Colossians 1:27Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

To raise people more insensible than stones suddenly to the dignity of angels, solely by simple words and faith alone, without any labor, is truly the glory and riches of the mystery.

It is like someone who took a dog dying of hunger and mange, vile and repulsive, no longer able to move and cast away, and suddenly made it a man and showed it seated on a royal throne.

Look: they worshiped stones and earth, considering them better than heaven and the sun. They thought the whole world served them.

They were captives and prisoners of the devil, and suddenly they stepped upon his head. They began to command him and scourge him.

Servants and slaves of demons became the body of the Master of angels and archangels. Those who did not even know that there is a God suddenly became enthroned with God.

Do you wish to see the countless steps over which they leapt? First, they had to learn that stones are not gods.

Second, that they are not only not gods, but lower than men. Third, that they are lower than irrational animals. Fourth, that they are lower than plants.

Fifth, that they, the Gentiles, had confused things completely opposed to one another. They had to learn that not only stones, but neither earth, animals, plants, man, heaven, nor what is above heaven, is God.

Again, they had to learn that human nature must worship neither stones, nor animals, nor plants, nor the elements, nor things above, nor things below.

Nor must it worship man, demons, angels, archangels, or any other of those higher powers.

As though drawing from some abyss, they had to learn that the Master of all, He is God. They had to learn that He alone must be served, and that the wondrous ordering of life is good.

They had to learn that present death is not death, and present life is not life. They had to learn that the body rises, becomes incorruptible, ascends to heaven, is counted worthy of immortality, and dwells with angels.

Man stood so low. After he had crossed all these steps, Christ seated him in heaven, on the throne. The one who had been lower than stones He set above angels, archangels, thrones, and dominions.

Truly he said well, What is the riches of the glory in this mystery? The matter is like someone suddenly making a fool into a philosopher.

Or rather, whatever you say, you will explain nothing, because Paul's words too are indefinite. What, he says, is the riches of the glory in this mystery for the Gentiles, which is Christ in you?

It was still necessary to learn that He who is above all, who rules over angels and has authority over all the other powers, descended below, became man, endured countless sufferings, rose, and ascended.

All this was the consequence of the mystery, and Paul solemnly proclaims it when he says: which is Christ in you.

But if He is in you, why do you seek teachers for yourselves from among the angels?

In this mystery. There is another mystery also, but this is preeminently the mystery. No one knew it. It is most wondrous. No one expected it. It was hidden.

Which is Christ in you, he says, the hope of glory.

So he says elsewhere: “that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy” (cf. Rom 15:9).

For though it appears also among others, it does not appear to the same degree as among those more insensible than stones, who worship stones and creeping things.

It is as if someone took a mangy and emaciated dog, unable even to move, made it a man, and seated it on a royal throne. He would be glorified more than if he had done this for a man not greatly in need.

He spoke well: “in this mystery.” There are other mysteries, but this is especially the mystery which no one knew, and which stands against common custom and expectation. It is precisely the reception of the Gentiles into the Church.

“Which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Explaining what the riches are and what the mystery is, he says: “Christ in you,” that is, that you have come to know Christ and He is in you.

He sets this forth with praise, so as to draw them more strongly. For if Christ is in you, how can you call angels your benefactors?

Christ is the hope of glory because through Him we hope to attain eternal glory. Or else, because Christ is our glorious and unashamed hope.

For this purpose, that is, to bring all to this glory through Christ, our universal Reconciler with God, the Apostle writes: “that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. For this I also labor and strive, according to His power which works mightily in me” (Col 1:28-29).

St. John Chrysostom says: “In others also the great glory of the mystery appears, but much more among the Gentiles. To raise people more insensible than stones suddenly to the dignity of angels, solely through simple words and faith alone, without any labor, is truly the glory and riches of the mystery.

“Jesus Christ seated in heaven, on a throne, the man who had been lower than the stones he worshiped as gods. He placed him above the angels. Truly the Apostle spoke well: what are the riches of the glory of this mystery. It is like someone suddenly making a philosopher out of a fool.”

The Colossians received the Christian preaching inwardly and essentially. Therefore Christ lived in their hearts and was present with them. Compare Rom 8:10, 2 Cor 13:3, Gal 2:20, Eph 3:17.

By pointing to this, the Apostle rouses the Colossians to further movement in Christ on the path toward future glory. Compare 1 Tim 1:1.

According to Bishop Theophan, the Apostle speaks as though saying: “The pledge that glory will truly be revealed, and that you will share in it, is this: Christ is in you.”

Only He can lead us into the sanctuary of this mystery and show its riches, who commands the eternal gates. He will show it only when they are opened. “The mystery of the Lord is for those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant” (Ps 24:14).

O mystery of mysteries, glorious and unknown mystery, so near and unattainable, so long preached and always ineffable, so often disputed and so rarely comprehended!

In vain does curiosity desire with one glance to penetrate the whole depth of Christianity. In vain does unbelief think it can hear by touch and know light by hearing.

The God of minds hides Himself from the wise and understanding, and reveals Himself to babes. His mystery cannot be wrested away or stolen. It can only be patiently asked for and mercifully bestowed.

Our duty, Christians, is to cleanse and adorn our temple, not to appoint for the Lord the time and manner of His gracious visitation. If we wish to examine how He can dwell in this temple, let us first examine how we make our preparation for this.

Let us separate ourselves from ourselves for a moment, and enter our inner temple as observers at least as detached as we sometimes are in the visible church.

Can we fail to notice in it the multitude of images of the world and the flesh? They are brought in one after another, set and raised one above another, and together or in turn demand some sacrifice. From time to time, they receive it.

Is this the temple of the one God, or is it a shrine of the whole world?

By saints, the Apostle means all Christians. Events showed that not all Christians, who at first were exclusively from the Jews, understood this mystery.

This was so even after God Himself, by His own special action, brought a whole Gentile household into the Church through the Apostle Peter. After this, those capable of understanding it began to see into it.

First, of course, the Apostles saw it, and then the other believers. After this, the Apostle of the Gentiles was raised up, and the mystery became almost generally known.

Blessed Theodoret writes: The Apostle called the preaching of the divine economy a mystery, because in ancient times it was unknown to all and known to God alone.

And behold, says the Apostle, what had been hidden from former generations, God has now manifested to the saints, to whom He willed, that is, to the Apostles, and through them to those who believed.

By this he shows that before the law and before the foundation of the world, the God of all foreordained this divine economy. To us saints, the Apostle continues, He made it known.

What is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles. The Apostle expressed his thought most beautifully.

Wishing to show the whole weight of the appropriation of the divine economy of salvation by the Gentiles also, he seeks explanation upon explanation out of an abundance of feeling, says Saint Chrysostom.

How rich and abundant is the glory of the mystery, or of the divine economy of salvation, when one looks at it in its application to the Gentiles.

One must take the point of view from which the Jews then looked at the Gentiles. Saint Paul himself did not depart from this view.

Then one must imagine what they became when they became Christians, in order to come close to the Apostle's thought. Saint Chrysostom does this.

In others too the glory of this mystery is great, that is, of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. But in them, the Gentiles, it is far greater.

To raise people more insensible than stones suddenly to the dignity of angels, solely by simple words and faith alone, without any labor, is truly the glory and riches of the mystery.

It is like someone who took a dog dying of hunger and mange, vile and repulsive, no longer able to move and cast away, and suddenly made it a man and showed it seated on a royal throne.

Look: they worshiped stones and earth, and were captives and prisoners of the devil. Suddenly they stepped upon his head, ruled over him, and scourged him.

Servants and slaves of demons became the body of the Lord of angels and archangels. Those who did not even know that there is a God suddenly became enthroned with God.

Do you wish to see the countless steps over which they leapt? First, they had to know that stones are not gods.

Second, they had to know that not only are stones not gods, but neither earth, animals, plants, man, heaven, nor what is above heaven is God.

Third, they had to know that human nature must worship neither stones, nor animals, nor plants, nor the elements, nor things above, nor things below.

Nor must it worship man, demons, angels, archangels, or any other of those higher powers.

As though drawing from some abyss, they had to learn that the Lord of all, He is God. They had to learn that He alone must be served, and that the wondrous ordering of life is good.

They had to learn that present death is not death, and present life is not life. They had to learn that the body will rise, will become immortal, and that man will dwell with angels.

Man stood so low. After he had leapt over all these steps, Jesus Christ seated him in the heavens on the throne. The one who had been lower than stones He set above angels, archangels, thrones, and dominions.

Truly he said well, What is the riches of this mystery? The matter is like someone suddenly making a fool into a philosopher.

Or rather, whatever one may say, one cannot explain the Apostle's thought as one ought.

Which is Christ in you. Which stands in place of what, as the structure of the Greek language permits. What, that is, the riches of the glory of this mystery, is Christ in you.

It is as though he wished to say: there is no need to multiply words. It is enough to say, Christ in you.

For if He is in you, then with Him are the countless blessings granted to the human race in Him. All these are in you. In a word: Christ is in you.

Or thus: all this riches of the glory of this mystery consists, or is seen, in the fact that Christ is in you. Christ is in you with His blessings.

You experience this and see in reality how great and glorious this blessing is. This is the riches of the glory of this mystery.

Explaining what riches are and what the mystery is, he says, Christ in you. That is, that you have known Christ and He is in you, says blessed Theophylact.

Christ in you, the hope of glory. By the hope of glory, the Apostle meant the glory that is awaited, says blessed Theodoret.

For through Him we hope to obtain eternal glory. Our most glorious and unashamed hope is Christ the Lord, says blessed Theophylact.

The Apostle suggests this: the glory manifested upon you, through your being made partakers of the divine economy of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ, is certainly great, rich, and abundant.

But it is only the firstfruits of glory. True glory, in its full brilliance and magnificence, is awaited in the future.

The guarantee that it will truly be revealed, and that you will be partakers of it also, is this: Christ is in you.