John Calvin Commentary Colossians 1:28

"whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ;" — Colossians 1:28 (ASV)

Whom we preach. Here he applies to his own preaching everything that he has previously declared concerning the wonderful and worshipful secret of God. Thus, he explains what he had already touched upon concerning the dispensation which had been committed to him, for he aims to adorn his apostleship and to claim authority for his doctrine.

For after having extolled the gospel in the highest terms, he now adds that it is that divine secret which he preaches. It was not, however, without good reason that he had noted a little before that Christ is the sum of that secret, so that they might know that nothing can be taught that is more perfect than Christ.

The expressions that follow also have great weight. He represents himself as the teacher of all people, meaning by this, that no one is so eminent in wisdom as to be entitled to exempt himself from instruction. “God has placed me in a lofty position, as a public herald of His secret, so that the whole world, without exception, may learn from me.”

In all wisdom. This expression is equivalent to his affirming that his doctrine is such that it leads a person to a wisdom that is perfect and lacks nothing. This is what he immediately adds: that all who show themselves to be true disciples will become perfect. See the second chapter of 1 Corinthians (1 Corinthians 2:6).

Now, what better thing can be desired than what confers upon us the highest perfection? He again repeats, in Christ, so that they may not desire to know anything but Christ alone. From this passage, also, we can gather a definition of true wisdom—that by which we are presented perfect in the sight of God, and that in Christ, and nowhere else.