(Colossians Part 1): The Believer's Perfection in Christ. Written for the Christians in the city of Colossae, and written to combat the many heresies of Jewish Gnosticism. The focus of Colossians is the completeness of a person who is in Christ.
Colossians 1:2 - 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.
Verse 2 starts out by saying to the saints and faithful brethren. In the Greek text, the word saints and faithful make reference to the same people. There's only one definite article that goes with both phrases. A saint is a word that designates position, not performance. A saint is somebody who has been set apart from sin and set apart for Christ.
Faithful is a word associated with Christians and is part of their title to be of the faith. They are faithful because they are under the hearing of faith. And they are the saints and faithful brethren, family members, in Christ, their spiritual position, and then their geographical position, which are at Colossae:
The salutation: He says Grace to you. Notice the word "be" is in italics. He's not wishing grace upon them. It's a statement of fact. Grace is towards you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace is the common greeting to the Greeks, and peace is the common greeting to the Hebrews.
Colossians 1:8 - Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.
That last phrase "in the Spirit," in the Greek text, it's just in Spirit. The emphasis is on two things. First, he's talking about spiritual love, not human love. Secondly, he's talking about love that is produced by the Spirit of God in the spirit realm, again, human beings not being the source.
When a person is moved by God's love, it is spiritual. It's not human effort. It's produced by God. It is AGAPE love, the love that can only be produced by God's Spirit.
Colossians 1:12 - Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
Giving thanks unto the Father, and all of these participles are coming under the phrase "that you might walk worthy of the Lord." What does it mean to live a life that represents what we believe?
He's got four participles that explains it, continually bearing fruit, continually increasing in the knowledge of God, continually being empowered for endurance and longsuffering, and continually giving thanks unto the Father.
Which hath made us meet, and the word meet means qualified. He has made us sufficient to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Isn't that great! God qualified me. I'm not qualified. He qualified me to the cleansing and forgiveness of my sins through His Son Jesus Christ. Thanks to the Father.
Colossians 1:13 - Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
If you're saved, you have been delivered from the power of darkness. And He has translated, or transferred us into the kingdom of His dear Son:
The word dear is the word love. It is literally translated into the kingdom of the Son of His love. He did two things for us. He delivered us from the power of darkness, and He transferred us right into the kingdom of Christ. We now function in the spiritual realm and kingdom of Christ.
Colossians 1:11 - Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
Now Verse 11 doesn't look like it says it, but the word strengthen is also a Present Participle. In fact, it's the word empowered, with all power. So being continually empowered with all power, according to his glorious power, and that's the word KRATOS which means grip. For all patience and longsuffering with joy;
So, the power and the continually being empowered is actually two things. For all patience: that's the word endurance. The King James uses the word patience for remaining under circumstances. That's what HUPOMENO or endurance means. It means to remain under. It's a major word in the Christian vocabulary. God gives us the power and the grace to remain under, not to escape.
And secondly, longsuffering. That's patience towards people. MAKROTHUMIA means to be slow in human reaction toward other people. Being empowered with all power, according to His glorious power, for all endurance, and for all longsuffering accompanied by joy. Joyfulness is literally the word joy. And that's the Greek word for satisfaction.
Colossians 1:10 - That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
The word worthy means balanced. It's the name for the balance scales down at the marketplace. If you wanted to buy something, you would put the item on one side, and then you would put enough money on the other side until the scales balanced and that's how much the item costs.
So, what he's saying is live your life that's worthy of pleasing the Lord. If you want to please the Lord, and you belong to the Lord, then walk a life that's balanced. You don't say I want to please the Lord and then do whatever you want to do!
Then he gives us several prepositions coming off of that you might walk worthy of the Lord. He explains this. Being fruitful in every good work. That's the first one. The word good is AGATHOS and that's spiritual good. Being continually fruitful in every good work. Secondly, and increasing in the full knowledge of God; These participles show continuous processes. Continually bearing fruit in the work of the Lord. Continually increasing in the full knowledge of God.
Colossians 1:9 - 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;
For this cause we also, since the day we heard of it, we do not cease to pray for you, and to desire, and it's interesting, here's two things:
First of all, that you might be filled with the full knowledge of his will. Notice how I translated the word knowledge. It has a preposition with it in the Greek text that means full knowledge. That you might be filled with the full knowledge of His will, found in two ways: in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
Spiritual goes with both wisdom and understanding. These two words is just what it means, you understand what the bible, or what God's word is teaching. Wisdom is applying it to everyday life. And I don't mean that in the sense of practice. I mean that we can know the truths of God's word, but not see it, realize it, or know it in everyday life.
The things that we study in that book that is called God's word, those are words on a page that are describing what's happening in life that we can't see. So, if we wrap our minds around the book, that's great. But if we have a personal relationship with a book, and that's all we have, that's trouble!
The bible is teaching us spiritual truth. And when we're able to read God's word and be able to see that truth, understand that truth, realize that truth, and experience that truth in everyday life even though you can't see it, that's the purpose of the word of God, that you might be filled with the full knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.
(Colossians Part 1): The Believer's Perfection in Christ. Written for the Christians in the city of Colossae, and written to combat the many heresies of Jewish Gnosticism. The focus of Colossians is the completeness of a person who is in Christ.
Colossians 1:2 - 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.
Verse 2 starts out by saying to the saints and faithful brethren. In the Greek text, the word saints and faithful make reference to the same people. There's only one definite article that goes with both phrases. A saint is a word that designates position, not performance. A saint is somebody who has been set apart from sin and set apart for Christ.
Faithful is a word associated with Christians and is part of their title to be of the faith. They are faithful because they are under the hearing of faith. And they are the saints and faithful brethren, family members, in Christ, their spiritual position, and then their geographical position, which are at Colossae:
The salutation: He says Grace to you. Notice the word "be" is in italics. He's not wishing grace upon them. It's a statement of fact. Grace is towards you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace is the common greeting to the Greeks, and peace is the common greeting to the Hebrews.
Colossians 1:8 - Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.
That last phrase "in the Spirit," in the Greek text, it's just in Spirit. The emphasis is on two things. First, he's talking about spiritual love, not human love. Secondly, he's talking about love that is produced by the Spirit of God in the spirit realm, again, human beings not being the source.
When a person is moved by God's love, it is spiritual. It's not human effort. It's produced by God. It is AGAPE love, the love that can only be produced by God's Spirit.
Colossians 1:12 - Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
Giving thanks unto the Father, and all of these participles are coming under the phrase "that you might walk worthy of the Lord." What does it mean to live a life that represents what we believe?
He's got four participles that explains it, continually bearing fruit, continually increasing in the knowledge of God, continually being empowered for endurance and longsuffering, and continually giving thanks unto the Father.
Which hath made us meet, and the word meet means qualified. He has made us sufficient to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Isn't that great! God qualified me. I'm not qualified. He qualified me to the cleansing and forgiveness of my sins through His Son Jesus Christ. Thanks to the Father.
Colossians 1:13 - Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
If you're saved, you have been delivered from the power of darkness. And He has translated, or transferred us into the kingdom of His dear Son:
The word dear is the word love. It is literally translated into the kingdom of the Son of His love. He did two things for us. He delivered us from the power of darkness, and He transferred us right into the kingdom of Christ. We now function in the spiritual realm and kingdom of Christ.
Colossians 1:11 - Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
Now Verse 11 doesn't look like it says it, but the word strengthen is also a Present Participle. In fact, it's the word empowered, with all power. So being continually empowered with all power, according to his glorious power, and that's the word KRATOS which means grip. For all patience and longsuffering with joy;
So, the power and the continually being empowered is actually two things. For all patience: that's the word endurance. The King James uses the word patience for remaining under circumstances. That's what HUPOMENO or endurance means. It means to remain under. It's a major word in the Christian vocabulary. God gives us the power and the grace to remain under, not to escape.
And secondly, longsuffering. That's patience towards people. MAKROTHUMIA means to be slow in human reaction toward other people. Being empowered with all power, according to His glorious power, for all endurance, and for all longsuffering accompanied by joy. Joyfulness is literally the word joy. And that's the Greek word for satisfaction.
Colossians 1:10 - That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
The word worthy means balanced. It's the name for the balance scales down at the marketplace. If you wanted to buy something, you would put the item on one side, and then you would put enough money on the other side until the scales balanced and that's how much the item costs.
So, what he's saying is live your life that's worthy of pleasing the Lord. If you want to please the Lord, and you belong to the Lord, then walk a life that's balanced. You don't say I want to please the Lord and then do whatever you want to do!
Then he gives us several prepositions coming off of that you might walk worthy of the Lord. He explains this. Being fruitful in every good work. That's the first one. The word good is AGATHOS and that's spiritual good. Being continually fruitful in every good work. Secondly, and increasing in the full knowledge of God; These participles show continuous processes. Continually bearing fruit in the work of the Lord. Continually increasing in the full knowledge of God.
Colossians 1:9 - 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;
For this cause we also, since the day we heard of it, we do not cease to pray for you, and to desire, and it's interesting, here's two things:
First of all, that you might be filled with the full knowledge of his will. Notice how I translated the word knowledge. It has a preposition with it in the Greek text that means full knowledge. That you might be filled with the full knowledge of His will, found in two ways: in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
Spiritual goes with both wisdom and understanding. These two words is just what it means, you understand what the bible, or what God's word is teaching. Wisdom is applying it to everyday life. And I don't mean that in the sense of practice. I mean that we can know the truths of God's word, but not see it, realize it, or know it in everyday life.
The things that we study in that book that is called God's word, those are words on a page that are describing what's happening in life that we can't see. So, if we wrap our minds around the book, that's great. But if we have a personal relationship with a book, and that's all we have, that's trouble!
The bible is teaching us spiritual truth. And when we're able to read God's word and be able to see that truth, understand that truth, realize that truth, and experience that truth in everyday life even though you can't see it, that's the purpose of the word of God, that you might be filled with the full knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.
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