JESUS HAS RESCUED US

Passage: Colossians 1:1-14

Key verse: 1:13,14

NIV

1 Paul, an apostle(A) of Christ Jesus by the will of God,(B) and Timothy(C) our brother,

2 To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters[a] in Christ:

Grace(D) and peace to you from God our Father.[b](E)

Thanksgiving and Prayer

3 We always thank God,(F) the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love(G) you have for all God’s people(H)— 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope(I) stored up for you in heaven(J) and about which you have already heard in the true message(K) of the gospel 6 that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit(L) and growing throughout the whole world(M)—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. 7 You learned it from Epaphras,(N) our dear fellow servant,[c] who is a faithful minister(O) of Christ on our[d] behalf, 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.(P)

9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you,(Q) we have not stopped praying for you.(R) We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will(S) through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,[e](T) 10 so that you may live a life worthy(U) of the Lord and please him(V) in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,(W) 11 being strengthened with all power(X) according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,(Y) 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father,(Z) who has qualified you[f] to share in the inheritance(AA) of his holy people in the kingdom of light.(AB) 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness(AC) and brought us into the kingdom(AD) of the Son he loves,(AE) 14 in whom we have redemption,(AF) the forgiveness of sins.(AG)

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Footnotes
  1. Colossians 1:2 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 4:15.
  2. Colossians 1:2 Some manuscripts Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
  3. Colossians 1:7 Or slave
  4. Colossians 1:7 Some manuscripts your
  5. Colossians 1:9 Or all spiritual wisdom and understanding
  6. Colossians 1:12 Some manuscripts us
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Greeting

1 Paul, (A)an apostle of Christ Jesus (B)by the will of God, and Timothy (C)our brother,

2 To the (D)saints and faithful brothers[a] in Christ at Colossae:

(E)Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

3 (F)We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of (G)your faith in Christ Jesus and of (H)the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of (I)the hope (J)laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in (K)the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed (L)in the whole world it is (M)bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you (N)heard it and understood (O)the grace of God in truth, 7 just as you learned it from (P)Epaphras our beloved (Q)fellow servant.[b] He is (R)a faithful minister of Christ on your[c] behalf 8 and has made known to us your (S)love in the Spirit.

9 And so, (T)from the day we heard, (U)we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that (V)you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all (W)spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as (X)to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, (Y)fully pleasing to him: (Z)bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 (AA)being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for (AB)all endurance and patience (AC)with joy; 12 (AD)giving thanks[d] to the Father, who has qualified you[e] to share in (AE)the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He (AF)has delivered us from (AG)the domain of darkness and transferred us to (AH)the kingdom of (AI)his beloved Son, 14 (AJ)in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

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Footnotes
  1. Colossians 1:2 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters
  2. Colossians 1:7 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word sundoulos, see Preface
  3. Colossians 1:7 Some manuscripts our
  4. Colossians 1:12 Or patience, with joy giving thanks
  5. Colossians 1:12 Some manuscripts us
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
INTRODUCTION (JESUS IS THE ROOT OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD) 'For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.' (Key Verse, 2:9) Paul wrote this letter to the believers in Colossae, Laodicea, and Hierapolis, whom he had not met in person (1:1-2; 2:1; 4:13). Paul likely wrote it circa A.D. 60-62 during his first imprisonment in Rome (Ac 28:16-31; Col 4:3,18). Colossae was a city located in modern day Turkey, 10 miles east of Ephesus (12 miles east of Laodicea, which was 9 miles from Hierapolis). These churches had been started by Epaphras (1:7), who might have been converted through Paul's ministry in Ephesus (Ac 19:10). Epaphras visited Paul in Rome and shared with him the spiritual condition of the churches (4:12). False teachers had introduced heresies into the churches, claiming that Jesus was not enough for their salvation, thus denying that Jesus is the only way. They emphasized things like worldly philosophy that was hollow and deceptive (2:4,8), Jewish ceremonialism (2:11,16-17), angel worship (2:18-19), and asceticism (2:21,23). Paul emphasized the supremacy of Christ, who is the fullness of God (1:18-19; 2:9-10). He wrote to encourage the believers in heart and unite them in love so that they could have the full riches of complete understanding to know the mystery of God (2:2). Our situation and time are very similar to the Christians in Colossae. There seems to be no absolute truth in the world. Relativism and pluralism are abounding. Young people are spiritually confused by human ideas and fine-sounding arguments, wondering if Jesus really is the only way. Through this study, may we know the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ and be rooted and built up in him (2:7). First, greetings, thanksgivings and prayers (1-12). Paul in chains wrote to the church of Colossae pioneered by Epaphras in around AD 60. Paul had nothing to thank for his situations in prison but he thanked God for the gospel that spread among the Colossians to have faith, love and hope in Jesus bearing fruit throughout the whole world. Therefore, Paul kept praying for them; to know God's will; to live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way; to have great endurance and patience and give joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified them to share in the inheritance in the kingdom of light. Second, Jesus our redeemer (13-14). All his thanks came from Jesus. He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness. He brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. In Jesus we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your redemption, the forgiveness of our sins and for qualifying us to inherit your kingdom in spite of us.

One Word: Jesus our redeemer