Colossians · chapter 1 of 4
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Colossians 1 begins with thanksgiving for the Colossians' faith, love and hope and a prayer that they may live worthily of the Lord. It then presents Christ as the image of the invisible God, creator and sustainer of all things, head of the church and reconciler of all things through the blood of his cross. Paul describes his ministry of proclaiming the mystery: Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Colossians is a short letter with an enormous vision of Christ. Paul writes to a church he had never met, one facing teachings that questioned the sufficiency of Christ. Chapter 1 lays the foundation for the whole message: who Christ is and what he has done.
Paul and Timothy greet the saints and faithful brothers at Colossae with grace and peace. They give thanks for their faith in Christ Jesus and their love for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for them in heaven, announced in the word of truth, the gospel. That gospel is bearing fruit in all the world, and they learned it from Epaphras, a beloved fellow servant and faithful minister of Christ.
Paul prays that they may be filled with the knowledge of God's will, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, bearing fruit in every good work. He asks that they be strengthened with all power for endurance with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified them to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He delivered them from the domain of darkness and transferred them to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom they have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Then comes a hymn about Christ: he is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, for by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, through him and for him. He is before all things and in him all things hold together; he is the head of the body, the church, the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. It pleased the Father that in him all the fullness should dwell and through him to reconcile to himself all things, making peace by the blood of his cross.
The Colossians, once hostile in mind, have been reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, to present them holy and above reproach, if they continue in the faith. Paul is a minister of that gospel; he rejoices in his sufferings for them and makes known the mystery hidden for ages: Christ in you, the hope of glory. He proclaims him, teaching everyone in all wisdom, that he may present everyone mature in Christ, struggling with the energy that God works within him.
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
God delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption and the forgiveness of sins. It describes salvation as a change of kingdom and of master.
Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, by whom and for whom all things were created and in whom all things hold together. It shows that Jesus is fully God and rules over creation.
He is the head of the body, the church, and the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. Christ must hold first place in the life of the church and of every believer.
The mystery is Christ in you, the hope of glory. That mystery includes the Gentiles: the promised Christ now dwells in those who believe, and his presence is the guarantee of future glory.
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
Answer: From Epaphras, a beloved fellow servant and faithful minister of Christ. — Colossians 1:7
Answer: He delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son. — Colossians 1:13
Answer: As the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. — Colossians 1:15
Answer: All things were created, in heaven and on earth. — Colossians 1:16
Answer: By the blood of his cross. — Colossians 1:20
Answer: Christ in you, the hope of glory. — Colossians 1:26-27
Colossians 1 helps place Christ at the center of everything. If he is creator, sustainer and head of the church, no other teaching, experience or leader can take his place. In a small group you can ask what things compete with Christ today for first place in your life.
It also encourages us to remember where God brought us from: the domain of darkness. Someone teaching new believers can stress that salvation is a transfer of kingdom and is lived out with gratitude. And Paul's example, working with the energy God gives him, inspires us to serve without growing weary.
Colossians 1 shows the greatness of Christ and the hope of glory he brings. In chapter 2, Paul will warn against teachings that question the sufficiency of Christ and remind believers that they are complete in him.
The title speaks of preeminence and authority, not that Christ was created. The same passage says all things were created by him, which is why Christians understand him as sovereign over creation, not part of it.
Paul is not saying that Christ's work on the cross is insufficient. Christians commonly understand that Paul's sufferings for the church are part of the mission of carrying the gospel, in union with Christ. It is one of the difficult verses of the letter.
He was a co-worker of Paul, from Colossae, who preached the gospel to the Colossians and brought Paul news of their faith. Paul calls him a beloved fellow servant and faithful minister of Christ, and he is also mentioned in Philemon.