Colossians 1 – 2:3: Glory of Jesus Christ
- Study Index for COLOSSIANS by Chester McCalley
-
Colossians Outline
Colossians 1 – 2:3: Glory of Jesus Christ
Colossians 2:4 – 3:4 – Union With Christ
Colossians 3:5 – 4:1 – Christian Conduct
The Glories of Jesus Christ
or the image of the Invisible God
THE PEOPLE OF JESUS CHRIST 1:1-14
GREETINGS EXTENDED TO THEM 1:1-2
“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our
brother, to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.”
Colossae is the most insignificant city mentioned in the New
Testament at which we find a church. Many cities visited by Paul
were in full bloom during the birth and growth of the church.
Colossae, on the other hand, was in the sunset of her history. The
city was located in the Lycus River valley. Hierapolis and Laodicea,
both mentioned in the New Testament, were located nearby on
opposite sides of the river.
The church at Colossae was unknown by face to the apostle Paul.
Paul had never been to this city, but he had heard of believers who
resided there (Colossians 1:3-4, 2:l). The church apparently met in
the home of Philemon. This conclusion is made by comparing
Philemon 1-2, where we are told there was a church in his house,
with Philemon 10-12, where we find that the name of his missing
slave was Onesimus. We then learn from Colossians 4:8-9 that
Onesimus was from Colossae, and the picture is complete.
Focusing on Paul 1:1
His Position
The word apostle refers to the divinely chosen men who were the
spokesmen for God. The apostle of the New Testament was equivalent to the prophet of the Old Testament
His Authority
Paul’s apostolic authority was by the will of God, which indicates
that Paul did not volunteer his services but was chosen by God for
this unique office.
His Companion
Timothy is a brother of Paul because God is the Father of every
believer, creating the family of God.
Focusing on the Church 1:2
Their Spiritual Position
The expression in Christ is the most descriptive phrase in the New
Testament telling what a Christian is. The fundamental difference
between a Christian and a non-Christian is relationship to Jesus
Christ.
Four things may be said about the word saints. First, being a saint is
the result of being in Christ. Take out the words in Christ, and the
word saints must also be removed. Second, the word saint means to
be set apart. Third, saint is the most common designation of a
Christian in the New Testament. Fourth, the word saints refers to
their spiritual position, not their spiritual condition or their conduct (cf. I Corinthians 1:2 and 3:1-3).
Their Earthly Position
This is indicated by the words in Colossae. The city is described
under the greetings section above.
PRAYER MADE FOR THEM 1:3-14
As Expressed in Thanksgiving 1:3-8
Paul’s Favorite Trilogy of Words 1:3-5
“We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying
always for you since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love
which you have for all the saints; because of the hope laid up for you in
heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel…”
First, we have reference to their faith. That faith is mentioned first
is significant. It is the life that starts with faith in Christ on earth
that ends up with hope in heaven. Faith points to their past.
Second, we have reference to their love, which points to their
present. That they have love for all saints shows it is possible to
love another believer without knowing them personally. Third, we
have reference to their hope, which lies in the future. In English,
hope implies doubt; in the New Testament, hope indicates certainty. Heaven is our hope, not because it is in doubt, but because it is future. Hope is the part of our salvation that has been promised but
has not been dispensed yet. For additional study on the doctrine of faith, see the notes on faith in the Commentary and Outline of James.
The Source of the Believer’s Hope 1:6-8
“…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; just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf,and he also informed us of your love in the spirit.”
As found in the last of verse 5, the source of our hope lies in the
word of truth, which is the gospel. The word truth looks at the
dependability of the message, and the word gospel looks at the
content of the message. Truth concerning the gospel is the subject
through verse 8.
THE ARRIVAL OF THE GOSPEL 1:6A
The words has come to you are a reminder that the gospel was not
the product of their own thought or ingenuity. The gospel is a
revelation coming from God to man via the written word of God.
THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE GOSPEL 1:6B
The words just as show that the gospel is not the product of human
thought anywhere in the world. The word world is a hyperbole
expressing the rapid spread of the message that was taking place.
THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL 1:6C
Why is the figure of fruit appropriate? Because, unlike a hammer or
a chisel, it has reproductive power. Statements concerning this
power are also found in James 1:18, I Peter 1:23, I Corinthians 4:15.
Presenting the gospel is not like selling a product; it is like planting
a garden. The word increasing shows that the gospel never exhausts
itself.
THE BEARER OF THE GOSPEL 1:7-8
First, Epaphras was accurate in the communication of the truth, as
is shown by the words just as. Second, that they had learned shows
that Epaphras was a teacher. Third, Epaphras was personally
committed to truth, shown by his close association with Paul. Verse
8 shows the positive attitude that Epaphras had toward those he
taught.
As Expressed in Petition 1:9-14
The Root of the Petition: Knowledge of God’s Will 1:9
“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’s prayer extends through verse 14, but verse 9 contains the
only petition. Everything that follows verse 9 flows from this
prayer. Knowing God’s plan is the root of all right conduct. The
word for knowledge is epignosis, which carries the two ideas of full
knowledge and accurate knowledge. The word filled shows that
Paul desires nothing less than the full limit. This is the extent of his
petition for them; if there were other needs in Colossae, we do not
know what they were. The knowledge that Paul desires for them is
to have two qualities. First, it is to contain wisdom, which refers to
the ability to perform what one knows; it denotes skill of application. Second, it is to involve understanding, which is a synonym of wisdom and also denotes ability to apply knowledge.
The Trunk of the Petition: a Worthy Walk 1:10a
“…so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in
all respects…”
Paul speaks of a worthy walk in four places. The first is in
Ephesians 4:1, where the emphasis is on a walk that is consistent
with our position in Christ. The second is found in Philippians 1:27,
where the stress lies on a walk that is in harmony with the doctrine
that we believe. Third, in I Thessalonians 2:12 our walk is related to
bringing honor to God Himself. Finally, Colossians 1:10 relates our
walk to the pleasure of the Lord.
The Branches of the Petition: Good Works 1:10b-14
KNOWLEDGE OF GOD’S WILL IS TO REVEAL ITSELF IN OUR
CHARACTER 1:10B
“…bearing fruit in every good work …”
This is expressed by the participle bearing fruit and is followed by
the words in every good work, showing the uniqueness of this tree.
Most trees bear after their kind, but this one bears all kinds of fruit.
KNOWLEDGE OF GOD’S WILL IS TO REVEAL ITSELF IN OUR WITNESS 1:10C
“…and increasing in the knowledge of God…”
The word increasing is used for the dissemination of something;
thus, the idea is that of witness. The knowledge we have of God is
to be continually passed on to others everywhere
KNOWLEDGE OF GOD’S WILL IS TO REVEAL ITSELF IN OUR SHARED
POWER 1:11
“…strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the
attaining of all steadfastness and patience.”
The term according to is used to introduce a norm or a standard. It
teaches that the power supply is not based on our need, but on
God’s resources. This is not to deny that God meets our needs, but
it does mean that the resources are far greater than anything we
could ever need.
KNOWLEDGE OF GOD’S WILL IS TO REVEAL ITSELF IN OUR MENTAL
ATTITUDE 1:12-14
“…joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in
the inheritance of the saints in light. For He 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.”
Thanksgiving is a response attitude. Its existence depends upon
appreciation of certain facts. What these facts are is explained in
verses 12 through 14.
He has qualified us for an inheritance (1:12). The word qualified is
an aorist tense, indicating a decisive event that happens at the
moment we are saved. The nature of our inheritance is
described in I Peter 1:4 as one that knows no termination (imperishable), no imperfection (undefiled), no alteration (will not fade
away), and no uncertainty (reserved in heaven for you).
He has delivered us from darkness (1:13a). The tense of delivered is
once again an aorist, pointing to a definite event, not a process.
This delivery is from darkness to light, showing that we need
never again be dominated by error and confusion.
He has transferred us into the kingdom of His Son (13b). The word
translated transferred is used for the literal removal of large
groups of people to another land. The kingdom looks forward
to the time when Christ will reign on earth, of which we are
already citizens. The verb we have is present tense and points to
the ongoing blessing of forgiveness that we enjoy.
THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST 1:15-17
JESUS CHRIST IN RELATIONSHIP TO GOD THE FATHER 1:15
“And He is the image of the invisible God…”
The noun image means a likeness derived from an original. Two eggs
might look alike, but the word used here would not apply to them
because one is not derived from the other. A photographic copy of
a document would better illustrate the word. Two basic ideas are inherent in the word. First, we have the idea of representation.
Jesus is a perfect representation of deity because He is deity.
Second, we have the idea of manifestation. Jesus Christ is God in
the flesh. Who is God? God is Christ!
JESUS CHRIST IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE CREATION 1:15B-17
The Relationship Stated 1:15b
“…the firstborn of all creation…”
The word first has two distinct senses, both in Greek and English. It
may mean first in time; it may mean first in rank, as in, “She is the
first lady of the land,” referring to the wife of the President. The
word firstborn as applied to Christ means first in rank. Psalm 89:27
makes clear that the idea of sovereignty and priority is contained in
the word.
The Relationship Amplified 1:16-17
“For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”
Christ Is the Originator of All Things
His relationship to creation is expressed in these verses by the
prepositions by, for, before, and in. The opening words of verse 16
use the word by to show that the plans for creation were born and
formulated in His mind.
Christ Is the Builder of All Things
This is expressed by the words by Him, which picture Christ as
producing that which He conceived.
Christ Is the Owner of All Things
The preposition for carries this idea. It is for His pleasure and honor
and glory that all things exist. Though stained by sin, the ultimate
aim of all will be the glory of Jesus.
Christ Is the Predecessor of All Things
This is conveyed by the preposition before, which shows Him to be
above and before all creation.
Christ Is the Sustainer of All Things
The words hold together show Christ to be the cohesive power of the
universe. Man would explain cohesiveness in scientific terms. The
truth of the matter is that every heartbeat is a gift of His grace,
sustained and maintained by Him alone.
JESUS CHRIST IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE CHURCH 1:18
The Statement of His Position 1:18a
The concept of head and body sets forth the basic relationship of
Christ and the church. The noun head has a definite article with it
stressing His exclusive position. He is not a head; He is the head.
The metaphor conveys at least three ideas—authority, intelligence,
and direction
The Reason for His Position 1:18b
Christ Is Head Because He Is “the Beginning’’
Being the eternal God, He is the beginning of all things.
Christ Is Head Because He Is “the First-born’’
The reference to being first-born from the dead is a reference to the
resurrection. The word dead is plural in the Greek text, showing
that He is the only one who has ever broken the power of death.
The Aim of His Position 1:18c
A practical question lies behind these words. Will His new creation
(the church) respond to His headship as the physical creation does?
He spoke, and the angry waves subsided; do we respond as obediently? The word come is a word that means to move from one condition to another. It refers to recognizing His Lordship in daily life.
THE WORK OF CHRIST 1:19-2:3
ITS DESCRIPTION 1:19-20
His Work in the Origin of Salvation 1:19
It Centers in the Pleasure of the Father 1:19a
The good pleasure of the Father is expressed with three infinitives.
Two are found in verses 19 and 20, and the third is found in verse
22. They are to dwell and to reconcile in verses 19 and 20 and to
present in verse 22. The first points to a perfect Savior, the second to
a perfect work, and the third to a perfect result.
Verse 19 opens with the connective for. It ties verse 19 to verse 18 in
introducing the reason why the Son is supreme in the church. The
Son is supreme because of His work of reconciliation.
It Centers in the Perfection of the Son 1:19b
This is expressed by the term all the fulness that occurs here and also
in 2:9with slightly different ideas connected with it. In 1:19 the
emphasis is on the fullness of His saving power; in 2:9 the emphasis is on the fullness of His divine nature.
His Work in the Accomplishment of Salvation 1:20
See “Observations on Reconciliation” at the end of these notes for
an explanation of the doctrine of reconciliation
ITS APPLICATION 1:21-23
Viewing their Past 1:21
This verse shows that a sinful past filled with hostility toward God
is no barrier to the possibility of reconciliation. Sin represents the
need for salvation, but it is not a barrier to salvation. Christ did not
withhold His saving work because men did not deserve it.
Viewing Their Present 1:22a
The expressions through the blood in verse 20 and through death in
verse 22 both show the means whereby reconciliation is accomplished; they are also synonymous in the sense that they explain
one another.
Why does Paul refer to Jesus’ fleshly body? This is because the
gnostics tried to deal with what they considered a basic problem.
They believed evil is present in the world, and God cannot create
evil. They held that matter was evil, God is good, and the two
cannot touch. To solve the problem, they devised what they call
aeons and emanations coming from God, with each possessing less
and less divine quality until contact with evil becomes possible.
Out of this error, other doctrinal errors emerged. First, the gnostics
worshiped angels (Colossians 2:18). They did not believe that
Christ was creator (Colossians 1:15-17), nor did they believe Christ
came in the flesh (Colossians 1:22, 2:9). Fourth, they perverted
Christianity by turning it into asceticism (Colossians 2:20-23).
Viewing Their Future 1:22b-23
The words to present point to glorification. Since this is God’s
ultimate goal for the believer, it is interesting to note that Paul
makes that his goal also. Paul was not satisfied merely to see men
saved. Paul taught with an aim to glorification.
Verse 23 shows the evidence that one has received Christ’s reconciling work is continuance in the faith. The true test of genuine
faith is continuity. Faith that is set aside is never genuine faith.
I John 2:19 makes this clear. John says, “They (the deserters) went
out from us, but they were not really of us (genuine believers); for
if they had been of us (genuine believers), they would have
remained with us; but they went out (deserted), in order that it
might be shown that they all are not of us.”
ITS PROPAGATION 1:24-2:3
Paul’s Ministry and the Church 1:24
“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body (which is the church) in filling up that which
is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.”
This verse begins with an important principle: Learning to handle
personal pressures and suffering qualifies us to help other believers
(II Corinthians 1:3-7). In this sense, Paul’s suffering is to the benefit
of the Colossian church.
What does Paul mean when he speaks of “filling up that which is
lacking in Christ’s afflictions’’? First, we must reject any idea that
there is some insufficiency in the work of Christ performed on the
cross. Nothing is made clearer by Paul than the total adequacy of
the cross. The word translated afflictions is never used in the New
Testament for the atoning suffering of Christ. Second, we must
reject the fanciful idea of a treasury of merit wherein the merits of
Christ plus the suffering of the saints may be dispensed as indulgences. The sufferings of the believer are seen as a continuation of
this world’s quarrel with Jesus Christ (John 15:18-21). Persecution
of the Lord’s people is always viewed as persecution of Him. Paul
persecuted the church; yet when faced by Christ on the Damascus
road, Jesus said, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
Paul’s Ministry and the Word 1:25-27
“Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations; but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope
of glory.” Here we see the glory of Christ.
The words fully carry out translate a verb that means to fulfill. Two
ideas are involved in fulfilling the word of God. First, it refers to
making a complete presentation of its content. Second, it refers to
the geographical spread of the message. The word mystery as used
in the New Testament never means mysterious in the sense of inability to understand. It refers to the truth about the church that was
unrevealed in the Old Testament but has now been revealed, with
Paul being its primary vehicle of explanation.
Paul’s Ministry and the Individual 1:28-29
“And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man
with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ. And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which
mightily works within me.”
Paul’s Methodology
The focus is now on the individual believer. The word admonishing
is a compound of the word for mind and a verb meaning to put or
place. The word teaching most frequently refers to public instruction. The word shows that the teaching was related to real-life
situations. Paul showed believers how doctrine related to their
lives.
Paul’s Goal
Notice Paul’s goal, as stated here in verse 28, is identical to God’s
goal for the believer, as stated in verse 22. The goal of the ministry
is not merely men’s salvation, but is a much more inclusive thing.
See Colossians 2:1 for comment on Colossians 1:2
Paul’s Ministry and the Local Church 2:1-3
“For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf, and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of
wisdom and knowledge.”
The Statement of the Struggle 2: l
The word for that begins the chapter ties these verses to the last
words of chapter 1. It is an exposition of the noun labor and the
word striving in 1:29. Paul’s sense of the oneness of the body of
Christ is manifested by his labor for believers he had never as
much as seen face to face.
The Purpose of the Struggle 2:2-3
The word understanding shows where full assurance comes from.
The mention of knowledge and love together in the same sentence shows the close relationship of true doctrine and genuine love.
Love is always spoken of in the context of truth and knowledge.
Love is a mental attitude, not merely an emotion or burst of sentimentality.
APPLICATIONS FOR LIVING
The primary subject matter of our prayers should be for spiritual growth
(1:9). This is not to eliminate other matters, but it is always the basic feature of all of Paul’s prayers.
Prayer is simple communication with the Lord (1:9-14). Notice that it is difficult to tell at what point Paul moves from prayer to the teaching of doctrine. Verse 12 is clearly speaking of prayer, and verse l3 moves into teaching.
There should be no doubt in our minds about the exalted position of deity of Jesus Christ (1:15-18). There is no passage in the New Testament that gives the details of His highest exaltation as the sovereign of the universe as does this on
- Study Index for COLOSSIANS by Chester McCalley
-
Colossians Outline
Colossians 1 – 2:3: Glory of Jesus Christ
Colossians 2:4 – 3:4 – Union With Christ
Colossians 3:5 – 4:1 – Christian Conduct
Latest posts by Chester McCalley (see all)
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- Setting for Ruth: “The Days When the Judges Governed” – January 27, 2013
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Latest posts by Chester McCalley (see all)
- Jonah 3:1-4:11 – The Obedient Prophet – February 7, 2013
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- Setting for Ruth: “The Days When the Judges Governed” – January 27, 2013
- The Tragedies of Moab: Ruth 1:1-18 – January 27, 2013
- The Welcome to Bethlehem: Ruth 1:19-22 – January 27, 2013
