Christ Preeminence is Detailed to the Colossians Volume 1

Paul Greets the Saints in the Church @ Colosse

Colossians 1:1-2 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother, To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. KJV

The Apostle Paul (according to most Biblical Historians and Bible Scholars) had never once visited the Church @ Colosse, but you cannot hear any hint of that fact in this opening greeting Paul gives to these believers in Colosse. Paul begins by stating who he is and why, “Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother” (Colossians 1:1) (KJV). Let us once again refresh our memories of what the English word Apostle truly means, it is translated by the Greek word apostolos which means a delegate; specifically an ambassador of the Gospel; officially a commissioner of Christ, (one with miraculous powers): - Apostle, messenger, he that is sent. The Apostle Paul was just like those who witnessed our Lord Jesus Christ after His Resurrection when He appeared to them many times talking with them, eating with them, and fellowshipping with them for many days before His ascension into Heaven. Paul saw and spoke to the Resurrected Glorified Lord Jesus Christ and was commissioned directly by Him for his particular mission of being an Apostle and to go primarily to the Gentile Nations of the world as Paul declared of himself with these words written to the Church @ Rome, “For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an Apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry” (Romans 11:13) (NKJV).

Paul also here declares that he is an Apostle by “the will” of God and this little English phrase is translated by one Greek word thelema meaning a determination (properly the thing), that is, (actively) choice (specifically purpose, decree; abstractly volition) or (passively) inclination: - desire, pleasure, will. In other words, this man Saul (at the time of his encounter with Christ) was going about to hurt our Lord Jesus Christ by hurting the individual and collective parts of His Body the Church, but God the Father had already purposed, prepared, and positioned Saul to become Paul and care for, comfort, and construct His Church in the Gentile Nations as Paul later would declare with these words this very design of God to the Galatian believers, “But I make known to you, brethren, that the Gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the Church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were Apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.” (Galatians 1:11-17) (NKJV).

Paul includes Brother Timothy in this greeting as he was with Paul in Rome at the time of the writing of this letter to the Colossians and also he had been with Paul in his first tour through Phrygia, in which Colosse was located and perhaps was also the scribe for Paul in the actual writing of this letter to the Church at Colosse. Note: “Neither, probably, had seen the Colossian Church (compare Colossians 2:1); but had seen, during their tour through Phrygia, individual Colossians, as Epaphras, Philemon, Archippus, and Apphia (Philemon 1:2), who when converted brought the Gospel to their native city.” (JFB Commentary). Paul greets them even as he has in some of his other letters of the Churches that he founded by the preaching of the Gospel as saints, brethren, “To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Colossians 1:2) (KJV). Let us once again refresh ourselves as to what the English word saint means, it is translated by the Greek word hagios which means sacred (physically pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially consecrated): - (most) holy (one, thing), saint. The definition for us as saints is both literal and figurative meaning that we as Christians are figuratively morally blameless, holy, and pure, but literally we still sin, however, the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ keeps on continually washing away our sins as we confess them to Him as the Apostle John declares with these words, “If we say we have no sin [refusing to admit that we are sinners], we delude {and} lead ourselves astray, and the Truth [which the Gospel presents] is not in us [does not dwell in our hearts]. If we [freely] admit that we have sinned {and} confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action].” (1 John 1:8-9) (Amplified Bible).

Note: “‘Saints’-a word that has been woefully misapplied both by the Church and the world. The former has given it as a special honor to a few, and ‘decorated’ with it mainly the possessors of a false ideal of sanctity-that of the ascetic and monastic sort. The latter uses it with a sarcastic intonation, as if it implied much cry and little wool, loud professions and small performance, not without a touch of hypocrisy and crafty self-seeking. Saints are not people living in cloisters after a fantastic ideal, but men and women immersed in the vulgar work of everyday life and worried by the small prosaic anxieties which fret us all, who amidst the whirr of the spindle in the mill, and the clink of the scales on the counter, and the hubbub of the market place and the jangle of the courts, are yet living lives of conscious devotion to God. The root idea of the word, which is an Old Testament word, is not moral purity, but separation to God. The holy things of the old covenant were things set apart from ordinary use for His service. So, on the high priest’s mitre was written Holiness to the Lord. So the Sabbath was kept ‘holy,’ because set apart from the week in obedience to Divine command. Sanctity, and saint, are used now mainly with the idea of moral purity, but that is a secondary meaning. The real primary signification is separation to God. Consecration to Him is the root from which the white flower of purity springs most surely. There is a deep lesson in the word as to the true method of attaining cleanness of life and spirit. We cannot make ourselves pure, but we can yield ourselves to God and the purity will come.” (Expositor’s Bible Commentary).

Paul calls them “faithful” brethren at Colosse and this English word faithful is translated by the Greek word pistos which means objectively trustworthy; subjectively trustful: - believing, or believer, faithful, sure, or true. Despite Paul having never visited this Church in person, he had been made aware of their faithfulness to Christ and to His Gospel by others and their word to Paul was more than enough for him to greet these brethren as if he had known and fellowshipped with them for many years as he had done so with Timothy and Dr. Luke. Paul then bids them grace and peace from God the Father and God the Son. Paul wishes them grace and peace, the free favor of God and all the blessed fruits of it; every kind of spiritual blessings in heavenly places, and that all being from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ; jointly from both, and distinctly from each; as he does in practically every one of his epistles.

“If this opening clause were to be paraphrased it would be: I speak to you because God has sent me. I am not an Apostle by my own will, nor by my own merit. I am not worthy to be called an Apostle. I am a poor sinner like yourselves, and it is a miracle of love and mercy that God should put His words into such lips. But He does speak through me; my words are neither mine nor learned from any other man, but His. Never mind the cracked pipe through which the Divine breath makes music, but listen to the music.” Expositor’s Bible Commentary

“All this may be ours. Paul could only wish it for these Colossians. We can only long for it for our dearest. No man can fulfil his wishes or turn them into actual gifts. Many precious things we can give, but not peace. But our brother, Jesus Christ, can do more than wish it. He can bestow it, and when we need it most, He stands ever beside us, in our weakness and unrest, with His strong arm stretched out to help, and on His calm lips the old words ‘My grace is sufficient for thee,’ ‘My peace I give unto you.’” Expositor’s Bible Commentary

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…