COLOSSIANS 1:1
The Bible says in Colossians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the
will of God, and Timotheus our brother. This verse identifies who is writing this epistle. Paul includes
Timothy as an equal co-worker. Paul called Timothy our brother. This shows us that Paul was inclusive
and generous, and that he was not at all competitive. It also shows that Paul
did everything that he could to see that other preachers were given help and
encouragement and opportunity in the ministry of the gospel. Evidently Paul
understood the truth of what Christ had said, The harvest is plenteous, but the laborers are few.
Paul said that he was an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will
of God. The word apostle means one who is sent forth. The twelve apostles were
sent forth by Jesus Christ to lay the foundation of the teachings of Christ and
to help spread the gospel of Christ. Of course, it goes without saying that
their message would always be centered around the person of Christ.
How did the twelve become apostles? How
many degrees did they earn from how many seminaries in order to become
qualified for this tremendous responsibility? Of course, having a degree from a
university was not Gods requirement. (Although in our day, it is important to
learn as much as you can.) The education of the apostles was the years they
spent learning from the Christ. The number one requirement to be an apostle was
to be chosen of God for that work. Paul was highly educated, but some of the
other apostles were not. Therefore, a certain level of education was not the
requirement. The requirement was simply to be called of God. If God calls you,
He will give you an opportunity to be trained. A few individuals were called to
be apostles, but most believers were not. One thing that motivates false
teachers is their arrogance. The false teachers want a position of leadership
to which they have not been called by God. Paul said that he was an apostle of
Jesus Christ by the will
of God. After becoming
saved, the most important thing in all the world is to know the will of God and
to do it. Jesus prayed to the Father, Not my will, but thine be done. And Jesus told everyone to pray, Thy will be done on earth as it is in
heaven. If you are not
certain that you are doing the will of God, then give up your own will, and
start praying for Gods will. And then after you have prayed for His will, believe that His will
is being done and live by faith.
Colossians 1:2 identifies the people to
whom Paul was writing. It says, 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.
Of course, Paul was writing to Christians. The teachings of the Bible are for
those who believe in Christ and who are followers of Christ. There is only one
teaching for those who are not saved: Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.
In Colossians 1:2 the physical location of
these believers is mentioned: the city of
Because believers are in Christ, we are saints and faithful brethren. The word saint
comes from the same word as holy. A saint is a holy person: holy because of
Christ. The righteousness of Christ has been credited to the account of every
believer. It is a false teaching that says that only some believers are saints.
Every believer is a saint in the eyes of God because every believer has been
forgiven and has been placed in
Christ. Of course, this came
by having faith in Christ; and so we are all called faithful brethren. We are brethren because we are members
of the same family: the family of God.
This introduction written by the Apostle
Paul is very much like a benediction. Paul wishes that grace and peace be unto these believers in Colosse. What
else do we need, if we have grace and peace? When we are given grace, God does
for us freely what we are not capable of doing or obtaining ourselves. If we
have this kind of grace, we will be able to do His will. If we have this kind
of grace, we will not be at the mercy of our own frailties and weaknesses. This
grace that comes through Christ is greater than all of our sins. We need grace
from God and we also need peace. If we have the peace of God in our hearts, we
will be able to endure any difficulty or tribulation. We will be able to face
anything without being troubled because we will rest in Him and we will know
that everything is in His hands. We will have peace because we will be full of
faith in the Lord and full of confidence that He is leading our every step.
In Colossians 1:2 the Bible says that
grace and peace come from
God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. God is our Father because He has given us life. But He gives
more than life: He also gives all of the things that are needed in life.
Nothing is needed more than grace and peace. If you do not have grace and
peace, you will not be able to properly face what life will bring your way.
Notice that grace and peace come from both the Father and from Jesus Christ.
This close connection between the Father and Jesus Christ is given here in the
introduction of Colossians for a reason. An emphasis is being made that Jesus
is God. The word Lord is another word for God. Only God is
Lord. The Lord is the Master. The Lord is the One who has all authority.
The Father and Jesus are mentioned
together again in the next verse. It says in Colossians 1:3, We give thanks to God and the Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you. Paul did not only give thanks to the Father, but Paul
also gave thanks to Jesus Christ. The giving of thanks is a prayer. Do you pray
to Jesus Christ? Do you give thanks to Jesus Christ as well as to the Father?
If you are of the same Spirit as the Apostle Paul, then you will give thanks to
Jesus Christ. You will pray to Jesus and say the same things to Jesus that you
say to God, because Jesus is God to the same degree that the Father is God.
In Colossians 1:4 only Jesus is mentioned
without mentioning the Father. It says, Since we heard of your faith in Jesus Christ, and of the love
which ye have to all the saints.
Everyone has heard of faith in God. If you believe, then you have faith in God.
What this verse is showing once again is that what is said of God, can also be
said of Jesus Christ. If you believe, then you have faith in Jesus Christ. The
One is interchangeable with the Other. When you say, God, you should be thinking of Jesus. Jesus is God manifest to man.
Knowing Christ is knowing God. Praying to Jesus is praying to God. Having faith
in Jesus is having faith in God. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the
life.
If you have true faith in Jesus Christ,
then you should also have changes in your life that result from trusting in
Christ. The most important result from trusting in Christ is to have love for
other Christians. Paul said that he had heard of the love which ye have to all the saints. Notice that it says love for all the saints. A true believer in Jesus should love all other Christians, and not just the ones in their own
denomination. Without love we are nothing. Our doctrines are of no value
without love. And after love for God and Christ, a Christian should love the
brotherhood. Your true family is your spiritual family and not your human
family. Too bad that more believers do not understand this truth.
The Bible says in Colossians 1:5, For the hope which is laid up for you in
heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel. This verse relates back to verse three
where Paul said, We give
thanks to God. Paul was
thankful for the hope
which is laid up for you in heaven. It is very important to be thankful for salvation and for
having a home in heaven. The most important thing for any human being is to go
to heaven. If you know that you are going to heaven, then no one can take that
from you. You can and you should be thankful to God every day for this home in
heaven.
In order to obtain heaven as a home, one
must believe in Christ. And in order to believe in Christ, one must hear the word of the truth of the gospel. Faith cometh by hearing. How shall they believe except they hear,
and how shall they hear except someone bring them the gospel? It says in Romans
Tell me the story of Jesus,
Write on my heart every word.
Tell me the story so precious,
Sweetest that ever was heard.
The Bible says concerning the gospel of
Christ in Colossians 1:6, Which
is come unto you, as it is in all the world, and bringeth forth fruit as it does also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and
knew the grace of God in truth.
When you have someone who preaches the gospel combined with someone who listens
to and receives the gospel, this is the result: fruit. It is important to have fruit. That means
that your life counts for something more than just human selfishness. God brought
you into this world for a purpose, but that purpose is being fulfilled only if
your life bears fruit for God. Once you hear the truth, if you respond properly
to the truth, then you will bear fruit. Jesus said in John 15:1-8, I am the vine, and my Father is the
husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit
he taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit,
he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me,
and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the
vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the
branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the
same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man
abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather
them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and
my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will,
and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much
fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
The Bible says in Colossians 1:7-8, As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of
Christ; Who also declared unto us your love in the spirit. Epaphras shows us something very
important about the Christian ministry. He was not a preacher as far as we
know, and yet he is called a
faithful minister. The word
minister refers to one who serves. If you are a
Christian who serves others, then you are a minister according to the Bible.
The idea of only calling preachers ministers is not Biblical. Epaphras did
things that were very important for the furtherance of the gospel, even if he
was not a preacher in the same sense that Paul was. God gives different
believers different gifts and callings. All are important. The Bible says in
First Corinthians 12:18, But
now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath please
him. It also says in First
Corinthians 12:28, And God
hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly
teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments,
diversities of tongues. It
appears that Epaphras had the spiritual gift of helps,
and evidently Paul valued greatly that gift that Epaphras put into use as a minister. Do not try to be an Apostle Paul if you are called to be
an Epaphras. One of the important factors in serving the Lord in this world is
to find out what your spiritual gifts are, and look for opportunities to
exercise those gifts. Each gift is important to Christ. He gave you the gift so
that you would exercise it. Do not try to exercise a gift that you do not have.
The Lord has work for each of us to do, and a calling for each of us to
fulfill. This work is the work of the Spirit, and so our spiritual gifts have
been given to us by the Spirit for His work. What a great Savior we serve. Not
only did He save us by grace, He also gifted each one of us for His service in
this world. Epaphras did not neglect his gift to serve. He was a faithful minister of Christ.
___________________________________________________
Copyright; 2007 by Charles
F. (Rick) Creech
All Rights Reserved