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Colossians Chapter 1

New Testament Epistle (Pauline) 29 Verses

What is Colossians 1 about?

Christ's supreme preeminence over all creation and all heresy — the fullness of deity dwells in him bodily. The complete chapter text below provides the immediate literary context for study.

Text — American Standard Version (1901)

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. For original Hebrew/Greek interlinear text, open in BibleWord.ai.
1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ [that are] at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
3We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
4having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have toward all the saints,
5because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel,
6which is come unto you; even as it is also in all the world bearing fruit and increasing, as [it doth] in you also, since the day ye heard and knew the grace of God in truth;
7even as ye learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow-servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf,
8who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.
9For this cause we also, since the day we heard [it], do not cease to pray and make request for you, that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
10to walk worthily of the Lord unto all pleasing, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, unto all patience and longsuffering with joy;
12giving thanks unto the Father, who made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light;
13who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love;
14in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins:
15who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;
16for in him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and unto him;
17and he is before all things, and in him all things consist.
18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
19For it was the good pleasure [of the Father] that in him should all the fulness dwell;
20and through him to reconcile all things unto himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross; through him, [I say], whether things upon the earth, or things in the heavens.
21And you, being in time past alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil works,
22yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and unreproveable before him:
23if so be that ye continue in the faith, grounded and stedfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel which ye heard, which was preached in all creation under heaven; whereof I Paul was made a minister.
24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body`s sake, which is the church;
25whereof I was made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which was given me to you-ward, to fulfil the word of God,
26[even] the mystery which hath been hid for ages and generations: but now hath it been manifested to his saints,
27to whom God was pleased to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
28whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ;
29whereunto I labor also, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.
Colossians 2 →

What do historical commentaries say about this chapter?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · on verse 1
“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, etc.] The apostle puts his name to this epistle, by which he was known in the Gentile world, as he usually does in all his epistles; and styles himself “an apostle”, as he was, having seen Christ in person, and received his commission, doctrine, and qualifications immediately from him, with a power of doing miracles to confirm the truth of his mission. This he chose to make mention of, partly because the false teachers everywhere insinuated that he was not an apostle; and partly to give the greater sanction and authority, and command the greater regard and credit to what he…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
“ADDRESS: INTRODUCTION: CONFIRMING EPAPHRAS' TEACHING: THE GLORIES OF CHRIST: THANKSGIVING AND PRAYER FOR THE COLOSSIANS: HIS OWN MINISTRY OF THE MYSTERY. (Col. 1:1-29) by the will of God--Greek, "through," &c. (compare Note, see on Co1 1:1). Timothy--(Compare Notes, see on Co2 1:1 and Phi 1:1). He was with Paul at the time of writing in Rome. He had been companion of Paul in his first tour through Phrygia, in which Colosse was. Hence the Colossians seem to have associated him with Paul in their affections, and the apostle joins him with himself in the address. Neither, probably, had seen the Colossian Church…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ - See the notes. at Romans 1:1 By the will of God - Notes, 1 Corinthians 1:1. And Timotheus our brother - On the question as to why Paul associated others with him in his epistles, see the notes at 1 Corinthians 1:1. There was a particular reason why Timothy should be associated with him in writing this Epistle. He was a native of the region where the church was situated Acts 16:1-3, and had been with Paul when be preached there, and was doubtless well known to the church there; Acts 16:6. It is evident, however, from the manner in which Paul mentions him here, that he did not…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · on verse 2
“The saints - This word expresses their union with God. And brethren - This, their union with their fellow - Christians. Colossians 1:3”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · on verse 1
“1:1 Timothy was one of Paul’s closest co-workers. So close was their relationship and so significant Timothy’s ministry that Paul included him as one of the senders of this letter as well as of 2 Corinthians, Philippians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · on verse 1
“an: Rom 1:1; Co1 1:1; Co2 1:1; Eph 1:1 Timotheus: Phi 1:1; Th1 1:1; Th2 1:1; Plm 1:1 Colossians 1:2”
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Colossians overviewCompare translationsOpen this chapter in the study reader

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