Colossians 1:1-29

As we begin our study of the Book of Colossians, let us recognize that the Apostle Paul wrote this letter (epistle) in accordance with the information that God and the Lord Jesus Christ revealed to him.

Colossians 1:1 and 2:

^1:1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by means of (the) intention of God, and Timothy, the brother – ^.2to the holy and believing brothers in Christ in Colosse; grace to you and peace from God our Father.

Paul begins by identifying very clearly whom this letter was from – first by name: Paul; and next he identifies himself by 'job-title' or 'work-function' relative-to his working or service relationship with Christ Jesus: apostle. An "apostle" is a person sent-forth or sent-away by someone on a specific mission or assignment to someone else, and in the context we see that Paul was sent-forth by the resurrected Christ Jesus. He was an apostle of or belonging-to Christ Jesus by means of the intention of God (through God's will). The will of God was the action or agency by way of which the initiated progress passed-through in order to reach its accomplishment; it was interposed between the start and the result of him being an apostle of Christ Jesus. Christ Jesus did not apostle Paul without this being God's will.

This letter is addressed to the:

• holy (adjectively described as "holy" which means: sanctified, set-apart from the state of being common, defiled or unclean against God, having come into the state of corresponding to the essence of God) and
• believing (adjectively described as: faithful, trusting relative-to God)

…brothers within the sphere of action of Christ Jesus.

All of these holy-people, including Paul and Timothy, had already believed what God says regarding Himself and His son, the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9), and had received holy spirit from God by means of the Lord Jesus Christ and so were all brothers in the spirit category. It was this holy spirit-life that allowed them to be holy and believing brothers in Christ Jesus. This truth concerning the spirit category cannot change because all holy-people have the spirit of Christ in us. All of us are limbs/members of his one spiritual body, similar to an eye or arm or leg being in the physical body. Therefore within the sphere of action of Christ all holy-people are holy and believing relative-to God Who is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ and of all holy-people.

Paul's greeting to the holy and believing brothers in Christ in Colosse was: "grace to you and peace from God our Father."

Grace is what is freely bestowed without any merit on the recipient's part; it includes reference to the attitude and quality of the one giving something favorable to another. Grace is not bestowed because somebody deserves a wage that is owed for something they said or did, nor because they begged so hard, nor because they forced the giver to give! Grace is bestowed because the giver wants to give by his own freedom of will to the recipient - it is completely unmerited favor from the giver to the recipient. Here, grace is being given to the brothers from God "our" Father.

And peace! Oh, how everybody talks about peace and of wanting peace and striving for peace and fighting on behalf of peace, etc! Paul writes that peace is given to the brothers from God "our" Father. Peace is a tranquil-harmony without strife. We may think of peace as the opposite of war, the opposite of conflict, the opposite of being at odds with the other party. Who are the other parties as far as the holy-people are concerned? God and the Lord Jesus Christ. All of God's children (the holy-people - Christians) are at peace with God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ because it is given to us from God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

By using the word “our” in the phrase “God our Father” Paul is emphasizing and reminding the readers of this letter of the truth that God is the Father of all holy-people in the spirit category. Some Greek texts also include the words "and Lord Jesus Christ" at the end of verse 2. All of God's children are at peace with God our Father, and therefore also with our Lord Jesus Christ, and so all of us holy-people should behave peaceably with one-another too.

[Reference: Acts 16:1-3; I Corinthians 1:17; II Corinthians 1:1 and 2; Ephesians 1:1 and 2, 4:11; Hebrews 13:23.]

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