Thoughts on Colossians 1:1-3 – Greetings

Paul in this greeting did not call himself ‘the apostle’, as if he were more important than the other apostles, nor did he say that Timothy was ‘my brother’. In other words he did not think that he was the centre of his universe or of anyone else’s universe. He saw himself as an apostle, a particular servant of Christ commissioned by him, and a brother of all other believers. As has been said, he was sent by Christ to do his work for and in the church, and that is how Paul saw himself.

Paul liked to draw people’s attention to deep doctrines. So here in his greeting he mentions God’s sovereign will in arranging the role that Paul would have in the church. He also mentions the permanent relationship that all believers have with one another – they are brothers in the family of God. It is good to think about both those doctrines as they affect us as Christians. Our role in the church was planned by God and we have the privilege of being in his family.

Paul also reminded Christians that divine salvation makes them into new people. They are saints, set apart to God and in the process of being changed by God. Because that is happening, they can be faithful brothers wherever they are. Paul could say that about his readers even although it seems he had not yet met most of them and had not even been to Colosse.

Colosse was not as large a location as the nearby cities of Laodicea and Hierapolis. No doubt, the church in Colosse would have been smaller than churches in the larger cities. Yet what went on in the church in Colosse was important to the apostle, and he did not assume that a small church in a smaller locality could be ignored.

Because the Colossian had been saved and were thus united to Christ, Paul knew that, as members of the Father’s family, they could and should know the blessings of fresh experiences of heavenly grace and peace. This experience was his desire for them, and was a pointer as to what they should pray for one another. Why should they focus on those blessings? Because they are the ongoing benefits of true religion. Grace is the source and peace is the outcome, and they occur repeatedly.