He Lives In You
How Is Hope Established in Our Lives
Hope is founded upon the Written Word (Col 1:25-26)
to fulfil—to bring it fully to all: the end of his stewardship: “fully preached” (
To fulfil the word of God (πληρωσαι τον λογον του θεου [plērōsai ton logon tou theou]). First aorist active infinitive of purpose (πληροω [plēroō]), a fine phrase for a God-called preacher, to fill full or to give full scope to the Word of God. The preacher is an expert on the word of God by profession.
1:26 mystery Refers to God’s plan of salvation revealed through the death and resurrection of Christ. This specifically involves Christ’s ministry of reconciliation, which unites Gentiles (non-Jews, such as the Colossians) with Jews and creates one people of God (e.g.,
Paul’s dispensation or assignment in God’s redemptive plan was, specifically, to make salvation known to the Gentiles. In the world of the first century mystery (mystērion) meant (1) something mysterious, (2) an initiatory religious rite, (3) a secret known only by divine revelation (
He was a God-ordained servant of the precious truth of the Word of God in its fullness (cf. 1:9; 2:9). The Colossian heresy boasted of a “fullness” of knowledge possible only through their mystical experience. But Paul declared that the fullness of the mystery is found only in Christ.
The mystery was not that Gentiles would be saved but how they could be “fellow-heirs” (
In the Old Testament Gentiles who believed and became a part of Judaism were still considered lower than Jews. This special union in which there “is neither Jew nor Greek” (i.e., Gentile,
Paul was a steward in God’s economy; a trustee in God’s household; and an administrator of God’s business. Paul was on business for the King. given: Not usurped. for you: For your benefit and for your blessing. to fulfill the word of God: God’s purpose was Paul’s purpose, and God’s Word was Paul’s message. Therefore, Paul’s message was pure and uncorrupted by false teaching (
In Greek pagan religions, a mystery was a secret teaching reserved for a few spiritual teachers who had been initiated into an inner circle. Paul uses the word to refer to knowledge that had been “hidden from the ages and generations” (2:2, 4:3;
We should not restrict this phrase, as NIV seems to do, to the preaching of the ‘whole counsel of God’ (
Paul endured his sufferings for the sake of the body. Paul was willing to suffer on behalf of the church because he saw himself as the church’s servant. God gave him a commission to proclaim the gospel, and suffering was included with the commission.
Fulfil the word of God. The purpose of Paul’s stewardship is to preach the Word of God. It is the apostle’s aim to carry this out to the full.
27. God would make known. Literally, “God willed to make known.” It is God’s plan that His people shall penetrate deeper mysteries of divine knowledge by the help of His Holy Spirit. In turn, through their receiving this revelation, God will so transform their dispositions that saintly characters will be the result.
QUESTION—What is meant by τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ ‘the word of God’?
It means the gospel [Ea, EGT, ICC, Lg, Lt, Mou, My] as adapted to the Gentiles and received by them [Ea]. It means the gospel message [EG, TNTC], the message regarding Christ [EG].
QUESTION—What is meant by τὸ μυστήριον ‘the mystery’?
Its general meaning is a truth which humans cannot know except by revelation [EG, EGT, Lns, Lt, Mou, NTC, SSA, TH, WBC], a truth which once was unknown, but now has been made known in the person of Christ [EG, Mou, TH].
1:25 God’s commission (
Hope is fulfilled by Indwelling of the Living Word (Jesus) (Col 1:27)
26. the mystery—(See on
the riches of the glory of this mystery—He accumulates phrase on phrase to enhance the greatness of the blessing in Christ bestowed by God on the Gentiles.
“The glory of this mystery” must be the glory which this once hidden, and now revealed, truth makes you Gentiles partakers of, partly now, but mainly when Christ shall come (
ALFORD translates, “Christ among you,” to answer to “this mystery among the Gentiles.” But the whole clause, “Christ IN you (
It is the personal experience and presence of Christ in the individual life of all believers that Paul has in mind, the indwelling Christ in the heart as in
1:27 mystery among the Gentiles The Colossians’ non-Jewish ethnicity did not exclude them or disqualify them from God’s promises and plan. On the contrary, the work of Christ makes them eligible to share in the inheritance of God’s people (v. 12). The inclusion of Gentiles into the people of God was always part of God’s plan of salvation (
Christ in you Refers to union with Christ.
Probably more central is the idea that union with Christ involves ipso facto union with Christ’s sufferings: “If we suffer with him, we shall be glorified with him” (
But in relation to God’s redemptive plan, the mystery is the corporate union with Christ, Christ in you, by which God gives righteousness and salvation.
Now those “who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ” (
The mystery is that Christ now lives within Gentile believers: Christ in you, the hope of glory. This is in harmony with Ephesians. In that letter, Paul states that the mystery is the union of Jews and Gentiles in one body, Christ’s church (
What’s the secret? That God has chosen to include the Gentiles in the blessings of salvation (see
The unprecedented secret is that all are included. The unprecedented truth is that Jesus Christ lives in all who trust him. Not only does he live in us; he is our hope of glory.
At last this mystery is defined which is Christ in you (ch. 2:2, 3;
Christ in you. The indwelling presence of Jesus in the human heart is the manifestation of the eternal mystery (see on
The incarnation of Christ brought the realization of this hope one stage nearer. The indwelling of Christ in the individual heart gives evidence that the power of grace is working to transform the character. This makes real the hope of glorification. The Christian lives in the kingdom of grace today, which gives him assurance that he will one day dwell with Christ in the kingdom of glory.
It is the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles and their becoming part of the church [Ea], their being admitted to the blessings of the covenant on equal terms with the Jews [EG, Lt], their sharing of a common life in the body of Christ and their being indwelt by Christ [NIC]. It is God’s plan of salvation which included making Gentiles his people and their receiving the same benefits as the Jews [EG]. It is God’s plan of redemption which includes the Gentiles. It was through Christ that it was fulfilled and through the gospel that it was made known [My]. It is the salvation of the Gentiles [SSA].
QUESTION—What relationship is indicated by ἐν ‘in/among’?
1. It means that Christ was in the individuals [Ea, EG, EGT, Lns, Lt, NIC, NTC, SSA, TH, TNTC, WBC; all versions except NJB], in their hearts [EG, EGT, NTC, TH]. He lived in them [NIC, NTC, SSA, TNTC, WBC; CEV, NLT] through his Spirit [NTC, TNTC]. His life was in them [NIC, WBC]. It refers to their experiential knowledge of him. They felt his presence within them [Ea].
The glory is the object of the hope [Ea, EG, EGT, Herm, Lg, Lns, Mou, My, NIC, NTC, SSA, TH, WBC; TNT]: the hope for the glory. It is the sure hope that they will have a part in the future glory [NIC, WBC], the sure hope that the eternal glory will be theirs [Lns]. They confidently expect that they will be glorified [SSA].
QUESTION—How is ἡ ἐλπὶς τῆς δόξης ‘the hope of glory’ related to Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν ‘Christ in you’?
1. Their hope of glory is a result of Christ being in them [Alf, Ea, EG, EGT, Lg, Lns, Lt, Mou, My, NIC, NTC, SSA, TNTC, WBC; NAB, NLT, TEV, TNT]: because Christ is in you, you have hope of glory.
1:26–27 The mystery refers to the exciting fact that Christ indwells every believer so that they increasingly reflect his character, conduct, attitude, and actions as they use God’s Word to deal with life and become more mature (see
1:27 The words glorious and wealth jointly connote the wonder and blessings associated with this mystery. In you could mean “among you,” or, more likely, refer to Christ’s indwelling of believers (
