The
Book of Colossians with Commentary
Commentary Chapters:
1-1 1-2 2 3-1 3-2 &4
New King James Version
Colossians 1
Commentary
"Our God is an
Awesome God" Part 1
"Our God is an
Awesome God" Part 2
Greeting
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and
Timothy our brother,
2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.[a]
Their Faith in Christ
3 We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus
and of your love for all the saints; 5 because of the hope which is
laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the
truth of the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as it has also in all the
world, and is bringing forth fruit,[b] as it is also among you since
the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth; 7 as you also
learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful
minister of Christ on your behalf, 8 who also declared to us your love
in the Spirit.
Preeminence of Christ
9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to
pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of
His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may
walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every
good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with
all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and
longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has
qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the
light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed
us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have
redemption through His blood,[c] the forgiveness of sins.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all
creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and
that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions
or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and
for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in 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 may have the
preeminence.
Reconciled in Christ
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,
20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether
things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the
blood of His cross.
21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked
works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through
death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His
sight— 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and
steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you
heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I,
Paul, became a minister.
Sacrificial Service for Christ
24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what
is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body,
which is the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the
stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word
of God, 26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from
generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To them God
willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery
among the Gentiles: which[d] is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28
Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom,
that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. 29 To this end I
also labor, striving according to His working which works in me
mightily.
Colossians 2
Commentary
"Don't
Get Ripped Off"
Not Philosophy but Christ
1 For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and
those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the
flesh, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in
love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of
understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the
Father and[a] of Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of
wisdom and knowledge.
4 Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words.
5 For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit,
rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in
Christ.
6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have
been taught, abounding in it[b] with thanksgiving.
8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit,
according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of
the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the
fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is
the head of all principality and power.
Not Legalism but Christ
11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without
hands, by putting off the body of the sins[c] of the flesh, by the
circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you
also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who
raised Him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and
the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him,
having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting
of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He
has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having
disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them,
triumphing over them in it.
16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival
or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but
the substance is of Christ. 18 Let no one cheat you of your reward,
taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into
those things which he has not[d] seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly
mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body,
nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the
increase that is from God.
20 Therefore,[e] if you died with Christ from the basic principles of
the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject
yourselves to regulations— 21 “Do not touch, do not taste,
do not handle,” 22 which all concern things which perish with the
using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? 23
These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed
religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value
against the indulgence of the flesh.
Colossians 3 and 4
Commentary
"Seek Those
Things Which Are Above"
"Whatever You
do, Do it Unto the Lord"
Not Carnality but Christ
1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which
are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set
your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died,
and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our
life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth:
fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which
is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon
the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when
you lived in them.
8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath,
malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to
one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and
have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the
image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew,
circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but
Christ is all and in all.
Character of the New Man
12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender
mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with
one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint
against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14
But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of
perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which
also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of
Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one
another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in
your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all
in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through
Him.
The Christian Home
18 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.
20 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing
to the Lord.
21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
22 Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the
flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart,
fearing God. 23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and
not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward
of the inheritance; for[a] you serve the Lord Christ. 25 But he who
does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no
partiality.
Colossians 4
1 Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing
that you also have a Master in heaven.
Christian Graces
2 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;
3 meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for
the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in
chains, 4 that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
5 Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. 6
Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may
know how you ought to answer each one.
Final Greetings
7 Tychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in
the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. 8 I am sending him to
you for this very purpose, that he[a] may know your circumstances and
comfort your hearts, 9 with Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother,
who is one of you. They will make known to you all things which are
happening here.
10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, with Mark the cousin of
Barnabas (about whom you received instructions: if he comes to you,
welcome him), 11 and Jesus who is called Justus. These are my only
fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are of the circumcision; they
have proved to be a comfort to me.
12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you,
always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand
perfect and complete[b] in all the will of God. 13 For I bear him
witness that he has a great zeal[c] for you, and those who are in
Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis. 14 Luke the beloved physician and
Demas greet you. 15 Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas
and the church that is in his[d] house.
Closing Exhortations and Blessing
16 Now when this epistle is read among you, see that it is read also in
the church of the Laodiceans, and that you likewise read the epistle
from Laodicea. 17 And say to Archippus, “Take heed to the
ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill
it.”
18 This salutation by my own hand—Paul. Remember my chains. Grace
be with you. Amen.