Because there’s been a bit of a lapse in our study, I thought it best to review what we’ve learned so far before moving forward. I would encourage you to follow along in your bible.
In Colossians 1:1-2 we saw how Paul, the author of this letter, represented himself as “an apostle of Christ Jesus.” This was important because apostles had very specific biblical qualifications, such as being an eyewitness of Jesus’s resurrection, hand-picked by Christ, and given unique powers to perform miracles His name. Paul’s calling was corroborated by Luke’s record in Acts 9. We also saw how Paul was an apostle “by the will of God,” noting the importance that each of us live in submission to God’s will every day, even when He requires that we do things that are difficult or uncomfortable.
In verses 3-5 we explored a great insight into the relationship of the Godhead when Paul wrote, “we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…” Here we examined the distinct, individual personalities of God the Father and Christ the Son. We also learned how important it is for Christians to be mindful of how we portray our love and faith to others, as Paul stated that he had “heard of [the Colossian’s] faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints.” We, too, want others to see our faith in action through the love we have for our brothers and sisters in Christ. And Paul reminded the church of the “hope laid up for them in heaven” – a hope secured and guarded by Jesus Christ our Lord (also see 1 Peter 1:3-5).
As we moved into verse 6, we learned more about the “the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you.” The gospel outlines our hopeless sinful state and the good news of a Savior who was willing to save and restore us to righteousness. There is truly no better news that mankind could ever receive! The gospel “indeed in the whole world is bearing fruit and increasing” – going out to lost souls through the work of the Holy Spirit and believers who humbly submit to His calling.
In verses 7-8 we learned a little about Paul’s friend and beloved servant of the church, Epaphras. We were reminded that ministry is not something we can do on our own, and it requires the dedication of many with servants’ hearts to reach the lost and disciple believers. Epaphras brought news of the Colossians to Paul, and while Paul likely never visited the Colossae church, he wrote this letter to address the concerns Epaphras shared as well as to bring encouragement to the young church. Epaphras was a “faithful minister of Christ on [their] behalf” and doing everything he could to properly shepherd the Colossian church.
Getting into verse 9, Paul reinforced the importance and necessity to pray for believers when he wrote they had “not ceased to pray for you.” While it is impractical to literally never cease praying, this likely meant that Paul and his companions continued to beckon God in prayer on behalf of these believers, never giving up in their requests for the Colossians to “be filled with the knowledge of his [God’s] will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” What a beautiful prayer request this was, and Paul’s words are a reminder that we need to pray for spiritual blessings more than for worldly blessings. The things of this world are fleeting and temporary, but the wisdom and knowledge that comes from God is eternal.
Into verses 10-11 Paul reminded the church to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him.” He said the same thing to the Ephesians and Philippians, reinforcing that our walk as believers is not a passive activity, and that saving faith is more than a one-time event. It is a moment by moment surrender of our will to God’s so we can “bear fruit in every good work.” When we bear fruit, we bless others, we bless God, and we are blessed as we are “strengthened with all power according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.”
Moving into verses 12-14, we saw how God the Father has “qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.” The Father orchestrated our salvation, and Christ completed it on the cross. Our beloved heavenly Father “has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” We are currently citizens of Christ’s kingdom, and He paid a very expensive price to purchase and free (ie: redeem) us from the dark dungeon of sin.
In verse 15 Paul explained how Jesus Christ is “the image of the invisible God,” showing us a picture of Christ’s true divinity and majesty. He alone has the splendor, power, and authority of His Father. And we learned that Christ is “the firstborn of all creation,” meaning that Christ has preeminence (or rank) over all creation, and was the first to be raised from death to life in eternal glory. The Father raised Christ from the dead in the same manner He will raise us from the dead and clothe us with an imperishable new body.
And finally, we left off at verse 16 where we saw that “by him [Christ] all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. In this chapter of Colossians, Paul repeatedly affirmed Christ’s claims of divinity and Sonship, and we see here that, through Jesus, the Father brought all things into existence. Scripture reveals the unity of the Father and Son, working in perfect harmony since before time began.
We’ll pick up next in Colossians 1:17, in the middle of what is an extraordinary passage of scripture vividly explaining the position, role, and work of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.