Colossians 1:23

If so be that ye continue in the faith, grounded and stedfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel which ye heard, which was preached in all creation under heaven; whereof I Paul was made a minister.

If so be that ye continue ... This is another of innumerable denials in the New Testament of the monstrous proposition euphemistically described as the "final perseverance of the saints." Salvation is conditional, both for the alien sinner and for the sanctified Christian. God has written that chilling word "IF" over against every name inscribed in the Lamb's Book of Life. If people truly hope to receive eternal life, let them behold the condition stated here: "If so be that ye continue in the faith." In short, that means if they do not quit the church! "Faith" in this passage is not subjective, but objective, meaning "the Christian religion."

Which was preached in all creation ... The same thought is expressed in Colossians 1:6. See notes under that reference. "Creation," as used here, is suggestive of Mark 16:15 and Romans 8:22, which see with the comments. Paul loved to speak of Christians as "the new creation"; and thus, by contrast, "creation," as used here, meant the unregenerated part of humanity.

On this verse, David Lipscomb wrote:

It seems strange that the gospel had been preached among all the nations; but, if we consider the earnest character of the Christians, who gloried in persecutions and death for Christ's sake, it will not seem so strange. The greatest hindrance to the gospel in our day is the lukewarm and indifferent character of professed Christians?[51]

Paul ... a minister ... Hendriksen defined a minister thus:

A minister of the gospel is one who knows the gospel, has been saved by the Christ of the gospel, and with joy of heart proclaims the gospel to others. Thus he serves the cause of the gospel?[52]

[50] Will and Ariel Durant, Rousseau and Revolution (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1967), p. 3.

[51] David Lipscomb, op. cit., p. 265.

[52] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 85.