rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, even as you were taught, abounding in it in thanksgiving.
Parallel Translations
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rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, even as you were taught, abounding in it in thanksgiving.
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roted and bylt in him and stedfaste in the fayth as ye have learned: and therin be plenteous in gevynge thankes.
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Rooted and built in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye haue bene taught, abouding therein with thankesgiuing.
Cross-references (29)
Passages linked to Colossians 2:7 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Ephesians 3:17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
- Jeremiah 17:8 For he will be as a tree planted by the waters, who spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes, but its leaf will be green, and will not be concerned in the year of drought. It won’t cease from yielding fruit.
- Ephesians 2:20-22 being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone; in whom the whole building, fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.
- John 15:4-5 Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch can’t bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me. I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
- Colossians 1:23 if it is so that you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Good News which you heard, which is being proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, was made a servant.
- 2 Peter 3:17-18 You therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware, lest being carried away with the error of the wicked, you fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:17 comfort your hearts and establish you in every good work and word.
- Matthew 7:24-25 “Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a rock. The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it didn’t fall, for it was founded on the rock.
- Colossians 1:12-13 giving thanks to the Father, who made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love,
- Ephesians 5:20 giving thanks always concerning all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to God, even the Father;
- Isaiah 61:3 to provide for those who mourn in Zion, to give to them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Yahweh, that he may be glorified.
- Psalms 1:3 He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water, that produces its fruit in its season, whose leaf also does not wither. Whatever he does shall prosper.
- Psalms 92:13 They are planted in Yahweh’s house. They will flourish in our God’s courts.
- Romans 16:25
- 1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
- Hebrews 13:15 Through him, then, let’s offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which proclaim allegiance to his name.
- 1 Peter 5:10 But may the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.
- Jude 1:24 Now to him who is able to keep them from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory in great joy,
- Romans 11:17-18 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the root and of the richness of the olive tree, don’t boast over the branches. But if you boast, it is not you who support the root, but the root supports you.
- 1 Corinthians 3:9-15 For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s farming, God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But let each man be careful how he builds on it. For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ. But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or stubble, each man’s work will be revealed. For the Day will declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself will test what sort of work each man’s work is. If any man’s work remains which he built on it, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, but as through fire.
- Colossians 3:17 Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father, through him.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:18 In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you.
- Ezekiel 17:23-24 I will plant it in the mountain of the height of Israel; and it will produce boughs, and bear fruit, and be a good cedar. Birds of every kind will dwell in the shade of its branches. All the trees of the field will know that I, Yahweh, have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree flourish. “ ‘I, Yahweh, have spoken and have done it.’ ”
- Luke 6:48 He is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep, and laid a foundation on the rock. When a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it was founded on the rock.
- Ephesians 4:21 if indeed you heard him, and were taught in him, even as truth is in Jesus:
- 2 Corinthians 1:21 Now he who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God,
- 1 Peter 2:4-6 coming to him, a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God, precious. You also, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Because it is contained in Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, chosen and precious: He who believes in him will not be disappointed.”
- Jude 1:12 These are hidden rocky reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you, shepherds who without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
- Jude 1:20 But you, beloved, keep building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (14 sources)
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John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain 7. And confirmed in the faith. He now repeats…
7. And confirmed in the faith. He now repeats without a figure the same thing that he had expressed by metaphors, — that the prosecution of the way, the support of the root, and of the foundation, is firmness and steadfastness of faith. And observe, that this argument is set before them in consequence of their having been well instructed, in order that they may safely and confidently secure their footing in the faith with which they had been made acquainted.
Abounding. He would not have them simply remain immovable, but would have them grow every day more and more. When he adds, with thanksgiving, he would have them always keep in mind from what source faith itself proceeds, that they may not be puffed up with presumption, but may rather with fear repose themselves in the gift of God. And, unquestionably, ingratitude is very frequently the reason why we are deprived of the light of the gospel, as well as of other divine favors.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished…
7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
Ver. 7. Abounding therein with thanksgiving] Thankfulness for smaller measures of grace gets more. Efficacissimum genus est rogandi, gratias agere. (Plin. Panegyr.)
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Rooted and built up in him; showing how they…
Rooted and built up in him; showing how they should abide and persevere in the faith, by continuing in him as branches do in the root, Joh 15:4, and resting upon him as a building upon the foundation, Isa 28:16; 1Co 3:11; Eph 2:22.
And stablished in the faith; and being firm and settled in the faith, as 1Pe 5:10; he adds this, not only to clear the metaphorical expressions before, but to show that they should be growing stronger as to the internal habit, Psa 92:13,14. He repeats as it were in a parenthesis,
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as ye have been taught; upon the matter, the same with as ye have received Christ in the former verse; for greater caution to them, who might be apt to have itching ears, that they should not be listening to any novel doctrines, but abide in the faith of Christ.
Abounding therein with thanksgiving; setting down with themselves, according to the superabounding grace they had, Rom 5:20, with 1Co 4:8, to abound and increase therein, 1Co 15:58; 2Pe 1:8; having herein all the saving knowledge desirable, without need of the addition of aught any other way; being thankful to God that he had revealed such a Christ, his Christ, to them, for they could not have a better or another.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Rooted and built up in him,.... By these metaphors,…
Rooted and built up in him,.... By these metaphors, the apostle expresses the safe and happy state of these believers; and which he makes use of as arguments, to engage them to walk on in Christ, and as pointing out the manner in which they should. Believers are sometimes compared to trees, and are trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord; and their root is Christ, from whence as such they spring, and by whom they are filled with the fruits of righteousness; in him they are to abide, keep close unto him, and walk in him; deriving all their life, nourishment, fruitfulness, grace, and perseverance in it, from him as their root: they are also sometimes compared to a building, to an house, a temple, an habitation for God; and Christ is the sure and only foundation on which they are laid, and where they are safe and secure; and, being fitly joined together, grow up as an holy temple to the Lord; and this being their case, they are to go on laying the whole stress of their salvation on him, building their faith and hope of eternal glory entirely upon him; and building up one another also on their most holy faith, of which he is the substance, as it follows:
and stablished in the faith: that of Christ, or in the doctrine of faith which respects Christ: the apostle here expresses the same thing without a figure, which he had signified by the two foregoing metaphors, and explains what he means by them; namely, that they were well settled and grounded in their faith in Christ, and thoroughly instructed and established in the doctrines of the Gospel; and a very good thing it is to have the heart established with grace, both as a principle and a doctrine; which is God's work, and was the happy case of these persons; wherefore it became them to act as such, and not be like children tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine, or carried about with divers and strange doctrines, but abide by those which had been preached to them by the faithful ministers of Christ, and they had received: as
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ye have been taught: by Epaphras their minister, and others; and therefore should not listen to false teachers, and to a contrary doctrine taught by them; considering of whom they had learnt the true doctrine, what evidence it carried with it, and what use it had been of to them, in convincing, converting, comforting, instructing, and establishing them: and therefore should be
abounding therein with thanksgiving; that is, in the faith; as in the grace, so in the doctrine of faith; for as saints are to abound in the work of the Lord, and in every good work, and in the exercise of every grace, so in the knowledge of truth; see Co2 8:7; and to make use of all means for the increase of, and growth in Gospel grace and light, and the knowledge of a crucified Christ, which is meant by abounding: for all which there is great reason for thanksgiving; both for the unspeakable gift of Christ, who is received as such by faith, and in whom believers are rooted and built up; and for faith itself, which is the gift of God; and also for the Gospel, and the truths of it; and for every degree of spiritual light in it, and knowledge of it.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Rooted in him - As the vine. Built -…
Rooted in him - As the vine. Built - On the sure foundation.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 7. Rooted and built up in him] It…
Verse 7. Rooted and built up in him] It is not usual with the apostle to employ this double metaphor, taken partly from the growth of a tree and the increase of a building. They are to be rooted; as the good seed had been already sown, it is to take root, and the roots are to spread far, wide, and deep. They are to be grounded; as the foundation has already been laid, they are to build thereon. In the one case, they are to bear much fruit; in the other, they are to grow up to be a habitation of God through the Spirit. See the notes on Eph 2:21; Eph 2:22; Eph 3:17.
Abounding therein with thanksgiving.] No limitation is ever set to the operations of God on the soul, or to the growth of the soul in the knowledge, love, and image of God. Those who are brought into such a state of salvation should abound in gratitude and loving obedience, as they grow in grace.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Rooted ...in him - As a tree strikes its…
Rooted ...in him - As a tree strikes its roots deep in the earth, so our faith should strike deep into the doctrine respecting the Saviour. See the phrase used here explained in the parallel place in Eph 3:17.
And established in the faith, as ye have been taught - To wit, by the founders of the church, and by those faithful ministers who had succeeded them; Notes, Col 1:7.
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Abounding therein with thanksgiving - Expressing overflowing thanks to God that you have been made acquainted with truths so precious and glorious. If there is any thing for which we ought to be thankful, it is for the knowledge of the great truths respecting our Lord and Saviour.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Rooted and built up in him, who is the…
Rooted and built up in him, who is the head of all, your Redeemer, and author of your salvation, not upon Angels. (Witham)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain Rooted-- (Eph 3:17).
Rooted-- (Eph 3:17).
built up--Greek, "being builded up." As "rooted" implies their vitality; so "builded up," massive solidity. As in the Song of Solomon, when one image is not sufficient to express the varied aspects of divine truth, another is employed to supply the idea required. Thus "walking," a third image (Col 2:6), expresses the thought which "rooted" and "built," though each suggesting a thought peculiar to itself, could not express, namely, onward motion. "Rooted" is in the past tense, implying their first conversion and vital grafting "in Him." "Built up" is present (in the Greek), implying their progressive increase in religion by union with Him. Eph 2:20 refers to the Church; but the passage here to their individual progress in edification (Act 20:32).
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stablished--confirmed.
as--"even as."
abounding therein with thanksgiving--advancing to fuller maturity (compare Col 2:2) in the faith, "with thanksgiving" to God as the gracious Author of this whole blessing.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 7. Rooted—Changing the figure, but always keeping Christ as…
7. Rooted—Changing the figure, but always keeping Christ as the element in which this life is lived, we are rooted in him as a tree strikes its roots deep into the soil and becomes better nourished and more immovable, built up in him, as a building upon a rock, adding stone to stone, thus steadily and solidly growing; established, confirmed in the way of faith, just as it was taught at the outset; and abounding in that faith with deep gratitude to God.
The apostle having thus unfolded the divine idea of redemption, and reminded the Colossians of their experimental knowledge of its verity, proceeds next to an examination of the particular system offered them in its stead.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 7. rooted] A perfect participle. It recurs Eph_3:17, the…
7. rooted] A perfect participle. It recurs Eph_3:17, the only other place in which St Paul uses precisely this metaphor, which combines the thought of fixity with that of derived and developing life from a genial source. There, as here, the metaphor of building (more frequent with St Paul) appears, in the Greek, beside this other.
built up] See the last remark. The Greek is a present participle, to be expressed in (not quite classical) English by, being built up. See for a close parallel Eph_2:22; and cp. Col_1:23 above.—The compound verb here gives the thought of building upon, and the reference might be taken to be to Christ as the Foundation (1Co_3:11). But the phrase “in Him” just below suggests here another of the many sides of His relation to the “building”; and leads us to explain this of the internal “building up” of the community as new members join it and cohere with it; and also of the individual, as layers (so to speak) of experience and spiritual character accrue in his life and walk. The present participle is thus clearly suitable.
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in Him] as He is the “Stone of the angle” (Eph_2:20) “in” which the converging lines of structure hold together. Cp. Col_1:17.—But this imagery must not be pressed too far, for “in Him” relates here to “rooted” as well as “built up.”
stablished] Again a present participle.
in the faith] Omit “in,” and render, with Lightfoot, and R.V. margin, by your faith. Their faith, their submissive personal reliance on their Lord, would “strike their root downward” and compact their spiritual structure; and so it would make them continuously more stable. “Faith is, as it were, the cement of the building” (Lightfoot).
as ye have been taught] Better, as ye were taught, when Epaphras evangelized them. Then they learnt Whom to believe in, and how to believe in Him, for righteousness and life.
abounding] A favourite word with St Paul. It occurs five times in Philippians. Nothing short of spiritual wealth, and its full employment, ever satisfies him.
therein] In your faith, regarded as “the sphere” of the sense of “abundance.” Loyal reliance on the all-sufficient Christ was to be largely, fully, exercised.
with thanksgiving] Lit., “in thanksgiving.” Thanksgiving was to attend, to surround, this large exercise of faith. It would do so as a matter of reason; for the possession of such an Object of faith was indeed ground enough for holy gratitude. And it would do so also as a matter of experience; for there is no surer secret for a glad thankfulness than full habitual reliance on the Christ of God.
“The words [“thankful, give thanks, thanksgiving”] occur in St Paul’s writings alone of the apostolic Epistles. In this Epistle especially the duty of thanksgiving assumes a peculiar prominence by being made a refrain, as here and in Col_3:15; Col_3:17, Col_4:2; see also Col_1:12” (Lightfoot).
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (7) Rooted and built up in him.—There is a…
(7) Rooted and built up in him.—There is a significant change of tense in the original, having been rooted—i.e. (as in Eph_3:17), “rooted and grounded” in Him once for all, and being built up continually on that Foundation. (Comp. 1Co_3:9-15.) St. Paul bids them seek not only the first basis of their faith, but their continual growth, in Christ alone, by continual “strengthening in the faith” which rests in Him. We may remember that in the Gnostic teaching faith was held good for the beginner or the common herd, “knowledge” was the bright particular jewel of those who went on to perfection.
Abounding (or, overflowing) therein with thanksgiving.—The metaphor is changed. The cup of faith, filled to the full, runs over in that thanksgiving which is the expression both of faith and love.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Rooted and builded up in him (Col_1:23 Col_2:5; Eph_2:20,…
Rooted and builded up in him (Col_1:23 Col_2:5; Eph_2:20, 21 3:18 4:16; 1Co_3:9-12; Luk_6:47, Luk_6:48) "Rooted" is perfect participle, in, plying an abiding fact ("fast rooted"); while "builded up" (literally, upon or unto) is in the present tense of a continued process, the prefix ejpi also implying growth and gain. (Col_1:6, 10 2:19) Meyer and Ellicott view ejn aujtw as a mere complement of the latter participle: "being builded in him." This weakens the force of both prepositions (ejpi and ejn), and the emphasis of the repeated "in him." The ideas of planting and building are similarly combined in 1Co_3:9; Eph_3:18; and rooted is a figure applied to buildings in ether Greek writers (Lightfoot). "Christ is the ground for the roots below, and the foundation for the building above" (Meyer). And stablished in (or, by) your faith, according as ye were taught (Col_1:5-7, Col_1:23; 1Co_1:6-8; 1Th_3:2 1Th_4:1; 2Th_2:13; 1Pe_5:9, 1Pe_5:10) "En before pistei ("faith") is struck out in the Revised Text, and is probably a correct gloss. The instrumental dative, preferred by Meyer and Lightfoot, does not accord so well with ver. 5 and Col_1:23 (comp. Php_1:27; 1Ti_5:8; 2Ti_4:7 1Pe_5:9) "Stablished" (bebaioumenoi, being kept firm) is present in tense, like "builded up" (ver. 6, see note): comp. (Rom_4:16; Php_1:7; zw, Heb_3:6 Heb_6:19 Heb_13:9) and distinguish from sthri to make stable, fix firmly. In "as ye were taught" the apostle reminds his readers again of their first lessons in the gospel (Col_1:5-7, see notes; 2Th_2:15) Abounding in it, with thanksgiving; or, abounding in thanksgiving (Col_1:3, 12 3:15, 17 4:2; Eph_5:4, Eph_5:20; 1Th_5:18; Heb_13:15) The Revisers relegate "in it (your faith)" to the margin, following the judgment of Tischendorf and Tregelles; while Westcott and Hort, Alford, Ellicott, Lightfoot, retain the words in the text. The reading "in him," found in the Vulgate and leading Western documents, throws doubt on these words; but it is difficult to see why they should have been inserted if not authentic, and they might easily be confused by a copyist with the foregoing "in him." The second ejn, if ejn aujth be retained, becomes ejn of accompaniment, and may be rendered "with," as in Col_1:29; Eph_6:2. (On "thanksgiving," see note, Col_1:12)
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain 7. Rooted. Your life growing out of Christ as…
7. Rooted. Your life growing out of Christ as a tree out of the soil. As ye have been taught. The point of the exhortation is to cling to the gospel as it has been taught them.
B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.