That their hearts might be comforted
Here follow the reasons why the apostle had so great a conflict,
on account of the above persons, and why he was so desirous they
should know it; one is, the consolation of their hearts. The
hearts of God's people often need comfort, by reason of
indwelling sin, the temptations of Satan, the hidings of God's
face, and afflictive providences; and by reason of false
teachers, who greatly trouble them, unsettle their minds, weaken
their faith, and fill them with doubts and perplexities, and
which was the case with these churches: now the business of
Gospel ministers is to comfort such; this is the commission they
are sent with; the doctrines of the Gospel are calculated for
this very purpose, such as full redemption, free justification,
complete pardon of sin, peace and reconciliation; and the bent of
their ministry is to comfort distressed minds, upon what account
soever; and it must be a comfort to these churches, when they
found that they were regarded by so great an apostle; and it
might tend to confirm them in the doctrine they had received at
first, and deliver them from the scruples the false apostles had
injected into their minds, and so administer comfort to them,
when they perceived that the apostle approved of the Gospel they
had heard and embraced, and rejected the notions of the false
teachers:
being knit together in love:
as the members of an human body are, by joints and bands; as love
is the bond of union between God and his people, Christ and his
members, so between saints and saints; it is the cement that
joins and keeps them together, and which edifies and builds them
up, and whereby they increase with the increase of God; it makes
them to be of one heart and one soul; it renders their communion
with one another comfortable and delightful, and strengthens them
against the common enemy, who is for dividing, and so destroying;
and is what is the joy of Gospel ministers, and what they labour
at and strive for, and which is another reason of the apostle's
conflict:
and unto all riches of the full assurance of
understanding;
that is, spiritual knowledge and understanding, or the
understanding of spiritual things; for the understanding of
things natural and civil is not designed; nor a mere notional
knowledge of spiritual things, which persons may have, and yet
not charity, or love, with which this is here joined; and such an
one also, which is sure and certain: for as there is such a thing
as the assurance of faith, and the assurance of hope, so likewise
of understanding of the Gospel, and the truths of it; concerning
which there ought to be no doubt, being to be received upon the
credit of a divine testimony: moreover, such a knowledge and
understanding of divine things is intended, as is large and
abundant, signified by "all riches"; for though it is not
complete and perfect in this life, yet it takes a vast compass,
and reaches to all the deep things of God; to whatever relates to
the person and grace of Christ; to all the things of the Spirit
of God; to all the blessings and promises of the covenant of
grace; to the riches both of grace and glory, to the things of
time and eternity, and which is more clearly explained by the
following clause:
to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the
Father, and
of Christ;
that is, to a greater and more perfect knowledge, approbation,
and confession of the Gospel, which he had in the preceding
chapter called the mystery; see ( Colossians
1:26 Colossians
1:27 ) , and here "the mystery of God", which he is both the
author and subject of: it is by him as the efficient cause,
ordained by him, and hid in him before the world was; and it is
of him, as the subject matter of it; not as the God of nature and
providence, which the works of both declare; but as the God of
all grace, as God in Christ, which is the peculiar discovery of
the Gospel: and "of" him as "the Father" of Christ, which is not
discoverable by the light of nature, nor known by natural reason,
but is a point of divine revelation; and "of" him as the Father
of his people by adoption; and of all his grace, in election to
grace and glory; in predestination to sonship, and in the council
and covenant of grace; in the scheme of salvation and redemption;
in the mission of his Son, and the gift of him as a Saviour and
Redeemer. The copulative "and" before "the Father", is left out
in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions, which read
"the mystery of God the Father"; and with it, it may be rendered,
as it sometimes is, God, "even the Father": though the word "God"
may be considered essentially, and as after distinguished into
two of the persons of the Godhead; "the Father" the first person,
so called, in relation to his Son, which is no small part of the
mystery of the Gospel; and "Christ" the second person, who is
equally God with the Father; and the Spirit, who, though not
mentioned, is not excluded from this adorable mystery: and which
is the mystery "of Christ", he being both the efficient cause and
the subject matter of it; it treats of his deity and personality;
of his offices, as Mediator, prophet, priest, and King; of his
incarnation and redemption; of his grace, righteousness,
sacrifice, and satisfaction; of justification by him, pardon
through him, and acceptance in him.