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COLOSSIANS - Christ in you, the hope of glory!
Studies in the Letter of Paul to the Colossians

Part 1 - The Foundations of Christian Faith (Colossians 1:1-29)

Background 1 - The apostolic blessing


and the Lord Jesus Christ

For the Apostle Paul, the Messiah Jesus was not only the Son of Mary from Nazareth, but the risen Lord in radiant glory, the One who had, before the gates of Damascus, stopped him in his tracks from continuing to destroy His church. Paul had seen with his own eyes that Jesus, in His glory, is the Lord of Lords. He had suddenly realized that the kingdom of this eternal King is not of this world. This Almighty One makes no effort to levy taxes and buys no tanks or rockets. Rather, He works through the might of His name and the power of His Spirit. Before Pilate, the Roman governor, Jesus spoke openly of His hidden authority: “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now my kingdom is not from here”. Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice” (John 18:36-37).

In Semitic language the word truth also means having the right in a judicial sense. Jesus proclaimed a new law and made His own holy love the guiding principle of His kingdom. We should read the 1000 commands of our King in the New Testament, contemplate them, and then offer obedience. We would then better understand the character of our Lord, His law, as well as the principles of His spiritual kingdom (Matt. 28:20; John 13:34). Paul testified in this sense: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death (Rom. 8:2). The Holy Spirit is no spirit of disarray; much more, in Him dwells a law that harmonizes with the law of Christ. Jesus had already bid His disciples: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matt. 16:24-26).

Whoever studies the law of Christ will notice that the greatest number of commands have to do with the expansion of His kingdom. Following His resurrection from the dead, Jesus did not reveal His omnipotence merely to extol Himself, but to set His hesitant disciples into motion, so that others might hear the call to open themselves to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and be incorporated into His kingdom through baptism (Matt. 28:18-19). He both encouraged and warned His followers: “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 10:32-33).

Belonging to the special characteristics of the kingdom of God is the “love for enemies”. This command remains incomprehensible for natural man; for every born-again follower of Jesus, however, it is an indispensable duty. “You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.` But I say to you, love your enemies… and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matt. 5:43-45). Whoever reads this row of merciful commandments of Jesus and desires to practice them begins to tremble, while love for adversaries is, for Christians, too, often a marked deficiency. Furthermore, we collapse in the face of the absolute perfection of our Father in heaven. Nevertheless, the merciful heritage which has been given to us in His Holy Spirit encourages and directs us to love all our enemies. Therein the essence of the kingdom of Jesus Christ can be realized in us, for “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts” (Zech. 4:6).

The principles and powers of the kingdom of God lay concealed in the name of Jesus. The sinless King of all kings became the unique Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29; Rev. 5:5-6). With His sacrifice of atonement He cleansed for Himself a people from all nations. They became justified, cleansed and made worthy through His blood. Peter officially announced to the churches of Jesus in Anatolia and in the whole world “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10).

Jesus also came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). He not only overcame sin, lies and hatred in Himself and in His church, but also became victorious over death through His resurrection from the dead. Thereby, He can give His followers an assurance in Himself that no other religious founder can ever do: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26). Whoever puts his trust in this testimony of Jesus receives a share in His victory over death.

Satan often tempted Jesus, but the attempts always failed in Him because of His humility and love. Pulling all of his names, characteristics and deeds together, Christ called him “the evil one” (Matt. 6:13). This evil one, however, was not able to deceive or mislead “the One who is truly good” to commit a single sin or trespass, not even on the occasion of His greatest bodily and spiritual travail. Jesus remained faithful to His Father even when the Most High had to abandon Him in the hours He was suffering our substitutionary judgment on the cross. The Revelation given to John assures us of how Jesus, as the Word of God that became flesh, will disarm Satan at the end of the age, and have him cast into eternal damnation by a mighty angel (Rev. 19:11-20:10).

The Lord Jesus testified in the synagogue in Nazareth what the prophet Isaiah had earlier prophesied over the coming Messiah (Isaiah 61:1-2; Luke 4:18-19). With these words He confirmed the limits and the goals of His kingdom on earth. He lived with the Holy Spirit in complete unity with the LORD of the Old Covenant. These three resemble a knot which cannot be untied. The Holy Trinity is the mystery of His person and of His kingdom. The three are one! (John 10:30; 14:9-11).

This divine unity realized itself in the anointing of Jesus with the Holy Spirit following His baptism in the Jordan. Since then is every Christian, who is a true Christian, an “anointed one”, for this is the literal meaning of our name and title.

The main purpose of our anointing, however, is the evangelization of the world, with the instruction given that first the needy, the despised, the sick and those in want are to be offered the good news. The rich, the strong, the beautiful and the intelligent often do not hear or are so convinced of their merit that they feel no need of Jesus, for His salvation and His Spirit. The fruit of this proclamation is the spiritual liberation of those bound to sin and the opening of the eyes of their hearts to recognize God as their Father, receive Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, and be comforted and renewed from the Holy Spirit. This spiritual liberation is also meant to lift those who are in despair and abandonment, without hope and inwardly shattered. The door of heaven is opened wide to them, and their right to enter into the age of grace is whispered in their ear. Those who have been rescued from this prison of the evil one should be the first to race home to their Father. With hearts full of wonder and amazement, they should thank Him eternally for all He has done.

In His earthly life Jesus fulfilled the promise of Isaiah 61:1-2. The one who carefully reads the gospels finds the practical interpretation of this prophecy therein: The power and authority of the Son of God to heal all the sick that came to Him - the setting free of those possessed, whose unclean spirits He drove out with a short command - His sovereign control over the storms and elements - His raising up of three who were dead - and the forgiveness of sin for the penitent! All of this was the confirmation of this promise. Christ visited no kings, princes, high priests, scribes or leaders of His people. He loved the needy – and does so to this day. He prayed aloud: “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for it seemed good in Your sight. All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:25-28).

The Apostle Paul wanted to offer his churches and co-workers these realities as the summation of his gospel. Therefore, in all of his letters he dictated: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Whoever has recognized and comprehended this apostolic greeting lives even now in the kingdom of God our Father, under the sovereign reign of the Lord Jesus Christ, who governs in this world and the next as the Lamb of God. In glory He will come again to judge the living and the dead. Are we ready for His arrival? Study His one thousand commands and the riches of His promises so that He can prepare your heart for His inevitable encounter with you.

Prayer: Our Father in heaven, we thank You that You have given Your beloved Son all power in heaven and on earth. He is our Lord and the One we want to obey. Lead us in the paths of the Holy Spirit, so that we might fulfil the commands of our King with joy. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as it is in heaven – even so let it be with us. Amen.

Question 11: What does the Title “Lord” mean for Jesus Christ and for us?

(Here ends Background I, with its short exposition of the apostolic greeting in all the letters of Paul).

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