Colossians 1:12

Colossians 1:12. Giving thanks, etc. This is parallel with ‘being fruitful,' and the other participles, defining still further the worthy walk. It is fruitful, growing, strong to suffer, and grateful: the last is the most distinctively Christian characteristic.

Unto the Father, i.e., of our Lord Jesus Christ, since this is not only the usual conception, but required by Colossians 1:13. The word ‘Father' is never applied by Paul to God in an abstract sense (Meyer).

who made us meet for the portion. This is a more literal rendering than that of the E. V. ‘Made meet' points to a past act (at the time of receiving the Holy Spirit) which rendered Paul and his readers (‘us') capable (as a matter of grace, not ‘worthy,' as a matter of merit) of obtaining this ‘portion' (or, more literally, ‘share'). This ‘portion' is part of the inheritance (or, ‘lot') of the saints in light. The figure is borrowed from the Old Testament: ‘as the chosen people obtained Canaan through the grace of God, and each Israelite his part in the distribution of the land, so the Christian obtains his portion in and of the kingdom of heaven' (Braune). This inheritance is possessed by ‘the saints,' which term includes all Christians, over against the less extended ‘us' The main question is respecting the connection of the phrase ‘in light.' Meyer regards it as instrumental, connecting it with ‘made meet;' which is unnatural, and opposed by the contrast in Colossians 1:13. Bengel joins it with ‘portion,' as defining the locality; which is scarcely justified by the Greek order. Others join it with ‘saints' as indicating their abode; which is not ungrammatical, but liable to be applied too exclusively to the saints in heaven. Ellicott joins it with ‘inheritance of the saints;' which seems on the whole preferable. The inheritance of the saints is ‘in light,' and they enter even here upon the enjoyment of it (comp. Colossians 1:13). For ‘light' suggests not merely the glory of this inheritance, but the purity and power and life which increasingly come to those made meet for partaking of it.