Easy to Understand Colossians 1 Commentary (with Bible Study Questions, plus downloadable Colossians 1 Life Application)

Understanding commentaries can be complicated, but not this one! This easy-to-understand Colossians 1 commentary with downloadable Colossians 1 bible study questions, and Colossians 1 life applications, are something that will enable you to completely and clearly understand Colossians 1.

Colossians chapter 1 has a lot of key takeaways, and doing an in-depth Colossians chapter 1 commentary, including Colossians chapter 1 Bible Study, is a recipe that can be called Colossians 1 commentary study.

What is Colossians 1 talking about?

What is the first chapter of Colossians? The first chapter of Colossians establishes Jesus as the center of Christianity, the church, and the entire universe. The church of Colossae had doctrinal issues that made believe that Jesus was not enough to be saved. They were missing other doctrines into Chdrifting away from keeping Jesus at the center of their belief system.

What issues do Colossians deal with that are also pertinent issues today? 

The false doctrines in the Colossian Church came from following a few old traditions of Judaism and the beliefs of the Greeks. Unfortunately, the Colossian church allowed those false doctrines to mix up with Christianity which needed to be addressed. 

Many false doctrines are lingering around even in the present world, telling us that we need more than Jesus. As a result, different philosophies are brought to the church, and many churches fall prey to them. 

Who wrote Colossians 1? 

Paul, the Apostle of Jesus, wrote Colossians 1. Paul wrote a letter to the Colossian church to inform them that all that they needed was Jesus and nothing more! We can see Paul’s genuine love for the Colossian Church, although he did not plant the church, nor had he ever visited them. 

Who is Paul speaking to in Colossians? Paul speaks to the Colossian Church, but the teachings can apply to all Christians worldwide. The Hope of the Gospel stands true even today that Jesus is the only Savior who can save the world, and as Christians, we need nothing more than JESUS! 

What is the main theme of Colossians chapter 1?

In Colossians chapter 1, Paul establishes the supremacy of Jesus over the church and the world in its entirety. Paul gives the Colossian Church an understanding of God the Father and the supremacy of Jesus Christ and also covers a bit about the Holy Spirit. Paul also talks about himself as a minister of God and encourages the Colossian church to be good stewards of Christ. 

Colossians chapter 1 can be divided into three main themes:

1. Faith of the Colossians Church (Colossians 1:1-14)
2. Supremacy of Jesus (Colossians 1:15-23)
3. Sacrificial Suffering for Christ (Colossians 1:24-29)

We will cover all three themes in depth in this Colossians 1 verse by verse commentary.

1. Faith of the Colossian Church (Colossians 1:1-14 Bible Study and Commentary)

Colossians 1:1-14 (NKJV) – “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 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. 3 We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, always praying for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; 5 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, 6 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; 7 as you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, 8 who also declared to us your love in the Spirit. 9 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; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”

Paul starts the letter by introducing himself as the apostle of Christ. He calls himself apostle not by his own will but according to God’s will and the commission laid upon him. He also introduces Timothy as his companion and brother. As per theologians, Timothy has no contribution to the writing of this epistle, although Paul mentions him in this context.  

In verse 2, Paul greets the church in Colossae by addressing all of them as saints and perhaps distinctly calling the ones who had not yet given into the doctrinal differences as faithful brethren. He speaks the grace and peace of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ over their lives. Paul includes God the Father and Jesus. By saying this, he put God the Father and Jesus at the same level of authority. 

In verse 3, Paul says that they (Paul and Timothy) give thanks to the Father and Jesus for the church in Colossae and continually pray for them. Paul again includes God the Father and Jesus in his prayer for them. Right from the beginning of his letter, Paul establishes the equal authority of Jesus along with God. 

It was common practice for Paul to give thanks to the Lord. Paul loved the Christain brethren so much that he prayed continually for the Colossian church, although he did not meet them or even establish that church. We can be inspired by Paul’s Christian Living throughout this chapter.  

We can learn from Paul that our love for other believers should be an everyday practice of giving thanks and always praying for them. 

In verse 4, Paul appreciates the Colossian church’s faith in Jesus and their love for all believers. Then, verses 5-6 show that the Colossian church could love others and have faith in Jesus because of their conviction from the heaven of the hope of the Gospel. 

Paul mentions that this Gospel of Hope has been preached to them and the whole world. Conviction of the Word of Truth of the gospel is bringing more and more salvations. 

Paul speaks wisdom when he says that the Colossian church heard the truth and understood the Grace of God. It is the foundation of Christian Knowing! Every Christain needs to know and understand that they are saved through grace and not of their own doing. 

It is the faith in the Word of truth that brings about a change of heart and life. Therefore, every Christian should base their Christian Living on this knowledge and understanding! 

From verse 7, it is clear that Epaphras also brought the gospel to the people of Colossians. Paul praises Epaphras and calls him a faithful minister of Christ on behalf of the Colossian church. It means that Epaphras was pastoring the church.

In verse 8, Paul continues his statement about Epaphras, who gave a good report about the Colossian church by telling Paul that they loved the people in the Spirit. This is a big statement of praise for the Colossian church! 

Because Paul knew that loving people is one of the greatest struggles that every Christian face, yet, it is the commandment of God! But, bringing the Holy Spirit into the equation makes it possible to have an agape love for other believers.

We can see that the attributes of the Colossian church which caught Paul’s attention were faith, hope, and love! Paul praises and exhorts those attributes because they are also the main focus of Paul’s thinking and living. Therefore, Christian thought should also focus on faith, hope, and love. 

Paul is so impressed by their love in the Spirit that he says in verse 9 that he and Timothy haven’t stopped praying for them since they heard this excellent report from Epaphras. Paul and Timothy were praying that the Colossian church may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. 

Paul knew that unless the Colossian church is filled with God’s wisdom and knows the Lord’s will for their lives, satan will interfere and try to corrupt their faith in Christ and their love for other believers. 

This is something that every Christian should adhere to too! Because satan does the same with us too. We protect and self-guard our perspectives, actions, motives, and lives by seeking God’s will and wisdom in everything. Spiritual understanding is so essential while we are on this earth! 

Paul explains in verses 10-11 that Spiritual understanding is important because it enables the Colossian church and every Christian to walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him. Paul also mentions that Spiritual understanding will manifest in the fruitfulness of every good work and will increase the knowledge of God.

In verse 11, Paul says that Spiritual understanding will strengthen the Colossians with all might, according to His glorious power. It will also produce all patience and enable longsuffering with joy. 

In verse 12, Paul brings the focus to God the Father by giving thanks to Him. Because it is the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light, from this verse onwards, Paul gives Colossians an understanding of God the Father and the supremacy of Jesus Christ, and the role of the Holy Spirit. We get a clear understanding of the trinity at its best in this chapter. 

In verse 13, Paul declares that God the Father has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love. It is the will and redemption plan of God for our lives. 

In verse 14, Paul says that Christians are redeemed through the blood of Jesus, and through His blood, we have forgiveness of our sins.

Colossians 1 life application: verses 1-14

What can we learn from Colossians 1:1-14? We can learn ten life application lessons from this passage explaining the first theme of Colossians 1: Faith of the Colossian church.

1. Christians should daily give thanks for themselves and others in their prayer life. 
2. One way for a Christain to love others is to always pray for other believers.
3. Christians should base their faith on the knowledge of the grace of God that brings salvation.
4. The conviction of the hope of the Gospel brings a change of heart in a Christian’s life which can now have faith in Jesus and love other believers like Christ. 
5. Christians should love other believers in Spirit because the Holy Spirit makes it possible to love others along with all their shortcomings. 
6. Christians should work towards being filled with God’s wisdom and have the knowledge of the Lord’s will for their lives to self-guard and protect themselves from the interference of satan. 
7. Spiritual understanding enables Christians to walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him. 
8. Spiritual understanding will manifest by the fruitfulness in every good work and will be increasing in the knowledge of God.
9. Christians should understand the trinity and how God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit work in union for the salvation plan of the earth. 
10. It was the will and the redemption plan of God the Father that Christians be redeemed by the Blood of Jesus and get forgiveness of our sins. 

In the first 14 verses, Paul addressed, praised, and appreciated the faith of the Colossian Church. Along the way, he also started speaking about the authority and the place of Jesus as God. The following verses will establish why he is writing this letter to the Colossian church. We know from the background that the Colossian church was moving away from keeping Jesus the center of their belief, so it was important for Paul to establish Jesus’ supremacy. 

2. Supremacy of Jesus (Colossians 1:15-23 Bible Study and Commentary)

Colossians 1:15-23 (NKJV) – “15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. 19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— 23 if 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.”

These verses establish the supremacy of Jesus. These verses will answer questions like:

• Who is Jesus in Colossians 1? 
• What do we learn about Jesus in Colossians?
• What is the image of the invisible God according to Paul in Colossians?
• Why is Jesus the image of God?
• What is the image of God means?
• Why did God create humans in his own image?

In verse 15, Paul says that Jesus is the image of the invisible God. Therefore, Jesus is the firstborn of all creation. This verse is profound. 

What is the meaning of Colossians 1:15? According to the dictionary, the word “image” means a visual representation of something, and the word “invisible” means something unable to be seen. Therefore, Jesus was the visual and physical representation of the spiritual and invisible God. 

God could not be seen, heard, touched, smelled, or tasted after sin entered the world, but Jesus came as a human to manifest God. So God, now in the form of Jesus, could be physically seen, touched, tasted, heard, and smelled. And also, through Jesus, God could be spiritually sensed, felt, seen, smelled, and heard. In other words, Jesus was God’s physical and spiritual representation on earth. 

The initial plan of God was for humans to be the image of Him both physically and spiritually. Why did God create humans in his own image? God wanted humans to be His representatives on the earth. We see that in Genesis 1:26a (NKJV), “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” But, humans could not live up to the expectations of God when they gave into sin. So, although physically, we still are the image of God, spiritually, sin separated us from God. 

God needed Jesus as plan B to first walk on the earth as God’s physical and spiritual image and, second, to spiritually reconcile humans to God through Jesus’ death on the cross. So that humans, through Jesus, could not only physically represent God on earth but also spiritually represent God on earth after accepting Jesus as their personal Savior.

Why is Jesus called the firstborn? What does firstborn mean in the Bible? The word “firstborn” in this context is attributed to the rank or authority of Jesus in the world. Generally, the firstborns inherit that of their Father and have leadership significance along with their Father. Jesus, as the firstborn, inherited and was the world’s leader.

Also, a significantly important truth that stamps the status of Jesus as the firstborn can be found in verses 16-18.

1. Everything under heaven and on earth was created By Jesus, THROUGH Jesus, and FOR Jesus (verse 16)
2. Jesus is BEFORE all things, and in Jesus, all things CONSIST (verse 17)
3. Jesus is the HEAD of the church (verse 18)
4. Jesus is the BEGINNING of creation (verse 18)
5. Jesus is the firstborn from the DEAD (verse 18). It means that Jesus is the first to resurrect from the dead, and because of Jesus’ resurrection, we also, through Jesus’ blood, will resurrect from spiritual death. 
6. Jesus is preeminent – which means SUPERIOR over everything on earth and in heaven. 

So, Jesus is the firstborn of this world in the hierarchy and authority. Jesus is the creator of the world, Savior of the world, and the ruler of the world – FOREVER. 

In verse 19, Paul explains that God the Father is pleased that all fullness dwells in Jesus. In ancient Greek, two separate words were used to denote a permanent place of dwelling and a temporary place of dwelling. In this context, the ancient Greek word used for dwell is a PERMANENT place of dwelling. So Paul is saying that everything dwells permanently in Jesus. 

In this context, we also understand the role of the Father in the Trinity. The Father is “pleased” by Jesus. Also, as Christian, we are to please God. He is pleased when we, as Christians, have faith in Jesus. Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) says, “But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”  

In verse 20, Paul continues to explain the Father’s role and Jesus’s. Through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, the Father reconciled all things to Himself. Ultimately, our role as humans is to be in communion with God. Our broken relationship with God is reconciled through Jesus’ blood. 

In verse 21, Paul describes how we were once alienated through sin but are now reconciled to God. The ancient Greek word for “alienated” used in this context was “apellotriomenous,” which means “transferred to another owner.” When humans sinned, we were not only separated from God but also transferred our ownership to satan. That explains why our mind is corrupted with wickedness. 

In verse 22, Paul explains what the sacrifice of Jesus has done for us. Jesus transferred our ownership back to God by purchasing our innocence through His death and blood on the cross to present us blameless in the sight of God. As a result, God now sees us through the lens of Jesus, which makes us look holy. 

In verse 23, Paul reminds the Colossian church to continue in faith, be grounded and steadfast, and not to be moved away from the hope of the gospel. This is a reminder to all Christians as well. It is important to understand that accepting Jesus as our Savior is the first step but living a faith-filled life is an everyday process. We are to continue to keep Him at the center of our focus and are not to drift away. 

Colossians 1 life application: verses 15-23

What can we learn from Colossians 1:15-23? We can learn sixteen life application lessons from this passage explaining the second theme of Colossians 1: Supremacy of Jesus

1. Jesus is the image of the invisible God
2. Jesus is the firstborn over all creation 
3. All things were created – By Jesus, Through Jesus, and For Jesus 
4. Jesus is BEFORE all things, and in Jesus, all things CONSIST 
5. Jesus is the HEAD of the church 
6. Jesus is the BEGINNING of creation 
7. Jesus is the firstborn from the DEAD. 
8. Through Jesus’ blood, we are also resurrected from spiritual death.
9. Jesus is preeminent – which means SUPERIOR over everything on earth and in heaven. 
10. Everything fully and permanently dwells in Jesus. 
11. God the Father is pleased by the permanent dwelling of Jesus
12. As Christians, we should continually live by faith to please the Father. 
13. Our broken relationship is reconciled with God through Jesus
14. Through Jesus, our ownership is transferred back to God. 
15. Through Jesus’ death and blood on the cross, Christians are present blameless in the sight of God.
16. Christians are to continue in faith, be grounded and steadfast, and not move away from the hope of the gospel.

Paul ends verse 23 by calling himself a minister of the gospel. He says that the gospel needs to be heard by the whole world under heaven. And is doing what has been commissioned upon him. In the remaining verses of Colossians 1, Paul explains how he is suffering for the ministry and how even the Colossian church should play its part as the disciples of God and be ministers of the gospel. 

3. Sacrificial Suffering for Christ (Colossians 1:24-29 Bible Study and Commentary)

Colossians 1:24-29 (NKJV) – “24 I now rejoice in my sufferings 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, 25 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, 26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 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. 28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. 29 To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.”

In verses 24-25, Paul expresses his joy in his suffering for Christ. Paul was a fantastic role model for all the Colossian churches and all the Christians to come. The early church Apostles and Jesus’ disciples suffered with joy and encouraged all Christians to do the same. So we read in James 1:2 (NKJV), “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials.”

Paul is counting it all joy because he knows these temporary issues on earth will give him far more glory in heaven. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NKJV), “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

Paul is saying that, like Jesus, even he is suffering for the church. It exemplifies the agape love that Jesus has for the church and the agape love all Christians are to have for other believers. A question from verse 24 could be, what does “fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ” mean? Was Jesus lacking any afflictions that Paul is now completing?

The word used for afflictions is not to talk about the suffering that Jesus bore on the cross. God’s plan was only for Jesus to carry all the world’s sins and not for anyone else to share them. Only Jesus was without sin, so only He could bear the suffering of all people, no one else! 

The kind of afflictions that Paul is mentioning here are the afflictions faced in ministry, which even Jesus faced when He was on this earth. Afflictions for the ministry are not yet completed and are something that every Christain has to bear for the church. 

In Jesus’ words from John 16:33 (NKJV), “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” This is a call to all Christians! Because every Christian is called to share the gospel of hope with the world.

In verses 26-27, Paul reveals the mystery hidden from everyone. What is this mystery? Scholars have different opinions about the mystery. Some think that the mystery is the inclusion of Gentiles into the kingdom of God, whereas some say it is the Holy Spirit as our helper. Verse 27 says the mystery is “Christ is you, the hope of glory.” 

Jesus Christ is inside us after we accept Him as our personal Savior. This means we have all His qualities, His attributes, His likeness, His love, His might, and His strength inside us. So if we say we don’t have enough faith, it is a lie from the enemy. 

We have the faith of God inside us, and we only need to exercise that faith. In other words, we have the DNA of Christ! Everything we ever need is already inside us because Jesus is inside us, so we are complete. We lack nothing to live a better life in this world. 

In verses 28, Paul says that every Christain needs to preach Jesus and warn them in all wisdom. In English, the word “warn” is like an ultimatum or perceived in a legalistic manner. But, it is always important to understand the scripture’s context and to see what the ancient scriptures read. The ancient Greek word for “warn” used here is “nouthetountes,” which means “to impart understanding.” 

As Christians, we are to impart wisdom in all understanding with love, not in a way to hurt or put people down but to encourage them and correct them in love. Paul is saying that it is the responsibility of all Christians to present each other perfectly in Christ. It is a call for the community! Christians are meant to live in community, love each other in Christ and impart understanding to present each other perfected in Christ. 

In verse 29, Paul is saying that God is working inside him, so he can labor and strive for the kingdom of God. This is an encouragement to all Christians. God does not leave us alone to do His ministry. It is His ministry and not ours, and we are just stewards for the glory of Him. The Holy Spirit is working inside us mightily to help us labor for the Lord.

Colossians 1 life application: verses 24-29

What can we learn from Colossians 1:24-29? We can learn nine life application lessons from this passage explaining the third theme of Colossians 1: Sacrificial Suffering for Christ.

1. Christians are to suffer with joy for other Believers.
2. Only Jesus bore the sufferings on the cross for all people, and no one can share those sufferings with Jesus.
3. Afflictions in Christ are the afflictions in ministry that every Christian should face for the Lord.
4. Every Christian is called to be the minister of the gospel of hope.
5. Christians are stewards of God to fulfill the mystery: Christ in You, the hope of glory.
6. Christians are called to teach in all wisdom and impart knowledge to all Christians.
7. Christians are responsible for helping present everyone perfected in Christ.
8. It is God’s ministry, not ours! He will not leave us alone in our tribulation.
9. The Holy Spirit works mightily in us to help us labor and strive for His kingdom.

Colossians 1 Bible Study Tools

If you want Colossians 1 Bible Study Questions to reflect on, you can download Colossians 1 bible study pdf.

If you want to reflect on all the lessons learned from this commentary, you can download the Colossians 1 Life Application.

If you are interested in the Colossians 1 bible study guide, you can get the following helpful Colossians 1 bible study tools.

Colossians 1 Commentary Spurgeon – Commentary on Colossians (Spurgeon Commentary Series)

Colossians 1 Commentary John Macarthur – Colossians and Philemon MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Volume 22

In conclusion, we can say that in Colossians 1, Paul beautifully explains the supremacy of Jesus by laying a solid foundation about who God the Father is and who Jesus is. Paul appreciates the faith, hope, and love that the Colossian church has and tells them that they need nothing more than Jesus in their life. Finally, Paul talks about how he rejoices in the afflictions as a minister of the Gospel and encourages the Colossian church to be good stewards of the gospel of Hope.  

What is your best takeaway from this Colossians 1 Commentary? Comment below.

Also, be sure to Read:

• Book of Colossians Bible Study (Chapter by Chapter Summary)
• Easy to Understand Colossians 2 Commentary with bible Study Questions (plus Downloadable Life-Lessons)
• Easy to Understand Colossians 3 Commentary with Bible Study Questions (plus Downloadable Life-Lessons)
• Easy to Understand Colossians 4 Commentary with Bible Study Questions (plus Downloadable Life-Lessons)