1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf 8 and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.

9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

1:1-2: The common form of this genre (letter: epistle) begins with three elements: the sender, the recipients, and form of greeting (see introduction for authorship and historical context). An apostle is “an envoy who represents and possesses the authority of the one [Jesus] who sent him.” (Pao, 47) 

Grace is God’s unmerited favor—it’s something that we don’t deserve, can’t work for, or earn, and yet we are saved by grace (cf. Romans 3:20-24; 5:20-21; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-9; Titus 2:11-14; 3:7). Grace is freely given (but it cost Jesus his life). Peace is not merely the absence of violence or war, but rather, it carries the idea of completeness, wholeness, and harmony. Grace and peace are two blessings of the gospel. 

1:3-5: The triad in Colossians is faith, love, and hope (cf. Romans 5:1-5; 1 Corinthians 13:13; Galatians 5:5-6; Ephesians 4:2-5; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 5:8). Only faith in Christ can save us (not faith in morality, achievements, finances, philosophical movements, spiritual gurus). Perhaps the strength and enduring power of hope is that it never disappoints (cf. Romans 5:5). In brief, these verses demonstrate how Jesus reigns in the lives of his people (faith, love, hope).

1:5-6: The gospel is truth (cf. John 14:6: Jesus is the way, truth, and life). Pao observes: “Paul twice emphasizes ‘truth’…highlighting the contrast between the gospel and the message of the false teachers.” (54) According to Paul, the gospel was “bearing fruit [more people become Christ-followers] and increasing” [extending to different ethnicities and nations] —because “it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” (Romans 1:16) 

Jesus reigns in the gospel. Jesus is the gospel. The gospel is not Jesus + finances, Jesus + relationships, Jesus + a nice home, or Jesus + a career. The gospel is Jesus for sinners. The gospel is Jesus’ righteousness for our sinfulness (2 Corinthians 5:21).   

1:7: Epaphras (see introduction) is spoken of in glowing terms: “beloved fellow servant” and “faithful minister of Christ on your behalf.” All gospel partnerships need an Epaphras. 

1:9-14: Pathway has identified six characteristics for discipleship (PLATES). The “A” refers to aligning our wills with God and asking in prayer. In one sense, prayer is having a conversation with God: sharing, listening, submitting and embracing His will for our lives. In another sense, prayer is asking God as well. We ask God for grace, wisdom, power, and personal requests. 

Paul’s prayer for the church of Colossae provides a guideline for our churches. We should continually pray for (1) knowledge, wisdom, and understanding, (2) God glorifying lives, (3) spiritual fruit, (4) strength, endurance, and patience (with joy), and (5) a thankful heart. Jesus reigns in our prayer life when we pray for our disciples.    

It’s possible that Paul had the Exodus event/experience (Exodus 6:6-7; cf. 15:13; Deuteronomy 7:8; 9:26; 13:5; 15:15; 24:18; 2 Samuel 7:23/1 Chronicles 17:21; Nehemiah 1:10; Micah 6:4) in mind when he wrote that God “has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.” (1:13) If this was the case, it would provide a distinct way of understanding our redemption (slaves set free under the darkness of Pharaoh’s rule to worship and serve God).  

The word “redemption” carries the idea of a slave being purchased at a market. Metaphorically speaking, Jesus purchased us as slaves of sin (cf. John 8:34) with his life (his blood) in order to set us free so that we could freely worship and serve him (cf. Romans 3:24; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Galatians 3:3; 4:5; Ephesians 1:7; Titus 2:14; Hebrews 9:10-9:15; Revelation 14:3, 4). 

Jesus reigns in our salvation—we have been transferred from the darkness to the light and redeemed to worship and serve the Lord.

1. Paul gives thanks to God for the Colossians when he prays for them (v 3). This week, incorporate this prayer practice—whenever you pray for someone, give thanks to God for them too! 

2. Paul’s highlights the role of faith, love, and hope. Briefly discuss the importance of each. What happens when we have two of these traits but lack the third? (v 4)

3. How does Paul describe the gospel? (vs 5-6) 

4. What’s the significance of being “delivered…from the domain of darkness and transferred…to the kingdom of his beloved Son?” (v 13)

5. What does “redemption” mean? (v 14) Why is it important? Is there a way to experience our redemption? 

6. To what extent do you create opportunities to share the gospel? Explain.

7. How does Jesus reign in 1:1-14? How can these truths make a difference?