SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:23
si empero permanecis fundados y firmes en la fe, y sin moveros de la esperanza del Evangelio que habis oído; el cual es predicado a toda criatura que est debajo del cielo; del cual yo Pablo soy hecho ministro.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Colossians 1:23
Verse 23. If ye continue in the faith] This will be the case if you, who have already believed in Christ Jesus, continue in that faith, grounded in the knowledge and love of God, and settled - made firm and perseveringly steadfast, in that state of salvation. And be not moved away] Not permitting yourselves to be seduced by false teachers.
The hope of the Gospel] The resurrection of the body, and the glorification of it and the soul together, in the realms of blessedness. This is properly the Gospel HOPE.
To every creature which is under heaven] A Hebraism for the whole human race, and particularly referring to the two grand divisions of mankind, the Jews and Gentiles; to both of these the Gospel had been preached, and to each, salvation by Christ had been equally offered. And as none had been excluded from the offers of mercy, and Jesus Christ had tasted death for every man, and the Jews and Gentiles, in their great corporate capacity, had all been invited to believe the Gospel; therefore, the apostle concludes that the Gospel was preached to every creature under heaven, as being offered without restrictions or limitations to these two grand divisions of mankind, including the whole human race.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 23. If ye continue in the faith , etc.] In the doctrine of faith which they had received and embraced; and in the grace of faith, and the exercise of it which was implanted in them; and in the profession of faith which they had made: not that the virtue and efficacy of Christ's blood, sufferings, and death, and reconciliation of their persons to God thereby, depended upon their faith, and abiding in it; but that faith and continuance in it were necessary means of their presentation in unblemished holiness and righteousness; for if they had not faith, or did not abide in it or if the good work of grace was not wrought upon their souls, and that performed until the day of Christ, they could not be presented holy and blameless: this shows the necessity of the saints' final perseverance in faith and holiness, and is mentioned with this view, to put them upon a concern about it, and to make use of all means, under divine grace, to enjoy it; and nothing could more strongly incline and move unto it, than the blessed effect of Christ's death, reconciliation and the end of it, to present the reconciled ones blameless; in order to which it is necessary they should hold on and out to the end: hence the Ethiopic version reads the words, not as a condition, but as an exhortation enforced by what goes before; therefore be ye established in the faith: it follows, grounded and settled ; not on the sandy foundation of man's own righteousness, and peace made by his own performances; but upon the foundation and rock, Christ, against which the gates of hell cannot prevail; and so shall never finally and totally fall away, being rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith of him, in the doctrines of faith, respecting peace by his blood, justification by his righteousness, and life by his death; and so continue steadfast and immovable, always abounding in his work: and [be] not moved away from the hope of the Gospel ; the hope of eternal life and happiness, which as set before us in the Gospel; which that gives a good and solid ground and foundation of, in the person, blood, and righteousness of Christ; and is the instrumental means, in the hand of the Spirit, of begetting to it, and of encouraging and increasing it: the law gives no hopes of eternal life to a poor sinner; it works wrath, and ministers death; there is nothing but a fearful looking for of judgment by it; but the Gospel encourages to hope in the Lord, from the consideration of rich mercy and plenteous redemption in him; and this hope of the Gospel is an anchor of the soul, sure and steadfast, and not to be let go; this confidence and rejoicing of the hope is to be kept firm unto the end: which ye have heard ; that is, which Gospel they had heard from Epaphras their faithful minister, and that not only externally, but internally; they had heard it and believed it, and it had brought forth fruit in them; for it came to them not in word only, but in power; which is said in commendation of it, and to engage them to continue in it, and abide by it; as is also what follows: [and] which was preached to every creature which is under heaven ; and therefore since it was the same which was everywhere preached, they might depend upon the truth of it, should have the greater value for it, and by no means relinquish it. This must be understood not of every individual creature, even human and rational, that was then, or had been in, the world; but that it had been, and was preached far and near, in all places all over the world, to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews; who are sometimes styled every creature, the creature, the whole creation, all men, etc. (see Mark 16:15 Romans 8:19-22) ( Titus 2:11); and of this, the first preaching of the Gospel by Peter after our Lord's resurrection, was an emblem and pledge, ( Acts 2:14-36); and some time after that, the sound of all the apostles went into all the earth, and their words to the end of the world: whereof I Paul am made a minister ; by Jesus Christ, who appeared unto him, and called, qualified, and sent him forth as such; and this is mentioned to encourage the Colossians to abide by the truths of the Gospel, since what they had heard and received were what were everywhere preached by the faithful ministers of the word; and particularly by the apostle, who was ordained to be a teacher and preacher of it to the Gentiles. The Alexandrian copy reads, a preacher and an apostle, and a minister; (see 1 Timothy 2:7).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 15-23 - Christ in his human nature, is the visible discovery of the invisibl God, and he that hath seen Him hath seen the Father. Let us adore thes mysteries in humble faith, and behold the glory of the Lord in Chris Jesus. He was born or begotten before all the creation, before an creature was made; which is the Scripture way of representing eternity and by which the eternity of God is represented to us. All things being created by Him, were created for him; being made by his power, the were made according to his pleasure, and for his praise and glory. He not only created them all at first, but it is by the word of his powe that they are upheld. Christ as Mediator is the Head of the body, the church; all grace and strength are from him; and the church is his body. All fulness dwells in him; a fulness of merit and righteousness of strength and grace for us. God showed his justice in requiring ful satisfaction. This mode of redeeming mankind by the death of Christ wa most suitable. Here is presented to our view the method of being reconciled. And that, notwithstanding the hatred of sin on God's part it pleased God to reconcile fallen man to himself. If convinced that we were enemies in our minds by wicked works, and that we are no reconciled to God by the sacrifice and death of Christ in our nature we shall not attempt to explain away, nor yet think fully to comprehen these mysteries; but we shall see the glory of this plan of redemption and rejoice in the hope set before us. If this be so, that God's love is so great to us, what shall we do now for God? Be frequent in prayer and abound in holy duties; and live no more to yourselves, but to Christ. Christ died for us. But wherefore? That we should still live in sin? No; but that we should die to sin, and live henceforth not to ourselves, but to Him.
Greek Textus Receptus
ειγε 1489 επιμενετε 1961 5719 τη 3588 πιστει 4102 τεθεμελιωμενοι 2311 5772 και 2532 εδραιοι 1476 και 2532 μη 3361 μετακινουμενοι 3334 5746 απο 575 της 3588 ελπιδος 1680 του 3588 ευαγγελιου 2098 ου 3739 ηκουσατε 191 5656 του 3588 κηρυχθεντος 2784 5685 εν 1722 παση 3956 τη 3588 κτισει 2937 τη 3588 υπο 5259 τον 3588 ουρανον 3772 ου 3739 εγενομην 1096 5633 εγω 1473 παυλος 3972 διακονος 1249
Vincent's NT Word Studies
23. Continue in the faith (epimenete th pistei.). The verb means to stay at or with (epi). So Philip. i. 24, to abide by the flesh. See on Rom. vi. 1. The faith is not the gospel system (see on Acts vi. 7), but the Colossians' faith in Christ. Your faith would be better.
Grounded and settled (teqelewmenoi kai edraioi). For grounded, see on settle, 1 Pet. v. 10; compare Luke vi. 48, 49; Eph. iii. 17. Settled, from edra a seat. Rev., steadfast. See 1 Cor. vii. 37; xv. 58, the only other passages where it occurs. Compare eJdraiwma ground, 1 Timothy iii. 15. Bengel says: "The former is metaphorical, the latter more literal. The one implies greater respect to the foundation by which believers are supported; but settled suggests inward strength which believers themselves possess."
Moved away (metakinoumenoi). The present participle signifying continual shifting. Compare 1 Cor. xv. 58.
To every creature (en pash ktisei). Rev, correctly, in all creation. See on 2 Cor. v. 17, and compare ver. 15.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
1:23 {If so be that ye continue in the faith} (ei ge epimenete tei pistei). Condition of the first class (determined as fulfilled), with a touch of eagerness in the use of ge (at least). epi adds to the force of the linear action of the present tense (continue and qen some). {pistei} is in the locative case (in faith). {Grounded} (teqemeliwmenoi). Perfect passive participle of qemeliow, old verb from qemelios (adjective, from qema from tiqemi, laid down as a foundation, substantive, #1Co 3:11f.). Picture of the saint as a building like #Eph 2:20. {Steadfast} (hedraioi). Old adjective from hedra (seat). In N.T. only here, #1Co 7:37; 15:58. Metaphor of seated in a chair. {Not moved away} (me metakinoumenoi). Present passive participle (with negative m) of metakinew, old verb, to move away, to change location, only here in N.T. Negative statement covering the same ground. {From the hope of the gospel} (apo tes elpidos tou euaggeliou). Ablative case with apo. The hope given by or in the gospel and there alone. {Which ye heard} (hou ekousate). Genitive case of relative either by attraction or after ekousate. The Colossians had in reality heard the gospel from Epaphras. {Preached} (kerucqentos). First aorist passive participle of kerussw, to herald, to proclaim. {In all creation} (en pasei ktisei). ktisis is the act of founding (#Ro 1:20) from ktizw (verse #16), qen a created thing (#Ro 1:25), qen the sum of created things as here and #Re 3:14. It is hyperbole, to be sure, but Paul does not say that all men are converted, but only that the message has been heralded abroad over the Roman Empire in a wider fashion than most people imagine. {A minister} (diakonos). General term for service (dia, konis, raising a dust by speed) and used often as here of preachers like our "minister" today, one who serves. Jesus used the verb diakonesai of himself (#Mr 10:45). Our "deacon" is this word transliterated and given a technical meaning as in #Php 1:1.
