COLOSSIANS
Chapter 1, Verses 13-17
Jesus Did It All!
(8-28-16)
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Review: “Paul’s Prayer For You!”
Colossians 1:10-12) [KJV] That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
QUESTION: What did Paul desire for/pray for these Colossian believers in vs. 9-10?
* He wanted them to understand God’s will in a way that affected their wisdom and understanding of Spiritual things.
* He wanted their love for God to be reflected in their conduct; he wanted them to want to live right because they loved God.
* He wanted their love for people to be reflected in doing good works to help those people.
* He wanted them to know more about God, and to know God better.
11) Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
QUESTION: What did Paul desire for/pray for these Colossian believers in vs. 11?
* He wanted them to be strong in the Lord.
* He wanted them to understand that strength comes to them from God’s power.
* He wanted them to walk in this strength that comes from God so that they would experience patience in difficult times that would enable them to keep on keeping on.
* He wanted them to experience joy in every situation.
12) Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
QUESTION: What did Paul desire for/pray for these Colossian believers in vs. 12?
* He wanted them to give thanks, in any and every situation they face, rather good or bad, to God for counting them worthy to inherit the Kingdom of God.
* He wanted them to know that God has promised them Heaven.
This Week’s Lesson: “Jesus Did It All!”
Colossians 1:13-17) [KJV] 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:
QUESTION: How did God make us fit for/worthy of Heaven?
ANSWER: He forgave our sins! There’s no forgiveness of sins over in the realm of “the power of darkness,” so He rescued us from that realm and brought us into the realm of “the kingdom of his dear Son.” Forgiveness lives there!
Regarding this verse,
“Omit through His blood” [Vincent].
NOTE: In the original the term “through his blood” is not in this verse according to most commentators and translators. However, even though it is not in this verse a similar verse does have it:
Ephesians 1:7) [KJV] In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
NOTE: Obviously the doctrine of our redemption being a product of His shedding His blood is taught throughout the New Testament; and it’s also taught through the types and shadows of the Old Testament.
QUESTION: Verse 14 says we have been redeemed [KJV]/set free [GNB]. What does that mean?
“redemption” – “1) a releasing effected by payment of ransom; 1a) redemption, deliverance; 1b) liberation procured by the payment of a ransom” [Thayer].
ANSWER: Jesus paid our ransom. The devil no longer has a claim on our lives that will stand up in the courtroom of Heaven.
NOTE: Christian freedom means we are forgiven! There is no freedom where there is no forgiveness. If we don’t feel forgiven, then we don’t feel like free people.
15) Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Hebrews 1:3) [KJV] Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Philippians 2:6) [KJV] Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
(ERV) He was like God in every way, but he did not think that his being equal with God was something to use for his own benefit.
John 14:9) [KJV] Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
QUESTION: What is Paul telling us in verse 15?
ANSWER: He is introducing his readers to Jesus! He is telling them Who Jesus, the One they have placed their faith in, really is.
QUESTION: Who is Jesus really?
ANSWER: He is someone Who is very much God; He is, as the incarnate One, in every way like the God we cannot see. And, He is “the first-born Son” of God; and thus, He is superior to every created thing.
QUESTION: What do these other verses tell us?
ANSWER: Jesus is exactly like God, the Father, in every way! He is currently “sustaining the universe with his powerful word.” He is holding everything together through the very words He speaks! He “always had the nature of God,” but He willingly laid aside His rightful place in the Heavens so He could come to earth to save us. Jesus is in every way God; therefore if we’ve seen Him we’ve seen the Father!
NOTE: What the Father loves, Jesus loves! What the Father wants, Jesus wants! What the Father does, Jesus does! There is not the slightest variance in character between the Father and His Son!
“the firstborn of every creature” – “we must carefully avoid any suggestion that Christ was the first of created things, which is contradicted by the following words: in Him were all things created.” – “The true sense is, born before the creation” [Vincent].
NOTE: Vincent is not suggesting in his above note that Jesus was born and therefore had a beginning, but quite the opposite; he’s telling us that Jesus existed before all other things were made. He stresses that Jesus is eternal.
16) For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
John 1:1-3) [KJV] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2) The same was in the beginning with God.
3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
“made” – “1) to become, i.e. to come into existence, begin to be, receive being” [Vincent].
NOTE: John proves the eternal existence of Jesus to all who believe the Bible to be the infallible Word of God. Jesus could not have “come into existence” because He “made”/“called into existence” everything that was “made”/“called into existence.” In other words, absolutely everything that wasn’t eternally there had to appear; had to be created; had to be called into existence. Jesus is the One Who did that. If it wasn’t always there then it had to be “made.” It had to be called into existence. Jesus called everything into existence that wasn’t always there; therefore, He had to be always there.
ANSWER: He literally holds everything in the universe together.
17) And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
(NAS) And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
Hebrews 1:3) [KJV] Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
“Here is a simple explanation of a profound scientific problem. Scientists grapple to discover what holds molecules together. We learn here that Jesus Christ is the great Sustainer, and He does it by His powerful word [BBC].