FROM Isaiah we come back to the New Testament, and to the letter of Paul to the Colossians. A very brief introduction may be helpful. Colosse was a considerable city of Phrygia. It is not mentioned in Acts, as Paul did not personally visit there. The church in Colosse was established under the ministry of Epaphras (Colossians 1: 7). Paul wrote to the Colossians from prison around 62 AD around the same time as he wrote his letter to the Ephesians and the Philippians. It was written to correct the heresy being brought into the church from Jewish and Greek influence.

These opening verses shows Paul's joy in the testimony of Epaphras concerning the Colossians, and his thanksgiving for their faith, and tells of his prayer for them. These verses are commendation and pastoral concern before Paul gets on to the purpose of his letter.

VERSES 1-2.

These two verses contain a familiar greeting and salutation common to most of Paul's letters. In verse 1 Paul gives his authority and credentials as an apostle. Verse 2 Paul speaks of the Christians in Colosse as holy and faithful and brothers in Christ. He closes his introduction, which is his greeting of grace and peace from God and our Lord Jesus Christ,

VERSES 1-6a.

Paul gives thanks for two things – for the Colossians faith in Jesus Christ, and for their love for all the saints. By saints Paul is speaking of all who have saving faith in Jesus, i.e. all true believers in Jesus. Paul then speaks of the foundation of such faith and love, which is the hope of heaven. This hope is the fruit of the Gospel. Those who believe enter into this hope.

Faith and love marks out a true Christian. The real Christian has firm faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour, sin-bearer and Lord, and is marked by the evidence of being in the family of God by loving other Christians. The hope is in the certainty in Christ of the blessings stored up for us in heaven, which causes us the forsake the world for Christ.

VERSES 6b-8. In these verses Paul speaks of the blessing produced by the faithful preaching of the Gospel. The fruit is people being saved from their sin, and putting their trust in Christ as Saviour, causing the church of God to grow in numbers and strength. Paul indicates that Christians and churches grow by the faithful preaching of the Gospel.

Epaphras was a faithful minister because he preached the Gospel, the word of God, in Colosse. His preaching was the means God, by the operation of the Spirit, had brought the Colossians into salvation, producing this love for Christ and other believers.

VERSES 9-11.

Paul tells the Colossians he was praying for them, and tells them why, and the substance of his prayer.

Paul prays that the Colossians may be filled with the knowledge of God's will. Only with such knowledge can any Christian live and grow in their Christian life, for living the Christian life is living in the will of God. Paul prays for this knowledge because he wants the Colossians to live a life worthy of Christ through whom they have been saved from their sin for heaven.(v.10)

It is only by spiritual wisdom and understanding that we can live a life worthy of the Lord, and please God in every way, and bear fruit and grow, and be strengthened.

Spiritual wisdom is knowledge of the Bible and its teaching, and understanding what it says, that is understanding of the revelation in the Bible and how it applies to our lives and our living, and being able to live our lives accordingly. There is little progress, if any, in the Christian life unless it is built on the knowledge and understanding of God's Word. This shows how important it is for us to read and study our Bibles, and for the ministry of the church to be true and good exposition of the Word of God. The ministers first priority is to teaching the Word of God in season and out of season. It is by the Holy Spirit applying the teaching of the Bible that we are strengthened with the power of God.

VERSES 12-14. In these closing verses of our passage Paul gives thanks for the salvation God has given the Colossians and tells what this is. Salvation is being rescued from the kingdom of darkness, that is Satan's rule over all people in the world; and into the kingdom of Christ, which Paul also describes as the kingdom of light. It is God, through Christ, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of his kingdom of light, and he has done this through the redemption which he has achieved in and through Christ, which has made the blessing of forgiveness of sins possible.