Colossians 1

Colossians 1:1

I. THE DOCTRINE OF THE PRE-EMINENCE OF CHRIST (Chaps. 1, 2) A. Salutation (1:1, 2) 1:1 In the days when the NT was written, it was customary to begin a letter with the name of the writer. Thus Paul introduces himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. An apostle was one who had been especially sent forth by the Lord Jesus as a messenger. In order to confirm the message that they preached, apostles were given the power to perform miracles (2Co_12:12). In addition, we read that when the apostles laid their hands on believers in certain cases, the Holy Spirit was given (Act_8:15-20; Act_19:6). There are no apostles in the world today in the strict sense of the word, and it is folly for men to claim to be successors of the original twelve. Eph_2:20 is taken by many to indicate that the work of those with the distinctive gift of apostles and prophets had to do chiefly with the founding of the church, in contrast with the work of evangelists, pastors, and teachers (Eph_4:11), which continue throughout this dispensation. Paul traces his apostleship to the will of God (see also Act_9:15; Gal_1:1). It was not an occupation which he had chosen for himself or for which he had been trained by men. Neither was the office given to him by human ordination. It was not from men (as the source), neither through men (as the instrument). Rather, his entire ministry was carried out under the solemn realization that God Himself had chosen him to be an apostle. With Paul at the time this Letter was written was Timothy our brother. It is good to notice here a complete lack of officialism in Paul’s attitude toward Timothy. Both were members of a common brotherhood and there was no thought of a hierarchy of church dignitaries with pompous titles and distinguishing clothing. 1:2 The Letter is addressed to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse. Here are two of the lovely names that are given in the NT to all Christians. Saints means that they are separated to God from the world and that as a result they should lead holy lives. Faithful brethren indicates that they are children of a common Father through faith in the Lord Jesus; they are believing brothers and sisters. Christians are also called disciples and believers in other sections of the NT. In Christ speaks of their spiritual position. When they were saved, God placed them in Christ, accepted in the beloved. Henceforth, they had His life and nature. Henceforth, they would no longer be seen by God as children of Adam or as unregenerate men, but He would now see them in all the acceptability of His own Son. The expression in Christ conveys more of intimacy, acceptance, and security than any human mind can understand. The geographical location of these believers is indicated by the expression who are in Colosse. It is doubtful that we would ever have heard of this town had it not been that the gospel was preached there and souls were saved. Paul now greets the saints with the lovely salutation: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. No two words could better embrace the blessings of Christianity than grace and peace. Grace was a common Greek expression, while peace was the common Jewish greeting; and the words were used at meeting or parting. Paul united them, and elevated their meaning and use. Grace pictures God stooping down to sinful, lost humanity in loving and tender compassion. Peace summarizes all that results in the life of a person when he accepts God’s grace as a free gift.

R. J. Little said: Grace can mean many things, and is like a blank check. Peace is definitely part of the Christian’s heritage, and we should not allow Satan to rob us of it. The order of the words is significant: grace first, then peace. If God had not first acted in love and mercy toward us, we would still be in our sins.

But because He took the initiative and sent His Son to die for us, we now can have peace with God, peace with man, and the peace of God in our souls. Even having said all this, one despairs of ever adequately defining such tremendous words as these.

Colossians 1:3

B. Paul’s Thanksgiving and Prayer for the Believers (1:3-14) 1:3 Having greeted these saints in terms which have become the watchword of Christianity, the apostle does something else which is very characteristic of himhe falls to his knees in thanks and prayer. It seems that the apostle always began his prayer with praise to the Lord, and this is a good example for us to follow. His prayer is addressed to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Prayer is the unspeakable privilege of having audience with the Sovereign of the universe. But it may be asked: How could a mere man dare to stand in the awful presence of the infinitely high God? The answer is found in our text.

The glorious and majestic God of the universe is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who is infinitely high has become intimately nigh. Because as believers in Christ we share His life, God is our Father also (Joh_20:17). We can draw near through Christ. Praying always for you. Taken by itself, this expression does not seem remarkable, but it takes on new meaning when we remember that this describes Paul’s interest in people he had never met.

We often find it difficult to remember our own relatives and friends before the throne of grace, but think of the prayer list the Apostle Paul must have kept! He prayed not only for those he knew but also for Christians in faraway places whose names had been mentioned to him by others. Truly Paul’s untiring prayer life helps us to understand him better. 1:4 He had heard of the Colossians’ faith in Christ Jesus and of their love to all the saints. He first mentions their faith in Christ Jesus. That is where we must always begin. There are many religious people in the world today who are constantly talking about their love for others. But if you question them, you find that they do not have any faith in the Lord Jesus. Such love is hollow and meaningless. On the other hand, there are those who profess to have faith in Christ, yet you look in vain for any evidence of love in their lives. Paul would likewise question the sincerity of their faith. There must be true faith in the Savior, and this faith must be evidenced by a life of love to God and to one’s fellow man. Paul speaks of faith as being in Christ Jesus. It is very important to notice this. The Lord Jesus Christ is always set forth in Scripture as the Object of faith. A person might have unbounded faith in a bank, but that faith is only valid as long as the bank is reliable. The faith itself will not insure the safety of one’s money if the bank is poorly managed. So it is in the spiritual life. Faith in itself is not sufficient. That faith must be centered in the Lord Jesus Christ. Since He can never fail, no one who trusts Him will ever be disappointed. The fact that Paul had heard of their faith and of their love shows that they certainly were not secret believers. In fact, the NT gives little encouragement to anyone who seeks to go on as a secret disciple. The teaching of the Word of God is that if a person has truly received the Savior, then it is inevitable that he will make public confession of Christ. The love of the Colossians went out to all the saints. There was nothing local or sectarian about their love. They did not love only those of their own fellowship, but wherever they found true believers, their love flowed out freely and warmly. This should be a lesson to us that our love should not be narrow or limited to our own local fellowship, or to missionaries from our own country. We should recognize the sheep of Christ wherever they are found, and manifest our affection to them wherever possible. 1:5 It is not entirely clear how this verse connects with what has gone before. Is it connected with verse 3: We give thanks … because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven? Or is it connected with the latter part of verse 4: Your love for all the saints, because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven? Either interpretation is possible. The apostle could be giving thanks, not only for their faith and their love, but also for the future inheritance which would one day be theirs. On the other hand, it is also true that faith in Christ Jesus and love to all the saints are exercised in view of that which lies before us.

In any case, we can all see that Paul is here listing the three cardinal virtues of the Christian life: faith, love, and hope. These are also mentioned in 1Co_13:13 and 1Th_1:3; 1Th_5:8. Lightfoot says: Faith rests on the past; love works in the present; hope looks to the future.In this verse, hope does not mean the attitude of waiting or looking forward to something, but rather it refers to that for which a person hopes. Here it means the fulfillment of our salvation when we shall be taken to heaven and will enter into our eternal inheritance. The Colossians had heard about this hope previously, perhaps when Epaphras preached the gospel to them. What they had heard is described as the word of the truth of the gospel.

The gospel is here described as a message of true good news. Perhaps Paul was thinking of the false teachings of the Gnostics when he wrote this. Someone has defined truth as that which God says about a thing (Joh_17:17). The gospel is true because it is God’s word. 1:6 The truth of the gospel had come to the Colossians even as it had in all the then-known world. This must not be taken in an absolute sense. It could not mean that every man and woman in the world had heard the gospel. It may mean, in part, that some from every nation had heard the good news of salvation (Acts 2). It may also mean that the gospel was for all men, and was being spread abroad without purposeful limitation. Paul is also describing the inevitable results which it produced.

In Colosse and in all the other parts of the world where the gospel was preached, it bore fruit and was growing . This is stated to show the supernatural character of the gospel. In nature, a plant does not usually bear fruit and increase at the same time. Many times, it has to be pruned in order to bear fruit, for if it is allowed to grow wild, the result is that all the life of the plant goes into leaves and branches rather than into fruit. But the gospel does both at the same time. It bears fruit in the salvation of souls and in the upbuilding of the saints, and it also spreads from city to city and from nation to nation. This is precisely the effect that the gospel had in the lives of the Colossians since the day they heard and knew the grace of God in truth. There was numerical growth in the church at Colosse and, in addition, there was spiritual growth in the lives of the believers there. It appears that great strides had been made in the first century, and that the gospel did reach Europe, Asia, and Africa, going farther than many persons have supposed. Still, there is no ground for thinking that it covered the entire earth. The grace of God is used here as a lovely description of the gospel message. What could more beautifully summarize the glad tidings than the wonderful truth of God’s grace bestowed on guilty men who deserve God’s wrath! 1:7 The apostle clearly states that it was from Epaphras that the believers had heard the gospel message and had come to know it experientially in their lives. Paul commends Epaphras as a dear fellow servant and a faithful minister of Christ on their behalf. There was nothing of bitterness or jealousy about the Apostle Paul. It did not bother him to see another preacher receiving commendation. In fact, he was the first to express his appreciation for other servants of the Lord. 1:8 It was from Epaphras that Paul himself had heard of the Colossians’ love in the Spirit. This was not a merely human affection, but it was that genuine love for the Lord and for His people which is created by the indwelling Spirit of God. This is the only reference to the Holy Spirit in this Epistle. 1:9 Having concluded this thanksgiving, Paul now begins to make specific intercession for the saints. We have already mentioned how broad were the apostle’s prayer interests. We should further point out that his requests were always specifically suited to the need of the people of God in any particular location. He did not pray in generalities. Here he seems to make four separate requests for the Colossians: (1) spiritual insight; (2) a worthy walk; (3) abundant power; (3) a thankful spirit. There was nothing mean or stingy about his requests. This is especially obvious in verses 9, 10, and 11 by his use of the words all, fully, and every. (1) All wisdom and spiritual understanding (v. 9). (2) fully pleasing (v. 10). (3) Every good work (v. 10). (4) All might (v. 11). (5) All patience and longsuffering (v. 11). For this reason connects with the preceding verses. It means because of Epaphras’ report (vv. 4, 5, 8). From the first time he had heard about these dear saints at Colosse and their faith, love, and hope, the apostle had made it his practice to pray for them. First, he prayed that they might be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. He did not ask that they should be satisfied with the boasted knowledge of the Gnostics. He would have them enter into the full knowledge of God’s will for their lives as revealed in His word. This knowledge is not of a worldly or carnal nature; it is characterized by spiritual wisdom and spiritual understandingwisdom to apply the knowledge in the best way, and understanding to see what agrees and what conflicts with God’s will. 1:10 There is a very important connection between verse 10 and verse 9. Why did the Apostle Paul want the Colossians to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will? Was it so they might become mighty preachers or sensational teachers? Was it so they might attract large followings to themselves, as the Gnostics sought to do? No, the true purpose of spiritual wisdom and understanding is to enable Christians to walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him. Here we have a very important lesson on the subject of guidance. God does not reveal His will to us in order to satisfy our curiosity. Neither is it intended to cater to our ambition or pride. Rather the Lord shows us His will for our lives in order that we might please Him in all that we do. Being fruitful in every good work. Here is a helpful reminder that although a person is not saved by good works, he most certainly is saved for good works. Sometimes in emphasizing the utter worthlessness of good works in the salvation of souls, we may create the impression that Christians do not believe in good works. Nothing could be further from the truth! We learn in Eph_2:10 that we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. Again, Paul wrote to Titus: This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works (Tit_3:8). Not only did Paul want them to bear fruit in every good work, but also to increase in the knowledge of God. How is this done? First of all, it is done through the diligent study of God’s word. Then it is also found in obeying His teachings and serving Him faithfully. (The latter seems to be the prominent thought here.) As we do these things, we enter into a deeper knowledge of the Lord. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord (Hos_6:3, KJV). Notice the repetition of words dealing with knowledge in chapter 1 and realize that there is a definite advance in thought with each use. In verse 6, they knew the grace of God. In verse 9, they had the knowledge of His will. In verse 10, they were increasing in the knowledge of God. Perhaps we could say that the first refers to salvation, the second to study of the Scriptures, and the third to service and Christian living. Sound doctrine should lead to right conduct, which expresses itself in obedient service. 1:11 The apostle’s third request is that the saints might be strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power. (Note the progression: filled, v. 9; fruitful, v. 10; fortified, v. 11.) The Christian life cannot be lived by mere human energy. It requires supernatural strength. Therefore Paul desires that the believers might know the power of the risen Son of God, and he furthermore desires that they should know this according to His glorious power. The request is not that this power might be out of His glorious power, but according to it. His glorious power is limitless and that is just the scope of the prayer. Peake writes: The equipment with power is proportional not simply to the recipient’s need, but to the Divine supply.Why did Paul want the Christians to have this power?

Was it so they might go out and perform spectacular miracles? Was it so they might raise the dead, heal the sick, cast out demons? Once again the answer is No. This power is needed so that the child of God may have all patience and longsuffering with joy. This deserves careful attention! In parts of Christendom today, great emphasis is placed upon so-called miracles, such as speaking in tongues, healing the sick, and similar sensational acts.

But there is a greater miracle than all of these in the age in which we live: A child of God suffering patiently and thanking God in the midst of the trial! In 1Co_13:4, longsuffering is connected with kindness; here with joy. We suffer because we cannot escape sharing the groaning of creation. To maintain joy within and kindness to others requires God’s power, and is Christian victory. The difference between patience and longsuffering has been defined as the difference between enduring without complaint and enduring without retaliation. God’s grace has achieved one of its greatest objects in the life of the believer who can suffer patiently and praise God in the midst of the fiery trial. 1:12 Giving thanks in this verse refers to the Colossians, not Paul (it is plural in the original). Paul is praying that they might not only be strengthened with all might but that they also might have a thankful spirit, that they might never fail to express their gratitude to the Father, who qualified them to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. As sons of Adam, we were not fit to enjoy the glories of heaven. In fact, if unsaved people could somehow be taken to heaven, they would not enjoy it, but would rather be in the deepest misery. Appreciation of heaven requires a fitness for it. Even as believers in the Lord Jesus, we do not have any fitness for heaven in ourselves. The only title to glory which we have is found in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ: I stand upon His merit, I know no other stand, Not e’en where glory dwelleth, In Immanuel’s land. Anne Ross Cousin When God saves someone, He instantly bestows on that person fitness for heaven. That fitness is Christ. Nothing can improve on that. Not even a long life of obedience and service here on earth makes a person more fit for heaven than he was the day he was saved. Our title to glory is found in His blood. While the inheritance is in the light and reserved in heaven, we believers on earth have the Holy Spirit as the guarantee of our inheritance.

Therefore we can rejoice in what lies ahead for us, while enjoying even now the firstfruits of the Spirit.1:13 In making us qualified … to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light, God has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love (cf. 1Jo_2:11). This can be illustrated by the experience of the children of Israel, as recorded in Exodus. They had been living in Egypt, groaning under the lashes of the taskmasters there. By a marvelous act of divine intervention, God delivered them out of that fearful bondage and led them through the wilderness to the promised land. Similarly, as sinners we were in bondage to Satan, but through Christ we have been delivered from his clutches and now we are subjects of Christ’s kingdom. Satan’s kingdom is one of dark nessan absence of light, warmth, and joy; while the kingdom of Christ is one of love, which implies the presence of all three. The kingdom of Christ is seen in Scripture in several different aspects. When He came to the earth the first time, He offered a literal kingdom to the nation of Israel. The Jews wanted deliverance from the Roman oppressor, but they did not want to repent of their sins. Christ could only reign over a people who were in proper spiritual relationship to Him. When that was made clear to them, they rejected their King and crucified Him. Since then, the Lord Jesus has gone back to heaven and we now have the kingdom in mystery form (Matt. 13).

This means that the kingdom does not appear in visible form. The King is absent. But all who accept the Lord Jesus Christ during this present age acknowledge Him as their rightful Ruler, and thus they are subjects of His kingdom. In a coming day, the Lord Jesus will come back to earth, set up His kingdom with Jerusalem as capital, and reign for one thousand years. At the end of that time, Christ will put down all enemies under His feet and then deliver up the kingdom to God the Father. That will inaugurate the eternal kingdom, which will continue throughout eternity. 1:14 Having mentioned the kingdom of the Son of God’s love, Paul now launches into one of the grandest passages in all the word of God on the Person and work of the Lord Jesus. It is hard for us to know whether he has finished his prayer, or whether it continues through these verses we are about to study. But it is not of great importance, because even if the following verses are not pure prayer, they certainly are pure worship. Sturz has pointed out that in this amazing passage which exalts Jesus Christ more than any other, His name does not appear even once in any form. While this is remarkable in one sense, yet it is not to be wondered at. For who else but our blessed Savior could ever fulfill the description which is given to us here? The passage reminds us of Mary’s question to the gardener: Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away (Joh_20:15). She did not name Him. There was only one Person to her mind. Christ is first presented as the One in whom we have redemption … , the forgiveness of sins. Redemption describes the act whereby we were bought from the slave market of sin. The Lord Jesus, as it were, put a price tag on us. How highly did He value us? He said, in effect, I value them so highly that I am willing to shed My blood to purchase them. Since we have been purchased at such a tremendous cost, it should be clear to us that we no longer belong to ourselves; we have been bought with a price. Therefore we should not live our lives the way we choose. Borden of Yale pointed out that if we take our lives and do what we want with them, we are taking something that does not belong to us, and therefore we are thieves! Not only has He redeemed us; He has given us the forgiveness of sins. This means that God has cancelled the debt which our sins incurred. The Lord Jesus Christ paid the penalty on the cross; it never needs to be paid again. The account is settled and closed, and God has not only forgiven, but He has removed our sins as far as the east is from the west (Psa_103:12).

Colossians 1:15

C. The Glories of Christ the Church’s Head (1:15-23) 1:15 In the next four verses, we have the Lord Jesus described: (1) in His relationship to God (v. 15); (2) in His relationship to creation (vv. 16, 17); and (3) in His relationship to the church (v. 18). The Lord is here described as the image of the invisible God. Image carries with it at least two ideas. First, it conveys the thought that the Lord Jesus has enabled us to see what God is like. God is Spirit and is therefore invisible. But in the Person of Christ, God made Himself visible to mortal eyes. In that sense the Lord Jesus is the image of the invisible God.

Whoever has seen Him has seen the Father (see Joh_14:9). But the word image also conveys the idea of representative. God had originally placed Adam on the earth to represent His interests, but Adam failed. Therefore, God sent His only begotten Son into the world as His Representative to care for His interests and to reveal His heart of love to man. In that sense, He is the image of God. The same word image is used in Col_3:10, where believers are said to be the image of Christ. Christ is also the firstborn over all creation, or of every created being. What does this mean? Some false teachers suggest that the Lord Jesus is Himself a created being, that He was the first Person whom God ever made. Some of them are even willing to go so far as to admit that He is the greatest creature ever to come from the hand of God. But nothing could be more directly contrary to the teaching of the word of God. The expression firstborn has at least three different meanings in Scripture. In Luk_2:7, it is used in a literal sense, where Mary brought forth her firstborn Son. There it means that the Lord Jesus was the first Child to whom she gave birth. In Exo_4:22, on the other hand, it is used in a figurative sense. Israel is My son, even My firstborn. In that verse there is no thought of an actual birth having taken place, but the Lord is using this word to describe the distinctive place which the nation of Israel had in His plans and purposes.

Finally, in Psa_89:27, the word firstborn is used to designate a place of superiority, of supremacy, of uniqueness. There God says that He will make David His firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. David was actually the last-born son of Jesse according to the flesh. But God determined to give him a place of unique supremacy, primacy, and sovereignty. Is not that exactly the thought of Col_1:15 the firstborn over all creation? The Lord Jesus Christ is God’s unique Son. In one sense all believers are sons of God, but the Lord Jesus is God’s Son in a way that is not true of any other. He existed before all creation and occupies a position of supremacy over it. His is the rank of eminence and dominion. The expression firstborn over all creation has nothing to do with birth here. It simply means that He is God’s Son by an eternal relationship. It is a title of priority of position, and not simply one of time. 1:16 False teachers use verse 15 (especially in the KJV) to teach that the Lord Jesus was a created being. Error can usually be refuted from the very passage of Scripture which the cultists use. That is the case here. Verse 16 states conclusively that the Lord Jesus is not a creature, but the very Creator. In this verse we learn that all thingsthe whole universe of thingswere created not only by Him but through Him and for Him. Each of these prepositions conveys a different thought.

First of all, we read that by Him all things were created. Here the thought is that the power to create was in His Being. He was the Architect. Later in the verse we learn that all things were created through Him. This speaks of Him as the Agent in creation. He was the Person of the Godhead through whom the creative act was performed.

Also, all things were created for Him. He is the One for whom all things were created, the goal of creation. Paul goes to great lengths to emphasize that all things were created through Christ, whether things in heaven, or things on earth. This leaves no loopholes for anyone to suggest that although He created some things, He Himself was created originally. The apostle then goes on to state that the Lord’s creation included things visible and things invisible. The word visible needs no explanation, but doubtless the Apostle Paul realized that when he said invisible he would arouse our curiosity. Therefore, he proceeds to give a break-down of what he means by things invisible. They include thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers. We believe that these terms refer to angelic beings, although we cannot distinguish between the different ranks of these intelligent beings. The Gnostics taught that there were various ranks and classes of spirit beings between God and matter, and that Christ belonged to one of these classes. In our day the Spiritists claim that Jesus Christ is an advanced spirit of the sixth sphere. Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that before our Lord came into the world, He was a created angel and none other than the archangel Michael! Here Paul vigorously refutes such absurd notions by stating in the clearest possible terms that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Creator of angelsin fact, of all beings, whether visible or invisible. 1:17 He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. Paul says, He is before all things, not He was before all things. The present tense is often used in the Bible to describe the timelessness of Deity. The Lord Jesus said, for instance: Before Abraham was, I AM (Joh_8:58). Not only did the Lord Jesus exist before there was any creation, but also in Him all things consist. This means that He is the Sustainer of the universe and the Source of its perpetual motion. He controls the stars and the sun and the moon. Even while He was here on earth He was the One who was controlling the laws by which our universe functions in an orderly manner. 1:18 The dominion of the Lord Jesus not only covers the natural universe, but it also extends to the spiritual realm. He is the head of the body, the church. All believers in the Lord Jesus during this dispensation are formed into what is known as the body of Christ, or the church. Just as a human body is a vehicle by which the person expresses himself, so the Body of Christ is that vehicle which He has on earth by which He chooses to express Himself to the world. And He is the head of that body. The head speaks of guidance, dictation, control. He occupies the place of pre-eminence in the church. He is the beginning. We understand this to mean the beginning of the new creation (see Rev_3:14), the source of spiritual life. This is further explained by the use of the expression the firstborn from the dead. Here again we must be careful to emphasize that this does not mean that the Lord Jesus was the first to rise from the dead. There were cases of resurrection in the OT as well as in the NT. But the Lord Jesus was the first to rise from the dead to die no more, He was the first to rise with a glorified body, and He rose as the Head of a new creation. His resurrection is unique, and is the pledge that all who trust in Him will also rise. It proclaims Him as supreme in the spiritual creation. Alfred Mace put it well: Christ cannot be second anywhere. He is firstborn of every creature, because He has created everything (Col_1:15-16). He is also firstborn from the dead in connection with a redeemed and heavenly family. Thus creation and redemption hand the honors of supremacy to Him because of Who He is and of what He has done; that in all things He might have the pre-eminence. He is first everywhere. The Lord Jesus has thus a double pre-eminencefirst in creation, and then in the church. God has decreed that in all things HE may have the preeminence. What an answer this is to those who, in Paul’s day (and our own), would seek to rob Christ of His deity, and to make of Him only a created being, however exalted! As we read that in all things He may have the preeminence, it is only proper that we should ask ourselves, Does He have the preeminence in my life?1:19 Darby translates verse 19 as follows: For in Him all the fullness of the Godhead was pleased to dwell. The King James tradition could make it sound as if at some point in time the Father (notice italics for words not in the Greek) was pleased to make all fullness dwell in the Son. The real meaning is that the fullness of the Godhead always dwelt in Christ. Gnostic heretics taught that Christ was a kind of halfway house to God, a necessary link in the chain. But there were other, better links on ahead. Go on from Him, they urged, and you will reach the fullness. No, Paul answers, Christ is Himself the complete fullness!All fullness dwells in Christ. The word for dwell here means to dwell permanently, and not simply to visit temporarily. 1:20 Verse 19 is connected with verse 20 as follows: For it pleased the Father by Him (Christ) to reconcile all things to Himself … having made peace through the blood of His cross. In other words, it was not only the Godhead’s good pleasure that all fullness should dwell in Christ (v. 19), but also that Christ should reconcile all things to Himself. There are two reconciliations mentioned in this chapter: (1) The reconciliation of things (v. 20), and (2) the reconciliation of persons (v. 21). The first is still future, whereas the second is past for all who have believed in Christ.

EXCURSUS ON RECONCILIATION To reconcile means to restore to a right relationship or standard, or to make peace where formerly there was enmity. The Bible never speaks of God as needing to be reconciled to man, but always of man being reconciled to God. The carnal mind is enmity toward God (Rom_8:7), and because of this, man needs to be reconciled. When sin entered the world, man became estranged from God. He adopted an attitude of hostility toward God. Therefore, he needed to be reconciled. But sin affected all of creation, not just the human family.

1. Certain of the angels had sinned sometime in the past. (However, there is no indication in God’s word that these angels will ever be reconciled. They are reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day, Jud_1:6.) In Job_4:18, Eliphaz states that God charged His angels with folly.
2. The animal creation was affected by the entrance of sin: For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility. … For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now (Rom_8:19-22). The fact that animals suffer sickness, pain, and death is evidence that they are not exempt from the curse of sin.
3. The ground was cursed by God after Adam sinned (Gen_3:17). This is evidenced by weeds, thorns, and thistles.
4. In the book of Job, Bildad tells us that even the stars are not pure in God’s sight (Job_25:5), so apparently sin has affected the stellar world.
5. Heb_9:23 says that things in heaven itself needed to be purified. We do not know all that is meant by this, but perhaps it suggests that heavenly things have been defiled through the presence of Satan, who has access to God as the accuser of the brethren (Job_1:6-7; Rev_12:10). Some think this passage refers to the dwelling place of God; others to the stellar heavens. The latter suggests that it is in the stellar spaces that Satan has access to God. In any case, all agree that the throne of God is certainly not defiled by sin. One of the purposes of the death of Christ was to make possible the reconciliation of persons and things to God. In order to do this, He had to remove the cause of enmity and alienation. This He effectively did by settling the sin question to God’s entire satisfaction. The scope of reconciliation is indicated in Colossians 1, as follows. (1) All who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ are already reconciled to God (v. 21). Although Christ’s reconciling work is sufficient for all mankind, it is only effective for those who avail themselves of it. (2) Eventually all things will be reconciled, whether things on earth or things in heaven (v. 20). This refers to the animal creation, and to inanimate things that have been defiled by sin. However, it does not refer to Satan, to other fallen angels, or to unbelieving men. Their eternal doom is clearly pronounced in the Scriptures. Reconciliation is not said to extend to things under the earth. There is a difference between reconciliation and subjugation. The latter is described in Phi_2:10 : That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth. Or, as Darby translates it, of heavenly and earthly and infernal beings. All created beings, even fallen angels, will eventually be compelled to bow to the Lord Jesus, but this does not mean that they will be reconciled. We emphasize this because Col_1:20 has been used to teach the false doctrine of universal salvationnamely, that Satan himself, fallen angels, and unbelieving men will all be reconciled to God eventually.

Our passage limits the extent of reconciliation by the phrase things on earth or things in heaven. Things under the earth, or infernal things, are not included.

1:21 Paul reminds the Colossians that reconciliation in their case was already an accomplished fact. Before their conversion, the Colossians had been Gentile sinners, alienated from God and enemies of His in their minds because of their wicked works (Eph_4:17-18). They desperately needed to be reconciled, and the Lord Jesus Christ, in His matchless grace, had taken the initiative. 1:22 He reconciled them in the body of His flesh through death. It was not by His life but by His death. The expression the body of His flesh simply means that the Lord Jesus effected reconciliation by dying on the cross in a real human body (not as a spirit being, which the Gnostics claimed Him to be). Compare Heb_2:14-16, where Christ’s Incarnation is declared a necessity in order to effect redemption. The Gnostic concept denied this. The wonderful result of this reconciliation is expressed in the words to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight. What marvelous grace, that ungodly sinners can be delivered from their past evil life and conveyed into such a realm of blessing! Well might C. R. Erdman say: In Christ is found a God who is near, who cares, who hears, who pities and who saves.The full efficacy of Christ’s reconciliation with regard to His people will be seen in a coming day when we are presented to God the Father without sin, stain, or any charge against us, and when, as worshipers, we shall gladly acknowledge Christ as the Worthy One (Rev. 5). 1:23 Now the Apostle Paul adds one of those if passages which have proved very disconcerting to many children of God. On the surface, the verse seems to teach that our continued salvation depends on our continuing in the faith. If this is so, how can this verse be reconciled with other portions of the word of God, such as Joh_10:28-29, which declare that no sheep of Christ can ever perish? In seeking to answer this question, we would like to state at the outset that the eternal security of the believer is a blessed truth which is set forth clearly in the pages of the NT. However, the Scriptures also teach, as in this verse, that true faith always has the quality of permanence, and that one who has really been born of God will go on faithfully to the end. Continuance is a proof of reality. Of course there is always the danger of backsliding, but a Christian falls only to rise again (Pro_24:16). He does not forsake the faith. The Spirit of God has seen fit to put many of these so-called if passages in the word of God in order to challenge all who profess the name of Christ as to the reality of their profession. We would not want to say anything that might dull the sharp edge of these passages. As someone has said: These ifs in Scripture look on professing Christians here in the world and they come as healthy tests to the soul.Pridham comments on these challenging verses as follows: The reader will find, on a careful study of the Word, that it is the habit of the Spirit to accompany the fullest and most absolute statements of grace by warnings which imply a ruinous failure on the part of some who nominally stand in faith. … Warnings which grate harshly on the ears of insincere profession are drunk willingly as medicine by the godly soul. … The aim of all such teaching as we have here is to encourage faith, and condemn, by anticipation, reckless and self-confident professors. Doubtless with the Gnostics primarily in mind, the apostle is urging the Colossians not to be moved away from the hope that accompanies the gospel, or which the gospel inspires. They should continue in the faith which they learned from Epaphras, grounded and steadfast.Again Paul speaks of the gospel as having been preached to every creature (or all creation) under heaven. The gospel goes out to all creation, but it has not as yet reached literally every creature. Paul is arguing the worldwide proclamation of the gospel as a testimonial to its genuineness. He sees in this the evidence that it is adaptable to the needs of mankind everywhere. The verse does not mean that every person in the world at that time had heard the gospel.

It was not a fact accomplished, but a process going on. Also, the gospel had reached to all the Bible world, that is, the Mediterranean world. Paul speaks of himself as a minister, a Latin word that simply means a servant. It has nothing of officialdom about it. It does not denote a lofty office so much as humble service.

Colossians 1:24

D. The Ministry Committed to Paul (1:24-29) 1:24 The last six verses of chapter 1 describe Paul’s ministry. First of all, it was carried out in an atmosphere of suffering. Writing from prison, Paul can say that he now rejoices in his sufferings for the saints, that is, on their account. As a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, he was called upon to endure untold hardships, persecutions, and afflictions. These to him were a privilegethe privilege of filling up that which was left behind of the afflictions of Christ. What does the apostle mean by this?

First of all, this cannot refer to the atoning sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. Those were finished once and for all, and no man could ever share in them. But there is a sense in which the Lord Jesus still suffers. When Saul of Tarsus was struck to the ground on the road to Damascus, he heard a voice from heaven saying, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? Saul had not been consciously persecuting the Lordhe had only been persecuting the Christians. He learned, however, that in persecuting believers, he was persecuting their Savior.

The Head in heaven feels the sufferings of His Body on earth. Thus, the Apostle Paul looks on all the suffering that Christians are required to go through for the sake of the Lord Jesus as being part of the sufferings of Christ which still remain. They include suffering for righteousness’ sake, suffering for His sake (bearing His reproach), and for the gospel’s sake. But the afflictions of Christ refer not only to sufferings for Christ. They also describe the same kind of sufferings that the Savior endured when He was here, though far less in degree. The afflictions endured by the apostle in his flesh were for the sake of Christ’s body, namely, the church. The sufferings of unsaved people are, in a sense, purposeless. There is no high dignity attached to them. They are only a foretaste of the pangs of hell to be endured forever. But not so the sufferings of Christians. When they suffer for Christ, Christ in a very real way suffers with them. 1:25 Of which I became a minister. Paul had already used this expression at the close of verse 23. Now he repeats it. However, there is a difference in these two usages. The apostle had a twofold ministry: first, he was commissioned to preach the gospel (v. 23); and secondly, he was sent forth to teach the marvelous mystery of the church (v. 25). There is a real lesson in this for every true servant of Christ.

We are not expected simply to lead men to Christ by the gospel and then abandon them to get along as best they can. Rather, we are expected to direct our evangelistic efforts to the formation of local NT churches where the converts can be built up in their most holy faith, including the truth of the church. The Lord wants His babes to be directed to feeding stations where they will be nourished and where they can grow. Thus in Colossians 1 we have seen (1) Christ’s twofold preeminence, (2) Christ’s twofold reconciliation, and (3) Paul’s twofold ministry. Here in verse 25, when Paul says, of which I became a minister, he is referring to his ministry with regard to the church and not the gospel. This is clear from the expression which follows: According to the stewardship (or dispensation) from God given to me for you. A steward is one who cares for the interests or property of another. Paul was a steward in the sense that the great truth of the church was entrusted to him in a very special way. While the mystery of the Body of Christ was not revealed to him alone, yet he was chosen as the one who would carry this precious truth to the Gentiles. It includes the unique position of the church in its relation to Christ and the dispensations, with its constitution, its distinctive hope and destiny, and the many other truths concerning its life and order which God gave to Paul and the other apostles. When he says, which was given to me for you, he is thinking of the Colossians as Gentile believers. The Apostle Peter had been sent to preach to the Jewish people, while Paul had been entrusted with a similar mission to the Gentiles. One of the most difficult expressions in this chapter is to fulfill the word of God. Exactly what does Paul mean by this? First of all, we know that he does not mean that he completed the word of God by adding the last book to it. As far as we know, the book of Revelation, written by John, was the last book to be added to the NT in point of time. In what sense, then, did Paul fulfill or complete the word of God? First of all, to fulfill may mean to declare fully, to make known. Thus, Paul had declared the whole counsel of God. We would suggest secondly that he fulfilled the word of God doctrinally. The great truth of the mystery forms the capstone of the NT revelation. In a very real way, it completes the circle of subjects that are covered in the NT. While other books were written later than Paul’s, yet they do not contain any great mysteries of the faith that are not found in the writings of the Apostle Paul. In a very real sense the revelations concerning the mystery of the church filled up the word of God. Nothing that was added later was new truth in the same sense. 1:26 That Paul’s fulfilling of the word of God had to do with the mystery is borne out in this verse, namely, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. In the NT, a mystery is a truth not previously revealed, but now made known to the sons of men through the apostles and prophets of the NT. It is a truth that man could never have arrived at by his own intelligence but which God has graciously deigned to make known. This verse is one of the many in the NT which teach that the truth of the church was not known in the OT period. It had been hidden from ages and from generations (Eph_3:2-13; Rom_16:25-27). Thus it is wrong to speak of the church as having begun with Adam or Abraham. The church began on the Day of Pentecost, and the truth of the church was revealed by the apostles. The church in the NT is not the same as Israel in the Old. It is something that never previously existed. Israel began with God calling Abraham out from Ur of the Chaldees, giving up the rest of the nations to their sins and idolatry. He made a nation out of Abraham’s seed, distinct from all others and separate from them. The church is the reverse of this, and is a union of believers from all races and nationalities into one Body, morally and spiritually separated from all others. That the church is not the continuation of Israel can be seen from a number of things, one being the figure of the olive tree which Paul uses in Romans 11 to show that the nation of Israel retains its identity, though the individual Jew who believes in Christ becomes part of the church (Col_3:10-11). 1:27 The truth of this mystery may be summarized as follows: (1) The church is the Body of Christ. All true believers are members of the Body, and are destined to share Christ’s glory forever. (2) The Lord Jesus is the Head of the Body, providing its life, nourishment, and direction. (3) Jews have no preference as to admission to the church; neither are Gentiles at any disadvantage. Both Jew and Gentile become members of the Body through faith and form one new man (Eph_2:15; Eph_3:6). That Gentiles could be saved was not a hidden truth in the OT; but that converted Gentiles would be fellow members of the Body of Christ, to be His companions in glory, and to reign with Him, was a truth never previously known. The particular aspect of the mystery which Paul is emphasizing in verse 27 is that the Lord Jesus is willing to dwell within the Gentile heart. Christ in you, the hope of glory. This was spoken to the Colossians, who were Gentiles. F. B. Meyer exclaims: That He should dwell in the heart of a child of Abraham was deemed a marvelous act of condescension, but that He should find a home in the heart of a Gentile was incredible.

And yet that is exactly what was involved in the mysterythat the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel (Eph_3:6). To emphasize the importance of this truth, the apostle does not merely say this mystery or the glory of this mystery, but the riches of the glory of this mystery. He piles words upon words in order to impress his readers with the fact that this is a glorious truth that deserves their closest attention. Which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. The indwelling Christ is the believers’ hope of glory. We have no other title to heaven than the Savior Himself. The fact that He indwells us makes heaven as sure as if we were already there. 1:28 The expression Him we preach is significant. The Him, of course, refers back to the Lord Jesus Christ (v. 27). Paul is saying that he preached a Person. He did not spend his time on politics or philosophy, but concentrated on the Lord Jesus Himself, because he realized that Christianity is Christ. Warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. Here we have further insight into the ministry of the beloved apostle. It was a man-to-man ministry. He warned the unsaved of the awful wrath to come, and he taught the saints the great truths of the Christian faith. Then we see the emphasis which he placed on follow-up work. He felt a real sense of responsibility toward those whom he had pointed to the Savior. He was not satisfied to see souls saved and then to pass on. He wanted to present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. Paul pictures himself as a priest offering up sacrifices to God. The sacrifices here are men and women. In what condition does he offer them to the Lord? Are they weak or mere babes in Christ? No, he wants them to be mature, full-grown, adult Christians. He wants them to be well-grounded in the truth. Do we share a similar burden for those whom we have led to Christ? 1:29 It was toward this goal that the apostle labored, as well as all the other apostles. And yet he realized that he was not doing this in his own strength, but according to His working which worked in him mightily. In other words, he realized that it was only as he was empowered by the Lord that he was able to serve Him at all. He was conscious of the fact that the Lord was working in him mightily as he went from place to place planting churches and feeding the saints of God. Verses 28 and 29 are especially helpful in Phillips’ translation: So, naturally, we proclaim Christ. We warn everyone we meet, and we teach everyone we can, all that we know about Him, so that, if possible, we may bring every man up to his full maturity in Christ. This is what I am working at all the time, with all the strength that God gives me.