Colossians 2.5a-Paul Expresses His Spirit Inspired Concern for the Colossians in Light of the False Teachers
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday October 4, 2015
Colossians: Colossians 2:5a-Paul Expresses His Spirit Inspired Concern for the Colossians in Light of the False Teachers
Lesson # 42
Colossians 2:5 For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ. (NASB95)
“For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit” presents the reason why Paul instructed the Colossians in writing and why he interceded in prayer for them.
In other words, Paul’s statement presents the reason why he was concerned about them as expressed by teaching them in this epistle and praying for them.
“Even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit” is a first class conditional statement which has a concessive force.
“Though” is the conditional particle ei (εἰ), which introduces a protasis of a first class condition that indicates the assumption of truth for the sake of argument.
The idea behind the first class condition is not “since” but rather, “if-and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that, then...”
Here the protasis is “if and let assume that it is true for the sake argument that I am absent in body.”
This is a responsive first class condition meaning that the Colossians would agree with Paul’s premise since they both know they never met each other face to face.
The apodosis is “then I am nevertheless with you in spirit.”
The relationship between the protasis and the apodosis is equivalence.
This means the protasis and the apodosis are equivalent to each other.
This would indicate that whether he is in the presence of the Colossians or not, Paul was concerned for the Colossians.
His not being in their presence does not change the fact that he was concerned for them.
In other words, Paul can teach the Colossians and pray for them whether he is living in their midst or not.
“In spirit” is the noun pneuma (πνεῦμα), which is not a reference to the apostle Paul’s human spirit but rather it is actually a reference to the Holy Spirit.
This is indicated by the fact that what Paul wrote to the Colossians was inspired by the Holy Spirit as was the case with the rest of Scripture.
Also the content of his intercessory prayer for them which he shared in Colossians 2:2-3 was also inspired by the Holy Spirit.
The noun pneuma is in the dative case and functions as a dative of cause which means that the Holy Spirit was the reason why Paul was present with the Colossians.
Specifically it was the Spirit’s work in Paul’s life in directing him to write this epistle to the Colossians and interceding in prayer for them which was the specific reason why Paul was present with the Colossians.
Colossians 2:5 For indeed, if and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that I am personally absent and we both know this is true, then I am nonetheless present with you because of the Spirit. I am rejoicing, yes because I am cognizant of your discipline specifically your dedication which is produced by your faith with regards to your union and identification with Christ. (My translation)
The apostle Paul’s statement in Colossians 2:5 is directly tied to his statements in Colossians 1:28-2:4.
In Colossians 1:28-29, Paul asserts that he is teaching the gospel for the benefit of the Colossian church and in Colossians 2:1-3, he asserts that he interceded in prayer for them.
In Colossians 2:4, Paul informs the Colossians that he communicated the mystery in order that absolutely no would at any time deceive any of them with plausible persuasive argument.
This is a reference to the false doctrine taught by the Essene branch of Judaism which the Colossians had been exposed to.
Therefore, the first class conditional statement in Colossians 2:5 presents the reason why Paul instructed the Colossians in writing and why he interceded in prayer for them.
In other words, Paul’s statement presents the reason why he was concerned about them as expressed by teaching them in this epistle and praying for them.
The idea behind the first class conditional statement in Colossians 2:5 is not “since” but rather, “if-and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that, then...”
Here the protasis is “if and let assume that it is true for the sake argument that I am absent in body.”
This is a responsive first class condition meaning that the Colossians would agree with Paul’s premise since they both know they never met each face to face.
The apodosis is “then I am nevertheless with you in spirit.”
The relationship between the protasis and the apodosis is equivalence.
This means the protasis and the apodosis are equivalent to each other.
This would indicate that whether he is in the presence of the Colossians or not, Paul was concerned for the Colossians.
His not being in their presence does not change the fact that he was concerned for them.
In other words, Paul can teach the Colossians and pray for them whether he is living in their midst or not.
This first class conditional statement is emphatic expressing how important this statement is for the Colossians to know that Paul was concerned about them despite the fact that he had never met them face to face.
It emphasizes with the Colossians that Paul could still teach by writing to them and still pray for them despite the fact that he was not in their personal presence.
The apodosis of this first class conditional presents an emphatic contrast with the protasis of this first class condition.
The emphatic contrast is between Paul not being personally present with the Colossians and his being present with them because of the Spirit.
As we noted, the noun pneuma does not mean “spirit” but rather “the Spirit” since it is not a reference to the apostle Paul’s human spirit but rather it is actually a reference to the Holy Spirit.
This is indicated by the fact that what Paul wrote to the Colossians was inspired by the Holy Spirit as was the case with the rest of Scripture.
Also the content of his intercessory prayer for them which he shared in Colossians 2:2-3 was also inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, Paul is saying that he was present with the Colossians through the agency of the Holy Spirit who inspired him to instruct the Colossians in this epistle and to pray for them and which prayer he communicated to them in Colossians 2:2-3.
In other words, what Paul is saying to the Colossians is that he was present with them through the Spirit in the sense that his Spirit inspired instruction in this epistle would be the same even if he were present with them.
He was also present with the Colossians through the Spirit in the sense that his Spirit inspired prayer for them would be the same for them even if he were present with them.
Paul’s instruction and intercessory prayer for the Colossians was directed by the Holy Spirit.
When he communicated in writing to them this instruction to the Colossians and this intercessory prayer for them, it was equivalent to his personal presence because his teaching and prayer for them would be the same if he were present with them.
So the Spirit’s work in Paul’s life in teaching the Colossians through this epistle and the Spirit’s work in his life in praying for the Colossians enabled Paul to be present with the Colossians even though he was not bodily present.
The Holy Spirit was the reason why Paul was present with the Colossians.
Specifically it was the Spirit’s work in Paul’s life in directing him to write this epistle to the Colossians and interceding in prayer for them which was the specific reason why Paul was present with the Colossians.