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Colossians Chapter 1
Vs 1-2 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ: Grace and peace to you from God our Father
- Paul identifies himself as the writer of this letter and says that the message is from both himself and Timothy
- Although this letter is to the believers (faithful brothers and sisters in Christ) in Colosse, the message is appropriate for all believers. Letters written from the Apostles were shared with all the growing churches as the church leaders knew this was inspired teaching from God.
- Fun fact - the Church at Colossae met in Philemon's home (Philemon 1:2). The church in Colossae consisted of Gentiles (Colossians 1:27) who likely used Greek as their main language. Their fellowship time included singing (Colossians 3:16), and a diverse group of young and old, freedmen and slaves, men and women (Colossians 3:18–22).
Vs 3-6b We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people-- the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel that has come to you.
Motivated by Thanksgiving
Hearing that the church of Colassae was under threat of false teachers who were challenging the divinity of Christ, Paul wrote to the Colossians letting them know that the church is in his prayers to encourage them to remain steadfast in their faith. Paul expresses gratitude for the Colossians because of the good report he received regarding their faith, love, and hope. Paul specifically says that he gives thanks for them because he has heard
The importance of Hope
Paul is stating that their faith and love "spring up from the hope that they have". First, this hope originated from the gospel message that they originally heard. which was introduced to them by Epaphras. Second, Paul is speaking of the security of the believer. We are given an everlasting hope knowing that our eternity in heaven is secure. This is the hope that the people of Colossae had and it caused them to grow in their love for those around them and in their faith which caused them to share the gospel.
Why do we have hope?
When we hear the good news of the gospel and accept Christ's invitation of salvation, we are filled with hope because we know that we have been delivered from the bondage of sin and we now have a promised future with Christ that we will experience for all eternity.
Hearing that the church of Colassae was under threat of false teachers who were challenging the divinity of Christ, Paul wrote to the Colossians letting them know that the church is in his prayers to encourage them to remain steadfast in their faith. Paul expresses gratitude for the Colossians because of the good report he received regarding their faith, love, and hope. Paul specifically says that he gives thanks for them because he has heard
- of their faith in Christ Jesus
- of their love for all God's people
- for the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for them in heaven
The importance of Hope
Paul is stating that their faith and love "spring up from the hope that they have". First, this hope originated from the gospel message that they originally heard. which was introduced to them by Epaphras. Second, Paul is speaking of the security of the believer. We are given an everlasting hope knowing that our eternity in heaven is secure. This is the hope that the people of Colossae had and it caused them to grow in their love for those around them and in their faith which caused them to share the gospel.
Why do we have hope?
When we hear the good news of the gospel and accept Christ's invitation of salvation, we are filled with hope because we know that we have been delivered from the bondage of sin and we now have a promised future with Christ that we will experience for all eternity.
vs 6b-8 In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. 7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant,[c] who is a faithful minister of Christ on our[d] behalf, 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
The Gospel Bears Frut
Epaphras was the person responsible for the inroduction of Christianity in Colossae. It is assumed that Epaphras must have heard the gospel message preached by Paul when he was in Ephesus. Now it was growing and bearing fruit in Colossae in the same way that the gospel message was groing throughout other parts of the world. |
Romans 1:16-17 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek. For the gospel reveals the righteousness of God that comes by faith from start to finish, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith"...
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vs 9-14 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
A Good Example To Follow
Have you wondered how to pray for another person? Paul's prayer for the Colossians is a great example to follow. The best way for me to absorb and understand the significance of Paul's prayer, is to unpack it one phrase at a time:
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Authenticity and Earnestness of Paul's Prayer
There are many similarities in Paul's prayers for the Colossians, Ephesians and Philippians all recorded in his letters written to them while in prison. No doubt these believers ,who came to Christ either from a direct or indirect result of Paul's ministry, were continually on his heart as he battled for them in his prayers for them knowing the opposition and possible persecution they would face as a result of their expressed faith in Jesus. Paul knew this opposition only too well as he himself intensely persecuted the Christians before he himself came to Christ. It was this understanding that fueled his passion to pray earnestly on their behalf. Paul says that "we have not stopped praying for you." Paul uses two Greek words to communicate an idea of unceasing prayers. The Greek verb used for "stopped" is "pauo" and it means "to stop, to cease, to hinder, to restrain." Paul is essentially saying that they have "NOT pauo"....they have "not stopped" praying. While Paul gives similar instructions to believers in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to "pray continually". The Greek adverb used in verse 17 is "adialeiptós" which means "without any unnecessary time gaps". As a believer, I have tried to develop the discipline of being in prayer throughout my day. But, I do have necessary gaps in time because I work, I sleep, I talk with friends, etc... But in keeping with this instruction, I ask the Holy Spirit to keep me rooted in His word and sensitive to His promptings so in the midst of my activities, I am aware of His presence and desire to be prayerful in my attitude so that all my actions and interactions are pleasing to Him and represent Him. What I have learned about the Greek language is that it provides a greater depth of vocabulary allowing the ability to be more intentional and descriptive. So for example, in the English language, I may say that I love pickles and I love my husband....we intuitively know that there is a difference in emphasis but we use the same English word love to describe my love for pickles and my love for my husband. [I like to use this example because pickles and Tim can both be sweet and sour at times.] In the Greek language, two different words for love would be used. so there would be no misunderstanding of emphasis. The language is very intentional. So when Paul says that they have "not stopped praying" for them instead of saying they have been praying continuously, I have to wonder if he is not trying to emphasize a greater point. While this may be a distinction without a difference: in using the negative in verse 9, it seems - in my understanding and reasoning - that Paul is trying to communicate and emphasize that they have been battling in prayer on behalf of the Colossians. This is consistent with a point made in Colossians 4:12 which states, "Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured". |
- "being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience and giving joyful thanks to the Father"
Believers have God's power in their lives. First, God's power gives endurance, which is the ability to withstand hardship without failing. Second, God's power gives patience. Patience is part of the fruit of the Spirit and is an essential part of Christian maturity. Third, God's power gives joy. Joy is also part of the fruit of the Spirit and is one of the clearest differences between the life of the believer and the unbeliever.
Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."
1 Thessalonians 1: 3 “We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”
- " who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."
We have been qualified through the sacrifice of Christ to share in a glorious inheritance which is eternity with God in heaven. The Greek word used for "qualified" emphasizes being made sufficient...and not through our own merits.
Acts 20:32 And now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all who are sanctified.
God has also rescued believers from the power of sin and its consequences and brought us into a realm allowing Christ to rule and reign in our lives.
Acts 26:18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Me.'
vs 15-17 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
The Supremacy of Jesus
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John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father's side, has made Him known. John 14:9 Jesus replied, "Philip, I have been with you all this time, and still you do not know Me? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. Romans 11:36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. Hebrews 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. |
Vs 18-20 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
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Ephesians 5:23
For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Revelation 1:5-6 And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has released us from our sins by His blood, who has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and power forever and ever! Amen. Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s trespasses against them. |
Vs 21-23 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-- if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
Their Condition Prior to Coming to Know Christ
Reconciliation Through Christ's Death Three reasons are given for Jesus to suffer a violent death.
Indications of a Mature Believer Verse 23 provides indicators of how a mature believer responds to ensure that they are free from accusations and their status of salvation is challenged:
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Ephesians 2:13-14, 16 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility....and reconciling both of them to God in one body through the cross, by which He extinguished their hostility. Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." |
Vs 24 Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions,for the sake of his body, which is the church.
Rejoice in Suffering (taken from Bibleref.com)
Writing from Roman house arrest, Paul declares that he can still rejoice, even though he is under hardship. , Paul could rejoice in suffering because he knew that the end result was glory in God. Paul suffered both for Christ, and on behalf of Paul's fellow believers. The way Paul refers to Christ's afflictions here has been the subject of much controversy. While there are many views on this topic, the most likely is that Paul viewed his suffering as a "service," while Christ's was a "sacrifice." The church, in terms of a group of believers, did not yet exist when Christ suffered on the cross. Now, however, Paul suffered for the church as part of his ministry. The term Paul uses for "afflictions" is thlipseōn, from the root word thlipsis, which is not a term the New Testament uses in reference to the physical sufferings of Christ. While Christ certainly suffers when His church suffers (Acts 9:4), Paul's experiences are a different kind of trouble, meant for a different purpose than the sacrificial death of Christ. In other words, Paul is not suggesting that his suffering makes up something lacking in the saving power of Christ's death. Rather, he considers his persecution a service, one which Christ left for His followers to fulfill. |
James 1:2-4
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. Acts 9:4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” |
Vs 25-29 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.
Minister and Servant
Paul describes himself as a servant commissioned by God. The Greek word used is diakonos and can be translated as servant, minister. or deacon. It carries the idea to "thoroughly raise up dust by moving in a hurry, and so to minister or to 'to kick up dust,' as one running an errand." It is also connected with the idea 'to hasten after, pursue' (perhaps originally said of a runner)" and in the NT usually refers to the Lord inspiring His servants to carry out His plan for His people. Commissioned by God This "commission" was something God entrusted to Paul,. NASB puts it this way "I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me and the KJV says "according to the dispensation of God which is given to me." A steward was a person who looked after another's affairs or property for a special period of time or dispensation while the master was away and until he returned for his property. Collectively, we can understand this verse to mean that Paul was commissioned or assigned as a steward from God to care for something of great importance to God....the Gospel, the Word of God....for a period of time and for a specific purpose. And to deliver God's word as if kicking up the dust and delivering with haste. Is it any wonder that Paul was so passionate about spreading the Gospel? Purpose of Commission What was the purpose of this commission? The purpose of Paul's commission is actually two-fold. FIRST "To present to you ...for your benefit....the Word of God. We are, first, to understand who benefits from this stewardship. In a traditional sense, the master who commission the steward would benefit from having his property or his interests well cared for. And in a sense, this is true; however, the beneficiaries of this stewardship was not the Master who commissioned Paul for a dispensational period of time but for the recipients of the message. Paul was to present and preach the Word of God to the Colossians with great pursuit, care and purpose. We can also personalize this message to mean for our benefit as well as the message was to be carried to the Gentiles. SECOND, the Gospel was to be presented "in it's fullness." The Greek word used to describe how Paul was to carry out this commission is pléroó and it means to fill to individual capacity, to make complete, to make full. How are we to understand this definition? In studying this in context with the various translations and commentaries. However, the best way is to allow Scripture to define Scripture ....and in this case, Paul continues on to define what it means to present the Gospel "in it's fullness."
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Christ in You, the Hope of Glory
The "mystery" of Christ mentioned in the previous verse was both for Jews and Gentiles. In addition to mystery, Paul here notes God's sovereignty, which is His perfect and all-encompassing knowledge and control. The revelation came only when God chose to make it happen. This mystery was "great" both in content and impact among the Gentiles, including to the Colossian believers. The glory of this mystery "is Christ in you, the hope of glory." Christ came to earth and also now lives in those who believe. Interestingly, this is the one place in Paul's letters he speaks of Christ "in you." He seeks to make the gospel message very personal for these Colossian Christians, whom he has never personally met. With Christ in you, as a saved believer, you have the "hope of glory." In other words, a believer can be confident of eternity with Christ in heaven when he or she knows Christ is already in them now. Contending for the Gospel
Paul says that he "strenuously contends with all the energy". This underscores the Greek clarification of the word Paul used to describe himself as a minister or servant. I love doing Greek word studies that provides a greater depth of understanding of the Scriptures. But if I did not have access to the tools to conduct that type of study, the Word provides clarification if we seek to understand in the context provided. To This End.... Why does Paul so strenuously contend with all energy? Because Jesus is the one proclaimed, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. Paul's goal was to help the Colossians to become spiritually mature. Again, keeping in mind the false teaching that threatened the Church at Colassae, the believers needed assistance in maturing in their faith so that they could take their stand against the lies . Ephesians 4:11-14 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves,and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. |