Paul began his letter with this salutation to introduce himself to his readers and to wish God's blessing on them.
1:1 Paul cited his apostolic calling and office to lend authority to what follows. "Paul"was the name the apostle used of himself in the Hellenistic-Roman world in place of his Jewish name, "Saul."
"Jews in the Greek-speaking areas took names which closely approximated to the sound of their Hebrew and Aramaic names, e.g. Silas:Silvanus; Jesus:Jason . . ."10
Timothy was not an official apostle but simply a Christian brother. He was with Paul when the apostle wrote this letter, though he was not a co-author (cf. 1:23-25, 29; 4:18, et al.).11Paul linked Timothy with himself in the introductions to 2 Corinthians, Philippians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon. He also mentioned Timothy in Romans, 1 Corinthians, and 1 and 2 Timothy. The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews also mentioned Timothy.
1:2 The Colossian believers were "saints"(Gr. hagios, those set apart to God) in their position and "faithful brethren"(Gr. pistis adelphois) in their practice. They lived in Colosse, a city located beside the Lycus River in the Lycus Valley in the geographical district called Phrygia. This district lay in the Roman province of Asia in western Asia Minor (modern Turkey). Colosse was about 100 miles east of Ephesus, 11 miles east of Laodicea, and 13 miles southeast of Hierapolis.
The "grace"(Gr. charis) of God is His unmerited favor and supernatural enablement. This word is very prominent in the New Testament occurring about 155 times, mostly in Paul's writings. God's "peace"is the inner confidence He gives.
"In general, the New Testament letters begin like the secular letters of the time. The formula used frequently was A to B, greetings' (cf. Acts 23:26; 15:23-29). There are, however, some significant differences. In the first place, the Christian salutations direct the readers' thought immediately to the work of God in behalf of men (cf. Col. 1:1-2). In the second place, the salutations frequently prepare for the letter by allusion to its major themes (cf. Rom. 1:1; 1 Cor. 1:2)."12
Paul gave thanks to God for his readers frequently. He told them so to enable them to appreciate the fact that he knew of their situation and rejoiced in their good testimony.
1:3-4 Whenever Paul and Timothy prayed for the Colossians they gave thanks to God for them.13
"Paul could have meant that every time he prayed he remembered his various churches. Perhaps he maintained the Jewish practice of prayer three times a day (cf. Dan. 6:11; Acts 3:1; Didache8:3), or perhaps he used the long hours of travel and of work in stitching to hold his churches before God (see also on 1:9 and 4:2)."14
Specifically Paul and Timothy rejoiced over the continuing demonstration of their trust in Christ as contrasted with their initial acceptance of Him as their Savior.15Furthermore the Colossians manifested self-sacrificing love for other Christians.
1:5-6 Third, Paul gave thanks for the hope of blessings ahead that his readers possessed but had not yet experienced. They demonstrated their hope in their living by presently manifesting faith (v. 4) and love (v. 8). The Colossians had heard of this hope when they had heard the gospel preached to them. Paul reminded his readers that the gospel had not come to them exclusively but was spreading through the whole world. Paul may have intended this reference to contrast the gospel with the exclusive message the false teachers in Colosse were trying to get the Christians to adopt. Paul further glorified the gospel message by referring to its dynamic power to change lives and to its uniquely gracious content (v. 6).
1:7-8 Epaphras had evangelized the Colossians.16Since then he had come to Rome and was now ministering to the apostle during his first Roman imprisonment (v. 7; cf. 4:12). It appears that Epaphras' bondage was in God's will, not in jail, with Paul (cf. Phile. 23). He had given Paul a good report of the Colossian Christians even though false teachers were trying to make inroads into the church. Paul mentioned him here to pass along some good word about their father in the faith and to associate Epaphras with himself. He probably did this so his readers would realize that the founder of their church shared the views Paul presented in this letter. This would have made them more persuasive to the Colossians.
The Holy Spirit had created love for Paul in the Colossians.17
"As in the other Pauline letters, the themes and language of the thanksgiving are echoed in the rest of the letter . . ."18
Paul told his readers that he prayed for their full perception and deepest understanding of God's will for them and for all believers. He did this so they would be able to glorify God in their conduct. He told them this to remind them that their understanding must come through the working of God's Spirit in them and that correct understanding is foundational to correct behavior.
1:9 In view of the Colossians' trust in Christ, Paul and his companions had been praying consistently for them. They had prayed both thanksgivings and petitions since they had heard of the Colossians' reception of the Word and their consequent love, which the Holy Spirit produced in them. Specifically they asked that God would give them full and exact knowledge of all His desires for them. The Greek word translated "knowledge"is epignosis. This word can mean either full knowledge or more precise knowledge.19Probably Paul prayed for greater knowledge in both respects. This word always describes moral and religious knowledge in the New Testament. Especially it refers to full and comprehensive knowledge of God's will that rests on the knowledge of God and of Christ.20Gnosis("knowledge") was a favorite term of the gnostic philosophers, and Paul undoubtedly had them in mind when he prayed for epignosisfor his readers.
The "will"(thelematos) of God is what God has revealed in His Word to be correct regarding both belief (faith) and behavior (works, morality; cf. 4:12; Acts 22:14; Rom. 12:2). In the broadest sense, the will of God is the whole purpose of God revealed in Christ.21
"For a theist who believes that God's active purpose determines the ordering of the world, lies behind events on earth, and shapes their consequences, one of the most desirable objectives must be to know God's will."22
This knowledge included wisdom (the broadest term covering the whole range of mental faculties) and understanding (how to apply wisdom in specific cases).
"Wisdom' and understanding' probably should not be treated separately but should be looked on as expressing a single thought, something like practical wisdom or clear discernment."23
This knowledge would come to them only by the illumination of the Holy Spirit ("spiritual wisdom"). The false teachers in Colosse were evidently promoting what they called a deeper knowledge attainable only by the privileged few.
"The false teachers promised the Colossian believers that they would be in the know' if they accepted the new doctrines. Words like knowledge, wisdom, and spiritual understandingwere a part of their religious vocabulary; so Paul used these words in his prayer."24
"The true antidote to heresy is always a deeper and richer knowledge of the truth concerning Jesus Christ."25
1:10-12a The goal of understanding God's will fully was that the Colossians would be able to live one day at a time in a manner that would glorify and please their Lord.26"Please"(Gr. aresko) refers to an attitude that anticipates every wish.
"In my pastoral ministry, I have met people who have become intoxicated with studying the deeper truths of the Bible.' Usually they have been given a book or introduced to some teacher's tapes. Before long, they get so smart they become dumb! The deeper truths' they discover only detour them from practical Christian living. Instead of getting burning hearts of devotion to Christ (Luke 24:32), they get big heads and start creating problems in their homes and churches. All Bible truths are practical, not theoretical. If we are growing in knowledge, we should also be growing in grace (2 Peter 3:18)."27
Four characteristics (each a present participle) mark this worthy walk (an aorist infinitive in the Greek text, vv. 10-12). First, it includes continuously bearing fruit in character and conduct in every type of good work (cf. Gal. 5:22-23). Second, it includes growing. Paul's idea was that the Christian can continue to grow in his knowledge of God's will revealed in Scripture. As he does so, he not only bears fruit but grows in his ability to bear fruit, as a fruit tree does.
"What rain and sunshine are to the nurture of plants, the knowledge of God is to the growth and maturing of the spiritual life."28
Third, it includes gaining strength manifested in steadfastness (endurance under trial, "the capacity to see things through"29), patience (longsuffering restraint), and joy (cf. Phil. 4:13; 2 Tim. 2:1). Fourth, it includes expressing gratitude to God consistently.
"There is s kind of patience that endures but does not enjoy.' Paul prayed that the Colossian Christians might experience joyfulpatience and longsuffering."30
Three causes for thankful gratitude follow in verses 12b-13.
1:12b-13 God qualifies the believer by His grace. He makes us heirs of an inheritance (cf. 1 Pet. 1:4).31The qualification to receive an inheritance took place at conversion, though actual possession of the inheritance is future. Second, He delivers us from Satan's domain (v. 13a). This, too, took place at conversion but will become more evident in the future. Third, He transferred us to Christ's kingdom (v. 13b). The verb translated "transferred"(metestesen) described the relocation of large groups of people such as captured armies or colonists from one country to another.32This kingdom is probably a reference to Christ's millennial kingdom rather than to the general sphere of God's rule.33Paul pictured it here (vv. 12-13) as a kingdom of light as opposed to Satan's domain of darkness.34The apostle probably used these figures because the false teachers in Colosse seem to have been promoting a form of Gnosticism that became very influential in the second century. Gnosticism made much of the light-darkness contrast in its philosophic system.35
1:14 Perhaps Paul explained redemption because the false teachers were redefining that term too. Redemption is a benefit of union with Christ (v. 13b). "Emancipation"expresses this aspect of Christ's work for us.
"The real redemption [apolutrosis, lit. ransoming away] needed by men is not a redemption from fate by gnostic aeons; it is a redemption from sin by a Divine-human Mediator."36
"Redemption and forgiveness are not exactly parallel or identical concepts, but by putting the two terms in apposition to each other, the apostle teaches that the central feature of redemption is the forgiveness of sins."37
This pericope contains a beautiful picture of Christian growth that is God's will for every believer. Paul alluded to the same concept later (2:7). The Christian grows more as a fruit tree than as a stalk of wheat. We do not just bear fruit and then die. We continue to grow in our ability to bear fruit as we increase in the knowledge of God. Each passing year should see both growth in the Christian's spiritual life and an increase in his or her fruitfulness.
