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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.
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