Timothy and Paul wrote together to the Colossians. Many suppose it to be written from Rome because Tychius and Onesimus, both of whom were at Rome with Paul, carried it to Colossae.

Compare the salutations of all of Paul's epistles, Romans, 1&2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, 1&2 Timothy, 1&2 Thessalonians, Titus, Philemon, and Hebrews. Many are similar. Paul thanked God for them and prayed for them as he did for all the churches he had visited, many of which have no epistle from Paul.

Some teach that this verse proves that Paul never visited Colossae (or Colosse, for both spellings are correct, the former being the more common); that he heard of their salvation and deemed to write them a letter warning of false teachers and false doctrine, especially Gnosticism. If the Colossians did not know Paul personally, they would have been less likely to accept such a polemic against false teachings from him.

Paul would have known about their faith from the beginning, and this expression was probably because he had heard for Epaphras of their abiding faith and love for fellow Christians. It does not mean he was not the founder. We know that Paul founded the church at Ephesus from Acts 18:19. Yet he wrote a similar statement to them:

In verse three, Paul said he gave thanks for them. This verse tells what he thanked God for their blessed hope, which is their entering into heaven upon their deaths. It is the hope for eternity which is not a wishful hope but a sure thing. They have eternal life because they believed the Gospel.

Col 1:6 Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:

The Gospel came to them the same way in which it was preached to the whole world, that is, it came because the Holy Spirit brought it to them through Paul. When one truly believes the Gospel, it brings forth much fruit as it did with them. They had borne fruit since the day they heard and accepted the Gospel. Paul would only have referred to it this way if he indeed had been there when it occurred.

Epaphras had also expounded the Gospel to them. Some teach that Epaphras founded the church at Colossae. This verse says that Epaphras also preached to them, indicating that he was taught them after Paul taught them. This verse tells us that Paul heard about their faith and their love of the saints from Epaphras, who was at Colossae after it was founded and that he brought a good report to Paul.

Here Paul begins to expound the purpose of the epistle. Paul prayed they would know the truth of God, know His will in all matters, gain His wisdom, and the understanding of those things that will come only from the indwelling of the Spirit.

Col 1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

This is how we might walk worthily of the Lord. We should seek, through prayer, to be filled with the knowledge of His will in wisdom and spiritual understanding. That we may please God. Our work will produce more Spiritual fruit if we are closer to God. Additionally, when we seek such knowledge, God will answer our prayers and grant us greater understanding of His will.

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13). Paul prayed that such knowledge would give them the strength and might to stand in the day of the Devil's onslaught, which they were evidently involved in at that time. God is all powerful and glorious. The power He gives us is glorious. Additionally He gives us the strength to endure cheerfully and patiently with joy.

He further thanked God that He has made us fit, through the Gospel of Christ, to receive the inheritance of Eternal life. Such inheritance is that of all saints. Saints in light means those set apart because of the light of the Gospel.

The world is in darkness and it hates the light. Through the grace of God, He has seen fit to reveal the light to us via His Spirit and to deliver us from that darkness we once loved. We are saved, and that means we are translated from darkness to light in Jesus Christ.

This verse has a parallel in Ephesians 1:7. Through the Son and his sacrifice at Calvary we are redeemed. The Greek is απολυτρωσιν, apolutrosin, the accusative (direct object) of απολύτρωσις, apolutrosis, 629, meaning ransom or redemption. With redemption necessarily comes forgiveness of sins. Sin that has caused the debt we must pay. Here is the definition of "redeem" from Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary:

1 a : to buy back : repurchase b : to get or win back

2 : to free from what distresses or harms: as a : to free from captivity by payment of ransom b : to extricate from or help to overcome something detrimental c : to release from blame or debt : clear d : to free from the consequences of sin

3 : to change for the better : reform

4 : repair, restore

5 a : to free from a lien by payment of an amount secured thereby b (1) : to remove the obligation of by payment *the u.s. treasury redeems savings bonds on demand* (2) : to exchange for something of value *redeem trading stamps* c : to make good : fulfill

6 a : to atone for : expiate b (1) : to offset the bad effect of (2) : to make worthwhile : retrieve

Amazingly, the redemption we have through Christ fits each of these descriptions. Christ purchased us at the cost of His shed blood and broken body. Since we are God's creation, and were God's to begin with but sin cast us from away Him, Christ's payment bought us back. We were separated by sin from our Father, Who is God and Christ got us back.

He has freed us from distresses and harms, for He is always with us and nothing can separate us from His love. He paid our ransom with His life and freed us from captivity to sin. He has extricated us from death. He has released us from blame and fro the sin debt we had. He has freed us from the ultimate consequence of our sin and that is death in the lake if fire.

We have been reformed and changed for the better because of our belief in Him and His sacrifice.

He has restored us to a right relationship with God. Our broken association with God has been repaired.

Our lien of sin has been satisfied by the payment he made (Ephesians 1:14, Hebrews 7:22). Christ made the payment we owed for our sins (death) and we are no longer obligated to that debt.

He has exchanged our old, worthless flesh for new life in Christ. He has made good, that is, He has fulfilled, our sin debt.

His work at Calvary has atoned for our sins. He expiated (paid for) them. His blood has offset the effect of our sin. He has made us worthwhile in that our sins are forgiven. He has retrieved us from death.

Jesus is the express image of God. That means that he is the actual Image of God. A meaning of the word 'express' is explicit, exact, or precise. Jesus is not an allegorical image of God. He is not a spiritual image of God. He is not a painting, or a character in a book. He is God. It is not implied that he is God, but it is explicitly stated that He is God.

God is not visible to humans unless He wishes it. Here is a picture of God from Ezekiel:

Ezekiel described "the likeness the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD". Yehovah appeared to Ezekiel in this vision. Ezekiel described the LORD's appearance as the "likeness as the appearance of a man". We are made in God's image and thus God appeared somewhat like a man in this vision. Ezekiel described what he saw as from the loins upwards, and from the loins downward. The loins are the areas of the body around the hips, specifically the back strap muscles on either side of the spine just above the clavicle. Above the loins, that is, the torso, the appearance was clothed in a bright shiny spectrum metal like gold. Beneath the loins, that is, the legs, His appearance was like fire. His glory was shining forth.

Man is made in God's image in several ways. We have loins, with a torso and head above and legs below. We are able to feel and express love. We are body, soul and spirit. While we are made in the image of God, the Bible points out that Jesus was made in his express image, that is Jesus is made in the exact image of God. Man is in mad in an image similar to, but not exactly as God while Jesus is God's precise image. Man was made or created in God's image, Christ is eternal. Jesus Christ is God, the Son or God's Word. There three that bear record in Heaven, the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost. They are One.

Jesus is the Firstborn. He is God's only begotten Son thus He was born first. All God's other children are such by adoption. As firstborn, Christ inherits all that His Father has and is. All power in heaven and Earth have been given to the First Born Son. Additionally, not only is Christ the first born of all sons of God, he is preeminent as well. He is above all. He is "far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come" (Ephesians 1:21).

Christ the Son is God Almighty and thus Creator of all things. That includes the spiritual realms—angels, demons, etc. It includes the entire physical universe—the very depths of the sea and the farthest outreaches of the universe and beyond. He created all governments and all authorities—kings, queens, presidents, judges, legislators, etc. There is nothing in creation that was not created by Jesus and for Jesus.

I read a seminary book on preaching the other day. At least I read a bit of it before I put it down in disgust. The author was speaking of the passage in John where Jesus said, "Before Abraham was I am" (8:58). The author went on to say…well, let me quote this imbecile. He said, and I quote, "How often have we heard the great " I am" sayings expounded as if they were ippissima verba jesu, what Jesus actually said." This moron went on to explain that the "Fourth Gospel" was simply a collection of what tradition states that Jesus said and that the things attributed to Jesus may or may not have been what He actually said. This is the rationalist thinking that has led America into the spiritual decline it has found itself in the past century. In other words, the Gospel of John is only oral tradition, passed on by man and it is not the inspired, inerrant, and complete word of God preserved by the Spirit of God into all generations. This guy is professor emeritus at a major denominational seminary. It is true, God does confound the (worldly) wise. 1 Corinthians 1:27-29: "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; {28} And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: {29} That no flesh should glory in his presence." Thankfully, the seminary in question is from a decidedly liberal denomination that ordains active, practicing homosexuals as clergy. I say thankfully because he does not teach at a more conservative seminary. I will not name him here. Unfortunately the textbook in which I read this bilge is used at a supposedly conservative seminary of my own denomination. I have never felt like burning books before, but this one makes me want to start a fire. It is Biblical Preaching, Edited by James W. Cox, Copyright © 1983, Westminster Press. Dr. Cox (who did not write this quote; he simply edited it) is a Southern Baptist Seminary professor and his book is a reading source at Southern Baptist Seminaries (which are supposed to be conservative). He should be ashamed of himself.

Jesus Christ is eternal and the statement recorded in John 8:58 means exactly that. Jesus Christ is the preexistent God and was so before Abraham was conceived. That is exactly what He said and exactly what He meant. If the Bible in only a collection of myths, then why even bother to have churches and seminaries? Additionally, why even bother to preach? If the Bible is myth, then there is no purpose to Christianity at all except as an avocation (a hobby). If we cannot trust the Bible, then our salvation is not certain and there is no need to continue in any discourse about Christ.

I am ashamed to be associated with such drivel emanating from our supposedly conservative seminaries. For heaven's sake, they are educating future pastors and preachers; teaching them rationalist, humanistic foolishness! No wonder we are inundated with so many unnecessary and corrupt translations of the Bible! No wonder the church has no power in America today!

Christ is the Master or Chief of the Church. Alternatively, and better, He is the Lord of the church. The church is the assembly of believers. The basic Greek word, εκκλησια (ekklesia), literally means 'called out'. The word was originally used to describe a group of people who regularly assembled for a political or government meeting. The legislative assembly was called the ekklesia. It is defined as "a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly" (Thayer’s Greek Definitions). This means that the body of believers is regularly called out of their homes to some place of assembly for worship, study, fellowship, praise, etc. The word body here does not refer to the body of an animal, a person, a ship, a building, etc. It refers to a group. In this case, it is a group of believers in Christ.

In Romans, Paul compares the actual physical body of Christ with the church. Christ is the head and the different members with their different callings are the rest of the body, e.g., the arms, legs, feet, eyes, etc. That metaphor is very apt to the actual church.

Now when the word, church, is used here it means the people and not the building. The church is the assembly of believers and not the place in which they meet. Now we do set apart a building, or more usually, a room to be the place where the believers meet for worship of God. Therefore it is dedicated to God and as such, should be used with reverence. We refer to such a place as the sanctuary. The word, sanctuary, is from the Latin word, sanctus, which means holy, or set apart. So the sanctuary is a place that is set apart or dedicated to God. We should give it the reverence due God, but it is not God and we should not worship it. In modern English, the word 'church' has come to connote the building where Christians meet for worship. However, the church is more correctly the people that assemble in that building.

Other ways to render the word translated 'beginning' are author, starter, or leader. We find similar circumstance in English. A beginner can also be an author or a starter. The one who begins something is also its leader. Christ started the church with His death, burial, and resurrection. He is its beginner or author. He is also the leader of His church.

Lazarus was raised from the dead, as were others raised by Jesus, Elijah, Elisha, and Peter. Though they were raised from the dead, they all eventually suffered the death of the body, either at old age, or due to sickness of accident. Jesus was the first dead Man raised to eternal life. He is thus the first to be raised to eternal life, as will all believers eventually be resurrected.

Christ has preeminence in all things: Mat 11:27 "All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." Mat 28:18 "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth."

In the previous verse, Paul said that all things consist by Him. He holds the entire universe, nay, the entire creation, be it larger than the universe, in His hands. He spoke them into existence and He keeps them in existence. He is the creator and sustainer of all things.

The words, "the Father" are not in the original. The original literally says, "for in Him it did please the fullness to dwell." But Whom did it please for the fullness to dwell in Christ? Here "to please" is the aorist, meaning that no completion, duration, or repetition is implied. It simply was pleased. This does not tell us when it pleased, whom it pleased, if the pleasing has ceased, or if it continues. That seems to indicate an ellipsis, of sorts. If an ellipsis, then we may supply Whom it pleased. Since Paul began this discourse about Christ with, "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us " and " hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son", we may say that it pleased the Father for all fullness to dwell in the Christ. The fullness applies to the Divine nature of the Son. It pleased the Father for the Son to have the same fullness as the Father, that the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are the Godhead. God's fullness is that He is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and present everywhere at the same time. There is nothing that God cannot do. We will study this fulness in more depth in the next chapter.

God created the world and all of creation in perfection (Genesis 1:31). God was in full fellowship with men. But, by one man, Adam, sin entered the world. Sin separated us from our perfect relationship with God. By Christ's sacrifice, and by His shed blood on the cross, we are reconciled to God. That is, the blood of Christ restored our fellowship with God. Because of sin, the entire creation has fallen into disarray. Creation is in a state of decay. Christ has also reconciled creation to God. At the end of the age, creation will be renewed to its former state of perfection as it was before the fall of man.

As we said in the last comment, Christ's sacrifice has brought us back into fellowship with God because He took our sin from us. Our sin (wicked works) alienated us from God, making us His enemies. Now, because of Christ's sacrifice, we are free from sin. Therefore, we have reentered into fellowship with God. We are free from sin thus there is no blame for us before God. There is no reproach; neither will we be reproved by God because we are holy, that is, set apart or free from sin.

If we look closely at these three verses, which comprise two thoughts, we will find in verse 20, that the blood of Christ that reconciled us to God. In verse 22, the death of His flesh body reconciled us. He shed His blood for us and gave His body unto death for us.

This is the beginning of a long exhortation to the Colossians. Let us be grounded in the Gospel and the Word of God. Let us also be steadfast, or settled in our belief. If we are established in the faith, then we will not move away from the hope that the Gospel brings. That hope is not a fantasy but a settled fact. Paul preached that Gospel to the entire known world. He was God's Gospel servant.

All those creatures under heaven that accepted the Gospel and believed on Christ rejoice when others are grounded and settled in their faith. Paul suffered for the Gospel, but not as much as Christ did. Paul is willing to endure more sufferings in the cause of the ministry. He will undertake any sufferings for the sake of the church, which is the body of Christ.

God ordained Paul a minister or servant of Christ. It was according to the economy (or the will) of God, that Paul was given the task to preach the Gospel to the whole world. His administration of the Gospel fulfilled the Word of God.

A mystery is not something that is unknowable, beyond comprehension, or meaningless. In the Scriptures, mystery means concealed. Thus, the Old Testament Saints did not know the mystery of the Gospel because God concealed it from them. Now, in these end times (the times since the advent of Jesus), He has revealed the mystery. The mystery is simply the Gospel, which was a mystery to the saints that lived before Christ. Their religious ordinances were a shadow of the true Gospel. The Old Testament saints did not know the good news that the Messiah would make atonement for their sins. God concealed that from them for His Own purposes. Jesus Christ now reveals that mystery to the world. The mystery is that if you will place your trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior, your sins will be forgiven and you will be reconciled to God.

God has revealed the mystery to us, Christians, God's people. What are riches? Webster defines riches as "wealth; opulence; affluence; possessions of land, good or money in abundance". That is what the world thinks of riches. These things are temporal, that is, they do not last. Consider the stock market. One may be fabulously wealthy today, basking in an abundance of high value stocks. Yet, tomorrow, if the market should crash, the same man may be a pauper. The market does correct itself regularly. Just a few short years ago, a major company, that had overvalued its stock through fraud, went under. Many who had depended on the value of their stock in that company for retirement, are now without that retirement income they had planned to receive. The reason is that the worldly idea of riches is fleeting at best.

No, the riches Paul spoke about are not temporal, but spiritual and eternal. By riches, Paul meant abundance. Let us read it this way. "To whom God would make known what is the abundance of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory". Christ living in us through His Holy Spirit, is the abundance of blessings we have. Through Him is eternal life in heaven with Him. That is a place where, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9). The abundance of the glory in heaven, which men cannot even begin to envision, is awaiting all of us who have put our trust in Christ. I will remind you that the mystery is simply the Gospel, which remained a mystery to God's people until the resurrection of Christ. It is through the Gospel that our hope of glory resides.

The Apostles preached Christ and Him crucified, and raised on the third day. It is Him, Christ, in Whom we must place our trust for those riches in glory. Paul warned men of the danger to come without trust in Christ. That danger is being cast into the lake of fire at the Judgment. Paul also taught men in the ways of wisdom. By wisdom, Paul meant heavenly wisdom—the wisdom of Christ. Paul discipled converts, teaching them to grow spiritually in Christ and to become perfect, that is, complete, in Christ.

God Paul called to preach the Gospel to "the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel" (Acts 9:15). Paul took his call seriously. It was so serious that Paul gave his entire life over to accomplishing the mission God gave him. He was zealous, devoted, and steadfast in his commitment to accomplish this mission. It was a burning desire within him to do the will of his Christ. The strength for Paul came from Christ Himself. Christ working exceedingly in Paul gave him the stamina needed to accomplish this momentous task. Paul did accomplish his mission. He preached the Gospel to the Israelites fruitlessly. He preached before kings without success. Yet he succeeded mightily in preaching to the Gentiles. Because of Paul, Christianity spread over the entire known world. Consequently, because of Paul we know the Gospel today.