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Selected Verse: Colossians 4:12 - King James
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Col 4:12 |
King James |
Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
Christ--The oldest manuscripts add "Jesus."
labouring fervently--As the Greek, is the same, translate, "striving earnestly" (see on Col 1:29 and Col 2:1), literally, "striving as in the agony of a contest."
in prayers--Translate as Greek, "in his prayers."
complete--The oldest manuscripts read, "fully assured." It is translated, "fully persuaded," Rom 4:21; Rom 14:5. In the expression "perfect," he refers to what he has already said, Col 1:28; Col 2:2; Col 3:14. "Perfect" implies the attainment of the full maturity of a Christian. BENGEL joins "in all the will of God" with "stand." |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
Epaphras - Notes, Col 1:7.
Always laboring fervently for you in prayers - Margin, "or striving." Greek: "agonizing." The word denotes the intense desire which he had for their salvation; his fervent, earnest pleading for their welfare.
That ye may stand perfect and complete - Margin, as in Greek, filled. The desire was, that they might maintain their Christian principles unadulterated by the mixture of philosophy and error, and completely perform the will of God in every respect. This is the expression of a pious wish in regard to them, without any affirmation that any had been absolutely perfect, or that they would be perfect in this world. It is, however, a command of God that we should be perfect (see Mat 5:48), and it is the highest wish of benevolence in reference to anyone that he may be complete in moral character, and may do all the will of God; compare the notes at Co1 13:9. |
| The Scofield Bible Commentary, by Cyrus Ingerson Scofield, [1917] |
Epaphras
A touching illustration of priestly service,
(See Scofield) - (Pe1 2:9),
as distinguished from ministry of gift. Shut up in prison, no longer able to preach, Epaphras was still, equally with all believers, a priest. No prison could keep him from the throne of grace, so he gave himself wholly to the priestly work of intercession.
perfect
(See Scofield) - (Mat 5:48).
|
| Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886] |
Laboring fervently (ἀγωνιζόμενος)
Rev., striving. See on Col 1:29; see on Col 2:1. Compare Rom 15:30.
Perfect (τέλειοι)
See on Co1 2:6, Co1 2:7; see on Co1 1:28.
Complete (πεπληροφορημένοι)
See on most surely believed, Luk 1:1; and compare full assurance, Col 2:2. Rev., fully assured.
In all the will (ἐν παντὶ θελήματι)
Lit., in every will. Will means the thing willed, as Luk 12:47; James 5:30; Th1 5:18. Hence used sometimes in the plural, as Act 13:22, shall do all my will (θελήματα), i.e., perform all the things willed by me. Eph 2:3, desires, strictly willings. So here the sense is, everything willed by God. The connection is apparently with σταθῆτε ye may stand. For a similar construction see Joh 8:44; Rom 5:2; Co1 15:1; Co1 16:13. As Meyer observes, this connection gives stand both a modal definition (perfect and fully assured) and a local definition (in all the will). |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| Perfect - Endued with every Christian grace. Filled - As no longer being babes, but grown up to the measure of the stature of Christ; being full of his light, grace, wisdom, holiness. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
Epaphras, who is one of you - A native of some part of Phrygia, and probably of Colosse itself.
A servant of Christ - A minister of the Gospel.
Labouring fervently for you - Αγωνιζομενος· Agonizing; very properly expressed by our translators, labouring fervently.
That ye may stand perfect and complete - Ἱνα στητε τελειοι και πεπληρμενοι. That ye may stand firm, perfectly instructed, and fully persuaded of the truth of those doctrines which have been taught you as the revealed will of God: this I believe to be the meaning of the apostle.
Instead of πεπληρωμενοι, complete or filled up, almost all the MSS. of the Alexandrian rescension, which are considered the most authentic and correct, have πεπληροφορημενοι, that ye may be fully persuaded. The word πληροφορια signifies such a complete persuasion of the certainty of a thing, as leaves the mind which has it neither room nor inclination to doubt; and πληροφορεω, the verb, has the same meaning, viz., to be thus persuaded, or to persuade thus, by demonstrative argumentation and exhibition of unquestionable facts.
This is such a persuasion as the Spirit of God, by means of the Gospel, gives to every sincere and faithful man; and from which arises the solid happiness of the genuine Christian. They who argue against it, prove, at least, that they have not got it. |
14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
1 For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
7 As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
22 And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.
18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
47 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,
28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
30 Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;
1 For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.