Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

1:9 Knowledge and wisdom were offered by the false teachers in Colossae (cf. 2:4, 8, 16-23). Paul prays that the Colossians will have the wisdom and understanding that comes only from God. Spiritual means given by the Holy Spirit.

1:10 so as. The "wisdom and understanding" (v. 9) would then lead to changed lives, for it would enable these Christians to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. "To walk" is a Jewish metaphor for conducting or behaving oneself. It corresponds to the Hebrew term halak. The rabbis had an entire oral tradition, later written down (especially in the Mishnah and the Talmuds), called Halakah, that guided them in their behavior. As a former rabbi, Paul calls believers "to walk" not according to the oral traditions of Judaism but in a way that is fully pleasing to the Lord Jesus Christ. Although Christians are completely justified from the moment of initial saving faith, they are not fully sanctified, and they can do things that either please or displease God each day. Every good work is here viewed as the fruit of salvation in the life of a Christian, not as the prerequisite for entering a relationship with Christ. Paul's reference to bearing fruit . . . and increasing brings to mind the parable of the sower (Mark 4:1-9, 13-20). The seed sown on the good soil bore fruit thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and a hundredfold.

1:11 be strengthened with all power. Spiritual power was a key issue in the Greco-Roman world. People sought power through connection with various gods and pagan rituals in order to protect them from evil spirits and to help them acquire wealth or influence. Paul wants the Colossians to know that he prays regularly that God would impart his power to them, not for selfish aims but so that they can live for God in a worthy manner. for all endurance and patience with joy. The purpose (as indicated by the word "for") of this God-given power is to provide the divine strength needed for the believer to attain Christian virtues, to persevere in the faith, to resist temptation and deceitful teachers, and so to know the joy of the Lord.

1:12 who has qualified you to share in the inheritance. Paul has taken language normally reserved for the Jewish people under the old covenant (see Gen. 13:14-17; Num. 26:52-56; Josh. 19:9) and applied it to Gentiles under the new covenant. Gentiles now have equal access to the Father and are heirs to the inheritance he has promised his people. This is based on the fact that God has made Gentiles saints ("holy ones" or "consecrated people") through the redemption he has procured through his Son.

1:13 He has delivered us. Just as God rescued his people from slavery in Egypt under the old covenant (Ex. 6:6; 14:30), he has delivered them now from the domain of darkness, that is, from the realm of Satan and the powers of evil (see Acts 26:18). the kingdom of his beloved Son. This kingdom is the same as the "kingdom of God" (or "kingdom of heaven") that Jesus spoke of (e.g., Matt. 3:2; Mark 1:15; etc.), which was central to Jesus' teaching throughout the four Gospels. Jesus is the agent of God who will presently reign (1 Cor. 15:24) until he hands his kingdom over to the Father, when the kingdom of God comes into its full manifestation at the end of the present age. The emphasis here is on the present lordship of Christ.

1:14 Redemption means deliverance or liberation, emphasizing here that believers have been delivered and have received forgiveness of their sins.