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Atomic Bible
Colossians

Chapter 1

Fruitful Hope and the Supremacy of the Son

Paul and Timothy greet the saints in Colossae and give thanks for the faith, love, and heavenly hope that the gospel has already produced among them. They pray that the church would be filled with the knowledge of God's will for a worthy, fruitful, enduring life, and then rise into a great declaration of the Son's supremacy in creation, redemption, and reconciliation. The chapter closes with Paul describing his suffering and labor as service to the church in making known the mystery now revealed among the Gentiles: Christ in you, the hope of glory.

This opening chapter gives Colossians its scale and center. It joins thanksgiving, prayer, cosmic Christology, reconciliation, and apostolic labor into one vision of a church whose life and hope depend entirely on the Son's supremacy.

4 sections·619 words·~3 min read

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Colossians 1

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vv. 1-2

Greetings from Paul and Timothy

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P1aul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae:

vv. 3-14

Thanksgiving and Prayer

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W3e always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4because we have heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all the saints — 5the faith and love proceeding from the hope stored up for you in heaven, of which you have already heard in the word of truth, the gospel 6that has come to you. 7All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood the grace of God. You learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, 8and who also informed us of your love in the Spirit.

9For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have full endurance and patience, and joyfully 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

vv. 15-23

The Supremacy of the Son

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T15he Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have preeminence. 19For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, 20and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross.

21Once you were alienated from God and were hostile in your minds, engaging in evil deeds. 22But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence — 23if indeed you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope of the gospel you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

vv. 24-29

Paul’s Suffering for the Church

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N24ow I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, which is the church. 25I became its servant by the commission God gave me to fully proclaim to you the word of God, 26the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His saints. 27To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. 29To this end I also labor, striving with all His energy working powerfully within me.

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  1. 01vv. 1-2Greetings from Paul and TimothyPaul opens as an apostle of Christ Jesus by God's will together with Timothy and writes to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae. He speaks grace and peace over them from God the Father, setting the letter inside apostolic calling and divine blessing.
  2. 02vv. 3-14Thanksgiving and PrayerPaul says that he and Timothy always thank God for the Colossians because of the faith and love born from the hope laid up in heaven, the same gospel that is bearing fruit and growing throughout the world. Since hearing of them, they have not stopped praying that the church would be filled with spiritual wisdom and understanding for a worthy walk marked by fruitfulness, endurance, and thanksgiving to the Father who has rescued them into the kingdom of his beloved Son.
  3. 03vv. 15-23The Supremacy of the SonPaul speaks of the Son as the image of the invisible God, firstborn over all creation, the one through whom, by whom, and for whom all things exist and hold together. He is also head of the church and firstborn from the dead, the one in whom all fullness dwells and through whose cross God reconciles all things, including the Colossians themselves who were once alienated but are now reconciled to stand holy and steadfast in the hope of the gospel.
  4. 04vv. 24-29Paul’s Suffering for the ChurchPaul says he rejoices in his sufferings for the sake of the church because his commission is to make the word of God fully known. The mystery once hidden is now revealed among the Gentiles as Christ in you, the hope of glory, and Paul labors with Christ's own powerful energy to proclaim, warn, and teach everyone toward maturity in Christ.
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