CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION
Colosse was a prominent city in Phrygia, the area of Asia Minor.
Around 60 AD, Colosse, Laodicea and Hierapolis were destroyed
by an earthquake.
However, Colosse recovered.
Today, it is a small village called Chonos. (or Khonas)

Paul, Silas and Timothy were the first to bring the Gospel to Phrygia.
Epaphras lived in Colosse, and probably heard the Gospel in Ephesus,
then brought it to his people in Colosse.
It is not impropable that Paul also visited there.

This epistle was written by Paul while he was a prisoner in Rome.
Col. 4:7-9 tell us that Paul sent the letter by Tychicus and Onesimus.

There were many dangerously errored speakers in the area of Phrygia.
Paul wrote to Ephesus to correct some of those errors.
This letter to the Colossians seems to be written in the same manner.
Colossians was written to address and correct the errors which
came by false philosophy, and to state that Christianity was all
truth and should be considered more valuable than the rites and
customs of the errored teachers.

1-2
1 Paul, and apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus
our brother,
2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse:
Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ.

In the world today, our minds are constantly bombarded with false
teachings and false doctrines.
So you and I can take this letter and apply it directly to our lives.

The greeting which Paul wrote include Timothy, who probably is
doing the writing for Paul.

Note that Paul uses the word apostle (Gk. apostolos)
which means one who is sent with a message.

He also uses the word saints (Gk. hagios) which means
sacred.

Do you know the most common remark from older people (like me)
when they enter an antique store?
"I REMEMBER this...."!!

We do well to remember what we were taught when we were first
saved.
We were "washed in the blood" and made clean! (1Cor. 6:11)
We were "sealed in the Spirit"! (Eph. 1:13)
And, we were SENT as an "ambassador" for Christ! (2Cor. 5:17-21)

REMEMBER and you will be RENEWED!!
That day you were saved a SECURE HOPE was placed in your heart!
A new desire to SERVE Jesus was anchored in your life!
An insatiable desire was planted in you to STUDY the BIble!
You had NEW LIFE!
Does it STILL reside in you?

REMEMBER, saints is a designation for ALL those who
believe in Jesus!

((Talked to an old cowboy. He made 3 really good statements.
1) Life is simpler when you plow AROUND the stumps.
2) A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere!
3) and, Words that really soak into you heart, are those which
are WHISPERED, not YELLED!

3-8
3 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
praying always for you,
4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love
which ye have to all the saints,
5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye
heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;
6 Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth
forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and
knew the grace of God in truth:
7 As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is
for you a faithful minister of Christ;
8 Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.

When we know a person has been saved, we should PRAY
for them often!
The hope is IN them! (vs 5)
That word can mean anticipation or expectation, or BOTH!

That hope is demonstrated by their "love which ye have for
ALL the saints." (vs 2)
That hope is "laid up in heaven..." (Vs 5)
That hope also produces "fruit". (vs 6)
And, Paul has learned this from Epaphras (who is WITH Paul),
and "declared" it to Paul and others.

You can't keep anything secret on the farm!
The potatoes have eyes, the corn has ears, and the beans talk!

We cannot keep our love IN Christ and FOR Him SECRET!

9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease
to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the
knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being
fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Paul begins a prayer for the saints in Colosse.
1st he prays that they will be FILLED with the knowledge
of God's will, and from that GAIN wisdom and spiritual understanding.

Then, he prays that they will EXHIBIT that wisdom as they "walk
WORTHY of the Lord," being pleasing to others and being
"FAITHFUL" in work; as well as "increasing" in the
knowledge of God!

((Harry & Velma's son had gone off to college. One day, Velma
asked, "How long has it been since we heard from our son?"
Harry said, "Just a minute; I'll go look in the CHECKBOOK!"))

Being saved makes one FREE from the condemnation of sin!
Being save ALSO makes us FREE to READ and LEARN from
God's BIBLE!

11-12
11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power,
unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to
be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

Paul continues his prayer and adds that the Colossian Christians
be "STRENGTHENED" with "MIGHT" by God's
"glorious POWER," and that they might gain "patience
and longhsuffering with joyfulness!"

Did you know that you could gain the ability to suffer with
JOYFULNESS?
By studying the saints in the Bible, you can learn that!

The inner peace we have in Christ is coupled with God's power
so that we can know His PRESENCE in ANY situation.
Through His PRESENCE and POWER we can REJOICE in ANY
difficulty - because we KNOW He is WITH us and will HELP!

This also reminds us that we should give "THANKS"
to our Lord for providing His presence and power!

13-17
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath
translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the
forgiveness of sins:
15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of
every creature:
16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and
that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or
dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by
him, and for him:
17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Christians, though we are IN this world, we are not OF this world!
We have been "translated into the kingdom of His dear Son!"

Jesus, by our born-again experience has removed the POWER
of temptations and placed us in the power of His holiness!
We have REDEMPTION by His blood and have received
FORGIVENESS of sins!!
We are REDEEMED from the curse of slavery to sin, and
PRESENTED to God in the righteous robes of Christ!

Jesus is the EXPRESS "image of the invisible God!"
Being "in Christ" make us "joint-heirs" with Him to ALL
that God has!! And God has ALL!!!

RELY on those facts as you live your life!

In verse 17, Paul makes a tremendous statement about
the diety of Christ!
He WAS BEFORE the world!
And it is by HIM that EVERYTHING EXISTS and is SUSTAINED!

That statement is made on the basis of vss 15-16.
Jesus was determined to be BORN AND SLAIN before the CREATION!!!
(See Rev. 13:8)
It is BY Him, FOR Him, and TO His glory that ALL things exist!!

Christians have CITIZENSHIP in Christ's eternal glory!!
And, by that, we have the sustenance of Christ that we NEED
to live our daily lives in HIS POWER!

RELY on that!!

18 And He is the head of the body, the church: Who is the
beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might
have the preeminence.

IF Christ is not the head of the person, there is no salvation.
IF Christ is not the head of the church, it is just a social
organization!

Consider, in today's terms, Jesus is the BOSS of our lives!
We should arrange everything in our LIVES and CHURCH to
give HIM the glory!

((Church feuds are not uncommon.
Once the pastor was blindsided by the music director.
1st - the pastor preached on commitment.
The director led the choir in singing "I Shall NOT Be MOVED!"
2nd - the pastor preaching on giving to the church.
The director led the choir in singing "Jesus PAID It ALL!"
3rd - the pastor preached about gossip.
The director led the choir in singing "I love To TELL the STORY!"
That Sunday night, the pastor said he was considering resigning.
The director led the choir in singing "O WHY Not TONIGHT!"))

Hot heads and cold hearts never solved anything!
(Billy Graham)

ALL things we do individually and cooperatively
should be done to give Jesus the glory!

19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to
reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they
be things in earth, or things in heaven.

Couple verse 19 with Col. 2:9 which says, "For in Him
dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."

In John 14:10-11 Jesus says TWICE "I am in the Father,
and the Father in me!"

Again, may I point out, this is not a oneness Gospel!
We have a TRIUNE God, and EACH Person of God is
absolutely and perfectly in UNISON with the other two!
Deut. 6:4 says, "Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God is one LORD!"
The word one there is used in the context of continuous
and perfecty unity and harmony!

When Jesus went to that cross, He RECONCILED ALL THINGS
to HIMSELF!
And IN Him were both the Father and the Holy Spirit!

Christian, YOU are RECONCILED to Holy God by Christ's
sacrifice upon that cross!

And, if Christ dwells in you, then also the FULLNESS of God dwells in YOU!
The ONLY thing that can overcome God's WILL IN you, is YOUR will!!
THAT'S what happens when we choose to SIN!

21-29
21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your
mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and
unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not
moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard,
and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven;
whereof I Paul am made a minister;
24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which
is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake,
which is the church:
25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation
of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from
generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory
of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope
of glory:
28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man
in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ
Jesus: 29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working,
which worketh in me mightily.

Christian, BEFORE you surrendered to Christ, your spiritual works
were wicked!
But, by His grace, and your surrender to Him as Lord of your life,
Christ provide you to be "holy and unblameable and
unreproveable in His sight!"
What a GRACIOUS, MARVELOUS SAVIOR!!

We cannot negate Rom. 6:23, which says, "For ALL HAVE
SINNED, and come short of the glory of God!"
That verse is in the PRESENT PERFECT tense, meaning we
are ALL sinners ALL the time!
THAT'S why we must CONFESS our sin EVERY day, and beg
God's forgiveness through what Christ ACCOMPLISHED for us!
THEN, God can KEEP ON CLEANSING us!! (1John 1:9)

THIS was the "mystery" that was "hid from the ages!"
HOWEVER, it is NOW "made manifest to His saints!"

God wants to "make KNOWN" all the "riches of the
glory of this mystery among the Gentiles!"
AND, that "mystery" is SHOWN by "Christ in YOU!"
Christian,YOUR "hope of glory" can be shared with others!

Paul says, in vs 28, "Whom WE preach!"
That includes ALL those who have surrendered to Jesus as LORD!

If you are truly a born-again Christian, REMEMBER, that God is
WORKING IN you "MIGHTILY!"