Matthew Poole and continuators on Colossians 2:3

3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisedom, and knowledge .

This may relate either to the divine mystery, wherein, are in abundance all necessary doctrines to consolation, and salvation stored up, respecting the foregoing verse, compare, 1 Cor. 2.7. Eph. 3.3, 4. in opposition to the vain shew of wisedom seducers did boast of, or (as the most ancient and modern take it) to Christ the immediate antecedent in whom (as we render it) i. e. in Christ; consider either (1) as the object, which being rightly known, we may have all wisedom and perfect knowledge to Salvation: he speaks not here of all that Christ knoweth, he reveals not all that in the Gospel to us, but what we must know of him that we may be sav'd (2) in the subject because all the treasures of wisedom in order to Salvation, are not onely known and found out in Christ,

But also do dwell and abide in him as the fountain what he can give to us for our consolation and perfection. It had been little pertinent for Paul to have said that all these deep things of God, 1 Cor. 2.10. were known to our Lord; but that they are found in him, do dwell in him, are all stored up, displayed and set forth in him to be seen through the veil that is to say his flesh, Heb. 10.20. or the infirmity of his Cross. The Series of the Apostle's discourse comparing, v. 8, & 1. shews it to be thus understood of Christ as the subject and fountain of all saving wisedom in opposition to the comments of humane wisedom which the false Doctours did boast of: continuing the metaphor he shews from what fund the treasures of saving knowledge may be drawn: by treasures intimating the excellency and abundance thereof: there was some store in the Tabernacle of Moses, but very small compared to the abundance, certainly to be found in Christ, all else of no worth to the excellency of the knowledge of Christ for consolation, v. 2. Phil. 3.8. things to be believed and practised are by way of eminency, Christian wisedom and knowledge. The treasures of which how and when hid? is to be well considered, because in our translation, and in almost all others the Greek word we render hid is by trajection put next to the relative whom, whereas it is indeed in the original the last word in the verse, and seems to be expressive rather of what was hid before Christ than what is hid in him. For, as a learned man saith, hidden treasures, as such, seem to be like hidden Musick of no regard; or like the hidden talent, Luk. 19, 20. it not being so easie to think that the Apostle in this Epistle teaching that the secrets which had lain hid from the wise Men of the World, in the ages past, and now were made bare, brought into light, and made known even to babes by Christ, c. 1.26, 27. with Luk. 10.21. and having just before v. 2. spoken of the understanding and acknowledgment of the mystery of the Father and the Son, what should the riches of glory to the knowledge of the mystery be, but the treasures of wisedom now revealed, heretofore hid, of which continuedly a little after he says that all the fulness of the God-head dwells in him bodily, i. e. personally not in a shadow, as it were hid in a cloud, but in flesh that may be really seen and touch'd. So that it should seem best to retain hid as it is placed in the Greek to this sense, q. d. In Christ are and dwell in the greatest fulness, all the treasures of wisedom, hid under the law, which are therefore called a mystery secret, or hidden thing from ages and generations, c. 1.26, 27. now made manifest to his Saints, they are now nor hid in Christ, but made known amongst the Gentiles as God willed: not then hidden riches, h. e. treasures of wisedom and knowledge of this mystery as of hid treasure, but out of Christ, and before Christ amongst the Iews: For Christ himself is that mystery, c. 4.3. not hid after his appearance, but manifested, and manifesting the Father, Ioh. 1.18, however if any will rather choose to read, as if in Christ were at present hid all treasures, 'tis to be understood, stored up, not exposed to the view of every Eye, being as in a rich cabinet not to keep them from being known to men, but rather to make them more pretious and desireable. For Christ came when sent of his Father to spread this heavenly wealth. He is the sun of righteousness, Ioh. 1.9. the unbelieving must thank themselves if where he is truly preached he be hid to them, and his arm be revealed but to a few, Is. 53. 2 Cor. 4.3, 4.1. 'tis their own blinding that they [illegible: 2 letters] not savingly discern what is display'd in Christ Wherefore both may be true in divers respects (1) consider the thing in it self, objectively, so treasures of wisedom, are evidently laid up in Jesus Christ and manifested upon his appearance, 1 Tim. 3.16. Tit. 2.11. but (2) with respect to the eyes and perceptions of men (subjectively) as naturally obscured and corrupted by sin; so natural men, or meer animal men perceive not in Christ the riches of wisedom and knowledge which are in him as our mediatour when they look upon him as having no beauty or comeliness for which they should desire him, Is. 53.2. he as crucified being to the Iews a stumbling block and to the Gentiles fooli[illegible: 1 letter]hness, when he is to those of them, who are called, the power of God and the wisedom of God, 1 Cor. 1.23, 24. the Lutherans in[illegible: 1 letter]erence hence that omnisciency agrees to Christ's humane nature is altogether inconsequent; both (as before) because the Apostle's business here is not to acquaint us what Christ himself knoweth, but that is to be known of us, which may be found treasur'd up in him. Treasures here in him not being considered absolutely but comparatively, to all the knowledge of Men and Angels. Yet from supposal of an infinite knowledge in Christ who is God-man in one Person, it followeth not that the Soul of his Humane Nature knoweth al[illegible: 1 letter] things.

Marginal references: Or, wherein.