To call Colossians or any other of Paul's works an 'epistle' may be misleading. Barclay cites A. Deissmann who calls the works 'letters.' This was done because an 'epistle' is a literary form written from the beginning to end for the purpose of publication and thus written with careful and premeditated art. A 'letter' is completely personal, written in a definite situation and to meet a definite situation. It is never meant for publication but is a spontaneous and natural outpouring of the heart of friend to friend (p. 27). He further states that the apostle had no idea that his letters would be combined with the biographies of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and bound to become the Christian's Bible. Paul was not like a theologian who would sit in a library surrounded by reference works, polishing every sentence and weighing every word. His letters were written like a missionary would write, seizing his pen and writing in flaming haste to check some abuse or error before it spread throughout the whole body of some church at Colosse or Thessalonica (p. 28,29). .
The church had been exposed to Gnosticism (gnosis meaning knowledge). Gnosticism assigned to Christ a place subordinate to the true Godhead, and it undervalued the uniqueness and completeness of His redemptive work. They taught that between a holy God and the earth a host of beings such as angels formed a bridge of which Christ was a host member. Their system included the worship of angels (2:18) and a false asceticism (2:20-22). To combat Gnosticism Paul had one remedy -- full-knowledge (epignosis - 1:9,10; 3:10) of the fullness of God in Christ Jesus. In Him God revealed the fullness of the Godhead bodily. The term fullness was the very word the Gnostics used for the entire host of intermediary beings between God and man. But the incarnate Lord, crucified, risen and ascended is the only Mediator between God and man (I Timothy 2:5).
Although Paul was not directly connected with the church, he felt a burden for it. He took a keen interest in its joys and sorrows. He calls the recipients 'saints,' that is; set apart, marked off, dedicated to God. The church was mainly a Gentile church since Paul uses the phrase in 1:21 - 'alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works;' this is the kind of reference Paul uses to refer to 'strangers of the covenant.' In 1:27 he speaks of making known the mystery of Christ among the Gentiles, when the reference is clearly to the Colossians themselves. Furthermore, the sins mentioned in 3:5-7 are Gentile sins committed by the Colossians before they became Christians.
"For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which is come unto you, as it is in all the world, and bringing forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it and knew the grace of God in truth;" (verses 5,6). While love springs from faith, it is sustained by hope: it is hope that encourages, renews and revitalizes it and gives it its eternal dimension. If there is no hope, love would soon evaporate and turn to bitterness. "Hope is an anchor of the soul - with sins forgiven, redemption assured, salvation a present possession, a divine nature within and a heaven to anticipate, who needs to worry or fret?" (Greene, p.27). The gospel was heard by the Colossians, if not directly from Paul, they heard it directly through Epaphras. "Hearing the gospel is more than intellectual assent. It is also receiving its truth into our hearts and lives. It is not enough to be emotionally wound up (stirred up) in a religious experience or to be intellectually fascinated by an eternal truth. One must accept and appropriate it. Truth is not just something to believe; it is something to do" (Draper, p. 15). The gospel is a message for the whole world, but it is also individual in its application. The true gospel brings about fruitfulness and growth. Its fruitfulness is manifested in the reconciliation of men to God and its actual transforming of his character by the Holy Spirit, Who uses the word of God as the means of sanctification. Everywhere the gospel is bringing forth fruit like a healthy tree. It carries within itself the principle of its own propagation. Everywhere the gospel was shared it brought faith, love and hope.
"As ye also learned of Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ, who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit" (verses 7,8). Epaphras was probably the first to preach at Colosse. He was one of the first converts of Paul in Ephesus. Through Epaphras, Paul learned of the church (1:4,8,9). He had brought the good news of the church and the bad news of the false teaching that had crept in and brought with it the wrong practices which always accompany it. Govett seems to think that Epaphras was called in question at Colosse about his doctrine, and had his authority rejected. He was obligated to travel to Rome and to lay before Paul his scheme of doctrine. The Colossians would not refuse the authority of Paul. With this epistle of confirmation, Epaphras returned to Colosse established in the faith and with re-inforced courage (p. 12). Whether this is true we do not know, but suffice it to say, when Epaphras returned to Colosse, they knew for sure that he had Paul's approval. For Paul calls him a beloved fellow-servant and faithful minister which involves three things: (1) Paul places his stamp of approval upon Epaphras, (2) he condemns any system that conflicts with the true gospel, and (3) those rejecting Epaphras teaching was rejecting Paul and Timothy. No doubt Epaphras was perplexed and troubled with regard to the serious errors in the churches of Colosse, Hierapolis and Laodicea (4:13), he sought counsel from Paul at the cost of becoming a prisoner himself (Philemon 23). The epistle to Colosse and Laodicea are results of Epaphras' communication with Paul.
Paul had great ambitions for the church; he wanted to see them grow in knowledge and good works. To withstand false prophets and false teachers, the church must know what is correct and be able to put it into practice. When the church is alive and vibrant, it will operate in the realm of truth and knowledge. Paul wanted the church to have a better knowledge of God and His will for their lives and to be able to put that knowledge into practice. Ignorance is the mother of all superstition. Paul was always striving "to know Christ." He wanted the same for the Colossians (Appere).
"That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness" (verses 10,11). "Growing by the knowledge" is Paul's figure of speech depicting a fruit tree which yields its fruit and keeps on growing, in contrast to grain which produces its harvest and then dies. As the fruit tree continues growing, it can yield even more fruit, and thus we have a fine illustration of the believer, who should be demonstrating spiritual fruit in increasing quality as his spiritual capacity enlarges through his growth in grace (Kent, p. 42). Could Paul also have had in mind what Jesus said in John 15 concerning the vine and the branches? The branch that bears fruit is assisted by the farmer in bearing more fruit; he prunes it and, in turn, that branch bears more fruit. In the much and more fruit is God glorified! Bearing spiritual fruit is a human responsibility, but it is prompted by the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Paul beseeches God to give the Colossians strength, great strength, reflective of the divine glory. He wants them to be steadfast in the face of ridicule, minor harassment and daily difficulties of living. A second characteristic of this God-centered life is its source of power. No matter how wide the demand of Christian service may be, nor how difficult by human standards, there are always available divine resources to match it. In fact, God can supply the Christian with power not to just get by but beyond that, according to His glorious power. The fruit of God's strengthening power is patience, longsuffering and joyfulness. "Patience" is 'staying under the load' without quitting while "longsuffering" means 'long endurance that does not retaliate.'
"Giving thanks unto the Father, who hath made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son; in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins" (verses 12-14). Paul is preparing the Colossians for his introduction of the King, but before he does, we see a description in majestic language of the kingdom and its subjects. We are heirs; salvation opens up to us all the resources of God. As children of God we have rights, privileges and joyful duties (John 1:12,13). So far Paul has prayed for the Colossians (1) to have superior knowledge, (2) that they would walk worthy of the Lord, (3) be empowered with the power of God and now, (4) that they would give thanks to God who made all of this possible for them.
This God has delivered His children; He has liberated and rescued them from darkness; darkness has given way to light and tyranny is replaced with love. We who were slaves are now children of the King. Christ Who is the Light has overcome the darkness; He Who is holiness had conquered sin. He Who is Life has conquered death. Victory is His and ours. "God delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred or transposed us to the kingdom of His beloved Son" (NEB). This is illustrated by the transference from one kingdom to another somewhat like the Assyrian captivity of the northern kingdom of Israel. Yeager says, "The Father's salvation is both negative and positive. It is a rescue and a transplantation. Salvation is both from something and to something. The darkness is powerful, but the kingdom of God's Son is all powerful. Before we were saved we were under the influence of the 'god of this world who had blinded our eyes lest the glorious light of the gospel of Christ should shine unto us'" (Vol. XV, p. 16).
In verse 14 Paul introduces the great subject of REDEMPTION. In association with Christ, God's Son, the saints of God have been redeemed. In redemption with Christ, we have forgiveness of sins. The sin debt is wiped out forever, and in its place we have infinite wealth of the King of kings credited to our account. We can do nothing but joyfully give thanks. Involved in the word redemption is 'liberation at a cost.' The Israelites were slaves in Egypt, but God through His grace redeemed them with the blood of a lamb. Israel knew what redemption was like. "And thou shalt remember that thou wast a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee, therefore, I command thee this thing today" (Deuteronomy 15:15). Their sins were underneath the blood; they were forgiven. "Forgiveness' to the Hebrew meant that his sins were canceled; he was freed of an obligation that might be held over him and extracted from him; to the Greek - forgiveness means the remission of taxes or exemption from taxation.
The "Who" of verse 15 refers back to the antecedent of verse 13 - "his dear Son." He is the image of God; the word image comes from the Greek eikon (icon) which means a precise copy, reproduction, or replica. An icon is an accurate picture or description of a person. Jesus is the perfect Portrait of God; in Jesus the invisible God becomes visible to men. In Jesus man sees God (Barclay). Christ's nature, qualities, characteristics are the same as His Father's and all visible. God, the Father, is invisible; that is, He cannot be seen except with the eye of faith. God cannot be seen in an optical sense. Without the revelation of God in Christ Jesus man cannot even know for certain that God exists. If Jesus is not the image of God, then we must conclude that we can know nothing about God. God is Spirit; therefore, He cannot be apprehended by natural means. God must manifest Himself to man; He did that in Christ Jesus. He is the perfect revelation of God. The only way that man can comprehend God and have a clear understanding of His character, nature and person is through Jesus Christ. Eadie says of the passage, 'He is the image of the invisible God,' "it dazzles by its brightness and awes by its mystery. We feel the warning, 'draw not nigh hither, for the place is holy ground. Christ is the image of God - a real and perfect likeness - no feature absent, none misplaced and none impaired in fulness or dimmed in lustre" (p. 43,44). Truly Jesus was Immanuel (God with us). Jesus perfectly represents, perfectly manifests God to man, in a form which men can see and know and understand. He is the Wisdom of God referred to in Proverbs 2 and 8; He is the Logos - the Word, the Reason of God. For centuries the Gnostics (the intellectuals) had speculated and dreamed of this great truth - here it is in Jesus Christ.
The word 'first-born' is an interesting word. The word is found eight times in the New Testament; six times it is translated 'first-born' and twice is translated 'first-begotten.' Most of the times the word is used, it is used of the 'first-born' down in Egypt or it refers to the 'first born child' of a couple. In this passage it is the firm opinion of most scholars that the word has reference to the first place, the lordship and the sovereignty of all creation. The NEB translates the word 'primacy.' Just like Jacob (Israel) was called God's first-born, and he received the prominent place with God, although in point of time, he was Isaac's second-born child. It must be remembered that in Scripture the first-born is not necessarily the one born first. Many instances might be cited where the one born first was set to one side and the right of the first born given to another. One only needs to mention the cases of Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob, Reuben and Joseph, and Manasseh and Ephraim, to which many more could be added. The first man is set aside and the second man is acknowledged as the first-born. And so Adam and all his race are set to one side as unfit to retain authority over the world in order that Christ Jesus, the second Man, the Lord from heaven, may be acknowledged as the First-born (Ironside, p. 43).
It is a true doctrine from the Bible that Jesus Christ existed from eternity and was not created by the heavenly Father. Nothing could be clearer than what John 1:1 - 3 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made." The Gnostics taught that Jesus was not the sole Lord of creation. He was only one of many emanations from God. Moule says of this passage, "the Son is revealed to us as Cause, Head and Goal of the created universe. He binds both world's - the seen and the unseen, the material and spiritual, into one, under one Head. With His Name the traveler can rejoice in the glories of mountain, forest and flood, worshiping not Nature, but Christ its Cause and End; Artificer of the landscape, while He is Savior of the soul" (pp. 80-82).
"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; and he is before all things, and by him all things consist" (verses 16,17). Apart from Christ the Creator this universe is incomprehensible. If God is left out of the explanation of the world, it loses its meaning and becomes a vast insoluble riddle. "Every kind of matter is a product of the First-born of every creature - every planet, star and atom, the giant sun and the clod of the field, every blade of grass and giant redwood of the forest, every fish of the sea, every fowl of the air, every man and beast - every thing, every being around us, above us, beneath us - are His product (Greene, p. 52,53). Paul mentions thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers all invisible. Could he mean by these unseen creatures - archangels, cherubim, seraphim, angelic leaders and angelic servers? In Romans 8:38 Paul writes that death, life, angels, principalities, powers and nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The creation was for Him (Christ), for His (Christ's) sake and for His (Christ's) purpose, for His (Christ's) glory. Furthermore, God did not create the world for man's benefit; He created it for His Own benefit and for His honor and glory. The Christian faith presents the most rational, logical and reasonable explanation of the origins of everything. Man's heart is set against God, and he prefers to choose a lie rather than the truth. "The philosopher's principle was - 'Out of nothing, nothing comes.' But God is not 'nothing;' and from God came all things" (Govett, p. 28) .
Jesus Christ had an uncreated pre-existence; He was prior to all creation. He is before all things and by Him all things consist. That is, He is the Preserver and Sustainer of all creation; by Him all things cohere. In Christ Jesus there is the principle of cohesion in the universe. The universe is ordered, orderly and reliable not chaotic, erratic and an unpredictable muddle. All things happen according to Logos (the Divine Reason, the Divine Mind) interpenetrating the universe. The laws of nature are the laws of God. Just as Christ holds the created universe together; He holds man together. Man is an emotional, volitional, spiritual and physical being. Only Jesus can hold those aspects of ourselves together. Were it not for Him, we would fragment and destroy ourselves (Draper, p. 36). Christ Jesus is the Point of reference to all creation, like the cornerstone in relation to the walls and the bricks in the wall of a building.
Jesus Christ remains in control of world events. Although 'the mystery of iniquity' is at work, the 'mystery of grace' unlocks the true meaning of the history of nations and individuals. Grace has turned defeat into victory, downfall into deliverance, curses into blessings and trials into sources of joy. Christ is the final purpose in which all powers of the universe and all the events in history are brought together. It is impossible to explain the future or the past, the end or the beginning of the universe or of man, apart from Christ Jesus (Appere, p. 42,43). Christ Jesus is the Loadstone (Lodestone) of the natural universe. Webster defines 'loadstone' as the magnetite possessing polarity; hence, that which strongly attracts." Jesus Christ is that magnetic power Who holds the entire universe together as cosmos and prevents it from being a chaos. We live in a Christocentric universe! Someone has likened the world and world events to the weaving of cloth, whose underside forms no intelligible pattern, but whose upper side reveals beauty and design, so the universe moves consistently toward God's goal in history,. Confusion seems to be rampant, but God's Invisible Guiding Hand moves and will bring coherence out of chaos and confusion.
"And he is the head of the body, the church who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in all things he might have the pre-eminence" (verse 18). Why does Paul mention the Church here? It is a second body distinct from Creation. The Church is a new Creation chosen out of the first and fallen one. Christ's headship of the Church speaks of the head's relationship to its body in terms of giving direction and sustaining power. He is the mainspring of the body, the church; He is the source of its life, its controlling factor. As Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ, He takes first place in the universe, and as Redeemer He takes first place in the church. In Him the whole universe finds perfect unity. In Him all conflict is resolved.
Authority within the Church is not vested in a pontiff, a hierarchy, a synod, a pastor, or elders or even members in general. Christ alone is the Head of the church. Man has no authority to make rules in the governance of the church. Each member is responsible to Christ personally and all church members are responsible to Christ collectively. Christ is Head and Lawgiver of His body - the Church (Appere). Just as Christ is Lord of Creation, He is Lord of the Church. He is the directing and controlling power of the Church. "The thought of Christ as the Head of the Church implies three great principles in the spiritual realm as well as in the physical, viz., life, unity and sovereignty. He is at once the source of our spiritual life, the guarantor of all spiritual unity, and the supreme spiritual authority" (Thomas, p. 52).
What does Paul mean by 'the first-born from the dead?' Christ is the One Who was first to rise from the dead. What about Lazarus, the widow's son and a few others? For them the call back from the dead was resuscitation in the true sense of the word - they died again. Not so with our Lord; Jesus said in Revelation 1:18, "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore. Amen, and have the keys of hades and of death." Manton is quoted (The Biblical Illustrator, pp. 77,78), "If the grave was as a womb to Christ, and His resurrection as a birth then Christ was in a manner born when He arose. Only He has the precedence; surely others will follow Him (Acts 26:23; I Corinthians 15:20). As in the consecration of the firstfruits the whole harvest was consecrated, so Christ by rising raises all."
"For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell" (verse 19). 'All fulness' means total essence of deity. Jesus needs no supplement; all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found in Him. He brooks no rival; He is the fulness of God. In Christ Jesus we see the whole of God in relation to man. He was the complete revelation of God in His incarnation. The Father does what pleases Him although with some He is not pleased. Every good thing that can be said about God can be said about Christ. The pre-eminence of Christ is the overwhelming message of Colossians. The authority over all is grounded in Christ's deity. He is God, in His fullness, in His infinity and in His eternity although He voluntarily took upon Himself human limitations. There was not a moment, however, when He was not fully God (Appere).
Reconciliation originates with God; He initiates it. Sin, however, must be atoned for; this was accomplished in Christ Jesus. "Reconciliation was not possible until the legal basis for it had been established. A righteous Judge on the bench of a court that is sworn to uphold the dignity of a perfect law cannot be reconciled to a guilty defendant until the full demand of the law has been met and the debt is paid in full. The court must collect from the defendant or from the defendant's substitute before the books can be closed on the case. The substitute, if one can be found, must be willing to pay a debt that he does not owe, and he must also be qualified to pay the debt in full. This is why the Son of God's love was the only one who could free us from the power of darkness and transplant us into His heavenly kingdom (verse 13). His qualifications are then listed in order beginning in verse 15 and continuing through verse 19" (Yeager, Vol. XV, p. 28).
"And you, that were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in his sight, 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 that is under heaven, of which I, Paul, am made a minister" (verses 21-23). Although Satan and sin destroyed God's harmonious order - that rift was healed through Christ Jesus. God did not abandon His creation, He provided a way of redemption. In the incarnation, God makes a fresh start, so to speak. He brings back into harmony His fallen creation and makes Christ the Head and Heart. Mankind was brought back from alienation to salvation and from separation to reconciliation. The word 'alienated' is translated 'estranged' in the RSV and 'strangers' in Phillips translation. The fact that the unsaved were enemies is explained by 'hostile in disposition.' Needless to say, mankind in his sinful condition was shut out or excluded from God's grace and love. Unless God took the initiative, we were all consigned to a lake that burns with fire and brimstone.
The Gnostics had a problem when it came to understanding the person and work of Jesus Christ. One branch of the Gnostics declared that Jesus was not human, but that He just appeared human. They taught that when Jesus walked in the sand, He did not leave footprints. Paul emphasizes, "in the body of his flesh" He died the substitutionary death, discounting the Gnostic heresy. In His death, Christ presented us to God holy (wholly and complete), unblamable (without blemish and spot) and unreproachable (free from the 'scar' of sin). Yeager uses this illustration, "At a college graduation exercise, the Dean presents the candidate for the degree to the President with a statement that all catalogue requirements have been met. The President then awards the degree and the diploma that certifies it. Christ will present His Church to God in heaven - holy, blameless, judicially guilty of nothing, despite our former lost condition, as described in verse 21" (Vol. XV, p. 30).
The 'if we continue in the faith' does not imply the possibility of apostasy. God Who ordained the end ordained the means which is our continuing faithfulness. Those who manifest true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will be 'grounded;' they will have a firm and permanent foundation. They will also be 'settled;' that is, have the stability of a building. Gromacki says that "the faith" is that body of biblical truth which is essential to the doctrine of salvation, not to one's personal faith (Jude 3). "Paul does not teach that salvation, once genuinely received by grace through faith, is maintained in force by persistent ethical effort. What he does definitely teach is that the evidence of genuine salvation can be found in the fact that the believer does in fact continue in the faith. His continuance in the faith is the result of his being grounded and settled in the gospel hope" (Yeager, Vol. XV, p. 33).