Facts and Lessons from Colossians

1. Colossians 1:1 says, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother.”

2. The name Paul means “little one.” It is the equivalent of Saul in the Hebrew. There is no necessary implication, in the name, that Paul would have been small in physical size. King Saul, back in the O. T. was a very large man.

3. Paul begins this epistle by identifying himself and by affirming his apostleship. When he addressed congregations which were troubled with error and sin, it was necessary to set forth his authority, which this first statement accomplishes.

1) The word apostle means “one sent” (on a mission). Paul professes the fact that he became an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.

2) Paul was an apostle by the will of God. Paul did not appoint himself to that great office.

3) The only way one could become an apostle of Christ was to be selected by Christ and then given the power from Jesus to perform miracles, such as speaking in foreign languages that they have never studied, healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, raising the dead and other miraculous powers as mentioned in the New Testament (1 Corinthians 12:7-11).

4) An apostle had special miraculous powers possessed by no other man, other than the men that they laid their hands upon (Acts 8:14-25).

5) An apostle of Christ had to have seen the resurrected Lord.

6) There is no living apostle upon the earth today; there is no one who has taken the place of the apostles today; Christ has no ambassadors [meaning that Christ has no first hand inspired representatives for Him] in the world today, except as the apostles fill that function through the inspired New Testament written down and preserved since the first century (Jude 3).

4. In the latter part of verse one of Colossians one, Paul includes Timothy in his greeting to those of Colossae. Paul says, “and Timothy, our brother.”

1) Timothy was with him. Timothy had spent some time with Paul in Ephesus during the third missionary journey (Acts 19:1, 22).

2) Timothy may have become acquainted with some of the Christians in Colossae at that time. Remember Colossae was 100 miles East of Ephesus.

3) Paul loved Timothy deeply and tenderly and expresses that love with the use of the word “brother”. “Brother” and “sister” are good words for Christians in the 21st century to use in reference to one another.

1. Colossians 1:2 says, “To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colossae.”

2. “Saints” comes from the Greek word, some 63 times in referring to Christians. Christian is only used 3 times in the New Testament. Disciple is only use 31 times, in reference to Christians, in the New Testament!

1) The word translated saints is from a Greek term meaning “set apart, separate, holy.” When one obeys the gospel, he or she is sanctified: he or she is made holy because he or she has their sins washed away in the blood of Christ; they are separated from the world to become a dedicated servant of God.

2) A faithful Christian increases in sanctification (holiness) as he or she grows and matures spiritually. The older we get the more like a heavenly saint we should become.

3. Paul also addresses the recipients as “faithful brethren”.

1) Revelation 2:10 teaches that brethren that will make it to heaven will be brethren that are faithful through one’s actual act of dying.

2) Revelation 2:10 says, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

3) A Christian is to be faithful during the actual act of death for them to make it to heaven.

4. Paul uses not only the words “saints” and “faithful” but also the word “brethren”. “Brethren” refers to both males and females in a local congregation. “Brethren” is a term of endearment and is used in many passages throughout the New Testament.

5. Paul also refers to the Christians at Colossae as those who were “in Christ”.

1) The bible teaches that one enters Christ, who believes, who confesses that they believe Jesus is the Son of God, who repents or turns from sinful living and who obey the command of baptism.

2) Galatians 3:27 specifically states that one enters Christ during their obedience to the command of baptism: “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

6. The fifth reference that Paul makes to the saints is the fact that geographically and physically they were “in Colossae”.

1) Each Christian in the 21st century lives somewhere physically and geographically, however the aim and goal of each Christian should be to make sure that they are “in Christ”.

2) Each Christian should make sure that they are living a faithful life and that they are encouraging their brothers and sisters to do the same.

3) Each Christian should make sure that as a saint they are living a set apart and holy life and being more heavenly in their attitude and actions every day.

1. Colossians 1:2b says, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

2. “Grace” refers to unmerited or unearned favor, and was a common Grecian greeting. Peace was a customary Hebrew greeting.

1) All Christians are recipients of God’s grace, which bestows God’s rich favors upon us. Likewise, Christians have received the blessings of the peace which passes human understanding (Phil. 4:6).

2) The apostle’s greeting expresses his desire that each saint should continue to be a beneficiary of God’s favor and peace. The Bible speaks of the Prince of Peace, the gospel of peace, and the kingdom of peace.

3. Grace and peace come to the Christian “from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

1) God is our Father in the spiritual sense. When one obeys the gospel, he is added to God’s family, the church.

2) As Father, God blesses his children with all physical and spiritual blessings. God takes care of his children.

3) Grace and peace also originate from “the Lord Jesus Christ.”

1. Colossians 1:3 provides an example of Paul offering thanks for those of Colossae. “We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.”

1) Far too often Christians begin their prayers with asking God for things. Paul starts this prayer thanking God for things relating to those of Colossae.

2) As we are taught in other passages, Paul begins his prayer by addressing God the Father.

3) God is pictured here as “the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul exalted Jesus from the very beginning of the epistle to combat the error in Colossae. Lord means Jesus is Divine, that He is Deity, that He is Master and Ruler. Jesus is His personal name which means Salvation is from God. Christ means Jesus is the Messiah, the Anointed One.

4) Paul teaches Christians the importance of the persistence in prayer when he says, “praying always for you.”

2. In Colossians 1:4 Paul mentions two of the reasons that he was offering thankfulness to God: “since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints.”

1) “Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus” implies that Paul had not personally been to the city of Colossae and the church, but that others had given him a report relating to the faith and love.

2) The “faith in Christ Jesus” refers to the Christians believing in Jesus, trusting Jesus and obeying Jesus.

3) “The love for all the saints” reminds Christians of the 21st century that they must also be loving toward their fellowmen and their brothers in Christ.

4) Christians of the 21st century must demonstrate their faith and demonstrate their love.

3. Look now at Colossians 1:5. Colossians 1:5 teaches why the saints of Colossae would have been motivated to demonstrate their faith and demonstrate their love. Colossians 1:5 says, “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.”

1) The word “hope” means desire with expectation. Faithful and loving Christians can have the desire and expectation to go to heaven and live with God and Christ throughout eternity.

2) Heaven is “laid up”! Heaven is waiting for those who will prepare themselves for it.

3) An individual is able to learn of this hope and how to get to go to heaven by hearing “the word” and by obeying “the truth” and “the gospel”.

4) God’s word is the only revelation, which can give men and women real hope. False teachings do not give hope. The Christians’ hope is a reason for Christians to continue in faith and love.

5) Hope helps a person to live better because it gives meaning to living for Christ. There is a reward coming that is worth the effort. The supreme hope Christians is the eternal life in heaven after the resurrection from the dead (John 5:28-29).

4. Look now at Colossians 1:6. Colossians 1:6 teaches that the gospel will bear fruit when people will hear and obey it. Colossians 1:6 says, “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.”

1) Paul teaches that the gospel had not only been preached to those of Colossae but to “all the world.” We’ll discuss the fact that the truth had been preached to all the world in more detail when we get to verse 23.

2) The gospel is offered to people. It is not forced upon people. The gospel may be accepted or rejected. Men are lost because they have sinned. They can be saved only through obedience to the gospel (Mark 16:15-16).

5. Look now at Colossians 1:7. Colossians 1:7 informs us that Epaphras had been a servant and a minister on behalf of those at Colossae. Colossians 1:7 says, “as you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf.”

1) In the book of Philemon v. 23 Paul teaches that Epaphras was visiting Paul in the prison at Rome. It appears that Epaphras had established and/or had been working with the church at Colossae.

2) Most likely Paul had learned the good things about the church at Colossae from Epaphras.

a. Paul’s complimentary remarks about Epaphras placed Paul’s stamp of approval on Epaphras and the gospel that he preached.

b. Paul commended Epaphras for being a faithful minister of Christ on behalf of the church at Colossae.

6. Look now at Colossians 1:8. Colossians 1:8 teaches us that Epaphras informed Paul of the love that those of the church at Colossae had and that their love was according to the way the Holy Spirit taught that Christians should love one another. Colossians 1:8 says, “who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.”

1) Look back at verse four, there we learn that the love they had, included all the saints (vs. 4).

2) Love that includes only certain ones is hypocritical love—and does us no good.

3) Matthew 5:46-47 says, “46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?”

4) Look back at Colossians 1:8 at the last phrase: “your love in the Spirit.” “Spirit” is spelled with a capital “S” which refers to the Holy Spirit.

a. “Love in the Spirit” refers to “saints” or “Christians” loving one another according to the inspired teaching of the Holy Spirit that is written in the New Testament.

b. Christians need to study 1 Corinthians 13, the great chapter on love and many other passages on love to demonstrate the kind of love that those of Colossae demonstrated.