Colossians 1
Colossians 1 New International Version (NIV)
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters[a] in Christ:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father.[b]
Thanksgiving and Prayer
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel 6 that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. 7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant,[c] who is a faithful minister of Christ on our[d]behalf, 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,[e] 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[f] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
The Supremacy of the Son of God
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of[g] your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical bodythrough death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
Paul’s Labor for the Church
24 Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom,so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. 29 To this end I strenuouslycontend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.
Footnotes:
- Colossians 1:2 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 4:15.
- Colossians 1:2 Some manuscripts Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
- Colossians 1:7 Or slave
- Colossians 1:7 Some manuscripts your
- Colossians 1:9 Or all spiritual wisdom and understanding
- Colossians 1:12 Some manuscripts us
- Colossians 1:21 Or minds, as shown by
Colossians 1
Who is this letter from? (verse 1)
Who is this letter to? (verse 2)
Thanksgiving and Prayer
What does Paul say about His prayers? (verse 3, 9-14)
Why was Paul thankful to God for them in his prayers? (verse 4-5)
Where does their faith and love spring from? (verse 5)
How is the gospel bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world? (verse 6)
Who taught them the Gospel? (verse 7)
Who is Epaphras? (verse 7)
Who told Paul of their love in the Spirit? (verse 7-8)
What does Paul and the believers continually ask God to do? (verse 9)
Have they stopped praying for them up to the writing of this letter? (verse 9)
What does the Spirit give? (verse 9)
Why do they pray that the Spirit would give them understanding? (verse 10-12)
Who qualifies people to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light? (verse 12)
Who has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins? (verse 12-14)
The Supremacy of the Son of God
Who is the image of the invisible God? (verse 15)
Who is the firstborn over all creation? (verse 15)
How were all things created? (verse 16)
Who was before all things? (verse 17)
How do all things hold together? (verse 17)
Who is the head of the body? (verse 18)
Why was Jesus the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead? (verse 18)
What was God pleased with in verses 19-20?
How are all things reconciled to himself? (verse 20)
Why were we once alienated from God and were enemies in our minds? (verse 21)
How have we been reconciled? (verse 22)
How can we be presented holy in God's sight without blemish and free from accusation? (verse 22-23)
What are we not to move from? (verse 23)
What has Paul become a servant of? (verse 23)
Paul’s Labor for the Church
Why does Paul rejoice in what he is suffering for them? (verse 24)
Who's servant has Paul become? (verse 25)
What was Paul commissioned by God to present? (verse 25-26)
What has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord's people? (verse 26-27)
Who has this been disclosed to? (verse 26)
What is the glorious riches of this mystery? (verse 27)
Who is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that everyone may be presented as being fully mature in Christ? (verse 27-28)
How does Paul contend? (verse 29)
Thoughts
"What is apostolic passion? The term "passion" is used to describe everything from romance to hunger pangs. I don't know what it means to you, but for me passion means whatever a person is willing to suffer for. In fact, that's the root meaning of the word. It comes from the Latin "paserre", to suffer. It is what you hunger for so intensely that you will sacrifice anything to have it. The word "apostle" means a sent one, a messenger. "Apostolic passion" therefore, is a deliberate, intentional choice to live for the worship of Jesus in the nations. It has to do with being committed to the point of death to spreading His glory. It's the quality of those who are on fire for Jesus, who dream of the whole earth being covered with the glory of the Lord." - Floyd McClung
"For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him." - verse 16
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." - John 1:1-5
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light 'day,' and the darkness he called 'night.' And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day." - Genesis 1:1-5
"so that in everything he might have the supremacy" - from verse 18
What if we were to live lives where Jesus Christ was supreme. Would our lives look any different? What would change? In our activities do we think about how God made Jesus Christ to be supreme in all things?
Proverbs 4:7
Wisdom is supreme—so acquire wisdom,
and whatever you acquire, acquire understanding!
and whatever you acquire, acquire understanding!
"For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." - verse 19-20
Application
Pray this for someone
Thank you God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for ________
Thank you for their faith in Christ Jesus and the love they have for all God's people.
Thank you that the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world- just as it happens since the day people hear it and truly understand God's grace.
Fill __________ with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that they may live a life worthy of you Lord and please you in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to your glorious might so that they may have great endurance and patience, and giving thanks to you, who qualifies to share in the inheritance of your holy people in the kingdom of light.
You rescue us from the dominion of darkness and bring us into the kingdom of the Son you love, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Comments
Post a Comment