That their hearts may be comforted, being instructed in charity, and unto all riches of fulness of understanding, unto the knowledge of the mystery of God the Father and of Christ Jesus:

“And again, as if in eagerness to divulge this knowledge, he thus writes: "Warning every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man (the whole man) perfect in Christ;" not every man simply, since no one would be unbelieving. Nor does he call every man who believes in Christ perfect; but he says all the man, as if he said the whole man, as if purified in body and soul. For that the knowledge does not appertain to all, he expressly adds: "Being knit together in love, and unto all the riches of the full assurance of knowledge, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God in Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and of knowledge." "Continue in prayer, watching therein with thanksgiving." And thanksgiving has place not for the soul and spiritual blessings alone, but also for the body, and for the good things of the body. And he still more clearly reveals that knowledge belongs not to all, by adding: "Praying at the same time for you, that God would open to us a door to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am bound; that I may make it known as I ought to speak."”

“Now henceforward he is hastening and in pangs to enter upon the doctrine, neither accusing them, nor clearing them of accusation. "I strive," he saith. To what end? That they may be knit together. What he means is something like this; that they may stand firm in the faith. He doth not however so express himself; but extenuates the matter of accusation. That is, that they may be united with love, not with necessity nor with force. For as I have said, he always avoids offending, by leaving it to themselves; and therefore "striving," because I wish it to be with love, and willingly. For I do not wish it to be with the lips merely, nor merely that they shall be brought together, but "that their hearts may be comforted." "Being knit together in love unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding." That is, that they may doubt about nothing, that they may be fully assured in all things. But I meant full assurance which is by faith, for there is a full assurance which cometh by arguments, but that is worthy of no consideration. I know, he saith, that ye believe, but I would have you fully assured: not "unto riches" only, but "unto all riches"; that your full assurance may be intense, as well as in all things. And observe the wisdom of this blessed one. He said not, "Ye do ill that ye are not fully assured," nor accused them; but, ye know not how desirous I am that ye may be fully assured, and not merely so, but with understanding. For seeing he spoke of faith; suppose not, he saith, that I meant barely and unprofitably, but with understanding and love. "That they may know the mystery of God the Father and of Christ." So that this is the mystery of God, the being brought unto Him by the Son. "And of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." But if they are in Him, then wisely also no doubt He came at this time. Wherefore then do some foolish persons object to Him, "See how He discourseth with the simpler sort." "In whom are all the treasures." He himself knows all things. "Hid," for think not in truth that ye already have all; they are hidden also even from Angels, not, from you only; so that you ought to ask all things from Him. He himself giveth wisdom and knowledge. Now by saying, "treasures," he shows their largeness, by "All," that He is ignorant of nothing, by "hid," that He alone knoweth.”

“Above he commended the state of the faithful, which is the state of grace, and its author, namely Christ; here he protects them against things contrary to this state, and first against corrupting doctrine; second against perverse morals, in chapter III, at the words "if then you have risen together." Concerning the first he does two things: first he shows his solicitude for their state; second he guards them against bad doctrine, at the words "but this I say." Again the first part is divided into three particles. For first he sets down his solicitude; second the persons for whom he is solicitous, at the words "for you"; third that about which he is solicitous, at the words "that they may be comforted." He says therefore, "for I want you to know what solicitude I have," namely a great one. And this pertains to a good prelate. Rom. 12:8: "he who presides, in solicitude." Luke 2:8: "there were shepherds in the same region, keeping watch and guarding the watches of the night over their flock." And not only for those converted by him and present to him, but also for others. Hence he says "for you," namely whom I have not seen in the body, but in the mind, and not only for these, but also for those who have not seen, etc. For indeed he was solicitous for the whole world. Wis. 8:24: "in the ankle-length robe of Aaron the whole world was," etc. So too in the mind of the apostle. 2 Cor. 11:28: "besides those things that are without, my daily pressure: the solicitude for all the churches," etc. But for whom is he more solicitous? I answer, for those not seen, as to a certain point, because he did not know what was happening concerning them, but not simply. Then when he says "that they may be comforted," he shows what he is solicitous about, namely their comfort. And first he sets this down; second, how this can be had, at the words "instructed." He says therefore "that they may be comforted," that is, that through me they may have spiritual comfort, of which comfort the good is productive. For it is productive of joy, so that one who is saddened about one thing may be comforted about another equally good thing. Now there are two things that comfort us, namely the meditation of wisdom, Wis. 8:9: "it will be the discourse of my thought and of my weariness." The other is prayer. James 5:13: "Is any man sad among you? Let him pray. Is he cheerful in mind? Let him sing." Consequently, when he says "instructed," etc., he sets down in particular the instruction of wisdom. There is a twofold reading here, namely the one that has been given, and the one that is found in the Gloss thus: "that the hearts of those instructed may be comforted," etc., "unto knowing," etc. And it is the same sense. The instruction of wisdom therefore comforts against temporal evils. But one must here be instructed concerning the way, and therefore he says "in charity," which namely is the way to God. 1 Cor. 12:31: "I show you yet a more excellent way, if with tongues," etc. Instructed therefore in the charity by which God loves us, and by which we love him. For each of these comforts us, namely both because the Lord loves us — Gal. 2:20: "I live," etc.; and afterward: "who loved me and delivered himself up for me," etc.; Eph. 2:4: "rich in mercy, on account of his exceeding great charity, with which he loved us," etc. — and likewise because we love God, we are comforted, because it is the comfort of a friend, if for him one endures evils. Ecclus. 22:31: "and if evils should befall me, I will bear them for his sake." And he adds "and unto all riches," that is, in every capacity. For our intellect is in potency to knowing something; but the intellect of an Angel, in its creation, was filled with the knowledge of intelligible things. And therefore it is necessary that knowledge come upon our human intellect either through instruction — but this is insufficient, because nothing so great can ever be known in this way as to fill its capacity — or through divine revelation and the gift of God, and this is sufficient. Ecclus. 15:5: "the Lord filled him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding," etc. And therefore he says "of the fullness of understanding," that is, in abundance. Wis. 8:5: "what is richer than wisdom?" Is. 33:6: "the riches of salvation are wisdom and knowledge." Instructed therefore in the abundance of divine wisdom, which abundance fills the understanding. And this we shall have by knowing God. And therefore he says "unto the knowledge of the mystery," etc., that is, unto knowing the truth of this hidden sacrament, namely that God is the father of Jesus Christ. Or the mystery of God the Father, which is Christ. Therefore it is said in Matt. 11:25 concerning the apostles: "you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them to little ones." Or in the knowledge of the eternal generation and incarnation of Christ. Wis. 6:16: "to think, then, upon her is a perfected understanding." Augustine: "blessed is he who knows you, unhappy is he who does not know you." Through the knowledge of God man has every fullness. John 17:3: "this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God," etc. But is the understanding filled through the knowledge of Christ? I answer, yes, because "in him are all the treasures," etc. God has the knowledge of all things, and this knowledge is compared to a treasure. Wis. 7:14: "for it is an infinite treasure unto men," etc. A treasure is riches gathered together, but things poured out abroad are not called a treasure, but only those that are in one place. For God has scattered his wisdom over all his works, Ecclus. 1:10. And according to this it does not have the character of a treasure, but according as reasons of this kind are united in one, namely the divine wisdom, and all treasures of this kind are in Christ. For wisdom is the knowledge of divine things, but science is the knowledge of creatures. But whatever can be known about God pertaining to wisdom, all of it God knows abundantly in himself. Likewise, whatever can be known about creatures, he knows in himself in a supereminent way. But whatever is in the wisdom of God is in his one Word, because by one simple act of understanding he knows all things, since in him there is no knowledge in potency nor in habit. And therefore in this Word are all the treasures, etc. But he adds "hidden," because that something is hidden from me happens in two ways, namely either on account of the weakness of my intellect, or on account of an opposing veil, just as someone does not see a candle either because he is blind, or because it is veiled. So in the Word of God are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, but hidden from us who do not have clear eyes, but bleary ones — John 12:35: "yet a little while is the light in you" — and because it is veiled with a double veil: namely that of the creature, because our intellect now cannot attain to that knowledge except through the likeness of creatures. Rom. 1:20: "the invisible things of God are perceived, being understood through the things that have been made," etc. Second, it is veiled in the flesh, John 1:14: "and the Word was made flesh." And if we see something of God, nevertheless not the whole. Is. 45:15: "truly you are hidden." Num. 20:6: "open to them your treasure." Let us suppose that someone has a veiled candle: he would not seek light from elsewhere, but rather that what is possessed by him be unveiled, and therefore one need not seek wisdom except in Christ. 1 Cor. 2:2: "I did not think that I knew anything, except Christ Jesus," etc. And 1 John 3:2: "when he shall appear," that is, shall be revealed, "we shall be like him," namely knowing all things; just as one who had a book in which was all knowledge would seek nothing except to know that book, so too we need not seek anything further except Christ. Then when he says "but this I say," etc., he instructs and warns them against corrupting doctrine. Now they were being seduced by certain philosophers, against the faith, and by heretics who taught the observances of the legal precepts. Therefore he first instructs them against the philosophers, second against those judaizing, at the words "in whom also you are circumcised." Now in worldly knowledge two things are contained, for there is a certain knowledge of speaking, and a certain knowledge of things, and therefore they can deceive in two ways. Therefore he first fortifies them against the philosophers who deceive them through the knowledge of speaking; second against those who deceive them through the knowledge of things, at the words "see that no one." First he makes plain the deception; second he assigns the reason, at the words "for though in the body." He says therefore: I say that in Christ is all knowledge. And I say this, lest, seeking knowledge elsewhere, you be deceived. And he says "let no one," that is, neither Demosthenes nor Tully, deceive you "in loftiness of speech." Is. 33:19: "you shall not see an imprudent people, a people of deep speech," etc. But is it a sin to use lofty speech? I answer: No, because even holy men speak more elegantly than even the rhetoricians of the world, as Ambrose, Jerome, and Pope Leo. For if it is lawful to use ornate speech to persuade unto evil, much more so unto good.”

“That their hearts might be comforted,.... Here follow the reasons why the apostle had so great a conflict, on account of the above persons, and why he was so desirous they should know it; one is, the consolation of their hearts. The hearts of God's people often need comfort, by reason of indwelling sin, the temptations of Satan, the hidings of God's face, and afflictive providences; and by reason of false teachers, who greatly trouble them, unsettle their minds, weaken their faith, and fill them with doubts and perplexities, and which was the case with these churches: now the business of Gospel ministers is to comfort such; this is the commission they are sent with; the doctrines of the Gospel are calculated for this very purpose, such as full redemption, free justification, complete pardon of sin, peace and reconciliation; and the bent of their ministry is to comfort distressed minds, upon what account soever; and it must be a comfort to these churches, when they found that they were regarded by so great an apostle; and it might tend to confirm them in the doctrine they had received at first, and deliver them from the scruples the false apostles had injected into their minds, and so administer comfort to them, when they perceived that the apostle approved of the Gospel they had heard and embraced, and rejected the notions of the false teachers: being knit together in love: as the members of an human body are, by joints and bands; as love is the bond of union between God and his people, Christ and his members, so between saints and saints; it is the cement that joins and keeps them together, and which edifies and builds them up, and whereby they increase with the increase of God; it makes them to be of one heart and one soul; it renders their communion with one another comfortable and delightful, and strengthens them against the common enemy, who is for dividing, and so destroying; and is what is the joy of Gospel ministers, and what they labour at and strive for, and which is another reason of the apostle's conflict: and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding; that is, spiritual knowledge and understanding, or the understanding of spiritual things; for the understanding of things natural and civil is not designed; nor a mere notional knowledge of spiritual things, which persons may have, and yet not charity, or love, with which this is here joined; and such an one also, which is sure and certain: for as there is such a thing as the assurance of faith, and the assurance of hope, so likewise of understanding of the Gospel, and the truths of it; concerning which there ought to be no doubt, being to be received upon the credit of a divine testimony: moreover, such a knowledge and understanding of divine things is intended, as is large and abundant, signified by "all riches"; for though it is not complete and perfect in this life, yet it takes a vast compass, and reaches to all the deep things of God; to whatever relates to the person and grace of Christ; to all the things of the Spirit of God; to all the blessings and promises of the covenant of grace; to the riches both of grace and glory, to the things of time and eternity, and which is more clearly explained by the following clause: to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; that is, to a greater and more perfect knowledge, approbation, and confession of the Gospel, which he had in the preceding chapter called the mystery; see Col 1:26, and here "the mystery of God", which he is both the author and subject of: it is by him as the efficient cause, ordained by him, and hid in him before the world was; and it is of him, as the subject matter of it; not as the God of nature and providence, which the works of both declare; but as the God of all grace, as God in Christ, which is the peculiar discovery of the Gospel: and "of" him as "the Father" of Christ, which is not discoverable by the light of nature, nor known by natural reason, but is a point of divine revelation; and "of" him as the Father of his people by adoption; and of all his grace, in election to grace and glory; in predestination to sonship, and in the council and covenant of grace; in the scheme of salvation and redemption; in the mission of his Son, and the gift of him as a Saviour and Redeemer. The copulative "and" before "the Father", is left out in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions, which read "the mystery of God the Father"; and with it, it may be rendered, as it sometimes is, God, "even the Father": though the word "God" may be considered essentially, and as after distinguished into two of the persons of the Godhead; "the Father" the first person, so called, in relation to his Son, which is no small part of the mystery of the Gospel; and "Christ" the second person, who is equally God with the Father; and the Spirit, who, though not mentioned, is not excluded from this adorable mystery: and which is the mystery "of Christ", he being both the efficient cause and the subject matter of it; it treats of his deity and personality; of his offices, as Mediator, prophet, priest, and King; of his incarnation and redemption; of his grace, righteousness, sacrifice, and satisfaction; of justification by him, pardon through him, and acceptance in him.”

“That their hearts might be comforted - That they might have continual happiness in God, having constant affiance in him. Being knit together in love - The word συμβιβασθεντων, or συμβιβασθεντες, which is the true reading, but both of equal import here, signifies being united, as the beams or the timbers of a building, by mortices and pins. The visible Church of Christ cannot be in union with God unless it have unity in itself, and without love this unity is impossible. Unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding - That is, that they might have the most indubitable certainty of the truth of Christianity, of their own salvation, and of the general design of God to admit the Gentiles into his Church. This is the grand mystery of God, which was now laid open by the preaching of the Gospel. And of the Father, and of Christ - These words are variously written in different MSS., versions, and fathers: The mystery of God - of God in Christ - of God who is in Christ - of God concerning Christ - of God who is Christ - of the God Christ - of God and Christ - of God the Father of Christ - of God the Father, and our Lord Christ - of God and the Father of Christ - of God the Father, in Christ - of the God Christ Jesus, Father and Lord, etc., etc., etc. This great variety of versions leaves the strongest presumption that the words in question are glosses which have crept into the text, and are of no authority. Griesbach has left them out of the text.”

“Translate, "That their hearts may be comforted." The "their," compared with "you" (Col 2:4), proves that in Col 2:1 the words, "have not seen my face in the flesh," is a general designation of those for whom Paul declares he has "conflict," including the particular species, "you (Colossians) and them at Laodicea." For it is plain, the prayer "that their hearts may be comforted," must include in it the Colossians for whom he expressly says, "I have conflict." Thus it is an abbreviated mode of expression for, "That your and their hearts may be comforted." ALFORD translates, "confirmed," or allows "comforted" in its original radical sense strengthened. But the Greek supports English Version: the sense, too, is clear: comforted with the consolation of those whom Paul had not seen, and for whom, in consequence, he strove in prayerful conflict the more fervently; inasmuch as we are more anxious in behalf of absent, than present, friends [DAVENANT]. Their hearts would be comforted by "knowing what conflict he had for" them, and how much he is interested for their welfare; and also by being released from doubts on learning from the apostle, that the doctrine which they had heard from Epaphras was true and certain. In writing to churches which he had instructed face to face, he enters into particular details concerning them, as a father directing his children. But to those among whom he had not been in person, he treats of the more general truths of salvation. being--Translate as Greek in oldest manuscripts, "They being knit together." in love--the bond and element of perfect knitting together; the antidote to the dividing schismatical effect of false doctrine. Love to God and to one another in Christ. unto--the object and end of their being "knit together." all riches--Greek, "all the riches of the full assurance (Th1 1:5; Heb 6:11; Heb 10:22) of the (Christian) understanding." The accumulation of phrases, not only "understanding," but "the full assurance of understanding"; not only this, but "the riches of," &c., not only this, but "all the riches of," &c., implies how he desires to impress them with the momentous importance of the subject in hand. to--Translate "unto." acknowledgment--The Greek implies, "full and accurate knowledge." It is a distinct Greek word from "knowledge," Col 2:3. ALFORD translates, "thorough . . . knowledge." Acknowledgment hardly is strong enough; they did in a measure acknowledge the truth; what they wanted was the full and accurate knowledge of it (compare Notes, see on Col 1:9-10; Phi 1:9). of God, and of the Father and of Christ--The oldest manuscripts omit "and of the Father, and of"; then translate, "Of God (namely), Christ." Two very old manuscripts and Vulgate read, "Of God the Father of Christ."”