Reflections on Colossians 1

Colossians 01 (Contemporary English Version)


1. From Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from Timothy, who is also a follower.
2. To God's people who live in Colossae and are faithful followers of Christ. I pray that God our Father will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!
3. Each time we pray for you, we thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
4. We have heard of your faith in Christ and of your love for all of God's people,
5. because what you hope for is kept safe for you in heaven. You first heard about this hope when you believed the true message, which is the good news.
6. The good news is spreading all over the world with great success. It has spread in that same way among you, ever since the first day you learned the truth about God's wonderful kindness
7. from our good friend Epaphras. He works together with us for Christ and is a faithful worker for you.
8. He is also the one who told us about the love that God's Spirit has given you.
9. We have not stopped praying for you since the first day we heard about you. In fact, we always pray that God will show you everything he wants you to do and that you may have all the wisdom and understanding that his Spirit gives.
10. Then you will live a life that honors the Lord, and you will always please him by doing good deeds. You will come to know God even better.
11. His glorious power will make you patient and strong enough to endure anything, and you will be truly happy.
12. I pray that you will be grateful to God for letting you have part in what he has promised his people in the kingdom of light.
13. God rescued us from the dark power of Satan and brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son,
14. who forgives our sins and sets us free.
15. Christ is exactly like God, who cannot be seen. He is the first-born Son, superior to all creation.
16. Everything was created by him, everything in heaven and on earth, everything seen and unseen, including all forces and powers, and all rulers and authorities. All things were created by God's Son, and everything was made for him.
17. God's Son was before all else, and by him everything is held together.
18. He is the head of his body, which is the church. He is the very beginning, the first to be raised from death, so that he would be above all others.
19. God himself was pleased to live fully in his Son.
20. And God was pleased for him to make peace by sacrificing his blood on the cross, so that all beings in heaven and on earth would be brought back to God.
21. You used to be far from God. Your thoughts made you his enemies, and you did evil things.
22. But his Son became a human and died. So God made peace with you, and now he lets you stand in his presence as people who are holy and faultless and innocent.
23. But you must stay deeply rooted and firm in your faith. You must not give up the hope you received when you heard the good news. It was preached to everyone on earth, and I myself have become a servant of this message.
24. I am glad that I can suffer for you. I am pleased also that in my own body I can continue the suffering of Christ for his body, the church.
25. God's plan was to make me a servant of his church and to send me to preach his complete message to you.
26. For ages and ages this message was kept secret from everyone, but now it has been explained to God's people.
27. God did this because he wanted you Gentiles to understand his wonderful and glorious mystery. And the mystery is that Christ lives in you, and he is your hope of sharing in God's glory.
28. We announce the message about Christ, and we use all our wisdom to warn and teach everyone, so that all of Christ's followers will grow and become mature.
29. That's why I work so hard and use the mighty power he gives me.
    
    

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    The Colossian church was evidently not one of the churches started by Paul but was instead started by Epaphras who served with Paul. In this first chapter of his letter to the Colossian church, Paul gives instruction regarding characteristics of a life pleasing to God along with an unprecedented listing of the characteristics of Christ.
    
    Paul prayed for the Colossians that they might "walk worthy of the Lord" and be "fully pleasing to Him." (1:10) A life fully pleasing to God will have these characteristics: bear fruit in every good work, grow in the knowledge of God, be strengthened with all power, and with joy give thanks to God. (1:10-12) God has rescued us from "the domain of darkness" that we might live this life which is "in the light." In rescuing us from the domain of darkness, He "transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves."  In Him we have "redemption, the forgiveness of sins." Too many have accepted this redemption and forgiveness of sins without thought concerning the life we are meant to live as a result of our redemption. We are rescued from darkness that we might live in light.
    
    Concerning God's Son, Christ Jesus, who has made possible our redemption, He is: (1) the image of God, (2) the Firstborn over Creation, (3) Creator of the universe, (4) Head of the church, (5) Firstborn from the dead, (6) the fullness of God, and (7) the Reconciler of all things. This is the most complete listing of Christ's characteristics found in scripture. This is who Christ is apart from His incarnation when He became the man, Jesus, who walked the earth. It gives us a perspective of His humility in "assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men." (Philippians 2:7) Having come as a man, He became "obedient to the point of death - even to death on a cross." (Philippians 2:8)
    
    Despite Christ's standing in all of these characteristics, the Colossians "were once alienated and hostile in mind" to Christ because of their evil actions. (1:21) This is true not only of the Colossians, but of all people until they come to faith in Christ. But through His death, and our faith in Him, He has "reconciled you" to God. It worthy of note that we are reconciled to God and not God to us. It is our sin that separate us from God, not God, who through any action has separated Himself from us. His desire and purpose in creating man was and is to have fellowship with all people. It was His provision, through Christ, that has made possible this fellowship which is otherwise broken due to our sin.