Colossians Chapter 1 Series

Colossians Chapter 1

*It’s a letter written to set straight the position of God the Father and the Son, Jesus Christ.

He never directly mentions Gnosticism or any other false doctrine. He laid down the

doctrines surrounding God the Father and Jesus as the Messiah and Creator of all things.

v. 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother, (KJV)

v.1 Paul, an apostle (special messenger, personally chosen representative) of Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the

Anointed) by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, (Amplified Bible)

A. 1. Apostle – NT meaning is probably derived from the Hebrew word “shalah”, to send. It is

primarily a legal term, signifying authorized representative. As in the modern law of agency,

the one sent was held to be equivalent to the sender himself. Apostle = Messenger Although

the term apostle of Jesus Christ, it appears to apply primarily to those directly commissioned

as apostles by the risen Lord. (Chuck Missler)

2. An apostles of Jesus Christ by the will of God. An apostle is a prime-minister in the

kingdom of Christ, immediately call by Christ, and extraordinary qualified for his work was peculiarly to plant the Christian church, and confirm the Christian doctrine. (Matt Henry)

3. Timothy here is called “our brother” which is an instance of his humility, and an example

of the elder and more eminent ministers to look upon the younger as more obscure to

treat them accordingly with kindness and respect. In other places, he calls him son.

(Matt Henry)

B. The Colossians had never seen him, and on that account his authority was no as yet so firmly

established among them as to make his private name by itself sufficient, he premises that he

is an Apostle of Christ set apart by the will of God. In vs. 2 he calls them faithful brethren,

to allure them more willingly to listen to him. (John Calvin)

C. Timothy (not an apostle) was here with Paul as he often was. Paul picked up Timothy in his

second missionary journey at Lystra where “the brothers . . . spoke of him”. He was a native

of area of Phrygia.

v. 2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace,

from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

v. 2 To the saints and faithful believers in Christ [who are] at Colossae: Grace to you and peace

[inner calm and spiritual well-being] from God our Father.

A. Saints

1. – hagios -- sacred, holy -- Usage: set apart by (or for) God, holy, sacred.

2. He calls them saints. As all good Christians, are brethren one to another, who stand in

near relation ad owe a mutual love. (Matt Henry)

3. We must love all the saints, bear an extensive kindness and good-will to good men,

notwithstanding smaller points of difference, and many real weaknesses.

(Matt Henry)

B. Grace and Peace –

1. You will not retain grace and peace if you keep going astray.

2. Kindness is the very breath of Christianity, so the apostle will not begin a subject matter

of his letter until first of all he has breathed out a benediction upon those to whom he

writes. (Charles Spurgeon)

v. 3 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

v. 3 We continually give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah), as we pray

always for you,

A. Again, here, Paul is laying down the position of the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

B. Prayer

1. is an important activity of leaders of the Gospel. Here the thanks and the prayers are to

the Father and Jesus Christ the Messiah. This is a contradiction to the heresies in

Colosse.

2. Continually give thanks to God.

3. Thanksgiving ought to be a part of every prayer and whatever is the matter of our rejoicing

ought to be the matter of our thanksgiving. (Matt Henry)

4. Paul very graciously blends his giving of thanks and his constant prayer for these

Christians, and therein sets us an example that we may imitate. (Charles Spurgeon)

C. In this expression of St. Paul’s thanksgiving for them there is as usual a peculiar

correspondence to their circumstances. They had been full of faith, love, and hope, the fruit

of a true gospel preached by Epaphras; there was fear now lest they should be beguiled from

it, although that fear was obviously not yet realized, as had been formerly the case with the

Galatians. Hence St. Paul’s emphasis on their hearing, knowing, and learning the truth, and

on the faithfulness of Epaphras as a minister of Christ. (Ellicott)

v. 4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,