1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray
for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love
you have for all God’s people— 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope
stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the
true message of the gospel 6 that has come to you. In the same way, the
gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it
has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood
God’s grace. 7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is
a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, 8 and who also told us of your love
in the Spirit.
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped
praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of
his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10
so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way:
bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being
strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may
have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father,
who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the
kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have
redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
The Supremacy of the Son of God
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.16
For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have
been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him
all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church;he is
the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything
he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness
dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether
things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood,
shed on the cross.
21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your mind because
of] your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical
body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free
from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and
do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you
heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of
which I, Paul, have become a servant.
Paul’s Labor for the Church
24 Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is
still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is
the church. 25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to
present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26 the mystery that has been
kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s
people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the
glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all
wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. 29 To this
end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in
me.
Fun Fact:
Verses 15-20 were written as a poem! Paul goes on to reference this opening
poem throughout the letter. The poem is used as a tool meant to establish
and describe Jesus’ authority.
For these three questions, use a journal to write down your answers.
1. Having never met the church in Colossae, Paul knows their reputation. He
thanks God and encourages their exemplary model of faith, love, and hope.
If someone who had never met you heard only the best things about you,
what words do you think would be used to describe you?
2. Paul prays for the Colossians to receive knowledge and wisdom, to be
strengthened with endurance and patience. What do you need to grow in
your spiritual life? List them here and ask someone to pray God gives you
them. (hint: fill out a prayer card at the response moment stations, and/or
head to the prayer banners at the end of Sunday experiences!)
3. Paul says he rejoices in his suffering. What kinds of thoughts or emotions
come up for you when you read that? Can you remember a time when you
chose joy in a hard circumstance?