Colossians 1:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

If this is so, then we give thanks not from fear, nor only from dread before authority, but from the very nature of the things themselves. We thank Him "who has made us fit to share in the inheritance of the saints in light."

He has spoken of a great matter. What has been given, he says, is such that it was not only given, but also made us strong enough to receive what was given.

Thus the word "made fit," τῷ ἱκανώσαντι, has great significance here. Suppose, for example, that someone of low rank became a king. It would be in his power to entrust authority to whomever he wished.

Yet he could grant only the dignity, not the very capacity to rule. Often such honor makes a man ridiculous. But if he both gave him dignity and made him capable of the honor and fit for rule, then the honor would be real.

The same is said here. He not only granted us honor, but also made us strong enough to receive it. Indeed, the honor is twofold: to give the gift and to prepare the capacity for it.

Paul did not simply say, "who gave," but, "who made us fit to share in the inheritance of the saints in light." That is, He placed us with the saints.

Moreover, he did not simply say that He placed us there. He also says that He permitted us to enjoy the same good things. For a share means what each person receives.

One may live in the same city without enjoying the same benefits. But one cannot have the same share without enjoying the same benefits.

One may belong to the same inheritance and not have the same portion. For example, we all belong to the inheritance, but we do not all have the same portion.

Here, however, he is not speaking of that, but of a share together with the inheritance. Why then does he call it an inheritance?

He wishes to show that no one acquires the Kingdom by his good works. As an inheritance depends more on good fortune, so it is here. No one displays such a life as to be worthy of the Kingdom. Everything is God's gift.

For this reason the Evangelist says, "When you have done all that was commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy servants, for we have done what we were obliged to do'" (Lk 17:10).

"To share in the inheritance of the saints in light," that is, in knowledge. It seems to me that he says this both of the present and of the future.

Then he shows what we have been deemed worthy of. It is not only wonderful that we have been deemed worthy of the Kingdom. One must also add that we were deemed worthy while being such as we were.

This is not the same thing, as the Apostle says in the Epistle to the Romans: "For scarcely will one die for a righteous man; though perhaps for a good man someone might even dare to die" (Rom 5:7).

So much has been given, he says, that you have not only become rich, but have also received strength and capacity to appear worthy of receiving such gifts.

For example, if a king entrusted some office to a man of small ability, he would give him the dignity, but would not make him capable of exercising it worthily. In that case, the honor would often expose him to ridicule.

But God both deemed us worthy of the honor and made us capable of receiving it. The honor is doubled because He made us capable of receiving the gift.

"To share in the inheritance of the saints."

That is, He placed you with the saints. And not simply this, but He granted you to enjoy the same good things, which is what the word "share" signifies.

One may live in one and the same city, yet not have an equal portion. Again, one may participate in one and the same inheritance, yet not have the very same share.

For example, we all have one and the same inheritance of the Church, but one has one share and another has another. Here, however, He deemed us worthy both of the same inheritance and of the same share.

Everywhere he uses the word "inheritance," κλήρος, to show that, as inheritance does not depend on human effort but seems rather to depend on fortune, so we are deemed worthy of the Kingdom not because of virtues. Everything depends on the divine gift.

Therefore He says, "When you have done all things, say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have done what we were obliged to do'" (Lk 17:10).

"In light."

Both future and present light are meant, that is, knowledge. For even now He has enlightened us by revealing the mysteries to us, and in the future He will reveal still more.

Therefore it may happen that someone receives the baptism of Christ, but does not receive the faith or love of Christ. He has the sacramentum of holiness, but is not numbered among the inheritance of the saints.

As far as the sacramentum itself alone is concerned, it makes no difference if someone receives the baptism of Christ where there is no unity in Christ.

What then does "sharing in the inheritance," or "portion of the lot," mean? "Lot" has various meanings. Among other things, it means a calling, as is clear from the words spoken by the divine Apostles when they prayed that another be appointed to the apostolic calling from which Judas had fallen.

They said, "Lord, who knowest the hearts of all, show which one of these two Thou hast chosen to take the lot of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas fell away to go to his own place" (Acts 1:24-25).

Thus "portion of the lot" means participation in the apostolic calling. According to this meaning, the sense of Paul's words before us is this: We give thanks to God and the Father, who made us sufficient for the service of the calling given to us, of the saints in light.

These saints who are in light are the holy Apostles, enlightened by God to preach the truth of the Gospel.

But if you understand "lot" as "inheritance," then the meaning will be this: "We give thanks to God and the Father, who made us worthy of the inheritance of the saints. In this present life they are 'in light,' that is, in knowledge of the truth. In the future life they will receive the most perfect knowledge of God."

See also that we are obliged to thank God not only for this, but also for what the following words teach: verses 13 and 14. "Who delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins."

The Apostle calls this gift a lot, borrowing the word from the image of the division of the promised land (Num 26:55), and presenting Christians as the true Israel (cf. Eph 5:5).

As for Christians' dwelling in light, it is known that the name Light was very usual for Jesus Christ Himself (Jn 1:5). The enlightenment of men is also very often attributed to Him (Acts 26:18; 1 Pet 2:9).

For this reason Christians too are often called children of light (Eph 5:8; 1 Thess 5:5).

"God has enlightened us and revealed the hidden things to us," says blessed Theophylact. "In the future He will give us an even greater and more wondrous light."

"By the power of darkness the Apostle means the dominion of the devil," says blessed Theodoret.

"See how manifold the gift is! 'And He transferred us into the Kingdom of the Son of His love.' He did not simply say, 'into the Kingdom of heaven,' but gave the word greater weight by calling the Kingdom of heaven the Kingdom of the Son.

There is no praise greater than this, as he also says elsewhere: 'If we endure, we shall also reign with Him' (2 Tim 2:12). Enemies darkened by gloom He suddenly brought to the place where the Son is, clothing them with equal honor with Him" (John Chrysostom).

In his appointment to serve the ordering of the Gentiles’ salvation, he has his motive for writing. In the depiction of the divine economy of salvation in the Lord, he draws the grounds for warning the Colossians.

The truths set forth here are such that it is enough to point to them in order to strike down every false teaching and turn men away from it.

Let us note beforehand that the first verse of the doctrinal section, verse 12, begins with the word, “giving thanks,” and so on. Some connect this thanksgiving with “to walk” in verse 10.

They say that the Apostle asks for the Colossians the knowledge of God’s will, so that they may walk: first, in every good work pleasing to God, that they may attain the knowledge of God.

Second, they may walk in all patience with joy, being strengthened from above. Third, they may walk “giving thanks” to God, and so on.

But our interpreters connect this “giving thanks” with “we do not cease” in verse 9. By this they suggest that we should see here, not an exhortation of the Colossians to thanksgiving, but the Apostle’s own thanksgiving to God and the Father.

He gives thanks that God has called us into participation in the inheritance of the saints, that is, into the Kingdom of the Son of His love.

This seems all the more fitting because, from this verse onward, the Apostle changes the persons to whom he directs his speech. Earlier he said “you,” meaning the Colossians. Now he says “us.”

By this he gives us to understand that he is beginning to speak about the common Christian work. The content of this and the following verses also shows this.

This compels us to recognize that, with this verse, Saint Paul passes to a depiction of the divine economy of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Giving thanks.” If we connect this word with “we do not cease,” the meaning is: “we do not cease giving thanks,” that is, “we continually give thanks.” Thus Saint Chrysostom says: “The sequence of the Apostle’s thoughts is this: we do not cease praying for you and thanking God for what came before. Do you see how he enters into the discourse concerning the Son?”

Saint Chrysostom holds that the discourse on the divine economy of salvation begins here. So also do our other interpreters.

Blessed Theodoret writes: “We hymn the man-loving Master, because He has made us, though unworthy, participants in the light of the saints. Through thanksgiving the Apostle shows the ineffability of God’s love for mankind and the greatness of God’s economy concerning us.”

So also blessed Theophylact says: “After saying, ‘I pray that God may grant you such and such blessings,’ he now says, ‘I give thanks for what we have already received.’ In this way he gently introduces them to the discourse concerning the Son.”

Thus we shall understand “giving thanks” as “we give thanks,” and here we shall see the beginning of the discourse on the divine economy of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Apostle fittingly begins this discourse with thanksgiving. Only think of the hopelessness of our condition, and set against it the blessed state and glory to which we have been raised.

We had hoped for nothing and deserved nothing. Yet by what wondrous divine economy have we been raised! Take all this into feeling, and you will find no words to express your gratitude.

You will only cry out: “Glory to Thee, O God! Glory to Thee, O God!” If we had merely been delivered from evils, even by some ministering spirit, that would already have been the greatest blessing.

But the Son of God Himself descends, takes upon Himself our poor nature, leads it through redemptive sufferings and death, raises it, and seats it at the right hand of God and the Father.

After this followed the grace of the Holy Spirit, which makes all believers sons and daughters of God. It gives the promise that they too will be where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God, Jn 12:26; cf. Col 3:1.

Who will find words sufficient to thank our most merciful God worthily, not according to the measure of the blessing, but according to the measure of his feeling?

“We give thanks,” he says, “to God and the Father.” The divine economy of salvation was accomplished by the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit.

The salvation of each person, according to this economy, is accomplished by the Father in the Son through the Holy Spirit. Why, then, do we give thanks only to God and the Father?

The false teachers who tempted the Colossians probably had as the starting point of their false teaching the claim that God is wholly separated from creation.

They said that creation cannot bear the action of God. Therefore, from God proceeded many mediating powers, spirits, which descended lower and lower.

At last they appeared in such a form that they could enter into relations with creatures, create them, and sustain them. In their view, among these powers were the Son, Jesus, and Christ.

To show that the false teachers’ starting point is false, the Apostle turns in thanksgiving to God the Father. By this he teaches that God the Father is not separated from us.

On the contrary, He has called us, delivered us from the power of darkness, and transferred us into the Kingdom of the Son. Concerning the Son he will then say that He is not one of the created powers.

On the contrary, He is the Creator of all of them, Himself abiding one with the Father.

He thanks God and the Father, who has called us. Let us note the reading. In Slavonic it reads “you.” But Saint Chrysostom, Theodoret, Oecumenius, and almost all others read “us.”

Likewise all our interpreters, and all the others, do not read καλεσαντι, “who called,” but ικανωσαντι, “who made sufficient,” that is, who recognized us as fit or made us capable.

Very few read both words. We shall read: “who made us sufficient.” Saint Chrysostom draws the following inference from this word: “Such is the gift, he says, that it was not only given, but also made us strong for participation in what was given.”

Or, as Theophylact says: “It not only made us rich, but also gave us the capacity and strength to appear as those who have received it worthily.”

Thus the word “who made us sufficient,” ικανωσαντι, has great significance here. Suppose, for example, that a king entrusted some office of command to a man of small abilities.

He would give him the dignity, but he could not give him the ability to conduct the affairs of command. For such a man, the honor turns into ridicule.

But if the king both gave him the dignity and made him capable of occupying the honorable place and fit for governance, then this would be true honor.

The same is said here. God not only bestowed honor upon us, but also made us strong to receive it.

For the honor is twofold: to give the gift, and to prepare in man the capacity to receive the gift.

Having said this, the Apostle then shows what honor we have been granted and through what we have become capable of it. He says: “for participation in the inheritance of the saints in the light.”

Participation in the inheritance of the saints is the honor. How we became fit for it is shown by the words “in the light.”

What is the inheritance of the saints? It is the Kingdom of Christ, the Kingdom of grace, which also brings us into the Kingdom of glory.

In the very next verse it is said that God has transferred us into the Kingdom of the Son of His love.

In his farewell discourse to the Ephesians, the Apostle said: “And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified,” Acts 20:32.

Here the Kingdom of Heaven seems more in view. In his speech to Agrippa, the Apostle describes what the Lord called him to by using the Lord’s own words.

He says: “to open their eyes,” the eyes of the Gentiles, “that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among the saints by faith in Me,” cf. Acts 26:18.

Here the Kingdom of grace seems more in view. The two Kingdoms are inseparable. The Kingdom of Christ is one Kingdom.

God and the Father has made us capable of having a share in this Kingdom. “Who made us sufficient for participation,” εις την μεριδα, means that He made us fit to have a share or to enter into participation.

With respect to the Kingdom of glory, it is more fitting to say “to have a share,” that is, each his own. With respect to the Kingdom of grace, it is more fitting to say “to enter into participation.”

For although each person here too has his own share according to his strength, this is not visible. What is visible is that everyone entering it has everything needful, no less than all the others.

With respect to the former it is said, “There are many mansions,” Jn 14:2. With respect to the latter it is said, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, neither male nor female,” cf. Gal 3:28.

How we became fit to enter the Kingdom of Christ is shown by the words “in the light.” By this is meant the light of knowledge, communicated through the gospel and received by faith.

It disperses the darkness of ignorance. Also meant is the light of grace, given through the mysteries, which drives away the darkness of sin by the power of regeneration.

Truth in the word of God and grace in the mysteries are the two saving powers. They act on earth in the Church for believers, and outside her for unbelievers.

Some refer “in the light” to the future inheritance, in the sense that it will be radiant. But it is better to refer it to “who made us sufficient,” as the means.

Yet the power of the light may also be extended to the future Kingdom. Here there is light, and there the light is more radiant.

Both are chiefly spiritual, consisting in knowledge and holiness from the fullness of the grace of the Spirit. The outward light will only be the reflection of this.

Blessed Theophylact writes: “In the light, both future and present. For even now God has enlightened us by revealing such mysteries to us. In the future He will give us still more abundant and wondrous light.”