Colossians 1:12-13 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Colossians 1:12-29

Here is a summary of the doctrine of the gospel concerning the great work of our redemption by Christ. It comes in here not as the matter of a sermon, but as the matter of a thanksgiving; for our salvation by Christ furnishes us with abundant matter of thanksgiving in every view of it: Giving thanks unto the Father, Col. 1:12. He does not discourse of the work of redemption in the natural order of it; for then he would speak of the purchase of it first, and afterwards of the application of it.... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Colossians 1:12-14

1:12-14 May you give thanks to the Father, who enabled us to obtain our share of the inheritance of God's dedicated people in the Kingdom of light; for he rescued us from the power of darkness, and brought us over into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption and the forgiveness of sins. Paul turns to grateful thanksgiving for the benefits which the Christian has received in Christ. There are two key ideas here. (i) God has given to the Colossians a share in the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Colossians 1:12

Giving thanks unto the Father ,.... To God the Father, as the Vulgate Latin and the Syriac versions read the clause; and the Complutensian edition, and some copies, "God and the Father"; who is both the Father of Christ by nature, and of all his people by adoption. The Ethiopic version renders it, as an exhortation or advice, "give ye thanks to the Father"; and so the Syriac version: but the words rather seem to be spoken in the first, than in the second person, and are to be considered in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Colossians 1:13

Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness ,.... That is, from the power of Satan; see Acts 26:18 , who, though once an angel of light, is now darkness itself, and is reserved in chains of darkness; he is a ruler of the darkness of this world; his kingdom is a kingdom of darkness; and he blinds the minds of them that believe not, keeps them in darkness, and increases the natural darkness of their minds; he delights in works of darkness, and tempts men to them; and his everlasting... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 1:12

Giving thanks unto the Father - Knowing that ye have nothing but what ye have received from his mere mercy, and that in point of merit ye can never claim any thing from him. Which hath made us meet - Ἱκανωσαντι· Who has qualified us to be partakers, etc. Instead of ἱκανωσαντι , some MSS. and versions have καλεσαντι , called; and B (the Codex Vaticanus) has both readings. Giving thanks unto the Father, who hath called and qualified us to be partakers. Of the inheritance - Εις... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 1:13

Delivered us from the power of darkness - Darkness is here personified, and is represented as having εξουσια , power, authority, and sway; all Jews and Gentiles, which had not embraced the Gospel, being under this authority and power. And the apostle intimates here that nothing less than the power of God can redeem a man from this darkness, or prince of darkness, who, by means of sin and unbelief, keeps men in ignorance, vice, and misery. Translated us into the kingdom, etc - He has... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 1:12

Verse 12 12.Giving thanks. Again he returns to thanksgiving, that he may take this opportunity of enumerating the blessings which had been conferred upon them through Christ, and thus he enters upon a full delineation of Christ. For this was the only remedy for fortifying the Colossians against all the snares, by which the false Apostles endeavored to entrap them — to understand accurately what Christ was. For how comes it that we are carried about with so many strange doctrines, (Hebrews 13:9)... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 1:13

Verse 13 13.Who hath delivered us. Mark, here is the beginning of our salvation — when God delivers us from the depth of ruin into which we were plunged. For wherever his grace is not, there is darkness, (297) as it is said in Isaiah 60:2 Behold darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the nations; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. In the first place, we ourselves are called darkness, and afterwards the whole world, and Satan, the Prince of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Colossians 1:1-14

SECTION I. INTRODUCTION . The Epistle commences, in St. Paul's manner, with a salutation ( Colossians 1:1 , Colossians 1:2 ), followed by thanksgiving ( Colossians 1:3-8 ) and prayer ( Colossians 1:9-14 ). Only in 2 Thessalonians, however, outside of the Epistles of this group, do we find a formal opening prayer. The salutation agrees closely with that of Ephesians. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Colossians 1:1-14

Introduction. I. THE SALUTATION . 1. Paul and Timothy. 2. Saints and faithful brethren. 3. Grace and peace. II. THE THANKSGIVING . 1. The essentials of the Christian life. ( Colossians 1:3-5 .) "Fides, amor, spes: summa Christianismi" (Bengel). Compare the order and relation of the three graces here and in 1 Thessalonians 1:3 ; Ephesians 1:15-18 ; with 1 Corinthians 13:13 ; also Hebrews 10:22-25 , Revised Version. 2. The progress of the... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Colossians 1:12-29

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Colossians 1:12-14

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Colossians 1:12

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Colossians 1:13

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 1:12

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 1:13

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 1:12

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 1:13

The Pulpit Commentary - Colossians 1:1-14

The Pulpit Commentary - Colossians 1:1-14

Group of Brands