The church in Colosse was founded by one of Paul’s converts called Epaphras. It is believed that Paul had never personally visited but became aware of the false doctrine introduced into the church. He was writing to the gentile Christians, who were considered to be mixing Christian doctrine with that of Jewish Legalism and Oriental Mysticism. The purpose of his letter was to warn the believers and ensure that they were settled or secure in their walk with Christ (Wiersbe, 1991). In this post, I will attempt to explore Colossians 1:1-14 and see what that might mean for believers today who are practically walking out of their Christian faith.
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,
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.
3 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,
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;
6 Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:
7 As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;
8 Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.
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;
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;
11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins
(KJV,1987, Colossians 1:1-14).
Paul started off his letter by greeting the Church at Colosse. He noted that he was thankful for their faith in Christ and was constantly praying on their behalf. In verse 4 he said that they had demonstrated great evidence of their faith in God by the love they showed towards each other. He reminded them in verse 5 of the hope they had stored up in heaven because they had received the gospel’s truth. He noted that the word had begun to bear fruit in their lives upon hearing it. The point is that to walk out our calling effectively there is a necessity for constant prayer and fellowship with each other.
karsten-winegeart-muQAJkvVLm8-unsplash.jpg
Knowing his will
Paul reiterated in verse 9 that he was in continual prayer for them, not only for them to be saved but also full of the knowledge of God’s will. He believed that it was important for the believers to attain wisdom and spiritual understanding to please the Lord effectively. He wanted them to know that they should not stop short of where they were but to also understand that there are other levels to attain in Christ. His desire was for them to understand that it was possible to be filled with God’s knowledge whereby one gains a deeper understanding of what he desires.
Why does one need to know his will?
In verse 10 he encouraged the Colossians to walk worthy of the Lord which would suggest that he wanted them to grasp the fact that they were in a very unique, notable and valuable position of having Christ as their Saviour. He wanted them to cherish and value this position. He also wanted their everyday lives to reflect this awareness. He believed that it was important for the believers to fully know God’s will. According to Paul, this was important for them to live out their Christian life in a way that was pleasing to the Lord. This would enable them to be fruitful in their lives and increase their knowledge of God.
What does it mean to be pleasing?
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word pleasing means, “The giving of pleasure or satisfaction; the fact of being pleased or satisfied; gratification, satisfaction (Oxford University Press,2024).”
So for Paul, their entire lives should bring pleasure and satisfaction to the Lord. Jesus even said,’’ If you love me keep my commandments (KJV, 1987, John 14;15).’’ Jesus knew that it was impossible to truly love without obedience. Paul was therefore concerned that the Colossians had lost focus and were entertaining other religious practices. He knew that they could not effectively please God unless they were certain of what was expected. It is also important for us in our relationship with God.
How should we be?
In verse 11, Paul hoped that the believers would be strengthened and empowered by God’s supernatural power, a sort of divine enabling. His hope for them was that they would gain patience despite any suffering or troubles they may endure. Also, that they would embrace their spiritual walk with joyfulness.
Paul noted in verse 12 that the believers should give thanks unto God acknowledging that he had made them fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints. He also pointed out in verse 13 that they had been delivered from darkness and had been transferred into the light. Paul was reiterating to them that they had been transformed but that, that ought to be an ongoing process. They needed to continue to have the desire to seek after God’s will.
Although Paul was writing to the church at Colosse his message is still relevant today. It is important as believers to ensure that our lives are lived in a manner that gives pleasure and satisfaction to the Lord. It is also important that we strive to be filled with the knowledge of his will for our lives both on a personal level and also as the Body of Christ. Acknowledging that through the work of salvation, we have been delivered from darkness. The responsibility now is to seek after the truth which is laid out in his word for all believers to obey. The key is to ensure that we do not get distracted by what is happening around us.
References
1.King James Version.(1987) Biblegateway.com/ https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians%201%3A1-14&version=KJV
2.Oxford University Press. (2024). Pleasing. Oxford English Dictionary. Retrieved July 5, 2024, from https://www.oed.com/search/dictionary/?scope=Entries&q=pleasing
3. Wiersbe, W.W. (1991) Nelson’s Quick Reference: Chapter by Chapter Bible Commentary. Nashville, Tennessee. Thomas Nelson, Inc.
