Colossians 1

Colossians 1 introduces the central themes of Paul's letter to the Colossians: the supremacy of Christ and the completeness believers have in Him. This chapter expresses gratitude for the faith of the Colossian church, highlights the nature of Christ's divinity and the reconciliation He offers, and emphasizes Paul's role in preaching the gospel.

Colossians 1:1-2 (NKJV)
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul introduces himself as an apostle chosen by God's will, with Timothy also greeting the church. He addresses the believers in Colosse, affirming their status as holy and faithful in Christ, and extends a blessing of grace and peace—a typical Pauline greeting that encapsulates the essence of the gospel's impact on believers.

Colossians 1:3-8 (NKJV)
3 We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all the saints;
5 because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel,
6 which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth;
7 as you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf,
8 who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.

Paul expresses his continual gratitude and prayer for the Colossians, praising their faith in Jesus and their love for fellow believers. Their faith is driven by the hope of eternal rewards, previously introduced to them through the gospel, which spreads globally and bears fruit in transformed lives. Epaphras, mentioned as a faithful minister, has reported their spiritual growth and love, evidencing the gospel's powerful work among them.

Colossians 1:9-14 (NKJV)
9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;
12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.
13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

Paul's prayer for the Colossians is that they might fully understand God's will, which leads to a life worthy of the Lord, pleasing to Him in every aspect, and fruitful in good works. The believers are also to be strengthened by God's power, enabling endurance and patience with joy. The passage culminates in a doxology praising the Father for enabling believers to share in the saints' inheritance, highlighting the themes of deliverance from darkness, transfer into Christ's kingdom, and the redemption and forgiveness available through His sacrifice.

Colossians 1:15-17 (NKJV)
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

This passage presents Christ as the "image of the invisible God," meaning He perfectly reveals the Father’s character and nature. As the "firstborn over all creation," He holds the highest rank and authority, not as a created being but as the begotten Son, uniquely brought forth from the Father before anything was created. The passage emphasizes that everything—both visible and invisible, in heaven and on earth—was created through Him and for Him. This includes physical things like nature and humanity, as well as spiritual realities like angels, principalities, and powers. Verse 17 adds that Christ existed before all created things, demonstrating His unique, exalted position as the begotten Son. Additionally, "in Him all things consist" means that Christ holds the entire universe together by His sustaining power. He is not only the Creator but also the Sustainer of all things, ensuring that the universe continues to function. This makes Him central to life itself and worthy of honor, reverence, and worship.

Colossians 1:18 (NKJV)
18 And He is the head of the body, the church; who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He might have the preeminence.

This verse emphasizes Christ’s supreme authority in both creation and redemption. As the "head of the body, the church," He is the leader and source of life for His people, guiding and sustaining them. He is "the beginning," meaning the origin of new spiritual life through His resurrection. The phrase "firstborn from the dead" highlights that He was the first to rise with an immortal, glorified body, securing victory over death and ensuring the future resurrection of believers. Because of His role as Creator and Redeemer, Christ holds the highest position of honor and authority, having preeminence in all things, both in the physical and spiritual realms. This shows that He is central to both life and salvation.

Colossians 1:19-20 (NKJV)
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,
20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

This section emphasizes that it pleased the Father for all His divine fullness to dwell in Christ, meaning that Christ has always possessed the fullness of God's nature as the begotten Son from eternity. However, this fullness took on deeper significance after the cross when His role as Redeemer was fully realized. Through His sacrifice, God’s plan of reconciliation was accomplished, restoring peace between Himself and all creation—both in heaven and on earth—where sin had brought separation and chaos. This reconciliation was made possible "through the blood of His cross," signifying that peace was achieved at great cost. Therefore, while Christ always had divine fullness, His victory through the cross manifested it in a new and powerful way, confirming His role as Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer of all things.

Colossians 1:21-23 (NKJV)
21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled
22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—
23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, have become a minister.

Paul reminds the Colossians of their former state of alienation from God due to sin and their current state of reconciliation through Christ's physical death. This reconciliation aims to present them as holy, blameless, and irreproachable before God—conditions that are contingent on their continued faith and commitment to the gospel's hope. This hope is described as universal, having been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, underscoring the global and inclusive nature of the gospel, with Paul serving as its minister.

Colossians 1:24-29 (NKJV)
24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,
25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,
26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.
27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
29 To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.

Paul expresses joy in his sufferings, considering them as contributions to the church's welfare, linking his afflictions to those of Christ in a figurative sense. His ministry, defined as a stewardship from God, aims to make known the mystery of the gospel—previously hidden but now revealed—which is Christ's indwelling in the believers, signifying the hope of future glory. The goal of Paul's preaching, teaching, and admonishing is the spiritual maturity of every believer, reflecting the transformative power of the gospel. This work is empowered by God’s mighty working within him, emphasizing divine enablement in his ministry efforts.

Though Christ is now in heaven, after His resurrection and ascension, He poured out the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:33). Since then, Christ, along with the Father, dwells in believers through the Holy Spirit (John 14:23), restoring humanity as the temple of God. This indwelling fulfills God's original design.

Ellen White explains this beautifully:
"From eternal ages it was God's purpose that every created being, from the bright and holy seraph to man, should be a temple for the indwelling of the Creator. Because of sin, humanity ceased to be a temple for God. Darkened and defiled by evil, the heart of man no longer revealed the glory of the Divine One. But by the incarnation of the Son of God, the purpose of Heaven is fulfilled. God dwells in humanity, and through saving grace the heart of man becomes again His temple." (Desire of Ages, p. 161)

Paul's declaration of "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27) echoes this restoration, highlighting the privilege believers now have as living temples of God's presence.