<p>1:23- see on Lk. 6:48; Acts 2:9.</p><p><i>If indeed you continue in the faith- </i>We are to continue in the doctrine (1 Tim. 4:16), continue in grace (Acts 13:43), rather than continuing in sin (Rom. 6:1). The idea is not simply that we shall doggedly hold to a set of theology we accepted at baptism; but more essentially, that we shall continue in faith in the wonderful grace those teachings reflect, that little me, I myself&hellip; shall really and truly live for ever in God&rsquo;s Kingdom. For the immediate context here is about being presented faultless in His eyes at the last day (:22); and we are to continue believing that wonderful truth.</p><p><i>Grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to all creation under heaven. Of which I Paul was made a servant</i>- Paul says that the certain hope of salvation is what must ground us in life. &ldquo;Hope&rdquo; means a certain assurance. The fact it had been preached to all creation doesn&rsquo;t mean that it is no more to be preached. And &ldquo;all creation&rdquo; in the context of this chapter refers to every member of the new creation; for not all of the natural creation had heard the Gospel. And &ldquo;all creation&rdquo; is a strange way to refer to &ldquo;all people&rdquo;. The idea is that all the current believers at the time of writing, those in whom the work of the new creation had happened, were in that status because of having heard the very same gospel which Paul was preaching. The Colossians had also heard it- they too needed to allow the work of the new creation through that gospel to work in them.</p>