Commentary on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians

Comm on Phil, Col, Thes
up to love them wherever they appear. He uses the expression, faith in Christ, that we may always
bear in mind that Christ is the proper object of faith.
He employs the expression, love towards the saints, not with the view of excluding others, but
because, in proportion as any one is joined to us in God, we ought to embrace him the more closely
with special affection. True love, therefore, will extend to mankind universally, because they all
are our flesh, and created in the image of God, (Genesis 9:6;) but in respect of degrees, it will begin
with those who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:10.)
5. For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven. For the hope of eternal life will never be
inactive in us, so as not to produce love in us. For it is of necessity, that the man who is fully
persuaded that a treasure of life is laid up for him in heaven will aspire thither, looking down upon
this world. Meditation, however, upon the heavenly life stirs up our affections both to the worship
of God, and to exercises of love. The Sophists pervert this passage for the purpose of extolling the
merits of works, as if the hope of salvation depended on works. The reasoning, however, is futile.
For it does not follow, that because hope stimulates us to aim at upright living, it is therefore founded
upon works, inasmuch as nothing is more efficacious for this purpose than God’s unmerited
goodness, which utterly overthrows all confidence in works.
There is, however, an instance of metonymy in the use of the term hope, as it is taken for the
thing hoped for. For the hope that is in our hearts is the glory which we hope for in heaven. At the
same time, when he says, that there is a hope that is laid up for us in heaven, he means, that believers
ought to feel assured as to the promise of eternal felicity, equally as though they had already a
treasure laid up 280 in a particular place.
Of which ye heard before. As eternal salvation is a thing that surpasses the comprehension of
our understanding, he therefore adds, that the assurance of it had been brought to the Colossians
by means of the gospel; and at the same time he says in the outset, 281 that he is not to bring forward
anything new, but that he has merely in view to confirm them in the doctrine which they had
previously received. Erasmus has rendered — it the true word of the gospel. I am also well aware
that, according to the Hebrew idiom, the genitive is often made use of by Paul in place of an epithet;
but the words of Paul here are more emphatic. 282 For he calls the gospel, καψ ἐξοχήν, (by way of
eminence,) the word of truth, with the view of putting honor upon it, that they may more steadfastly
and firmly adhere to the revelation which they have derived from that source. Thus the term gospel
is introduced by way of apposition 283
6 As also in all the world it brings forth fruit. This has a tendency both to confirm and to comfort
the pious — to see the effect of the gospel far and wide in gathering many to Christ. The faith of
it does not, it is true, depend on its success, as though we should believe it on the ground that many
believe it. Though the whole world should fail, though heaven itself should fall, the conscience of
a pious man must not waver, because God, on whom it is founded, does nevertheless remain true.
This, however, does not hinder our faith from being confirmed, whenever it perceives God’s
excellence, which undoubtedly shews itself with more power in proportion to the number of persons
that are gained over to Christ.
280 “Vn tresor en seure garde;” — “A treasure in safe keeping.”
281 “Il dit auant que passer plus outre;” — “He says before proceeding farther.”
282 “Ont yci plus grande signifiance, et emportent plus;” — “Have here more significancy, and are more emphatic.”
283 The term apposition, in grammar, signifies the putting of two nouns in the same case. — Ed.
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John Calvin