Colossians 1:28

νουθετοῦντες … καὶ διδάσκοντες, “admonishing and teaching.” Methods by which we καταγγέλλομεν, as is indicated in part by the participial form, in part by the insistence on πάντα ἄνθρωπον. For νουθετεῖν compare Acts 20:31; 1 Corinthians 4:14; Wis 11:10, and for both verbs infra Colossians 3:16.

Of the two words the first refers to the more practical, the second to the more theoretical, side of men’s relation to Christ and of His to them. For διδάσκω see also Colossians 2:7; Colossians 3:16.

πάντα ἄνθρωπον, three times. The thoroughness of the proclamation of the Gospel includes the thought of its being brought to every member of the human race. Here too such individual work forms a natural transition to St Paul’s special efforts for the Colossians.

Compare 1 Corinthians 10:1-4; 1 Corinthians 12:29-30.

ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ, “in all (practical) wisdom” (cf. notes Colossians 1:9).

ἵνα παραστῄσωμεν. See notes on Textual Criticism. “That we may present,” i.e. to God as judge hereafter, see Colossians 1:22 note.

τέλειον, “perfect.” (1) In Colossians 1:22 stress was laid on the absence of faults, here on the perfection of development, consequent on the training implied in νουθετοῦντες and διδάσκοντες. Cf. Colossians 4:12; also James 1:4. In a somewhat lower sense it is used of the maturity of the adult compared with the child, e.g. Hebrews 5:13-14, and perhaps even Ephesians 4:13.

(2) It should, however, be added that Lightfoot thinks that both here and 1 Corinthians 2:6-7 “the epithet τέλειος is probably a metaphor borrowed from the ancient mysteries, where it seems to have been applied to the fully instructed, as opposed to the novices.” He refers to 1 Chronicles 25:8; 2 Peter 1:16.

ἐν Χριστῷ. Apart from Christ the believer has no spiritual vigour (John 15:5), in Him he has all (cf. Philippians 4:13).