Jump to:

    02
    03
    04
   

 

Colossians

This Epistle is actually two in one. The first book is to the Colossians and the second book is to the Laodiceans. The Epistle to the Laodiceans starts in Chapter 4 verse 15 and the Apostle John continues it in Revelation Chapter 3 verses 14-22.

Chapter 1
{Salutation 1-2}
1-2~~Paul {Greek for 'little'},
an apostle {military title for 'highest rank'}
of Jesus Christ
by the will of God,
and Timothy our brother 2~~
to the saints and faithful brothers {stable, faithful, believers}
in Christ at Colossi.
Grace be to you,
and prosperity,
from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

{Note: The Apostles thereby took the place of Christ. They were His top representatives on earth while He is absent from Earth

{Thanksgiving for the plan of God verses 3-8}
3~~ We give thanks to THE GOD . . .
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
praying always for you with the frequency of a hacking cough.

{Note: God the Father is the recipient of all prayer.}

4~~ Having heard the report of the faith {pistis}
of you all in Christ Jesus,
and the love which you have toward all the saints.

{Note: Pistis means both faith and the act of consistently taking in doctrine - both concepts of 'pistis' apply here.}

5~~ Because of the assurance
{of what is} preserved for you in the heavens,
whereof you heard before {in bible class}
in the sphere of the word of the truth {doctrine}
of the gospel {good news}.

{Note: The Colossian church is a key church of the day, full of mature believers and very important to the early Church.}

6~~ {Bible doctrine} being present in you . . .
even as in all the world;
is constantly bearing fruit {production of divine good},
and increasing even as also in you,
from the day you heard and
began to fully understand the grace of God
in the sphere of doctrine.

{Note: To begin to understand the Grace of God is the first floor of building the edification complex of the soul - knowing that God does all the work to the benefit of man -grace orientation.}

7~~ Even as you have been taught
from the source of Epaphras {pastor-teacher at Colossi}
our dear fellow servant,
who is a faithful minister from Christ on behalf of you.

8~~ Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.

Note: Verses 4 and 8 indicate that the Colossians understand the basic principals and should be able to grow in grace.}

{Verses 9-11: Challenge of Epignosis - Understanding God's plan}
9~~ Because of this,
we also, from the day we heard,
do not cease to pray on your behalf, constantly asking . . .
with the result that you might be filled
with the epignosis knowledge of his sovereign purpose
and design
by means of all wisdom
and spiritual understanding.

10~~ That you might walk worthy of the Lord,
pleasing God in all things,
constantly producing in the sphere of every divine good work, constantly receiving growth by means of epignosis
from the ultimate source of God.

{Dynamics of GAP - Grace Apparatus for Perception}
11~~By every enabling power, being constantly strengthened, according to the standard of the power of His glory . . .
resulting in all faith rest
and stability in suffering
associated with inner happiness.

(Note: Inner happiness is +H - sharing the happiness of God - you will then be happy no matter what the circumstances around you.}

{Orientation to the plan of God verses 12-22}
12~~ Constantly being thankful to the Father,
having qualified you all
for a share of the assigned inheritance
of the saints in light.

13~~ Who has rescued us out from the dictatorship of darkness,
and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.

14~~ By means of whom, {Jesus Christ}
we have redemption through His blood,
the cancellation of sins.

15~~ For He {Jesus Christ} is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.

16~~ For by Him {Jesus Christ}
were all things created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers - all things were created through Him {Jesus Christ}, and for Him.

17~~And He {Jesus} has existed eternally before all things,
and by Him all things hold together.

18~~ And He {Jesus Christ} is the ruler of the body, the church. Who is the beginning
- the firstborn from the dead -
that in all things He might have the preeminence.

19~~ For it was the good pleasure of the Father
for all the pleroma/fullness to dwell in Him {Jesus}.

20~~ And through Him {Jesus}
to reconcile the all things to Himself.
Having made peace through the blood of His cross,
through Him and only through Him,
whether things on earth or things in the heavens.

{Note: Jesus died on the cross to enable God the Father to be reconciled with all believing mankind.}

21-22~~ And you, and only you,
who were at one time being in a state of alienation {reversionism} and hostile in thinking {legalistic}
by wicked works {'human good'},
  {contrast between saved and unsaved}
but how He has reconciled
by means of the body of His flesh {physical body of Christ}
through death {spiritual death only}
(because in Him {Christ}
He has determined with pleasure
to present all of you
consecrated, without blame, irreproachable,
in His presence).

{Verses 23-29: Who communicates the plan of God}
23~~ If you persist in the doctrine,
having laid the foundation . . .
both stabilized and not swerving
from the source of confidence
from the gospel which you have heard,
the same gospel having been publicly communicated
to all creation under heaven,
in which gospel, I, Paul, have become a minister.

24~~ I now rejoice in the sufferings on your behalf
and fill up in turn the deficiency {doctrine}
the things lacking {doctrine}
with reference to the pressures of Christ {faced before the cross}
in my flesh {Paul is still alive and is happy still to teach doctrine}
on behalf of His body . . . which is the church.

{Note: Christ is the Head and the church is His BODY.}

25~~ Of which {the Church}
I have become a minister,
according to the standard of the dispensation of God {Church Age} having been given to you {for your advantage}
for the purpose of communicating it to you
to fill up your deficiency in the word of God.

26~~ The mystery {doctrine of the Church Age}
having been concealed from the ages {past dispensations}
and from the generations,
but now has been revealed to His saints.

27~~ To whom THE God decreed to make known
what the wealth of the glory of the mystery
in the Gentiles {believers},
which keeps on being . . . Christ IN you,
the confidence of THE glory.

28~~ Whom we solemnly proclaim {Christ},
instructing with warning,
all saved mankind and publicly,
in the sphere of every wisdom,
that we may consecrate all saved mankind, mature in Christ.

29~~ Toward which,
I {Paul} labor to the point of exhaustion,
straining according to the standard of His operational power
which constantly functions in me . . . in omnipotent power.

**************************************************

Joshua_Sozo™ and Syndein ™ are the Trademarks of Syndein a California DBA of Kenneth Sidley & Associates, Inc., a California Corporation. All rights reserved.

Copyright© Syndein 1982-2010. All rights reserved.

This page is sponsored by Kenneth Sidley, CPA, an Orange County California CPA (949) 706-3133. Please call Ken for high quality, low cost CPA services in Orange County California. This includes audit, review, compilation, tax returns, Quickbooks, and business consulting services.

This page is sponsored by Moxxor For Pain Free Living. Moxxor is a highly concentrated Omega 3 product that has reduced inflammation in this writer. Please go to this website to read more about Moxxor.