SS Lesson            December 3^rd, 2006                Colossians 1(15-23)

 

COLOSSIANS —Holman Bible Dictionary

(coh lahss’ ssihuhnss) A letter from Paul to the Church at Colosse. It is one of the Prison Epistles (along with Ephesians, Philemon, and Philippians). The traditional date and place of writing is A.D. 61 or 62 from Rome. The letter itself does not name the place where Paul was imprisoned, and Caesarea and Ephesus have been suggested as alternatives to Rome. If written from Ephesus, the time of writing would be in the mid-50’s; if from Caesarea the late 50’s. The primary purpose of Colossians was to correct false teachings which were troubling the church.

Authorship of Colossians The authenticity of Colossians has been debated, as has also the exact nature of the relationship between Ephesians and Colossians. In favor of Pauline authorship it may be noted that the letter was accepted as genuinely Pauline by the early church. While it is true that the style and vocabulary differ somewhat from Paul’s other letters, this occurs primarily in the section which attacks the Colossian heresy (1:3–2:23). The unusual terminology in this section is at least partly the result of addressing an unusual problem.

Some would rule out Pauline authorship by identifying the heresy attacked in Colossians as second century gnosticism. Such arguments are not convincing, however, because (1) the heresy cannot be identified with certainty, and (2) gnostic thought was already encroaching on the church by the middle of the first century.

One should note also the relationship between Philemon and Colossians. They mention many of the same people and were apparently carried by the same messenger (Col. 4:7-18; Philem. 1,2,10,23,24). The undoubted authenticity of Philemon argues in favor of the Pauline authorship of Colossians as well.

The City of Colosse Colosse was located in the southwest corner of Asia Minor in what was then the Roman province of Asia. Hierapolis and Laodicea were situated only a few miles away. All three were in the Lycus River valley. A main road from Ephesus to the east ran through the region. See Asia Minor.

Colosse was prominent during the Greek period. By Paul’s day it had lost much of its importance, perhaps due to the growth of the neighboring cities. Extremely detrimental to all of the cities of the region were the earthquakes which occasionally did severe damage. Shortly after Paul wrote Colossians, the entire Lycus Valley was devastated by an earthquake (about A.D. 61) which probably ended occupation of the city.

The region included a mixture of people native to the area, Greeks, Romans, and transplanted Jews. The church probably reflected the same diversity. As far as we know, Paul never visited Colosse. His influence was felt, however, during his ministry in Ephesus. (Acts 19:10 records that all Asia heard the gospel.) The letters to Philemon and to the Colossians indicate that many of Paul’s fellow workers (if not Paul himself) had worked among the churches of the Lycus Valley. As a result, the relationship between the apostle to the Gentiles and the Colossian church was close enough that when trouble arose some of the church turned to Paul for instruction.

Content Colossians may be divided into two main parts. The first (1:3–2:23) is a polemic against false teachings. The second (3:1–4:17) is made up of exhortations to proper Christian living. The introduction (1:1-2) is in the form of a Hellenistic, personal letter. The senders (Paul and Timothy) and the recipients (the Colossian church) are identified, and a greeting is expressed (the usual Pauline “grace and peace” replaced the usual secular “greeting”).

Typical of Paul, a lengthy thanksgiving (1:3-8) and prayer (1:9-14) lead into the body of the letter. Paul thanked God for the faith, hope, and love (1:4-5) which the Colossians had by virtue of their positive response to the gospel. He prayed that they might have a full knowledge and understanding of God’s will and lead a life worthy of redeemed saints, citizens of the kingdom of Christ (1:9-14).

The doctrinal section which follows begins with a description of the grandeur of the preeminent Christ (1:15-20). Though the precise meaning of some words and phrases is uncertain, there is no doubt as to Paul’s intent. He meant to present Jesus as fully God incarnate (1:15,19), as supreme Lord over all creation (1:15-17), as supreme Lord of the church (1:18), and as the only Source of reconciliation (1:20).

The origin of this grand statement on the nature and work of Christ is debated. The structure, tone, and vocabulary of the passage have led many to speculate that 1:15-20 is a doctrinal statement (hymn) that was in use in the church of Paul’s day. This passage and Philippians 2:6-11 are thought by the majority of scholars to be the most obvious examples of pre-Pauline tradition in the letters of Paul. However, difficulty in recreating a balanced hymnic structure has convinced most that Paul rewrote portions of the hymn, if indeed he was not the author of the entire confession. Author or not, the apostolic stamp of approval is on these words which Paul used to state unambiguously that Christ is Lord and Savior of all.

The purpose of the first two chapters was to correct the false teaching which had infiltrated the church. The heresy is not identified, but several characteristics of the heresy are discernible: (1) An inferior view of Christ is combated in 1:15-20. This Christological passage implies that the heretics did not consider Jesus to be fully divine or perhaps did not accept Him as the sole Source of redemption. (2) The Colossians were warned to beware of plausible sounding “philosophies” which were antichrist (2:8). (3) The heresy apparently involved the legalistic observance of “traditions,” circumcision, and various dietary and festival laws (2:8,11,16,21; 3:11). (4) The worship of angels and lesser spirits was encouraged by the false teachers (2:8,18). (5)Asceticism, the deprivation or harsh treatment of one’s “evil” fleshly body, was promoted (2:20-23). Finally, (6) the false teachers claimed to possess special insight (perhaps special revelations) which made them (rather than the apostles or the Scriptures) the ultimate source of truth (2:18,19).

Scholars cannot agree on who these false teachers were. Some of the characteristics cited above seem to be Jewish; others sound like gnostic teachings. Some see the teachings of a mystery religion here. Dozens of alternatives have been proposed by very capable authors. It is even argued that Paul was not attacking one specific heresy (or if he was, he did not have a clear understanding of it himself), but rather was warning the Colossians about a variety of false teachings which had troubled the church, or which might trouble it in the future. While the passage does not clearly identify the heretics, it does clearly state that Christ (not angels, philosophies, rituals, traditions, asceticism, nor anything else) is the Source of redemption.

Colossians 3:1-4 provides the link connecting the theology of chapters 1 and 2 with the exhortations to live a Christian life in chapters 3 and 4. The command to “put to death” (3:5 NIV) and to “rid yourselves of all such things” which will reap the wrath of God (3:5-11) is balanced by the command to “clothe yourselves with” (3:12 NIV) those things characteristic of God’s chosen people (3:12-17). The changes are far from superficial, however. They stem from the Christian’s new nature and submission to the rule of Christ in every area of one’s life (3:9,10,15-17).

Rules for the household appear in 3:18–4:1. The typical first century household is assumed, thus the passage addresses wives and husbands, fathers and children, masters and slaves. Paul made no comment about the rightness or wrongness of the social structures; he accepted them as givens. Paul’s concern was that the structures as they existed be governed by Christian principles. Submission to the Lord (3:18,20,22; 4:1), Christian love (3:19), and the prospect of divine judgment (3:24–4:1) must determine the way people treat one another regardless of their social station. It is this Christian motivation which distinguishes these house rules from those that can be found in Jewish and pagan sources.

A final group of exhortations (4:2-6) and an exchange of greetings (4:7-17) bring the letter to a close. Notable in this final section are (1) the mention of Onesimus (4:9), which links this letter with Philemon, (2) the mention of a letter at Laodicea (4:16), which may have been Ephesians, and (3) Paul’s concluding signature which indicates that the letter was prepared by an amanuensis (secretary) (4:18).

Outline

1. Warnings Against Heresy (1:1-2:23)
   1. Greeting, thanksgiving, and prayer (1:1-14)
   2. Christ, and no other, is supreme in the universe (1:15-17).
   3. Christ, having reconciled all creation to God and embodying the fullness of God, is supreme in the church (1:18-20).
   4. Believers experience Christ’s supremacy in the saving power of the gospel (1:21-23).
   5. The supreme Christ fulfills God’s eternal saving purpose (1:24-29).
   6. Christians should have full confidence in Christ’s supremacy and forget heretical teachings (2:1-5).
   7. Elemental human traditions must not lead away from faith in Christ (2:6-10).
   8. Legal practices cannot supplement Christ’s work of salvation on the cross (2:11-23).
2. The Supreme Rule of Christ Leads to Rules for Life with Christ (3:1-4:18).
   1. Believers seek the fullness of the new life in Christ (3:1-4).
   2. Life in Christ cleanses believers of old practices (3:5-11).
   3. The life in Christ gives power for unity, mutual love, and forgiveness (3:12-14).
   4. Church life includes mutual encouragement and worship (3:15-17).
   5. Life in Christ brings faithfulness and compassion in family relationships (3:18-4:1).
   6. Closing greetings and blessings for those in Christ (4:2-18)

Michael Martin

 

Colossians 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

 

The supremacy of Jesus Christ

In this section of Scripture the Apostle Paul sets out to correct some of the erroneous teaching of his day.  These wrong ideas have continued to this day.  The above verse is very deep, but understanding it brings great satisfaction to the believer.  The word translated “image” means the exact image.  It is illustrative of the sun reflected upon a body of water.  It is not the sun, but it is an exact reflection of the sun.  It is correct in every detail. It reveals every thing possibly to be seen by the naked eye if we looked directly at the sun.  Jesus is the exact image of the Father.  What the Father thinks, how he acts, what He would say, are all revealed in the actions and character of Jesus Christ.  Adam was also created in the image of God. Genesis 1:26: “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”  It is revealing that the word translated “image” in Genesis does not mean the same thing.  It means a likeness or resemblance in the manner that an idol is created.  The same word is used in 1^st Samuel of the mice images the Philistines put in the Ark of the Covenant to appease Jehovah God.  Can you see the difference?  Adam resembled God but Jesus is His exact image.  Jesus is God incarnate.  Jesus was 100% man, but also 100% God!

 

Firstborn

This verse does not say Jesus was created before all things, but that he was “firstborn.”  The word means that He was before anything that was created.  As a matter of fact, by Him was everything created!  He is the first begotten of every creature which literally means He was begotten before every creature; subsisting before all worlds, before all time, from all eternity.  Consider this verse:  John 1:1-3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God. 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”  Jesus is not just a good man nor a miracle worker, but He is the Almighty Son of God, The Great I am, the Alpha and the Omega, the Saviour of all mankind, and the ruler of God’s coming kingdom.

 

1:16  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:

 

Creator

All things were created by our Lord.  All means all!  Notice how Paul describes these things.  It doesn’t matter whether these things are in heaven or earth; they were created by our Lord.  When I view the magnificent creation around here or when we travel to the ocean or mountains, I am always awe struck at the majesty and power of our Lord’s creative power, but these earthly things pale in comparison to the heavenly things we will see when we are freed from this mortal body. He created things that are visible like the earth, trees, animals, and people, but He also created things that are unseen.  Why does the moon stay in its proper distance from the earth and not go flying out into space.  It is an unseen force created by our Lord called gravity.  Mankind calls these principles the laws of physics, but from where did they arrive; Christ.  Mankind didn’t create them, but He only realized their validity.  They are not by chance, but by the hand of the designer of life.  Jesus put them into force.  The oceans are cleaned out by an unseen force applied to it by the moon.  It cleanses itself with the waves which are created by an unseen force.  The animals migrate or stay put due to an unseen pull from our Lord which directs them to live according to His will.  The rays of the sun heat our planet to the correct temperature to maintain life due to the unseen direction of Christ. 

 

Thrones, dominions, or principalities

Thrones mean kings or monarchs.  Dominions mean “lords, dukes or earls;” in other words, lesser folks than kings but still in positions of authority.  Principalities mean governors, or other inferior magistrates.  God directs all things.  Sometimes we don’t understand why things go the way they go, but God is able to use all things to His purposes.  When the wicked rule, it is not the perfect will of God, but God can use their wickedness for His purposes.  When the righteous rule, God can use their obedience to reveal Himself to the masses.  God used wicked Gentile many times in the Old Testament to either chastise or enrich His people.  Most of the time they didn’t even realize God was using them, but He still caused them to act as He wanted them to act.  God used slavery to put Joseph where He needed him in order to save the sons of Jacob.  God used Pharoah to reveal His power to the Israelites in Egypt.  He used the Assyrians to punish the 10 Northern Tribes.  He used Nebuchadnezzar to cause the Kingdom of Judah to go into captivity for their disobedience.  He used Cyrus to free His people from Babylon.  He used the Virgin Mary to be the body from which His Son would be born.  He used Pilate to crucify Him.  He used Paul to preach His Word to the Gentiles.  He uses preachers to win souls today.

 

For Him

This phrase means all things were created for His purposes, His glory, His pleasure, and His delight.  Did you know He created man for His own pleasure?  He created this world for His delight.  He made life what it is because it suits His plan.  It is not by chance but be design and for His purposes.  It means something.  I think this is one of the most blessed advantages of faith.  Those who are atheist must come to the conclusion that life has no meaning or purpose.  How depressing it must be to exist without any goals or desires.  Christianity lets us know we are valuable to God and He wants to delight in our existence.  I say Glory to God!

 

1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

 

Consist

The word “consist” means to be banded or placed together, to set and stay in the same place.   I read a book once which revealed that scientists understand a lot about our universe, but one thing they can’t understand is why all the molecules which make up our universe stay together.  What force unites them and prevents a real “big bang?”  The answer is revealed right here in the Holy Bible.  Jesus is the glue that holds together creation.  It stays here by His Word.  One day that commandment will be forsaken and the very elements of earth will melt with a fervent heat.  (2^nd Peter 3:10)  Until that day everything will hold together just as He commands.  I have heard people say mankind is going to destroy himself with nuclear weapons; don’t you believe it!  He may do a lot of terrible damage, but this earth is going to be brought to a close by Our Lord not man!

 

1:18 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.

 

Head of the church

Jesus is the head of the real church.  A body moves and goes when and where the head dictates.  The body of Christ (the church) is designed to be the same way.  When a person is handicapped what happens is that something prevents the body from receiving directives from the head or brain.  We need to keep the message lines open so that we receive and obey the commandments from our head which is Christ.  Any so-called church which puts someone else above or equal to Him has lost its way and does not deserve to call itself a church.  The Word of God is about Him.  The plan of salvation was authrored and finished by Him.  He is above all things and more powerful than all things.  He deserves our worship and praise.  He is the beginning.  He is first and foremost.  He is God!

 

1:19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

 

Fulness

The word “pleased” means it “seemed good or it was His pleasure.”  God’s plan which pleased Him was for Jesus Christ to be His express image, the head of the church on earth and in heaven, the creator or all things, and here that in Him should all fullness dwell.  The word “fullness” means all power, blessing, and goodness.  In Him are all things good.  Love is of Him.  Peace is of Him.  Security, value, integrity, forgiveness, and anything else which a human needs to exist is in Him and from Him.  If you are reading this and have not trusted Him as your Saviour yet, I have one question for you; why not?  He is the fulfillment of your destiny.  In Him is the key to your happiness and eternal reward.  He is worthy of your devotion and love.

 

1:20 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.1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 1:22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

 

By His stripes I am healed

His blood paid the price for my sin.  It makes my salvation possible.  It reconciled an unworthy sinner with a righteous and Holy God. It allowed me to be at peace with God.   It caused me to be worthy of life eternal.  It reversed my alienation or separation from God and made me a part of His family.  It allows me to be presented unblameable, unreproveable, and without spot or wrinkle despite my many failures.  It causes me to appear in judgment as if I had never sinned.  He took my place on the cross so I could take His place in judgment.

 

1:23  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;

 

 

 

If

I think this is the most dangerous word in the English language.  I want to make it abundantly clear to all who read this lesson that I believe God is able to save and keep every one who gives their life to God and desires to stay in that saved condition.  I also believe that our salvation depends on our willingness to be faithful to the Lord.  I don’t believe God makes us accept Him nor to stay with Him.  It is our choice.  Paul warns these people of Colosse that they must stay grounded and settled and not move away from the gospel which they have heard.  They are only reconciled to God as long as they cling to Christ.  Many folks want to believe it takes nothing on our part to remain faithful to God and go to Heaven, but God allows us to choose our destiny.  As long as we want to stay saved there is not enough devils in Hell to prevent us from doing so.  If we choose to rebel and refuse Him, He will allow our apostasy.  I don’t believe God will allow Satan to trick us out of our salvation; we can only fall away when we make a conscious choice to do so.

 

New American Standard Version of the Bible (to be used as a commentary only)

¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶ For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. ¹⁷ He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. ¹⁸ He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. ¹⁹ For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, ²⁰ and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven .
²¹ And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, ²² yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach— ²³ if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister .

 

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