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1. Pau'lo" ] In the cognate letters to the Colossians and Philemon, St Paul joins with himself ‘Timothy our brother.’ The Epistles to the Romans, Galatians and the Pastoral Epistles are written in his own name alone.
ajpovstolo" C. jI. ] Compare Tit. 1:1 dou'lo" qeou' ajpovstolo" de; jI. C. ; Philemon 1 devsmio" C. jI. The title marks the writer as the accredited envoy of his Lord: comp. John 17:18.
dia; qel. qeou' ] 1 Cor. 1:1; 2 Cor. 1:1; Col. 1:1. The thought is expanded in Gal. 1:1 and Rom. 1:1, 5, which form the best commentary on the phrase, though the controversial colouring present there has no place here. Conscious dependence upon GOD Who had called him is the source and strength of St Paul's ministry. Self is lost in GOD (comp. Eph. 2:10). Per voluntatem Dei , subauditur Patris, non meis meritis (Primas.). The original Divine call was the foundation for the Apostle's separation for his special work: Acts 13:2.

The thought finds a somewhat different expression in 1 Tim. 1:1. Man's freedom lies in the acceptance of GOD'S will as his will. The Apostle feels GOD'S purpose for him and welcomes it. All he does is (in purpose) the fulfilment of the will of GOD.
toi'" aJgivoi"... jIhsou' ] St Paul addresses not the organised body ‘the [local] Church’ (as in writing to the Thessalonians and Corinthians, comp. Acts 20:17; Apoc. 2:1 & c.) or local ‘churches’ (as in writing to the Galatians), but ‘the saints’ (as in the Epistles to the Romans, Philippians, Colossians), using the title which was common to all Christians. The word suggests the idea of a Catholic Church, in which ‘the saints and faithful’ scattered throughout the world were united. Even in this slight trait we can recognise the influence of the conception of the empire on the Apostle. Compare Eph. 3:18.

The clause toi'" ou\sin ejn jEfevsw/ is intercalated naturally in the fundamental phrase toi'" aJgivoi" kai; pistoi'" to the saints and faithful. The corresponding enlargement in Col. 1:2 toi'" ejn Kolossai'" aJgivoi" kai; pistoi'" ajdelfoi'" brings out the meaning clearly. The words ejn C. jI. go with the whole sentence: ‘being as you are in Christ Jesus’: incorporated in Him and living by His life. The words are not to be taken here or in 1 Cor. 4:17 with pistov" . Comp. Eph. 6:21; and Addit. Note on ejn Cristw'/ .

For the sense of a{gio" see 1 John 2:20 and for the absolute use of pistov" see Acts 10:45; 1 Tim. 4:3, 12;5:16; 6:2; Tit. 1:6.

The three characteristics saints, faithful, in Christ Jesus , give a complete and harmonious view of those to whom St Paul writes. He addresses men who are consecrated to GOD in a Divine Society ( saints ), who are inspired by a personal devotion towards Him ( faithful ), who are in Him in Whom the Church finds its unity and life (Eph. 4:16). Thus the order saints, faithful , is seen to be perfectly natural. The two thoughts are complementary: GOD'S will, man's answer. So the thought of the social consecration to GOD precedes the thought of the continuous individual faith by which the members of the body keep their place in it.

The word pistoi'" may mean either (1) ‘trustworthy,’ or (2) ‘believing.’ The rendering ‘faithful’ contains elements of both and best represents the meaning here.

The fundamental idea of a{gio" is consecration to GOD. Consecration to GOD implies either in purpose or in attainment conformity to His will.

The word is found of Christians in Acts 26:10 (St Paul); in all St Paul's Epistles except that to the Galatians; in Hebrews, Jude, Apocalypse; but it is not found in the Epistles of St James, St Peter and St John.

2. cavri" kai; eijrhvnh ] The uniform salutation of St Paul in his Epistles to


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