Letters to the Church in Colossae

Midweek Service

Welcome to our new teaching series for midweek services. We will be having Bible Study on all Thursdays in March. In the past two years, I have introduced you to Hermeneutics. Hermeneutics is a part of theology that deals with the study of how to interpret the Bible. A lot of people have a desire to study the bible but don’t know how to start, where to start from or even how to approach it. Some have even started and gotten stuck. The Catalyst church is a teaching ministry, and so part of that teaching is showing you how to study your bible. We have had several sermons on how to interpret the Bible that are prerequisites for this teaching:

Grow series - It’s a 13-part series on spiritual growth. I think nine parts of it are focused on Look at the book.

Christ Life Camp Lagos 2024 Windsor Day 1

Christ life Camp Lagos 2024 Lagos Day 1

If you haven’t listened to them, and even if you have, this is a good time to listen to them again as we go on in this series. During your week, just download them and listen to them as you go about your day.

On that note, welcome to our study on the book of Colossians. Open your bibles with me, everyone to the book of 2nd Timothy.

Ref: 2 Timothy 2:15 NKJV

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

KJV says Study to show yourself approved. And as the NKJV reveals, the word STUDY actually means to be dilligent. it means study and more.

The Greek word is Spoudazo. It means diligence. And that is the first point to take out of this teaching. Dilligence!

It says to study to show yourself approved unto God. This means that there is a standard in God. If it says to show yourself approved it means not everything goes. There is a way you must do things. There is a minimum commitment. When we talk about approval in the natural world, we have boards that grant people approval for example: ACCA: This is a board that grants people approval in the accounting world CISCO: This is a board that grants people approval in the networking field. The idea is that there is a standard you must get to that is verified by certain tests and exams that shows that you qualified then you are approved. The bible is letting you know that there is a standard in God as well. You must be diligent to show that you meet that standard. That standard is the standard of a WORKMAN, A LABOURER IN THE WORD.

Interpreting the Bible is something that would require diligence on your part. 

If you will study and understand the Bible, you have to be diligent and value proper exposition of the Bible. If there is a right way to divide the word then definitely there is a wrong way as well. And so you must be a labourer in the word of God. Tell the person beside, say “Be a labourer in the word”

Say “Be a workman”

Say “Be a word man”

It’s going to take time and effort to rightly divide the word. That is what it requires. Because the bible is a Hallowed book.

Because the bible is a Holy book. And we must treat it that way.

To properly interpret or cut straight the word you must understand its nature.

Ref: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, [17] that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

This is Paul’s letter to his protege Timothy, and here Paul gives us a hint on the nature of the Bible, and he says: All Scripture is inspired by God. That phrase there is better understood as All scripture is God-breathed.

NIV version says, “All Scripture is God breathed,” and I love that way to put it because that is what it truly means.

Scriptures are from God and it’s for the profiting of man. Does this mean everything in the word was said by God, how about the words of others there and the stories?

Did God dictate them? Well No

Ref: 2 Peter 1:21 NKJV

for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. This gives you context to the Nature of the Bible. Men of God spoke. So the Bible is God’s Inspired word through his chosen men. God spoke through men. But it also says it never came by the will of men. So even though the men were living natural lives and doing natural things, God was in their lives telling a story. 

Even though men Naturally wrote, the bible says that they wrote as Moved by the Holy Spirit.

And this is something you must learn about how God works. He can work in natural lives to do supernatural things. NIV version says: New International Version

For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. This is better rendered saying Prophecy was not brought by men, but men were brought to utter it by the Spirit. This is why we know that the Bible is Inspired by God. It’s God’s word. It’s Holy and Sacred.

The word for "moved" is a strong one, meaning "borne along," as a ship before the wind. This is powerful because it means that God worked through natural men to bring his spiritual truths. So the bible is both a divine book but also a Historical and Literary material. The men God spoke through detailed their dealings with God. 

Those are Historic truths but yet God was working in them to provide divine truths as well. What that also means is that they communicated in their own language and using their culture, writing styles and things their recepients can understand.

So when we look at the Bible, we have to see the full inspiration of God and God’s communication even within the loves of Natural people..

Because of this when Interpreting the Bible you must pay attention to context always.

God worked within their vocabulary, cultural frameworks, and literary styles and so in your interpretation you must there must be an understanding of the historical setting, the literary genre, and the cultural assumptions of these authors which is critical to interpreting their writings correctly.

For example, the Apostle Paul’s letters were written to specific communities in the first century, dealing with their unique concerns and questions. Similarly, the Old Testament was written in a context that includes ancient Israelite history, their surrounding nations, and the broader ancient Near Eastern world. And so as you approach understanding the texts written to them you must understand the people, their culture etc.

This is very important seeing as the majority of the bible was written to specific people and at specific times you must try to understand the way those people would have undeerstood it.

For example: The Apostle Paul wrote to the women in the church at Corinth about covering their hair. If you don’t consider the cultural context you would misinterprete this one. Ref: 1 Corinthians 11:2-3 NKJV Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you. [3] But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. keep the traditions the word there is Paradosis which means Ordinance. Same word is used in: 1 Corinthians 11:23 NKJV For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 1 Corinthians 15:3 NKJV For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 2 Thessalonians 2:15 NKJV Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. So basically it refers to a set of instructions given to the church in Corinth. What are these instructions: 1 Corinthians 11:3-5 NKJV But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. [4] Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head. [5] But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved. The first set of things he said gives us the context of these instructions, marriage. Because he said that the head of the woman is the man. Well, we know that the man is not the head of every woman but his wife. Men and women are equal before God. In marrige, the wife submits to her own husband. 1 Corinthians 11:6-15 NKJV For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered. [7] For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. [8] For man is not from woman, but woman from man. [9] Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man. [10] For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. [11] Nevertheless, neither is man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in the Lord. [12] For as woman came from man, even so man also comes through woman; but all things are from God. [13] Judge among yourselves. Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? [14] Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him? [15] But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering. Now look at his conclusion: 1 Corinthians 11:16 NKJV But if anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God. This is his conclusion, if anyone has an issue with this, know that they have no such customs. He was talking about their traditions as a people. Their culture. So to understand you must understand their culture. In their culture, it was vital to dress covered. Using a head covering was to show honour to their husbands if married and decency to the world. Married women covered their heads to show that they were married and for decency, they hid their hair. If a woman looses her husband, it is culture for her to shave her hair. Today’s equivalent is a ring and appropriate dressing. The Apostle Paul used the culture to teach honour for their husbands and decency. An understanding of the culture would help you interpret the message then the culture should be abandoned and the message held. The message is decency and honour for your husbands. There is a cultural context and that muat affect our interpretation today.

Context remains the most reliable way to understand what was being said. 

Context remains the most reliable way to understand what was being said. Context remains the most reliable way to understand what was being said. 

That is what we call Exegesis. Exegesis

Exegesis essentially means approaching the scriptures by viewing the text of Scriptures, through the lens of their original context. Determining the intent of the authors ro the audience. In other words, if one uses this approach, they won’t come to the text with any conclusions or preconceived notions. 

In Exegesis, you let the text itself reveal what the writer is communicating to the reader. By doing this, we don’t read anything into Scripture that wasn’t there before, and we study the meaning of the passage that was intended for a specific audience

When studying the bible, the first task is exegesis.

This involves the careful, systematic study of the Scripture to discover the original, intended meaning.

This makes use of History, Culture, Literary terms, Context,  translation, and Geography to try to reconstruct the text from the author to its intended audience.

There is an opposite approach that many people use which is called Eisegesis.

Eisegesis

Eisegesis is an approach to bible study where the reader reads into the text with a preconceived notion they may have. This often means coming to the Scripture with a bias, sometimes cultural or otherwise that is not relevant to the author or the recipients of the text of scripture. Of course, theologians frown upon this approach because it isn’t rooted in Scripture. 

At its worst, it can be used to twist Scripture to assert a certain belief.

Analogy of 6&9 Alot us do this second approach without knowing. Everytime you lift a text of scripture as though the author was speaking directly to you without first understanding what it meant to them you have done eisegesis.

And so the approach for study must be: Undestanding the there and then - Exegesis Then the here and now and how those things find contemporary relevance - Hermeneutics.

You must understand the there and then before the here and now.

Why is this important?

This is important because if you do not consider this principle you would miss many of the things that the authors of the bible intended for you to see as you read through. You would miss many clues that God the ultimate author of the Bible gave to them to point them to his plan.

That being said we must approach to the bible understanding its nature.

The Bible is a divine book but it is also a literary material.

Literary Material means written matter. This means that again the writers and recipients had different historical settings, and different literary genres, which is critical to interpreting their writings correctly.

In the bible we have 43% narrative.

33% Poetry.

24% Prose Discourse 

No single book just has narrative per se. it is usually a mix. There are other genres in the bible like”

Laws and Statues

Covenants

Prophetic Oracles

Prayers

Songs of Praise, Thanks givings and Lamentation

Wisdom Sayings

Genealogies

Parables and Fables

Poetic Imagery: Metaphor, Simile, Symbolism

Apocalyptic Vision and Symbols.

So we must adapt our readings to accommodate these different writing styles and genres of literature.

The epistles for example were letters and not written in chapters and verses and so if you pick out any part of it to read without diligently dividing and giving it your own meaning, it is possible to misinterpret it. 

And so we must adjust our reading to suit this.

All that being said, what genre is the book of Colossians?

The reason I asked is so you can keep in mind that it is not narrative or poetry, so the rules of engagement are different. The way you approach a book is one big determinate of how you interpret it. 

This means there are a few things to consider when looking at a letter if you would properly understand it:

Who wrote it ? Author

Who was it written to? Audience

Why was it written ?  Purpose of Writing

The structure of writing

Factors around the writing, like the , language, history of the audience and where they live , culture etc

Even if you pick up a letter on the floor today that was 100 years ago, if you truly wanted to understand what was written you would take the same approach because as much as the Bible is a divine book with divine truths it is also a literary material. This is how you rightly divide. You have to enter into the world of the people involved, sit where the audience sat  and be in the mind of the writer all at the same time.

So we would take these one at a time to introduce ourselves to the book:

Who Wrote it ?

 Apostle Paul

Colossians 1:1

New King James Version

Greeting

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

I wont go too much into Paul’s history because it is something we have learnt and are aware of , if you don’t know Read the book of Acts. But I would like to give a breakdown of his ministry journey just because it is important for what we are learning: Here's a summarized breakdown of Paul the Apostle's ministry from 40 AD to 69 AD, including the letters he wrote to the churches:

47 AD - 48 AD

First Missionary Journey with Barnabas

Visits Cyprus and southern Asia Minor

49 AD - 52 AD

Jerusalem Council (49 AD)

Second Missionary Journey

Travels through Syria, Cilicia, Galatia, Macedonia, and Greece

Writes Galatians (49 AD)

Writes 1 and 2 Thessalonians (51 AD)

53 AD - 57 AD

Third Missionary Journey

Ministry in Ephesus, Macedonia, and Greece

Writes 1 Corinthians (56 AD)

Writes 2 Corinthians (56 AD)

Writes Romans (56/57 AD)

58 AD - 60 AD

Arrested in Jerusalem

Imprisoned in Caesarea

61 AD - 63 AD

First imprisonment in Rome

Writes Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon (60-61 AD)

Writes Philippians (62 AD)

63 AD - 65 AD

Released from first Roman imprisonment

Possible "Fourth Journey" including Spain and the Aegean

Writes 1 Timothy and Titus

66 AD - 67 AD

Second imprisonment in Rome

Writes 2 Timothy

Martyred in Rome (around 67 AD)

He had 3 distinct missionary journeys and 2 imprisonment . It was during his 1st imprisonment (61 AD - 63 AD) while he awaited trial that he wrote the book of Colossians which he sent to them through Tychicus (Colossians 4:7-9). It was really house arrest and not so much an imprisonment so he could take visitors, preach to people etc and that’s where Epaphras (Colossians 1:7) met with him and why we have the book of Colossians today.  In that period it was recorded that He also wrote Ephesians and  Philemon which he sent as well through Tychicus. Philemon was one of the Members of the Church in Colossea.

I thinks its very notable that these books where written thousands of years ago and we still have the preserved truth of God’s word. It just shows you that God can keep His word, and that God’s word is timeless. The same truths that applied to a church we have very little in common except our union with Christ is what we have available to us and when we read it we are built up, we are refreshed, light comes.. Its amazing.

One thing you must not as well is the fact that Paul had never met the church in Clossea, he wasn’t the one who found the church it was Ephaphras (and Timothy as believed by some Theologans). This also dictated is tone to them, as opposed to the Galatians they he didn’t even greet much he walk calmer in his written to the Colossians. 

 Epaphras most likely met Paul in Ephesus when Paul was ministering in the School of Tyrannus ( Acts 19) and his journey in God began that let him to establish a church. This is such a powerful testimony of discipleship.

Who was it written to ? Colossians 1:2 New King James Version 2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse: Grace to you and peace from God our Father [a]and the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul was writing  this book to a young church in Colossi but it wasn’t restricted to them alone. He told them to pass it on to other churches. Colossians 4:16 New King James Version 16 Now when this epistle is read among you, see that it is read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you likewise read the epistle from Laodicea. Colossea with is Morden day Turkey ( referred to as Asia Minor at the time)  was 100km from Ephesus and also very Close to Laodecia (the church the letter about Lukewarmness was written to) And he told them to exchange letters because he knew they would need to hear it. Colossea was a trade center so different kinds of people both greek and jew alike lived there and so there were many ‘gods’ and religions served there. Unfortunately, the city had declined by Paul’s time, retaining only a shadow of its former glory. It was ravaged by an earthquake around AD 60 and eventually faded from prominence, with most of its population slowly drifting into more favorable locations nearby.

This proves my point again. The word of God stands forever. Isaiah 40:8

New King James Version

8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.” Well the fact that Colossi was a trade center and mixed religious  takes us straight to the why of the book of Colossians

Why was it written: You can call Colossea a Pluralist economy. Due to the mixture of religions and people in Colossea certain things, teachings, doctrines and practices started to find their way into the church of Colossea leading to confusion on what was true and how to carry on their faith. According to what we see from Paul’s writing there was no specific religion or idea that plagued the church both there were many.  What I mean is for the church in Galasians for example we could tell that the prominent teaching/false doctrine was Judaism but it was a mixture for Colossea. But one thing is certain, it was a problem of False doctrine that affected both there worship and knowledge of God and the practice of their faith. These doctrines include: 1. Animism -  Animism is a belief system or worldview that attributes spiritual essence or consciousness to all elements of the natural world—not just humans, but animals, plants, rocks, rivers, mountains, and even weather phenomena like storms or wind. The term comes from the Latin word anima, meaning "soul" or "life," and it reflects the idea that everything in nature possesses a kind of life force, spirit, or personality. It’s a believe in elemental powers. In our day you can find these class of people with those who believe and worship in Mother Nature, or animals etc 2.  The Worship of Angels - This is the worship of angels and seeing them as intermediaries between them and God. By definition it would involved an unhealthy fixation on angels as spiritual mediators or powers, either through veneration, invocation, or reliance on them for divine insight or protection. These was one of the Gnostic beliefs. This is very similar to some religions where they worship and use men “saints” as intermediaries between them and God instead of Christ 3. Observation of Jewish laws and Traditions/customs - This was a Jesus PLUS mentality. That is Jesus was not enough for their salvation. The blood of Jesus was not satisfactory for their complete sanctification and justification, they had to perform things like circumcision, abstanace of the body (no giving to be married, dietary laws), observance of Jewish festivals etc 4. Wordly Philosophies - Empty ideas and worldly ideologies that challenged the simplicity and sufficiency of the gospel You can find evidence of this in Colossians 2:8, 16-23 with we would get to in later teachings. The heresies moving around were doctrines seen as “New” and “Higher” forms of christianity that removed christ from the focus of their faith. The Goal of these teaching was really lessen the Place of Christ in the doctrine of their faith. To say Christ is less than or equal to other ‘gods’ or religions. It was a battle for the sufficiency and supremacy of Christ. The teachings challenged the teachings of the Apostles as well because if the belief moving around was that christ was not enough then the teachings about christ would also loss value or preeminence. The problem the church was having was how put mix christianity into all that they were hearing and not to see it as the one and only truth. This is something we still facing in our churches saddling where the Teaching of Christ is being sidelined and we are filling up the space with worldly ideas, entertainment , mysticism etc. And when Christ losses focus in a church can we really call that a church of Christ. We have to be careful to keep Christ always at the center. Because of the there were 2 major problems the church was having 1. Reduced Belief : They lost a sense of the Immense of God and the preeminence of Christ - that is God is both transcendent (above all) and imminent ( near us) at the same time. This simply means that they say God has too high that they could not really have relationship with Him  and at the same time same time they say christ as too low in their thinking what he was not enough to sustain their relationship with God. ( You would get to understand this has we go into Paul’s teaching in chapter 1). They felt God too far from them so they started to fill the gap with beliefs, practices and rituals that would bring them a sense of closeness to God . They lost their sense of Peace with God so they devoted themselves to the Worship of Angels  as intermediaries and Judaidic practices (“ the Jesus mentality”) to make them feel like God wasn’t far but in reality only Jesus could make that happen. But they placed Christ on the same pedestal as these other things thereby diminishing his preeminence in their salvation. Jesus became one of the ways to God and bot the only way, he wasn’t the truth anymore. These doctrines and practices made them begin to lose their sense his divinity for getting that He himself is God. 2. Contadictions in  behavior : And you see the problem in Collosea was also that these doctrine began to affect the communication of their faith. There is no way you are exposed to wrong teaching you would act wrong. We say it every time, Sound Doctrine leads to Good praciology which leads to doxology. Paul said it this way to Philemon: Philemon 6 King James Version 6 That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

AMPC [And I pray] that the participation in and sharing of your faith may produce and promote full recognition and appreciation and understanding and precise knowledge of every good [thing] that is ours in [our identification with] Christ Jesus [and unto His glory].

Doctrine influences behavior. When Christ losses His place in your faith journey there is no way you would act christlike. Your lIfestyle now begins to reflect another nature that is not of God. This is one of the reasons you must run from false doctrines. Paul especially warned several times against it. In the Book of Galations he told them : Galatians 2:5

New King James Version

5 to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

He called them foolish for giving themselves to false teachings because it poisons the simplicity of your faith, it shifts our eyes from Christ to other things. This is why you must seek truth always. When Paul said evil communication corrupts good manners he was referring to false doctrine. He called it evil communication, Jesus called it the yeast of the Pharisees. Romans 16:17-19

New King James Version

Avoid Divisive Persons

17 Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. 18 For those who are such do not serve our Lord [a]Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. 19 For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and [b]simple concerning evil.

He urged them not just to stay away from false teaching but from false teachers. Don’t entertain their communications.

Paul told Timothy : 1 Timothy 4:16

New King James Version

16 Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

Pay close attention to  Doctrine ! Stick with the purity that was presented to you and Continue in them because they would save you and those that hear you. He spoke about it has though it was a life and death matter because it is. False Doctrine can lead you to unbelief in Christ which was what this False teachers were leading the church in colossea to. 

How did Paul handle this:

He simply represented Christ again to them. Many theologians have said that the book of Colossians is one of the most Christocentric books in the Bible because all Paul was screaming is the preeminence and the sufficiency of christ in our relation with God, with one another , in our salvation and in our conduct. ALL YOU NEED IF CHRIST!!

He presented to them the divine nature of Christ, His authority over all of mankind and the church, His place as the Creator , conqouror and controller of all things.  He didn’t even try to argue about the false beliefs presented to them, He just preached christ. This serves as a model for us as well .

One of the key verses in Colossians is : Colossians 3:1

New King James Version

3 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.

Very Simple but Powerful, in this state he presents the divinity of Christ, His Authority as God, His place has our savior and the object of our life and attention all in one statement. And this is what he does throughout the book of Colossians.

You know before  Martin Luther was known as the great reformer he was a catholic monk who observed all the laws, prayed to 3 saints a day , 21 saints a week, went severally on a holy pilgrimage, beat himself severally to purge himself of sin and guilt but never felt close to God until he know the truth about our justification by faith. And one day someone asked Him why he stooped all the rituals, and practices and what His faith now consisted of. He simple responded ALL YOU NEED IS CHRIST.

You know for some people its hard to believe and that his why the grace massage baffles people. You know Christianity is the only religion why you don’t have to win your salvation by works. With islam you have a bunch of does and donts that maybe give you a seat in paradise, with Budism you have to deprive yourself of anything’s and strive everyday to attain a moral perfection that you can never attain but with christianity all you need is christ.

So again what we would see as we go through the book of Colossians is the Sufficiency and the Preeminence of Christ.

If I was to group or breakdown the book of Colossians I would do it this way ( I found it alittle difficult to break it down because there is so much in it but lets just put it this way):

Salutation - Colossians 1:1-2

Christ : Preeminence in relationships - Colossians 1:3-29 ( Our relationship with Christ, with God the father, amongst ourselves as believers, our relationship with the devil/the darkness , our relationship with the world etc)

Christ : Preeminence in Doctrine - Colossians 2:1 - 3:4 ( The truth of what we believe and what not to mix with the doctrine of Christ)

Christ : Preeminence in Ethics - Colossians 3:5-4:1 ( Christ in our conduct)

Conclusion and Greetings - Colossians 4:2 - 18

So let’s take the first 2 verses in the book of Colossians which is the Salutation.

Open your bibles to Colossians 1

Colossians 1:1-2

King James Version

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,

2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Okay so we already discussed the format of a letter, by the way the stretch of this letter is a formal way they did it in their day just like we have our style of writing. So in a letter we have 

The name of the sender

The address 

Who it is written to

Greetings

We have answered  the first 3 with we find right of the bath in the first 2 verses which is called a Salutation. So lets try to dive dipper into it because even in these 2 verses we have a lot to unpack

Verse 1 agin:

Paul introduces himself here not just as the man named Paul but has an “Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God”

Who would see that Paul always did this for almost every book he wrote: Galatians 1:1

New King James Version

Greeting

1 Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead),

1 Corinthians 1

New King James Version

Greeting

1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

why? Lets split that phrase into 2: Apostle of Jesus Christ - Apostle means messenger, he was calling himself a messenger of Christ

by the will of God -  He was declaring that His Apostleship was not of mans volition but it was an appointment from God himself.

Who can see that he does the same thing in the other epistles, letting people know that He is sent of God by the will of God.

2 reasons:

Unacceptance of Him and his teachings

In the Context of the Books of Collosians he had never met them You must know that during that that Paul wasn’t a well accepted Apostle or even teaching of the Gospel. He even did an exposition about how God called him in the book of Galatians(Gal 1:9-11,17)  to in some way validate his calling and the reason why he has the Authority to teach them or communicate God’s truth to them. He had to declare himself  for the Authority in Doctrine Sake, establishing the he is sent to them by God and His words should be recited as such. The Bible says that we are built on the teachings of Christ an his apostles and that Paul is one of those apostles. If we loss his teachings and if they are invalidated we loss much of the explanations of scriptures to us. He declared the validity of His calling also because he had never met the church in Colossea before and they had to know that His words were not mere words and cannot be put at the same pedestal as the words of the False teacher because he needed to reestablish them in doctrine. Paul’s manner of speaking is in a way saying what I am about to say is of grave importance, you must hear me because I have this authority to speak by the will of God. 

Vs 2 2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colossea: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Her Paul establishes the people he was writing to but he calls them 2 things Saints and Faithful brethren. 

The fist thing I want you to note here is that he calls them brethren which is not something to be taken lightly at all in the Christian worldview. The word Brethren here is the word adelphos in the greek. From the Greek prefix "ἀ-" (a, denoting unity) and "δελφύς" (delphys, meaning womb), literally meaning "from the same womb." Its the same word use to identify siblings does of the same mother: Matthew 4:21

New King James Version

21 Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them,

Of the same blood.

Jesus was the first to identify with our has brothers coming from the same source when after His resurrection :

Matthew 28:10

New King James Version

10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.” In John he said : John 20:17

King James Version

17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

I go to My father and Your Father, we are now of the same source. We are both from the same family from the same womb. Its the explanation of what Jesus ment when he said I go to prepare a place for you.

Remember you must sit where the audience is sitting, thinking of how they would receive it has much as  you are trying to understand what the Author is saying.

To them as a Gentil people he his affirming their union with Christ notice he says Brethren in Christ in colossi. Reminding them that they have a place in God. And they are Brothers in christ and as opposed to what the False Judaic teachers where telling them (that they had to do certain things to be close to God). There relationship with God is not different from the Jews so long as they are IN Christ. This is such a big part of what Paul communicated to them throughout the book, A POSITIONAL REALITY and you would see it littered every where, in christ…. Through christ, by christ. Reminding them that if they have Christ they have everything that pertains to life and goodliness.

And he called them brothers amidst all that was going on .That even though some of the  young church members were wavering because of the False teachings they are still in christ, all they need is some straightning.  The mistakes or wanderings doesn’t take away their position in christ as long as they can be corrected. It was the same for the Galatian Church whom he called foolish and used a very stern voice with he called them saints, brothers in christ. 

Siants -  The word Hagios which we would be familiar with from the word Haggis graphea - Sacred Scriptures. Hagios means to be set apart, consencrated

Faithful - pistos which refers to steadfastness.

They are saints, all of them and it’s the same for everyone in christ because of his of christ.

Some believe that these are 2 different types of people are he is talking about but remember the ‘Kai rule’- He say to ‘The saints’ ‘and’ Faithful servants, applying the Kai rule here he means to the Saints who are faithful brethren in Christ.

This teaches us that the fact that you see another believer making a mistake or wandering that doesn’t alienate them from the faith, it doesn’t take away their position in christ all they need is corrected and your prayers.

The next line - 

Grace and Peace to you  from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

When Paul says this he wasn’t really praying for them he was declaring truth even though this can be seen as a blessing of sort but this is also a statement of fact. That is the grace that you receive and the peace only come from God. This to me from reading Colossinas seems more like a title. In this one statement he summarizes his thoughts on what he spent 4 chapters to explain to them.

In this one statement He confirms the what they have because of Jesus and the divinity and preeminence of Christ as well.

And Paul has a form of writing where he summarizes a thought or a few things into one word : In the word Grace, he is saying : 

 - What God provides in the sacrifice of Jesus regardless of your imperfection. 

His mercy regardless of your insufficiency

His fogginess and help in your weaknesses

His empowerment to live Holy

He uses Grace as an encapsulation of the benefits of Salvation

GOD’S GRACE!! Hallelujah

In the word Peace, he is saying : 

What man experiences because of His GRACE. 

He uses Peace as an encapsulation of the benefits they have received through God’s grace.

These 2 things are opposite of what the church in Collosea are experiencing because of False Doctrine. They are experiencing is doubt of their peace with God, because they feel far from God but he says to them Peace to you from God. 

And the message of Grace was being trampled on by judaic teachings wanting them to work for their salvation, to add things to the work of Christ t be saved. But he says only God gives Grace

Only God can give these 2 things. Not judaic practices, not angels, nothing but God who is Christ.

That’s another thing he packed in here, he says :

from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, the same ‘Kai rule applies here.

He is declaring Jesus as God who is the agent of this grace and peach that you receive. 

We would touch more on this as we Go on but you can see Paul begin to present the preeminence and sufficiency of Christ in the faith of the church in Colossea.