APOSTOLIC AMBIGUITY IN COLOSSIANS 1:11-12

Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915), an American writer and philosopher who, along with his wife, died aboard the RMS Lusitania when it was sunk by a German submarine off the coast of Ireland on May 7, 1915, observed that "suffering makes kinsmen of us all." The sufferings and afflictions of living within a fallen world are common to us all, as are the occasions of discouragement that arise from such. Some can weather these storms, while others are overwhelmed by them. "If afflictions refine some, they consume others," wrote Thomas Fuller (1654-1734). The English author and physician, Dr. W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965), rightly noted, "Suffering, for the most part, makes men petty and vindictive." From a strictly human perspective, Dr. Maugham states, "It is not true that suffering ennobles the character." Far too often, these afflictions embitter us, causing us to lash out at our circumstances, others around us, and God. "Why this? Why me? Why now?" We cry out, in a crisis of faith, "Where are You, God?! Are You even there anymore? Do You even care?!" We feel abandoned; betrayed; used and toyed with. Or, as the German philosopher Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844–1900) phrased it, "It is not so much the suffering as the senselessness of it that is unendurable."

Throughout the writings of both the OT and NT, we find countless accounts of suffering. Men, women, children, families and nations, animals, and even afflictions that beset the physical creation itself. Frustration abounds in these accounts; confusion and despair; appeals to God for mercy. And all, or so it often seems to us, with NO response and NO relief. Yes, we are assured, we'll understand it all "by and by;" some glad morning it will all be better; tears and sorrow will be no more! Yet, for far too many suffering souls, this seems to be little consolation. Even creation itself seems to have surrendered to the misery of the moment, hoping against hope for some far-distant deliverance:

"The creation waits in eager anticipation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time" (Romans 8:19-22).

As the creation groans as it experiences frustration in the face of its own form of "suffering," so also do its inhabitants in the face of their own afflictions.

And yet, in the face of such afflictions, and even despite them, the people of God are charged time and again in the Scriptures to be of good cheer; to be joyful; indeed, to rejoice in our sufferings, counting ourselves blessed and privileged to suffer for the Lord Jesus and his cause. The apostle Peter wrote: "To the degree that you share the sufferings of the Messiah, keep on rejoicing" (1 Peter 4:13). Jesus said: "Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows; but cheer up, for I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). Although we believe in and trust in his victory, that does not diminish the reality of our present "trials and sorrows," and being cheerful and joyful as we endure them is not a natural response. "It is impossible for the believers, by their own reason and strength, to lead the life demanded by the will of God" [Dr. Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible - The NT, vol. 2, p. 320].

gives us anything to do that He does not give us the enabling power of Indeed, to live the life that God wants us to live, we need the enabling power of His spirit to do so. God – Yehovah never His spirit to carry it out. Yohovah our God and Father informs His people that, although they will be experiencing suffering as they journey through this life, He will provide them, as a gift of His grace, the ability to weather these storms, and even to do so with an inner sense of peace and joy that the world will scarcely comprehend.

Jesus informs us: "I am leaving you with a gift - peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid" (John 14:27). "Obviously, these are gifts - the result of the Messiah's glorious might working within us" [Dr. Maxie D. Dunnam, The Communicator's Commentary - Colossians, p. 340]. David Lipscomb (1831-1917) wrote that “this gift of grace from the Lord "enabled the Christians to meet all their trials with a buoyant sense of mastery" [A Commentary on the NT Epistles, vol. 4, p. 256].

Although the above thoughts only scratch the surface of the teaching of the Scriptures on this subject, I would like to call your attention (in light of the above thoughts) to a statement made by Paul in his epistle to the Colossians (which he wrote while imprisoned in Rome). Paul informs these disciples of Jesus: “that he has not ceased to pray for them (Colossians 1:9), asking God to assist them in their efforts to walk in a manner worthy of His divine calling of them” (vs. 10). Then, in verses 11-12a, Paul prays: “that they may be "strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness, giving thanks unto the Father" (King James Version).

Notice that phrase: "with joyfulness" - in Greek, it is "meta chara," which literally means "with joy."

The Welsh theologian, minister, and author, Matthew Henry (1662-1714), stated: "This we could never do by any strength of our own, but as we are strengthened by the grace of God" [Commentary on the Whole Bible, e-Sword]. Little wonder, then, that the word "chara" ("joy" - which appears 59 times in the NT) flows naturally from the word "charis" ("grace"). With the grace given to us by our God, we are thus empowered not only to withstand life's trials and tribulations and sufferings but to do so with steadfastness patience and even joy! This is not natural, but supernatural. "The world wonders at the saints who can be so joyful in their King, despite the drawbacks and difficulties to which they are exposed" [The Pulpit Commentary, vol. 20 - Colossians, p. 43].

Just imagine what the other prisoners at the jail in Philippi must have been thinking as they listened to Paul and Silas "praying and singing hymns of praise to God" (Acts 16:25) after having been beaten severely and "thrown into the inner prison and their feet fastened in the stocks" (vs. 23-24). This is a "joy" unfathomable to the world.

Such "joy is no flippant exuberance, no gushy bubbling of surface feeling self-conjured up. It is the subdued ecstasy of knowing and being known, of loving and being loved, by God. Joy, unlike happiness, is not dependent on circumstances and people. Joy is the expression of the Messiah indwelling us, the fruit of the Spirit even growing out of the soil of difficulties and suffering" [Dr. Maxie D. Dunnam, The Communicator's Commentary - Colossians, p. 341].

James, the brother of our lord Jesus, wrote: "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" (James 1:2-4). "The true strength of the believer consists, not so much in what he can do, as in what he can endure, with the enabling power of the Spirit of Yehovah (Isaiah 30:15). The characteristic of both patience and longsuffering is 'joyfulness.' To suffer with joyfulness is the great distinction and triumph of the Christian spirit" [The Biblical Illustrator Commentary, e-Sword].

"Observe the holy paradox of the thought here. The fulness of God’s enabling spiritual power in the saints is to result primarily of not in 'doing some great thing' but in enduring and forbearing, with heavenly joy of heart. The paradox points to one deep characteristic of the Gospel, which prepares the Christian for service by the way of a true abnegation of himself [death to self] as his own strength and his own aim" [The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, e-Sword]. John Gill (1697-1771), the English Puritan pastor, author, and theologian, rightly observed: "This requires strength above our nature, and a renewed supply of Grace" [Exposition of the Bible, e-Sword]. Alexander MacLaren (1826-1910), a distinguished Scottish non-conformist minister known for his remarkable biblical exegesis and powerful preaching, wrote that Paul has laid a very heavy duty upon us: "when he put before us an ideal of joy mingling with patience and longsuffering. The command would be an impossible one if there were not the assurance that we should be 'strengthened with all might.' We plainly need an infusion of God’s enabling spirit giving us strength, if that strange marriage of joy and sorrow should take place" [Expositions of Holy Scripture, e-Sword].

·       In His Sermon on the Mount, at the end of the section known as The Beatitudes, Jesus says: "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way, they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matthew 5:11-12). And Jesus set the example in evidencing such inner joy: "Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author, and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart" (Hebrews 12:1b-3).

When listing the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), the second quality of this fruit that he lists, coming right after love, is JOY.

Yehovah has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit empowers us to show love and joy, and to possess a peaceful and patient spirit, even in the face of severe trials and afflictions, just as Jesus did when he faced the same (and worse). Yes, wrote Paul, it is possible to be "sorrowful yet always rejoicing" (2 Corinthians 6:10) if we are Spirit-filled and Spirit-led. "This paradox is genuinely Pauline and arises from personal experience" [The Pulpit Commentary, vol. 20 - Colossians, p. 6].

Although this passage (Colossians 1:11-12) is both challenging and comforting (the former in that we are called to be patient and longsuffering with joy; the latter in that we are assured of the enabling power of the spirit of the lord to accomplish this), this passage is also a bit confusing, and it has been contested by biblical scholars for centuries because of the grammatical ambiguity of the phrase "with joy." The problem is: that there is no certain way of telling if that phrase should go with what comes before it (patience and longsuffering) or what comes after it (giving thanks to the Father Yehovah). "It is debatable whether 'joyfully' should be construed with" the former or the latter [The Expositor's Bible Commentary, vol. 11, p. 179].

Dr. Marvin R. Vincent, the noted Greek scholar, writes, "Some connect “with joy” with 'giving thanks' (vs. 12), and this is favored by the construction of the previous clauses: in every good work bearing fruit ... with all power strengthened ... “with joy” giving thanks" [Word Studies in the NT, vol. 3, p. 466].

From early times, some have connected this phrase ('with joy') with the next verse, mainly on the ground of the parallelism of the structure of the clauses (in Greek)" [Dr. Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible, e-Sword]. Albert Barnes (1798-1870). In his work, Barnes' Notes on the Bible, wrote: "The Syriac version, Chrysostom, and a few manuscripts attach this phrase to the following verse, and read it: 'With joyfulness giving thanks to the Father - Yehovah.' The only difference is in the pointing, and reading makes good sense" [e-Sword]. Barnes is right. Whether we point the phrase backward to longsuffering and patience, or whether we point the phrase forward to thanking our God, the idea of doing so joyfully is equally applicable. The question, of course, is: which view is the one Paul held as he wrote the text?

The more difficult reading for the Christian, of course, is the one that suggests we can, and perhaps even should, suffer with joy. That goes against our nature; it seems impossible and unnatural. Yet, as we have noted, all through Scripture we are challenged to do just that. Thus, moving this phrase to the following verse does not solve our problem, for many other passages link joy to suffering.

On the other hand, it is understandable that we would find joy from expressing heartfelt gratitude and thanksgiving unto our God and Father. We rejoice in His many blessings and are thus joyful in our expressing of thanks to Him. Thus, we find this personally more appealing than the thought of joyfulness in our afflictions. Consulting the various Greek manuscripts doesn't help, for those manuscripts that have added punctuation marks differ among themselves as to which part of the passage should be connected with this phrase. Some place the comma or semi-colon or period after the word "longsuffering," while others place the punctuation mark after the phrase "with joy." Consulting the English translations also isn't helpful, for of the many versions I consulted (and I consulted hundreds), about half chose one reading, and the other half chose the other. Scholarship is split down the middle on this. Following are just a few examples:

Linked to Verse 11

American Standard Version - "...unto all patience and longsuffering with joy;"

Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition - "...in all patience and longsuffering with joy,"

English Standard Version - "...for all endurance and patience with joy;"

God's Word Translation - "...patiently endure everything with joy."

King James Version - "...unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;"

Revised Standard Version - "...for all endurance and patience with joy,"

Wycliffe Bible - "...in all patience and long abiding with joy,"

Young's Literal Translation - "...to all endurance and long-suffering with joy."

Linked to Verse 12

New American Standard Bible - "...joyously giving thanks to the Father,"

New International Version - "...and giving joyful thanks to the Father,"

Christian Standard Bible - "...joyfully giving thanks to the Father,"

Common English Bible - "...giving thanks with joy to the Father."

Good News Translation - "And with joy give thanks to the Father,"

Holman Christian Standard Bible - "...with joy giving thanks to the Father,"

Mounce Reverse-Interlinear NT - "...while joyfully giving thanks to the Father,"

New Century Version - "And you will joyfully give thanks to the Father."

New Living Translation - "May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father."

Tree of Life Version - "With joy we give thanks to the Father,"

Many, many more examples could be given for each of these two understandings. Additionally, in a number of these versions, there is a footnote provided in which the alternate reading is given as being equally possible grammatically.

In other words, we simply don't know which is the correct reading. Perhaps the most gracious comment by a commentator is that of Albert Barnes (noted above), that "either reading makes good sense."

The reality is: that these collected writings of the scriptures are the product of mere men, collected and collated by committees and councils. They are anything but flawless, which can be illustrated by countless examples, and thus they have the potential to be the source of confusion for those who revere the Scriptures (or a specific version of them) rather than the Savior revealed within them.

I do not bow before the Bible. It is not an idol; it is not worthy of reverence. It is a book. However, and I stress this, it contains a revelation/message that IS worthy of my reverence! It points to the nature of my Father and the redeeming work of His Son, and I readily bow before them!! I value the Bible as a powerful source of ultimate Truth. The Bible itself is not the ultimate Truth, but it contains it!! It is not a book of regulations for a new religion, but a book of revelations about a renewed relationship between fallen men and a faithful Father through the gifts of the Son and the Spirit. It is a LOVE book, not a LAW book, for those in a dispensation of GRACE.

Many today, like the religionists Jesus rebuked in John 5:39-40, search the Scriptures thinking that "in them" they have salvation. They were wrong then, and they are just as wrong today. The Scriptures are not the source of salvation; they merely point to the One who IS. I revere the latter, not the former. I find great value in the Bible, for it serves a divine purpose: it reveals Good News. Thus, we should not become overly concerned when a certain phrase like "with joy" is ambiguous. If you want to apply it to verse 11, that's fine with me. If you want to apply it to verse 12, that's fine with me. It is consistent with the Message either way, and the focus of that flawless Message is what ultimately matters. Let not your faith be distracted by the medium; there is only One who is flawless: our faith and salvation are in HIM. Therein lies the flawless Message of divine love and grace!

Written by Al Maxey and edited by Bruce Lyon