Colossians 1-4
There is a short introduction available for the book of Colossians. You can read it here.
Key Themes of Colossians: Supremacy, Christ-Centered Living, and Redemption
The book of Colossians, written by the Apostle Paul, addresses the Christian community in Colossae, encouraging them to remain steadfast in their faith and to grow in their understanding of Christ’s supremacy. Paul’s letter responds to false teachings that threatened to undermine the believers’ faith, and he emphasizes the sufficiency of Christ in all things. The key themes include:
- The Supremacy of Christ: A central theme in Colossians is the absolute supremacy and preeminence of Christ. Paul emphasizes that Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, and that all things were created through Him and for Him. This theme underscores that Christ is the head of the Church and the fullness of God dwells in Him, making Him sufficient for all aspects of salvation and life.
- The Sufficiency of Christ: Paul counters the false teachings in Colossae by stressing that Christ is fully sufficient for salvation and spiritual growth. Believers do not need to rely on human traditions, rituals, or angelic intermediaries to achieve spiritual fullness. This theme emphasizes that everything believers need for their spiritual lives is found in Christ alone.
- The Fullness of Life in Christ: Colossians teaches that believers have been brought to fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. This theme highlights that through faith in Christ, believers have been made complete, receiving new life, forgiveness of sins, and victory over spiritual powers. The fullness of life in Christ means living out the reality of this new identity in everyday life.
- Warning Against False Teachings: Paul warns the Colossians about deceptive philosophies, legalism, and ascetic practices that detract from the sufficiency of Christ. He urges them not to be led astray by human traditions or the worship of angels, but to remain rooted in Christ. This theme underscores the importance of discerning truth from error and holding fast to the pure Gospel.
- Union with Christ: Paul emphasizes the believer’s union with Christ in His death, resurrection, and ascension. This union means that believers have died to the old way of life and have been raised to new life in Christ. This theme highlights the transformative power of being in Christ, which enables believers to live a holy and fruitful life.
- Christian Conduct and Ethical Living: In light of their new identity in Christ, Paul exhorts the Colossians to put off the old self with its sinful practices and to put on the new self, which is being renewed in the image of its Creator. This theme emphasizes the practical implications of the Gospel, calling believers to live out their faith through love, compassion, humility, and forgiveness in their relationships and daily conduct.
- The Church as the Body of Christ: Paul describes the Church as the body of Christ, with Christ as the head. This theme highlights the interconnectedness of believers, who are called to support and encourage one another as they grow together in Christ. The Church is depicted as a unified body, with each member playing a vital role in its overall health and mission.
- Prayer and Thanksgiving: Paul stresses the importance of prayer, encouraging the Colossians to be devoted to prayer, being watchful and thankful. He models this in his own prayers for the Colossians, expressing gratitude for their faith and asking God to fill them with knowledge of His will. This theme underscores the power of prayer in the life of believers and the importance of maintaining an attitude of gratitude.
- Christ as the Source of Wisdom and Knowledge: Paul emphasizes that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ. This theme counters the false teachings that promoted secret or higher knowledge outside of Christ. It highlights that true wisdom and understanding come from knowing Christ and being rooted in His teachings.
The book of Colossians is a rich and theologically profound letter that centers on the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ. Through its themes of union with Christ, the fullness of life in Him, and the practical outworking of faith in ethical living, Colossians provides a powerful reminder of the centrality of Christ in all things. Paul’s exhortations encourage believers to remain steadfast in their faith, to resist false teachings, and to live lives that reflect the reality of their new identity in Christ.
What I Noticed Today (Colossians 1-4)
In verses 1-2, Paul uses the typical opening for a letter: he identifies himself as the author (an apostle of Jesus Christ by God’s will), he identifies the audience (the saints in Colossae), and a greeting (grace and peace to you from God the Father).
Note: Timothy was with Paul and was a partner in the ministry but was not a co-author of the letter to the Colossians.
In verses 3-8, Paul gives thanks for the saints in Colossae because of their faith and love for all the Christian brothers. The gospel is bearing fruit around the world, just as it is with you. The truth you learned came from Epaphras, a fellow slave a faithful servant of Christ.
Note: Paul had not started the church in Colossae, and he had not visited there yet. Epaphras had apparently started the church in Colossae and informed Paul of their condition.
Note: Epaphras is short for the Epaphroditus that Paul referred to in Philippians 2:25, 4:18, and Philemon 23.
In verses 9-14, for this reason (Epaphras’ report to Paul), Paul has been praying for the believers in Colossae that they would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, wisdom, and spiritual knowledge. So that:
- You will walk in a way worthy of the Lord,
- Pleasing to Him,
- Bearing fruit in every good work, and
- Growing in the knowledge of God.
Note: In Greek, the word for “fill” implies a complete filling. The word used for “knowledge” implies complete knowledge. This kind of filling and knowledge comes only from the Holy Spirit.
Paul prays they will be strengthened with all power by God, resulting in endurance, patience, joy, and thankfulness for God, allowing you to share in the light. God has rescued us from darkness, redeemed us, forgiven our sins, and transferred us to the kingdom of His Son.
In verses 15-20, Paul discusses the supremacy of Christ as Creator and Redeemer:
- Christ is in the image of the invisible God.
Note: “Firstborn” in verse 15 does not mean that Christ was born in a traditional way as some modern cults suggest. It is an indication of his superiority over all creation (v. 16).
- Everything in heaven and on earth, everything seen and unseen, was created by Christ.
Note: Paul’s inclusion of things unseen may be to correct those who worshiped angels because angels were themselves created by Christ.
- Christ is, before all things, and by Him, all things are held together.
- Christ is the head of the church. The firstborn of the dead (resurrection).
- God is pleased to have His fullness dwell in Him.
Note: This fullness dwelling in God shows Christ was fully man and fully God.
- Through Christ and His shed blood on the cross, mankind is reconciled to God
Note: Verses 15-20 are written as poetry and may have originally been a hymn. Paul’s use of this is to counteract specific issues of false teaching that had infiltrated the church in Colossae.
In verses 21-23, Paul expands the theme of reconciliation from verse 20:
- Once you were alienated from God and hostile to Him.
- But now you are reconciled to Him by Christ’s physical body, His death as a sinless sacrifice in order to present you blameless before God.
- You remain grounded and steadfast in the hope of the Gospel through faith.
In verses 24-29, Paul says he rejoices in his sufferings because they have been endured for the cause of spreading the Gospel. He has become a servant of the Gospel given to him by God. As God’s servant, he has been ordained to reveal the great mystery that has now been revealed to the saints, which is Christ in you and the hope of glory. His goal is to present the Gospel, warning, and teaching everyone so that they might present everyone mature in Christ.
Note: The mystery Paul refers to was not that Gentiles would be saved, but how they would be saved. Paul’s desire is not only to have people accept Christ but to also become spiritually mature believers.
Colossians 2
In verses 1-3, Paul says he has struggled (labored) for you (Colossae), and for Laodicea, and for those whom he had not met.
Paul wants their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love so that they will have full knowledge of the mystery of God in Christ.
Note: Paul’s inclusion of Laodicea suggests the false teaching had spread there though it had been centered in Colossae. Laodicea and Colossae are cities about 11 miles apart in the Lycus River Valley.
In verses 4-23, Paul explains he wants them to have full knowledge of God so that no one will be able to deceive them with persuasive arguments. Even though he was not with them, Paul rejoices at how orderly they are and their strength in Christ.
Paul exhorts the Colossians:
- Now that you have received Christ walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him, established in the faith just as you were taught.
- Be careful that no one takes you captive through a deceitful philosophy based on human tradition and not based on Christ.
- The entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ, and you have been filled by Him.
Note: Verses 8-10 are a defense against Gnosticism. Gnostics believed the world was created and ruled by a lesser being who reported to a remote supreme divinity.
- You were also circumcised in Him, not of the body, but of the Messiah.
- You were buried with Him in baptism and raised with Him through faith in God, who first raised Christ.
- You were dead in your trespasses (sins), but He made you alive and forgave your sins.
- Christ paid your debt (the penalty for sin) and nailed it to the cross.
- Christ disarmed rulers, disgraced them publicly, and triumphed over them.
- Therefore, don’t let anyone judge you regarding what you eat or drink, what festivals you celebrate, or the celebration of the Sabbath.
- These celebrations and traditions were only a foreshadowing of the coming of the Messiah.
Note: This reference is to spiritual circumcision of the heart and the sinful nature put off by Christ’s death and resurrection.
Note: Verses 11-17 are teaching against the legalism of the Judaizers, who said in addition to believing in Christ, one must also follow the Jewish tradition of circumcision.
- Do not let anyone convince you to engage in ascetic practices (self-humiliation) or the worship of angels claiming to have a visionary mind.
- The mystic has lost connection with the head (Christ), who provides nourishment for the body to grow.
Note: Verses 18-19 are teaching against mysticism. Mysticism believed an understanding of God was possible through ascetic practices, contemplation, and self-surrender.
- If you died with Messiah, why do you still live as though you belong to the world?
- Why do you submit to regulations: Don’t touch, don’t handle, and don’t eat? These are the regulations of men. They have the appearance of wisdom, but they are not of any value in reducing self-indulgence.
Note: Verses 20-23 are teaching against the practice of asceticism, which is the practice of self-denial and self-humiliation.
Colossians 3
Paul shifts from matters of doctrine to practical application in Colossians 3. Verse 1, “So if” related back to Colossians 2:20: “So if you died with Messiah….”
In verses 1-11, Paul describes how you should live:
- Seek the things above where the Messiah is seated at the right hand of God.
- Set your minds on things above, not on this earth.
- Your life is hidden with the Messiah. When Messiah is revealed, you will also be revealed with Him in glory.
- Put to death what belongs to your worldly nature (sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which are idolatry).
- God’s wrath comes on the disobedient.
- You once walked this way, but now you must put away your anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language.
- Do not lie since you have put off the old self and put on the new self.
- You are being renewed according to the image of your creator.
- In Christ, there is no division. Christ is all and in all.
Note: Distinctions between Christians are removed (national origin, past religious affiliation, slave or free, none of this matters). We are all new creations, and we are all one in Christ.
In verses 12-18, Paul describes the virtues of putting on the new life:
- Put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, gentleness, humility, and patience.
- Accept one another and forgive one another.
- Put on love, the bond of unity.
- Let the peace of the Messiah control your hearts.
- Be thankful.
- Let the Gospel dwell among you teaching and admonishing in all wisdom with singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
- Whatever you do, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to the Father.
In verses 3:18-4:1, Paul exhorts each member of the family to perfect their own lives:
- Wives, be submissive to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
- Husbands, love your wives, and don’t be bitter.
- Children obey your parents, for this pleases the Lord.
- Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so they become discouraged.
- Slaves, obey your human masters. Work wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord.
- Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically as if for the Lord and not for men. Know that your reward is your inheritance from the Lord.
- Wrongdoers will be paid back for whatever wrong they have done; there is no favoritism.
- Masters, supply your slaves with whatever is right since you know you also have a master in heaven.
Colossians 4
In verses 2-4, Paul discusses their prayer life.
- Devote yourself to prayer. Be watchful (stay alert). Be thankful.
- Please pray that we will have an open door to present the Gospel and present it clearly.
In verses 5-6, Paul discusses their public life.
- Act wisely toward outsiders (unbelievers).
- Your speech should be gracious and seasoned with salt (pure and penetrating), so you will know how to respond to them.
In verses 7-17, Paul closes the letter expressing concern for his friends.
- Tychicus a dear brother and faithful minister.
- Onesimus, a faithful and dear brother, and a Colossian.
- Aristarchus, a fellow prisoner with Paul.
- Mark, Barnabas’ cousin.
- Jesus, who is called Justus.
- Epaphras, a servant of Christ and a Colossian.
- Luke, the physician, and Demas.
Give my greetings to the brothers in Laodicea, and when you receive this letter, have it read there as well.
Tell Archippus (probably the son of Philemon, Philemon 2) to pay attention to the ministry given him by the Lord and complete it.
In verse 18, Paul’s salutation is a greeting he signed himself. He asked for the Colossians to remember him in prison and prayed for God’s grace to be with them.
Some thoughts for further consideration:
- As much as Paul expressed his love for the Colossians, he was more concerned they did not fall into the temptation to heretical beliefs and that they become spiritually mature. How many of us as Christians today do not clearly understand the Gospel and, as a result, accept heretical beliefs? Also, how many do not deepen their spiritual lives and become spiritually mature?
- Paul’s very practical exhortations in Colossians 3 provide an excellent guide by which we can measure our spiritual maturity. How are we doing at putting off the old self and putting on the new?
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.
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All the notes for the book of Colossians have been compiled into a single pdf document. You can download it by clicking here.