Colossians 1

What’s happening

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God's will, and Timothy write to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: grace and peace. They thank God, praying for them, because they have heard of their faith in Christ Jesus and their love for all the saints, which springs from "the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens," which they first heard in the word of truth, the gospel. The gospel is bearing fruit and growing in all the world, as it has among them since the day they heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, as they learned from Epaphras, "our beloved fellow servant," who is a faithful servant of Christ on their behalf and who told Paul of their love in the Spirit. So from the day they heard, Paul and Timothy have not ceased praying that they "may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding," to walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified them to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. "He delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love; in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins." Then comes the poem: "who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things are held together. He is the head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it was the Father's good pleasure that in him all the fullness should dwell, and through him to reconcile all things to himself, by him, whether things on the earth, or things in the heavens, having made peace through the blood of his cross." They too were once alienated and hostile in mind through evil deeds, yet now he has reconciled them in his body of flesh through death, to present them holy, without blemish, and blameless before him, "if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard," which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which Paul became a servant. Paul rejoices in his sufferings for them and in his flesh fills up "that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ for his body's sake, which is the assembly," of which he became a servant according to the stewardship from God given to him for them, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery hidden from ages and generations but now revealed to his saints, to whom God was pleased to make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, "which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." Him they proclaim, warning every person and teaching every person in all wisdom, that they may present every person complete in Christ, for which Paul toils, struggling according to his working which works in him mightily.

Who’s in this chapter

Talk it through

1. Paul begins with thanks for faith, love, and hope. Why might he start there with a church he has never met?
2. "In him all things hold together." What does it mean that Christ is not only the Savior but also the one who holds the world together?
3. The hymn says Christ is both creator and reconciler. How do those two belong together?
4. Paul says he fills up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions. How would you explain that without suggesting that Christ's work was incomplete?