Notes on Colossians

The following is the first lesson in a detailed exposition of Paul's Epistle to the Colossians.


The Colossian Letter
Lesson 1
The Apostolic Greeting

Introductory Thoughts

Background: an age like ours

Politically, Nero was the emperor
New religions and cults sprang up constantly
Public morals had hit new lows
There was unrest in many places.

Paul the apostle, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, was writing this letter from imprisonment in Rome, to a group of believers who were facing all of this and more.

In addition to all this, the Colossian church was facing a cult group which was growing up in its midst, and it was a weird cult group at that.

1. Questions and issues addressed in this letter (these sound so much like the questions we face daily in this time).

a. Where did the world come from ?
b. Is just any old philosophy or religion OK?—this was a major issue in Paul’s day, as it is in ours.
(1) There were two types of religious faiths in the Roman Empire
(a) Religio Licta—a legal religion recognized by the Roman authorities.
(b) Religio Illicta—an illegal religion
(2) The differences?
(a) To be a religio licta, one had to recognize that all other religions were also OK, and one had to recognize that the emperor was supreme, and sacrifice to him as a “god.”

(b) The only exception to this was the Jewish faith, which was tolerated grudgingly. Instead of sacrificing to the emperor, which the Jews would never do, they offered prayers on his behalf at the temple.

c. Where should the mental focus of believers be?
d. Who is Jesus?
e. Family and work problems
f. Is Jesus’ return soon?
g. The Colossian heresy—combining Jewish legalism and philosophy. Early Gnosticism?

2. Preliminary question: what is a cult?

a. The simple definition: a false religion that claims to be part of the Christian faith.
b. Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, etc., are false religions, but are not cults—they don’t claim to be Christian.
c. Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, “Oneness” pentcostalism, etc., these are cults!



3. The Apostolic Greeting—(don’t miss the significance of greetings in the epistles)

a. The (human) Author of the letter: “Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ…”


(1) What is an Apostle? The Apostles were messengers picked by Christ Jesus personally.

(a) Luke 6:13-16, Acts 1:2
(b) Acts 9:13-15, 1 Cor 15:9-10
(c) Heb 2:3-4

(2) Are there apostles today?

(a) No
(b) Reasons
(i) Apostles were foundational—Eph 2:20—once the foundation is laid, it is complete.
(ii) Apostolic requirements can no longer be met—Acts 1:16ff,

(1 Cor 9:1) "Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?"

(c) In a very real way, they are still with us, in their writings.

b. Of Jesus Christ—
(1) Paul’s ministry was dedicated to relating what Jesus wanted him to say, not to his own agenda.
(2) What about the supposed apostles of our day, the Bennies and so on?

c. “Through the will of God.” Paul and the Draft!

(1) First, election—
(a) Paul knew where his salvation came from—Gal 1:13-15
Isa 49:1 ""Listen, O coastlands, to Me, And take heed, you peoples from afar! The LORD has called Me from the womb; From the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name."

Jer 1:5 ""Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.""

Rom 1:1 "Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God"

Rom 1:6 "among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;"

Rom 1:7 "To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

1 Cor 1:9 "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."

Gal 1:6 "I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel,"

1 Pet 2:9 "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;"

(b) Paul knew he deserved nothing from God—1 Tim 1:15—the chief of sinners, 1 Cor 15—not worthy to be called an apostle.
(c) Paul knew it was all God’s grace—1 Cor 15:10 "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me."
(d) And in Paul’s case, the proverb from the lips of Jesus is fulfilled—Mat 19:28-30 "So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. 30 "But many who are first will be last, and the last first."
(i) Paul was the Johnny-come-lately, but it is through him, the least of the apostles, that the majority of New Testament writings come.
(ii) The apostle with the next largest contribution is the youth, the youngest apostle, John. Peter has his two letters, but it is Matthew the tax collector who writes a gospel, and Mark, not an apostle himself, who sets down what scholars believe is the gospel from Peter. And it is a Gentile physician, Luke, who has the honor to share with us the most intimate details of the family of Jesus!

(2) Second, election to service! Acts 9:15-16 "But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 "For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake.""

(a) Paul is chosen
(b) Paul “must”
(c) Paul “must” suffer—Christ Jesus held nothing back from His apostle. There is a great ministry to be had, but that ministry will be one of sadness and grief of heart.

d. And Timothy the brother—Paul’s reliable younger protégé, the penman of this letter.

4. The Audience of the Colossian letter—Col 1:2 "To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse…”

a. First, the language—“saints and faithful brethren in Christ” in the Greek, is referring to the same group.

(1) There are not “saints” which are a cut above, and then “faithful brethren in Christ” who are saved but not at the same level.
(2) The Greek construction has the two phrases referring to the same group, and so it is. If you are a true believer, you are counted among the saints.
(3) What if one is a professing believer, but is not a “faithful brother (or sister). The implication is that, at best, repentance and restoration is in order, and at worst, their salvation must be called into question.

b. They are “saints and faithful brethren in Christ…” What is a saint?

(1) It is NOT some kind of super-holy person with earned merit to hand out to others, that is a myth.
(2) It is NOT some kind of super-spiritual being that only a few Christians can aspire to be.
(3) A saint is a saved person, period, whether they act like a saint at all!
(4) The word means “set apart.” And, we have been set apart for a purpose, to glorify God in our lives.
(5) It is the common address for believers from Paul—Rom 1:7, 1 Cor 1:2
(6) It is not that we are fully holy, but that is what God called us to be—again, 1 Pet 2:9!
(7) Note that Paul does not address everyone who has attached to the church, in our language, he is not writing to all the members, but to the “saints and faithful brethren.”

c. Faithful brethren (not a gender, an idea), are those who are faithful—period. Even in Paul’s day, there were professing Christians who were not faithful to their calling. This letter is addressed to those who are.
d. “In Christ”—this, of course, is the key. It is not who we are, but whose we are. We are accepted in the beloved. This is one of the key concepts of this letter!

Col 1:2 "To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ…”

Col 1:4-6 "since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; 5 because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven…”
Col 1:8 "who also declared to us your love in the Spirit."

Col 1:12 "giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light."

Col 1:14 "in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins."

Col 1:17 "And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist."

Col 1:19 "For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,"

Col 1:27-29 "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."

Col 2:2-3 "that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

Col 2:5-7 "For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. 6 As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving."

Col 2:9-12 "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. 11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead."

Col 3:3-4 "For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory."

Col 3:10-11 "and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all."

Col 3:15-16 "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."

Col 4:7 "Tychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me."

Col 4:17 "And say to Archippus, "Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.""

John 1:4 "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men."

John 3:15-16 ""that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Rom 6:11 "Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Rom 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Rom 8:1-2 "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death."

Rom 8:39 "nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Rom 12:5 "so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another."

1 Cor 1:2 "To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:"

1 Cor 1:30 "But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God; and righteousness and sanctification and redemption;"

2 Cor 2:14 "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place."

2 Cor 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

Gal 3:28 "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

Eph 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,"

Eph 1:6 "to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved."

Eph 2:6-7 "and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."

Eph 2:10 "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

Phil 3:9 "and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;"

2 Tim 1:9 "who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,"

1 John 2:27-28 "But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. 28 And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming."

1 John 3:24 "Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us."

1 John 5:14 "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us."

1 John 5:20 "And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life."