Colossians 1 — Christ in You, the Hope of Glory
Introduction: This study begins an examination of Paul’s letter to the saints at Colosse. Colosse is not mentioned by name in Acts, but it was located in a general region visited by Paul, about 12 miles above Laodicea near the great road from Ephesus to the Euphrates. Paul uses the term saints quite frequently in this letter.
NOTE: All Bible text is taken from the Modern King James Version (MKJV), unless otherwise designated.
A — Paul’s Salutation and Thanksgiving
Colossians 1 “1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse. Grace to you, and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love you have to all the saints, 5 for the hope which is laid up for you in Heaven, of which you heard before in the Word of the truth of the gospel.”
Comments: When Paul opens his letters as an apostle, he makes it clear that his apostleship is by the will of God, not man. As he says in 1 Corinthians 15:8–10, by the grace of God he is what he is. Paul gives thanks to God for the faith the saints have, and for the love they show to other saints. He prays for the saints at Colosse relating to the sure hope laid up for them in heaven since they heard and believed the truth of the gospel. He does not praise them for things done in their own strength, but for the way God has worked in them — their love to other saints demonstrates that they personally believe what they heard.
B — Bearing Fruit and Growing in the Knowledge of God
Colossians 1 “6 which has come to you as it has also in all the world, and it is bearing fruit, even also among you, since the day you heard and fully knew the grace of God in truth, 7 even as you learned from Epaphras our beloved fellow-servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ for you… 9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, 10 that you might walk worthy of the Lord to all pleasing, being fruitful in every work and increasing in the knowledge of God, 11 being empowered with all power, according to the might of His glory, to all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness, 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.”
Comments: Hearing, in the sense of accepting and holding fast the truth of God’s grace, is evidenced among the group of believers by their action of bearing fruit. This is the same for all saints, whenever and wherever the truth of the gospel is received. Paul’s prayers for the Colossians included: to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding; to walk in a manner pleasing to the Lord, bearing fruit in every work; to continue to grow in knowledge of the Lord; to draw upon the Lord’s unlimited power for patience and long-suffering with joyfulness; and to give thanks to the Father who enabled them to partake in the inheritance of the saints in light. These are very practical ways to love God and love your neighbor, with no limitation by era or culture.
C — Redemption and Reconciliation Through Christ
Colossians 1 “13 For He has delivered us from the power of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son; 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the remission of sins. 15 who is the image of the invisible God, the First-born of all creation. 16 For all things were created by Him, the things in the heavens, and the things on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. 18 And He is the Head of the body, the church, who is the Beginning, the First-born from the dead, that He may be pre-eminent in all things. 19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all fullness should dwell.”
Comments: God has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the everlasting kingdom of his dear Son! Our redemption is through his blood shed for the remission of our sins. And how incomprehensible is our redemption — our Redeemer is the image of the invisible God, the ever-existing preeminent one over all creation, creator of all things in heaven and earth whether visible or invisible. He is before all things, holds all things together, and is the head of the church by virtue of his resurrection from the dead. For it pleased the Father that in the Son all fullness should dwell continually.
D — The Mystery: Christ in You
Colossians 1 “20 And through Him having made peace through the blood of His cross, it pleased the Father to reconcile all things to Himself through Him, whether the things on earth or the things in Heaven. 21 And you, who were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and without blame, and without charge in His sight… 27 For to them God would make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the nations, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory, 28 whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, so that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. 29 For which I also labor, striving according to the working of Him who works in me in power.”
Comments: Through the Son, it pleased the Father to reconcile things in heaven and earth having made peace through the blood of the cross — not the blood of the guilty, but of the only righteous one dying in our stead. We, all having been alienated as enemies by wicked deeds in our minds, may now be reconciled through death in his body, to be presented to the Father holy and blameless with not even a single charge to be made against us. Paul warns that empty and unfruitful faith does not save, but the holy saints must faithfully grasp the hope that is in Christ alone. The mystery which was hidden for ages and generations is now revealed to the saints: Christ in you, the hope of glory! This continues to be the purpose of Paul’s life — to teach and warn in all wisdom, that those who are converted may be presented perfect in Christ Jesus, as Paul strives to that end using the power of God working within him.
Reflections in Prayer
Lord, may I be constantly reminded that I have peace as one of your holy children, a saint in the body which is your church, because of the grace you extended to me in my salvation. Guide me to be encouraged, and to encourage brothers and sisters in Christ, with the sure hope we have stored up in heaven through Christ Jesus by the truth of the gospel. Prompt me Lord to pray without ceasing for the Christians I know, that they may be filled with the knowledge of your will with all spiritual wisdom and understanding, to please you in their walk and to bear fruit to the benefit of others. I praise you Father for enabling me to partake in the inheritance of the saints in light, by delivering me from the power of darkness and translating me into the kingdom of your dear Son; in whom I have redemption through His blood, the remission of my sins. Jesus is the image of the invisible God, and preeminent before all created things. All praise to you O Lord, for the glory of the mystery that is, Christ in me, my hope of Glory! This is not for my personal benefit Lord, so may I use your power working within me to share this with any receptive person you bring across my path. Amen.
Published 25 August 2006, first issued 20 June 2004