February 20 Daily Discovery - Read Colossians Chapter 1

This passage below is from the King James Version (ekjv.org).  

Remarks from the Berean Fellowship follow the passage below.

[1] Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,
[2] 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.
[3] We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
[4] Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,
[5] For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;
[6] Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:
[7] As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;
[8] Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.
[9] For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
[10] That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
[11] Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
[12] Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
[13] 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:
[15] Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
[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:
[17] And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
[18] And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
[19] For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
[20] And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
[21] And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
[22] In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
[23] If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
[24] Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:
[25] Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
[26] Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
[27] To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
[28] Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
[29] Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

Translated into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ

This letter, as well as all of the New Testament was written before the second coming of Jesus Christ, and therefore before the establishment of the promised physical Kingdom (1,000 year reign mentioned in Revelation 20).

However the kingdom of Jesus Christ actually began with the birth of the King. The king was not ruling but He was here, that is why Herod tried to kill Him.  He was born the King of the Jews.

When the Jews had delivered Jesus to Pilate to have Him questioned, Pilot asked him directly, "Are you a king?" Jesus told him "My kingdom is not of this world or my followers would not have allowed the Jewish rulers to have captured Me, but NOW my kingdom is not of this world". (Within about a generation, it would be) . During his earthly ministry, Jesus said such things as: "the kingdom is in your midst", "the kingdom is at hand", and "the kingdom has come to you".

Jesus Christ was already the King of kings and the Lord of lords and He always will be, and His kingdom will never end.

Thankfulness for the Colossians Faith

Paul and his associates continually prayed for the Colossians, always giving thanks for them coming to faith and expressing the love of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.  

They were filled with hope and fruitfulness.

Prayer for the Colossians Growth and Endurance

This was a good start, but Paul was continually praying for them to continue to grow and to endure to the end. Tough times were coming and their faith would be tested. Paul and his associates were praying for them to abide in Christ - to continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel. 

Deliverance and Translation

We have been delivered from the power of darkness, and translated into the kingdom of His dear Son.

When we believe on Christ, we become a part of His kingdom. His kingdom never ends and every time another person repents and believes the gospel, His kingdom grows! We're not waiting for someday for His kingdom, we are in it now, we are a part of it now, we walk in it now. We are in an ever-darkening world, but we walk in light.

Eph. 5:1-11

[1] Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
[2] And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
[3] But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
[4] Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
[5] For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
[6] Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
[7] Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
[8] For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
[9] (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
[10] Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
[11] And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

The Fullness of Salvation and the Fullness of Christ

We have been completely and permanently saved because of the blood of Jesus Christ we are forgiven and redeemed. The fullness of salvation is ours. Our Savior embodies the fullness of God. Jesus said if you have seen Me you have seen the Father, and He told his disciples that He was going away, but that He would come back for them when He was referring to the Holy Spirit!

Col. 2:5-10

[5] For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.
[6] As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
[7] Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
[8] Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
[9] For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
[10] And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

The Gospel to Every Nation and for Every Man

During the time of the writing of this letter the gospel had already gone to all of the world (Col. 1:6) Paul declares this and other Epistles as well as does other New Testament writers. So much of what the majority of the Evangelical Christian Community worldwide is looking for someday has already come and gone!

The gospel is for every person as long as the ages continue. The world's population continues to expand as populations move to new areas of the earth and new communities form. Our commission to get the gospel to nation (people group) remains unfinished in our generation, although it had been previously completed during the apostolic era.

To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

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Continue Your Search

Do you see any: Commands to Obey, Warnings to Heed, Promises to Claim, Examples to Follow, Vices to Avoid, Praises to Emulate, Prayers to Use, Principles by which to Live, Questions to Ask or Actions to Take?

See: Berean Fellowship Bible Study Method