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of the will of God. Behold again, he has put "Through". And Timothy our brother, he says. Therefore he also is an apostle. And it is likely that this one also was known to them. To the saints who are in Colossae. The city was of Phrygia; and this is clear from Laodicea being nearby. And to the faithful brethren in Christ. From where, he says, have you become a saint, tell me? from where are you called faithful? is it not that you were sanctified through the death of Christ? is it not that you believe in Christ? From where have you become a brother? for you were not shown faithful in work, nor in word, nor in right action. From where were you entrusted with so many mysteries, tell me? was it not through Christ? Grace to you and peace from God our Father. From where is grace to you? from where is peace? From God, he says, our Father. And yet in this he does not put the name of Christ. To those who slander the Spirit I will say, from where is God the Father of slaves? who has achieved these great things? who made you a saint? who, faithful? who, a son of God? He who made you trustworthy, is Himself also the cause of your being entrusted with all things. 2. For we are called faithful not only because we believe, but also because we were entrusted by God with mysteries, which not even angels knew before us. But it is indifferent to Paul to put these things thus. We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It seems to me that he refers everything to the Father, so that the word might not immediately stand against them. Always praying for you. Not only through thanksgiving, but also by continuous prayer he shows his love, that even those whom he had not seen, he had them always in himself. Having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus. Having said above, "Our Lord," here he says, "Jesus Christ." He is Lord, he says; not, "the servants of Jesus Christ." And these are symbols of the benefit; For He, it says, will save His people from their sins. Having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and the love which you have for all the saints. He is already making them his own. It is Epaphroditus who is reporting these things. But he sends the letter through Tychicus, having kept him by his side. And the love, he says, which is for all the saints. Not for this one and that one; therefore also for us. Because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven. The good things to come, he says. This is against temptations, so as not to seek relief here. For lest anyone say, and what is the gain of love for the saints, when they are being tormented? we rejoice, he says, that you are procuring great things for yourselves in the heavens. Because of the hope, he says, which is laid 62.302 up. He showed what is secure. Of which you have heard before in the word of the truth. Here the saying is one that strikes at them, because having had a long time, they changed. Of which you heard before, he says, in the word of the truth of the Gospel. And he bears witness to the truth in the word; reasonably so; for there is no falsehood in it. Of the Gospel. He does not say, of the preaching, but calls it Gospel, continually reminding them of the benefits of God; and having first praised them, he thus reminds them of these things. Which is present to you, as it is also in all the world. He already bestows grace upon them. But he said "present" metaphorically; it did not arrive, he says, and depart, but it remained and is there. Then, since most people are strengthened by having many who share their doctrines, for this reason he added, "As it is also in all the world." Everywhere, he says, it is present, everywhere it prevails, everywhere it stands. And it is bearing fruit, and growing, as it does also in you. Bearing fruit through works, growing by receiving many, by being more established. For indeed among plants, it becomes dense then, when the plant is established. As it does also in you. He pre-occupies the hearer with praises, so that he might not turn away even unwillingly. From the day you heard. The wonderful thing is that you quickly came and believed, and straightway from the very beginnings you showed the fruits. From the day you heard and knew the grace

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θελήματος Θεοῦ. Ἰδοὺ πάλιν τὸ, ∆ιὰ, τέθεικε. Καὶ Τιμόθεος ὁ ἀδελφὸς, φησίν. Οὐκοῦν καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπόστολος. Εἰκὸς δὲ καὶ τοῦτον αὐτοῖς γνωρίζεσθαι. Τοῖς ἐν Κολοσσαῖς ἁγίοις. Ἡ πόλις τῆς Φρυγίας ἦν· καὶ δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ τὴν Λαοδίκειαν πλησίον εἶναι· Καὶ πιστοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ἐν Χριστῷ. Πόθεν, φησὶν, ἅγιος γέγονας, εἰπέ μοι; πόθεν πιστὸς καλῇ; οὐχ ὅτι διὰ τοῦ θανάτου ἡγιάσθης τοῦ Χριστοῦ; οὐχ ὅτι εἰς Χριστὸν πιστεύεις; Πόθεν ἀδελφὸς γέγονας; οὐ γὰρ ἐν ἔργῳ, οὐδὲ ἐν λόγῳ, οὐδὲ ἐν κατορθώματι πιστὸς ἐφάνης. Πόθεν τοσαῦτα ἐπιστεύθης, εἰπέ μοι, μυστήρια; οὐ διὰ Χριστόν; Χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς ἡμῶν. Πόθεν ἡ χάρις ὑμῖν; πόθεν ἡ εἰρήνη; Ἀπὸ Θεοῦ, φησὶ, Πατρὸς ἡμῶν. Καίτοι ἐν ταύτῃ τὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ οὐ τίθησιν ὄνομα. Πρὸς τοὺς τὸ Πνεῦμα διαβάλλοντας ἐρῶ, πόθεν ὁ Θεὸς Πατὴρ τῶν δούλων; ταῦτα τὰ μεγάλα τίς κατώρθωσε; τίς ἅγιόν σε ἐποίησε; τίς πιστόν; τίς υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ; Ὁ ποιήσας σε ἀξιόπιστον, αὐτὸς καὶ τοῦ πιστευθῆναί σε ἅπαντα αἴτιος. βʹ. Πιστοὶ γὰρ οὐ διὰ τὸ πιστεύειν καλούμεθα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τὸ πιστευθῆναι παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ μυστήρια, ἅπερ οὐδὲ ἄγγελοι πρὸ ἡμῶν ᾔδεσαν. Ἀλλ' ἀδιάφορον τῷ Παύλῳ οὕτω ταῦτα τιθέναι. Εὐχαριστοῦμεν τῷ Θεῷ τῷ Πατρὶ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ πάντα ἐπὶ τὸν Πατέρα ἀνατιθέναι, ὥστε μὴ εὐθέως αὐτοῖς προστῆναι τὸν λόγον. Πάντοτε περὶ ὑμῶν προσευχόμενοι. Οὐ διὰ τῆς εὐχαριστίας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς διηνεκοῦς εὐχῆς τὴν ἀγάπην δείκνυσιν, ὅτι καὶ οὓς οὐχ ἑώρα, τούτους εἶχε διὰ παντὸς ἐν ἑαυτῷ. Ἀκούσαντες τὴν πίστιν ὑμῶν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. Ἀνωτέρω, Τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν, εἰπὼν, ἐνταῦθα, Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγει. Αὐτός ἐστι Κύριος, φησίν· οὐχ, οἱ δοῦλοι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Καὶ ταῦτα σύμβολα τῆς εὐεργεσίας· Αὐτὸς γὰρ, φησὶ, σώσει τὸν λαὸν αὑτοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν. Ἀκούσαντες τὴν πίστιν ὑμῶν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην τὴν εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους. Ἤδη οἰκειοῦται αὐτούς. Ἐπαφρόδιτός ἐστιν ὁ ταῦτα ἀπαγγέλλων. Πέμπει δὲ τὴν ἐπιστολὴν διὰ Τυχικοῦ, ἐκεῖνον παρ' ἑαυτῷ κατασχών. Καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην, φησὶ, τὴν εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους. Οὐκ εἰς τόνδε καὶ τόνδε· οὐκοῦν καὶ εἰς ἡμᾶς. ∆ιὰ τὴν ἐλπίδα τὴν ἀποκειμένην ὑμῖν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Τὰ μέλλοντα, φησὶν, ἀγαθά. Τοῦτο πρὸς τοὺς πειρασμοὺς, ὥστε μὴ ἐνταῦθα ζητεῖν τὴν ἄνεσιν. Ἵνα γὰρ μή τις εἴπῃ, καὶ τί τὸ κέρδος τῆς ἀγάπης τῆς εἰς τοὺς ἁγίους, κοπτομένων αὐτῶν; χαίρομεν, φησὶν, ὅτι μεγάλα ἑαυτοῖς προξενεῖτε ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. ∆ιὰ τὴν ἐλπίδα, φησὶ, τὴν ἀπο 62.302 κειμένην. Τὸ ἀσφαλὲς ἔδειξεν. Ἣν προηκούσατε ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῆς ἀληθείας. Ἐνταῦθα πλήττοντος αὐτούς ἐστι τὸ ῥῆμα, ὅτι πολὺν χρόνον ἔχοντες μετέστησαν. Ἣν προηκούσατε, φησὶν, ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῆς ἀληθείας τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου. Καὶ ἀλήθειαν μαρτυρεῖ τῷ λόγῳ· εἰκότως· οὐδὲν γὰρ ψεῦδος ἐν αὐτῷ. Τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου. Οὐ λέγει, τοῦ κηρύγματος, ἀλλ' εὐαγγέλιον καλεῖ, συνεχῶς ἀναμιμνήσκων αὐτοὺς τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ· καὶ πρῶτον ἐπαινέσας αὐτοὺς, οὕτω τούτων ἀναμιμνήσκει. Τοῦ παρόντος εἰς ὑμᾶς, καθὼς καὶ ἐν παντὶ τῷ κόσμῳ. Ἤδη χαρίζεται αὐτοῖς. Παρόντος δὲ μεταφορικῶς εἶπεν· οὐ παρεγένετο, φησὶ, καὶ ἀπέστη, ἀλλ' ἔμεινε καὶ ἔστιν ἐκεῖ. Εἶτα, ἐπειδὴ μάλιστα οἱ πολλοὶ ἐκ τοῦ κοινωνοὺς ἔχειν πολλοὺς τῶν δογμάτων στηρίζονται, διὰ τοῦτο ἐπήγαγε, Καθὼς καὶ ἐν παντὶ τῷ κόσμῳ. Πανταχοῦ, φησὶ, πάρεστι, πανταχοῦ κρατεῖ, πανταχοῦ ἕστηκε. Καὶ ἔστι καρποφορούμενον, καὶ αὐξανόμενον, καθὼς καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν. Καρποφορούμενον διὰ τὰ ἔργα, αὐξανόμενον τῷ πολλοὺς παραλαμβάνειν, τῷ μᾶλλον στηρίζεσθαι. Καὶ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς φυτοῖς τότε πυκνὰ γίνεται, ὅταν στηριχθῇ τὸ φυτόν. Καθὼς καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν. Προκαταλαμβάνει τὸν ἀκροατὴν τοῖς ἐπαίνοις, ὥστε μηδὲ ἄκοντα ἀποστῆναι. Ἀφ' ἧς ἡμέρας ἠκούσατε. Τὸ θαυμαστὸν, ὅτι ταχέως προσήλθετε καὶ ἐπιστεύσατε, καὶ εὐθέως ἐκ προοιμίων ἐπεδείξασθε τοὺς καρπούς. Ἀφ' ἧς ἡμέρας ἠκούσατε, καὶ ἐπέγνωτε τὴν χάριν