Colossians Chapter 1
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May 3, 2017
Colossae.
TO COLOSSAE
TO COLOSSAE
Colossae was an ancient city in Asia Minor, located in the Southwest of Modern Day Turkey.
Ancient city in Asia Minor, located in the southwestern part of present-day Turkey, and remembered primarily for the apostle Paul’s letter to the church there (). Colossae was near the Lycus River, a tributary of the Meander. The city flourished during the 6th century b.c. According to Herodotus, an ancient Greek historian, when the Persian king Xerxes came to Colossae, it was a city of great size. Another Greek historian, Xenophon, related that Cyrus the Great, founder of the Persian empire, had passed Colossae still earlier on his way to Greece.
It is mainly known for being the city I received a letter from the apostle Paul.
Herodotus, an important Greek historian wrote about the Persian king Xerxes, also known as Ahaseurus, from the Esther and Purim story, visited Colossae during his reign.
Colossae, the city in which tradition says Paul wrote Colossians.
Another Greek historian, Xenophon, wrote that Cyrus the Great, founder of the Persian Empire had passed through Colossae on his way to Greece. Cyrus ruled during the exile in Babylon.
Colossae was situated in the region known as Phrygia and was a trading center at a crossroads on the main highway from Ephesus to the east. In Roman times relocation of the road leading north to Pergamum brought about both the growth of Laodicea, a city 10 miles away, and Colossae’s gradual decline. Colossae and Laodicea shared in the wool trade. Thus the name Colossae was derived from a Latin name collossinus, meaning “purple wool.”
Colossae was situated in the region known as Phrygia and was a trading center at a crossroads on the main highway from Ephesus to the east. In Roman times relocation of the road leading north to Pergamum brought about both the growth of Laodicea, a city 10 miles away, and Colossae’s gradual decline. Colossae and Laodicea shared in the wool trade. Thus the name Colossae was derived from a Latin name collossinus, meaning “purple wool.”
In the apostle Paul’s time Colossae was a small city with a mixed population of Phrygians, Greeks, and Jews. During his extended stay in Ephesus, Paul may have taught Jews and Greeks who lived in Colossae (). Epaphras, a Colossian, visited Paul in Rome and informed him about the condition of the church at Colossae (; ), then was later imprisoned with Paul (). Others from the Colossian church included Philemon, Apphia, Archippus, and Onesimus, a slave who became a Christian (). Subsequent history is silent on the church at Colossae. The city was weakened under Islamic rule and was eventually destroyed in the 12th century.
Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). Colossae. In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 1, p. 496). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.
In the apostle Paul’s time Colossae was a small city with a mixed population of Phrygians, Greeks, and Jews. During his extended stay in Ephesus, Paul may have taught Jews and Greeks who lived in Colossae (). Epaphras, a Colossian, visited Paul in Rome and informed him about the condition of the church at Colossae (; ), then was later imprisoned with Paul (). Others from the Colossian church included Philemon, Apphia, Archippus, and Onesimus, a slave who became a Christian (). Subsequent history is silent on the church at Colossae. The city was weakened under Islamic rule and was eventually destroyed in the 12th century.
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Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). Colossae. In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 1, p. 496). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.
NT book, one of four “prison letters” attributed to the apostle Paul. As with Philippians, Philemon, and Ephesians, Paul said he was in prison when he wrote Colossians (, ; cf. ; ; ; ; , ). He sent three of the letters to churches in Asia Minor and linked them with his colleague, Tychicus (; , ). That seems to indicate that he wrote them at approximately the same time and that Tychicus delivered them.
We have so far studied Ephesians, Philippians, now in Colossians it would include the study of the prison officials with Philemon in the first study in July. It is a 1 chapter Letter.
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In the Book of Colossians, we will actually hear about one of the main characters in the book of Philemon, Onesimus, the runaway slave, in the book of Colossians, another attesting to the connection between these books. It is believe it all four of these books were written from Rome, during his final imprisonment of his life in the his time under house arrest in room which is spoken about in .
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1 1 From: Sha’ul, by God’s will an emissary of the Messiah Yeshua, and brother Timothy
BEB: Colossians, Letter to the
2 To: God’s people in Colosse, faithful brothers in the Messiah:
Grace to you and shalom from God our Father.
Colossians, Letter to the.
Paul begins his letter to the Colossians following the standard first century letter model, of introducing the sender or senders first, Paul and Timothy. Being that Paul had not started this community, he also includes his being an emissary of Yeshua to be sure they know the sender.
NT book, one of four “prison letters” attributed to the apostle Paul. As with Philippians, Philemon, and Ephesians, Paul said he was in prison when he wrote Colossians (, ; cf. ; ; ; ; , ). He sent three of the letters to churches in Asia Minor and linked them with his colleague, Tychicus (; , ). That seems to indicate that he wrote them at approximately the same time and that Tychicus delivered them.
He then includes the addressee, God's people in Colosse.
His greeting can be seen as having a Greek element, grace and a Hebrew element, Shalom that can be seen as his example of reaching out to the Jewish and Greek members of the Colossian community.
Cannon, G. E. (1988). Colossians, Letter to The. In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 1, pp. 496–497). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.
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3 Whenever we pray, we always give thanks for you to God, the Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. 4 For we have heard of your trust in the Messiah Yeshua and of the love you have for all God’s people. 5 Both spring from the confident hope that you will receive what is stored up for you in heaven. You heard of this earlier in the message about the truth. This Good News 6 has made its presence felt among you, just as it is also being fruitful and multiplying throughout the world in the same way as it has among you since the day you heard and understood the grace of God as it really is. 7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow-slave and a faithful worker for the Messiah on your behalf; 8 and he has told us about the love which the Spirit has given you.
2 Thanks and Prayer "God bless Jennifer today" may be a typical prayer for a friend as she comes to mind. But what am I specifically asking for? How will I know if my prayer is answered? What difference would it make in Jennifer's life? Paul begins his letter by telling the Colossians why he is thankful for them and what he asks God to do in them. Paul's example gives us a model for encouraging and praying for one another.
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How does it make you feel when a friend tells you the specific things he or she notices and appreciates about you?
9 Therefore, from the day we heard of it, we have not stopped praying for you, asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will in all the wisdom and understanding which the Spirit gives;
10 so that you may live lives worthy of the Lord and entirely pleasing to him, being fruitful in every good work and multiplying in the full knowledge of God.
11 We pray that you will be continually strengthened with all the power that comes from his glorious might; so that you will be able to persevere and be patient in any situation, joyfully
IVPBBCNT: 1:10—Thanksgiving and Prayer for the Fruit Bearers
In Jewish tradition, “worthy” could mean “appropriate to” (, ), “deserving of (reward)” (); Wisdom sought those worthy of her (), and the righteous who persevered would be “worthy for God,” like an acceptable offering ().
Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
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12 giving thanks to the Father for having made you fit to share in the inheritance of his people in the light.
13 He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.
In Jewish tradition, “worthy” could mean “appropriate to” (, ), “deserving of (reward)” (); Wisdom sought those worthy of her (), and the righteous who persevered would be “worthy for God,” like an acceptable offering ().
Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
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JNTC: Colossians, Chapter 1
13b–23 Starting with the phrase, “the Kingdom of his dear Son,” Sha’ul draws an exalted and multifaceted portrait of Yeshua the Messiah, in many ways comparable with the description of God found in the Jewish hymn, Adon-˓Olam, attributed to the 11th-century poet Shlomo Ibn-Gvirol and sung (to any of 1,500 melodies) in most synagogue services:
“He is Lord of the universe, who reigned
Before anything had been created.
At the time when everything was made by his will,
Already then he was acknowledged as King.
“And after everything has ceased to be,
He alone, awesome, will still rule—
He who was, is, and will be
Glorious forever.
“He is One: there is no other
To compare with him, to place beside him—
Without beginning, without end;
Power and dominion are his.
“And he is my God—my Redeemer lives!—
The Rock of my suffering in time of trouble,
A banner guiding my way, a retreat when I flee,
The portion in my cup on the day I call.
“Into his hands I commit my spirit
When I sleep and when I wake—
And if my spirit, then also my body when I die:
Adonai is mine, and I will not fear.”
The above hymn moves from God as transcendent and eternal Creator and Ruler to God as personal Guide and Protector. The present passage moves from Yeshua as eternal Creator and Ruler to Yeshua as Head of the Messianic Community and Reconciler of persons.
Stern, D. H. (1996). Jewish New Testament Commentary : a companion volume to the Jewish New Testament (electronic ed., ). Clarksville: Jewish New Testament Publications.
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Complete Jewish Bible Chapter 1
14 It is through his Son that we have redemption—that is, our sins have been forgiven.
IVPBBCNT: 1:14–23—The Supremacy of Christ
Paul insists that Christ is enough (cf. 2:6–15) and describes him in the language Judaism normally reserved for personified Wisdom. This image was a natural one for early Christians to describe Christ; Judaism personified God’s Wisdom as divine, and the roots of the image in Jewish tradition go back at least as far as . (It is possible, as some have suggested, that Paul cites a two-stanza Christian hymn in 1:15–20; such citations occur without notice in other ancient literature.
Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
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JNTC: Colossians, Chapter 1
14 Although in Jewish understanding redemption (see :7N) has a national dimension dating from the Exodus and extending to the Messianic Age, it also has an application to the individual defined by this verse. By implication the individual was enslaved to sin (compare ) but now has been redeemed from that slavery: our sins have been forgiven. This redemption is available from God but only through his Son Yeshua.
Stern, D. H. (1996). Jewish New Testament Commentary : a companion volume to the Jewish New Testament (electronic ed., ). Clarksville: Jewish New Testament Publications.
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IVPBBCNT: 1:14–23—The Supremacy of Christ
1:14. “Redemption” meant freeing a slave by paying a price for that slave; in the Old Testament, God redeemed Israel from their slavery in Egypt by the blood of the firstborn and the lamb. This would fit the image of transferring a captive people from one realm to another (1:13). Philo also believed that the Logos, God’s Word, participated in redemption; but this background might be more relevant if it were mentioned as part of 1:15–17.
Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
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Complete Jewish Bible Chapter 1
15 He is the visible image of the invisible God. He is supreme over all creation,
16 because in connection with him were created all things—in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, lordships, rulers or authorities—they have all been created through him and for him.
17 He existed before all things, and he holds everything together.
IVPBBCNT: 1:14–23—The Supremacy of Christ
Here Paul describes Christ in terms Judaism reserved for divine Wisdom, which was portrayed as God’s archetypal image by which he created the rest of the world. Philo describes God’s Logos, his Word, as his image and firstborn son.
“Firstborn” could refer to the position of authority and preeminence given to the firstborn son in the Old Testament (). (A related word for “firstborn” could translate the Hebrew word for “chief” in LXX. Jewish texts most commonly applied the term to Israel. Ancient Near Eastern texts applied equivalent terms to other deities, e.g., Amon-Re in Egypt, and kings were sometimes acclaimed as sons of gods at their enthronements.) This term could also refer to the redemptive role of the firstborn (cf. ) or be another title for God’s “Son” (1:18; see , although David was the youngest of eight sons). Both Greek and Jewish religion describe God or supreme deities as “First.”
Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
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JNTC: Colossians, Chapter 1
Yeshua, like Adam, is the visible image of the invisible God (, “Let us create man in our image.”) See and 1C 15:44–49 for a more explicit comparison of Yeshua, “the last Adam,” with the first one.
Such comparisons are not unknown in Judaism. A fourteenth-century midrash by Rabbi David ben-Amram of Aden says,
“There were twenty-four good qualities in the world, but sins caused them all to disappear. In the future, at the End of Days, the Holy One, blessed be He, will restore them to Israel. And they are: the Image … ” [and 23 others]. (Midrash HaGadol B’reshit, pp. 135–136; it can be found in Raphael Patai, The Messiah Texts, p. 263)
Stern, D. H. (1996). Jewish New Testament Commentary : a companion volume to the Jewish New Testament (electronic ed., ). Clarksville: Jewish New Testament Publications.
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JNTC: Colossians, Chapter 1
A note in The Messiah Texts explains that “the Image” refers to . Also compare 1C 15:49, 2C 4:4, MJ 1:3.
Stern, D. H. (1996). Jewish New Testament Commentary : a companion volume to the Jewish New Testament (electronic ed., ). Clarksville: Jewish New Testament Publications.
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JNTC: Colossians, Chapter 1
The Messiah is the firstborn of a new humanity through being the first to be resurrected from the dead; this is clearly the sense of “protôtokos” in v. 18. But this sense does not fit here because of what follows in vv. 16–17, even though it is consistent with the preceding allusion to Adam.
If one chooses “firstborn of” instead of “supreme over,” the phrase, “firstborn of all creation,” does not mean that Yeshua was the first created being but speaks of his eternal sonship. Yeshua’s firstbornness does not merely antedate the creation of the material world but is an essential and eternal element of the inner nature of God. Timelessly and eternally the Word of God, who became flesh in Yeshua the Messiah (Yn 1:1, 14) is in the relationship of firstborn Son to the Father; this is a necessary part of the one God’s description of himself.
Stern, D. H. (1996). Jewish New Testament Commentary : a companion volume to the Jewish New Testament (electronic ed., ). Clarksville: Jewish New Testament Publications.
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JNTC: Colossians, Chapter 1
Verses 15–20 are largely equivalent to MJ 1:2–3: The Word is God’s
“Son, to whom he has given ownership of everything and through whom he created the universe. This Son is the radiance of the Sh˒khinah, the very expression of God’s essence, upholding all that exists by his powerful word; and after he had, through himself, made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of HaG˒dulah BaM˒romim [“the Greatness on High”].”
Stern, D. H. (1996). Jewish New Testament Commentary : a companion volume to the Jewish New Testament (electronic ed., ). Clarksville: Jewish New Testament Publications.
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JNTC: Colossians, Chapter 1
Supreme over all creation, Greek protôtokos pasês ktiseôs, alternatively and more literally, “firstborn of all creation.” verses 16–17 name three ways in which God is “supreme” and attribute them to Yeshua the Messiah; this is typical of how the New Testament shows the divine aspect of Yeshua’s nature while avoiding the direct statement, “Yeshua is God” (see 2:9&N).
Stern, D. H. (1996). Jewish New Testament Commentary : a companion volume to the Jewish New Testament (electronic ed., ). Clarksville: Jewish New Testament Publications.
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Verse 16
IVPBBCNT: 1:14–23—The Supremacy of Christ
Ancient Judaism accepted that God created both visible and invisible worlds.
Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
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IVPBBCNT: 1:14–23—The Supremacy of Christ
Many Greco-Roman thinkers said that all things derived from, were held together in and would return to the Logos or nature or the primeval fire. In Jewish tradition, all things were created through and for God’s Word or Wisdom. (In variants of that tradition, they were created for the righteous who upheld his word in practice.)
Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
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Verse 17
IVPBBCNT: 1:14–23—The Supremacy of Christ
Many Greco-Roman philosophers said that all things were held together by Zeus or by the Logos, divine reason; by this they meant to emphasize the unity of the cosmos. Greek-speaking Jewish writers like Philo also emphasized that God’s Logos held the creation together, further identifying Logos with divine Wisdom. In Stoic thought, the Logos gave form to the primeval fire; in Judaism, Wisdom existed before all things and through it God created and then shaped the world.
Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
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JNTC: Colossians, Chapter 1
He existed before all things, or: “He is over all things,” and he holds everything together—the moment-to-moment existence of the physical and moral universe depend directly on his continuing oversight and providence.
Stern, D. H. (1996). Jewish New Testament Commentary : a companion volume to the Jewish New Testament (electronic ed., ). Clarksville: Jewish New Testament Publications.
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Verse 18
Complete Jewish Bible Chapter 1
18 Also he is head of the Body, the Messianic Community—he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might hold first place in everything.
IVPBBCNT: 1:14–23—The Supremacy of Christ
“Head” could mean “authority” (2:10), “most respected or honored part” or “source” (2:19); on “body” see comment on or . God was sometimes called “the beginning” in Jewish tradition, and the term was even more often applied to Wisdom and the Logos; it was a natural term for the one from whom all things began. (In v. 18, it could be applied to the beginning of the new creation, however, as with “firstborn” here.) On “firstborn” see comment on 1:15. The resurrection of the dead was expected at the end of the age; Jesus’ resurrection ahead of that time was seen as the proleptic beginning or inaugurating of that future event ().
Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
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JNTC: Colossians, Chapter 1
(CJB)
19For it pleased God to have his full being live in his Son
20and through his Son to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace through him, through having his Son shed his blood by being executed on a stake.
It pleased God to have his full being (Greek plêrôma) live in his Son. Compare 2:9&N. “Plêrôma” was a technical term used by the Gnostics and their antecedents to refer to the totality of the various spiritual “levels” and the beings or entities presumed to exist there; see :23bN. Sha’ul uses the method of seizing on a characteristic distinctive of the heresy he is fighting and showing how it relates to and supports the Gospel. Thus he follows the pattern he described at 2C 10:4–5: “We demolish arguments and every arrogance that raises itself up against the knowledge of God; we take every thought captive and make it obey the Messiah.”
Stern, D. H. (1996). Jewish New Testament Commentary : a companion volume to the Jewish New Testament (electronic ed., ). Clarksville: Jewish New Testament Publications.
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IVPBBCNT: 1:14–23—The Supremacy of Christ
“Fullness” may refer to God’s wisdom or glory filling the world (as in the Old Testament and Jewish tradition), or to the fullness of God’s presence or attributes (as in Philo and other Jewish sources).
Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
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(CJB)
19For it pleased God to have his full being live in his Son
20and through his Son to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace through him, through having his Son shed his blood by being executed on a stake.
21In other words, you, who at one time were separated from God and had a hostile attitude towards him because of your wicked deeds,
22he has now reconciled in the Son’s physical body through his death; in order to present you holy and without defect or reproach before himself—
IVPBBCNT: 1:14–23—The Supremacy of Christ
peace” being an end to hostilities.
Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
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Fallen man is not simply an imperfect creature who needs improvement: he is a rebel who must lay down his arms. Laying down your arms, surrendering, saying you are sorry, realising that you have been on the wrong track and getting ready to start life over again from the ground floor – that is the only way out of our ‘hole’… It means killing a part of yourself, undergoing a kind of death.”
Mere Christianity
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(CJB)
23provided, of course, that you continue in your trusting, grounded and steady, and don’t let yourselves be moved away from the hope offered in the Good News you heard. This is the Good News that has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven; and I, Sha’ul, have become a servant of it.
IVPBBCNT: 1:14–23—The Supremacy of Christ
Paul may intend the statement that the gospel was announced throughout creation to counter the false teachers who claim secret, esoteric revelations (2:18).
Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
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(CJB)
24I rejoice in my present sufferings on your behalf! Yes, I am completing in my own flesh what has been lacking of the Messiah’s afflictions, on behalf of his Body, the Messianic Community.
JNTC: Colossians, Chapter 1
The Messiah’s afflictions. Either the “birth pangs of the Messiah” of Jewish tradition, or his present suffering due to the Messianic Community’s present imperfections, but not his death pangs, because his atoning death is a completed work and does not require completing.
Stern, D. H. (1996). Jewish New Testament Commentary : a companion volume to the Jewish New Testament (electronic ed., ). Clarksville: Jewish New Testament Publications.
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(CJB)
25I became a servant of the Good News because God gave me this work to do for your benefit. The work is to make fully known the message from God,
26the secret hidden for generations, for ages, but now made clear to the people he has set apart for himself.
IVPBBCNT: 1:24–2:5—Paul’s Labor for Them
The Dead Sea Scrolls and other texts speak of “mysteries” in the Scriptures that only the spiritually enlightened can understand; for Paul, Christians are now enlightened (1:9, 12). This statement would refute mystics who claimed special, elite revelations belonging only to themselves (2:18).
Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
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(CJB)
27To them God wanted to make known how great among the Gentiles is the glorious richness of this secret. And the secret is this: the Messiah is united with you people! In that rests your hope of glory!
28We, for our part, proclaim him; we warn, confront and teach everyone in all wisdom; so that we may present everyone as having reached the goal, united with the Messiah.
29It is for this that I toil, striving with all the energy that he stirs up in me so mightily.
IVPBBCNT: 1:24–2:5—Paul’s Labor for Them
That this mystery would be made known among the Gentiles had been prophesied (e.g., ) and was now being fulfilled (1:25). Old Testament writers often said that God dwelled “among” his people Israel (), and on a personal level, “within” some of them (; ; , ; , ; ; more often, “filled,” “rested on”). But no one expected him to dwell among the Gentiles—indeed, on the personal level, within them (; , ).
Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
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JNTC: Colossians, Chapter 1
The Messiah is united with you people, with you believing Gentiles and not only with believing Jews. In that rests your hope of glory, of receiving everything good that God promises to those who are faithful.
Stern, D. H. (1996). Jewish New Testament Commentary : a companion volume to the Jewish New Testament (electronic ed., ). Clarksville: Jewish New Testament Publications.
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Additional notes and Questions
Additional notes and Questions
1. How does it make you feel when a friend tells you the specific things he or she notices and appreciates about you? 2. Read . What characteristics of the Colossians cause Paul to always be thankful for them ()? 3. How do faith in Christ and love for other Christians spring from the hope described in ? 4. What examples of faith, love and hope have you seen in a group of Christians? Who in your church or fellowship group could you affirm this week for demonstrating those qualities? 5. What impresses you about how the gospel was spreading ()? 6. How have others helped you to hear and understand the truth about God's grace? 7. Read . After affirming their strengths, Paul tells the Colossians what he prays for them. What are Paul's requests for how they think and act? 8. How might spiritual wisdom and understanding help us to under stand God's will ()? From what less helpful sources do we try to find knowledge of God's will? 9. According to Paul, true knowledge leads to a "life worthy of the Lord" (). What qualities does such a life include ()? How are these qualities related to each other? 10. In what specific ways do you see these qualities developing in your life? 11. How does Paul graphically contrast our condition before and after we became Christians ()? 12. Reread , putting your name in each sentence. How would meditating on these verses help you to appreciate what God has done for you? 13. Take time to pray for your church or fellowship group, using as your model.
Jewish New Testament Commentary -
Colossians The Letter From Yeshua's Emissary Shaʾul (Paul) to God's People Living in Colossae: Colossians Chapter 1 1 As he often does, Shaʾul divides this letter into what God has done (Chapters 1-2) and what believers are obligated to do in gratitude (Chapters 3-4). Shaʾul, emissary, Timothy. See :1N. 2 Colossae, a town in Asia Minor whose brothers (believers) came to faith in Yeshua through the evangelizing efforts of someone other than Shaʾul (2:1), namely, Epaphras (v. 7&N). 4-5 Trust, love, hope. Compare 1C 13:13&N. 7 Epaphras is mentioned again at 4:12 and at . 9 Shaʾul usually starts his letters by telling his readers in what manner he prays for them. 12 People in the light. See :8N. 13b-23 Starting with the phrase, "the Kingdom of his dear Son," Shaʾul draws an exalted and multifaceted portrait of Yeshua the Messiah, in many ways comparable with the description of God found in the Jewish hymn, Adon-ʿOlam, attributed to the 11th-century poet Shlomo Ibn-Gvirol and sung (to any of 1,500 melodies) in most synagogue services:
"He is Lord of the universe, who reigned Before anything had been created. At the time when everything was made by his will, Already then he was acknowledged as King.
"And after everything has ceased to be, He alone, awesome, will still rule— He who was, is, and will be Glorious forever.
"He is One: there is no other To compare with him, to place beside him— Without beginning, without end; Power and dominion are his.
"And he is my God—my Redeemer lives!— The Rock of my suffering in time of trouble, A banner guiding my way, a retreat when I flee, The portion in my cup on the day I call.
"Into his hands I commit my spirit When I sleep and when I wake— And if my spirit, then also my body when I die: Adonai is mine, and I will not fear."
The above hymn moves from God as transcendent and eternal Creator and Ruler to God as personal Guide and Protector. The present passage moves from Yeshua as eternal Creator and Ruler to Yeshua as Head of the Messianic Community and Reconciler of persons. 14 Although in Jewish understanding redemption (see :7N) has a national dimension dating from the Exodus and extending to the Messianic Age, it also has an application to the individual defined by this verse. By implication the individual was enslaved to sin (compare ) but now has been redeemed from that slavery: our sins have been forgiven. This redemption is available from God but only through his Son Yeshua. (CJB)
1 From: Sha’ul, by God’s will an emissary of the Messiah Yeshua, and brother Timothy
2 To: God’s people in Colosse, faithful brothers in the Messiah: Grace to you and shalom from God our Father.
3 Whenever we pray, we always give thanks for you to God, the Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.
4 For we have heard of your trust in the Messiah Yeshua and of the love you have for all God’s people.
5 Both spring from the confident hope that you will receive what is stored up for you in heaven. You heard of this earlier in the message about the truth. This Good News
6 has made its presence felt among you, just as it is also being fruitful and multiplying throughout the world in the same way as it has among you since the day you heard and understood the grace of God as it really is.
7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow-slave and a faithful worker for the Messiah on your behalf;
8 and he has told us about the love which the Spirit has given you.
9 Therefore, from the day we heard of it, we have not stopped praying for you, asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will in all the wisdom and understanding which the Spirit gives;
10 so that you may live lives worthy of the Lord and entirely pleasing to him, being fruitful in every good work and multiplying in the full knowledge of God.
11 We pray that you will be continually strengthened with all the power that comes from his glorious might; so that you will be able to persevere and be patient in any situation, joyfully
12 giving thanks to the Father for having made you fit to share in the inheritance of his people in the light.
13 He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.
14 It is through his Son that we have redemption — that is, our sins have been forgiven. »Bible Study Guidelines »Intro »Leader's Notes »Overview Study 3 Jesus Is Supreme We frequently hear, "All roads lead to God." "Everyone is trying to get to the same place." "That belief is fine for you, but I don't buy it for myself." "Only bigots and fanatics label belief true or false." The Colossians heard, "Worship Jesus, but not exclusively. Jesus is just one spirit among many to be worshipped." In this passage we'll study Paul's adamant declaration of Christ's supremacy over every being and idea which invites our attention. 1. What problems have you encountered in helping someone understand why Jesus is the only way to God? 2. Read . Make as many statements as you can about why Jesus is supreme (). Begin each with, "Christ is . . ." 3. What difficulties do you have in relating to an invisible God? How has Jesus overcome those difficulties ()? 4. How do discoveries made through microscopes and telescopes add to your appreciation of Jesus' supremacy over nature ()? 5. What does it mean that Christ is the "head of the body, the church" ()? In what practical ways is Christ's headship evident in your church? 6. How did some recent choice you made about your time or money reflect Christ's supreme place in your life? 7. What actions was God pleased to take to reconcile us to himself ()? 8. How does understanding God's actions help you explain why Jesus is the only way to God? 9. How do the words reconciled, holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation () motivate you to continue firm in your faith in Christ? 10. How might those words appeal to unspoken needs of the friends you want to introduce to Jesus? 11. Spend some time worshiping Jesus Christ for who he is and what he has done for you and your friends who don't yet know him.
Jewish New Testament Commentary -
15 Yeshua, like Adam, is the visible image of the invisible God (, "Let us create man in our image.") See and 1C 15:44-49 for a more explicit comparison of Yeshua, "the last Adam," with the first one. Such comparisons are not unknown in Judaism. A fourteenth-century midrash by Rabbi David ben-Amram of Aden says, "There were twenty-four good qualities in the world, but sins caused them all to disappear. In the future, at the End of Days, the Holy One, blessed be He, will restore them to Israel. And they are: the Image..." [and 23 others]. (Midrash HaGadol Bʾreshit, pp. 135-136; it can be found in Raphael Patai, The Messiah Texts, p. 263) A note in The Messiah Texts explains that "the Image" refers to . Also compare 1C 15:49, 2C 4:4, MJ 1:3. Supreme over all creation, Greek protôtokos pasês ktiseôs, alternatively and more literally, "firstborn of all creation." Verses 16-17 name three ways in which God is "supreme" and attribute them to Yeshua the Messiah; this is typical of how the New Testament shows the divine aspect of Yeshua's nature while avoiding the direct statement, "Yeshua is God" (see 2:9&N). The Messiah is the firstborn of a new humanity through being the first to be resurrected from the dead; this is clearly the sense of "protôtokos" in v. 18. But this sense does not fit here because of what follows in vv. 16-17, even though it is consistent with the preceding allusion to Adam. If one chooses "firstborn of" instead of "supreme over," the phrase, "firstborn of all creation," does not mean that Yeshua was the first created being but speaks of his eternal sonship. Yeshua's firstbornness does not merely antedate the creation of the material world but is an essential and eternal element of the inner nature of God. Timelessly and eternally the Word of God, who became flesh in Yeshua the Messiah (Yn 1:1, 14) is in the relationship of firstborn Son to the Father; this is a necessary part of the one God's description of himself. Verses 15-20 are largely equivalent to MJ 1:2-3: The Word is God's "Son, to whom he has given ownership of everything and through whom he created the universe. This Son is the radiance of the Sh'khinah, the very expression of God's essence, upholding all that exists by his powerful word; and after he had, through himself, made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of HaGʾdulah BaMʾromim ["the Greatness on High"]." 17 He existed before all things, or: "He is over all things," and he holds everything together—the moment-to-moment existence of the physical and moral universe depend directly on his continuing oversight and providence. 18-20 Shaʾul shifts from Yeshua's relationship with the universe (vv. 15-17) to his relationship with the Messianic Community, thus picking up the theme introduced at v. 14; see vv. 13-23N. 18 He is head of the Body. The same metaphor as at &N. 19 It pleased God to have his full being (Greek plêrôma) live in his Son. Compare 2:9&N. "Plêrôma" was a technical term used by the Gnostics and their antecedents to refer to the totality of the various spiritual "levels" and the beings or entities presumed to exist there; see :23bN. Shaʾul uses the method of seizing on a characteristic distinctive of the heresy he is fighting and showing how it relates to and supports the Gospel. Thus he follows the pattern he described at 2C 10:4-5: "We demolish arguments and every arrogance that raises itself up against the knowledge of God; we take every thought captive and make it obey the Messiah." 21 Verses 25-27 and expand on this theme of how Gentiles, formerly separated from God, are reconciled to God and to God's people, the Jews, and made part of the Messianic Community through trusting in God and the Jewish Messiah. There is more on this subject at , , , . (CJB)
15 He is the visible image of the invisible God. He is supreme over all creation,
16 because in connection with him were created all things — in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, lordships, rulers or authorities — they have all been created through him and for him.
17 He existed before all things, and he holds everything together.
18 Also he is head of the Body, the Messianic Community — he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might hold first place in everything.
19 For it pleased God to have his full being live in his Son
20 and through his Son to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace through him, through having his Son shed his blood by being executed on a stake.
21 In other words, you, who at one time were separated from God and had a hostile attitude towards him because of your wicked deeds,
22 he has now reconciled in the Son’s physical body through his death; in order to present you holy and without defect or reproach before himself —
23 provided, of course, that you continue in your trusting, grounded and steady, and don’t let yourselves be moved away from the hope offered in the Good News you heard. This is the Good News that has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven; and I, Sha’ul, have become a servant of it. »Bible Study Guidelines »Intro »Leader's Notes »Overview Study 4 Struggles for Maturity For a whole year a young man lived in isolation on a remote Arctic mountain. He risked his life on the flight in and on trails over thin ice (which gave way when he struggled under a heavy backpack). He shared his cold tent with mice and mosquitoes. He experimented with a diet of boiled, fried or charred mice. Why would anyone willingly subject himself to such hardships? Farley Mowat had a goal. He wanted to learn the relationship between the wolves and the diminishing caribou herds. In this study Paul describes his compelling goal, his struggles and his resources to reach it.
1. What goal has been compelling enough to make you willing to suffer to reach it? 2. Read . How does Paul define God's commission to him ()? 3. In the New Testament, the term mystery refers not to something mysterious, but to something previously hidden which God now wishes to make clear. What is the mystery that represents the "word of God in its fullness" (; )? 4. Why would this mystery be startling to both Jews and Gentiles in the Colossian church? 5. What thoughts and feelings does this idea of "Christ in you" arouse? (Consider the description of Christ you studied in .) 6. How does Paul's ultimate goal include more than just disclosing a mystery ()? 7. In addition to prayer (), what means does Paul use to achieve that goal ()? Which of these means has God used to help you toward maturity in Christ? 8. According to Paul, what are the marks of Christian maturity ()? 9. The Gnostics taught that their secret knowledge was the key to salvation. How would Paul's description of Christ () protect the Colossians from the "fine-sounding arguments" of the Gnostics? 10. What "fine-sounding arguments" today lure us away from Christ and hinder our spiritual maturity? 11. What can you do to refocus your attention on Christ and on his goals for you?
Jewish New Testament Commentary -
9 Shaʾul usually starts his letters by telling his readers in what manner he prays for them.
Jewish New Testament Commentary -
15 Yeshua, like Adam, is the visible image of the invisible God (, "Let us create man in our image.") See and 1C 15:44-49 for a more explicit comparison of Yeshua, "the last Adam," with the first one. Such comparisons are not unknown in Judaism. A fourteenth-century midrash by Rabbi David ben-Amram of Aden says, "There were twenty-four good qualities in the world, but sins caused them all to disappear. In the future, at the End of Days, the Holy One, blessed be He, will restore them to Israel. And they are: the Image..." [and 23 others]. (Midrash HaGadol Bʾreshit, pp. 135-136; it can be found in Raphael Patai, The Messiah Texts, p. 263) A note in The Messiah Texts explains that "the Image" refers to . Also compare 1C 15:49, 2C 4:4, MJ 1:3. Supreme over all creation, Greek protôtokos pasês ktiseôs, alternatively and more literally, "firstborn of all creation." Verses 16-17 name three ways in which God is "supreme" and attribute them to Yeshua the Messiah; this is typical of how the New Testament shows the divine aspect of Yeshua's nature while avoiding the direct statement, "Yeshua is God" (see 2:9&N). The Messiah is the firstborn of a new humanity through being the first to be resurrected from the dead; this is clearly the sense of "protôtokos" in v. 18. But this sense does not fit here because of what follows in vv. 16-17, even though it is consistent with the preceding allusion to Adam. If one chooses "firstborn of" instead of "supreme over," the phrase, "firstborn of all creation," does not mean that Yeshua was the first created being but speaks of his eternal sonship. Yeshua's firstbornness does not merely antedate the creation of the material world but is an essential and eternal element of the inner nature of God. Timelessly and eternally the Word of God, who became flesh in Yeshua the Messiah (Yn 1:1, 14) is in the relationship of firstborn Son to the Father; this is a necessary part of the one God's description of himself. Verses 15-20 are largely equivalent to MJ 1:2-3: The Word is God's "Son, to whom he has given ownership of everything and through whom he created the universe. This Son is the radiance of the Sh'khinah, the very expression of God's essence, upholding all that exists by his powerful word; and after he had, through himself, made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of HaGʾdulah BaMʾromim ["the Greatness on High"]." 17 He existed before all things, or: "He is over all things," and he holds everything together—the moment-to-moment existence of the physical and moral universe depend directly on his continuing oversight and providence. 18-20 Shaʾul shifts from Yeshua's relationship with the universe (vv. 15-17) to his relationship with the Messianic Community, thus picking up the theme introduced at v. 14; see vv. 13-23N. 18 He is head of the Body. The same metaphor as at &N. 19 It pleased God to have his full being (Greek plêrôma) live in his Son. Compare 2:9&N. "Plêrôma" was a technical term used by the Gnostics and their antecedents to refer to the totality of the various spiritual "levels" and the beings or entities presumed to exist there; see :23bN. Shaʾul uses the method of seizing on a characteristic distinctive of the heresy he is fighting and showing how it relates to and supports the Gospel. Thus he follows the pattern he described at 2C 10:4-5: "We demolish arguments and every arrogance that raises itself up against the knowledge of God; we take every thought captive and make it obey the Messiah."
Jewish New Testament Commentary -
24 The Messiah's afflictions. Either the "birth pangs of the Messiah" of Jewish tradition, or his present suffering due to the Messianic Community's present imperfections, but not his death pangs, because his atoning death is a completed work and does not require completing. 27 The Messiah is united with you people, with you believing Gentiles and not only with believing Jews. In that rests your hope of glory, of receiving everything good that God promises to those who are faithful. 29 Striving with all the energy that he stirs up in me so mightily, literally, "straggling according to the working of him who works powerfully in me." Compare , . Chapter 2 2-3 Understanding... fully knowing... secret truth... wisdom... knowledge.... All are Gnostic technical terms; see 1:19N above. On "secret truth" see :25N, :9N. (CJB)
9 Therefore, from the day we heard of it, we have not stopped praying for you, asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will in all the wisdom and understanding which the Spirit gives;
(CJB)
15 He is the visible image of the invisible God. He is supreme over all creation,
16 because in connection with him were created all things — in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, lordships, rulers or authorities — they have all been created through him and for him.
17 He existed before all things, and he holds everything together.
18 Also he is head of the Body, the Messianic Community — he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might hold first place in everything.
19 For it pleased God to have his full being live in his Son
20 and through his Son to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace through him, through having his Son shed his blood by being executed on a stake.
(CJB)
24 I rejoice in my present sufferings on your behalf! Yes, I am completing in my own flesh what has been lacking of the Messiah’s afflictions, on behalf of his Body, the Messianic Community.
25 I became a servant of the Good News because God gave me this work to do for your benefit. The work is to make fully known the message from God,
26 the secret hidden for generations, for ages, but now made clear to the people he has set apart for himself.
27 To them God wanted to make known how great among the Gentiles is the glorious richness of this secret. And the secret is this: the Messiah is united with you people! In that rests your hope of glory!
28 We, for our part, proclaim him; we warn, confront and teach everyone in all wisdom; so that we may present everyone as having reached the goal, united with the Messiah.
29 It is for this that I toil, striving with all the energy that he stirs up in me so mightily.
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