Commentary on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians

Comm on Phil, Col, Thes
the right course, inasmuch as distance of place does not prevent me from beholding you with the
eyes of the mind.”
Order and steadfastness. He mentions two things, in which the perfection of the Church consists
— order among themselves, and faith in Christ. By the term order, he means — agreement, no less
than duly regulated morals, and entire discipline. He commends their faith, in respect of its constancy
and steadfastness, meaning that it is an empty shadow of faith, when the mind wavers and vacillates
between different opinions. 352
Colossians 2:6-7
6. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus 6. Quemadmodum igitur suscepistis Christum
the Lord, so walk ye in him:
Iesum Dominum, in ipso ambulate:
7. Rooted and built up in him, and stablished 7. Radicati in ipso, et aedificati, et confirmati
in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding in fide, quemadmodum edocti estis, abundantes
therein with thanksgiving.
in ea cum gratiarum actione.
6. As ye have received. To commendation he adds exhortation, in which he teaches them that
their having once received Christ will be of no advantage to them, unless they remain in him.
Farther, as the false apostles held forth Christ’s name with a view to deceive, he obviates this danger
twice, by exhorting them to go on as they had been taught, and as they had received Christ. For in
these words he admonishes them, that they must adhere to the doctrine which they had embraced,
as delivered to them by Epaphras, with so much constancy, as to be on their guard against every
other doctrine and faith, in accordance with what Isaiah said,
This is the way, walk ye in it. (Isaiah 30 21.)
And, unquestionbly, we must act in such a manner, that the truth of the gospel, after it has been
manifested to us, may be to us as a brazen wall 353 for keeping back all impostures. 354
Now he intimates by three metaphors what steadfastness of faith he requires from them. The
first is in the word walk. For he compares the pure doctrine of the gospel, as they had learned it, to
a way that is sure, so that if any one will but keep it he will be beyond all danger of mistake. He
exhorts them, accordingly, if they would not go astray, not to turn aside from the course on which
they have entered.
The second is taken from trees. For as a tree that has struck its roots deep has a sufficiency of
support for withstanding all the assaults of winds and storms, so, if any one is deeply and thoroughly
fixed in Christ, as in a firm root, it will not be possible for him to be thrown down from his proper
352 “Quand l’esprit est en branle, maintenant d’vne opinion, maintenant d’autre;” — “When the mind is in suspense, now of
one opinion, then of another.”
353 Murus aheneus. Our author has probably in his eye the celebrated sentiment of Horace — “Hic murus aheneus esto — nil
conscire sibi;” — “Let this be the brazen wall — to be conscious to one’s self of no crime.” — (Hor. Ep. I. 1:60, 61.) See also
Hor. Od. III. 3, 65. — Ed.
354 “Toutes fallaces et astutes;” — “All fallacies and wiles.”
108
John Calvin