1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
3We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; 5because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel 6which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth; 7just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, 8and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit.
Interesting Words
will
(θέλημα – Greek) – theléma ► determination, choice, purpose, decree, volition, inclination — desire, pleasure, will – John 5:30, 6:38-39; Rom 12:2;
heard
(ἀκούω – Greek) – akouó ► properly, to hear (listen); (figuratively) to hear God’s voice – Matt 7:24; John 6:45; Eph 1:15; Heb 2:1;
laid up
(ἀπόκειμαι – Greek) – apokeimai ► to be reserved; figuratively, to await, to be appointed, (be) laid up – 2Tim 4:8; Heb 9:27;
constantly
Added by the translators to show the continuous nature of the two present participle, middle voice verbs that follow.
bearing fruit
(καρποφορέω – Greek) – karpophoreó ► to be fertile, to bear, to bring forth fruit, present participle middle – Matt 13:23; Mark 4:28; Rom 7:4; Col 1:10;
increasing
(αὐξάνω – Greek) – auxanó ► a prolonged form of a primary verb; to grow (“wax”), to enlarge (literal or figurative), grow (up), (give the) increase – Matt 6:28; John 3:30; Acts 6:7; 1Cor 3:6-7; 2Cor 9:10;
fellow bond servant
(σύνδουλος – Greek) – sundoulos ► From sun and doulos; a co-slave, i.e. Servitor or ministrant of the same master (human or divine), fellowservant. It expresses the bond of those who serve under the same Master. While doulos already speaks of whole-life ownership, the prefix syn (“with”) adds the dimension of shared identity and mutual accountability – Col 4:7; Matt 24:49-50; Rev 6:11;
Cross References
▪︎ Indwelling Spirit – Rom 8:6, 9;
▪︎ Abide in Christ – John 15:1-2, 4, 5;
Discussion Questions
1. What was Paul’s attitude like when he claimed that it was the will of God that caused him to write this letter to the Colossians?
▪︎ He was probably pleased, but concerned that he represent God correctly – Eph 2:10
▪︎ He wanted to honor God in every way possible – Rom 1:21; 1Tim1:17; Heb 5:4; 1Peter 1:7;
▪︎ His motives were pure (Phil 3:7-8). He was not forced to do it. He had no greed – 1Peter 5: 2;
▪︎ It was not his intention to dominate over the Colossians, but proved to be an example – 1Peter 5:3;
2. How does God fulfill Paul’s request for grace and peace in the last part of Col 1:2? Note also the illustration under cross references.
▪︎ Paul wanted all power, ability, control to flow from God through him to the Colossians.
▪︎ Paul also wanted all power, ability, control to flow from God directly into the lives and ministries of people in Christ, in Colossae.
▪︎ He also wanted the peace and rest of God to freely flow into their lives.
▪︎ I assume the results were there, based on faith, and the results that were clearly seen throughout th area.
3. How did Paul know about the true condition of the Christians in Colossae?
▪︎ Paul heard about the labor of love that was displayed by new converts from Colossae (Col 1:4). He heard about it from those who were eye-witnesses to it.
▪︎ Paul could also see from their changed attitude, that they had a new hope in Christ, laid up for them in heaven (Col 1:5).
▪︎ Similarly, Paul could see the fruit from their ministries (Col 1:6).
▪︎ The results were very similar to other Spirit filled Christians.
4. What phrases or words indicate that these people have truly come into a lasting relationship with Christ?
▪︎ He described their conversion as a transformation to become saints, holy ones (Col 1:2).
▪︎ He also described their longevity as being “faithful” (Col 1:2).
▪︎ Their commitment to Christ demonstrated by the obedience they expressed as a result of their faith (James 2:18, 19-20).
▪︎ This is further supported by the hearing of their love that has been resounding throughout the church, bearing fruit and increasing (Col 1:4, 6).
5. What does the concept of “fellow bond servant” bring to your mind as you consider life in the Body of Christ?
▪︎ We are all members of God’s team, working together for the advancement of the gospel (1Cor 12:4-6).
▪︎ Old Testament saints and Patriarchs were in the game long before us. What a privilege we have to take the game into the fourth quarter playing by the same rules and winning a similar prize (1Peter 1:10, 11, 12)
▪︎ God, many times, speaks directly to us with messages communicated thru others in the body. We need to be receptive to His message and not discriminate based on the messenger He uses.
▪︎ All praise, honor and glory flow to God for salvation, sanctification, and growth within the body.
▪︎ Sacred heritage of Epaphras – Col 1:7, 4:12; Philemon 1:23;