Colossians 1 Study Notes

1:16 Christ is supreme over creation because he is the Creator. Paul’s mention of thrones . . . dominions . . . rulers, and authorities may refer to four classes of angelic beings (possibly directing human affairs). This may be a corrective against the false teaching promoting the worship of angels (2:18). Thus Paul asserted the supremacy of Christ over all creation because all things were created through him and for him.

1:17 All things refers to everything created (v. 16). The preposition before most likely is a temporal reference to the preexistence of Christ before creation. The phrase by him all things hold together presents Christ as the one who sustains all creation.

1:18 Paul used the word head in both a literal and metaphorical sense (2:10,19). Literally “head” implies authority, rule, and supreme rank. Metaphorically, it plays on the imagery of Christ’s relationship to the church as head of the body (1Co 12:12-27; Eph 1:22; 4:15; 5:23). He is the head because he is the beginning and the firstborn from the dead. The parallel language to the creation (v. 15) identifies the church as part of the new creation that was inaugurated with the resurrection of Christ. His resurrection resulted in the fulfillment of God’s purpose for Christ that he might come to have first place in everything.

1:19-20 God was pleased that his fullness, the entirety of God’s being, would dwell in the Son. Thus Jesus was fully divine as well as fully human. God took pleasure in this because, through Christ, God would reconcile (reestablish a right relationship) all things to himself on the cross (cp. Rm 5:11; 2Co 5:19).

1:21 Paul explained the need for reconciliation to God by appealing to the Colossian believers’ spiritual condition before their salvation. Before they heard the gospel they were alienated from God. Corrupt thinking results in immoral behavior, which in turn produces more wrong thinking and further estrangement from God.

1:22 Paul contrasted the Colossian believers’ former life with their current salvation. The reference to Jesus’s physical body highlights his humanity, whereas v. 19 expresses his divinity. The purpose of this reconciliation is so that believers may be presented holy, faultless, and blameless before him instead of being “hostile in your minds” and practicing “evil actions” (v. 21).

1:23 The only way believers will be presented holy, faultless, and blameless is if they do not abandon their faith in Christ as presented in the gospel. Faith refers to the content of the gospel with Jesus as the object (vv. 4,23; 2:5,7,12). Paul warned the believers at Colossae about their adoption of syncretistic beliefs that perverted the true message of the gospel, subsequently abolishing their hope (v. 5).

1:24 Paul rejoiced in his sufferings (Rm 8:18; 2Co 1:5; Gl 5:24; Php 3:10) because they benefited the church. By suffering Paul was completing in his flesh what was lacking in Christ’s afflictions. This enigmatic phrase cannot mean that something was lacking in Christ’s atoning work (v. 20). Rather, Paul’s sufferings benefited the church by promoting the spread of the gospel.

1:25 God’s commission (Eph 1:10; 3:2,9) pertains to God’s plan for Gentiles to receive salvation and to share in the inheritance of God’s people. Paul’s role was to make this message fully known (see note at v. 9).

1:26 The term mystery (cp. v. 27; 2:2; 4:3; Rm 11:25; Eph 1:9; 3:3-9) refers to something that was previously hidden in God’s plan but has now been revealed. Here it relates to the inclusion of the Gentiles into the people of God.

1:27 The words glorious and wealth jointly connote the wonder and blessings associated with this mystery. In you could mean “among you,” or, more likely, refer to Christ’s indwelling of believers (Rm 8:10; 2Co 13:5; Gl 2:20; Eph 3:17).

1:28 The words warning and teaching express the manner of their proclamation, which is further characterized as being in keeping with all wisdom. The purpose of this ongoing ministry was to present everyone mature in Christ in correspondence with Christ’s purpose in reconciliation (v. 22).

1:29 Paul viewed his work along the same lines as Christ’s work of purifying and maturing the church. This was not something that Paul accomplished in his own strength but in conjunction with the work of Christ operating in him.