Book of Colossians

The City of Colosse, City In Asia Minor (Turkey)
Written In A.D. 61 Possibly As Late As A.D. 64
1 Of 4 Prison Epistles
Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians, And Philemon
“Epaphras” – Who Was From Colosse

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
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.
Colossians 1:1-2

We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; 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,
Colossians 1:3-5

which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth; as you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.
Colossians 1:6-8

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; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Colossians 1:9-10

strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:11-14

The “Forgiveness of Sins” Is One,
If Not The Greatest Theme In The Bible
What The Blood of Jesus Accomplished For Us
It Purchased The Church (Acts 20:28)
It Instituted The New Covenant (1 Corinthians 11:25)
It Brought Us Close To God (Ephesians 2:13)
It Provided True Peace (Colossians 1:20)
It Purges The Believers Consciences (Hebrews 9:14)

It Gives Believers Boldness (Hebrews 10:19)
It Cleanses Us Of All Sin (1 John 1:7 and Revelation 1:5)
It Enables Us To Overcome The Devil (Revelation 12:11)
It Provides Justification (Romans 5:9)
It Provides Remission (Hebrews 9:22)
It Provides Sanctification (Hebrews 13:12),
It Provides Eternal Redemption (Ephesians 1:7, Hebrews 9:12)

He (Jesus) is the image (Greek – “Eikon” A Likeness, Statue, Profile, Representation, Resemblance) of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
Colossians 1:15

Firstborn = First In Importance
Jews Understood The Term “firstborn” To Refer To Position And Rank
Jesus Is Not The Creation, Jesus Is The Creator!!!
Jews Understood This To Mean Jesus Is The Heir of The Father

has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;
Hebrews 1:2

Paul Did Not Us The Term “First Created”
Greek “Protoktisis”

Paul Used First Born
Greek “Prototokos”
Two Different Words

Christ is the visible likeness of the invisible God.
He is the first-born Son, superior to all created things.
Colossians 1:15 (Good News Translation)

For by Him (Jesus) all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers (Physical or Spiritual). All things were created through Him and for Him.
Colossians 1:16

And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
Colossians 1:17

“he is before all [other] things, and by means of him, all [other] things were made to exist.”
New World Translation Bible
Jehovah’s Witnesses Bible

And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead (2 Corinthians 5:17), that in all things He may have the preeminence.
Colossians 1:18

For it pleased the Father that in Him (Jesus) all the fullness should dwell (Greek Katoikeo- Not Something Added, But Always There), and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself (Excluding Unrepentant People and Fallen Angels), by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
Colossians 1:19-20

And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works (Man Rejecting God), yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—
Colossians 1:21-22

if (We Can’t Lose It, But Can We Reject It?) 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.
Colossians 1:23

I now rejoice in my sufferings (Greek Word “Thlipsis” – Pressure) 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, 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,
Colossians 1:24-25

the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. (The Law Era Vs. The Grace Era) To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Colossians 1:26-27

Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.
Colossians 1:28-29