Colossians 1:10-11
10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;
walk (v.10) = the outward expression of life
walk worthy (v.10) — a result of knowing God’s will — God reveals His will so we can walk worthy of Him. — commensurate with what He’s done for us and in us and in conformity with our union with Him — lit. “having the weight of, worth as much as”
fully pleasing Him (v.10) — The Greek word for “pleasing” suggests an attitude of mind which anticipates every wish. In classical Greek it had a bad connotation, denoting a cringing and subservient habit, ready to do anything to please a patron; not only to meet but to anticipate his most trivial wishes. But when transferred to the believer’s relations to his Lord, the word at once rises by its associations. To do anything to meet, to anticipate His wishes is not only the most beneficial but the most absolutely right thing we could do. It is His eternal due; it is at the same time the surest path to our own highest development and gain. — Vaughan, page 30.
being fruitful (v.10), increasing (v.10), strengthened (v.11) and giving thanks (v.12) all grammatically modify “walk” (v.10).
being fruitful (v.10) — present tense, continuous action. Paul always stresses good works as a fruit of a right relationship with God, not a prerequisite.
increasing (v.10) — continuous action
in the knowledge of God (v.10) — might mean “in,” indicating that knowledge is the sphere in which growth takes place, but it’s more likely that it means “by,” indicating that knowledge is the means of growth
strengthened (v.11) — continuous action — a life worthy of the Lord is not meant to be lived on our own power
according to (v.11) = according to the measure of, on the scale of — The strength God gives us isn’t based on our need but on His power.
power (v.11) — God’s revelation of Himself to us is the source of our power.
“Patience” is hupomone, “longsuffering,” makrothumis. Makrothumia will be found to express patience in respect of persons, hupomone, in respect of things. The man makrothumei, who having to do with injurious persons, does not suffer himself easily to be provoked by them, or to blaze up in anger (2 Timothy 4:2). The man hupomone, who under a great siege of trials, bears up, and does not lose heart or courage (Romans 5:3; 2 Corinthians 1:6).
Hupomone does not mark merely endurance, or even patience, but the perseverance, the brave patience with which the Christian contends against the various hindrances, persecutions, and temptations that befall him in his conflict with the inward and outward world. In brief, makrothumia is patience exhibited under ill-treatment by persons, hupomone, patience shown under trials, difficulties, hardships.
This patience and longsuffering is to be accompanied with joyfulness. It (joyfulness) forms a very necessary addition, for the peculiar danger of the exercise of those qualities is that it tends to produce a certain gloominess or sourness of disposition. The remedy is that the Christian should be so filled with joy that he is able to meet all his trials with a buoyant sense of mastery. — Wuest, pages 178-179.
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