men are never in haste. And sacred studies cannot be pursued in a constant whirl and bustle. The sweetest spots in nature are hidden from the hasty tourist. You may see a good deal of a country in a few days or weeks: you may visit the mountains and lakes and rivers, the smoky cities and the great buildings; but the calm retreats, the quiet shadesall these are hidden from the hasty traveller.
IV. Look out for a personal message.When you pray, ask yourself, What have I to say to God? And when you read, ask, What has God to say to me? If that is your attitude, God will surely speak, and speak to you. You will rejoice in those precious promises which enrich the Holy Scriptures, and you will find that verily and indeed glorious things are spoken of true believers.
V. Read with reverence.Our fathers used to wrap their faces in their mantles and stand or kneel in reverential silence. There is far too little reverence now.
Rev. F. Harper.
Illustrations
(1) St. Chrysostom said, I always do, and always will, exhort you that at home you accustom yourselves to a daily reading of the Scriptures; and he goes on to say that the busy man, oppressed with worldly cares, has all the more need to study the Scriptures.
(2) In a Letter to a boy, MCheyne says: You read your Bible regularly, of course; but do try to understand it, and still more, to feel it. Read more parts than one at a time. For example, if you are reading Genesis, read a Psalm also; or if you are reading St. Matthew, read a small bit of an Epistle also. Turn the Bible into prayer.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
(Col 3:16.) -Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. Lachmann and Steiger propose to read this clause parenthetically, and to join the previous to the following participles-, etc. But nothing is gained by such a distribution. For , a few authorities and Fathers read ; and the Coptic and Clement read . The word of Christ is the gospel, the doctrine of Christ, or the truth which has Christ for its subject. In fact, Christ is both the giver of the oracle and its theme. By is meant, not simply among you-unter euch, as Luther translates, or as De Wette contends. Let the Christian truth have its enduring abode within you-let it be no stranger or occasional guest in your hearts. Let it not be without you, as a lesson to be learned, but within you, as the source of cherished and permanent illumination. Let it stay within you-, abundantly. That is, let it be completely understood, or let the soul be fully under its influence. Let it dwell not with a scanty foothold, but with a large and liberal occupancy.
Different ideas have been formed of the best mode of dividing the following clauses of the verse. Our translators, following the Peschito, Chrysostom, and Luther, Calvin, and Beza, add the words in all wisdom to the clause which we have already considered. But the idea of wisdom is better joined to the following clause, which refers to mutual teaching-in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another. Our translators, too, so point the verse as to make psalms and hymns the material of instruction, whereas it seems better, and more appropriate, to keep the clause distinct, thus-Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another: in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts unto the Lord.
The words are thus connected as they are in Col 1:28, and such is the view, among others, of Bengel, Storr, Bhr, Steiger, Olshausen, and Baumgarten-Crusius. See under Col 1:28, where the participles-, -occur, though in reverse order, and where they are also explained. The anakoluthon which occurs in the construction is almost necessary, and gives special prominence to the ideas expressed by the participles. The duty enjoined in this clause has a very close connection with that enjoined in the preceding one. Unless the word of Christ dwelt richly within them, they could not fulfil this duty; for they could not teach and admonish unless they knew what lessons to impart, and in what spirit to communicate them; but the lessons and the spirit alike were to be found in the gospel. Mutual exhortation must depend for its fitness and utility on mutual knowledge of the Christian doctrine. Sparing acquaintance with Divine revelation would lead to scanty counsel and ineffective tuition.
, , , . Both the conjunctions () which appear in the Received Text seem, on good authority, to be mere euphonistic insertions. Some take the words down to , as connected with the preceding participles-admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Our objection is, that while metrical or musical compositions are not the common vehicle of instruction or admonition, they are specially connected with sacred song. The datives, without the preposition, denote the materials of song. The phrase , according to Huther and De Wette, means with a grateful spirit. 1Co 10:30. It appears to us wholly out of the question on the part of Calvin, Beza, a-Lapide, Bhr, and many others, to take the words as denoting , gracefully-sine confusione. We prefer, with Estius, Steiger, and Meyer, to regard the phrase as meaning by the influence of grace, given, as Chrysostom remarks, by the Spirit. Luther joins the phrase erroneously to the preceding term. The following dative, , indicates Him in honour of whom this sacred minstrelsy is raised, and the formula describes the sincerity of the service,-the silent symphony of the heart. Tischendorf appears to us to have forsaken his own critical principles in retaining the singular form , for he has confessedly against him A, B, C1, D1, F, G, the Syriac which reads , and the Vulgate, which has-in cordibus vestris. For remarks on the different terms, and their distinction, the reader is referred to what has been said by us under Eph 5:19. We have there said that probably by Psalms may be understood the Hebrew book of that name, so com monly used in the synagogues; that the hymns might be other compositions divested of Jewish imagery and theocratic allusions, and more adapted to the heathen mind; while the spiritual odes were freer forms of song, the effusion of personal experience and piety, and do not simply point out the genus to which the entire class of such compositions belonged.
Still the sentiment hangs on the first clause-let the word of Christ dwell within you nobly. These sacred songs, whether in the language of Scripture, or based upon it, could be sung in the right spirit only when the indwelling word pressed for grateful utterance. When the gospel so possessed the heart as to fill it with a sense of blessing, then the lips might be tuned to song. Experimental acquaintance with Christianity could only warrant the chanting of the sacred ode.
Fuente: Commentary on the Greek Text of Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians and Phillipians
Col 3:16. The body of this verse is the same in thought as Eph 5:19; a full explanation is given at that place, which the reader should see; some additional comments will be offered here. The word of Christ is recorded in the New Testament, hence a knowledge of that book is necessary for it to dwell in one’s mind richly and in wisdom. Such a knoweldge will enable the disciples to teach and admonish each other. To teach means to impart instruction, and to admonishmeans to insist on doing one’s duty, with an intimation of danger in neglecting it. Singing with grace indicates that the service is prompted by the grace (favor) of God.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Col 3:16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. (The most ancient authorities vary here; but Christ is well sustained.) The word of Christ is the word which Christ has spoken, or caused to be proclaimed. For us the record of this word is in the New Testament In you, not, among you; but the personal indwelling involves the application to the body of believers, especially since social duties are so closely joined with this precept Richly; not with a scanty foothold, out with a large and liberal occupancy (Eadie).
In all wisdom. This may be joined with what precedes, as in the E. V., or with what follows. The latter preserves the correspondence in the form of the clauses, and makes this phrase emphatic (comp. chap. Col 1:28, where the same words are grouped together).
Teaching and admonishing one another. Comp. Eph 5:19. The two words have been variously distinguished as referring to instruction about faith and repentance, doctrine and practice, for intellect and heart.
In psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. See Eph 5:19. The words refer (though not exclusively) to the Old Testament psalms, to hymns of praise to Christ, and to other poetic productions, the result of the indwelling of the Holy Ghost. Others say the three classes of religious poetry are, Scriptural, congregational, private. One another does not imply responsive singing, though that was common. Singing took a large place in the early Christian worship; but the Apostle here refers to all the intercourse of Christians, in social assemblies, in the family, and not in the public service alone.
Singing with grace. Or, more literally, in grace, Christs grace. It should not be weakened into gracefully or, thankfully. The main question is, whether this explains teaching and admonishing, or is another manifestation of the indwelling of the word of Christ. The former view teaches that the public and social singing should be hearty and religious. But the latter view is preferable: in addition to the public and social singing for mutual edification, there should be private praise to God. The one should express itself in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs: the other may be without a sound in your hearts, but not the less singing. The evidence in favor of the reading, to God, is decisive.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
These words come in by way of direction and advice, to help the Colossians in the exercise of the foregoing graces; seeing it is the word of Christ, or the holy scriptures, which teach the forementioned duties, he advises that that word of God may dwell in, and take up its abode with them, richly and plentifully, that they may be furnished thereby with all true and sound wisdom.
Note here, 1. The title given to the holy scriptures, they are the word of Christ, because they have Christ for their author, Christ for their object, and Christ for their end.
Note, 2. The advice given with respect to the word of Christ, Let it dwell: Not come for an hour, but to tarry; not to tarry for a night, but to take up its fixed residence and abode.
Note, 3. Where it should dwell, not in the ear, nor in the head only, not in the memory barely, nor in the affections, but in the heart and soul, Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee. Psa 119:11
The law of God is in his heart, none of his steps shall slide. Psa 37:31
Note, 4. How the word should dwell in us, richly, copiously, and plentifully, in its commands, in its promises, in it threatenings; let the word, the whole word, dwell in you, being diligently searched, heartily received, and carefully observed.
Note, 5. The persons to whom this advice is given by the apostle, all the saints at Colosse, the whole body of the people are injoined an holy familiarity with the Bible, it is to be in their houses, in their hands, and in their hearts, that it may dwell richly in them.
Why then, and with what face dare the church of Rome forbid the common people to read the Bible, calling it an heretical book?
For a reason they very well know, namely, Because it is the most dangerous book against Popery, that ever was written in the world.
Here our apostle declares one special benefit which the Colossians would receive, by having the word of Christ dwell richly in them; it would enable them to teach and admonish one another, and also to excite and stir up the affections of each other, by singing those psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs therein contained, or such others as were composed by the inspiration and direction of the holy Spirit of God: always remembering, not to sing gracefully only, but with grace; that is, with attention and devotion in our hearts to the Lord.
Learn hence, The singing psalms, both in public assemblies, and private families, and therein praising and blessing of God for mercies received, is a great and necessary duty, to be jointly performed by all persons capable of it.
Learn, 2. That in singing, a special regard must be had, that there be an inward harmony, and a gracious melody in the soul, by the exercise of the understanding, and the orderly motion of the affections; if the heart and affections be not stirred up in this duty, the outward grace, though never so graceful, availeth nothing.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
Verse 16
The word of Christ; the doctrine of Christ.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in {l} psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
(l) By “psalms” he means all godly songs which were written upon various occasions, and by “hymns”, all such as contain the praise of God, and by “spiritual songs”, other more special and artful songs which were also in praise of God, but they were made fuller of music.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The third imperative is "let dwell." The "word of Christ," used only here in the New Testament, is Christ’s teachings, not only during His earthly ministry but also in all of Scripture. His Word should permeate our whole being so that we make all decisions and plans in its light.
". . . as the rabbis later pointed out, he who dwells in a house is the master of the house, not just a passing guest . . ." [Note: Dunn, p. 236.]
"Thus we are to submit to the demands of the Christian message and let it become so deeply implanted within us as to control all our thinking." [Note: Vaughan, p. 216.]
"Many saved people cannot honestly say that God’s Word dwells in their hearts richly because they do not take time to read, study, and memorize it." [Note: Wiersbe, 2:140.]
Teaching is the imparting of truth, and admonition is warning against error. We should perform these activities joyfully and with song. "Psalms" probably refers to the inspired Old Testament psalms. The word "psalms" implies that the believers sang them with musical accompaniment. Hymns are songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. Spiritual songs probably refer to expressions of Christian experience set to music. Thankfulness to God is to mark our singing too (cf. Col 3:15). [Note: See David F. Detwiler, "Church Music and Colossians 3:16," Bibliotheca Sacra 158:631 (July-September 2001):347-69.]
"Whether with instrument or with voice or with both it is all for naught if the adoration is not in the heart." [Note: Robertson, 4:505.]
"One of the first descriptions of a Church service which we possess is that of Pliny, the Roman governor of Bithynia, who sent a report of the activities of the Christians to Trajan the Roman Emperor. In that report he said, ’They meet at dawn to sing a hymn to Christ as God.’ The gratitude of the Church has always gone up to God in Christian praise and Christian song." [Note: Barclay, p. 191.]
"It has often been noticed that the Colossian passage is parallel with Eph 5:18-20. In the latter passage the hymns and songs are the outgrowth of the filling of the Spirit, while in Colossians they are the result of the deep assimilation of the Word of God. In other words, the Word-filled Christian is a Spirit-filled Christian, and the examination of the two passages would save us from a great deal of error on this subject. Undisciplined emphasis on the Holy Spirit is accompanied too frequently by shallow grounding in the Word of God." [Note: Johnson, 481:32.]