Colossians 1:1-12 – The Saints
These notes are written by Dr. Tim Donachie.
The city of Colossae had been a very thriving city, described by Xenophon in 401 B.C. as ‘a city inhabited and prosperous and great’. However, by the time of the apostle Paul it had declined in importance and was surpassed by neighbouring cities like Hierapolis and Laodicea. Its population was a mixture of idol worshipping pagans and a considerable number of Jews.
Paul wrote to the Christians from his Roman imprisonment to warn them against heresy, to direct them to the Lord Jesus Christ and to emphasise the virtue of forgiveness.
Paul begins his letter by introducing himself: He is an apostle of Jesus Christ; this is all the authorisation he needed for the message he was sending to the church. As the sent one of God, commissioned to be ‘the apostle to the gentiles’ Acts 9:5,15-16, he was to bring God’s message to God’s people. The people were to receive his words as the very words of the living God – and so must we!
Although this letter was addressed to the church in Colossae, it was also intended for the church in Laodicea and probably other congregations as well 4:16. The people who received the letter are described as: Saints – not especially ‘holy’ people but people who were consecrated to God. All believers are saints. Faithful Brethren – What a wonderful way to be described! The one thing that God requires of his people is faithfulness, and here in this city where believers were being troubled by heretical teaching, there were many who remained faithful. In Christ – Sainthood and faithfulness depend on a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not enough to have all the outward appearance of a Christian, to attend worship, to read the Bible and to pray, the one essential thing is to be united to Christ by faith.
Questions
- What are the implications for Scripture being ‘the very words of God’?
- What do you need to do to be called a ‘faithful brother/sister’?
Prayer Points
- Pray that you would grow in faithfulness.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.