Colossians 2.1-Paul's Intense Struggle While Interceding in Prayer for Colossians, Laodiceans and All Whom He Had Never Met
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday August 23, 2015
Colossians: Colossians 2:1-Paul’s Intense Struggle While Interceding in Prayer for Colossians, Laodiceans and All Those Whom He Had Never Met
Lesson # 38
Colossians 2:1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (NASB95)
Colossians 1:21 In fact, I want each and every one of you to know for certain how great a struggle I am experiencing on behalf of each and every one of you as well as for those who are located in Laodicea, yes in fact, for all those who have never seen my face in person. (My translation)
Most English translations and expositors interpret Colossians 2:1-2 as providing an explanation for Colossians 1:28-29.
However, I believe that Colossians 2:1-2 advances upon and intensifies Paul’s statements in Colossians 1:28-29.
This appears to be Paul’s emphasis rather than presenting an explanation for his statements in Colossians 1:28-29.
In Colossians 1:29 Paul asserts that he continued to make it his habit of working hard in proclaiming the gospel to the Christian community in order that each Christian would grow to spiritual maturity and Christ-likeness.
He then states that he was striving in the face opposition because of Christ’s activity through him by means of Christ’s power.
Now, here in Colossians 2:1, he asserts that he was experiencing a great struggle in prayer on behalf of these faithful believers in Colossae as well as for those at Laodicea and for all those Christians who he had never met face to face.
Then, in verse 2 he asserts that he interceded in prayer for all of them that their hearts would be encouraged by having been knit together in love so that they all attain the spiritual wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding.
This would result in an experiential knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Jesus Christ Himself.
Therefore, the advancement and intensification is that Paul goes from informing the Colossians that he worked hard proclaiming the gospel to the Christian community by means of Christ’s power to then stating that he struggled in prayer for them and for those at Laodicea and all who had never met him.
In Colossians 1:28-29, he asserts that he worked hard in the face of opposition communicating the gospel to the Christian community for their spiritual growth and then in Colossians 2:1-2, he informs them that he also prays for the Christian community throughout the Roman Empire.
Thus, the advancement and intensification is that not only did Paul worked hard in communicating the gospel to the Christian community but he also struggled in prayer for them as well.
This appears to be Paul’s emphasis rather than providing an explanation for his statements in Colossians 1:28-29 since he is talking about two different functions.
The first is teaching the gospel to the Christian community and the second is praying for them.
In Colossians 2:1-2 he is not talking about teaching the Christian community the gospel as he did in Colossians 1:28-29.
Rather, he is speaking about interceding in prayer for the body of Christ.
If Colossians 2:1-2 was explanatory, then these verses would retain the same subject matter as Colossians 1:28-29 but this is not the case.
So in Colossians 2:1, Paul informs the faithful Christians in Colossae that he wanted them to know for certain how great a struggle he was experiencing on behalf of each and every one of them as well as on behalf of the Christians in Laodicea and all those whom he had never met personally.
Colossae and Laodicea were located not very far from each other.
They were approximately 18 miles from each other.
Thus, Paul mentions the Laodiceans along with the Colossians.
The apostle had never met the Colossians yet he wanted them to be assured that he cared for them and was interceding in prayer for them as well as for all the Christians who he had never met personally but had knowledge of.
He was attempting to encourage them but also give them an example to follow.
If he prayed for them even though he had never met them, they should follow his example and pray for those Christians they had never met but had knowledge of.
The fact that Paul had never met the Christians in Colossae and Laodicea is a clear indication that he did not start these churches.
It would appear Epaphras was trained by Paul and sent back to his hometown Colossae to evangelize and to train in the Word of God those who became Christians.
So Paul more than likely had a connection with the Colossians through Epaphras who he trained.
Paul informs the Colossians that this intercessory prayer on their behalf and all Christians whom he had never met personally but had knowledge of was an intense struggle.
This intense struggle was emotional and mental as well as physical in the face of opposition.
This opposition would of course be members of the human race enslaved to sin and Satan as well as the devil and his kingdom.
No doubt, Ephesus was Paul’s home base and from this city he sent out evangelists and pastors whom he had trained to evangelize the Roman province of Asia and to train in the Word of God those who became Christians with regards to the Christian way of life.
The apostle Paul struggled in prayer for the Colossians and Laodiceans because they were both being exposed to the Essence branch of the Judaizers whose teaching contained an incipient form of Gnosticism.
Thus, he was extremely concerned that they would be deceived by this false doctrine and would abandon his apostolic teaching.
The consequences of such rejecting the gospel and adhering to false doctrine were enormous.
First, if they rejected the gospel, and thus Paul’s apostolic teaching, this would have a terrible effect on their conduct since sound doctrine when obeyed produces godly conduct whereas when the Christian obeys false doctrine it will produce ungodly conduct in them.
Consequently, they would lose rewards at the Bema Seat for this apostasy.
Furthermore, ungodly conduct would hurt their testimony before the non-Christian community.
Therefore, when taking this all into consideration, it is easy to see why Paul was experiencing an intense struggle while interceding in prayer for the Colossians and Laodiceans.
This is the second time in this epistle to the Colossians that the apostle Paul has informed the faithful Christians in Colossae that he interceded in prayer for him.
The first time was he mentioned interceding in prayer for them is found in Colossians 1:9-11.
So in Colossians 2:1-2, Paul is informing the Colossians that he interceded in prayer for them which is an essential element of a productive prayer life.
He is emphasizing the importance he attached to intercessory prayer and wants the Colossians to follow his example and intercede in prayer for their fellow Christians even if they had never met them personally but had knowledge of them.
There are seven essential elements that should be included in every prayer offered to God: (1) confession, (2) Filling of the Spirit, (3) faith, (4) worship, (5) thanksgiving, (6) intercession, and (7) petition.
Intercession refers to praying for both the temporal and spiritual needs of believers and unbelievers, friends and enemies (Luke 23:34; Eph 1:16-23; 3:14-19; 6:18; 1 Ti 2:1-4).
Intercessory prayer refers to praying for both the temporal and spiritual needs of believers and unbelievers, friends and enemies (Luke 23:34; Eph 1:16-23; 3:14-19; 6:18; 1 Ti 2:1-4).
It is an expression of the love of God in our lives and, therefore, directly relates to what the Scriptures teach on love.
Intercessory prayer is a function of the church-age believer’s royal priesthood, which allows the believer to represent himself in prayer before the Father.
God calls every church-age believer to intercede on behalf of all men, especially one’s fellow believers, since every church-age believer is a royal priest.
The Christian is taught to pray for the spiritual and temporal needs of members of the royal family of God (Ephesians 6:18; Col 1:9-10; 1 Thessalonians 5:25; 2 Thessalonians 1:11; James 5:16; 3 John 2; 2 Co 13:9; Romans 15:30-31).
They are to pray for the spiritual growth of members of the body of Christ (Colossians 4:12; Ephesians 1:15-19; 1 Thessalonians 3:9-10; Philippians 1:9; Colossians 1:9; 2 Corinthians 13:9).
The Christian is encouraged to particularly pray for the sick in the royal family of God (Jam 5:14-15a).