Commentary on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians

Comm on Phil, Col, Thes
This doctrine, therefore, makes the ceremonies be the more lightly esteemed. Hence it is manifest
that Paul, in this passage, exhorts in such a manner as to confirm the foregoing doctrine; for, in
describing solid piety and holiness of life, his aim is, that those vain shows of human traditions
may vanish. 430 At the same time, he anticipates an objection with which the false apostles might
assail him. What then? “Wouldst thou rather have men be idle than addict themselves to such
exercises, of whatever sort they may be?” When, therefore, he bids Christians apply themselves to
exercises of a greatly superior kind, he cuts off the handle for this calumny; nay more, he loads
them with no small odium, on the ground that they impede the right course of the pious by worthless
amusements. 431
1. If ye are risen with Christ. Ascension follows resurrection: hence, if we are the members of
Christ we must ascend into heaven, because he, on being raised up from the dead, was received up
into heaven, (Mark 16:19,) that he might draw us up with him. Now, we seek those things which
are above, when in our minds 432 we are truly sojourners in this world, and are not bound to it. The
word rendered think upon expresses rather assiduity and intensity of aim: “Let your whole meditation
be as to this: to this apply your intellect — to this your mind.” But if we ought to think of nothing
but of what is heavenly, because Christ is in heaven, how much less becoming were it to seek Christ
upon the earth. Let us therefore bear in mind that that is a true and holy thinking as to Christ, which
forthwith bears us up into heaven, that we may there adore him, and that our minds may dwell with
him.
As to the right hand of God, it is not confined to heaven, but fills the whole world. Paul has
made mention of it here to intimate that Christ encompasses us by his power, that we may not think
that distance of place is a cause of separation between us and him, and that at the same time his
majesty may excite us wholly to reverence him.
2. Not the things that are on earth. He does not mean, as he does a little afterwards, depraved
appetites, which reign in earthly men, nor even riches, or fields, or houses, nor any other things of
the present life, which we must
use, as though we did not use them,
(1 Corinthians 7:30, 31) 433
but is still following out his discussion as to ceremonies, which he represents as resembling
entanglements which constrain us to creep upon the ground. “Christ,” says he, “calls us upwards
to himself, while these draw us downwards.” For this is the winding-up and exposition of what he
had lately touched upon as to the abolition of ceremonies through the death of Christ. “The
ceremonies are dead to you through the death of Christ, and you to them, in order that, being raised
up to heaven with Christ, you may think only of those things that are above. Leave off therefore
earthly things.” I shall not contend against others who are of a different mind; but certainly the
Apostle appears to me to go on step by step, so that, in the first instance, he places traditions as to
trivial matters in contrast with meditation on the heavenly life, and afterwards, as we shall see, goes
a step farther.
430 “S’en aillent en fumee;” — “May vanish into smoke.”
431 “Par des amusemens plus que pueriles;” — “By worse than childish amusements.”
432 “De cœur et esprit;” — “In heart and spirit.”
433 See Calvin on the Corinthians, vol. 1, p. 257.
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John Calvin