As therefore you have received Jesus Christ the Lord, walk ye in him:
ως ουν παρελαβετε τον χριστον ιησουν τον κυριον εν αυτω περιπατειτε
8 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Again he forestalls them by their own testimony, saying, "Therefore, as you received." We introduce nothing foreign, he says; therefore you also must not introduce anything. "Walk in Him," because He is the way that leads to the Father. This way is not in angels, for it does not lead there.
"Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord." We introduce nothing new, but desire again what you received. You received the Lord Jesus Christ, not angels. "So walk in Him." For He is the way that leads to the Father. This way is not in angels, for that way does not lead there.
"Therefore, as you received Jesus Christ," understand this as the Gospel of Jesus Christ, "so also walk in Him."
Preserve undamaged the teaching which you received, and follow the ordinances of the Gospel, showing firm faith in yourselves. This is what the word "rooted" means. Add to this the acquisition of virtue, for this is expressed by the word "built up." And the phrase "established in the faith" means: have perfect faith, so that there may be no deficiency in it. Rather, let it flow forth abundantly and abound in you, so that you may hymn the Benefactor for all things. This is what the Apostle means by the word "thanksgiving."
"In Him," that is, in the knowledge of the mystery of God the Father and of Christ, "are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And this I say, lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive speech. For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit" (Col 2:3-5).
According to the course of the discourse, the Apostle's thought is this. In the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and of the mystery of our salvation accomplished by Him, all treasures of wisdom and knowledge are contained.
That is, the highest and most precious knowledge is contained there. "Therefore," the Apostle seems to suggest, "if anyone approaches you as a wise man and begins to offer you wisdom not in accord with the knowledge of God's mystery in Christ Jesus, do not listen to him.
He is not offering you wisdom, but absurd speculation" (Bishop Theophan, and likewise Ambrose). The Apostle himself then expresses and impresses this thought, saying, "Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.
Be rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith, as you were taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving" (Col 2:6-7).
Exhorting them to hold fast what they had received, the Apostle commands them to make progress in it. This is done through being rooted, built up, and strengthened in the faith, thanking the Lord for all things.
They must always abide in Him and always walk with Him on the path to salvation. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life (Jn 14:6).
Therefore, to walk in Him means to abide in the truth which He proclaimed and handed down, both in His life and in His teaching. It means to realize them in life under the guidance of the Church.
The Church guides us to a true following of Christ. "To walk in Christ Jesus is to walk in faith in Him, in hope of salvation in Him alone, in His commandments.
It is to walk under sanctification by grace through His mysteries, and in the whole Christian order," says Bishop Theophan.
The Apostle explains exactly how one must walk in Christ by the words "rooted" and "built up." By them he suggests that Christians must grow as a tree grows, or as a newly constructed house rises.
"Rooted, that is, established, not being carried now to one path, now to another. What is rooted is never moved," says St. John Chrysostom.
"By the word built up, according to the explanation of Blessed Theodoret, the Apostle explains the acquisition of virtue."
"Have perfect faith, so that there may be no deficiency in it. Let it flow forth abundantly and abound exceedingly in you, so that you may hymn the Benefactor for all things."
"According to the teaching of the Apostle Paul, a man must be filled with a sense of gratitude in all his deeds (cf. Col 3:17; 4:2; Phil 4:6; 1 Thess 5:18).
This is still more so when he is conscious of progress in the work of religious and moral perfection" (N. Mukhin).
"Thanksgiving presupposes the tasting of the fruits of faith, and therefore a higher state of life in the realm of faith" (Bishop Theophan).
More plainly, the Apostle explains that he wishes to guard the Colossians from being carried away by false teachings. Their inventors had furnished them with every kind of dialectical and sophistical proof.
In this way they deceived persons not yet firm in Christian convictions. The Apostle now directly urges them not to be deceived. Though separated from the Colossians by great distance, he is near them in spirit.
He can boldly declare that the Colossians have nothing to seek from false teachers. Their Church is distinguished both by outward order, τάξις, and by inward firmness, which faith in Christ gives, στερέωμα της εις Χριστον πίστεως.
They owe this order and firmness to having received with faith the preaching concerning Christ as Lord of all. Therefore they must conform their outward conduct to the demands of the Gospel of Christ, and live in Christ.
"You have received Christ Jesus the Lord" stands in the same sense as the Lord's own words: "He who receives you receives Me" (Mt 10:40). They received the Lord when, hearing the good tidings concerning Him, they believed in Him.
That is, they believed that salvation is in Him alone, and they hoped to be saved in Him. Believing thus, they received holy Baptism, and in it put on Christ the Lord.
This is already the most intimate receiving of Christ the Lord. It is receiving Him not merely in His word, but substantially. The Apostle recalls all this to the Colossians when he says, "as you received the Lord."
To walk in Christ Jesus is to walk in faith in Him, in hope of salvation in Him alone, and in His commandments. It is to walk under sanctification by grace through His mysteries, and in the whole Christian order.
Thus the Apostle says: as you believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, hoped to be saved in Him, and accepted all the obligations that condition this salvation, so remain in all this.
Do not depart from it by so much as a hair. Let your life run according to this order in all its manifestations, in thoughts, words, and deeds.
"Preserve unharmed the doctrine which you received, and follow the evangelical ordinances, showing firm faith in yourselves" (Blessed Theodoret).
"The Apostle persuades and exhorts them not to allow any diminution of their piety within themselves. They must not depart from the faith into which they were counted worthy to enter.
Nor should they, having been turned in mind by absurd fables, receive, or understand, Christ otherwise than they were taught. For at that time many corrupters of the faith wandered about to deceive the simple.
They wickedly and impurely proclaimed Christ. The Apostle here teaches them to avoid such men with all circumspection" (Ambrosiaster).
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 11 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS