SEV Biblia, Chapter 3:11
donde no hay griego ni judío, circuncisin ni incircuncisin, brbaro ni escita, siervo ni libre; mas Cristo es el todo, y en todos.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Colossians 3:11
Verse 11. Where there is neither Greek nor Jew] In which new creation no inquiry is made what nation the persons belonged to, or from what ancestry they had sprung, whether in Judea or Greece. Circumcision nor uncircumcision] Nor is their peculiar form of religion of any consideration, whether circumcised like the Jews, or uncircumcised like the heathens.
Barbarian, Scythtian] Nor whether of the more or less tractable of the nations of the world; for although knowledge, and the most refined and sublime knowledge, is the object to be attained, yet, under the teaching and influence of the blessed Spirit, the most dull and least informed are perfectly capable of comprehending this Divine science, and becoming wise unto salvation.
Bond nor free] Nor does the particular state or circumstances in which a man may be found, either help him to or exclude him from the benefit of this religion; the slave having as good a title to salvation by grace as the freeman.
But Christ is all, and in all.] All mankind are his creatures, all conditions are disposed and regulated by his providence, and all human beings are equally purchased by his blood. He alone is the source whence all have proceeded, and to him alone all must return. He is the Maker, Preserver, saviour, and Judge of all men.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 11. Where there is neither Greek nor Jew , etc.] That is, either in Christ, after whose image the new man is created; (see Galatians 5:6 6:15) or in the new man, and with respect to regeneration; or in the whole business of salvation: it matters not of what nation a man is; this has no influence on his new birth, either to forward or hinder it; for he is never the more a new creature, a regenerate man, and interested in salvation, because he is a Jew, which he may be outwardly, and not inwardly; and he may be born again, though he is a Greek or Gentile, as the Syriac version reads; for God of his own will, and abundant mercy, and not out of respect to nations and persons, begets souls again to a lively hope of the heavenly inheritance: circumcision or uncircumcision ; a man's being circumcised in the flesh signifies nothing; this he may be, and not a new creature; for that is not true circumcision, but that which is of the heart, and in the spirit: and, on the other hand, it is no objection to a man's being born again, that he is uncircumcised in the flesh; this may be his case, and yet may be circumcised with the circumcision made without hands; neither one nor the other is of any account with God, nor makes the man either better or worse. Barbarian, Scythian ; all such were Barbarians to the Romans, that did not speak their language; and as were such also to the Greeks, who were not of their nation, and therefore Greeks and Barbarians are opposed to each other, (see Romans 1:14) and so they are here in the Syriac version, which reads Greek and Barbarian. The Arabic version, instead of Barbarian, reads Persian, because it may be, a Persian is so accounted by the Arabians; and because the Scythians were, of all people, the most barbarous and unpolished f49 , and were had in great disdain by others, therefore the apostle mentions them, as being within the reach of the powerful and efficacious grace of God; nor were the fierceness of their dispositions, and the impoliteness of their manners, any bar unto it.
Remarkable is the saying of Anacharsis the Scythian, who being reproached by a Grecian, because he was a Scythian, replied f50 , my country is a reproach to me, but thou art a reproach to thy country.
It matters not of what nation a man is, so be it he is but a good man; especially in Christianity, all distinctions of this kind cease. It is added, bond or free ; the grace of God in regeneration is not bestowed upon a man because he is a free man, or withheld from another because he is a bond servant. Onesimus, a fugitive servant, was converted by the Apostle Paul in prison; and whoever is called by grace, if he is a free man in a civil sense, he is Christ's servant in a religious one; and if he is a servant of men, he is, in a spiritual sense, the Lord's free man. It is not nation, nor outward privileges, nor the civil state and condition of men, which are regarded by God, or are any motive to him, or have any influence upon the salvation of men: but Christ is all, and in all ; he is all efficiently; he is the first cause of all things, the beginning of the creation of God, the author of the old, and of the new creation, of the regeneration of his people, and of their whole salvation: he is all comprehensively; has all the fulness of the Godhead, all the perfections of deity in him; he is possessed of all spiritual blessings for his people; and has all the promises of the covenant of grace in his hands for them; yea, all fulness of grace dwells in him, in order to be communicated to them: and he is all communicatively; he is their light and life, their wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, their food and clothing, their strength and riches, their joy, peace, and comfort, who gives them grace here, and glory hereafter, So, with the Jews, the Shekinah is called lk , all f51 : and this likewise, with the Cabalists f52 , is one of the names of the living God, and well agrees with Christ, who has all things in him; and is the reason they give for this divine appellation: and Christ is in all; in all places, being infinite, immense, and incomprehensible, as God, and so is everywhere by his power, upholding all things by it; and in all his churches, by his gracious presence, and in the hearts of all his regenerate ones, of whatsoever nation, state, and condition they be: he is revealed in them, formed within them, and dwells in their hearts by faith; and is all in all to them, exceeding precious, altogether lovely, the chiefest among ten thousands, and whom they esteem above all creatures and things. The Arabic version reads, Christ is above all, and in all.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 5-11 - It is our duty to mortify our members which incline to the things of the world. Mortify them, kill them, suppress them, as weeds or vermi which spread and destroy all about them. Continual opposition must be made to all corrupt workings, and no provision made for carna indulgences. Occasions of sin must be avoided: the lusts of the flesh and the love of the world; and covetousness, which is idolatry; love of present good, and of outward enjoyments. It is necessary to mortif sins, because if we do not kill them, they will kill us. The gospe changes the higher as well as the lower powers of the soul, an supports the rule of right reason and conscience, over appetite an passion. There is now no difference from country, or conditions an circumstances of life. It is the duty of every one to be holy, becaus Christ is a Christian's All, his only Lord and Saviour, and all his hope and happiness.
Greek Textus Receptus
ενδυσασθε 1746 5669 V-AMM-2P ουν 3767 CONJ ως 5613 ADV εκλεκτοι 1588 A-NPM του 3588 T-GSM θεου 2316 N-GSM αγιοι 40 A-NPM και 2532 CONJ ηγαπημενοι 25 5772 V-RPP-NPM σπλαγχνα 4698 N-APN οικτιρμων 3628 N-GPM χρηστοτητα 5544 N-ASF ταπεινοφροσυνην 5012 N-ASF πραοτητα 4236 N-ASF μακροθυμιαν 3115 N-ASF
Robertson's NT Word Studies
3:11 {Where} (hopou). In this "new man" in Christ. Cf. #Ga 3:28. {There cannot be} (ouk eni). Eni is the long (original) form of en and estin is to be understood. "There does not exist." this is the ideal which is still a long way ahead of modern Christians as the Great War proved. Race distinctions (Greek hellen and Jew ioudaios) disappear in Christ and in the new man in Christ. The Jews looked on all others as Greeks (Gentiles). Circumcision (peritome) and uncircumcision (akrobustia) put the Jewish picture with the cleavage made plainer (cf. #Eph 2). The Greeks and Romans regarded all others as barbarians (barbaroi, #Ro 1:14), users of outlandish jargon or gibberish, onomatopoetic repetition (bar-bar). {A Scythian} (skuqes) was simply the climax of barbarity, _bar-baris barbariores_ (Bengel), used for any rough person like our "Goths and Vandals." {Bondman} (doulos, from dew, to bind), {freeman} (eleuqeros, from ercomai, to go). Class distinctions vanish in Christ. In the Christian churches were found slaves, freedmen, freemen, masters. Perhaps Paul has Philemon and Onesimus in mind. But labor and capital still furnish a problem for modern Christianity. {But Christ is all} (alla panta cristos). Demosthenes and Lucian use the neuter plural to describe persons as Paul does here of Christ. The plural panta is more inclusive than the singular pan would be. {And in all} (kai en pasin). Locative plural and neuter also. "Christ occupies the whole sphere of human life and permeates all its developments" (Lightfoot). Christ has obliterated the words barbarian, master, slave, all of them and has substituted the word adelfos (brother).
