Colossians 1:1-23

What did Paul hear about the Church in Colossae? (v4-8)

Paul heard about church in Colossae from Epaphras and perhaps others::

• The faith that they had in Christ Jesus
• Their love towards all the saints that was also declared by Epaphras
• It was not just knowledge – but they were fruitful Christians
• They were growing Christians

What is Paul’s prayer for the Church in Colossae? (v9-12, 23, Ephesians 1:17-23)

• That they may continue to grow and be filled with knowledge (learn – know what to do)
  • Of God’s will
  • All spiritual wisdom and understanding

• Live a live that honors God (put in action what they learnt)
  • Pleasing God in everything
  • Bearing fruit in every good work
• Strengthened with all power (hold on against all odds)
  • To endure (not just when its easy but even when it gets tough)
  • Persevere with joy 
  • Grounded (in the truth that they heard and know)
  • Steadfast without moving from the Good News they heard
• Not grudgingly but thankfully

. 

Who is Christ? (v13-19, John 1:1-3, 1 John 1:1-3, Acts 2:14, John 3:16-18)

• In relation to God
  • Son of God
  • He is the image of the invisible God
• In relation to creation:
  • Everything was created by Him, through Him and for Him
    • Things that we can see 
    • Things that we can’t see
    • Thrones / dominions / principalities / powers
  • He is before all things (Firstborn/Alpha). 
  • He holds everything together.
• In relation to us:
  • Firstborn from the dead.
  • Redemption and the forgiveness of sins is in Christ
  • He is the head of the body – the Church.

What did Christ do? Why? (v20-23, Hebrews 12:2, Romans 5:8, Jude 1:24)

• Brought (reconciled) everything back to God
  • Including the church at Colossae (and us) while we were
    • Alienated (i.e., far) from God.
    • Behaving like enemies of God in thoughts and actions
• Brought peace by sacrificial blood on the cross and through death
• To present us before God
  • holy
  • without defect and 
  • blameless

Conclusion:

• What kind of testimony are we bearing?
• Who is Christ, in our lives?

Passage Colossians 1:1-23 – World English Bible (WEB)

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 to the saints and faithful brothers[a] in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which you have toward all the saints, 5 because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the Good News 6 which has come to you, even as it is in all the world and is bearing fruit and growing, as it does in you also, since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth, 7 even as you learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on your[b] behalf, 8 who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.

9 For this cause, we also, since the day we heard this, don’t cease praying and making requests for you, that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 that you may walk worthily 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 the might of his glory, for all endurance and perseverance with joy, 12 giving thanks to the Father, who made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, 13 who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love, 14 in whom we have our redemption,[c] the forgiveness of our sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created in the heavens and on the earth, visible things and invisible things, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things are held together. 18 He is the head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19 For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile all things to himself by him, whether things on the earth or things in the heavens, having made peace through the blood of his cross.

21 You, being in past times alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil deeds, 22 yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without defect and blameless before him, 23 if it is so that you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Good News which you heard, which is being proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, was made a servant.

Footnotes

1. 1:2 The word for “brothers” here and where context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”
2. 1:7 NU reads our
3. 1:14 TR adds “through his blood,”

Notes / Cross references:

Epaphras is a short form of Epaphroditus but may not be the same person from Philippians.

Epaphras may have brought the gospel to Colossae – and not Paul.

Church at Colossae was primarily made up of gentiles and perhaps a few from Jewish background

Colossae was dealing with false teachers that questioned who Christ is.