The reason for thanking God the Father (5)
[Colossians 1:1-8]
In today's passage from Colossians 1:2b, the Apostle Paul addresses the saints in Colossae, saying, "Grace and peace to you from God our Father." Here, the word "peace" refers to a state that results from the cessation of war and signifies the condition of prosperity and order. It represents the blessed state where the outcome is the occurrence of prosperity and the establishment of order (WBC Commentary). The concept of this "peace" is particularly related to completeness in the context of relationships, and the peace as an order is established by the God of peace (1 Cor. 14:33; cf. Rom. 15:33; 16:20; Phil. 4:9) (WBC Commentary). In fact, the Apostle Paul not only mentioned that Christ is the mediator of such peace (Rom. 5:1; Col. 1:20) but also declared that Jesus Himself is the peace (Eph. 2:14-18). Therefore, when Paul prays for peace for the Colossians in Colossians 1:2, it is not merely a wish for their spiritual well-being. It does not solely signify an internal state of satisfaction. Instead, Paul's prayer aims to enable the saints in Colossae to more fully understand the essence of the relationship of peace that they have entered into with God (WBC Commentary). Hence, Paul writes to them in Colossians 1:20, "and through him [Christ] to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."
- The second interesting point is that, in the greetings of the 11 letters of the Apostle Paul, he usually says, 'from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ ....’
However, in today's passage, Colossians 1:2, Paul only says, "from God our Father" and omits the phrase "and the Lord Jesus Christ." In my opinion, this might be related to the purpose of Paul writing this letter to the faithful saints in Colossae. At that time, the saints in Colossae faced a significant challenge from the influence of complex syncretistic religions prevalent in the Colossian region. This influence posed a danger of obscuring their understanding of Christ. Consequently, the uniqueness of Christ, His uniqueness as the savior, and His uniqueness as the ruler of the world might have been threatened (Internet). Particularly, as the main members of the Colossian church were Gentiles (1:12, 27; 2:13), they were naturally influenced by the pagan thoughts they had before believing in Jesus Christ or the pagan religious traditions dominating the era. They were at risk of easily succumbing to such false teachings (Internet). Therefore, I think that when Paul wrote to the faithful saints in Colossae, he did not directly say in the greeting, "from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ," but later in verse 3, he affirmed that God, specifically "the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," is also "our Father." In other words, he made it clear that there is one Father for both "our Lord Jesus Christ" and "us" (Paul, Timothy, and the saints of the Colossian church). This way, he affirmed the deity of Jesus (Jesus is one in nature with God) and emphasized the unity between believers and the Father. This was a way of safeguarding them against the false teachings prevalent in the region (McArthur). Therefore, I believe that Paul, in Colossians 1:2-3, said in the greeting, "Grace and peace to you from God our Father" and then went on to say in verse 3, "God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" – confirming the unity between God and the Lord Jesus Christ – and also stating that God is "our Father" (v. 3). This was a way of letting the Colossian saints know that they have received the blessings of grace and peace from God the Father and explaining how this has happened in Colossians 1:13-22. The term "grace" from God means that God has delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son (v. 13). It signifies that we have obtained redemption (freedom) through the blood shed on the cross (v. 14). The term "peace" from God means that God has made peace through the blood of Christ's cross and reconciled us to Himself through Christ (v. 20). The Colossian saints, who were previously alienated from God due to wicked works, have now been reconciled with God through the death of Christ (v. 22, Modern Korean Bible).
In today's passage, Colossians 1:3-6, the Bible says: "We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this, you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth." Looking at this passage, the Apostle Paul expresses gratitude to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, whenever he prays for the faithful saints in Colossae (v. 3). As I reflect on this passage, I derive three lessons through observations:
First, the Apostle Paul was a person who prayed for the saints.
In Paul's letters, he says things like, "We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you" (Col. 1:3), "I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers" (Eph. 1:16), "Remembering you in my prayers at all times, I pray with joy" (Phil. 1:3-4), "We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you" (1 Thess. 1:2), "I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy" (2 Tim. 1:3), "I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers" (Philemon 1:4). When I think about these words, a habit has developed for me personally as I read and meditate on the content of Paul's letters. The habit is, when I send messages via KakaoTalk, text, or letters to brothers and sisters while praying, I write phrases like 'I remember you and am praying for you,' 'I am praying for you with gratitude,' or 'I am praying because the Holy Spirit brings you to my mind.' The phrase 'remembering and praying' is learned from the words of the Apostle Paul, who mentioned that he remembered and prayed for various saints. The phrase 'the Holy Spirit brings you to my mind' was learned when I expressed gratitude to Mrs. Ahn, who lived in Korea before passing away, for praying for Victory Church and me. Furthermore, when I think about these words of the Apostle Paul, I realize that Paul, while praying for the saints, had exhorted the Ephesian saints, saying, "Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints" (Eph. 6:18). This means that he was putting into practice what he preached [“Continually, Paul practices what he preached(v. 18)”(KJV Bible Commentary). This is not easy, I think. For example, after pastors or Bible teachers like me teach, "Pray without ceasing for all the saints," it is easy for us to commit the sin of resting without actually praying continuously for all the saints. I remember what Samuel said: "I will not commit the sin of ceasing to pray for you before the Lord, and I will teach you the good and right way by continuing to teach you" (1 Sam.12:23).