Colossians 2:19

Largely parallel to Ephesians 4:15-16. Paul proceeds to point out that so far from securing spiritual growth of a higher order, the false teaching, by loosening the hold on Christ, prevented any growth at all, since it obstructed or severed the very channel of spiritual life. καὶ οὐ κρατῶν τὴν κεφαλήν : “and not holding fast the head”. For this sense of κρ. with the accusative cf. Song of Solomon 3:4, ἐκράτησα αὐτὸν καὶ οὐκ ἀφήκα αὐτόν. It is clear from this that the false teachers were Christians. They did not profess to have no hold upon Christ, but their hold was not firm. All the supplies of life and energy flow from the Head, so that loose connexion with it involves serious loss and not progress in the spiritual life. It is significant that here each member is recognised as having an immediate relation to the Head. ἐξ οὗ : not neuter, referring to κεφ., for ἐξ ἧς would have been more natural, but “from whom”. It should be connected with both participles. πᾶν τὸ σῶμα : “the whole body”. Alford takes it “the body in its every part,” but Ellicott denies that any distinction between τὸ πᾶν σῶνα. and πᾶν τὸ σῶνα can be safely drawn. It is the body as a whole that increases, and thus Paul condemns the tendencies to intellectual or spiritual exclusiveness, which cripple alike the body and the members who exhibit such tendencies. As this increase continues each member shares in the body's progress. διὰ τῶν ἁφῶν καὶ συνδέσμων. Lightfoot gives a very full discussion of these terms and their use in medical writers. He translates “through the junctures and ligaments”. No doubt Paul's language is popular, not technical. He is speaking of the means by which the various parts of the body are supplied and knit together. Meyer takes ἁφ. to mean sensations or nerve impulses, but we have no evidence for this meaning; nor is it suitable here, for there is no reason for referring ἁφ. to ἐπιχορ. and συνδ. to συνβιβ. No explanation is given of ἁφ. κ. συνδ. Some think of the Holy Spirit, others of brotherly love, others of ministers. But probably in Paul's mind they did not correspond to anything definitely. ἐπιχορηγούμενον καὶ συνβιβαζόμενον. “being supplied and united”. Often the supply is thought to be of nourishment, but perhaps we should interpret more generally of life. ἁφ. κ. συν. are thus the media through which life is communicated and the unity of the organism secured. αὔξει τὴν αὔξησιν τοῦ Θεοῦ : “increaseth with the increase of God”. Generally αὔξ. τ. Θ. is explained to mean the growth which God gives (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:6). Against this is the fact that Christ is referred to as the source of growth. We may better take it “a growth such as God requires” (Ol., Haupt).