9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
For there is an instruction of the perfect, of which, writing to the Colossians, he says, "We cease not to pray for you, and beseech that ye may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye may walk worthy of the Lord to all pleasing; being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might according to the glory of His power."
What, then, is more divine than the working of the Holy Spirit, since God himself testifies that the Holy Spirit presides over his blessings? … For no blessing can be full except through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Wherefore, too, the apostle found nothing better to wish us than this, as he himself said: “We cease not to pray and make request for you that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding walking worthily of God.” He taught that this was the will of God: that by walking in good works and words and affections, we should be filled with God’s will, who puts his Holy Spirit into our hearts. .
"For this cause." What cause? Because we heard of your faith and love, because we have good hopes, we are hopeful to ask for future blessings also. For as in the games we cheer on those most who are near upon gaining the victory, just so does Paul also most exhort those who have achieved the greater part.
"Since the day we heard it," says he, "we do not cease to pray for you." Not for one day do we pray for you, nor yet for two, nor three. Herein he both shows his love, and gives them a gentle hint that they had not yet arrived at the end. For the words, "that you may be filled," are of this significancy. And observe, I pray, the prudence of this blessed one. He nowhere says that they are destitute of everything, but that they are deficient; everywhere the words, "that you may be filled," show this. And again, "unto all pleasing, in every good work" [Colossians 1:11], and again, "strengthened with all power," and again, "unto all patience and long-suffering"; for the constant addition of "all" bears witness to their doing well in part, though, it might be, not in all. And, "that you may be filled," he says; not, "that you may receive," for they had received; but "that you may be filled" with what as yet was lacking. Thus both the rebuke was given without offense, and the praise did not suffer them to sink down, and become supine, as if it had been complete. But what is, "that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will"? That through the Son we should be brought unto Him, and no more through Angels. Now that you must be brought unto Him, you have learned, but it remains for you to learn this, and why He sent the Son. For had it been that we were to have been saved by Angels, He would not have sent Him, would not have given Him up. "In all spiritual wisdom," he says, "and understanding." For since the philosophers deceived them; I wish you, he says, to be in spiritual wisdom, not after the wisdom of men. But if in order to know the will of God, there needs spiritual wisdom; to know His Essence what it is, there is need of continual prayers.
And Paul shows here, that since that time he has been praying, and has not yet prevailed, and yet has not desisted; for the words, "from the day we heard it," show this. But it implies condemnation to them, if, from that time, even assisted by prayers, they had not amended themselves. "And making request," he says, with much earnestness, for this the expression "ye knew" shows. But it is necessary still to know somewhat besides. "To walk worthily," he says, "of the Lord." Here he speaks of life and its works, for so he does also everywhere: with faith he always couples conduct. "Unto all pleasing." And how, "all pleasing"? "Bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God." Seeing, says he, He has fully revealed Himself unto you, and seeing you have received knowledge so great; do ye then show forth a conduct worthy of the faith; for this needs elevated conduct, greater far than the old dispensation. For, he that has known God, and been counted worthy to be God's servant, yea, rather, even His Son, see how great virtue he needs. "Strengthened with all power." He is here speaking of trials and persecutions. We pray that you might be filled with strength, that you faint not for sorrow, nor despair. "According to the might of His glory." But that you may take up again such forwardness as it becomes the power of His glory to give. "Unto all patience and long-suffering." What he says is of this sort. Summarily, he says, we pray that you may lead a life of virtue, and worthy of your citizenship, and may stand firmly, being strengthened as it is reasonable to be strengthened by God. For this cause he does not as yet touch upon doctrines, but dwells upon life, wherein he had nothing to charge them with, and having praised them where praise was due, he then comes down to accusation. And this he does everywhere: when he is about writing to any with somewhat to blame them for, and somewhat to praise, he first praises them, and then comes down to his charges. For he first conciliates the hearer, and frees his accusation from all suspicion, and shows that for his own part he could have been glad to praise them throughout; but by the necessity of the case is forced into saying what he does. And so he does in the first Epistle to the Corinthians. For after having exceedingly praised them as loving him, even from the case of the fornicator, he comes down to accuse them. But in that to the Galatians not so, but the reverse. Yea, rather, if one should look close into it, even there the accusation follows upon praise. For seeing he had no good deeds of theirs then to speak of, and the charge was an exceeding grave one, and they were every one of them corrupted; and were able to bear it because they were strong, he begins with accusation, saying, "I marvel." [Galatians 1:6] So that this also is praise. But afterwards he praises them, not for what they were, but what they had been, saying, "If possible, you would have plucked out your eyes, and given them to me." [Galatians 5:15].
"Bearing fruit," he says: this has reference to works. "Strengthened": this to trials. "Unto all patience and longsuffering": long-suffering towards one another, patience towards those without. For longsuffering is toward those whom we can requite, but patience toward those whom we cannot. For this reason the term patient is never applied to God, but longsuffering frequently; as this same blessed one says otherwhere in his writings, "Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, and forbearance, and longsuffering?" "Unto all pleasing." Not, one while, and afterwards not so. "In all spiritual wisdom," he says, "and understanding." For otherwise it is not possible to know His will. Although indeed they thought they had His will; but that wisdom was not spiritual. "To walk," says he, "worthily of the Lord." For this is the way of the best life. For he that has understood God's love to man, (and he does understand it if he have seen the Son delivered up,) will have greater forwardness. And besides, we pray not for this alone that you may know, but that you may show forth your knowledge in works; for he that knows without doing, is even in the way to punishment. "To walk," he says, that is, always, not once, but continually. As to walk is necessary for us, so also is to live rightly. And when on this subject he constantly uses the term "walk," and with reason, showing that such is the life set before us. But not of this sort is that of the world. And great too is the praise. "To walk," he says, "worthily of the Lord," and "in every good work," so as to be always advancing, and nowhere standing still, and, with a metaphor, "bearing fruit and increasing in the knowledge of God," that you might be in such measure "strengthened," according to the might of God, as is possible for man to be. "Through His power," great is the consolation.— He said not strength, but "power," which is greater: "through the power," he says, "of His glory," because that everywhere His glory has the power. He thus comforts him that is under reproach: and again, "To walk worthily of the Lord." He says of the Son, that He has the power everywhere both in heaven and in earth, because His glory reigns everywhere. He says not "strengthened" simply, but so, as they might be expected to be who are in the service of so strong a Master. "In the knowledge of God." And at the same time he touches in passing upon the methods of knowledge; for this is to be in error, not to know God as one ought; or he means, so as to increase in the knowledge of God. For if he that has not known the Son, knows not the Father either; justly is there need of increased knowledge: for there is no use in life without this. "Unto all patience and longsuffering," he says, "with joy, giving thanks" [Colossians 1:12] unto God. Then being about to exhort them, he makes no mention of what by and by shall be laid up for them; he did hint at this however in the beginning of the Epistle, saying, "Because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens" [Colossians 1:5]: but in this place he mentions the things which were already theirs, for these are the causes of the other. And he does the same in many places. For that which has already come to pass gains belief, and more carries the hearer along with it. "With joy," he says, "giving thanks" to God. The connection is this. We cease not praying for you, and giving thanks for the benefits already received.
Do you see how he bears himself along into speaking of the Son? For if "we give thanks with much joy," it is a great thing that is spoken of. For it is possible to give thanks only from fear, it is possible to give thanks even when in sorrow. For instance; Job gave thanks indeed, but in anguish; and he said, "The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away." [Job 1:21] For, let not any say that what had come to pass pained him not, nor clothed him with dejection of soul; nor let his great praise be taken away from that righteous one. But when it is thus, it is not for fear, nor because of His being Lord alone, but for the very nature of the things themselves, that we give thanks. "To Him who made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light." He has said a great thing. What has been given, he says, is of this nature; He has not only given, but also made us strong to receive. Now by saying, "Who made us meet," he showed that the thing was one of great weight. For example, were some low person to have become a king, he has it in his power to give a governorship to whom he will; and this is the extent of his power, to give the dignity: he cannot also make the person fit for the office, and oftentimes the honor makes one so preferred even ridiculous. If however he have both conferred on one the dignity, and also made him fit for the honor, and equal to the administration, then indeed the thing is an honor. This then is what he also says here; that He has not only given us the honor, but has also made us strong enough to receive it.
For the honor here is twofold, the giving, and the making fit for the gift. He said not, gave, simply; but, "made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light," that is, who has appointed us a place with the saints. But he did not say simply placed us, but has given us to enjoy even the very same things, for "the portion" is that which each one receives. For it is possible to be in the same city, and yet not enjoy the same things; but to have the same "portion," and yet not enjoy the same, is impossible. It is possible to be in the same inheritance, and yet not to have the same portion; for instance, all we (clergy) are in the inheritance, but we have not all the same portion. But here he does not say this, but with the inheritance adds the portion also. But why does he call it inheritance (or lot)? To show that by his own achievements no one obtains the kingdom, but as a lot is rather the result of good luck, so in truth is it here also. For a life so good as to be counted worthy of the kingdom does no one show forth, but the whole is of His free gift. Therefore He says, "When you have done all, say, We are unprofitable servants, for we have done that which was our duty to do." [Luke 17:10] "To be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light,"— he means, both the future and the present light, — that is, in knowledge. He seems to me to be speaking at once of both the present and the future. Then he shows of what things we have been counted worthy. For this is not the only marvel, that we are counted worthy of the kingdom; but it should also be added who we are that are so counted; for it is not unimportant. And he does this in the Epistle to the Romans, saying, "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, but perhaps for the good man some one would even dare to die." [Romans 5:7]
It is God’s will, that we acknowledge him and know that it is not possible to be saved by angels but only through Jesus Christ. How then can we know this? Through spiritual, not worldly, wisdom. .
[AD 215] Clement of Alexandria on Colossians 1:9