Lecture 2 — The truth of the Gospel

^1:3^ Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. [n. 7] We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you. [n. 8]

^1:4^ Hearing your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints. [n. 10]

^1:5^ For the hope that is laid up for you in heaven, which you have heard in the word of the truth of the Gospel, [n. 12]

^1:6^ Which is come unto you, as also it is in the whole world and brings forth fruit and grows, even as it does in you, since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth. [n. 14]

^1:7^ As you learned from Epaphras, our most beloved fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ Jesus; [n. 16]

^1:8^ Who also has manifested to us your love in the Spirit.

8. Here Paul begins his message.

First, he commends the truth of the Gospel;

second, he defends this against those who attack it, at for I would have you know (Col 2:1).

In regard to the first he does two things.

First, he commends the truth of faith in the Gospel;

and second, its author, at who is the image (Col 1:15).

The first is divided into two parts.

First, he thanks God for the benefits conferred on the Colossians in particular;

and second, for those benefits granted to the Church in general, at **giving thanks **(Col 1:12).

In regard to the first he does two things.

First, he thanks God;

and second, he shows why he gives thanks, at hearing your faith (Col 1:4).

Again the first is divided into two parts.

First, he gives thanks;

second, he prays, at praying always for you (Col 1:9).

9. So he says, we give thanks to God, the author of grace: give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thess 5:18). And always, for the past and for the future. For although we cannot actually pray every minute, we should always pray by serving God out of love: pray constantly (1 Thess 5:17); we ought always to pray (Luke 18:1).

10. Then he states his reasons for giving thanks.

First, he recalls the blessings they have;

and second, how they were obtained, at therefore we also (Col 1:9).

About the first, first he commemorates their good,

second, how they were able to obtain these things, at which you have heard.

11. Our blessings or goods consist especially in faith, hope, and the love of charity: for by faith we have a knowledge of God; by hope we are raised up to him; but by the love of charity we are united to him; so faith, hope, love, abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love (1 Cor 13:13). So he gives thanks for these three. First, that they have the faith; although he was not the one who preached to them, but rather a disciple by the name of Epaphras, and later Archippus. Thus he says, hearing your faith, which is the beginning of the spiritual life: the righteous shall live by his faith (Hab 2:4); for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him (Heb 11:6).

But this faith is dead without an active love (Jas 2:26), and so an active love must also be present: for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation (Gal 6:15). And so he continues, and the love which you have for all the saints.

There is a love which springs from charity, and another which is worldly. This worldly love does not include everyone, because we love those with whom there is some communication or sharing, which is the cause of love; but in worldly love this cause is not present in everyone, but is only found in one’s relatives or other worldly people. But the love of charity does extend to everyone; and so he says, for all. For even though sinners are loved by the love of charity, it is in order that at some time they become holy: we know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren (1 John 3:14).

Further, the fruit of worldly love is obtained in this world; but the fruit of the love of charity is in eternal life. This leads him to mention hope, saying, for the hope that is laid up for you in heaven, that is, because of your eternal glory, which is called hope because it is considered as certain: this hope has been put in my heart (Job 19:27).

12. Then when he says, which you have heard, he shows how they obtained these things.

First, he commends the doctrine of the Gospel;

and second, its ministry, at as you learned.

First he commends the truth of the doctrine;

second, its growth, at which is come unto you;

third, its fruitful progress, at and brings forth fruit.

13. So he says, which you have heard, that is, of the hope or else of the things hoped for, in the word of the truth of the Gospel, for this is greater than everything else: eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived what God has prepared for those who love him (1 Cor 2:9). Therefore, God revealed this: repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matt 3:2). But his hope is true, and not a vain hope (as when the one promising is a liar), because it is in the word of the truth: your word is truth (John 17:17).

14. Then when he says, which is come unto you, Christ’s doctrine is commended for its growth, because it** is come **not only unto you, but also in the whole world: their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world (Ps 19:4); this Gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world . . . and then the end will come (Matt 24:14).

But since the Gospel has been preached in the whole world, why has the end not come?

I answer that some say that the Gospel of Christ is not the Gospel of the kingdom. But this is false, because our Lord calls it the Gospel of the kingdom. And so, according to Chrysostom, we should say that while the apostles were still alive, the Gospel of Christ was throughout the whole world, at least by some kind of report. And it is quite miraculous that Christ’s doctrine should have grown so much in forty years. And so the Apostle says, in the whole world, that is, by report; and then the end will come (Matt 24:14), that is, the destruction of Jerusalem.

But Augustine does not agree with this interpretation, because even in his own time there were some countries in which there were yet no churches. So he says the time referred to is the time when the Gospel will be really preached. Thus the end will come after the Church has become established in all countries, even though some people are not believers. And this end is not at the time of the Apostle, but concerns the end of the world. And so when Paul says here, in the whole world, he is speaking of the future; but he is using the present tense because the outcome is so certain.

Yet we can say that the Gospel is in the whole world by report, although it is not actually established in all places.

15. Then he commends Christ’s doctrine because of its fruit in good works: and brings forth fruit: my blossoms became glorious and abundant fruit (Sir 24:17); he indeed bears fruit, and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty (Matt 13:23), and grows, that is, in the number of its believers: the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved (Acts 2:47). This was the effect of a great power, because even as it does in you, so also among others. You heard the preaching, and you knew, by accepting it.

16. Then he commends its ministry: first, in relation to himself; then in relation to them; and finally in relation to both.

So he says: you have been taught the Gospel, as you learned from Epaphras, our . . . fellow servant: I am a fellow servant with you and your brethren the prophets (Rev 19:10). Who is . . . a faithful minister, that is, one who does not seek his own profit: this is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy (1 Cor 4:1). Who is . . . a faithful minister, that is, a mediator between them and the Apostle, who also has manifested, i.e., indicated, to us your love in the Spirit.