Colossians 2:1-5 - Contending for them in prayer

2:1-5

Many of them in Colossae did not know Paul, even so Paul prayed for them and worked for them., along with those in Laodicea. Paul’s goal was “that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love”. Paul’s words about the full riches of complete understanding, and know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, is a counter to the false teachings. False teachings are an attempt to bring a substitute for Christ, but there is no substitute, and in Christ there are riches greater than anything the false teachings claim to offer. In Christ “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”. The false teachers may have had “fine sounding arguments” but they were all lies, we should not be deceived. Although Paul was absent from them, he was present in spirit, praying for them. Prayer is effective and has a real effect.

Colossians 1:25-29 - The mystery disclosed

1:25-27

Paul was a servant of the gospel, “by the commission God gave him”. Paul’s task was to present the word of God in its fullness. “Mystery” was a word beloved of gnostic type teachings, but the gospel presents the greatest mystery of all. The mystery was how could God’s goodness be given to  a sinful people. The answer is in Christ, and this has now been revealed. It had been disclosed to the Lord’s people. It was not the Gnostic who had possession of any “hidden knowledge”, but God’s people who believed the gospel. The gospel is the “hope of glory”.

1:28,29

So Paul, and his co-workers, proclaimed Christ. It is a person that we proclaim, They admonished and taught “with all wisdom”. In order to present everyone fully mature in Christ. So Paul worked towards this end with everything he had.

Colossianss 1:21-24 - Reconciled with God

1:21-23

False teachings try to make out that we are lacking something, and it is true that once we were alienated from God, we were enemies of God in our minds. All this was a result of sin. But now this has all changed. We have been reconciled “by Christ’s physical body, by His death on the cross. So through Christ we are now “without blemish and free from accusation”. In order to continue to benefit from this we need to  continue in the faith. We need to be firmly grounded in the faith. This is the gospel that Paul preached, and it has been proclaimed to every creature  under heaven, there is no other way in which we can be made right with God.

1:24

The false teachers may have made much of the fact that Paul suffered so much, and was continually being  thrown in prison. But the gospel is founded on suffering. Christ’s suffering earned our salvation. Paul is not saying that there was anything lacking in that, but the continued growth of the kingdom and advancement of the gospel depends upon God’s people being ready to suffer. So Paul is happy to suffer in order to build up the church. 

Colossians 1:15-20 - The greatness of Christ

1:15,16

The major theme of the letter is the supremacy and all sufficiency of Christ. He is the “image of the invisible God, and the first born over all creation.” Everything of God is contained within Christ. In Christ we have it all, nothing else can offer anything worthwhile that we do not already have in Christ. In saying he is the firstborn Paul is in no way saying that Christ was created, rather he is stressing the supremacy of Christ over all creation. All things were created in Him, whether things in heaven or on earth, visible or invisible, absolutely everything, whether thrones or powers. All are subservient to Him. They were all created through Him and for Him.

1:17,18

Indeed in Him all things hold together. All of creation is utterly dependent upon Christ in every way, He is also the head of the church. He is also the beginning and the firstborn among the dead. Christ’s resurrection will be our resurrection, and His resurrection is the proof and guarantee that we will be raised. Christ is utterly  supreme.

1:19,20

God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Christ, there is nothing lacking or missing. False teachings will often use fear or guilt to try and unsettle us. But we need have no fear, for in Christ God reconciled all things to Himself, including us. He did this by making peace through the cross.

Colossians 1:12-14 - Rescued from the dominion of darkness

1:12

Patience and endurance may sound rather dull, but Paul also wants them to be giving joyful thanks to the Father, for we have been qualified to “share in the inheritance of God’s holy people in the kingdom of light” .We have been qualified to receive a glorious inheritance. This counteracted some of the false teaching attacks on them. They were qualified, false teachings would try to tell them that they were not qualified, that they needed something more.

1:13,14

How were they qualified? God had rescued them from the dominion of darkness, and brought them into the kingdom of the Son who God loves.  Through Christ we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. It is true that of ourselves we are not worth, but in Christ we are forgiven, our sins are no longer held against us.

Colossians 1:9-11 - To be filled with the knowledge of God

1:9

The fact that the Colossians were doing well did not stop Paul and his co-workers praying for them, indeed they had not stopped praying for them. We are then told what they prayed for. It is instructive to look at what Paul prayed for, and consider our own prayers for ourselves and for others. They naked God to fill them with knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives. We should know God well.

1:10

The purpose was not to fill them with knowledge for the sake of it, but so that they could live lives that were pleasing to God, bearing fruit in every good work, and to grow in the knowledge of God. We all need to know God better.

1:11

It is  also so that they would be strengthened with all power according to His glorious  might. Then notice what all this produces “great endurance and patience”. Paul is not prating for an easy life for them, but that they may be more Chrislike. Endurance and patience are powerful weapons.

Colossians 1:6-8- A faithful minister

1:6

It was not just with the Colossians that the gospel was having this effect, the gospel was bearing fruit in the same way throughout the world. The gospel is a universal message, intended for all people at all times. In order for it to bear fruit it needs to be heard, and the grace of God needs to be understood. It is a gospel of grace, not one on earned merit..

1:7,8

We now learn that they heard the message from Epaphras. Paul was an apostle, but he did not work alone. Epaphras preached the gospel and founded the church, Paul describes him as a “fellow servant” and a "faithful minister of Christs”, he was part of the work of Paul. He also reported back to Paul how well the church was doing.