Col. 1:1-14: “Intro. To Colossians / Paul Prays For The Colossians To Know God”

                                                                        By

Jim Bomkamp

Back          Bible Studies                Home Page

 

1.                  Authorship:

 

The apostle Paul is the author of the book, and no one seriously questions that fact, especially since he states he is the author and an apostle before he begins writing.

 

2.                  The city of Colossae:

 

The New Bible Dictionary includes the following about this city:

 

 

A city in the Roman province of Asia, in the W of what is now Asiatic Turkey. It was situated about 15 km up the Lycus valley from *Laodicea, on the main road to the E. It was originally the point at which the great routes from Sardis and Ephesus joined, and at a defensible place with an abundant water-supply. It was an important city in the Lydian and Persian periods, but later it declined when the road through Sardis to Pergamum was resited farther W at the prosperous new foundation of Laodicea. The site is now uninhabited; it lies near Honaz, 16 km E of the town of Denizli.

The gospel probably reached the district while Paul was living at Ephesus (Acts 19:10), perhaps through Epaphras, who was a Colossian (Col. 1:7; 4:12–13). Paul had apparently not visited Colossae when he wrote his letter (Col. 2:1), though his desire to do so (Phm. 22) may have been met at a later date. Philemon (Phm. 1) and his slave Onesimus (Col. 4:9; Phm. 10) were members of the early Colossian church. The mixture of Jewish, Greek and Phrygian elements in the population of the city was probably found also in the church: it would have been fertile ground for the type of speculative heresy which Paul’s letter was designed to counter.

The neighbourhood was devastated by an earthquake, dated by Tacitus (Ann. 14. 27) to ad 60. There is no hint of this in the Epistle, which we must suppose was written before news of the disaster had reached Rome.

 

3.                  The church in Colossae:

 

Evidently it was pastured by Epaphras since Paul writes in verse 7 of chapter 1 that the church had learned about the grace of God and their hope in heaven from Epaphras, and Paul mentions that Epaphras is a fellow bond-servant and a faithful servant of Christ. 

 

Epaphras may well have also planted this church.  Col. 4:12 indicates to us that Epaphras was not presently at Colossae when Paul wrote this letter:  “12 Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.”  Epaphras was with Paul and had given him information about the church.

 

It does not appear that Paul had ever visited the city from Colossians 1:2:  “2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.”

 

The man Onesimus was a slave of man named Philemon, from the city of Colossae.  Paul wrote one of his epistles to Philemon to encourage him to accept the return of his slave who had now come to salvation.  In that letter, Paul indicates that he hoped to visit the church in Colossae for the first time very soon:   Philemon 22, “22 At the same time also prepare me a lodging, for I hope that through your prayers I will be given to you.” 

 

Onesimus, along with Tychicus (Col. 4:7-9), was most likely the courier for Paul of this letter and also the letter of Philemon, both delivered simultaneously.      

 

4.                  The date of the writing of the epistle:

 

Paul wrote this letter in 57 AD when he was in a Roman prison, though some think it was written around 62 AD.  It was written about the same time as the book of Ephesians. 

 

5.                  The purpose of the writing of the epistle:

 

Paul was in prison in Rome, and he received a report from Epaphras, the man who was the pastor of the church in Colossae, about a group in the church that held some heretical beliefs.  Paul was very disturbed about this development and saw that these heresies threatened to destroy the entire work of God in the church in Colossae.  This letter is Paul’s response to that report.  Today, we speak of these false beliefs as being, “The Colossian Heresy.”  They are the beginnings of Gnosticism.

 

A good part of the New Testament writing involves combating the Gnostic heresy, the first heresy faced by the early church.  This book of Colossians presents us with the first rebuff of this doctrine by Paul, and in many ways it holds some of the best keys for understanding the doctrine.

 

It is interesting to note that in modern times, we have really not understood much about what this heretical doctrine of Gnosticism involved.  The NT writings that present an apologetic against it give us many clues, and the teachings of the book of Colossians are some of the best for this.  We also have always had the writings of the early church fathers, Irenaeus and Hippolytus, as a source for understanding it.  But, in 1945 the Nag Hammadi texts were discovered by an Egyptian, and these contained several Gnostic writings dating back close to this time in history.  These writings reveal themes that confirmed what the early church fathers Irenaeus and Hippolytus had written about Gnosticism. 

 

The Gospel of Thomas is an example of a Gnostic gospel writing, and it is believed to have been written around 140 AD.

 

Some of the writings of the Dead Sea Scrolls found in 1947 also shed some light because these scrolls were written by a Gnostic group called The Essenes. 

 

Now, we know that the church in Colossae was primarily comprised of Gentiles, and certainly the Gnostic heresies as we know them to be, derive much from Greek thought, namely, Platonic dualistic ideas.  Gnostics believed matter was evil and spirit was good (this led to both Epicureanism and asceticism).  But, the fact that this Gnostic heresy involved angelic manifestations and worship of angels, plus circumcision and the observing of certain days (as in Jewish feast days), Sabbaths, and the new moon, indicates that there must have been Jews and Jewish thought that were also incorporated in it.  In fact, the Colossian Heresy appears to be an eclectic combination of Platonic dualism, Jewish mysticism, ascetic beliefs, Epicurean notions, occult superstition, etc. 

 

Because Paul emphasizes so strongly in this book the sufficiency of Christ, whatever the Colossian Heresy was, it must have taught that Christ was not sufficient nor His work on the cross a complete work, and, that the Christian needed more, something else that took the place of and superseded Christ.  The Grace Communion International denomination’s web site has a page about the Colossian Heresy, and they point out the following about what we can know about this Colossian Heresy from the internal contents of the book of Colossians:

“Paul attacks the heresy in Colossians 2:8-23. If we treat this passage as an oblique description of the problem, we could use the information given by Paul to draw up the following outline of its basic tenets:

1.     It denied that the fullness of the Godhead dwelt bodily in Christ (2:9).

2.     It denied that the Christian was complete in Christ (verse 10).

3.     It tried to supplement the freedom in Christ by introducing ways of heightening Christian spirituality. 

Some of the spiritual supplements, as recorded in Colossians, were:

a.     circumcision (verses 11-14),

b.     defunct principalities and powers (verse 15),

c.      eating, drinking, new moons, sabbaths, etc. (verses 16-17),

d.     voluntary humility and the worship of angels (verse 18), and

e.      ascetic restrictions (touch not, taste not, etc., culminating in a neglect of the body) (verses 19-23).

…The above points indicate neither that the heretics were denying the value of conversion to Christianity nor that they were endorsing a departure from the church of God at Colossae. They show that the heretics denied the adequacy of Christ (points 1 and 2). They were saying that Christians needed more for their salvation than what Jesus Christ had to offer. They felt they needed to re-appraise circumcision and certain ceremonial laws, along with some spiritual supplements, such as an attitude of humility and worship towards angels. To these they added a form of asceticism.

Paul’s observation in 2:18-19 is that these teachers were "puffed up" in their minds and had "lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow." This tells us that they were Christians rather than outsiders. They were holding to Christ to some degree, otherwise Paul would have said that they had rejected Christ. In such a case, he could have dismissed them as unbelievers.”

It appears that those involved in the Colossian heresy sought to get close to God through the mediation of angels rather than through Christ.  They evidently thought that if you tried to go to God straight through Christ that either you couldn’t go as far, or you were being presumptuous that this would bring you closer to God.  They also thought they were being more humble by going through angels to God (what Paul refers to as “false humility”) rather than going directly to God.  They thought that by denying their fleshly appetites and desires with self-imposed rules that they could make themselves good enough to attract the Lord’s favor of them.

 

One Gnostic writing of the second century, “The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs,” indicates that there was a belief in at least seven different orders or levels of angels.

 

These ones involved in the heresy in  Colossae were also involved in asceticism.  They went beyond the requirements of the Jewish Law, perhaps taking tips from the Pharisees, and Paul refers to them in verse 21 and 22 as forbidding to taste or touch certain things, things which he refers to as the commandments and teachings of men.  The Grace Communion International denomination’s web site states the following about the Essenes who were ascetics that came from this form of Gnosticism: 

 

“The Essenes had strict prohibitions with respect to meat and wine — even oil. Such items were not to be touched, let alone tasted. Self-imposed asceticism provided a feeling of superior spirituality. It gave the impression that the successful ascetic had managed to rise above fleshly desires and was now in a separate category. Even circumcision can appear to the ascetic to be valuable, simply because it can be presented in dualistic terms. By mortifying the body of the flesh, the ascetic can claim to uphold the life of the spirit.” 

I want to conclude by mentioning that there are two words found in this book that turn out to be keys to unlocking what exactly was the nature of this Colossian heresy.  The first word is the Greek word “stoicheia” which is found in Colossians 2:8 and 2:20 and translated “elementary principles”:          

 

Colossians 2:8-10:  “8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. 9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, 10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority.” 

 

Colossians 2:20-23:  “20 If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, 21 “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” 22 (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? 23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.”

 

 

Bob DeWaay discusses this in an article on the Colossian Heresy on his web site:  cicministry.org/commentary/issue69.htm, and he writes the following about the word “stoicheia” used in these passages:

 

“The problem is that the term stoicheia has a broad range of meanings. These include “elementary instruction (like abc’s), the physical elements (earth, wind, fire and water in ancient understanding), or spirit beings seen to rule over the elements (elemental spirits.)”3 Clinton Arnold has provided exhaustive research on this term as used in religious contexts (both pagan and Jewish) in the ancient world. He wrote an entire chapter on the subject of the stoicheia.4 What is compelling about his research is the broad range of material from which he draws. He concludes that the stoicheia are evil, hostile powers.5 It was these that both Jews and Pagans feared as is shown by many examples cited by Arnold. They feared the stoicheia because it was widely believed that these controlled “fate.” After rejecting other interpretations, Arnold summarizes his view: “It is more likely that ‘the philosophy’ was indeed teaching that the stoicheia controlled the heavenly realm, but the concern was much more directed toward their hostile influence on matters of daily life -- causing sickness, effecting a curse, bringing poor crops, plagues, earthquakes, and ‘natural’ disasters.”6 Pagans and Jews alike (and evidently some Christian teachers at Colossae) were looking for help in averting the work of the stoicheia in their lives. Much of the popular folk religion of the day was focused on this… What Arnold shows is that Jews and Pagans believed in popular folk religion that crossed over the traditional boundaries of major religions. What they had in common was the idea that evil forces threatened their well-being and that certain “magical” practices were necessary to avert their influence.”

 

So, from what DeWaay has written we can see that there appears to have been a certain set of superstitions believed by those who held the Colossian Heresy.  Another form of superstition is today’s practice of Astrology which holds that the fate and fortunes of people are determined by the alignment of the stars and planets.  Nancy Reagon, the wife of former president Ronald Reagon was one who constantly had astrologers give her advice for husband about when the alignment of stars and planets made more favorable certain meetings or events. 

 

We can see why now in Col. 2:9-10 that Paul points the Colossians to consider how that Christ was indwelt with all of the fullness of deity bodily, and that the Colossians were complete in Him who was exalted far above all rule and authority.  There was nothing that the Colossians needed to fear with Christ ruling over their lives since He is the ultimate authority over all that exists. 

 

The second word is in the Greek “embateuein” and it is found in Colossians 2:18 and refers to visions that have been seen.

 

Colossians 2:18-19:  “18 Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.”

 

Again, Bob DeWaay writes the following about what these visions that Paul warns the Colossians against: 

 

“The term embateuein in Colossians 2:18 therefore denotes the entering of a higher level spiritual experience that included visions, angels, and supposed freedom from the hostile powers that were feared by people from various religious backgrounds who lived in the area around Colossae. There were even Jewish sources of this, where local Judaism had been mixed with ideas garnered from the surrounding pagans.19 The people feared the stoicheia and this fear was deeply rooted in the society of the day. It is obvious from Paul’s polemic against the false teachers who were influencing the Christians at Colossae that his readers were tempted to believe that Christ had not fully delivered them from the hostile powers and that more was needed. The spiritual elitists who had these visionary experiences were portraying themselves as the ones who could lead the Colossians into freedom. Paul claimed that they were actually trying to carry the Christians of Colossae off as plunder!”

 

Bob DeWaay continues:

 

“…Thus embateuein was a religious term familiar to people of Phrygia, which included Paul’s readers at Colossae. The term denoted the second stage of a mystery initiation where the properly prepared devotee entered to see mysteries. What Arnold does is pull together numerous examples to reinforce this and provide a clearer picture of the claims of the elite visionaries against whom Paul warns. The person who went through the initiation usually had a visionary experience.15 This ties together embateuein with “visions” mentioned in Colossians 2:18.”

 

As we go through the book of Colossians, I am going to point out how that the Colossian heresy is still alive in the church today.  So many groups have advocated a “secret knowledge” that only they can give to you.  The Masons and all other secret societies have these as do some of the cults such as the Mormons.  There are a number of such secret knowledge and enlightenment that a Mormon receives in their various temple ceremonies as they advance up the ranks in Mormonism by not drinking, smoking, etc.  I read just this past week that one of the last things that you learn in a temple ceremony in the highest echelon in Mormonism is a secret handshake that is required to actually be able to meet the god of our world after this life.

 

New Age use of crystals and contemplative and transcendental meditation as well as occult practices that have come into the church are other examples.

 

Oh, but this sort of thing is present in mainstream Christianity as well.  Even some of the hymns of old reflect this as, for instance the hymn “In The Garden”:

 

I come to the garden alone,
While the dew is still on the roses,
And the voice I hear, falling on my ear,
The Son of God discloses.
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own,
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.  (Really no one has ever known???)

 

In recent times Todd Bentley in his Lakeland Revival preached non-Christ-centered messages trying to get people to get close to the Lord by the vehicle of angels and asking angels to come down.

 

Whenever preachers are not Christ-centered in their preaching, or they tell you that you need something else, some new wine, new anointing, visions and revelations, angelic manifestations, this is the Colossian Heresy again in operation.  Likewise, I learned early on in my Christian walk that when any group claims that they are the true or only church that this is a group that you need to avoid them like the plague.  This again is the Colossian Heresy.  All of the cults claim exclusivity (Jehovah Witness, Mormon, Moonies, etc.) as well as even Roman Catholicism, Church of Christ (they have the correct name for the church and therefore are the true church), and others. 

 

Christ is exalted above every power having conquered all principalities and powers on the cross, and He has freed us from the power of darkness.  In Christ are hidden all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and we are complete in Him for He is our sufficiency in all that we do or will ever need.  Ascetic rules and denials of the flesh are not necessary to obtain all that Christ has for you, nor human wisdom and philosophy.  The substance of all that is important and that we need in life are found in Christ. 

 

6.                  Key themes in the book:

 

6.1.            Sufficiency of Christ:

 

Paul primarily attempts to show the sufficiency of Christ to meet all of our needs as His people.  For those who thought that you need some greater secret knowledge in order to  be sufficient, Paul teaches in chapter 2 that it is in Christ where all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden.

 

Paul tells the Colossians that in Christ the fullness of deity dwells in human form.

 

6.2.            Superiority of Christ:

 

Paul tells the Corinthians that Christ is exalted far above all rule and authority. 

 

Paul goes on to talk about how Christ disarmed all of the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

 

Paul compares the knowing of Christ Jesus, as we believers do, to what those holding to the heresy do.  .

 

6.3.            Don’t let yourself feel judged by others as having fallen short:

 

6.3.1.      Colossians 2:16-17:  “16 Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day— 17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.”

 

6.4.            Paul tells the Colossians to keep seeking the things above for they have been raised up with Him and are seated in the heavenlies.

 

7.                  In our study today, we are going to look at verses 1-14.

 

7.1.            Paul will identify himself and declare his apostleship.

 

7.2.            Paul will then tell the Colossians how that he constantly gives thanks for them.

 

7.3.            Finally, Paul will tell the Colossians that he is constantly praying for them, praying that they will come to know the Lord.  We will see that what specifically he is praying for them is that they will know God’s will and come to grow in real spiritual knowledge.

 

7.3.1.      What the Colossians need instead of the secret Gnostic knowledge, is to grow in their knowledge of the Lord, real spiritual knowledge.

 

7.4.            Paul will then discuss the many great things that happen as a result of growing in the knowledge of God.

 

8.                  VS 1:1  - “1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,” –  Paul introduces himself declaring his calling as an apostle by Jesus Christ, and then also introduces pastor Timothy

 

8.1.            Paul hadn’t planted this church, and there was a rebellion in progress in the church, as reported to Paul by Epaphras, the man who is believed to have planted the church.  For these reasons, Paul immediately asserted his authority over the church due to his calling and appointment as an apostle of the church by Jesus Christ, and by the will of God.

 

8.2.            Pastor Timothy hadn’t helped pastor the church, however he was an assistant of Paul’s and a man Paul could count on to do any ministry.  Therefore, Paul mentioned Timothy in his salutation to the church.

 

9.                  VS 1:2  - “2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.” – Paul directs this epistle to the ‘saints and faithful brethren’ who are Christians in Colossae, and then he give a blessing of ‘grace’ and ‘peace’ from God

 

9.1.            The recipients of Paul’s letter are ‘the saints,’ whom Paul refers to as ‘faithful brethren in Christ,’ who are from the church ‘at Colossae’. 

 

9.2.            This verse tells us that not everyone at the church in Colossae had embraced the Colossian Heresy.  How much influence those involved in the heresy had on the church is unclear. 

 

9.3.            As Paul gave a blessing of ‘grace’ and ‘peace’ in his salutations to each church, he did likewise with the church at Colossae.  Everything that we have in our lives as people, and indeed as Christians, we have received through the ‘grace’ of God.  Through belief in Christ and His death for us on Calvary’s cross, we have ‘peace’ with God also.

 

10.              VS 1:3-6  - “3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel 6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth;” – Paul tells the Colossians that he always gave thanks for them and prayed always for them, ever since he had heard of their faith in Christ Jesus and love for the saints

 

10.1.        Paul writes to the Colossians about how thankful he and those with him always were for the Colossians and their ‘faith in Christ’.

 

10.1.1.  It is very important for us as Christians to always be thankful to God for those whom He called and chosen, those whom God has placed in our lives and who are being used to reach the lost.  What a different attitude we have when we are thankful for others.

 

10.2.        Paul states here that they were also thankful because of ‘the love which you have for all the saints’.  There was an incredible koinia fellowship amongst the saints in Colossae, and the people had great love in the Spirit for each other.

 

10.3.        Notice that Paul connects the fact that they had such great love for each other with ‘the hope laid up for you in heaven’.

 

10.4.        Paul writes that the gospel or ‘word of truth’ was going into all the world and ‘constantly bearing fruit and increasing’. 

 

10.5.        I love that Paul describes the gospel message that the Colossians had believed as having ‘understood the grace of God in truth’.

 

11.              VS 1:7-8  - “7 just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, 8 and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit.” – Paul states that the Colossians had learned about the grace of God and been taught by Epaphras, who was a fellow bond-servant and faithful servant of Christ

 

11.1.        We read here that ‘Epaphras’ was the man who had shared the gospel with the Colossian church.

 

11.2.        Paul attempts to show his support and utmost respect for Epaphras by calling him ‘our beloved fellow bond-servant’, and man who was ‘a faithful servant of Christ’.

 

11.3.        Epaphras was evidently a man who was working under Paul’s leadership, as were pastors Timothy and Titus who he wrote pastoral epistles to.  Thus, Paul refers to him working as a servant of Christ ‘on our behalf’.

 

11.4.        Most of the people in the church at Colossae were genuine Christians, and that even had a great ‘love in the Spirit’, (“agape”).

 

12.              VS 1:9  - “9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,” – Paul now begins to tell the Colossians that they have been praying for the Colossians to ‘be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding’

 

12.1.        Paul says here that since that day that they had first heard of the faith of those in the church in Colossae, that they had ‘not ceased to pray for’ them. 

 

12.2.        Samuel told the children of Israel the following when they asked him to pray for them in 1 Samuel 12:23: “23 Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way.” 

 

12.3.        Even though God’s plans were formed from all eternity, and He is sovereign in all that He does, nonetheless we are commanded by the Lord to pray for each other, and to lift up to His throne the needs that we are aware of.

 

12.4.        Paul tells the Colossians that they had been praying for the Colossians to ‘be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.’

 

12.5.        The Greek word that Paul uses for ‘knowledge’ is “epignosko” which means “a precise or correct knowledge” of something.

 

12.6.        Paul didn’t pray that the Colossians would have their curiosity in the knowledge of God filled, but rather that they would know God’s will for their lives, know His will for their conduct. 

 

12.7.        Further, Paul says that they had been praying for the Colossians that they might grow ‘in all spiritual wisdom and understanding’.  He wanted them to understand “spiritual truth,” and this must refer to the practical application of knowledge about God in their life.  Again, this is the kind of knowledge about God that is most helpful for us to know.

 

13.              VS 1:10-11  - “10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously” – Paul tells the Colossians that his prayer for them to know the Lord has been made so that they will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord in all respects and bear fruit in every good work and increase in the knowledge of God, strengthened with all power

 

13.1.        The result of growing in the kind of knowledge that Paul had been praying for the Colossians is that they would ‘walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every work.’. 

 

13.2.        The Greek word used for ‘work’ here is “ergon” from which we get our word for energy.

 

13.3.        Likewise, learning more about God heals you to learn even more, they were always ‘increasing in the knowledge of God.’  The Greek word translated ‘increasing’ is in the present tense indicating continuous action of growing in the knowledge of God.

 

13.4.        Likewise learning God’s will and growing in real spiritual understanding causes one to be ‘strengthened with all power’ and also ‘attaining of all steadfastness and patience, joyously’.  The Greek words translated ‘strengthened’ and ‘power’ used here are words derived from the word from which we get our word “dynamite’.

 

13.4.1.  We Christians need to grow in our faith in the area of ‘steadfastness and patience’.  We who know the Lord are desperately in need of prayer for endurance in our faith, to continue to remain in the Lord and trust Him in every area of our life.

 

13.5.        The Greek word “kratos” translated ‘might’ here (‘glorious might’) is a word that refers to “a great and mighty power.”

 

13.6.        How are you growing in the knowledge of God in your life?

 

14.              VS 1:12  - “12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.” – Paul tells the Colossians that the answer to their prayers for the Colossians will result in the Colossians giving thanks to the Father

 

14.1.        The spiritual knowledge of God and of His will leads us also to give ‘thanks to the Father’. 

 

14.2.        The Greek word translated ‘giving thanks’ here is in the present tense indicating continuous action. 

 

14.3.        It is interesting here that Paul says that God the Father ‘has qualified us’ to share in the inheritance of the saints.  That qualification was achieved not by our own works or righteousness but by Christ’s work on the Cross of Calvary where He died once and for all for us.

 

14.4.        The Greek word translated ‘light’ here is “fos” and is the word from which our word photon is derived, the particle of energy found in light.  Scientists tell us that light is both an energy (and can be measured in photons) that can accomplish work, as well as an electromagnetic wave that is propagated similar to sound waves only on a different wavelength.  Paul refers to the Christians in Colossae as being ‘the saints in Light’.

 

15.              VS 1:13-14  - “13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” – Paul tells the Colossians that the Lord has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, in who we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins

 

15.1.        Paul now begins to talk about that work that the Lord has done in the life of His people.  Again, this knowledge helps us to understand the superior power and sufficiency of Christ in our life, to all that is available without Him.

 

15.2.        In Col. 2:15, Paul will write about how that on the cross of Calvary that Jesus Christ conquered and disarmed all of the principalities and powers in the spiritual realm:  Colossians 2:15:  “15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.”

 

15.3.        Jesus Christ has ‘rescued us from the domain of darkness’ who are being saved by Christ, or have saving faith in Him.  In saying this, Paul is reminding the Colossians that no matter how you slice it there are two kingdoms in this world, God’s kingdom and power, and Satan’s kingdom and power.  There are two kinds of angels, those under God’s control, and those under Satan’s control.

 

15.4.        The Greek word translated ‘domain’ here is “equsia” and refers to “an authority or magistrate with power of rule or authority.”

 

15.5.        Notice also that Paul describes what happens to the Christian when he comes to salvation, saying that ‘redemption’ is the ‘forgiveness of sins’. 

 

16.              CONCLUSIONS:

 

16.1.        Do you see Christ as your sufficiency for all you need?  Do you look to Him as holding all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge?

 

16.2.           Are you growing in your spiritual walk with the Lord?  Are you spending time in His word every day so that you can truly come to “know” Him?

Back          Bible Studies                Home Page