Thomas de Vio, called Cajetan (1469–1534), was the leading Dominican theologian of his age, Master General of the order, and the cardinal who examined Luther at Augsburg in 1518. In his later years he turned to biblical commentary, and his exposition of the epistles is notable for measuring the received Latin against the Greek and setting aside received interpretations where he judged the text would not bear them — a boldness that unsettled some of his own party.

SOURCE: Cajetan, Thomas de Vio. Epistolae Pauli et aliorum apostolorum ad Graecam veritatem castigatae, et per reverendissimum dominum dominum Thomam de Vio, Caietanum, cardinalem Sancti Xisti, iuxta sensum literalem enarratae: Recens in lucem editae. Parisiis: Vaenundantur a Ioanne Paruo in via Iacobea ad signum lilii aurei, 1540. Google Books.

TRANSLATION: Cajetan, Thomas. Exposition on the Epistle to the Colossians. Translated by Phil Thompson. Greenville, SC: Institute for Colossians Studies, 2026.

Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0): https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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The Commentaries of Thomas de Vio Cajetan, Cardinal of San Sisto, on the Epistle of Paul to the Colossians.

[Col 1:1] "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ," not of the other apostles. "By the will of God," not by his own merits. "And Timothy the brother." He joins Timothy to himself to share in the greeting.

[Col 1:2] "To those who are at Colossae," not to everyone, but "to the saints," that is, to those cleansed by baptism. "And faithful." Cleansing is from sins, but faith looks to the things that are believed. "Brothers." For this is how Christians call one another. "In Christ Jesus." The word "Jesus" is superfluous. What is said, "in Christ," refers to the cleansing, the faith, and the brotherhood. "Grace to you and peace." Paul’s usual greeting, comprehending all gifts by mentioning the extremes. "From God our Father." Four words are missing here: "and the Lord Jesus Christ." He says "from God," because it is the name of the divine nature; "our Father" through adoption; and "the Lord Jesus Christ" according to human nature.

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CHAPTER 1

[Col 1:3] "We give thanks to God." After the greeting, before descending to the epistolary treatise, he introduces the good things of the Colossians, both those they have and those he desires for them. Hence he sets forth both: the former as the subject of thanksgiving, the latter as the subject of prayer. And so, setting forth the thanksgiving and the prayer, he says, "We give thanks to God." "And the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ always." "God" is the name of the nature, while "Father" is the name of the person, since God is the natural Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. But when he says "always," he limits it by adding, "praying for you." For this means that we always give thanks when we pray for you. Yet what is said, "for you," refers both to "praying" and to "we give thanks." And the sense is that we pray for you, and that we give thanks for you. Here you clearly see that he sets forth both.

[Col 1:4] "Hearing." This is an active participle in the past tense, which we lack. So, so that we do not have to change much, it should be read, "when we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus." He begins to explain the subject of the thanksgiving by recounting the good things heard about them: faith, charity, hope, the fruit, and the growth of the Gospel. Therefore he adds concerning charity: "And the love you have for all the saints." The phrase "you have" is superfluous. Love toward all the cleansed is Christ’s own proper love, since it extends to the whole world, not on the basis of blood, friendship, country, or nature, but on the basis of cleansing in Christ. For this is what is signified by saying "for all the saints."

[Col 1:5] "Because of the hope that is laid up for you in heaven." Behold the good of hope, which, regarding the thing hoped for, is said to be "laid up for you in heaven." "Which." The word "before" is missing: "you heard before in the word of the truth of the Gospel." Which thing hoped for (namely, the beatitude of the heavenly homeland) you heard before this epistle from the preachers of the Gospel, and you heard it in the word of the Gospel of truth. So we should understand the epithet of the Gospel as the "Gospel of truth," or the "truth of the Gospel," that is, the truth manifested through the Gospel. Whatever way the construction is made, it signifies that they heard of the beatitude to be hoped for not by some fiction or human invention, but by the word of the truth of the Gospel.

[Col 1:6] "Which has come to you, just as it is also in the whole world." The word "it is" is superfluous, and it should be read in the accusative: "into the whole world." Concerning the Gospel he says that it has come to you just as it has into the whole world, that is, into all parts of the world, not into all cities, because even to this day this does not appear to be fulfilled. And again, understand it of the whole world as commonly known at that time, which I say because of the other quarters of the earth that were commonly unknown at that time regarding habitation. "And it is bearing fruit and growing, just as it is also among you." That is, the Gospel both bears fruit and grows in the whole world, just as it does among you. What he says, "and grows," is not found in all but only in some Greek manuscripts. "From the day you heard." He commemorates the perseverance of the fruit and growth in the Colossians from the day they heard. "And knew the grace of God in truth." It is not enough to have heard, but one must truly know the offered grace of God. And he commemorates that this happened among the Colossians.

[Col 1:7] "Just as you learned from Epaphras." Behold from whom they heard the Gospel. "Our most beloved" (meaning dear) "fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ Jesus on your behalf." The word "Jesus" is superfluous. And the order of the text is: "who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf." He commends Epaphras not only because he is a beloved fellow servant, but because he is a minister of Christ in preaching the Gospel, and faithful, faithfully exercising the ministry for the salvation of the Colossians.

[Col 1:8] "Who also made known to us your love in the Spirit." He had said earlier that he had heard of their love for all the saints; now he explains that Epaphras manifested their (the Colossians’) spiritual love to them (Paul and Timothy), that is, their love for Paul caused solely by the Spirit, since they had never seen him in the flesh.

[Col 1:9] "Therefore we also, from the day we heard." He responds proportionally: just as the Colossians, from the day they heard, etc., therefore we also, from the day we heard these good things of yours, "do not cease praying and asking for you." Prayer pertains to the elevation of the mind, asking pertains to petition. After he explained the subject of the thanksgiving by narrating the good things they have, he now explains the subject of the prayer by narrating the good things he asks for them. "That you may be filled with the knowledge of his will." The first thing asked for pertains to the perfection of the intellect. And he does not say "that you may know" (for they already knew the will of God), but "that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will," so that no part of your intellect remains empty of the knowledge of the divine will. "In all wisdom and spiritual understanding." Understanding signifies penetration, and wisdom signifies judgment according to the account of the highest cause. Therefore he asks that they be filled with the knowledge of the divine will by penetrating and judging, not "in some things yes and in some things no," but in all penetration and all judgment, not carnal but spiritual. On the side of the object known, he explains it as the will of God; on the side of the knower, he explains it as the fullness of knowledge, with all spiritual penetration as well as judgment, distinguishing it from both natural and carnal penetration and judgment. Now he adds the fruit of such great knowledge, wisdom, and understanding: [page {150v?}]

[Col 1:10] "That you may walk worthy of God, pleasing him in all things," meaning, "worthy of the Lord, unto all pleasing." That is, that you may walk worthily into all the pleasing of the Lord. Behold what the worthiness should be directed toward, namely, toward every good pleasure of the Lord. It is not enough for Paul that we walk in a manner worthy of some good pleasure to God, but that we walk in a manner worthy of every good pleasure to the Lord. "Bearing fruit in every good work." He explains what it is to walk worthily according to every good pleasure of the Lord. He explains that this is to bear fruit not in some, but in every good work, and this pertains directly to the will. But he adds that even this is not enough, subjoining: "And growing in the knowledge" (meaning recognition) "of God." It is not enough for walking worthy of every divine good pleasure to bear fruit in every good work, but one must also grow in the knowledge of God, since this is one of God’s good pleasures.

[Col 1:11] "Strengthened in all power" (meaning "powerful in all power"). Paul asks not only that the intellect of the Colossians be filled with knowledge and their affection with worthiness toward every good, but also that their strength to endure evils be filled with power. And for this reason he says powerful to endure in all power (not in some power). "According to the power of his glory" (meaning "his glory"). He aptly explains the reason for the power to endure all things as the power of divine glory. For it is preeminently of the power of divine glory that we endure all things. This is what made all the martyrs. "In all patience and long-suffering." Patience steadies the soul in afflictions; long-suffering extends it to the reward of eternity. "With joy." He adds a very great gift: to rejoice while suffering.

[Col 1:12] "Giving thanks to God." The word "God" is superfluous. These things should be read in the first person, for they are continuous with "we do not cease praying and asking." Here he begins to set forth the matter to be treated in this epistle, proposing the benefits as the subject of thanksgiving, and he introduces this giving of thanks by elevating his own mind to God under the aspect of Father by adoption. "Who has made us worthy" (meaning suitable) "for a share of the inheritance of the saints in the light." He explains the subject of thanksgiving common to all Christians as threefold. And the first benefit common to all Christians is that God made us suitable, that is, sufficient, in the light—undoubtedly of faith—and in the clarity and manifestation of the mysteries of faith he rendered us sufficient or suitable to have a share of the lot of the saints. The lot of the saints is the inheritance of the saints. And the sense is: to have a share of the inheritance of the saints, that is, to participate in the inheritance of the saints. It is called a "lot" because it fell to them and not to others, not by their own counsel or merits but as if by lot (that is, solely by divine gift). For by the grace of God in the light of faith we become suitable to participate in the future inheritance of the saints in the homeland.

[Col 1:13] "Who has rescued us from the power of darkness." The first benefit regards the good hoped for, but this one regards both the present evil and the present good. The present evil is that we were subject to darkness, or rather to the power of darkness, that is, to demons. But on the opposite side he adds the present good: "And transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of his love." He speaks of the Father, saying that he transferred us from the servitude of demons into the kingdom of the Son. The kingdom of the Son, the kingdom of God, and the kingdom of heaven are one and the same. It is a great benefit that we have been transferred from the servitude of the devil into the kingdom of the Son, indeed, made into the very kingdom of the Son itself: so that those in whom the devil formerly reigned through works of darkness, the Son now reigns in through works of light. And he says "the Son of his love" in the Hebrew manner, meaning the Son full of his (the Father’s) love. For just as one is called a son of perdition, a child of the bridal chamber, or a son of the kingdom, who is worthy of perdition, who is full of nuptial joy, and so on; so he is called the Son of his love who is completely full of his love. Nevertheless, to satisfy those demanding propriety of speech, the eternal Son of God is called the Son of the Father’s love because he is the Son of essential love, just as he is the Son of the essence. For he was begotten not from one essential attribute and not another, but from all the essential attributes: nature, being, power, intellect, will, and the rest. Otherwise, he would not have been begotten as complete God.

[Col 1:14] "In whom we have redemption and the forgiveness of sins." The word "and" is superfluous, but three words are missing. It should be read: "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins." The third benefit is the redemption accomplished through the blood of Christ. Now this is not redemption from the servitude of the Romans, but the remission of sins; for appositionally to redemption he says "the forgiveness of sins." Note, prudent reader, that as has been said, these three benefits commemorated as the subject of thanksgiving are placed first by Paul as the subject matter of the whole epistle. Thus he first begins to treat that clause, "transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of his love," by explaining the Son himself and his kingdom communicated to us. So he says of the Son:

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[Col 1:15] "Who is the image of the invisible God." "Invisible" is in the genitive case, and it explains God’s inaccessibility to any sight. For God is not only invisible to us but to any spiritual substances, however excellent, according to the verse: "No one has ever seen God" (John 1:18; 1 John 4:12). And understand this according to the natural powers of any creature. For according to the powers of glory, it is written, "we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2), and the angels and the blessed saints do see God. Therefore, the Son is the image of God who is by nature invisible to any creature. For just as he is the Son of the invisible God, and thereby is himself invisible (otherwise he would not be of the same nature with God, and consequently would not be the Son, for a son is of the nature of his father), so he is the image of the invisible God, and thereby is an invisible image. Otherwise he would not represent the invisible God. Indeed, to this very end Paul said "of the invisible God," so that we might understand not only the deity but the invisibility in the image, lest we think the Son to be a visible image, but rather an invisible image just as God is invisible. Nor is he called the image of the Father, but the image of the invisible God, because the Son does not receive from the Father paternity, but invisible deity. For he is the Son—not the Father—but the invisible God produced by the Father to the end that he might be like him in invisible deity. Thus, as much as the personal distinction of the image from the invisible God the Father from whom he proceeds is signified, so too is the substantial deity of the image signified by saying of the Son that he is undoubtedly, not accidentally but substantially, the image of the invisible God from whom he proceeds. For he who is the image of the invisible God according to substantial being has both deity and invisibility in his substantial being. For if deity were lacking, he would not be substantially the image of God; and if invisibility were lacking, he would not be substantially an invisible image. Therefore he explains the Son from the invisible God (namely, the Father) as the invisible God produced as an image (that is, according to the ratio of likeness), distinguishing him from the Holy Spirit, who, although he is produced as the invisible God, is not produced as the image of the invisible God, but as Spirit, as the love of the invisible God. For the Son, from the mode of his production, is produced as like: inasmuch as he is one from one by way of an intellectual word. But the Holy Spirit, from the mode of his production, is not produced as like: inasmuch as he is one from two by way of love. These things are treated extensively in speculative theology. "The firstborn of every creature." Just as the Arians take an argument against the deity of the Son both from the fact that he is called the "Son of his love" (as if he were a Son produced out of free love) and from the fact that he is called the "image of the invisible God" (as if he were an image by which God, who is in himself invisible, might be seen), so they take an argument from the fact that he is called the "firstborn of every creature," as if he were created first among all creatures. But just as they extort or twist the preceding points, so they do this one. Paul does not say the "first-created" of every creature, but says the "firstborn" of every creature, so that even against our will we may understand the difference in the fact that every creature, as the word sounds, is created, while the Son is begotten. Therefore, as great as is the difference between what is created and what is begotten, so great is the difference signified between the Son and every creature from Paul’s own words. And so there is a twofold sense to this text. The first is that he is begotten before all creatures, so that, just as the mode by which the Son was produced was signified previously (namely, as an image), now his eternity is signified from the fact that he was begotten before every creature. And by this the error of Arius positing Christ as the first creature is clearly excluded. The second sense is that he is the firstborn of every creature in a possessive way. So that, having described the mode by which the Son was begotten, his universal dominion is described—not of heaven or earth, but of the entire creation. For just as the firstborn of a kingdom is born the lord of the kingdom, and the firstborn of an empire is born the lord of the empire, so he is called the firstborn of every creature insofar as he is born the lord of every creature. For the right of the firstborn is the dominion of the paternal inheritance.

[Col 1:16] "For in him," undoubtedly the firstborn, "were all things created" (meaning "were created") "in heaven and on earth" (meaning "the things that are in heaven and the things that are on earth"), "visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers." He manifests from the effect both things said about the Son, namely, that he is the invisible image of God and that he is the firstborn of every creature, from the fact that all things were created in him: that is, in imitation of him, just as copies are made in imitation of an exemplar. For from this it is proved that the Son himself is substantially the image of the invisible God, since it is established that all things are created in imitation of the divine substance. For from the fact that what is proper to the divine nature belongs to the Son—namely, that all things are created in imitation of him—it is manifestly inferred that he is the image of God in such a way that he is God. And similarly, from the fact that all things were created in imitation of the Son himself as the image of the invisible God, it is inferred both that he is begotten before every creature and that he is born the lord of every creature. And lest the question arise whether under the name of "all things" earthly or heavenly or visible things are understood, Paul explains that all are included, both the things in heaven and those on earth, and both visible and invisible. And so that we may understand the invisible things to be the spiritual substances that philosophers call intelligences, he explains four [page {151v?}] orders of them, saying: "whether thrones" (and in this he touches upon the highest hierarchy), "whether dominions, etc." (in which he touches upon the middle hierarchy), "whether principalities" (and in these, according to Dionysius, the lowest hierarchy is touched upon). "All things were created through him and in him." By extending his explanation, he sets forth through multiple relationships what he had said: "in him were all things created." For he explains four relations of the Son to all things. The first is that all things were efficiently created through him. And to this he joins the second, which he had said earlier: "and in him they were created," imitatively. It was necessary to explain these two together, to distinguish from the exemplars we use. For an exemplar by whose imitation an artisan makes something is that in which the thing is made imitatively, but it is not that through which the thing is made, because the exemplar does not produce the artifact, but the artisan produces it by imitating the exemplar. The Son of God, however, is not only the one in whose imitation all things are created, but also the one who, together with the Father, efficiently produces the things that are created. And therefore both are said of him, that all things were created both through him and in him. Therefore Paul does not repetitiously say superfluously that they were created in him, but necessarily, to explain that they were not merely created in him, but so created in him that they were also created through him.

[Col 1:17] "And he is before all" (meaning "all things"). The third relationship is of priority according to duration. Which is the priority of eternity over time; otherwise he would not be before all things. "And in him all things hold together" (meaning "have held together"). He had previously declared the relations of all created things in their becoming to the Son, showing that in becoming they depend on him in two ways, namely, efficiently and imitatively. Now he shows the dependence of all things upon him in their being, saying "and in him all things have held together," so that not only were they created in imitation of him, but they also have held together in their proper being in imitation of him. And truly it is so: for our being holds together as long as the divine imitation does. And through this he shows that the Son is true God, as the one on whom all created things depend not only in becoming but in being, just as light in the air depends on the light of the sun not only in becoming but in being. And he says "have held together" to indicate that along with having a nature that is not fluctuating but consistent, they hold together in imitation of the Son. Again, he says "have held together" in the past tense to indicate that this dependence is not new, but from the time they were created they have held together in him.

[Col 1:18] "And he is the head of the body, the church." He had proposed: "into the kingdom of the Son." And therefore, since he had declared the dominion of the Son with respect to every creature, which belongs to the Son from the fact that through him and in him all things were created, he descends to declaring his special kingdom into which we have been transferred. Now the special kingdom of the Son of God, which is called the kingdom of God, is the body of the church, both triumphant and militant: because he rules in these peculiarly by the grace, first of faith and justice, and finally of the eternal felicity of glory. He himself, and no other, is the head. By a metaphorical expression he describes the prince as the head of the body of the church, so that together with his eminence with respect to the body of the church, he describes him as a part of the body of the church. For the head is a part of the body. And in this he signifies the mystery of the incarnation. And he manifests such great emptying of himself, adding: "Who is the beginning." By aptly saying "and he who is the beginning" of all things (as has been declared) is also the head, that is, a part (though the more eminent one) of the body of the church, we understand that he who is before all things and the principle of all things above all things, deigned to become the head of the body of the church through the mystery of the incarnation. "The firstborn from the dead." He describes the manner in which he was made the head of the body of the church as being his resurrection. For by rising again he was made immortal in body, and he initiated the church in that state in which it is to be perpetually future, in its highest part. Now the resurrection is called a generation from the dead because it is truly a new generation of man, inasmuch as it is to an immortal life even according to the body. For even the Lord called it this here, saying, "in the regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit, etc." (Matt 19:28). But Christ is called the firstborn from the dead because he was the first rising to an immortal life. For however many he raised are prior to him, but they were raised to a mortal life. Hence they also died again. And he is called the firstborn not only because no one rose to an immortal life before him, but also because others follow him by rising to an immortal life. "That in all things he might be the one holding the primacy." That is, that one and the same Son himself might hold the primacy in all orders of things. For he who holds the primacy in the natural order of all things, from the fact that he is the head of the church, also holds the primacy in the order of grace. Hence regarding this he adds:

[Col 1:19] "For in him it pleased God that all the fullness should dwell." He gives the reason why the Son, as man, holds the primacy in the order of grace: because it pleased God that in him, according to human nature, all the fullness of grace should dwell. Note the individual words, for here the grace of Christ is described from which he has it that he is the head of the church. He says "it pleased" to exclude merit. For the soul of Christ did not merit the fullness of grace, but from the divine good pleasure he had it from the beginning. He says not merely "fullness," but "all fullness," so that we may understand that nothing of grace is lacking, but we may understand all graces and all of them most fully, intensively and extensively. He says "dwell," so that we may understand that all the fullness of grace is fixed in him, and [page 152] not for a time, as certain graces are granted to the other saints.

[Col 1:20] "And through him to reconcile all things to himself." Just as he said concerning the same Son according to his divinity that "all things were created through him and in him," so now concerning the same Son according to his humanity he says that "through him and in him to reconcile all things." Through him indeed efficiently, since he himself is the reconciler of all things to the Lord; but in him originatively, since the reconciliation of all things was initiated in Christ the head in his resurrection. Hence he adds: "Making peace" (meaning "having been pacified") "by the blood of his cross." Two words are missing. "Through him, whether" (meaning "and") "the things that are on earth, or" (meaning "and") "the things that are in heaven." Reconciliation unites the pacified. And therefore to the reconciliation of the present time he adds the pacification of the past time. Now peace was made by the blood of Christ’s cross, that is, by his blood not poured out in just any way, but poured out on the cross. And he adds "through him," both to signify the voluntary pouring out of blood on the cross to make peace, and to signify that it is the same hypostasis of the God-man which, dying on the cross according to human nature, would exercise the action of making peace. He then explains the pacified things as both those on earth and those in heaven. Since to pacify is nothing other than to effect a tranquil divine order, to have pacified the things on earth is to have effected a tranquil order in the things on earth. And it is established that such an order was effected in men through the death of Christ: initially here in the soul by grace, and finally consummated in the resurrection of the dead. Now we understand that the tranquil divine order in the things in heaven was effected through the death of Christ insofar as the ruin of the angels was repaired, and whatever disturbance had occurred in the order of angels was reduced to a tranquil order.

[Col 1:21] "And you." After explaining in general the fruit of the grace of Christ the head, he descends to the specific by explaining the fruit of the same Christ the head especially among the Gentiles. And therefore he says "and you," supply: "Gentiles." Now he subjoins a threefold communication from Christ the head extended to the Gentiles (the first is the communication of grace, the second is the communication of afflictions, the third is the communication of knowledge and of the hope of the glory to be hoped for), insinuating by this discourse that through these three communications we are transferred into the kingdom of the Son. Treating therefore the communication of sanctifying grace, he says: "When you were once alienated," undoubtedly from God, inasmuch as they were idolaters. "And enemies in sense" (meaning "in mind"). It is the dative case, "to the mind," which can be expounded in two ways. Either in place of an ablative, for the Greeks sometimes use the dative for the ablative, and thus the sense is "enemies in mind," to explain that not only by carnal works but also in mind, which is the highest part of the soul, they had been enemies of God, inasmuch as they thought wrongly about God. Or the dative is understood as a dative, to explain to what they had been enemies, namely, to the mind. For evil men are enemies to their own mind, since they love and seek the evil of their own mind, the privation of happiness. "In evil works." This serves both senses, and explains that the reason for their alienation and enmity was their evil works, undoubtedly by the evil of fault. "Yet now he has reconciled," the Son, the head of the church.

[Col 1:22] "In the body of his flesh." To distinguish it from what he had called the body of the church, he says "in the body of his flesh," so that we may understand that reconciliation was made in his own natural body, not in his mystical body. He subjoins the manner in which he reconciled all in his own natural body: "Through death." The word "his" is missing, meaning through his own death in his natural body. "To present" (meaning "in order to present") "you," namely, the Gentiles, "holy," that is, clean from sins. "And immaculate," meaning, "and irreprehensible." Not only clean from your past sins, but irreprehensible in subsequent actions. "And irreprehensible," meaning "blameless." That is, unaccusable in judgment. "Before him." This refers to each of the three: namely, that he might present them holy before him, and irreprehensible before him, and blameless before him, distinguishing them from those who are clean, irreprehensible, and blameless according to human judgment. In these things the communication of sanctifying grace to the Gentiles is clearly described.

[Col 1:23] "If indeed you continue in the faith." Lest the Colossians understand that they would have such fruits from the grace of Christ without their own cooperation, he adds the necessary concurrence of their own cooperation, saying, "if indeed you persevere in the faith," not in just any way but "grounded and steadfast." That is, if you persevere holding faith as the foundation of your life and actions, and remain firm in it. "And unmoved from the hope of the Gospel." Firm perseverance in faith is not enough, but immobility from the hoped-for Gospel is required, so that future beatitude is immovably hoped for. For it profits nothing to believe unless the immovable hope of the heavenly homeland is present. Elsewhere Paul declares that the immobility of hope comes from charity. And therefore, by saying "unmoved from hope," he adds a third virtue, charity, to faith and hope. "Which you heard." To distinguish it from any other gospel, just as he also says to the Galatians: "If anyone preaches a gospel to you other than what you received, let him be anathema" (Gal 1:9). "Which was preached in all creation under heaven." He describes the same Gospel by its universality, because, namely, it is common to the whole human race. And he says this to distinguish it from the [page {152v?}] particular gospels that various heretics preach. For they do not preach a gospel common to the whole world, but one belonging to their own sect. And do not understand Paul to assert that at that time the Gospel had already been preached to the whole human race, so that it reached everyone; but that at that time the Gospel was preached to be extended into all creation under heaven, that is, into the whole human race, distinguishing it, as has been said, from the gospels of conventicles. "Of which I, Paul, was made a minister." He adds a third condition of the Gospel in which they must persevere: I speak of that Gospel of which I, Paul, was made a minister, to distinguish it from the gospel that was being preached by false apostles, of which Paul was not a minister; rather, Paul was a minister against it.

[Col 1:24] "Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you." The word "who" is superfluous. Notice here, prudent reader, that if the Greek word interpreted "I was made" is rightly interpreted with the verb "I am," this text continues from the previous point where it was said, "And you, when you were once alienated and enemies in mind in evil works, yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh, etc." Thus, after he located them opposite their alienation and enmity in the "now" of the reconciliation accomplished by Christ in his own flesh, he next locates the "now" of the fulfillment of Christ’s sufferings in his mystical body, so that we may understand that not only has Christ now reconciled in his own flesh, but also now, through the apostles and martyrs as his members, he supplies the remaining afflictions. Thus we may understand that both benefits have been bestowed upon the Gentiles: both the reconciliation by Christ in his own flesh, and the afflictions of his apostles in the place of Christ. Continuing, therefore, from the "now" of the reconciliation accomplished by Christ to the "now" of the affliction of the apostles, he says, "now," you having been reconciled to God, "I rejoice in my sufferings," that is, my afflictions, "for you," the Gentiles, inasmuch as you are members of Christ. And at the same time, notice how aptly joy in afflictions is joined to the ministry of the Gospel. For by this a true minister of the Gospel is manifestly proven: that he rejoices in his afflictions for the members of Christ. "And I fill up what is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh." The word interpreted "I fill up" is composed of three parts: in the place of, again, I fill. Thus it sounds like "in his place I refill," to signify that in the place of Christ he replenishes what is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in his flesh. Or he refills in his flesh what is lacking of the passions (that is, the afflictions) of Christ. The sense of both constructions amounts to the same thing, though the first excludes all question. For by saying "those things of the afflictions of Christ which are lacking in my flesh," no diminution in the passion of Christ is signified; rather, it is signified that in my flesh something is lacking of the afflictions of Christ which must be supplied by me in the place of Christ. Which is established to be true without any ambiguity. But by saying "I fill up in my flesh what is lacking of the afflictions of Christ," it apparently signifies some diminution in the passion of Christ. However, according to truth, a diminished passion of Christ is not signified; rather, it is signified that its conjunction with our afflictions is lacking to it. And this is undoubtedly true, and it must be fulfilled by us, and by us in the place of Christ, just as members work in virtue of the head. So that just as one body is integrated from us and Christ, so from the passion of Christ and our passions, as it were, one passion is integrated. For just as Christ defined a certain number of his members and a certain magnitude and multitude of merits, so he defined a determinate number of passions to be joined to his passion. And how much of afflictions is to be added in the flesh of Paul, how much in the flesh of Peter, how much in the flesh of Lawrence, has been foreordained. And therefore Paul says that he fills up what is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in his flesh. "For the sake of his body, which is the church." From this it is clearly held that not only Christ but also the saints suffered intentionally for the body of Christ which is the church, that is, for the benefit of the church.

[Col 1:25] "Of which I was made a minister according to the dispensation of God that was given to me among you" (meaning "for you"). "Of which" is feminine in gender, and thereby refers to the church. Paul calls himself made a minister of the church (that is, to minister to the church) just as he called himself a minister of the Gospel because he ministers the Gospel. Nevertheless, he can also be called a minister of the church just as a member is a minister of the whole body. And he seems to intend this sense from the fact that he says he was made a minister of the church not according to the disposition of men, but according to the disposition of God. He says this to signify both that he is indeed a minister of the church, and that he was not made a minister by the distribution of the church but of God. And he subjoins, "which was given to me for you," denominating his apostleship to the Gentiles from the dispensation of God, because he was given as an apostle to the Gentiles not by human authority but by divine authority. "That I might fulfill the word of God." Behold the third communication by which we are transferred into the kingdom of the Son, namely, the communication of the knowledge of the glory to be hoped for by the Gentiles through Christ. He denominates this office of evangelizing the Gentiles as fulfilling the word, because it is the execution of the divine counsel defined from eternity.

[Col 1:26] "The mystery that has been hidden from ages and generations." In apposition to the word of God, he explains that he himself fulfills the [page 153] mystery hidden in past ages with respect to times, and from generations with respect to the successions of men. "But now manifested" (meaning "made manifest") "to his saints." He describes the word of God that Paul fulfills not only by its past concealment but by its present manifest execution, not to all but to the saints of God; and again, not to all the saints of God, but:

[Col 1:27] "To whom God willed to make known the riches" (meaning "to make known what are the riches") "of the glory of this sacrament" (meaning "mystery") "among the Gentiles." Read the Acts of the Apostles, and you will find that the Christians were astonished by this fact that divine grace was poured out among the Gentiles when Peter went to Cornelius the centurion (Acts 10:45). For from this it is apparent that not to all the saints, but to those to whom God willed, did he make known what the riches of the glory are that lie hidden in the mystery of the conversion of the Gentiles. For it was like a secret hidden in God that the Gentiles were to attain through the Gospel of Christ not only glory, but the riches of glory, indeed the opulence of glory. For they thought that the Gentiles were to be like proselytes among the Jews. But the effect demonstrated that the riches of glory were communicated to the Gentiles not as proselytes, but equally to them and to the Jews; indeed, more to them than to the Jews, until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in (Rom 11:25). And Paul, the apostle of the Gentiles, strove to fulfill this. "Which" (meaning "who") "is Christ." The relative pronoun "who" refers to the riches. For the word interpreted "riches" is masculine in gender and singular in number. And it is explained that Christ is the very opulence of the glory of the mystery manifested among the Gentiles. And truly he is the opulence of glory, because not only does he have all the fullness of glory in himself, but he is also the reason for enriching all others with glory. Hence he adds: "Christ in you, the hope of glory." The same Christ who is the riches of glory is in you the hope of that same glory, insofar as he is for you the reason for hoping for that same glory.

[Col 1:28] "Him we proclaim." For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ (2 Cor 4:5). "Admonishing" (meaning warning) "every man" concerning things to be done. "And teaching." Supply: "every man," concerning things to be known. "In all wisdom." Both the admonition stirring the affection and the teaching opening the intellect are extended to every man, so that the evangelical teaching and admonition are explained as necessary for every man, and not for one in this way and another not. And both are done in all wisdom of both divine and human things pertaining to salvation, because the admonition is done according to divine rules, and the teaching is done according to divine reason. "That we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus." Behold where the evangelical office tends: to presenting every man (without distinction of sex, condition, nation, etc.) perfect, so that he lacks nothing in Christ Jesus.

[Col 1:29] "In which" (meaning "unto which") "I also labor." Unto this office of presenting, as much as depends on me, every man perfect in Christ, I also labor. "Striving according to his working," that is, according to the efficacy of Christ. For the word interpreted "working" sounds the internal power or efficacy of the work. "Which." Namely, the efficacy of Christ. "Works in me in power" (meaning "might"). I indeed labor, striving according to the efficacy of Christ; but the very efficacy of Christ works in me in the power of miracles, to testify to the efficacy of Christ in me, and to testify to the truth of the evangelical teaching that I preach.

CHAPTER 2

[Col 2:1] "For I want you to know." He treats that clause, "in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins." Now he introduces the treatment itself in the manner of a struggle against various attackers of Christian truth. And for this reason he connects this part with the preceding one, which he ended by saying "unto which I labor, striving, etc." To this indeed he adds the conjunction "for," saying, "For I want you to know." Thus he gives the reason for the labor of his struggle. "What great solicitude" (meaning "how great a struggle") "I have for" (meaning "concerning") "you and those who are at Laodicea, and as many as have not seen my face" (meaning "my person") "in the flesh." Paul struggled not only by defending those to whom he had preached, but with much zeal he struggled through admonitions, instructions, and messengers so that even other Christians who had never seen him might persevere and advance in the faith of Christ.

[Col 2:2] "That they may be consoled." He misuses the word "consoled" passively, meaning "may receive consolation." "Their hearts instructed" (meaning "knit together") "in charity." Behold the direction of the great struggle Paul took up concerning those who had not seen him: that their hearts—not of everyone, but of those knit together in charity—might receive consolation. "And into all the riches of the fullness" (meaning "of the full assurance") "of understanding." The conjunction "and" denotes an accumulation of the consoling thing. For the sense is that their hearts, knit together in charity, may receive consolation by adding to the consolation of charity the consolation of access to all the riches of the full assurance of understanding. For the preposition in joined with the accusative denotes access. And he does not say "in the assurance of understanding," but he says "into the full assurance of understanding," so that the hesitation of the intellect is not partially removed, but entirely. Nor does he even say "into the full assurance of understanding," but says "into all the riches," into all the abundance of full assurance. Assurance of the intellect occurs when the intellect does not doubt the things that belong to faith. And this is common and necessary for all Christians, for [page {153v?}] one who doubts in faith is an unbeliever. But full assurance (similar to testimonies making not half-full but full proof in the courts) is said of that which proceeds from the testimonies of faith, whether external from the words or deeds of God or the saints, or from the internal extension of the light of faith or gratuitous divine assistance to the culmination of certainty. Now the riches of full assurance consist in the abundance of testimonies concerning the various matters that are debated in the faith; and thereby all the riches consist in all the testimonies regarding matters arising in the faith: for instance, regarding the Arian matter, the Photinian matter, and so on for others. Therefore Paul says he took up such a struggle so that the hearts of those who are already consoled in charity might also be consoled, not by already having, but by accessing all the riches of the full assurance of the intellect: that is, to the whole abundance of testimonies fully assuring the intellect in every matter of faith. Hence he subjoins the subject matter of the assurance, saying: "In the knowledge" (meaning "into the knowledge") "of the mystery of God." Missing: "And of the Father and of Christ Jesus." The word "Jesus" is superfluous. Behold the progress: that they may progress into all the riches of the full assurance of the intellect, not in just any matter, but by progressing into the knowledge of the mystery of God, of the Father, and of Christ. "God" is the name of the nature. "Father" is the name of the person, if the discourse is about the Trinity; otherwise it is the name of the love by which God adopted us. Nor is it entirely clear in what sense Paul uses the name of the Father here. For both can be signified: namely, that to the knowledge of the divine nature is added the knowledge of the persons of the Trinity, or that the knowledge of God’s paternal love toward us is added. Nevertheless, the first sense seems to fit better with its interposition between God and Christ. Yet, because no mention of the Trinity is made further below, but rather of the paternal office of God toward us, the second sense should not be discarded. How many, how great, and what sort of things are comprehended under the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ cannot be explained.

[Col 2:3] "In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." He had spoken of knowing the mystery both of God and of the Father and of Christ. And since there was no ambiguity about God and the Father, he subjoins concerning Christ, who is man: "in whom are all the treasures, etc." Thus he signifies here that Christ is equal to God and to the Father, so that the greatness of the mystery may be weighed not only in the knowledge of God and the Father but in the knowledge of Christ, from the fact that in him are all the treasures of the wisdom of divine things and the knowledge of created things, not poured out but hidden from the eyes of every creature, or hidden by the human nature concealing, as it were, his divinity, by reason of which he has all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge: that is, of clear judgment and clear knowledge. For the word interpreted "knowledge" sounds cognition.

[Col 2:4] "Now this I say." Having explained the purpose for which he struggles, he begins to explain the multiple subjects of the struggle. Hence the pronoun "this" points out the struggle of which he had said "what great a struggle I have." "That no one may deceive you with sublimity of words" (meaning "with persuasive eloquence"). The first subject of the struggle is described as oratorical persuasion supported by the art of speaking. From this we conjecture that at that time there were those who, supported by the art of speaking, strove to lead Christians away from the purity of faith. And therefore Paul, fearing for the Colossians from such orators, warns that no one among them should be deceived by such persuasions.

[Col 2:5] "For though in body" (meaning "in flesh") "I am absent." To give the reason why they should not be deceived, he intends to add something concerning the faith and morals among them. And lest he seem to be guessing or speaking from hearsay (which can be deceived) about the things that are among the Colossians, he prefaces the manner in which he knows the things that are among them. And therefore he says: "For though I am absent in flesh," and thereby do not see with the eyes of the body the things that are among you, "yet in spirit I am with you." I am among you by spiritual presence. And lest this be understood according to the affection of charity, he subjoins: "Rejoicing and seeing." By saying "seeing," he manifests that he is among them by a spiritual intuition accompanied by joy. But what he sees, he subjoins: "Your order and the steadfastness of your faith which is in Christ." He says he sees two things: both the solidity of faith in Christ and the order. Since this is a matter of joy, it is understood as right order in the church of the Colossians, both concerning spiritual things and concerning temporal things in dispensing to widows and the poor. For an intact order is understood, since it is signified without any addition. Therefore, from the fact that these great goods are in the Colossians (namely, the solidity of faith and the rectitude of order), he warns them to beware lest they be deceived by smooth talkers.

[Col 2:6] "Therefore, as you received Jesus Christ our Lord." The word "our" is superfluous. From the solidity of faith in them, he infers that just as you received Jesus Christ to be the Lord, not of these or of those but of all, "walk in him": that is, let your spiritual walking be conformed to faith, which is to make progress.

[Col 2:7] "Rooted and built up in him" (meaning "be rooted and be built up in him"). After the likeness of plants, fix your roots in Christ; but after the likeness of a temple, be built up in him. [page 154] That is, let Christ be your foundation as of a temple, and let him be like excellent soil in which you as plants have your roots, so that continuous growth in Christ may be signified, and not solely the solidity of support. "And established" (meaning "and be established") "in the faith." What the metaphor of rooting and building had signified, he explains by the propriety of words. "Just as you also learned" (meaning "just as you were taught"). The manner of firmness is described according to the teaching of those who had taught the Colossians. For he knew that they had been fully taught, because it was necessary to be established in the faith without any hesitation and without any suspicion of the opposite. "Abounding in it" (meaning in that, namely, faith), "in thanksgiving." That is, that you may know the great benefit conferred on you in this, that it was conferred on you to believe in Christ, etc.

[Col 2:8] "See to it that no one deceives you" (meaning "plunders you"). The second subject of the struggle is subjoined, directed against philosophers. And he does not say "see to it that no one plunders yours," but "lest anyone plunder you," lest anyone carry you yourselves away as prey. "Through philosophy and empty deceit." He adds empty deceit to philosophy regarding the function of plundering people from the Christian faith, because it is not the function of the philosophy of truth to plunder Christians unless empty deceit is added to it. Because this is added to philosophy in two ways, he subjoins: "According to human tradition, according to the elements of the world." For either empty deceit is joined to philosophy from human tradition, for instance from the sect of the Stoics or the Peripatetics and the like. Or from the elements of the world, that is, from measuring and judging the things that belong to the Christian faith according to the elements of the world: that is, heavenly and elemental causes and the things composed of them. For this is of empty deceit, insofar as the judgment that can be had from such causes does not extend to the lofty mysteries of Christ that we hold by faith. For the mysteries of Christ are spiritual, and independent of the elements constituting the world. On account of this he also subjoins: "And not according to Christ." Philosophy according to the elements of the world, if it stops at its own things, is not contrary to Christ but is according to Christ, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; but if it presumes into loftier things (such as the mysteries of the Christian faith), it is not according to Christ but against Christ, inasmuch as it rests on empty deceit. It is called empty because it strives in vain, because it rests on vain foundations against the things that belong to faith.

[Col 2:9] "For in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." In opposition to philosophy according to human tradition and according to the elements of the world, having said "and not according to Christ," he now shows that Christ preponderates over the elements of the world, and then over the tradition of men. And that Christ excels the elements of the world, he shows through this: "because in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." Everyone confesses that divinity is found in the elements of the world, and especially in the first elements, which are the heavenly bodies. And therefore Paul says on the contrary that not divinity, but all the fullness of divinity dwells in Christ, not in just any way but bodily. For in the elements of the world God dwells according to efficiency, order, perpetuity, and other partial effects. But in Christ, it is not a fullness of effects but the fullness of divinity that dwells, indeed all the fullness of divinity, so that we may understand that deity dwells wholly in Christ bodily. Note here, prudent reader, that Paul says that all the fullness of deity dwells bodily in Christ, and he does not say is bodily. For the union of deity with human nature in Christ has two very wonderful things. One is that the deity itself has substantial bodily being in him, as John says: "The Word became flesh" (John 1:14). And this is signified by saying "bodily." The other is that without any mutation of itself the deity has that substantial bodily being in Christ. And to signify this, "dwells" is said. For indwelling signifies no mutation in the dweller. Thus if you join both together at once (namely, "dwells bodily"), you will understand that without any mutation of deity whatsoever, the deity is in Christ not by extrinsic denomination but according to the substantial being of a body. If Nestorius had been willing to understand this, he would not have dogmatized that the deity dwelt in Christ as in a temple. For to this end Paul added "bodily," so that he might explain the substantial union with the body, through which it differs from the indwelling of God in the minds even of the blessed, and not only from the indwelling of God in the elements of the world.

[Col 2:10] "And you are filled in him, who is the head of all principality and power." In opposition to philosophy according to human tradition, he explains that the knowledge with which Christians are filled in Christ is not by the tradition of men but by the tradition of him who is the head even of all the angels. Therefore, as great as is the difference between human tradition and the head of the angels, so great is the difference between philosophy handed down by men and the knowledge of faith handed down by Christ. And in this Paul signifies the excellence of Christian knowledge: that it was not handed down even by angels but by the head of the angels immediately to men, namely, by Christ.

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[Col 2:11] "In whom also you were circumcised." The third subject of the struggle is treated against the false apostles compelling the observance of legalities, first declaring that circumcision, which was the profession of fulfilling the whole law, is fulfilled in Christians through Christ in baptism; and thereby they do not need carnal circumcision. So he says: "in whom," Christ, "you also were circumcised." "With a circumcision not made by hands." He describes circumcision in Christ by a threefold condition. The first is that it is not a circumcision made by hand, such as legal circumcision is. "In the stripping off of the body." Missing: "Of the sins of the flesh." The second condition is that such circumcision does not remove the skin of the flesh, but removes the body of sins, that is, the whole mass of sins. And he denominates the body of sins as being of the flesh, because the whole mass of sins proceeds from the carnal tinder. "But in the circumcision of Christ." The word "but" is superfluous. The third condition is that this is not the circumcision of Moses or the fathers, but it is the circumcision of Christ. For Christ alone can effect this spiritual circumcision removing the body of sins, and therefore it is called the circumcision of Christ. Now the manner in which this circumcision of Christ occurs is explained by subjoining:

[Col 2:12] "Buried with him in baptism." Through baptism this circumcision occurs, in which we are assimilated to Christ buried. For in this, that we are plunged under water in baptism, we are assimilated to Christ buried under the earth when he was entombed. For such an assimilation signifies that the one who is baptized is not only dead but buried to his former life of sins, just as the body of Christ buried was totally alien to its former animate life. "In whom also you were raised through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead." The rite of baptism has it that the one who is baptized is plunged under the water and raised out of the water; and just as the submersion under the water assimilates to Christ buried, so the emersion from the water assimilates to Christ rising from death. For through emersion new life is signified through faith in the resurrection of Christ, so that just as Christ rose into new life by the working of God who raised him, so the one who is baptized undergoes a new spiritual life through faith in the same working by which God raised Christ from the dead. For he explains that in the faith of the resurrection of Christ is contained both that that resurrection was done by the working of God, and many accomplished works of God which he subjoins. Thus the raising of Christ is part of the working of God by which we are made alive by believing. But the remaining parts of this working are subjoined: namely, our vivification, the pardoning of offenses, the wiping out of the handwritten record, and the rest that are subjoined. For a mere man cannot raise himself or another.

[Col 2:13] "And you, when you were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made alive together with him." Behold another part of the working of God: by which he made the Gentiles, when they were spiritually dead by an evil death (inasmuch as they were in trespasses, and the state of uncircumcision was persevering, that is, and you were not proselytes of the Jews) alive with a spiritual life together with Christ raised to an immortal life. Note here, prudent reader, that Paul mentions both (namely, the death of the soul on account of sins, and the state of uncircumcision persevering in the Gentiles) so that he might show the grace of God in making them alive without carnal circumcision through faith in the working of God who works these things. "Forgiving us" (meaning "you") "all trespasses." Behold the third part of the working of God: the pardoning of all sins. And he transitions from the second person to the first. For he had said "and you Gentiles," but now he says "forgiving us," because the state of uncircumcision was proper to the Gentiles, while the pardoning of sins is common to the Gentiles and the Jews. And through this he explains the manner in which God made us alive with Christ, namely, by pardoning us all our sins: that is, not by our own satisfaction, not by our own merits, but by a free gift.

[Col 2:14] "Wiping out" (meaning "when he wiped out") "the handwritten record of the decree" (meaning "in decrees") "that was against us, which was contrary to us." The fourth part of the working of God is explained. "In decrees" is in the dative case. And the order of the text is: "Wiping out the handwritten record which in decrees was against us, which was contrary to you." And the sense is that he wiped out the handwritten record in favor of the decrees against us, which was contrary to us. For two conditions of the handwritten record are described. One is that it was in decrees against us, that is, in favor of the decrees against us. The other is that it was contrary to us, just as a sentence in favor of the laws is contrary to those who have offended. Yet Paul does not use the metaphor of a sentence, but the metaphor of a handwritten record (that is, a document inscribed by our own hand) "in decrees," that is, in a pledge of keeping the decrees. He is indeed speaking of the law of Moses, which is called the law of commandments, decrees, and deeds. And circumcision was according to the likeness of a handwritten record, by which anyone as if by his own hand inscribed himself to keep the decrees, insofar as circumcision was a profession of keeping the whole law. And he aptly describes it as in decrees "against us," because the legal precepts were both intolerable (as Peter says, that neither we nor our fathers were able to bear the yoke of the law; Acts 15:10) and excited concupiscence, because we strive for the forbidden, and they were for punishing, not for helping, inasmuch as they did not furnish the aids of grace [page 155] but obligated transgressors to punishment. He also calls the handwritten record itself "contrary to us" insofar as it accused us as debtors to keep the law of the Jews, attesting that we were guilty of the violated law. Consider, prudent reader, the matter about which he is speaking: for the discourse is about freedom from legal circumcision and the rest of the legalities. And weigh the fact that Paul strives toward this, that he might show the Gentiles that the legalities have been wiped out by God through Christ. And the benefit conferred on the Gentiles in the state of uncircumcision, he also shows to be conferred on the Jews by wiping out circumcision and the rest of the legalities. For the benefits of vivification and the pardoning of sins are common, but the manner is described as different. For the Gentiles obtain these things in their state of uncircumcision; but the Jews, by the wiping out of the obligation of circumcision and the legalities. "And he took it out of the way, nailing it" (meaning "it having been nailed") "to the cross." The fifth part of the working of God is described. And pursuing the likeness of the handwritten record, he says God not only wiped out the handwritten record but took it out of the way, that is, out of the order of things. Nor did he accomplish this by tearing it up, but by nailing it to the cross, as if killing it on the cross, because truly on the cross of Christ God annulled every obligation of the legalities. Therefore Paul says he took it out of the way by nailing it to the cross.

[Col 2:15] "And stripping" (meaning "having stripped") "the principalities and powers, he made a public spectacle of them confidently, triumphing" (meaning "when he triumphed over") "them in himself." The word "himself" is superfluous. It should be read "in him." For as the context clearly sounds, all the narrated operations along with this sixth triumphal one are attributed to God. And just as God is described as making alive, forgiving, wiping out, taking away, and nailing to the cross, so he is described as stripping, making a spectacle, and triumphing in Christ, to signify that these are not the offices of a mere man, but of God in the man Christ. And know that the participles "wiping out, nailing, stripping, triumphing" are active participles of past time, which the Latin language lacks. And therefore they are changed either into passive participles of past time ("having been nailed," "having been stripped") or into verbs of the perfect past tense ("when he wiped out," "when he triumphed"), as they seem to fit more clearly while preserving the tenor and the sense. Also, one word is interpreted "publicly confidently" to explain the complete sense of the Greek word signifying "boldly publicly." Therefore the third part describes the efficacy of God in Christ dying and rising. For first he described the efficacy toward the Gentiles by making alive those buried with Christ. Then toward the Jews by taking away the obligation of the law through the cross. Now toward the demons. By stripping them of all the saints who were in limbo, and triumphing over them having been subdued, and making a public spectacle of them confidently. The Greek word interpreted "made a public spectacle" properly signifies to make an example. And if it refers to the demons, it is taken in a bad sense, signifying that after the likeness of a triumphant conqueror God in Christ made the subdued demons an example of the disgrace of unwilling subjection. For thus triumphant conquerors made subdued kings be led around, which was to make them an example to others. But if it refers to the saints who were like spoils in the triumph of God in Christ, thus it is taken in a good sense, signifying that he placed the saints as an example so that we might have confidence that through the same Christ we will be happy with those saints. But "publicly confidently" fits both senses, for both were done publicly and boldly without any suspicion of any impediment. And Paul said these things so that he might console the Colossians with an abundance of divine testimonies to the mystery of God in Christ, so that from this they might be rendered more certain that the human race has been fully freed from the servitude of sin, from the servitude of the law, and from the servitude of the devil; and so that he might declare the manner in which he rescued us from the power of darkness, which he had proposed among other things.

[Col 2:16] "Therefore let no one judge you in food." This exclusive inference manifests that the discourse was about the legalities, concerning the handwritten record, that is, in the inscription made to the decrees of the Mosaic law. For from there he infers: therefore let no one judge you in the legalities concerning clean or unclean food. "Or in drink." Likewise clean or unclean. For according to the law some foods were unclean, and similarly a drink from a vessel lacking a lid was unclean. "Or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a sabbath." That is, or in the division of a feast day from a non-feast day, both in days and in months and in sabbaths. For there were certain feast days, and the beginnings of individual months were festive, and there were sabbaths both of the seventh day, and of the seventh month, and of the seventh year, etc.

[Col 2:17] "Which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ." He does not say which are shadows of preceding or simultaneous things, but of things to come, according to the likeness of a shadow preceding a body. For he likens the ceremonial things of the law to the shadow of a subsequent body, to signify that the things which belong to the law signified the things that belong to Christ like a shadow following a body. And he uses the likeness of a shadow both because of certainty: for a shadow is a certain sign of the body causing it; and because of causality: so that we might understand that Christ was the cause of the ceremonies of the law; and because of the obscure signification by which a shadow represents a body. For the ceremonial things of the law obscurely represented the things that belong to Christ. And especially because of cessation: for upon the arrival of the subsequent body, the shadow ceases. And similarly, the legalities [page {155v?}] cease upon the arrival of the things that belong to Christ. And on account of this he more significantly said "of things to come." For the shadow of a future thing no longer exists when that future thing has been made present. And just as he metaphorically calls the ceremonies of the law a shadow, so metaphorically he calls the mysteries of Christ the body, relative to the shadow. For every shadow is a shadow of a body. And he said "but the body is of Christ," just as if he had said, "but the signified things are of Christ."

[Col 2:18] "Let no one seduce you" (meaning "deprive you of the prize"). The fourth subject of the struggle is subjoined, directed against the heads of sects under the appearance of religion. For this was what remained after the struggles against the orators, against the philosophers, and against the Jews. And he introduces these men as interceptors of those running toward the prize, because under the appearance of a more religious form of life, obtruding it as an augmentation of the religious life, they hinder and deprive those running toward the prize of the heavenly calling. Now he paints such heads of sects in four colors, so that they may be distinguished from the heads of truly religious orders whom the Holy Spirit was foreseeing would be in the church of God: Anthony, Basil, Benedict, etc. "Willing in humility and the religion of angels." The first color of these men is that they want you subjected in the humility of your mind, so that one does not dare to discern the precepts they give, but that you be simply subjected to the precepts. And he calls their precepts the precepts of the religion of angels. Whether you understand "angels" to be the spiritual substances familiar to them. Or whether you understand "angels" to be the men themselves calling themselves angels, that is, messengers of God for the institution of religion. For as many heads of religious sects as there have been have fabricated one of these two things. Thus in these two things (namely, the humility of your mind, and the religion of angels) they want you yourselves. For the participle "willing" refers to the pronoun "you." And the order of the text is: let no one willing you in humility and the religion of angels deprive you of the prize. And know that the word interpreted "religion" can be taken in a good and in a bad sense: that is, both for religion which is truly a virtue, and for religion which is superstition. "Which things he has not seen, walking" (meaning "entering"), "in vain." The second condition of these men is that they enter into or begin things that they do not see, and this vainly. He could have said they feign to see what they do not see; but he preferred to describe it from their execution, that they enter into precepts or begin precepts which they do not see by divine or angelic light. And they do this in vain, inasmuch as it is not for the salvation of souls, which by its own nature is the end of religion and its precepts. "Puffed up in sense" (meaning "in mind") "by his flesh." The third condition of these men is pride in the zeal of carnal affection. For they elevate themselves above others for imposing carnal observances on others. And therefore they are said to be puffed up with the zealous mind of their flesh, that is, with a carnal, not a spiritual, mind.

[Col 2:19] "And not holding fast to the head, from whom the whole body, supplied and built up" (meaning "knit together") "through its joints and ligaments, grows with the growth" (meaning "increases the increase") "of God." The fourth condition, joined to the three affirmative ones, is negative. And since to hold fast is to preserve, not holding fast to the head in such a religion is not attending to the head, namely Christ. To the head, moreover, insofar as it is the principle of spiritual growth. For concerning growth he says: "from whom the whole body, through its joints, etc., increases the increase of God." For from this it is apparent that such a religion is directly opposed to spiritual growth. For it is insinuated by these words of Paul that such a religion was instituted for the sake of growth, just as the orders of religious among Christians, and the sects of the Pharisees and Essenes among the Jews, were instituted for a better fruit of life. For this reason Paul, describing the heads of such sects, says that they err in this: that they do not hold fast to the head. Those who do not keep Christ as the head, from whom the whole body of the church, after the likeness of a natural body, knit together and supplied with internal operations through the joints and mutual ligaments of the nerves, increases. Behold the function from the head: it increases the whole body, and by increasing, it effects growth in the whole and in the individual parts proportionally—growth, I say, of God, to distinguish it from ceremonial growth, fancied growth, and growth before men.

[Col 2:20] "If you died with Christ." Having described the heads of the sects leading away from Christ, he consequently reproves their followers, taking his argument from the quality of the precepts of such sects: because, namely, they were not spiritual but bodily precepts. "If," he says, "you died with Christ," that is, if you in spirit died with Christ who died according to the body. "From the elements of this world." The word "this" is superfluous. Christ according to the body died to the elements of the world, to all bodily things, for he lost the life of the body. But in baptism we die in spirit to the elements of the world, that is, to all bodily things, leaving aside our affection toward all bodily things. "Why, as if still living in the world, do you decree" (meaning "submit to dogmas"). The word "still" is superfluous. He reproves those who act contrary to the death by which they died with Christ, by receiving the subjoined bodily dogmas.

[Col 2:21] "Do not touch" (meaning "you shall not touch"), "nor taste" (meaning "you shall not taste"), "nor handle" (meaning "you shall not handle"). He introduces the precepts of bodily observances with the number three to comprehend all of them. Nor do we clearly understand specifically concerning what things these precepts were, but only that they were precepts of bodily observances as if religious ones. [page 156] And therefore Paul says that they receive these dogmas "as if living in the world," that is, that they receive these precepts of religion as if affected toward bodily things. And he carefully says "as if," since the followers of the sects were deceived by a spiritual affection, and were not dedicated to bodily observances in affection, but in fact.

[Col 2:22] "Which things are all in destruction" (meaning "to destruction") "with their very use" (meaning "with their abuse"), "according to the commandments and doctrines of men." He manifests the fruit and at the same time the authority of these precepts. The authority, indeed: "according to the commandments and doctrines of men." And he says this to exclude both the name of angels and true visions, as he had proposed when saying "which things he has not seen entering in," openly signifying by this that it is not the religion of angels, but they are the commandments and doctrines of men. But the fruit, which he had previously proposed as "in vain," is explained because they are all "to destruction." So they are in vain with respect to the good of the soul, but with respect to the evil of the soul, they are all to destruction with their very abuse: that is, by the observance itself, not by the force of non-observance, with the very abuse according to the commandments and doctrines of men. He calls the observance of such precepts an abuse, because it is truly an abuse of the freedom to use bodily things. And he says it is not itself destruction, but "to destruction," to signify that it leads to the destruction of the soul. To explain what he had said earlier, "let no one deprive you of the prize." For such superstitions lead away from growth in Christ, lead away from the Spirit, and thus lead to the destruction of the soul.

[Col 2:23] "Which things indeed have a show of wisdom." Having declared the authority and fruit of such precepts, he declares the religion and humility in them, for he had proposed both earlier. And he says that they have a show (that is, an appearance) of wisdom with respect to the three things subjoined: "In superstition" (meaning "in religion"), "and humility, and not sparing the body" (meaning "and severity to the body"). Here, know that it is the same word here and interpreted earlier as "religion"; and it is common, as has been said, to true and superstitious religion. Again, the word interpreted "severity" has been expressed in this way due to a poverty of vocabulary. For it signifies, if it were permissible to say, "unsparingness." With respect to these three precepts, these things have an appearance of wisdom. For they present religion in work, humility in the minds of the followers, and unsparingness: that is, exact execution even with inconveniences and afflictions. "Not in any honor." Having explained the appearance of wisdom with respect to three things, he subjoins the truth with respect to two things. The first of which is "not in any honor." And the sense is that although someone might have these precepts as an appearance of wisdom in these three things, they are nevertheless "not in any honor." Here he does not affirm insult or blame, but denies honor to manifest that they are truly in vain with respect to the goods of the soul, because they are not only alien to the internal good of the soul itself, but also to the external good which is honor. As if he were saying more openly: perhaps they would be tolerable if they were accompanied by some honor, but since they are in no honor, they are rendered ineligible. "But to the satisfying" (meaning "to the satiation") "of the flesh." Behold the other thing found in these precepts according to truth, namely, that they are to the satiation of the flesh: that is, to the satiation of bodily observances, to the satiation of carnal affection toward religious observances. Hence he also said earlier, "puffed up by the mind of his flesh." And through this is insinuated such a great multitude of carnal observances that they are to the point of satiation, both of those commanding and those complying. Do not marvel, prudent reader, if we have treated this part against the heads of the sects in general. For ignorance of the fact (that is, of that specific sect against which Paul is speaking) is the cause of it.

CHAPTER 3

[Col 3:1] "Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ." The word "with" is superfluous. He treats that clause, "made us fit for a share of the inheritance of the saints in the light." Therefore, from the very inheritance of the saints which is initiated in the resurrection of Christ, he begins to admonish, inferring from what he had said earlier, "in whom also you were raised." Inferring indeed from there, he says: "Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ." "Seek the things that are above" (meaning "higher"). Behold the inheritance of the saints is to be sought above, "where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God." It is not enough to say "the things that are above," but it is necessary to add the place of Christ’s happiness, so that we do not vaguely seek heavenly things, but the things that are there where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God, that is, resting and reigning in the best goods of God.

[Col 3:2] "Savor" (meaning "set your mind on") "the things that are above" (meaning "higher"). He warns them not only to seek (which belongs to desire and action) but also to set their minds on (which belongs to the intellect) the things that are above, so that we may understand that all the powers of the soul must be deployed in their actions toward heavenly things. "Not the things that are on earth," that is, the lowest things. As if he had said more openly: you cannot simultaneously set your mind on and seek the things that are above and the things that are lowest; but if you have been raised in spirit with Christ, you must set your mind on and seek the things that are above in such a way that you neither set your mind on nor seek the things that are on earth, that is, the lowest things. For the lowest part of the universe is the earth. And understand this as beatitude, as happiness. [page {156v?}] For we are not forbidden to seek the things that are on earth as means to happiness, as temporal supports; but we are forbidden to seek and apprehend them as our happiness, as our beatitude. For in this way only the things that are above are to be sought and apprehended.

[Col 3:3] "For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." He gives the reason for both parts of the precept, namely, "not the things that are on earth," by saying "you have died," and "the things that are above," by saying "and your life is hidden with Christ in God." For the sense is that in baptism we die to the earthly life and begin the heavenly life, which is the spiritual life, which is hidden to this world together with Christ, who is hidden to this world although most manifest in the heavenly places. And he says "in God" to signify both that in truth our life is hidden with Christ, and that the hiding is not by the interposition of veils or places, but is in God himself, so that we may not marvel at the hiding but understand that just as God is hidden from us, so our life stored up with Christ in God is hidden from the world.

[Col 3:4] "But when Christ, your" (meaning "our") "life, appears." The discourse is about the appearance in the universal judgment, when Christ will no longer be hidden but manifest to all. Now what is called "our life" can be referred either to "appears" or to "Christ." And by referring it to "appears," it signifies the effect of the appearance, because he will then appear making us alive with life in an immortal body. But if it refers to "Christ," it is a causal statement, insofar as Christ is the cause of our life which is now hidden in God with Christ. "Then you also will appear with him in glory." Behold the fruit of setting the mind on and seeking the things that are above; behold the goal of the hidden life with Christ. For then you also will appear manifest to the whole world with that same Christ with whom you are now hidden; and you will appear not in just any way, but glorious. For by glory all the parts of the beatitude of both soul and body are understood.

[Col 3:5] "Therefore mortify your members that are upon the earth." Having explained the things that are above, he explains "not the things that are on earth," inferring from the same root: because, namely, you have died according to the soul to the things that are on earth, it follows that you should also mortify your members that are upon the earth (that is, your lowest members). But what these members are, he subjoins: "Fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is the service" (meaning "worship") "of idols." Recall what was said earlier about the "stripping off of the body of the sins of the flesh," and you will not marvel that these vices are called members. For just as the totality of sins is called a body, so the particular sins are called members. And he calls them "your" members because sins are from us, according to the verse: "Your destruction, O Israel, is from yourself" (Hos 13:9). And he says "upon the earth," in opposition to spiritual works, which are like members of the spirit tending upward. By fornication and uncleanness, understand all sexual sins in deed. By passion and evil desire, understand internal faults. Yet in such a way that you do not restrict evil desire to sexual matters, but as it is extended in Scripture: "You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, you shall not covet his goods, etc." (Exod 20:17). Now the word interpreted "passion" has discordant interpreters. However, it seems to sound a disease of the soul. And since it is distinguished from evil desire, it is not absurd that an evil pleasure is signified, so that internal sins are described by pleasure and desire. For pleasure is common to every disease of the soul, since even anger, which is caused by sadness, terminates in pleasure, and the sad are pleased by sadness itself. And he calls covetousness the worship of idols because the covetous man worships gold and silver, just like one worshipping idols. For the idolater and the covetous man agree both in matter and in affection. For both prefer gold to God in their affection.

[Col 3:6] "Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of unbelief." "Is coming" is in the present tense. And the word interpreted "unbelief" is interpreted as "disobedience" or "unpersuadableness." For here are the same words as those written to the Ephesians in chapter five (Eph 5:6). And he adds threats so that they may also be moved by the fear of punishment, or rather so that they may know that good things so please God that the evils of fault displease him, and especially these things, since even in the present life he punishes the obstinate in them. In these things, supply: "vices."

[Col 3:7] "And you walked in them once, when you were living in them." For he had said, "for you have died." Note here that from the beginning of this chapter up to this clause he spoke from that condition "if you have been raised with Christ," inferring "seek, set your minds, mortify." But now he affirms that the Colossians themselves had walked with the other Gentiles in such vices. And therefore he significantly says, "and you walked." And he subjoins this not now inferring from a condition, but absolutely.

[Col 3:8] "But now put away also all these things." Because you have in fact been baptized, therefore now put away also all these things, namely the vices to be mentioned. "Anger, indignation, malice." He computes three sins of the soul by a certain progression. For from anger is born indignation (or, as pleases other interpreters, fury); and from that arises malice, which plots toward the evil of another. "Blasphemy," against God. "Foul language from your [page 157] mouth," because it was not in their power to remove foul language from another’s mouth.

[Col 3:9] "Do not lie to one another." He explains a third sin of speech as lying, which is for deceiving a neighbor, so that by these three (blasphemy against God, foul language against oneself, and lying against a neighbor) he comprehends all sins of the mouth. "Stripping off" (meaning "taking off"). But the Greek active participle of past time does not explain this either, and it would sound clearer if it were read "when you have taken off" in the past tense. And similarly when he subjoins "putting on the new," by reading "and you have put on the new." "You the old man with his deeds." The word "you" is superfluous. He does not exhort them to take it off, but from the fact that they have taken off the old man from themselves in baptism, he gives the reason for putting away all the aforementioned vices. For in baptism we profess to take off from ourselves the old man, that is, oldness with all its parts. The oldness of life is the deformity of life through sins. Which is likened to oldness for this reason: because it is a defect and corruption of the spiritual life tending toward eternal death. And by saying "with his deeds," it is insinuated that by the old man is signified the vices that are in us by way of habit.

[Col 3:10] "And putting on" (meaning "and when you have put on"), similarly in the profession of baptism, "the new." That is, the new life. He calls the spiritual life of faith, hope, charity, etc., the "new man" because it is the beginning of eternal life, which is always new, having no defect. "Him who is being renewed." The word "him" is superfluous. He says both (namely, "the new" and "who is being renewed") so that we may understand it not as new at the finish line, but on the way. For he will be new at the finish line when we are blessed; for then he will be so new that he will no longer be renewed. But now he is both new and is being renewed by continuous progress. "In the knowledge of God according to the image of him who created him." The word "of God" is superfluous. He explains with respect to what he is renewed by saying "in the knowledge": that is, approaching more and more to knowledge, not just any knowledge, but according to the image of God who created him. The image of God in which the new man, insofar as he is new, is created, is the image of the order of grace, just as the image in which man was created is the image in the order of nature. And it is signified by this that the new man, insofar as he is new, is renewed by making progress in the knowledge of the likeness infused through faith, hope, charity, mercy, and the remaining infused virtues. For in these is the image of God in which he created the new man insofar as he is new. And he says "created him," because the image of grace is not drawn out of the potency of the subject, but is created by God.

[Col 3:11] "Where there is neither male and female, Gentile and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision." The phrase "male and female, barbarian and Scythian" is superfluous. The phrase "and slave and free" is superfluous. And the word "and" is superfluous. "But Christ is all and in all." The adverb "where" points to the new man, or (which is the same) the image in which he was created. And it is explained that in the newness which we have in baptism there is no difference of nations, professions, conditions, etc., but Christ in all, of whatever nation, condition, etc., they may be, is all things: that is, he is the reason for all the actions and movements and gifts and remaining things pertaining to the new man, inasmuch as he is the head, from whom comes sense and motion in all.

[Col 3:12] "Clothe yourselves" (meaning "be clothed"), "therefore, as the elect of God." From the fact that in baptism they put on the new man who is being renewed, he explains by admonishing the things by which he is renewed so that they may be like the elect of God. "Holy," that is, clean. "And beloved." Election is a benefit respective to others who are not elect; holiness is cleanliness from sins; but being beloved is the benefit by which God wills for them the good of eternal life. "Bowels of mercy" (meaning "of compassions"). Behold the first part of the new man by which the new man is renewed: the innermost affections of compassions, undoubtedly to show compassion to others. "Kindness." Compassion regards the evil of the neighbor; kindness is good, for it is the fruitfulness of good things. "Humility." The virtue opposed to the soul of pride is signified, which is the guardian of the one having it. "Modesty" (meaning "meekness"), the moderator of anger and audacity. "Patience" (meaning "long-suffering"), extending the soul to the beatitude of eternity future after this life.

[Col 3:13] "Bearing with one another." In burdensome interactions: when one is sometimes a burden to another on account of the evil of punishment, and also sometimes on account of the evil of fault. For he was not a good man who could not tolerate bad men. "And forgiving yourselves, if anyone has a complaint against another." What he says, "forgiving yourselves," does not sound like "you should forgive yourself," but "among yourselves," that you may pardon an injury to the one who committed it, if it happens that anyone has a cause for complaint against another. "Just as the Lord" (meaning "Christ") "forgave us, so also you." Lest this part of the new man seem difficult, he added the example of Christ, so that the imitation of Christ renders pardoning easy.

[Col 3:14] "But above all these things have charity." The word "have" is superfluous. For it refers back to the verb "be clothed." For the sense is: but above all these things, be clothed in love. And the reason why he says "above all these things" is subjoined. "Which" (meaning "because it") "is the bond of perfection." Love is placed above all the previously mentioned virtues for this reason: because perfection consists in it by way of a bond, for love is what binds lovers together. Thus two things are [page {157v?}] attributed to love: both that it perfects a man (and this is special, since no moral virtue consists in love) and that it perfects by way of a bond binding lovers, among whom is God. For the discourse is about the love by which we love God in himself and others for the sake of God, on account of which it is rightly located above the rest of the virtues.

[Col 3:15] "And let the peace of Christ" (meaning "of God") "exult" (meaning "obtain the palm") "in your hearts." The peace of God is founded in charity and the rest of the virtues, inasmuch as it is the tranquil order of the charity of the other virtues in the soul. And therefore the palm in our hearts is attributed to it, so that the tranquil order of charity and the rest of the virtues may, as it were, obtain the palm of victory. And truly the palm is had in such an order. "In which" (meaning "into which") "you were also called in one body." Just as the peace of a single person consists in the tranquil order of the virtues of one soul, so the peace of the church or of multiple believers consists in their tranquil order among themselves and toward God. And speaking of this, Paul says "into which you were also called in one body," that is, as members of one body. And since the peace of every single person is enclosed in this peace, by directly speaking of the common peace, he implicitly speaks of the peace of every single person. "And be thankful." All virtues would be abolished if gratitude were lacking.

[Col 3:16] "Let the word of Christ dwell in you abundantly." Thus far he has shown the parts of the new man in the affective part; now he manifests the parts of the new man in the intellective part, so that he may complete his treatment of the things by which we are rendered fit for a share of the inheritance of the saints in the light. Let the word of Christ, I say, which is the Gospel, not just lodge but dwell in you, not in just any way but abundantly. And explaining that abundance, he subjoins: "In all wisdom teaching," undoubtedly the uninstructed. And this is the first abundance. "And admonishing ourselves." The second abundance is that we admonish ourselves in all wisdom. Which can be understood in two ways: either that anyone admonishes himself, stirring himself up in all wisdom; or that we exercise admonition among ourselves, so that one admonishes another. "In psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs." The word "in" is superfluous, and these refer to what follows. "Singing in grace." In psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. "In your hearts to God" (meaning "in your heart to the Lord"). Internal contemplation by way of a singer in thanksgiving is described, not solely in the intellect but overflowing into the rejoicing affection. And the instruments to be taken up for meditating are described as psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, because the meditation of these not only feeds the intellect but moves the affection.

[Col 3:17] "Everything whatever." Here a full stop should be made. It remained, after describing the parts of the new man both in affection and in intellect, that he should describe his part regarding the execution of a work. And therefore in the last place he says "Everything whatever." The phrase is mutilated, for the substantive verb "it may be" is understood. "You do" (meaning "you may do"), "in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father through him." Behold the general precept for all executions both in word and in deed, that they be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father through the Lord Jesus himself. What is said, "in the name of the Lord Jesus," is not understood as being necessary to actually invoke the name of the Lord Jesus in every work and speech, but that it is necessary to re-invoke the name of the Lord Jesus. Which occurs when we speak or act in the faith of Jesus, when trusting in Jesus. But if it happens to be done otherwise, it is not necessary that a sin always intervenes, but a loss of merit. For a Christian existing in mortal sin, by returning a deposit, honoring his parents, and exercising similar unformed acts of the virtues without reference to Christ, does not sin, since he is not in a worse condition than a Gentile exercising these same things. Yet such acts are not meritorious. Hence Paul commands these things not as parts of a man, but as parts of the new man.

[Col 3:18] "Women" (meaning "wives"), "be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord." After he explained generally for all parts of the new man, he manifests specifically the parts of the same to spouses, to fathers and children, and servants to masters, etc. He does not command wives to be subjected to their husbands absolutely, but with two conditions, namely: "as is fitting," and "in the Lord."

[Col 3:19] "Husbands, love your wives, and do not be bitter to" (meaning "toward") "them." The precepts are clear: of love and sweetness.

[Col 3:20] "Children, obey your parents in all things." For we cannot render an equivalent to our parents, and therefore he says "in all things." "For this is well-pleasing in the Lord." The word "in" is superfluous. The precept of the law manifests that this is pleasing to the Lord.

[Col 3:21] "Fathers, do not provoke your children to indignation." The phrase "to indignation" is superfluous. "Lest they become fainthearted" (meaning "lest they collapse in soul from sadness"). From this it appears that the precept for fathers here is not the same as the one to the Ephesians. For there the provocation of children to vengeance is forbidden (Eph 6:4); but here provocation is forbidden absolutely. And the reason is subjoined: lest sadness cast down the souls of the children, and it is the same as becoming fainthearted. Hence provocation signifies frequent scolding. For when children are reproved in all or nearly all things, they apprehend that they do nothing good, and from there they are cast down [page 158] in soul from attempting good works, and thus rise up fainthearted, which is a worse vice than too much spiritedness. There, therefore, Paul warned lest fathers lead their children into an excess of soul; but here, lest they lead them into a defect of soul. For both extremes belong to vice.

[Col 3:22] "Servants, obey in all things your earthly masters." How what he says, "in all things," is to be understood, he explains when he subjoins: "fearing God. Not serving to the eye, as if pleasing men, but in simplicity of heart fearing God." For he instructs servants not only concerning outward obedience, but especially concerning the internal reason for obeying, that it be the fear of God, excluding all duplicity. And explaining this more, he subjoins:

[Col 3:23] "And whatever you do, work from the soul as for the Lord." Supply: Christ, or God. "And not for men." He strives to introduce into the minds of servants not only the fear of God but also love: so that out of love for Christ they serve their earthly masters. For this is the part of the new man in a servant.

[Col 3:24] "Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance." He manifests by this that if they serve their earthly masters in this way, the services themselves will be meritorious of the eternal inheritance. And from this text you clearly have that our actions, however much they are done from a natural or legal debt, are meritorious of eternal life if they are done out of the love of God. And he subjoins the reason: "To the Lord." Missing: "For." "Serve Christ" (meaning "you serve"). For what is done out of love for Christ, although owed to an earthly master, is offered to Christ, and therefore will be remunerated by him.

[Col 3:25] "For he who" (meaning "But he who") "does injury will receive back what he has done wickedly." He adds this to this end, that servants should not cease from the aforesaid duties if they are afflicted with injury by their masters, since the masters themselves will pay the penalties for the injuries against the servants. Hence he also subjoins: "And there is no respect of persons with God." The phrase "with God" is superfluous, although it is understood. Masters who injure their servants will not escape unpunished because they are masters, since in that judgment there will be no respect of persons; no account of being a master will be held there.

CHAPTER 4

[Col 4:1] "Masters, provide for your servants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven." The sentence is clear: that they should not only render what is owed to their servants, but also maintain fairness toward them.

[Col 4:2] "DEVOTE YOURSELVES TO PRAYER." He has completed the parts of the new man begun earlier, which he had not intercepted by inserting the parts of the new man in the individual parts from which a household is constituted, but had extended to all parts of the church at that time. For the church at that time consisted only of households; nor was it as it is now, consisting also of a city. Therefore, after instructing the individual households, he now instructs all together in assembly, saying, "devote yourselves to prayer." "Being watchful in it," namely, in prayer. "With thanksgiving."

[Col 4:3] And he adds himself and his companions to the subject matter of prayer, subjoining: "Praying at the same time also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ." He does not ask for prayer for himself for his own personal benefit, but for the progress of the Gospel. Nor does he say "that he may open the door of the prison for us," but "the door for the word," for the evangelical word was as it were closed by impediments to preaching. Hence he also subjoins:

[Col 4:4] "Because of which I am also in chains." It is not certain whether he is speaking of the first chains when he came from Judea to Rome, or of other chains cast upon him in Rome. If it is understood of the time of the first chains, since Paul was then permitted to preach in his own lodging, a closed door for the word is signified relative to everyone. But if the discourse is about the other chains, an impediment unknown to us is signified by the closed door for the word. "That I may make it manifest in the way I ought to speak." He insinuates an impediment in the manner of evangelizing by saying "in the way I ought."

[Col 4:5] "Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside." Lastly he manifests the parts of the new man relative to the faithful, instructing them that they must converse prudently with those who are outside, that is, unbelievers existing outside the church. "Redeeming" (meaning "buying") "the time." According to the likeness of buyers, he judges that the offered opportunity of time must be used among them particularly. And this is the first explained part of wisdom toward those who are outside: that they may know how to use the opportunity, indeed, that they may know how to buy the opportune time among them particularly.

[Col 4:6] But the other part is: "Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt." Prudence must not only be within, but also in speech, for this is signified by salt. But to exclude the salt of cunning or craftiness and the like in speaking, he says "with grace," so that the salt of discretion may be conformed to divine grace. "So that you may know how you ought to answer each one." Behold salt with grace, answering each one according to the condition of each one. For one must answer unbelieving masters, philosophers, and plebeians differently, etc.

[Col 4:7] "Tychicus, a most beloved" (meaning "dear") "brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord, will make all things known to you concerning me." He descends to personal matters at the end of the epistle. And he names the one through whom [page {158v?}] he will send the epistle, commending him highly so that they might give him credit concerning the things that were with Paul. But among other things, Tychicus is commended here because he is a faithful minister, undoubtedly of Christ, in the Gospel.

[Col 4:8] "Whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that he may know the things concerning you." The past tense "I have sent" refers not to the time of writing but to the time of reading the epistle. For through him he sent this epistle. "And console your hearts," inasmuch as he is a faithful minister of Christ.

[Col 4:9] "With Onesimus, a most beloved" (meaning "dear") "and faithful brother." For all Christians are called brothers. "Who is one of you," who is of your people. "They will make known to you all things that are done" (meaning "that are") "here." Both of them will.

[Col 4:10] "Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas, concerning whom you received instructions." The relative pronoun "whom" refers to Barnabas, as the subjoined things testify. "If he comes to you, welcome him." For Mark was the one sharing the greeting. But what these instructions were is not written.

[Col 4:11] "And Jesus who is called Justus, who are of the circumcision." For these three were from the Jews made Christians. "These are my only helpers." In place of these three words ("are my helpers") it should be read "coworkers in the kingdom of God." Among those who were of the circumcision, only these three were Paul’s coworkers in the kingdom of God which is within us. "Who have been a comfort to me." This is to be understood of Paul’s domestics. For Peter, who was of the circumcision, was a great coworker in the kingdom of God in Rome, but he was not Paul’s domestic. Nor was Peter the only one, but many others of the circumcision were faithful, as is clear in the Epistle to the Romans, which was written before this one.

[Col 4:12] "Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, greets you." For this is the one he had remembered earlier. "Always solicitous" (meaning "striving") "for you in prayers." Paul was striving for them in teaching; Epaphras, in prayers. "That you may stand" (meaning "may be") "perfect and full in all." Here a full stop is made, meaning in every matter. "The will of God." That is, not by your own merits, but by the grace of the divine will, may you be both consummated with regard to yourselves, and full with regard to others in every spiritual matter.

[Col 4:13] "For I bear him witness that he has much labor" (meaning "zeal") "for you and for those who are at Laodicea and those at Hierapolis." These cities appear to be adjacent.

[Col 4:14] "Luke the most beloved" (meaning "dear") "physician greets you." He speaks of Luke the Evangelist. And comparing this with the aforesaid sentence that only those of the circumcision were with Paul, it appears that Luke was not of the circumcision. "And Demas." Concerning whom he writes after these things at the end of Second Timothy: "Demas has forsaken me, loving this present world" (2 Tim 4:10).

[Col 4:15] "Greet the brothers who are at Laodicea, and Nympha, and the one that is in her house" (meaning "and her domestic church"). To distinguish it from the common church consisting of multiple families.

[Col 4:16] "And when this epistle has been read among you." The word "this" is superfluous. "Cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans." He commands that this common teaching belong to the Laodiceans. "And that which is of the Laodiceans, let it be read to you" (meaning "and that you also read the one from Laodicea"). That is, cause that you also read that epistle of ours from Laodicea that is to be communicated to you. He commands the Colossians: make this epistle common to Laodicea so that it may be read among them, and so that you also may read that epistle of ours from Laodicea that is to be communicated to you. No epistle of Paul to the Laodiceans is found worthy to be communicated to the Colossians instructed by this epistle, just as the one that was truly the first to the Corinthians is not found (cf. 1 Cor 5:9). From these things it is clearly evident that Colossae is a city near Laodicea in Asia Minor.

[Col 4:17] "And say to Archippus." He is called the bishop of the Colossians here, whom Paul judges should be admonished by his subjects: both to teach that it is not unbecoming for subjects to admonish prelates by suggesting things, and to provide Archippus an opportunity to correct his subjects through the fact that the subjects themselves stir him up to exercise the office of a prelate. "See to the ministry that you received in the Lord, that you fulfill it." Consider the modesty of the words. No scolding intervenes, but an encouragement that he himself see to fulfill the office that he received, not usurped, not in worldly authority but in the Lord, so that he may be moved by the intuition of the Lord to fulfill his office.

[Col 4:18] "My greeting by the hand of Paul." From this it is apparent that he wrote the epistle by the hand of another, and wrote only this greeting with his own hand. "Remember my chains." As an example of patience, for imitating constancy in the Gospel of Christ, for your consolation in afflictions. "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ." These four words, "of our Lord Jesus Christ," are superfluous. "And there follows: With you, amen." He only says "Grace be with you, amen," so that by saying "grace" absolutely, it might not be restricted by any limitation.

And among the Greeks this subscription is found: "Written to the Colossians from Rome, sent through Tychicus and Onesimus." Although in the argument of this epistle among the Latins it is read as written at Ephesus. For his chains at Rome are established, but not chains at Ephesus.

Source

[page 1r]

D. DIONYSII CARTHVSIANI IN OMNES BEATI PAVLI EPISTOLAS COMMENTARIA.

Cuiquidem in componendis enarrandísque sacrarum literarum libris (si singula spectes) pari ingenio, dexteritatéque vix alter successit.

PARISIIS.

Apud Viduam Francisci Regnault, via Iacobæa, sub insigni Elephantis.

1555.

[page 249v]

IN EPISTOLAM BEATI PAVLI ad Colossenses Proœmium.

(Prov. 18.) Qui corripit hominem, postea gratiam inueniet apud eum, magis quàm ille qui per blandimenta decipit. Quemadmodum inuidus correctionem eius non optat quem odit, sed naturæ eius cupit malum simpliciter: sic verus dilector, eius quem diligit vitia dissimulare non valet, sed corripit, si tamen habeatur correctionis fiducia. (Eccle. 16.) Hinc itaque sanctus Apostolus diuini amoris calore, atque fraternę veritatis lineam reuocare nititur incessanter. Vnde in præsenti epistola Colossensibus destinata, vacillantes confirmat. Denique Colossenses ab vrbe Colossis nomine sic vocati, sicut Asiani, quos ipse Paulus non accessit, neque instruxit, sed eius discipuli Archippus Colossensium episcopus, & Epaphras, ex Colossis oriundus. Prædicante ergo Archippo, & Epaphra (quem Paulus edocuit) superueniente, atque Archippi prædicationem confirmante, aduenerunt pseudoapostoli afferentes legalia simul cum Euangelio obseruanda. (Acto. 15.) Dubitantibus ergo Colossensibus vtri partium potius esset credendum, Apostolus tanquam mediator idoneus, scribit quid oporteat fieri. Scribit autem ab Epheso per Tychicum diaconum, & Onesimum acolytum. Modus [page 250r] procedendi huius epistolæ similis est aliarum epistolarum processui. Nam salutationem præmittit. De profectu & gratia Colossensium grates domino refert, ad perfectiora hortatur, atque pro eis suppliciter deprecatur.

Cap. I. Paulus Apostolus Iesu Christi, per voluntatem Dei.

ARTICVLVS I.

[Col 1:1] Paulus Apostolus Iesu Christi per voluntatem Dei, id est, diuina voluntate constitutus Apostolus, Et Timotheus frater quem propter suam authoritatem connectit sibi Apostolus: Erat enim Ephesiorum episcopus. Hi itaque scribunt

[Col 1:2] His qui sunt Colossis, hoc est, in ciuitate sic dicta, Sanctis & fidelibus fratribus, id est, veraciter Christianis, qui implere conantur illud Saluatoris, Estote perfecti, sicut & pater vester cœlestis perfectus est, In Christo Iesu, id est, in (Matt. 5.) doctrina & fide Christi. Illas enim seruando & operando sancti & fideles fuerunt. Gratia gratum faciens Vobis, & pax, hoc est, tranquillitas mentis præstetur & conseruetur A deo patre nostro, id est, in cœlis patre æterno, Et à Domino Iesu Christo qui secundum diuinam naturam est causa gratiæ effectiua ac principalis. Quæcunque enim facit pater, hæc & filius similiter facit: Secundum humanam verò naturam est causa gratiæ meritoria instrumentalis ac mediata.

[Col 1:3] Gratias agimus Deo, & patri domini nostri Iesu Christi, id est, patri æterno, qui est Deus Christi, vt homo est: pater verò secundum (Ioan. 5) diuinam naturam quam habet à patre, Semper, id est, congruis horis, Pro vobis orantes,

[Col 1:4] audientes fidem vestram fundatam ac fixam In Christo Iesu, & dilectionem, id est, habitum, actum interiorem, & opera charitatiua, Quam habetis extentam, In omnes sanctos, id est, vniuersos veraciter Christianos, quibus pro loco & tempore, secundum vestram possibilitatem benefacitis, spiritualia vel corporalia beneficia impendendo,

[Col 1:5] Propter spem, id est, beatitudinem separatam, Quæ reposita, id est, parata Est vobis in cœlis, quam audistis, id est, quæ vobis prædicata est, In verbo veritatis, id est, in vero sermone Euangelij

[Col 1:6] quod peruenit ad vos, id est, vobis annunciatum est, Sicut & in vniuerso mundo est, id est, cunctis gentibus euangelizatum est, sicut & vobis, sic tamen vt sit distributio, non pro singulis generum, sed pro generibus singulorum. Vnde & Apostolis aiebat Saluator, Euntes in mundum (Marc. 16.) [page 250v] vniuersum, prædicate euangelium omni creaturæ, Psalmista (Psal. 18.) In omnem, inquit, terram exiuit sonus eorum, Et fructificat (Act. 2.) & crescit, id est euangelica doctrina in credentibus est causa fructificationis & spiritualis incrementi, videlicet bonorum operum, & quotidiani profectus in gratia. Crescit quoque per hoc quod pluribus annunciatur à quibus & deuote recipitur, Sicut in vobis fructificauit & creuit, Ex ea die qua audistis & cognouistis gratiam dei, id est, beneficia gratiæ vobis à Christo exhibita, In veritate, hoc est, veraciter. Vel, in veritate, euangelicæ legis,

[Col 1:7] Sicut didicistis ab Epaphra confirmante prædicationem Archippi, Charissimo conseruo nostro, qui est fidelis pro vobis, id est, pro vestra salute procuranda, Minister Iesu Christi, eius doctrinam vobis annunciando, ipsumque pro vobis iugiter exorando,

[Col 1:8] Qui etiam manifestauit, hoc est, clarè retulit Nobis dilectionem vestram existentem In spiritu, quia à spiritu sancto infunditur, conseruatur, & secundum eum operatur. Est quoque in spiritu vestro, id est, in superiori parte animæ vestræ, vt in subiecto.

[Col 1:9] Ideo & nos ex qua die audiuimus tanta bona de vobis, Non cessamus opportuno tempore, Orantes cordiali affectu, Et postulantes prece vocali, Vt impleamini agnitione voluntatis eius, id est, diuinitus copiosè illustremini ad cognoscendum quid velit deus (Sap. 9.) (2. Tim. 3.) vt sciatis & attendatis eius mandata atque consilia. Quid verò sit ita impleri, & quomodo fiat, subiungitur, In omni sapientia sacræ scripturæ. i. quam scriptura diuinitus inspirata proponit ac docet, Et intellectu spirituali, id est, interna, vera, seu mystica intelligentia scripturarum, quatenus literam occidentem (2. Cor. 6.) spiritualiter intelligatis, spiritus quippe viuificat.

[Col 1:10] Vt ambuletis in semitis præceptorum, Digne Deo. i. tam reuerenter, sancte & perfecte, quàm decet tanto principi deseruire, atque vt eum pro præmio mereamini possidere. Maledictus (Ioan. 3.) (Hiere. 48.) enim qui facit opus Dei negligenter. Per omnia, id est, in interioribus & exterioribus, Placentes Domino Deo. Nam (Iacob. 2.) (Eccle. 9.) si quis totam legem impleuerit, offendat autem in vno, factus est omnium reus. Cui & illud quoque consonat Sapientiæ, Qui in vno peccauerit, multa bona perdet, In omni opere bono fructificantes proficiendo in meritis, Et crescentes in scientia dei, id est, in notitia diuinorum. De qua ait (Osee. 6.) (Sap. 13.) per prophetam, Scientiam Dei volui magis quàm holocausta. Itidem & Sapiens, Vani sunt, inquit, omnes homines [page 251r] quibus non subest scientia Dei. Denique hæc est vita æterna, vt cognoscamus Deum verum. Possunt quoque per (Ioan. 17.) prædictam sapientiam, intellectum, atque scientiam intelligi (Esaia. 11.) tria dona spiritus sancti. De quibus apud Esaiam legitur, Requiescet super eum spiritus sapientiæ & intellectus, &c. Sicque sapientia appellatur habitualis notitia supernaturalis, à spiritu sancto infusa, ac saporosa, per quam anima sortitur rectum iudicium de diuinis, habendo connaturalitatem quandam cum eis per gustum ac dilectionem. Intellectus verò est donum spiritus sancti, per quod anima ea quæ fidei sunt penetrat, clarè cognoscit, & firmiter eis inhæret, cernendo, aliquam rationem propter quam assentiendum est articulis seu testimonijs fidei. Porrò, scientia est donum quo anima rectè iudicat de rebus creatis. Hæc autem, prout dona, non inueniuntur nisi in habentibus charitatem & gratiam, sicut (Sapien. 1.) nec cætera dona spiritus sancti. Et iuxta hunc modum litera sic exponetur.

[Col 1:11] In omni. i. perfecta sapientia, quæ est præstantissimum donum spiritus sancti: & intellectu spirituali. i. dono intellectus à spiritu sancto infuso, In omni virtute theo- (Hebr. 13.) logica, intellectuali ac morali, Confirmati. Optimum enim est, gratia stabiliri cor, Secundum potentiam claritatis eius. i. secundum quod Deus idoneus est ad confortandum vos per claritatem gratiæ suæ, In omni patientia in aduersis seruata, Et longanimitate æquanimiter præstolando diuina promissa, Cum gaudio mentis, ex actu virtuoso manante,

[Col 1:12] Gratias agentes deo patri qui dignos vos fecit per merita Christi, gratiam baptismi & cætera opera meritoria, quæ ipse in nobis producit In partem. i. ad habendam participationem Sortis sanctorum. i. hæreditatis electorum, videlicet vitæ æternæ, quæ habetur, In lumine. i. per lumen gloriæ, vel in claritate visionis (Psal. 15.) diuinæ. De qua sorte ait Psal. Dominus pars hæreditatis (Psal. 35.) meę. Qui etiam de lumine isto testatur, In lumine tuo, inquiens, videbimus lumen. Hæc autem hæreditas dicta est sors, quia diuinæ voluntatis electione, non humana prouisione distribuitur, quéadmodum sortes dicuntur temperari atque disponi à Deo.

[Col 1:13] Qui eruit nos per incarnationem, conuersationem ac passionem vnigeniti filij sui, De potestate tenebrarum. i. à dominio dæmonum, à iugo peccati & tenebris ignorantiæ, Et transtulit in regnum. i. in societatem ecclesiæ militantis, seu [page 251v] numerum electorum. Quę ecclesia dicitur regnum Christi, qui in corde fidelium regnat per fidem & gratiam. De quo (Lucæ. 1.) (Esaia. 9.) regno aiebat angelus, Regnabit in domo Iacob in æternum. Et Esaias, Super solium Dauid, & super regnum eius sedebit. Nunc quoque translati sumus in regnum cœlorum in spe, transferendi illuc tandem in re. Transtulit itaque nos Deus pater in regnum, Filij dilectionis suæ, id (Marci. 9.) est, filij sui dilecti: de quo ait, Hic est filius meus dilectus, ipsum audite, Ex hoc elucescit, quòd dilectio in diuinis, non solùm notionaliter seu relatiuè, sed etiam absolutè dicatur. Aliâs filius DEI à spiritu sancto diceretur procedere, De prædicta autem ereptione & translatione generis humani, pater ait per prophetam ad filium. Dedi (Esaia. 43.) te in fœdus populi, in lucem gentium, vt educeres de conclusione vinctum, de domo carceris sedentes in tenebris.

[Col 1:14] In quo CHRISTO, id est, per cuius sanguinis pretium, mortísque meritum, Habemus redemptionem à iure & dominatione (Apoc. 1.) diaboli, & remissionem peccatorum prout testatur sanctus Ioannes in Apocalypsi, Qui dilexit nos & lauit nos à peccatis nostris in sanguine suo.

[Col 1:15] Qui est imago Dei patris Inuisibilis visione corporali ac intellectua- (Mat. 11.) li, id est, omnino incomprehensibilis comprehensione perfecta, sicut & pater. Nemo enim nouit filium nisi pater, nec patrem quis nouit nisi filius. In patria tamen videtur per speciem, sed non perfectè ac plene comprehenditur. Dicitur autem CHRISTVS imago patris perfecta, non imitatiua: naturalis, non artificialis: plena, non (Ioan. 14.) participatiua, id est, per omnia similis patri. Propter quod ipse ait, Quid videt me, videt & patrem. Ad rationem autem imaginis duo requiruntur, videlicet similitudo in specie, vel saltem in signo speciei, Quod maximè est figura, in rebus corporeis & processio. Oportet enim vt imago alicuius sit ab eo cuius est imago, filius autem in diuinis generatur à patre, in nullo distans ab eo. Dupliciter quoque dicitur esse imago alicuius in alio. Primò sicut in re eiusdem naturæ saltem secundum speciem, sicut imago regis est in filio eius. Et ita filius Dei vocatur imago patris. Secundò tanquam in re alterius generis, sicut imago Herculis est in lapide, & imago imperatoris [page 252r] in numo. Sicque vocatur homo imago Dei, qui potius (Matth. 22.) (Eccle. 24.) dicendus est factus ad imaginem dei, quàm eius imago. Primogenitus omnis creaturæ, id est, ante omnia creata æternaliter genitus, quemadmodum per quendam Sapientem testatur, (Ioan. 1.) Ego ex ore altissimi processi primogenita ante omnem creaturam,

[Col 1:16] Quia in ipso, id est, per ipsum, Condita sunt vniuersa, Omnia enim per ipsum facta sunt, ait Euangelista. Vel, in ipso, tanquam in exemplari principio condita, hoc est, creari disposita sunt vniuersa. Filius quippe est ars rationibus plena, omnísque creaturæ exemplar. Propter quod omnia in ipso exemplariter præexistunt, æternalitérque à patre præordinata atque præuisa sunt. Comparantur nanque creaturæ ad ipsum, sicut artificiata ad artificem: iuxta illud Sapientiæ, Omnium est enim artifex, (Sapien. 7.) omnem habens scientiam. Omnia ergo in ipso sunt condita, In cœlis & in terra, videlicet, Visibilia vt corpora cœlestia, elementa passiua & mixta, Et inuisibilia. De quibus adiectum est, Siue throni, id est, angeli de infimo choro primæ & summæ hierarchiæ angelicæ. Qui throni, id est, sedes vocantur, quoniam propter magnam suam propinquitatem ad DEVM, ipse in eis sedere, quiescere, præsidere, & per eos sua iudicia exercere asseritur, Siue dominationes, siue principatus, siue potestates. Hos tres ordines angelorum nominauit Apostolus (Ephes. 1.) ad Ephesios, de quibus ibi satis dictum videtur. Et quia hoc loco præponit Apostolus principatus potestatibus, (Gregorius.) Gregorius & Bernardus opinati sunt principatus ad (Bernard.) secundam, potestates verò ad infimam pertinere hierarchiam. Omnia per ipsum sicut per causam efficientem, Et in ipso tanquam in exemplari principio creata sunt. Iuxta intellectum iam dictum.

[Col 1:17] Et ipse, vnigenitus DEI est ante omnes, id est, persistente æternitatis æuo, atque incomparabili (Apoc. 22.) dignitate. Propter quod in Apocalypsi testatur, Ego sum alpha & ω, primus & nouissimus, principium (Ioan. 1.) & finis, Et omnia in ipso constant, id est, idealiter & causaliter in eo sunt. Iuxta illud, Quod factum est, in ipso vita erat. Vel, in ipso constant, id est, ipsius diuina potestate subsistunt, sustentantur, fulciuntur, iunctáque permanent. Prout Hebræis loquitur Apostolus, Portans omnia [page 252v] verbo virtutis suę.

[Col 1:18] Et ipse Christus Est caput corporis ecclesiæ, (Hebr. 1.) (Ephes. 1.) id est, corporis mystici, quod est ecclesia. Quomodo autem intelligendum sit hoc diffusè tractatum atq; expositum est. Qui est principium omnium rerum, id est, creator vniuersorum. (Ioan. 8.) Vnde cum ei dixissent Iudæi, Tu quis es? Respondit, Principium, qui & loquor vobis, Primogenitus ex mortuis, id est, inter mortuos primus ad immortalem vitam resurgens. Nam qui ante eum suscitati fuerunt, rursus defuncti sunt. Ideo enim ait scriptura. Qui est testis fidelis, primogenitus (Apoc. 1.) mortuorum. Vel, Primogenitus ex mortuis, id est, inter mortuos suscitatos primus dignitate. Vt sit in omnibus angelis & hominibus. Vel, in omnibus, id est, præteritis, præsentibus ac futuris generationibus, Primatum tenens, id est, vniuersorum princeps & caput existens, sicut per quendam Sapientem (Eccle. 24.) asserit. In omni gente, & in omni populo primatum tenui. Habet enim in vestimento, & in fœmore suo scriptum, Rex regum & dominus dominantium. Et hoc meritò,

[Col 1:19] Quia in ipso Christo, prout est homo, Complacuit (Apoc. 19) deo trinitati Omnem plenitudinem, id est, plenam perfectionem scientiæ ac virtutum Inhabitare, id est, stabiliter permanere. (Ioan. 3.) (Ioan. 1.) Non enim ad mensuram dat deus spiritum homini Christo. Et vidimus gloriam eius, gloriam quasi vnigeniti à patre, plenum gratię & veritatis. Vel, omnem plenitudinem diuinitatis, id est, veram atque perfectam diuinitatem, quéadmodum alio loco (Infra. c. 2.) affirmat Apostolus, In ipso, inquiens, inhabitat omnis plenitudo diuinitatis corporaliter. Placuit quoque deo,

[Col 1:20] Et per eum, id est, per Christi veneranda mysteria Reconciliare sibi ipsi Omnia genera hominum In ipsum, id est, ad hoc vt finaliter ad deum conuertantur, sicut ab beatitudinis fontem, ac vltimum finem. Vnde alibi dictum est, (2. Cor. 5.) (Esai. 53.) Deus erat in Christo, mundum reconcilians sibi. Et in Esaia, Disciplina pacis nostræ super eum, & liuore eius sanati sumus. Pacificans Christus, vel trinitas per Christum, videlicet, Per sanguinem crucis eius, id est, pretiosissimo sanguine Christi effuso Siue quæ in cœlis sunt, siue quæ in terris, id est, cœlestia & terrestria, vt puta viatores, & comprehensores de terra saluatos. Vel hoc ideo dicitur, quoniam angelos concordauit (Ephes. 2.) (Esaia. 9.) hominibus. Ipse siquidem est pax nostra, qui fecit vtraque vnum. Propter quod à propheta vocatur pater futuri seculi, [page 253r] & princeps pacis. Et rursus per alium de CHRISTO (Zacha. 9.) prædictum est, Loquetur pacem gentibus.

[Col 1:21] Et vos ô Colossenses, Cum essetis aliquando, scilicet, tempore gentilitatis vestræ Alienati à Deo per idololatriam, Et inimici sensu, id est, intellectu, videlicet male sentiendo de Deo, per varios errores falsitatum fluctuando. Vel sensu, id est, sensualiter (id est, iuxta sensuum dictum) conuersando, In operibus malis, id est, vitijs carnis,

[Col 1:22] Nunc autem tempore gratiæ, Christus reconciliauit vos deo. In corpore carnis eius, id est, per ea quæ pertulit in corpore suo, quod erat caro mortalis. Ideo subditur, Per mortem, id est, per eius beatissimam passionem, qua viuificatus est mundus Exhibere, id est, ad hoc vt ipse exhibeat, quantum in se est. Vel certe vt ipsi exhibeatis, Vos sanctos in anima, Et immaculatos à vitijs cunctis, (Roma. 8.) Et irreprehensibiles coram ipso, id est, purè & reuerenter viuendo (Psal. 118.) in conspectu diuino, Quemadmodum ait Psalmista, Seruaui mandata tua & testimonia tua, quia omnes viæ meæ in conspectu tuo. Tales enim eritis coram deo, CHRISTO vos præsentante patri æterno, vel per propriorum operum ad meritorum vestrorum exhibitionem, quæ requiruntur (Augusti.) ad obtinendam salutem. Qui enim creauit te sine te, (id est, sine tua cooperatione) non iustificabit te sine te.

[Col 1:23] Si tamen permanetis in fide fundati firmiter, integréque credendo, Et stabiles in ea per opera bona, Et immobiles à spe euangelij quod audistis, hoc est, ab expectatione futuræ beatitudinis promissæ in euangelio, Quod prædicatum est in auribus vestris per nos apostolos, aliósque discipulos, In vniuersa (Mar. 16.) creatura quæ sub cœlo est, id est, cunctis hominibus in terra degentibus. De quibus aiebat, Prædicate Euangelium omni creaturæ. Cuius factus sum Deo authore. Ego Paulus minister, id est, prædicator,

[Col 1:24] Qui nunc in Ephesio incarceratus, Gaudeo in passionibus, id est, in tribulationibus, (1. Cor. 4.) quas patior, Pro vobis, id est, pro vestri confirmatione Et adimpleo ea quæ desunt passionum Christi in carne mea. Non est per hoc intelligendum, quòd pœnę quas Christus pro nobis sustinuit incompletæ vel sufficientes fuerint ad mundi saluationem, ita vt Paulus, aut quisquam sanctorum eas compleuerit. Est igitur sensus, Et adimpleo. i. longas & duras persecutiones referendo, perficio eo quæ desunt. i. merita imperfecta, passionum Christi. i. propriarum afflictionum, quas in [page 253v] carne mea sustineo. Quæ propter veritatem Christi, & membrorum eius dicuntur passiones Christi, iuxta quod ipse dicebat, (Acto. 9.) Saule, Saule, quid me persequeris? Iuxta quem modum (Zacha. 2.) ait rursus per prophetam deus, Qui tetigerit vos, tanget pupillam oculi mei. Hæc ergo sustineo siue adimpleo, Pro corpore eius, id est, pro mystico corpore Christi, Quod est ecclesia, videlicet vt fideles erudiam atque ædificem, eósque merito & numero augeam. Considerandum est enim quòd meritum passionis dominicæ, & aliorum sanctorum, imò & cætera opera supererogationis ipsorum sunt velut res publica, ac thesaurus ecclesiæ, de quo tam largæ indulgentiæ fiunt his qui per charitatem coniuncti & incorporati sunt Christo ac sanctis. Hic autem thesaurus vsque in finem mundi perficitur, ponentibus singulis quibusque sanctorum partes suas in eo. Sicque apostolus adimpleuit ea quæ deerant passionum suarum, quoniam addidit quotidie aliquid huic thesauro. Vel sic (quod redit tamen in idem.) Adimpleo ea quę desunt passionum Christi, id est, passionum, quas Christi (Acto. 9.) amoré, exemplo, iussione, seu ordinatione sustineo. De quibus (Ephes. 4.) in actis dicebat Saluator, Ego ostendam illi quanta oporteat eum pro nomine meo pati,

[Col 1:25] Cuius Christi vel ecclesiæ Factus sum ego minister prædicando, & sacramenta erogando, Secundum dispensationem dei, id est, diuinam ordinationem seu apostolatum mihi diuinitus dispensatum. Quæ dispensatio Data est mihi in vobis, id est, ad hoc vt vobis euangelicam veritatem annunciem, Vt impleam. i. prædicando ad effectum perducam, Verbum dei. i. diuinam promissionem, qua (Esa. 66.) deus patriarchis, vatibúsque promisit euangelium dei esse gentibus annunciandum, & eas fore saluandas per fidem & gratiam dei. Quemadmodum per Esaiam loquitur, Mittam ex eis qui saluati fuerint ad Gentes in mare, in Aphricam & Lydiam, tenentes sagittam, in Italiam & Græciam ad insulas longè, & annunciabunt gloriam meam Gentibus. Et quia dispositio, promissio, seu verbum illud multum mirabile fuit, atq; occultum, ideo subditur,

[Col 1:26] Mysterium, hoc est, sacrum secretum, videlicet verbum prætactum, Quod absconditum fuit. i. (Ephe. 3.) hominibus ignotum, A seculis. i. à principio seculorum, Et à generationibus præcedentibus: non enim nisi paucis innotuit, & hoc incomplete. De pleniori autem intellectu huius scripturæ multa sunt ad Ephesios dicta: vbi quoque legitur, Mysterium [page 254r] (Ephes. 6.) Christi, quod alijs generationibus non est agnitum filijs hominum, sed nunc reuelatum est sanctis Apostolis, &c. Vnde iam subditur, Nunc autem videlicet tempore gratiæ, Manifestatum est mysterium istud per Christi prædicationem, & spiritus sancti illustrationem, Sanctis eius, id est Apostolis, & cæteris primitiuæ ecclesiæ filijs, per quorum prædicationem manifestatum est cæteris populis,

[Col 1:27] Quibus voluit deus notas facere diuitias gloriæ, id est, abundantem gloriam, Sacramenti huius, id est, prædicti mysterij prædicati In Gentibus, id est, inter gentes. In quo mysterio plurima spiritualia contenta sunt dona, quæ appellantur diuitiæ glorię, vt puta fides, indulgentia, reconciliatio, iustitia, dona spiritus sancti beatitudo (1. Cor. 10.) futura, Quod sacramentum, Est Christus materialiter, id est, Christus materia seu obiectum est sacramenti istius, quia de ipso tractat & loquitur, qui est, In vobis spes gloriæ, id est, causa & ratio sperandi glorificationem beatam,

[Col 1:28] Quem nos annunciamus, id est, Gentibus prædicamus. Corripientes omnem hominem præsentem & futurum, ad quem scripta nostra peruenerint, id est, quosdam de omni genere hominum. Vel, omnem hominem, veritati fidei repugnantem, Et docentes omnem hominem, id est, quosdam de omnibus In omni sapientia scripturarum sanctarum, ad salutem necessaria, Vt exhibeamus omnem hominem perfectum in Christo Iesu. i. in fide charitate, & obsequio Christi, secundum exigentiam status pręsentis. In quo nullus est præfectus simpliciter, vel ita vt vltra proficere aut perfici nequeat, sed sic, vt sine mortali viuat peccato, & passiones habeat reformatas, atq; í virtutibus stabiliatur,

[Col 1:29] In quo Christo, id est, cuius amore. Vel, in quo negotio consummando, Videlicet vt exhibeam omnom hominem in CHRISTO perfectum Et laboro die ac nocte Certando contra inuisibiles ac visibiles hostes, Secundum operationem, id est, conformationem & influentiam, Eius, videlicet CHRISTI, Quam operatur in me dando mihi auxilium gratiæ suæ ad efficaciter operandum. Vel, secundum operationem eius in me, hoc est, secundum operationem (Esaia. 26.) à me procedentem, quæ potius adscribenda est CHRISTO, quàm mihi. Iuxta illud propheticum, Omnia opera nostra operatus es in nobis, quam operatur Christus in me In virtute, id est, potenter seu propria sua diuináque potestate.

[page 254v]

Cap. II. Volo enim vos scire, qualem sollicitudinem habeam pro vobis.

ARTICVLVS II.

[Col 2:1] COeptam in præcedenti capitulo exhortationé de vitandis cæremonialibus legis prosequitur Apostolus in isto capitulo, admonens Colossenses, vt falsos ac simulatos vitent doctores. Et vt sibi acquiescant facilius, manifestat quantum de eorum salute sollicitetur: Volo vos scire vt amanti credatis, Qualem sollicitudinem habeam pro vobis, & pro his qui sunt Laodiceæ (quæ est ciuitas Asiæ) id est, pro vestra, Laodicensíúmque salute: ne ab impostoribus fallamini, à quibus præuenti iam estis Et quicunque non viderunt faciem meam in carne, id est, pro cæteris vniuersis fidelibus, quibus ipse in propria persona non prædicaui, neque apparui,

[Col 2:2] Vt consolentur corda ipsorum, id est, ob hoc sollicitus sum quatenus corda ipsorum consolationem recipiant, ex allocutione mea per epistolas quæ consolata non sunt ex (Ioan. 15.) præsentia & immediata prædicatione mea. Et sitis Instructi .i. prudenter exercitati, In charitate hoc est, in actibus dilectionis dei & proximi. Vel, instructi in charitate. i. de charitate Christi ad nos, vt sciatis & consideretis, quantum Christus dilexerit nos, qui ait, Maiorem hac dilectionem nemo habet, vt animam suam ponat quis pro amicis suis. Sitis quoque instructi, seu per charitatis instructionem tendentes, Et in omnes diuitias plenitudinis intellectus, i. perfectissimos habitus intellectuales, vt impleamini donis sapientiæ & intellectus, consilij atque scientiæ, In agnitionem mysterij .i. ad hoc vt actualiter consideretis mysterium, id est, sacrum secretum (Esaia. 11.) Dei patris & domini nostri Iesu Christi per quod intelligi potest vnitas patris & filij in essentia, & distinctio in persona. Vel ipsa incarnatio, quæ est mysterium patris, tanquam authoris, & Christi, tanquam assumptoris vel executoris,

[Col 2:3] In quo Christo Sunt omnes thesauri .i. copiosissima plenitudo (Psal. 144.) (Rom. 11.) Sapientiæ diuinorum Et scientiæ creaturarum, Absconditi. i. incomprehensibiliter existentes. Christus nanque secundum diuinitatem est ipsa æterna atq; immensa sapientia, cuius non est numerus: estque increata scientia cui conuenit illud, O altitudo diuitiarum sapientiæ & scientiæ dei. Secundum humanitatem quoque assumptam, repletus est sapientia in contemplatione diuinorum, & scientia in speculatione creaturarum [page 255r] præsertim cum anima Christi prę vniuersis beatis, diuinitatem (Esa. 11.) ac trinitatem ab exordio suæ creationis clarius vidit & omnia illa cognoscit, quæ cognoscit & verbum scientia visionis, i. cuncta quæ vnquam fuerunt, sunt, aut erunt.

[Col 2:4] Hoc autem dico vt nemo vos decipiat. i. fidei vestræ simplicitatem inficiat, In simplicitate sermonis, id est, per verba profunda secundum apparentiam & fucata, seu subtilia argumenta.

[Col 2:5] (1. Cor. 2.) Denique ista admoneo, Nam & si corpore absens sum. i. à vobis distans loco, ac corporali separatione, Sed spiritu. i. mentis consideratione, Vobiscum sum, tum quia de vobis sæpius cogito: tum quia in spiritu prophetico quasi præsens inspicio (4. Re. 5.) quid agatis. Quéadmodum Helisæus pręsens fuit quando Giezi accepit munera Naaman, Gaudens in domino de vestro (1. Cor. 14.) profectu. Et videns. i. cognoscens, Ordinem vestrum .i. vitæ vestræ ordinationem, quomodo omnia honestè & secundum ordinem fiunt in vobis, Et firmamentum eius quæ in Christo est fidei vestræ. i. stabilitatem seu robur fidei vestræ quam in Christo habetis.

[Col 2:6] Deinde hortatur eos ad perseuerantiam ac profectum in bonis. Sicut ergo accepistis Christum Iesum dominum nostrum. i sicut credendo cœpistis conuersari in Christo, In ipso ambulate. i. sic exinde in eo procedite, proficiendo semper in melius per imitationem vestigiorum saluatoris. Sola nanque perseuerantia coronatur,

[Col 2:7] Radicati. i. firmiter (Rom. 11.) fixi, per modum radicis terræ inhærentis, Et superædificati in ipso. i. in doctrina & gratia Christi, ita vt sitis domus seu habitaculum dei, cuius fundamentum sit Christus seu doctrina & gratia eius. Vnde Ephesijs dictum est, Superædificati (Mat. 10.) (Esa. 11.) (Ephe. 2.) super fundamentum apostolorum & prophetarum. Et confirmati in fide vt nec philosophicis rationibus, nec sensuum apparentijs, nec persecutionibus recedatis à fidei synceritate, Sicut & didicistis ab Archippo ambulandum esse, & standum in fide: qua nutante, tota virtutum structura vacillat, Abundantes in illo gratiarum actione. i. deo copiosè grates referendo. Aduertendum autem, quòd triplici via conabantur peruerſi, hos Colossenses subuertere, scilicet per philosophiam, per legis allegationem, per simulatam sanctitatem.

[Col 2:8] Hos processus apostolus reprobat, Videte ne quis vos decipiat per philosophiam .i. scientiam naturalem, studio philosophorum inuentam. Et inanem fallaciam. i. per argumenta sophistica, quæ videntur aliquid probare, sed non probant veraciter. [page 255v] (Marc. 7.) Philosophiam inquam procedentem ac iudicantem, Secundum traditionem hominum .i. humanæ rationis discursum, Secundum elementa huius mundi. i. iuxta ea quæ naturaliter apparent in rebus, videlicet secundum causas naturales & elementales, & solitum cursum rerum, Et non secundum Christum. i. deceptores isti atque philosophi non secundum Christi doctrinam procedunt, considerando diuinæ virtutis illimitatam potentiam, non determinatam ad naturalem ac solitum cursum seu ordinem rerum, sed supernaturalia & nobis incomprehensibilia operari valentem. In quo declaratur philosophorum fatuitas asserentium deum non posse aliquid agere præter naturalem ordinem rerum, & vltra humanæ rationis capacitatem. Propter quod negabant quicquid rationem excedit, videlicet deum incarnatum, virginem (Ioan. 1.) peperisse, & cætera.

[Col 2:9] Cur autem his qui non procedunt secundum Christum debeat contradici, subiungitur, Quia in ipso. i. in Christi humana natura quasi in templo Habitat omnis plenitudo diuinitatis. i. perfecta veráque diuinitas cum omni sua perfectione. Personaliter enim in Christo vnitæ sunt natura diuina, & humana. Habitat autem in ea, Corporaliter. i. corpori eius verè ac immediatè coniuncta est, sicut & animæ eius, non quod ipsa sit corpus. Porrò, diuinitas dicitur sic vnita quoniam persona verbi, quę est diuinitas, humanitati coniuncta est.

[Col 2:10] Deinceps ostendit Apostolus vanam (1. Tim. 2.) esse rationem eorum, qui per legis allegationem nitebantur Colossenses subuertere inducendo eos ad cæremonialia legis, (Ioan. 1.) (2. Cor. 8.) Et estis in illo, id est, à Christo, prout deus est, & per ipsum prout est homo, dei ac hominum mediator, Repleti gratia & donis spiritus sancti ita vt nequaquam indigeatis legalium obseruantia. Propterea scriptum est, De plenitudine eius accepimus omnes, gratiam pro gratia. Ipse quoque propter (Dionysius.) nos egenus factus est, vt eius inopia diuites essemus, Qui Christus, etiam secundum naturam assumptam, Est caput. i. capitularis influxor Omnis principatus & potestatis, id est, angelorum sanctorum, qui omnes à Christo homine purgantur, illuminantur ac perficiuntur secundum theologum

[Col 2:11] In (Gene. 17.) quo. i. cuius virtute operatione & gratia, Circuncisi estis circuncisione non manufacta. i. non carnali, legali ac literali, In expoliatione corporis carnis. i. amittendo particulam corporis quod est caro, videlicet pellem præputij quę in illa circuncisione aufertur, [page 256r] Sed in circuncisione Iesu Christi, hoc est, spirituali atque à Christo facta circuncisione circuncisi estis per expurgationem (Hiere. 4.) superfluitatis vitiorum ac passionum vestrarum. De qua circuncisione scriptum est, Circuncidamini, & auferte (Deut. 10.) præputia cordium vestrorum. Et iterum alibi, Circuncidite præputium cordis vestri, & ceruicem vestram ne induretis amplius,

[Col 2:12] Consepulti ei videlicet Christo In baptismo, id est, in susceptione baptismatis omnino vitijs mortificati, sicut & Christi corpus in sepulchro mortuum erat naturali vita. Vel hoc ideo dicitur, quoniam baptizati ter tinguntur in aqua, quemadmodum Christus triduo erat in monumento. Et sicut Christus de sepulchro ad immortalem vitam surrexit, sic baptizati de sepulchro à vitiorum corruptione ac vetustate liberati ascendunt. Ideo subditur, In quo Christo (Acto. 15.) Et resurrexistis à ruina peccati, Per fidem operationis Dei, id est, per fidem quam deus operatur seu creat in vobis. Sine fide enim nemo spiritualiter surgit, Qui deus pater vel trinitas Suscitauit illum à mortuis tertia die.

[Col 2:13] Et vos cum mortui essetis spiritualiter, carentes vita gratiæ In delictis, id est, propter peccata vestra, quibus naturalem legem reliquistis Et præputio carnis vestræ, id est, propter carnalia vitia, vel propter originale peccatum quod per præputium traducitur, Conuiuificauit cum illo, id est, ad vitam gratiæ suscitauit, quemadmodum Christum ad vitam naturalem humanam reduxit, suscitando eum à mortuis. Vel conuiuificauit cum illo, id est, immortalitatem vobis iam dedit in spe, quam Christo dedit in re. Capitis nanque processio, spes est membrorum. Donans id est, gratis & sine merito vestro dimittens, Vobis omnia delicta vestra merito Christi. Dummodo tamen meritum illud (Gene. 3.) vobis applicetur per fidem, vel sacramenta ecclesiæ,

[Col 2:14] Delens ipse Christus merito passionis suæ, Quod aduersum nos erat chirographum decreti, id est, memoriale seu literam humanæ transgressionis, qua homo protoplastus præuaricatus est in paradiso decretum, id est, Dei præceptum. Huius enim transgressionis memor fuit deus ad puniendum, dæmon ad accusandum. Habuítque diabolus quasi literam testimonialem (1. Cor. 3.) reatus, quem homo incurrit transgrediendo diuinum præceptum, imò & tota posteritas primi parentis. CHRISTVS verò satisfaciendo pro peccatis nostris actualibus ac originalibus, eripuit totum genus humanum [page 256v] ab isto reatu, seu debito pœnæ pro peccato infligendę. Et ita deleuit prædictum chirographum quod contra nos erat quoniam erat testimonium faciens nos damnationi obnoxios. Cum verò peccatum dimittitur, dicimus Deum obliuisci illius. Dæmon quoque non potest de illo peccato accusationem efficacem ostendere, Quod chirographum Erat contrarium nobis sicut iam dictum est. Et ipsum tulit de medio, id est, ab vniuersis hominibus abstulit illud chirographum, Affigens illud cruci. i. in sua passione illud occidens, seu destruens, quantum in se erat. Eripuit enim nos de pœna pro peccato originali post hanc vitam infligenda, dummodo ei, vt (Ioan. 12.) capiti, vniamur per fidem & charitatem quatenus virtus suæ (Ibidem.) passionis redundet in nos, tanquam in membra ipsius.

[Col 2:15] Expoliantes (Matth. 12.) principatus & potestates, id est, dæmones superiores (Luc. 11.) ac inferiores priuans præda quam ceperant, puta animabus (Esa. 8.) seu hominibus quos suo dominio subdiderant inducendo eos ad culpam. De hac expoliatione ait ipse Saluator, Nunc princeps huius mundi eiicietur. Et item, Ego (inquit) si exaltatus fuero, omnia traham ad meipsum. Christus nanque est qui domum aduersarij nostri ingressus est, fortémque armatum alligauit, ac vasa eius diripuit. Propter quod iubetur per prophetam Christus vocari, Accelera, spolia, detrahe, festina prædare. Traduxit confidenter, id est, prædam hanc dæmoni ablatam Christus securissimè transtulit in regnum suum (Osee 13.) præsidens eis quibus præsidebat diabolus. (Roma. 14.) Nunc enim ponit eos in regno ecclesiæ militantis, postea autem ponet eos (sicut iam plurimos posuit) in regno ecclesiæ triumphantis, Palàm triumphans, id est, euidenter vincens Illos, id est, diabolos, In semetipso, id est, in proprij corporis (Heb. 10.) crucifixione. Vel, in semetipso, id est, in propria persona ad inferos descendendo, & sanctos educendo, implens illud propheticum, De manu mortis liberabo eos, de morte redimam eos. Ero mors tua ô mors, morsus tuus ero inferne.

[Col 2:16] Ex his concludit apostolus principale intentum, videlicet quòd non teneantur, fideles ad obseruationem legalium post Christi passionem. Nemo ergo id est, cum prędicta se ita habeant, nemo Vos iudicet, id est, damnabiles asserat, In cibo & potu id est, in vsu victus, scilicet ob id quod non discernatis inter cibos more Iudaico, Aut in parte diei festi ex parte omissionis Iudaicarum celebritatum, videlicet aut Neomeniæ. i. festi occurrentis [page 257r] in nouilunio, Aut sabbatorum. i. vltimorum dierum hebdomadæ.

[Col 2:17] Quæ omnia Sunt vmbra futurorum. i. obscura signa eorum quæ in nouo testaméto geruntur. Prout alibi dicit apostolus, (Ioan. 19.) Vmbram habens lex futurorum bonorum, non ipsam imaginem rerum, Corpus autem Christi. i. veritas per illa significata per Christum impletur ad eúmque pertinet. Ideo Christi (Mat. 27.) mysterijs consummatis, quando in cruce dicebat, Consummatum (1. Tim. 1.) est, quando & velum templi scissum est, legalia cessauerunt, sicut figura cessat, adueniente re figurata.

[Col 2:18] Præterea agit Apostolus contra eos, qui per simulatam sanctitatem nitebantur subuertere Colossenses. Nemo vos seducat, volens, id est, suadere contendens, In humilitate & religione angelorum. i. per fictam humiliationem, & apparentem religionem, quibus angelis similis videtur, tanquam verus nuncius dei, sicut & angelus, Quæ non vidit, id est, obseruationes legalium quæ non intellexit secundum spiritualem & mysticam rationem, videlicet prout sunt signa futuri. Hoc est cupiens probare hac circumuentione legalia esse seruanda qui est Ambulans frustra. i. infructuosè laborans, Inflatus sensu carnis suæ. i. tumidus & superbus intellectu carnali, carnaliter intelligente legalia & sensualitatem ac imaginationem potius quàm spiritualem rationem sequente, sapiens in oculis proprijs,

[Col 2:19] Et non tenens caput, hoc est, Christo non inhærens. (Esa. 25.) Ex quo totum corpus, id est, vniuersa ecclesia, Per nexus fidei Et coniunctiones sanctæ dilectionis Subministratum. i. ex- (Rom. 12.) hibitum, vel sibiinuicem seruiens Et constructum. i. in vnum redactum, hoc est, spiritualiter copulatum per fidem, spem, & charitatem, & opera atque obsequia pia, quibus vniuntur, & vnum mysticum corpus efficiuntur fideles. Quod corpus (hoc modo compactum) Crescit in augmentum Dei. i. multitudinem spiritualem, videlicet incrementum virtutum per gratiam & efficientiam dei.

[Col 2:20] Si ergo mortui estis cum Christo (Gal. 3.) id est, à vitijs mortificati ac purificati, sicut & Christus semper à vitijs immunissimus fuit: Mortui inquam, ab elementis huius mundi. i. ab inordinato affectu & cultu sensibilium ac secularium rerum. Vel mortui cum Christo. i. si Christo adhærentes separati estis ab elementis huius mundi. i. à lege eiúsque cæremonialibus præceptis, in quibus est institutio puerorum mundana quærentium. In lege nanque quasi in elementis alphabeti, est literalis ac puerilis institutio. Quid adhuc. [page 257v] (Matth. 15.) i. vsque in præsens, videlicet euangelica veritate iam patefacta, (Exod. 34.) Tanquam viuentes in mundo. i. quasi secularem vitam ducentes, non deo viuentes, Decernitis. i. determinatis legalia esse seruanda? dicentes adinuicem,

[Col 2:21] Neque tetigeritis, neque gustaueritis, neque contrectaueritis ea quæ lex prohibet tangi, gustari aut contrectari,

[Col 2:22] Quæ sunt omnia in interitu. i. ista discernere, seu legalia obseruare, mortem spiritualem inducunt, Ipso vsu. i. per hoc quòd Iudaico ritu seruantur, Secundum præcepta & doctrinas hominum. i. prout à pharisæis & scribis iubentur & persuadentur seruari post Christi passionem. Quáuis enim præcepta cæremonialia fuerint diuinitus data, & suo tempore obseruanda, tamen vt obseruentur tempore (Matth. 11.) nouæ legis, non est secundum præceptum, doctrinámq; dei, sed hominum Iudæorum.

[Col 2:23] Quæ præcepta, tempore gratiæ Sunt rationem quidem habentia sapientiæ. i. speciem sapientiæ habent non essentiam. Habéntque apparentiam seu speciem hanc, In superstitione, id est, quia videntur ad superexcedentem religionem pertinere. Et humilitate simulata, quoniam eorum obseruatores humilitatem confingunt, & deo obedire se simulant. Et quia sunt, Non ad parcendum corpori, quoniam obseruatio legalium laboriosissima est. Sícque videtur pertinere ad rigorem iustitiæ, non ad carnalitatem. Ideo etiam quia sunt Non in honore aliquo hoc est, humanum honorem non quærunt obseruatores eorum, permittentes carnem præputij sui circuncidi, & quia non sunt, Ad saturitatem carnis, id est, etiam ideo speciem sapiétię habent legalia hęc, quoniam multa delectabilia subtrahunt corpori, vt carnes (Epist.) (Esa. 67.) porcinas. Vnde videntur ad sobrietatem & abstinentiam pertinere. Propter quod obseruatores eorum, iudicant non obseruantes esse gulosos.

Cap. III. Igitur si consurrexistis cum Christo, quæ sursum sunt quærite.

ARTICVLVS III.

[Col 3:1] EXpleta informatione Apostoli de vitandis legalibus & naturalibus versutijs, iam inducitur moralis instructio. Igitur, id est, quia legalia cessauerunt & vos cum Christo mortui estis, Si consurrexistis à lapsu peccati, Cum Christo, id est, sicut Christus surrexit à tumulo. Peccator enim iacet prostratus in vitijs, iustus verò stat in virtutibus erectus. Cum autem peccator pœnitentiam agit & confitetur, resurgit per gratiam à proprijs malis, Quæ sursum sunt quærite, id [page 258r] est, cœlestia præmia desiderate, & summum bonum semper (1. Cor. 2.) intendite. Illa vtique quæ oculus non vidit nec auris audiuit, (Mar. 16.) nec in cor hominis ascenderunt, Vbi, id est, in quo loco superiori Christus est in dextera dei, id est, ad dexteram patris, Sedens tanquam omnium iudex ac dominus: iuxta illud, Dominus Iesus assumptus est in cœlum, & sedet à dextris dei. Denique Christus secundum suam diuinitatem sedet, id est, consistit ad dexteram patris, id est, in æqualitate maiestatis paternæ. Secundum humanitatem verò assumptam (Hebr. 2.) sedet, hoc est, corporaliter manet ad dexteram dei, id est, in (Esa. 26.) bonis potioribus patris. Omnia enim creata Christo homini (Psalm. 30.) sunt subiecta.

[Col 3:2] Quæ sursum sunt sapite, id est, spiritualia (Cantic. 1.) mentis affectu gustate, & corde syncero perpendite, Non quæ super terram, id est, non carnalia & terrena, vt dicere valeatis cum Esaia, Nomen tuum & memoriale tuum domine in desiderio animæ meæ. Anima mea desiderauit te in nocte, sed & spiritus meus in præcordijs meis. Et cum Psalmista, Quàm magna multitudo dulcedinis tuæ domine. Itémque cum sponsa, Indica mihi quem diligit anima mea, vbi pascas, vbi cubas in meridie.

[Col 3:3] Mortui enim estis rebus mundanis ac vanis, id est, in talibus occupari non debetis. Vel mortui (Matth. 11.) estis. i. in baptismo configurati morti Christi, Et vita vestra (Ioan. 17.) quàm habituri estis in patria abscondita est. i. reposita & latenter (Eccle. 9.) consistens, Cum Christo in deo. i. in deo patre in cuius corde (Finis.) & sinu Christus incomprehensibiliter conquiescit. Quoniam nemo nouit filium, nisi pater. Hæc autem vita æterna, est nostra fœlicitas in deo obiectaliter sita, de qua dicit Saluator ad patrem, Hæc est vita æterna, vt cognoscant te solum verum deum, & c. Vel sic, Vita vestra, id est, vita gratię & gloriæ, abscondita, id est, ignota est omnibus viatoribus (Epist.) in deo, qui eam cognoscit atque causaliter continet. Nemo enim nouit an dignus sit amore vel odio.

[Col 3:4] Cum autem Christus apparuerit. i. euidéter inotuerit esse Vita vestra obiectiue, hoc est, viuificator & beatificator vester, quod maximè erit in die iudicij, quando in conspectu vniuersorum Christus electorum suorum vita monstrabitur, Tunc & vos apparebitis cum ipso in gloria. i. aía & corpore gloriosi eritis, atq; cum Christo alta cœlorum penetrabitis, ibi cum eo in cœlesti gloria sine fine mansuri. Præterea docet apostolus, quomodo ad hanc beatitudinem valeamus pertingere.

[Col 3:5] Mortificate. i. destruite, Ergo. [page 258v] videlicet vt vitam hanc sempiternam mereamini adipisci, Membra (Ephes. 5.) vestra quæ sunt super terram, id est, vitia corporis quę per membra explentur. Vnde quasi exponens quid dixerit membra (Rom. 7.) adiecit, Fornicationem. i. concubitum soluti cum soluta, Immunditiam, id est, peccata contra naturam, Libidinem, id est, ardorem quemlibet in his quæ ad turpitudinem pertinent, Concupiscentiam malam, id est, interiorem inclinationem ad vitia carnis, Et auaritiam, quæ est idolorum seruitus. i. idololatriæ comparatur. Nam sicut idololatra potius seruit idolo, quàm vero Deo, ita auarus magis colit, curat, & cogitat suam pecuniam quàm creatorem.

[Col 3:6] Propter quæ vitia Venit ira Dei. i. diuinæ iustitiæ vltio, Super filios incredulitatis, id est, in homines infideles ac reprobos.

[Col 3:7] In quibus peccatis Et vos Colossenses, Ambulastis, hoc est, conuersati estis, aliquando eundo de malo in peius, Cum viueretis in illis quando videlicet nondum conuersi fuistis ad Christum.

[Col 3:8] Nunc autem deponite & vos (Sap. 1.) omnia quę sequuntur, videlicet Iram quę inordinatus appetitus est vindictæ propter paruipensionem, Indignationem quæ ex superbia & ira procedit, Malitiam. i. machinationem mali in alium, corde conceptam, Blasphemiam contra deum & sanctos, Turpem, id est, impudicum Sermonem deponite, De ore vestro.

[Col 3:9] Nolite mentiri inuicem. Os enim quod mentitur, occidit animam, vt dicitur in libro Sapientiæ: Expoliantes vos, hoc est, exuentes, Veterem hominem, id est, pristinum statum, vel vosmetipsos quo ad id quod fuistis per culpam Cum actibus suis vitiosis

[Col 3:10] Et induentes nouum, id est, per opera bona, ac sacramenta, & gratiam, induite hominem spiritualiter reformatum, id est, vosipsos innouate interius. Qui nouus homo Renouatur & crescit quotidie, In agnitione dei, id est, contemplando diuina. Renouatur autem hoc modo, Secundum imaginem eius, id est, quantum ad partem intellectiuam, (Rom. 2.) in qua est imago eius Qui fecit eum, id est, summi creatoris cuius imago resplendet in superiori parte animæ rationalis, quæ pars potestatiua renouatur quotidie recipiendo à Deo gratiæ incrementa, ornamenta virtutum, & sapientiæ claritatem.

[Col 3:11] Vbi, id est in quo homine interiori ac nouo videlicet in parte animæ intellectiua, Non est masculus neque fœmina, id est, discretio sexus, quæ attenditur secundum corpus non animam, nec est ibi Gentilis & Iudæus hoc est, discretio generis, quoniam omnes quantum ad animam immediatè [page 259r] à deo creantur, Circuncisio & præputium, id est, (1. Cor. 15.) differentia obseruationis seu ritus. Barbarus & Scytha, id (Epist.) est, differentia linguarum. Seruus & liber, id est, distinctio conditionis. Est itaque sensus quòd propter ista, non est vnus dignior vel indignior coram Deo. Nam quantum ad hominem interiorem nulla diuersitas exterior sexuum, nationum, (Galat. 6.) obseruationum, linguarum, aut conditionum pręiudicat (Rom. 15.) alteri, Sed omnia & in omnibus Christus. i. Christus est omnia causaliter omnibus generibus atq; operibus hominum dans existentiam ac permanentiam. Ipse quoque in omnibus est per gratiam vel prouidentiam.

[Col 3:12] Induite ergo vos, sicut electi dei. i. à deo prædestinati, vt speramus vel deo reuelante (Matth. 18.) cognoscimus, Sancti. à vitijs emundati per sacraméta ecclesiæ Et dilecti à deo recipiendo beneficia eius, Viscera misericordiæ. i. inter nos pietatis affectus, Benignitatem hoc est, animi præparationem ad beneficiendum proximis vel ipsum misericordiæ opus, Humilitatem, modestiam. i. moderamé (Ioan. 13.) in verbis ac factis, Patientiam,

[Col 3:13] supportantes inuicem sicut Galatis dictum est, Alter alterius onera portate. Et ité Romanis, (Matth. 6.) Debemus nos firmiores imbecillitates infirmorum sustinere. Donantes vobismetipsis, .i. mutuo ignoscétes, Si quis aduersus (Eccle. 28.) aliquem habet querelam. i. si vnus vestrum ab alio est offensus, seu iniuriam passus, Sicut & dominus Christus seu trinitas Donauit. i. indulsit, purè, gratis, & festinanter Vobis: ita & vos vestris debitoribus indulgete. Vnde dicit Saluator, Exemplum dedi vobis, vt quéadmodum ego feci ita & vos faciatis. (Ioan. 13.) Alibi quoque, Si non dimiseritis de cordibus vestris, nec pater vester dimittet vobis peccata vestra. Denique quàm enorme sit ita non agere, constat per ea quæ in Ecclesiastico (1. Timo. 1.) scribuntur, Homo homini seruat iram, & à Deo (1. Cor. 13.) quærit medelam? In hominem sibi similem non habet misericordiam, & de peccatis suis deprecatur altissimum? Quis exorabit pro peccatis illius?

[Col 3:14] Super omnia autem hæc charitatem habete. i. hoc præ cæteris omnibus hortor, & summè necessarium, vtilissimúmque est, vt charitatem dei & proximi habetis. (1. Petri. 4.) Propter quod ait saluator, Mandatum nouum dedi vobis, (1. Cor. 7.) vt diligatis inuicem, Quod, hoc est, quam charitatem habere Est vinculum perfectionis. i. aliarum virtutum conseruatio, (Mat. 25.) consummatio, nexus ac ligamentum. Charitas enim est præstantissima virtus, omnes virtutes mouens, perficiens & [page 259v] (Psalm. 118) meritorias reddens qua subtracta, nulla virtus meritoriè permanet. Propterea beatissimus archiapostolus in prima sua (Ephes. 3.) Canonica, Ante omnia, inquit, mutuam in vobis charitatem continuam habentes, quoniam charitas operit multitudinem peccatorum.

[Col 3:15] (Eccle. 51.) Et pax Christi. i. interna & vera pax, scilicet tranquillitas (Psalm. 103) cordis, seu quies mentis in deo, Exultet. i. redundantem (Esaia. 29.) lętitiá pariat In cordibus vestris. Pace enim quid dulcius, (Epist.) quidue iucundius esse potest? In qua vos vocati estis in vno corpore mystico, hoc est, per pacem positi pace. Et estis inter membra Christi, imò ad hoc vocati estis in vnam ecclesiá, vt sempiterná (Matth. 6.) sortiamini pacem. Vnde dictum est alibi, In pace vocauit (1. Tim. 2.) nos dominus, Et grati estote deo pro vniuersis beneficijs eius, Qui enim gratias agit, donis potioribus meretur impleri. Iuxta illud in euágelio, Omni habéti dabitur. i. grato.

[Col 3:16] Verbum Christi. i. euangelica doctrina ex ore Christi prolata Habitet. i. stabiliter maneat, In vobis, hoc est, in métibus vestris per iugem memoriam & veram obediétiá: iuxta illud in Psalmo, In corde meo abscondi eloquia tua, vt non peccem tibi. In omni sapientia. i. intellectu sapientiali totius scripturæ sacræ, quatenus verba Christi sapiéter intelligatis Docétes & cõmonétes. i. exhortantes Vofmetipsos ad opera perfectiora, In psalmis qui ad boná opationé hortátur, Et hymnis in quibus diuina laus continetur, Et canticis spiritualibus quæ de cœlestibus bonis, futurísque gaudijs agunt, In gratia gratificante, sine qua nihil est meritorium. Vel, in gratia. i. cum gratiarum actione. Vel, in gratia. i. cósideratione gratuitorum beneficiorum dei, Cantantes. i. laude dicentes, In cordibus vestris, hoc est, cordiali affectu & cum mentali attentione Deo, quéadmodum scriptum est, Laudabit vsque ad mortem anima mea dominum: Et in Psal, Cátabo domino in vita mea, psallá deo meo quádiu sum. Hoc dicitur cótra eos qui non corde, sed labijs deum glorificát. De quibus per Esaiá dominus cõtestatur, Appropinquat populus iste ore suo, & labijs glorificat me, cor autem eius lógę est à me.

[Col 3:17] Omne quodcunque facitis in verbo. i. (1. Pet. 3.) prædicando, docédo, hortando, orádo, cantando Aut in opere (Eccle. 4.) exteriori, Omnia in nomine domini nostri Iesu Christi ad gloriam Christi, & cum inuocatióe nominis eius. Facite, gratias (Exod. 20.) agétes deo & patri. i. sanctę trinitati, cui quotidie dicimus, Pater noster qui es in cœlis, Per ipsum. i. ex consideratione beneficiorum, quæ trinitas nobis largita est per mediatorem [page 260r] nostrum Christum. Præterea descendit apostolus (Gene. 3.) ad moralem particularium personarum instructionem.

[Col 3:18] Mulieres subditæ estote viris, id est, maritis vestris, Sicut oportet in domino, id est, sicut deus instituit, dicens mulieri, Sub viri potestate eris, & ipse dominabitur tui, Vel, sicut oportet in domino, id est, in licitis & honestis quæ complacent deo.

[Col 3:19] Viri, diligite vxores vestras non solum maritali & naturali affectu, sed spirituali dilectione, Et nolite amari esse ad illas, sed secundum scientiam cohabitate, illis táquam infirmioribus vasculis impartientes honorem. Vnde in Ecclesiastico habetur, Noli esse sicut leo in domo tua, euertens domesticos tuos, & opprimens tibi subiectos.

[Col 3:20] Filij, obedite parentibus per omnia, quæ sunt apta materia obedientiæ, id est, in cunctis bonis ac licitis, & maius bonum non impedientibus. Hoc enim placitum est domino: Nam deus hoc iussit.

[Col 3:21] Patres, nolite ad indignationem (1. Pet. 2.) prouocare filios vestros, habédo vos indiscrete, & (Roma. 13.) non paterne ad eos, Vt non pusillo animo fiant, id est, ne per pusillanimitatem frangantur, & obedire desistant, non valentes ferre duritiam vestram. Omnia hæc ad spirituales patres eorúmque filios maximè pertinent.

[Col 3:22] Serui, obedite per omnia, (Finis.) id est, in omnibus bonis Dominis carnalibus, id est, temporalibus, in corporalibus dominationem exercentibus, Non ad oculum seruientes. i. non solo seruili timore & in dominorum vestrorum præsentia, Quasi hominibus placentes, id est, tanquam hoc solum optátes & intendentes, vt hominibus placeatis, & non potius deo, Sed in simplicitate cordis, id est, syncera intétione seruite dominis illis carnalibus, etiam dyscolis, Timentes deum casto ac filiali timore, cuius præsentiam seu conspectum non potestis effugere.

[Col 3:23] Quodcunque facitis in obsequio dominorum vestrorum Ex animo, id est, cum promptitudine voluntatis Operamini, vtpote amore iustitiæ, atque intuitu mercedis diuinæ, non timore pœnæ, & solo intuitu remunerationis humanæ. Talem enim animam approbat deus, Sicut domino Deo principaliter seruientes, Et non hominibus tantum, quia & si hominibus deseruitis hoc tamen propter deum libenter facere debetis, quasi sustinentes hanc tuituté ex ordinatione diuina pro pœna peccati, cui obnoxij estis. Seruitus nempe ob culpam inducta est.

[Col 3:24] Scientes fide certissima, Quod à domino accipietis retributionem hæreditatis, id est, pręmium vitę æternæ, quæ est hæreditas electorum. [page 260v] (2. Cor. 5.) Retributio autem hæreditatis aliud non est nisi ipsa hæreditas (Psalm. 145) quæ donatur. Hanc hæreditatem habebitis, si præfato modo (Deute. 32.) seruientes fueritis, Domino Iesu Christo seruite summè at (Rom. 2.) que finaliter, imò & latriæ seruitute, quæ soli deo debetur.

[Col 3:25] (Iob. 34.) Qui enim iniuriam facit alteri, infideliter seruiendo, aut alo (Ioan. 6.) modo Recipiet id quod inique gessit, id est, pro sua iniustitia (Iob: 34.) debitam pœnam exoluet: iuxta illud Psalmista, Qui custo- (Ibidem.) dit veritatem in seculum, facit iudicium iniuriam patientibus, (Ephes. 6.) & alibi, Mihi vindictam & ego retribuam, dicit dominus. (Luc. 6.) Et non est personarum acceptio apud Deum. Hoc iam vbertim (Matth. 7.) dictum atque expositum est. Deus enim neminem ad se (Lucæ. 6.) venientem, vel quod in se est facientem repellit, nullius etiam (Lucæ. 18.) peccata inulta dimittit. Vnde ipse dominus in Ioan. testatur, (Eccle. 18.) Eum qui venit ad me, non eijciam foras. Et alibi ait (Ibidem.) scriptura, Deus opus hominis reddet ei, & iuxta vias singulorum (Chrysost.) restituet. Itémque. Si direxerit homo ad Deum cor suum, spiritum illius & flatum ad se trahet. Ex his tamen non sequitur, quin deus iustus ac sapiens ab æterno elegerit vnú præ alio, etiam absque omni merito hominum.

Cap. IIII. Orationi instanti vigilantes in ea.

ARTICVLVS IIII.

[Col 4:1] Domini quod iustum est ratione obsequij vobis exhibiti, Et æquum propter conformitatem naturæ in vobis ac seruis, Seruis vestris Præstate, videlicet dignam mercedem, & piam subuentionem ac miserationem, Scientes quoniam & vos dominum iustum ac infallibilem iudicem Habetis in cœlo, qui eadem mensura qua mensi fueritis, remetietur vobis. Sic enim facit homini quemadmodum homo proximo suo.

[Col 4:2] REdit Apostolus ad generalem exhortationem, séque discipulorum suorum precibus commendat. Orationi pro vobis ac alijs fusæ Instante, id est, instanter seu diligenter ac perseueranter intendite, Vigilantes, id est vigili mente durantes, imò & pernoctantes In ea exemplo Christi, de quo scriptum est in Euangelio, Erat Iesus pernoctans in oratione Dei. Indesinenter ergo vigilanter & affectuose orandum est. Propter quod ait Saluator, Oportet semper orare, & non deficere. In Eccl. quoque scriptum legitur, Non impediaris semper orare. Et, Ante orationem præpara animam tuam. Denique libenter vacare nos conuenit orationi, pensantes illud Chrysostomi, Considera [page 261r] quanta tibi concessa est fœlicitas, quáta gloria attributa, orationibus (Psal. 50.) fabulari cum Deo, cum Christo miscere colloquia, (2. Reg. 23.) optare quod velis, quod desideras postulare. Dicit (1. Thes. 3.) quoque Chrysostomus, quòd orans in conuentu vel in publico, (1. Cor. 14.) nil noui facere debet quod aspiciant alij, vel clamando, vel pectus percutiendo, vel manus extendendo. Sic ergo orationi instate, vigilantes in ea, In gratiarum actione, id est, orationi gratiarum actionem de præteritis bonis misce- (Eccle. 24.) te, quia hoc plurimum confert ad obtinendum quod petitur. (1. Thes. 4) Nam & dilectionem accendit, beneuolétiam captat, & (Mat. 5.) ad potiora disponit.

[Col 4:3] Orantes simul & pro vobis, vt deus aperiat nobis ostium sermonis, id est, os meum seu labia vnde verba egrediuntur, velut ex ianua, ipse aperiat, sicut ait Psalm. Domine labia mea aperies, Hoc est, vt Deus gratiam menti meæ infundat, per quam ad loquendum diuinitus mouear, & non tam ego loquar, quàm spiritus sanctus per me prout in libr. Regum Dauid aiebat, Spiritus domini loquutus est per me, & sermo eius per linguam meam, Ad loquendum mysterium Christi, id est, ad prædicandum diuina secreta de Christo, videlicet incarnationem, passionem, ascensionem, & c. Ex his constat, quòd nemo nostrum adeò perfectus seu virtuosus esse debet in oculis suis, vt non curet orationis suffragium etiam ab inferioribus flagitare, cum videat sacratissimum istum, diuinissimúmque apostolum tam frequenter atq; humiliter pro se orari efflagitare. Propter quod prędicationis officium Etiam vinctus sum iam apud Ephesum. Vnde patet apostolum hanc scripsisse epistolam de carcere Ephesi,

[Col 4:4] Aperiat, inquam, mihi dominus ostium sermonis, Vt manifestem illud. i. prædictum Christi mysterium clarè enunciem & exponam, vt consequar pręmium sempiternum, quemadmodum sapientia ipsa loquitur, Qui elucidat me, vitam æternam habebunt, Ita. i. tam efficaciter & constanter, Vt oportet me loqui. i. alijs intimare mysteria Christi propter gratiam apostolatus mihi concessam.

[Col 4:5] Deinde admonet eos ad conuersationem exemplarem. In sapientia ambulate ad eos. i. prudenter & exemplariter viuite coram illis, Qui foris sunt qui ad Christi gregem & ecclesiæ vnitatem non pertinent, vel coram quibuscunque extraneis & ignoris ne scandalizentur. Vnde alio loco docet apostolus, Honestè ambuletis ad eos qui foris sunt. Et Christus in Euangelio, [page 261v] Luceat lux vestra coram hominibus. Patet ergo quòd secundum (Eccle. 7.) apostolum, curandum est nobis de fama honesta, non (Eccle. 41.) ob propriam laudem, sed ad Dei honorem, & proximorum (Hiere. 3.) salutem. Propter quod apud Ecclesiasten legitur, Melius est nomen bonum, quàm vnguéta preciosa. Et alibi, Curam habe de bono nomine: hoc enim magis proderit tibi quàm mille (Prou. 15.) thesauri. Hinc etiá inuerecúdo & inhonesto de nomine non (Leuit. 2.) curante, dictum est per Hieremiá, Frons mulieris meretricis (Matth. 5.) facta est tibi, noluisti erubescere, Tempus redimentes. i. fructuosè (Marci. 9.) expendentes,

[Col 4:6] Sermo vester in gratia. i. per gratiam dei Sale sit conditus. i. sapientiali discretione temperatus. Sermo (Prou. 15.) enim oportunus optimus est, teste scriptura. Porrò per sal sapientia seu discretio designatur. Nam sicut sal est condimentum (1. Pet. 3.) ciborum: ita discretio est condimentum verborum, operúmque (Acto. 4.) bonorum, Propter quòd in Leuitico iubetur, In omni sacrificio offeres sal. Apostolis quoq; dicitur, Vos estis sal terræ. Et iterum præcepit Christus, Habete in vobis sal, Vt sciatis quomodo. i. quàm diuersimodè, quando, quo fine, vbi, quantum & qualiter. Vos oporteat vnicuique. i. omnib? interrogátibus Respondere aliter scilicet docto, aliter indocto, aliter fideli, aliter infideli. In Prouer. enim scriptum est, Responsio mollis frangit iram, sermo durus suscitat furorem. Hinc Petrus in prima sua canonica ait, Parati semper ad satisfactionem omni poscenti vos rationé de ea quæ in vobis est fide & spe.

[Col 4:7] Quæ circa me sunt. i. statum meum & aduersa quæ patior, Omnia vobis proprio ore Nota faciet Tychicus lator huius epistolę Charissimus frater noster, Et fidelis minister Christi in pręcádando, Et cõseruus noster In domino

[Col 4:8] quem misi ad vos in hoc ipsum. i. propter hanc causam. Et etiam Vt cognoscat quæ circa vos sunt. i. statum vestrum, Et consoletur corda vestra verbis benignis inducédo vos ad patientiá, cómemorádo quoque æterna futuráque gaudia vobis parata, instruédo etiá non esse seruanda cæremonialia legis Mosaicæ.

[Col 4:9] Misi inquam cum Onesimo charissimo & fideli fratre nostro spirituali, Qui est ex vobis oriundus. Erat autem seruus Philemonis, ciuis Colossen. sicut patebit plenius in epistola ad Philemonem, Qui Tychicus atque Onesimus Omnia quæ hic in Epheso Aguntur nota facient vobis. Cum his duobus misit apostolus præsentem epistolam, propter maiorem Colossen. certificationem, vt scirent epistolam verè ab Apost. missam.

[Col 4:10] Salutat vos [page 262r] Aristarchus cõcaptiuus meus. i. mecum captus, Et Marcus qui alio nomine dicebatur Ioannes, Consobrinus Barnabæ apostoli. Erat enim filij sororum, De quo Marco Accepistis mandata (Acto. 15.) à me, vel ab alio quodá magno efficienter, (Matth. 13.) ita quòd mádauimus vobis non recipiendum esse à vobis hunc (Ibidem.) Marcum, eo quòd orta tribulatione discessisset à me, rediéns, (Supra. 1.) Hierusalem, vt in Actis legitur. Si venerit iam vel postea Marcus iste Ad vos excipite illum: Redijt enim ad me, & reconciliatus est mihi.

[Col 4:11] Salutat præterea vos Et Iesus, qui dicitur iustus, qui sunt ex circuncisione .i. natione Iudæi, qui sua salutatione attestantur veritati huius epistolæ. Ideo certi sitis legalia non esse seruanda. Hi soli quo ad Iudæos conuersos Sunt adiutores mei euágelizado In regno Dei. i. in ecclesia militáte seu cœtu fidelium, de quo regno ait dominus in euang. Simile est regnum cœlorum sagenæ missæ in mare, & ex omni genere piscium congreganti. Itémque: Mittet filius hominis angelos suos, & colligent de regno eius omnia scandala, Qui mihi fuerunt solatio fideliter assistendo, & fortiter laborando.

[Col 4:12] Salutat vos Epaphras qui ex vobis est, id est, natione Colossensis Seruus Christi Iesu, semper sollicitus pro vobis in orationibus quas fecit pro vestra salute, Vt stetis perfecti & pleni in omni voluntate Dei, id est, perfecti ac integri sitis in exequutione omnium præceptorum, aut consiliorum dei.

[Col 4:13] Testimonium enim illi Epaphræ Perhibeo, quod habet multum laborem pro vobis orando, & me sollicitando ad scribédum. Hic enim est Epaphras, de quo in exordio huius epistolæ dictum est, quòd prædicationem Archippi confirmauerat. Et pro his qui sunt Laodiceæ & qui Hierapoli, id est, etiam pro Laodicensibus ac Hierapolitanis plurimum sollicitatur, timens ne à pseudoapostolis fallantur.

[Col 4:14] Salutat vos Lucas medicus charissimus, id est, Lucas Euangelista, qui artis medici erat, animarum tamen magis quàm corporum medicus fuit.

[Col 4:15] Salutate ex parte nostra Fratres qui sunt Laodiceæ, hoc est, in vrbe illa vestræ ciuitati vicina, Et nympham mulierem deuotam, prædicantium hospitatricem atque altricem, Et quæ in domo eius est ecclesiam, id est, fidelem eius familiam.

[Col 4:16] Et cum electa fuerit apud vos, id est, in vestro cóuentu, Epistola ista, Facite vt in Laodicensium ecclesia legatur. Iisdem enim informationibus indigent, quibus & vos, cum sint à pseudoapostolis præuéti, & quoniam vobis vicini, familiarésque [page 262v] sunt, Et eam quæ Laodicensium est epistolam illis à me (1. Cor. 5.) missam Vos legatis, vt mutuo proficiatis. Hæc autem epistola Laodicentium non est reseruata in canone scripturarum, neque in numero epistolarum Pauli, sicut nec prima trium epistolarum missarum Corinthijs, quemadmodum dictum est alio loco. Insuper monet Apostolus Colossenses, vt pastorem suum hortentur ad diligentem officij sui exequutionem.

[Col 4:17] (2. Tim. 6.) Et dicite Archippo episcopo vestro, Vide ministerium tuum, (1. Petri. 5.) id est, officium curæ pastoralis perpéde intentius, Quod accepistis in domino, id est, quod tibi à deo commissum est, Vt illud impleas, gregem tibi cõmissum verbo & exemplis pascédo, atque in omnibus te habédo vt decet pastorem, Christi (Ioan.. 13.) vicarium. Ex quo elucescit, quòd subditi licitè possint prælatos suos excitare, hortari, & animare, humiliter tamen & modestè.

[Col 4:18] Salutatio mea quę subditur, scripta est Manu Pauli, id est, propria manu verba salutationis meæ hæc scripsi, vt sciatis epistolam missam à me, nõ à falsis, qui interdum sub nomine verorum apostolorum fallaces miserunt epistolas vt magis deciperent. Quidá dicút totam epistolam hanc manu apostoli scriptam propter certificationem prędictã. Memores estote vinculorum meorum. i. attendite cur ista sustineo, vt & vos similia pati sitis parati, & pro me oretis vel necessaria ministrare curetis. Deinde salutatio ponitur. Gratia domini nostri Iesu Christi sit Vobiscum, id est, in cordibus vestris. Ipse est enim creator vester atque saluator vnigenitus patris, super omnia deus sublimis & benedictus. Amen.