Colossians 1 Studies
For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each chapter is divided into a number of studies and each study or passage has a simple four-Part, verse by verse approach, to help you take in and think further about what you have read.
Passage: Col 1:1,2
A. Find Out:
- What designation does Paul give himself? v.1a
- Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus
- Why is he that? v.1b
- by the will of God
- Who else writes with him? v.1c
- and Timothy our brother,
- To whom does he write? 2b
- To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ:
- How does he describe them? v.2a
- God’s holy people in Colossae
- What does he want for them? v.2c
- Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
B. Think:
- How does Paul establish his credibility here?
- What would the readers feel hearing this description of themselves?
- Why do we need grace and peace?
C. Comment:
When Paul greets each church, he has in mind what he is wanting to say and so even the opening words have significance. The first thing Paul does is establish his authority for writing. Let’s consider his descriptions of himself.
An apostle : one who has been sent with a mission. Paul comes to them as one of that band of men sent to establish and raise up the early church. He is that by calling and actual experience.
Of Christ : he was sent out by Christ to preach Christ. Everything about Paul starts and finishes with Christ.
By the will of God : Paul is not what he is by personal ambition but simply because it is part of God’s great plan that Paul should be this and be doing what he is doing.
And Timothy : Paul doesn’t work alone; he always works with a team. At the present it is Timothy working with him
Next let’s note to whom he wrote: the church at Colosse. He describes them as “holy and faithful”. They are holy, set apart by God for God; that is their standing as established by God. They are faithful: that speaks about how they have responded to God, how they have held firm to the Gospel and grown in Christ. This is praise indeed. He will speak more about that shortly.
D. Application:
- Do I know my calling and am I working it out daily?Am I faithful to that calling, not diverting in any way?
Passage: Col 1:3-6a
A. Find Out:
- What did Paul say he always did? v.3
- We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,
- Of what two things had he heard? v.4
- because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people
- From what did those two things spring? v.5a
- the faith and love that spring from the hope
- Where was that stored? v.5b
- stored up for you in heaven
- How had they already heard about that? v.5c,6a
- in the true message of the gospel 6 that has come to you.
B. Think:
- What is the object of their faith from these verses?
- What is the object of their love?
- How is hope linked to faith and love?
C. Comment:
As so often, Paul tells his readers that he prays for them and, again, as so often in his other letters, he prays with thanks when he thinks about them. Really this is all about the motivation of Paul’s prayers. He hears things about them and that stirs him to thank God for them. There are two primary motivations for prayer: thanks and crisis!
Let’s consider what stirred Paul into thanks. First of all he has heard about their faith in Jesus, he has heard that they are well established in the faith. In each of us the thing of primary importance is our relationship with God, that stands on our faith in Jesus. When we realise the fundamentals of the faith we are able to stand strong.
The second thing is their love for all Christians. This is the outworking of their faith in Jesus; it produces love for other Christians. In these two things we find a reflection of Jesus’ command in Mt 23:37-40 to love God with all you are and then your neighbour as yourself. This is what this is all about.
But then he tells us that these things spring from the hope that is stored in heaven for us. Because we have been told we have been reconciled to God and our destiny has been declared to be with Jesus in heaven, that has released faith in us and subsequently love of others. Because of Jesus’ actions for us, we now believe and love.
D. Application:
- Everything goes back to Jesus’ death for me. Praise him!
- I am what I am in response to that. Thank the Lord.
Passage: Col 1:6b-8
A. Find Out:
- What had the gospel been doing where? v.6a,b
- In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world
- What illustration of that did he point them to? v.6c
- ust as it has been doing among you
- What had they understood? v.6d
- you heard it and truly understood God’s grace
- From whom had they heard it? v.7a
- You learned it from Epaphras
- How does Paul describe him? v.7b
- our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf,
- What had he told Paul and the others? v.8
- and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
B. Think:
- What do these verses tell us about Paul’s relationship to this church?
- What do they tell us about the Gospel?
- What do they tell us about Epaphras
C. Comment:
From all Paul says in these opening verses it would seem clear that he hadn’t been to Colosse, that he had simply heard about them (v.4) and that it had been Epaphras who had taken the Gospel to them. [Epaphras is also mentioned in 4:12 and Philemon 23]. In 2:1 he also speaks about all who had not met him personally. Yet Paul has a heart for them and prays for them and now writes to them. Here is a man with a burden that extends beyond those who he has met personally.
He has been speaking about the faith, love and hope that are in the Gospel and he declares that this Gospel is having effect and spreading all over the world. When we are going through hard times locally, when the Gospel is seeming to be rejected by local people, we need to remember that it’s not like that everywhere. Generally the Gospel is spreading all over the world and having great effect!
Why does it do that? Well one reason is that it is the truth, it speaks about the world as it is (sinful), about God as He is (holy and loving) and His work as it is (redeeming through the work of Jesus) and the life changes that come through it. All this is the truth, how things actually are. It is all about the grace of God, His undeserved goodness extended to us through Jesus. No wonder it has effect!
D. Application:
- The Gospel is truth. It tells things are they really are.
- The Gospel is about grace, God’s free gift of life and goodness.
Passage: Col 1:9-12
A. Find Out:
- What had Paul been doing, since when? v.9a
- For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you.
- What had Paul been asking? v.9b
- We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,
- Why did he ask this? v.10a
- so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way:
- In what 3 ways did he expect that to work out? v.10b,11a
- bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might
- What 3 things would that produce? v.11b,12a
- so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father,
- Why may they have all those things? v.12b
- who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people
B. Think:
- How are knowing and doing God’s will linked?
- What resources are available to us in these verses?
- What are the outcomes for our lives in these verses?
C. Comment:
Having heard about them from Epaphras, Paul prays fervently and continuously for them. He wants them, first of all, to KNOW GOD’S WILL. This will come as the Holy Spirit teaches them and imparts wisdom and understanding to them.
Why does he pray this? Because he knows the simple and obvious fact, that we can’t pursue a particular course (God’s will) unless we know what it is, and when we do follow it then that will please God, and that is what Paul wants at all times.
Then he gives 3 EXPRESSIONS of doing God’s will:
- first, increasingly doing good in daily life (see Mt 5:16);
- second, increasingly knowing God more and more, and
- third, increasingly being strengthened by the very power of God.
Following this he gives 3 OUTCOMES of doing God’s will:
- first, endurance, that ability to stand in the face of pressure,
- second, patience, that ability to keep going, and
- third, thankfulness to God in the awareness that all this comes from Him.
It is God the Father who has made it possible (qualified us) for all this to become ours. These things are part of the inheritance that is there for every believer, fruitfulness and ability to go on and on!
D. Application:
- God’s wisdom, revelation and power are there for us for today.
- They are there to enable us to be fruitful in the way we live.
Passage: Col 1:13-14
A. Find Out:
- Where have we been rescued from? v.13a
- For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness
- Where have we been brought to? v.13b
- and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,
- What do we have in Jesus? v.14a
- in whom we have redemption
- And what is that really all about? v.14b
- the forgiveness of sins.
B. Think:
- Read Heb 1:2-4 & 2:8 & 1 Pet 3:22 What is Jesus’ position?
- Read 1 Jn 5:19 Yet what is Satan’s position?
- How do we reconcile these two things?
C. Comment:
We now come to two critical verses that need underlining in your Bible. For Christians, there are two vital truths they need to know in reality: WHO they are and WHERE they are. Paul addresses the latter truth, where we are today as Christians.
The new, young Christian needs to know that he or she is no longer under the rule of Satan. Jesus has rescued them out of the “dominion of darkness” so they are no longer in his domain and no longer have to submit to his leading. Satan, or his minions, speak to people and seek to dominate them by lies, doubts, untruth, guilt, shame and so on. These are all part of the darkness. The unsuspecting non-Christian has no resources against these whisperings and so they are dominated by them. No wonder John says the whole (non-Christian) world is under Satan’s control.
Now we have been brought into the kingdom of the Son. We are now “in Christ” as the New Testament tells us many times, and we are under a new ruler, one who simply seeks our good at every turn. He is redeeming us from the sinful ways we once knew. He has forgiven us our sins and is now working to make us more and more like himself. Jesus, the all-powerful Son of God ruling from heaven at his Father’s right hand, has been given all authority (Mt 28:18b). HE is Lord over all things and he simply uses Satan as his agent of discipline.
D. Application:
- We are free from the power of Satan.
- We are under the rule and protection of Jesus.
Passage: Col 1:15-17
A. Find Out:
- In what two ways is Jesus now described? v.15
- The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
- What had he done? v.16a
- For in him all things were created
- What things are listed to be included in that? v.16b
- things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.
- How next is he described? v.17a
- He is before all things
- And what does he do? v.17b
- and in him all things hold together.
B. Think:
- Note the things that describe Jesus himself.
- What do they say about him?
- Note the things he has done or does. And?
C. Comment:
The descriptions of Jesus by Paul are some of the most powerful in the New Testament. Let’s look at the things said about the person of Jesus and what he has done and does do.
First he is the visible expression (or image) of God. If we want to see something of God, then look at Jesus Christ. Then he is described as “the firstborn over all creation”. Now we need to understand that in Jewish culture and history, the first born was the heir, the all important child. So Paul is saying Jesus is the heir of all creation, it has been handed over to him.
Then he gives the reason. It is because all thing were made with reference to Jesus. Some versions say “By him..” and others say “In him…” He was certainly involved alongside the Father in the creation (see Prov 8:22-30) but more than that, it is only Jesus who makes sense of creation, for without him there would be no possible salvation and humanity would be utterly doomed, and God would not have created us! Jesus himself existed with the Father before anything else existed, and indeed it is only because of his presence that everything continues (Heb 1:3). The world doesn’t continue because of so-called laws of nature. They only exist because Jesus makes them. If he turned his back on creation, everything would cease instantly! THIS is who the Son of God is!
D. Application:
- Jesus is almighty creator and sustainer of the world.
- He has been decreed this by the Father.
Passage: Col 1:18-20
A. Find Out:
- How does Paul describe the church? v.18a
- the body, the church;
- What is Jesus’ position in it? v.18a
- he is the head of the body, the church;
- How does he then describe Jesus? v.18b
- he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead
- What does he then say about him? v.19
- For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,
- With what purpose in mind? v.20a
- and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven,
- How did he achieve that? v.20b
- by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
B. Think:
- List the descriptions of Jesus in these verses?
- What do they say about his work?
- What impact should these verses have on our lives?
C. Comment:
Let’s consider the various descriptions of Jesus:
First, he was the fullness of God in human form. In other words he was completely God in human form. Although limited in the human form he was still completely God.
Second, he is the beginning. Before all else was, there was Jesus. He was alongside his Father bringing the world into being, and now he is also the beginning of the new kingdom or reign of God on the earth.
Third, he is the first born from among the dead. He has shared in human life and human death and has now risen from the dead. He is the first of many to so do. He is the means of each of us passing through death to continuing (eternal) life because HE is eternal life.
Fourth, he is the head of the church which is now called his body, because it continues to do the same things at his leading, that the one body did two thousand years ago.
Fifth, he is THE reconciler, the one who took away our sin on the Cross and reconciled us to God. These verses are all about Jesus, about what a wonderful and glorious being he is, and what a wonderful and glorious thing he has achieved.
D. Application:
- Jesus is God’s Son, head of the church, raised from the dead.
- He is or Saviour and Lord. Worship and obey him!
Passage: Col 1:21-23
A. Find Out:
- How were we once? v.21
- Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behaviour.
- What has Christ now done? v.22a
- But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death
- How does that now leave us? v.22b
- to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation
- What condition is there though? v.23a
- if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.
- What is all this? v.23b
- This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
B. Think:
- How is our past portrayed here?
- How are we shown to be in the present?
- What are the determining factors for our present?
C. Comment:
Having just spoken about Christ’s reconciling work, Paul now expands on that by describing our experience.
BEFORE we were Christians we were alienated or separated from God by the way we acted and the way we thought. But it is more than that! We weren’t just separated from God, we were enemies of God, we were hostile to him in our very thinking and because we thought wrongly, we acted wrongly.
NOW though, Christ has brought us back to God. The WAY he did it was to die on the Cross. The EFFECT of what he has done is to present us before God as holy, unblemished and innocent! Because Christ has died for every sin of ours, IN GOD’S SIGHT we are all of these things. Because Christ has taken our punishment, God no longer “sees” our sin, He no longer sees us as blemished or damaged goods, He no longer sees us as accused felons due to be sentenced. No, now we can come before God and He sees us as pure, spotless, innocent children of God. Every time we think or do something wrong it instantly gets taken to the Cross. We are free!
There is just one condition: that we hold to this belief, that we go on in our faith. We need to hold to these wonderful truths and by so doing we will live in God’s continual blessing.
D. Application:
- We were once enemies of God – doomed!
- Christ has now reconciled us – we are free!
Passage: Col 1:24-26
A. Find Out:
- In what did Paul rejoice? v.24a
- Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you
- And what did he receive? v.24b
- I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions.
- Why? v.24c
- for the sake of his body, which is the church
- What had Paul become and how? v.25a
- I have become its servant by the commission God gave me
- What did he now present? v.25b
- to present to you the word of God in its fullness
- How does he describe it? v.26
- the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people.
B. Think:
- How had Christ suffered?
- How do you think Paul was suffering?
- What was the mystery that Paul spoke about?
C. Comment:
Paul now speaks about suffering for the Gospel. The suffering was first experienced by Christ himself. It was the rejection by the world, and the world’s opposition to him. This is the suffering that the New Testament speaks about. Follow Paul on his journeys in the Acts and you see the same thing, rejection by the Jews wherever he went, opposition and persecution. Thus Paul was now experiencing and sharing in the same things that Christ had suffered.
This wasn’t just a spiritual thing, this was something experienced in the flesh, that meant he did literally suffer physically as he was opposed by the enemy. To see a list of these things read 2 Cor 6:4-10 & 11:21 -33. Yet Paul is happy to put up with all these things for the sake of the church, so that the Gospel may go forth and the church be built up and encouraged.
Paul does this because he is aware of his calling by God. Jesus came to him and revealed himself. More than that he revealed the Gospel, the wonder of what God had planned from before the foundation of the world, what had been a mystery to the Jews, and what had now even revealed through Paul’s ministry.
D. Application:
- Being a Christian means suffering opposition for Christ. Remember his grace is always there to cope with such rejection.
- The Gospel comes by revelation.
Passage: Col 1:27-29
A. Find Out:
- To whom has God revealed this mystery? v.27a,b
- To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery
- What is the mystery revealed? v.27c
- which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
- What was Paul’s task? v.28a
- He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom
- With what aim? v.28b
- so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.
- How does he do that? v.29
- To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.
B. Think:
- What do these verses teach about us and Christ?
- What do they teach about Christian teaching?
- How, therefore, are they very significant verses?
C. Comment:
Paul has just said the mystery, the Gospel, has been disclosed or revealed to the saints, to the Christians. Now he expands on that.
First of all, to WHOM it has been revealed? The Gentile Christians. This in itself was a major revelation for the Jews who never seemed to have realised that God really meant them to be a light to the nations (the Gentiles).
Second, WHAT had been revealed? That the outcome of the Gospel of Jesus Christ resulted in ‘Christ in us’. This was something that all previous seekers through the prophetic words of the Old Testament had really never understood, that the Messiah would eventually come to live in them, yes he himself actually IN them! And because he now lives in us that gives us hope to believe for eternal life. He is our means to heaven and to eternity, a glorious inheritance.
Third, HOW that mystery is now being administered by Paul: he is proclaiming it, challenging his hearers, teaching them, imparting the truth with the end objective of seeing as many people as possible respond and come to God through Christ, thus being made perfect in God’s sight through Christ’s work.
Fourth, HOW Paul is able to do that: by the strength that God gives him by the power of the Spirit within him.
D. Application:
- Don’t take the truth for granted: Christ lives in you. Thank Him.
- Christ in you means a hope for the future and power to reach it.