Colossians Chapter 1

Colossians 1:1-2 (ESV) 
¹  Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, ²  To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. 

1. Paul says he is an apostle. Exactly what is an apostle?

ἀπόστολοςapostolos (ap-os’-tol-os) n.

1. a delegate

2. (specially) an ambassador of the Gospel

3. (officially) a commissioner of Christ, “apostle” (with miraculous powers)

KJV: apostle, messenger, he that is sent

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ,…. The apostle puts his name to this epistle, by which he was known in the Gentile world, as he usually does in all his epistles; and styles himself “an apostle”, as he was, having seen Christ in person, and received his commission, doctrine, and qualifications immediately from him, with a power of doing miracles to confirm the truth of his mission.

 Apostle. This term conveys the ideas of mission, authorization, and responsibility. And its NT meaning probably is to be derived from the Hebrew word shālah, “to send.” The substantiveshāliah, a virtual equivalent of the NT word “apostle,” is not uncommon in rabbinical writings. It was primarily a legal term, signifying authorized representation. As in the modern law of agency, the one sent was held to be equivalent to the sender himself. To dishonor the king’s ambassador was to dishonor the king himself.  Apostle of Jesus Christ, those directly commissioned as apostles by the risen Lord (cf. 1 Cor 9:1; 15:8-10). Thus Paul exercised the function of an apostle by the will of God. Wycliffe Bible Commentary,

 Colossians 1:3-8 (ESV) 
³  We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, ⁴  since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, ⁵  because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, ⁶  which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, ⁷ just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf ⁸  and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.

 2. What exactly is the gospel?

 1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you— unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.1 Cor 15:1-8

Paul was very specific in that the Gospel is totally a product of grace and nothing can be added to it, it must not be watered down, or expanded upon, or corrupted by man’s philosophy. The belief in the crucified and risen Christ, His payment of my sin debt and new spiritual life, opens the door to regeneration.

 6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7  not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. 10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. Gal 1:6-10 (ESV)

 Colossians 1:9-14 (ESV) 
⁹  And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰  so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. ¹¹  May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, ¹²  giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. ¹³  He has delivered 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.

3. From a practical sense how does our belief in the gospel manifest itself?

Keys words and phrases: Filled with knowledge, spiritual wisdom, walking worthy, pleasing God, bearing fruit, good work, increasing in knowledge of God, strengthened, patience, joy, qualified, inheritance, saints, light, delivered, transferred, redemption, forgiveness.

 The power of the gospel performs a supernatural transformation re-creation event on a par with the creation of the world. In some sense it is a greater miracle in that this planet is only matter and a person has a spiritual component which must be regenerated, and brought back to life.

  He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, Titus 3:5 (ESV)

 Who Christ is.

 Colossians 1:15-20 (ESV) 
¹⁵  He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶  For by him 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. ¹⁷  And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸  And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. ¹⁹  For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰  and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

       

 4. How is Jesus the image of God?

 We have no ability to see or even comprehend God. God is spirit, we are matter which is just energy converted into stuff: E=MC2. We are and live in a four dimensional universe, created specifically for us to live in. God is multidimensional and exists outside of this dimension. He has allowed the Son to interact with us so that we can get a picture of what God is like.

 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape  John 5:37 (KJV)

 I and my Father are one. John 10:30 (KJV)

 Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father;  John 14:9 (KJV)

 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, Heb 1:3 (ESV)

5. Firstborn of creation?  You mean God created the Son along with everything else?

 firstborn of all creation.It would be wrong to think in physical terms here, as if Paul were asserting that the Son had a physical origin or was somehow created (the classic Arian heresy) rather than existing eternally as the Son, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, in the Godhead.  What Paul had in mind was the rights and privileges of a firstborn son, especially the son of a monarch who would inherit ruling sovereignty. This is how the  expression is used of David: “I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth”(Ps. 89:27).ESV Study Notes

 Firstborn πρωτότοκος  (prōtotokos) was interpreted by the Arians to mean “first of a kind,” i.e., Christ was the first creature. The word can have this meaning (cf. Rom 8:29); but such a reading is not consistent with Paul’s theme, which here stresses a Messianic priority and primacy —Wycliffe Bible Commentary,

Preeminence over the creation is the idea Paul was advancing 

6 .“and in him all things hold together” What all thing? Do you mean everything?

One of the key words in the Colossians passage above (“…and in Christ all things hold together“) is the Greek word sunistemiwhich means “to stand-together,” “to be compacted together,” “to cohere,” “to be constituted with.”

This passage can be applied to the structure of the atom, for example. The nucleus of every atom is held together by what physicists call “weak” and “strong” forces. [Physicists today are familiar with four basic forces in the natural world: gravity,  and electrical forces, plus a "strong," and a "weak" nuclear force. The first two forces decrease in strength inversely with the square of the distance between two objects, the latter two forces act only at very short ranges].

The nucleus of the atom contains positively-charged and neutral particles–to use a very simplistic model. Mutual electrostatic repulsion between the like-positive protons would drive the nucleus apart if it were not for the “strong force” which binds the nucleus together. There is thus an active force imposed on the universe, which actively holds the very atoms of the material world together moment by moment, day by day, century by century. Similarly accelerated electrons circling the nucleus should quickly radiate all their energy away and fall into the nucleus unless there exists an invisible energy source to counteract this.  Lambert Dolphin, Physicist  http://ldolphin.org/nothing.html

7. All things were created for Him? I thought this was all about me?

No actually it’s all about Him. We are allowed to participate in what belongs to him. This is just not about providing you with a fire insurance policy, so you can sit on a cloud and play your harp.

Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 1 Cor 2:9 (KJV)

 All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Matt 28:18 (ASV)

There is a purpose to all of this.

 Making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.  Eph 1:9-10 (ESV)

What Christ has Done?

 Colossians 1:21-23 (ESV) 
²¹  And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, ²²  he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, ²³  if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

8. What is the reconciliation thing about?

 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.  Romans 5:10-11 (ESV)

In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.  2 Cor 5:19 (ESV)

 Reconciliation: The Japanese fighter plane, the Zero was manufactured by Mitsubishi.

Today Mitsubishis are a top selling car in the U.S. along with hundreds of brands of Japanese products. It’s as though WWII never happened. Our two countries are reconciled.

 Our estrangement from God has been fixed.

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned………………..

 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. 18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Romans 5:12,17-19 (ESV)

 Colossians 1:24-29 (ESV) 
²⁴  Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, ²⁵  of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, ²⁶  the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. ²⁷  To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. ²⁸  Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. ²⁹  For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

  

9. How was the mystery hidden for ages?

 The entire concept of gentiles coming into relationship with the God of Abraham was unthinkable to the Jewish mind. What about the Mosaic Law and the sacrifices and the Temple.

 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. Gal 3:8-9 (ESV)

 There were scriptures in the OT which referenced gentile salvation, but they were pretty much ignored and explained away by the rabbis. There are things in the bible we do not fully understand until after they happen. Their meaning and understanding is hidden. The book of Daniel ends with God telling Daniel to seal up the words, because they will not be understood until the end times. That is why it is important to continue to study the scriptures, because new information is constantly being revealed with reference to our present world.

  

10. What sufferings is Paul talking about?

 Paul writes this letter to the Colossians while chained to a Roman guard.

 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one-I am talking like a madman-with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.2 Cor. 11:23-28

  

11. Mature in Christ?

 1Cor 3:1-2 [ESV]  But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.  I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready,

  Heb 6:1-2 [ESV]  Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity,not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

Let’s leave these basic principles, doctrines of salvation and redemption. Let’s go on into maturity. Let’s go on into a mature experience with God. Let’s develop in our walk with the Lord. Let’s mature. Let’s grow up. BBC

Many Christians are still struggling to understand the basic fundamentals of the faith. Who is God, who is Christ, what is the atonement and why, what is justification, how do works fit into our theology, is baptism part of salvation, is man basically good or evil, is tithing (freewill support of the church) biblical, do I need to be part of a bible study? Until these issues get resolved the believer remains immature and carnal

The carnal Christian is the one who hasn’t grown up spiritually, and it is evident that he lacks spiritual discernment—not because he doesn’t have the Holy Spirit dwelling within him, but because he is not growing in grace and in the knowledge of Christ. Again this is a consequence of his relationship to the Word of God. That is so important to see. This unnatural man, this carnal Christian, is a babe in Christ. He has an ability but no desire. A baby has the potential to become a learned man, but he has to start out by drinking milk. Paul carries this figure of speech over to the spiritual level. JVM

• MSBN…….MacArthur NASB Study Notes
• NIVSN…..NIV Study Notes.
• JVM ….J Vernon McGee,
• ACC …. Adam Clarke’s Commentary
• BN …..Barnes Notes
• WBC……   Wycliffe Bible Commentary
• CN …… Constables Notes
• IC……….Ironside Commentary
• NET………Net Bible Study Notes.
• JFB…………..Jamieson  Fausset  Brown Commentary
• VWS……………..Vincent Word Studies
• CMM………….Commentary on Matthew and Mark
• BDB………….. Barclay’s Daily Study Bible (NT)
• Darby………..John Darby’s Synopsis of the OT and NT
• Johnson………Johnson’s Notes on the New Testament.
• NTCMM…………..The New Testament Commentary:  Matthew and Mark.
• CSTTB……………………Chuck Smith Thru the Bible
• ESVN……………………….ESV Study Bible Notes  
• BUN…………………..Bob Utley Notes

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