Notes & Outlines

COLOSSIANS

J. Vernon McGee
 COLOSSIANS

WRITER: Paul (Colossians 1:1)

DATE: About A.D. 62

CHURCH AT COLOSSE:
Paul had never been to Colosse when he wrote this epistle
(Colossians 2:1). He was in Ephesus for about two years where he
had his most fruitful ministry (Acts 19:8-19). Colosse was 75 to 100
miles east of Ephesus, and visitors from Colosse had heard Paul and
had come to know Christ. Apparently Philemon was one of these. A
church came into existence in Colosse (Philemon 2). Epaphras was
the minister of the Colossian church (Colossians 1:4-8; 4:12, 13). Paul
intended to visit there when he was released from prison (Philemon
22). Paul wrote to this church as though it were his own.

PROBLEM AT COLOSSE:
Colosse, located in southwest Phrygia in Asia Minor, near Laodicea,
was beset with oriental mysticism. Gnosticism had evidently intruded
with its Greek pantheistic philosophy of the demiurge.

PAULS
GNOSTICISM ANSWER
(1) They had an exclusive spirit (were aristocrat- Col. 1:28
ic in wisdom).

(2) They held speculative tenets on creation

that God did not create the universe directly,
but created a creature who in turn created Col. 1:15-19;
another creature, until one finally created the 2:18
physical universe. Christ was considered a
creature in this long series of creations.

(3) Their ethical practice was asceticism (influ- Col. 2:16, 23

enced by Greek Stoicism) and unrestrained
licentiousness (from Greek Epicureanism). Col. 3:5-9
MESSAGE OF COLOSSIANS:
Colossians is the chart and compass that enable the believer to sail
between the ever-present Scylla and Charybdis. Pure Christianity
lives between two dangers ever present: the danger that it will evapo-
rate into a philosophy philosophies of the atonementand the dan-
ger that it will freeze into a form (Dr. Scofield). Jesus said that He is
the water of life. He did not say that He was the ice of life; He did not
say that He was the steam of life. We are not told to add something to
Christ nor to subtract from Him.
The message of this epistle can best be seen by comparing it with
other prison epistles.

EPHESIANS COLOSSIANS PHILIPPIANS PHILEMON

Church Christ ian Liv d Christian
rist an
Ch

ing
Christ

Christ

Living
Church
and and
Christ Christian Christ Christian
Living Living

Subject: Ephesians the body of believers, called the church, of

which Christ is the Head
Colossians the Head of the body who is Christ; the
body is only secondary (Colossians 1:18)
Theme: Philippians Christian living is the theme and the per-
iphery of the circle where Christ is the
center.
Colossians Christ is the theme and the periphery of
the circle where Christian living is the cen-
ter.
Philippians emphasizes the kenosis Christ became a Servant
(Philippians 2:7).
Colossians emphasizes the pleroma Christ is the fullness of God
(Colossians 2:9).
Thou, O Christ, art all I want; more than all in Thee I find
(Charles Wesley).
OUTLINE:
I. DOCTRINAL, Chapters 1, 2
In Christ, the fullness (pleroma) of God, we are made full.
A. Introduction, Chapter 1:1-8
B. Pauls prayer, Chapter 1:9-14
C. Person of Christ, Chapter 1:15-19
D. Objective work of Christ for sinners, Chapter 1:20-23
E. Subjective work of Christ for saints, Chapter 1:24-29
F. Christ, the answer to philosophy, Chapter 2:1-15
(for the HEAD)
G. Christ, the answer to ritual, Chapter 2:16-23
(for the HEART)

II. PRACTICAL, Chapters 3, 4

Christ, the fullness of God, poured out in life through believers.
(Breaking the alabaster box of ointment in the world.)

A. Thoughts and affections of believers are heavenly,

Chapter 3:1-4
(The believers heart should be in heaven where his Head is.)
B. Living of believers is holy, Chapters 3:5 4:6
(In all relationships personal, social, marital, parental,
capital and labor the believer should manifest Christ.)
C. Fellowship of believers is hearty, Chapter 4:7-18
(Roster of faithful workers similar to Romans 16 and
Hebrews 11.)

COMMENT:
I. DOCTRINAL, Chapters 1, 2
In Christ, the fullness (pleroma) of God, we are made full.
A. Introduction, Chapter 1:1-8
v. 1 Pauls standard opening associates his name with that of
Timothy, who may have visited Colosse.
v. 2 He does not mean to differentiate between the saints and
the faithful. They are the same people.
v. 3 Paul gives thanks directly to Godthe Father. This is
His redemptive provision (John 3:16). Gnosticism did not believe one
could go directly to God, but rather through the emanations of God.
 vv. 4, 5 Paul links the trinity of graces for believers:
Faith past
Love present
Hope future
v. 6 World is kosmos, meaning the Roman world. Vincent
considers this hyperbole. Gospel preaching had already far-reaching
results. It reveals the universal character of the gospel.
Fruit is produced in those who believe.
v. 7 Epaphras may have been the founder of the church, as some
suppose.
v. 8 Love is the fruit of the Spirit.
B. Pauls prayer, Chapter 1:9-14
v. 9 Paul put the Colossians on his prayer list.
Knowledge is epignosin, superknowledge. The Gnostics boasted
that they had superknowledge. Here Paul confines it to the will of
God, which is expressed in the Word of God. It gives wisdom and
spiritual understanding. Wisdom, in all its forms occurs forty
times in this epistle.
v. 10 Worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing means that they
would not be obsequious to man.
Increasing in the knowledge of God a Christian should not
be static but alive and growing in the Word of God.
v. 11 Strength and power come from God and are produced by
the Holy Spirit in patience, longsuffering, and joyfulness.
v. 12 God, by His grace, has given us an inheritance with the
saints in light.
v. 13 We have been delivered from the kingdom of Satan (Eph-
esians 2:2) into the kingdom of the Son of his love (ASV). This is
the present aspect of the kingdom of God.
v. 14 Forgiveness is always associated with the blood of Christ.
God does not arbitrarily or sentimentally forgive sin. Redemption
is apolutrosin, meaning to set free an enslaved people.
C. Person of Christ, Chapter 1:15-19
This section on the person of Christ is the answer to all heresy con-
cerning His person. One of the first heresies was Arianism. Arius of
Alexandria said that the Lord Jesus Christ was a creature. The
Council of Nicaea, A.D. 325, answered this heresy: The Son is very
man of very man, and very God of very God. Later Socinus propa-
gated this heresy that Jesus was not God. This is the basis of
Unitarianism and some of the cults, including Jehovahs Witnesses.
There are nine marks of identification of Christ that make Him dif-
ferent and superior:
v. 15 (1) Image (eikon; Hebrews 1:3; John 1:18). He could
not be the image of God unless He was God.
(2) The first-born of all creation (prototokos; John
1:14, 18; 3:16). God is the everlasting Father; the Son is the everlast-
ing Son. His position in the Trinity is that of Son. First-born indi-
cates His priority before all creation. His headship of all creation does
not necessarily mean He was born first (Hebrews 1:6; Revelation 1:5;
Romans 8:29). In incarnation He is the Son of God in a new sense.
The angels announcement to Mary was, That holy thing which
shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35).
Christ is the same in substance, equal in power and glory with the
Father.
v. 16 (3) By him were all things created clears up any question
about Christ being the Creator or a creature in verse 15 (cp. John 1:3;
Hebrews 1:2).
There are two kinds of creation visible and invisible.
There are different gradations of rank in spiritual intelligences:
thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers.
(4) He not only created all things, they were created for Him.
v. 17 (5) He is before all things in the preincarnate Christ,
all fullness dwells. In the incarnate Christ, all fullness dwells.
(6) He holds all things together. He maintains creation. He
directs it. Consist (sunesteken) is to hold together (cp. Hebrews 1:3).
v. 18 (7) He is the head of the body, the church (cp.
Ephesians 1:22). He is the firstborn from the dead. He is the only One
who has been raised in a glorified body (cp. Psalm 2:7; Acts 13:33;
Hebrews 1:5, 5:5; Revelation 1:5).
(8) That in all things he might have the pre-eminence
the will of Christ must prevail throughout all of Gods creation.
 v. 19 (9) The fullness (pleroma) was at home, the full-fullness.
Jesus was 100% God not 99.44%.
Relationship to the Father, v. 15
Relationship to creation, vv. 16, 17
Relationship to the church, vv. 18, 19
Relationship to the cross, v. 20
D. Objective work of Christ for sinners, Chapter 1:20-23
v. 20 Christ made peace through the blood of his cross (cp.
Romans 5:1). God is not a big policeman waiting around the corner
ready to pounce on the sinner. God has His arms outstretched and is
saying to the sinner, Come, and I will give you redemption rest.
Reconciliation is toward man. God is reconciled by the cross of
Christ. He is asking man to be reconciled to Him (2 Corinthians 5:18-
20).
All things is limited to all things appointed for reconciliation (in
just such a way as the loss of all things is limited to what things
Paul had to lose [Philippians 3:8]).
Things in heaven indicate that not only must we be made ready
for heaven, but heaven must be made ready to receive us. The Lord
Jesus said, I go to prepare a place for you (John 14:2). By the incar-
nation, God came down to man; by the blood of Jesus, man is brought
up to God. Notice that it does not add, things under the earth (cp.
Philippians 2:10).
v. 21 Enemies in your mind reminds us that there is mental
alienation from God as well as moral alienation. This explains the
fierce antagonism to God on the part of some so-called intellectuals.
v. 22 Body of his flesh is an explicit declaration, as Docetic
Gnosticism stated that Christ suffered in appearance but not in a real
body.
Unblamable means without blemish. This was the requirement
for a sacrificial animal.
Unreprovable means unaccusable; unchargeable. It is God that
justifies.
v. 23 This is not conditional, based on the future. It is not some-
thing that shall be if something else is. Rather, this is the if of argu-
ment, often used by Paul. It could be translated, Since ye continue in
the faith.
 E. Subjective work of Christ for saints, Chapter 1:24-29
v. 24 A free translation could be, Now I, Paul, rejoice in the
midst of my sufferings for you, and I am filling up in my flesh that
which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ for His bodys sake,
which is the church. It was necessary to fill up that which was lack-
ing of the suffering of Christ.
(1) There are sufferings of Christ that we cannot share:
(a) Human suffering;
(b) Suffering as the Son of God;
(c) Suffering as the sacrifice for the sins of the world.
(2) There are sufferings of Christ that we can share:
(a) Suffering for righteousness sake;
(b) Suffering in the measure we identify ourselves with
Christ for the proclamation of the gospel. (See
authors tape, The Unfinished Sufferings of Christ.)
v. 25 Dispensation is economy; stewardship.
vv. 26, 27 Mystery is a sacred secret. This looks forward to
the day when we shall be like Him (1 John 3:2). We are in Christ
down here at present.
vv. 28, 29 Perfect in Christ Jesus means complete. This was
the goal of Paul.
F. Christ, the answer to philosophy, Chapter 2:1-15
(for the HEAD)
There were five errors that endangered the Colossian church:
(1) Enticing words, vv. 4-7
(2) Philosophy, vv. 8-13
(3) Legality, vv. 14-17
(4) Mysticism, vv. 18, 19
(5) Asceticism, vv. 20-23
v. 1 Conflict is agony called prayer agony by MacPhail.
Laodicea was located on the river Lycos, next to Colosse. It was
much more prominent than Colosse. Before 250 B.C. it was called
Diosopolis. Here, in 364 A.D., the council to determine the canon of
Scripture met (Revelation 3:14-22).
 As many as have not seen my face in the flesh makes it obvious
that Paul had not been to Colosse.
v. 2 Heart indicates the entire man, the whole propulsive nature
of man. Knit together is compacted (with the thought of instruction).
Full assurance is under full sail.
Mystery of God is Christ in His incarnation. He was very God
of very God and very man of very man.
v. 3 We may go to Christ for wisdom and knowledge. Next to
knowledge is knowing where to find out.
v. 4 Beguile you means to victimize you. Enticing words
are oratory or sweet talk.
v. 5 Order is a military term, meaning to stand shoulder to
shoulder.
Steadfastness is a solid front; immovable. Paul is commending
them for their faithfulness in the face of overwhelming odds against
them.
v. 6 Received a person, Jesus Christ.
v. 7 Rooted as a tree, a living thing.
Built up as a house
In the faith is by your faith.
v. 8 Beware is look out!
Lest any man notice that Paul mentions no names.
Spoil is booty in a Roman victory parade.
Philosophy a true philosopher is a seeker after the truth.
Christ is the answer. False philosophy is like a blind man looking in
a dark room for a black cat that isnt there.
Tradition of men Christ condemned religious rulers for this.
Rudiments (stoicheion), the ABCs.
v. 9 Fullness is pleroma. This is a clear-cut statement of the
deity of Christ.
 v. 10 Complete in him may be translated, Ye are ready for
the voyage of life in Him, picturing a sailing ship out on a voyage.
v. 11 The real circumcision for today is the new birth (cp.
Galatians 6:15; John 3:3).
v. 12 Identification with Christ is the meaning of being buried
with him in baptism (see notes on Romans 6:1-5).
Risen with him Lord Lyndhurst, lord chancellor of Great
Britain and one of the sharpest legal minds of all time, said: I know
pretty well what evidence is; and I tell you, such evidence as that for
the resurrection has never broken down yet.
v. 13 It is not the improvement of the old nature, but the impar-
tation of a new nature.
v. 14 Since the Law was given to discipline the old nature, and
the believer is given a new nature, the Law as a way of life was
removed per se by the cross of Christ.
v. 15 The spiritual victory that Christ won for the believer is of
inestimable value.
G. Christ, the answer to ritual, Chapter 2:16-23
(for the HEART)
v. 16 A believer is not to observe ordinances that are only ritual
and liturgical, as they have no present value (cp. 1 Corinthians 8:8-13).
v. 17 Shadow is picture; a photograph. All of the rituals of
the Law were pictures of Christ. Now that Christ has come, we have
the reality, the person of Christ, and we no longer need pictures.
v. 18 Paul is here condemning the Gnostics who made a pre-
tense of wisdom.
Intruding into those things which he hath not seen is a pretense.
The American Standard Version translates it, Dwelling in the things
which he hath seen.
v. 19 Not holding the Head indicates a loose relationship to
Christ. Therefore they do not grow spiritually.
v. 20 If ye be dead might better be translated, Since ye have
died (when Christ died), do not return to pre-cross living.
Ordinances are fads.
v. 21 This is separation, according to many. Actually this is
monkey business the three little monkeys see no evil, hear no evil,
speak no evil.
v. 22 These are part of the passing fashions of the world.
v. 23 This is the pride that apes humility (Juvenal).
Not in any honor means it is not of any value.
II. PRACTICAL, Chapters 3, 4
Christ, the fullness of God, poured out in life through believers.
(Breaking the alabaster box of ointment in the world.)
A. Thoughts and affections of believers are heavenly, Chapter
3:1-4
(The believers heart should be in heaven where his Head is.)
v. 1 Be risen is were raised when Christ was raised, we
were raised (Romans 6:4, 5).
v. 2 Affection is mind think about things above.
v. 3 For ye are dead is for ye have died when Christ died,
we died.
v. 4 This is the guarantee for the future. We have died with
Him; we have been raised with Him. We are in Christ. When He
appears, we appear.
B. Living of believers is holy, Chapters 3:5 4:6
(In all relationships personal, social, marital, parental,
capital and labor the believer should manifest Christ.)
Chapter 3
v. 5 Mortify is put to death; put in the place of death.
Members refers to the energies and activities of the old man
(Romans 8:6-8). Paul deals with specific sins:
Fornication refers to physical and spiritual fornication.
Uncleanness includes thoughts, words, looks, gestures.
 Inordinate affection is passion (ASV); lust.
Evil concupiscence is evil desire (ASV).
Covetousness is must-have-more-ness.
v. 6 God judges sinners for these sins, and God must judge
believers for committing them.
v. 7 This is the condition of believers before they were saved.
v. 8 Put off as a garment.
Malice is congealed anger.
Filthy communication is foul communication both abusive
and filthy.
v. 9 Put off the old man the old man is not to control the
life of the believer. Garments in Scripture are habits. We use the same
expression today when we speak of riding habits or walking habits.
The old man is to be put off, taken off as a garment.
v. 10 Put on the new garment or habit. Nature abhors a vacu-
um. Putting off is not enough; we must live in the new man by the
power of the Holy Spirit.
v. 11 Christ is all in all. He is a catalyst that brings together indi-
viduals and groups who are separate and makes them one in Christ.
A catalyst is a substance that is placed with elements that are opposed
and brings them together in a new compound.
v. 12 As he labeled the things of the old man that were to be put
off, here he labels the specifics that go with the wardrobe of the new
man. Tender mercies may be translated a heart of compassion.
These all are the fruit of the Holy Spirit (cp. Galatians 5:22, 23).
v. 13 This is the basis on which the believer is to forgive, rather
than the legal basis given in the so-called Lords Prayer (cp.
Ephesians 4:32).
vv. 14, 15 Love and peace are both fruits of the Holy Spirit
(Galatians 5:22).
v. 16 The word of Christ Now ye are clean through the
word which I have spoken unto you (John 15:3).
 Dwell is be at home be given the run of the house. Many folk
praise the Bible but do not study it. Juvenal said, Virtue is praised
and left to starve. This verse is fulfilled only in a Spirit-filled heart
(see Ephesians 5:18-20). Of 2nd century believers, Pliny wrote to the
Emperor in A.D. 112: They meet together before day to sing a hymn
to Christ as God.
v. 17 This is the Christian life, the summum bonum of life.
vv. 18-22 See notes on Ephesians 5:22 6:9.
v. 23 Christian service is that which is done to please Christ
rather than men.
v. 24 For this he will receive a reward.
v. 25 If the believer attempts to please men, there is no reward.
Chapter 4
v. 1 Both masters and servants must give an account to the
Master in heaven (Ephesians 6:9). Just and equal is not to level
down, but to level up.
vv. 2-6 Here are three more areas of Christian conduct which
are important:
(1) Prayer (vv. 2-4). Persevere in prayer. Like breathing,
inhale (prayer), exhale (thanksgiving). Pray for the preaching of the
gospel.
(2) Walk in wisdom (v. 5). The public walk is another impor-
tant factor.
(3) Speech (v. 6). We should not be boring, but enthusiastic!
C. Fellowship of believers is hearty, Chapter 4:7-18
(Roster of faithful workers similar to Romans 16 and He-
brews 11.)
This section is similar to Romans 16. It is a roster of believers who lived,
moved, and had their being in the pagan culture of the Roman Empire.
They lived for God in a heathen society.
vv. 7, 8 Tychicus was evidently the pastor of the church in
Ephesus (Ephesians 6:21; Acts 20:4; 2 Timothy 4:12).
 v. 9 Onesimus was a slave of Philemon in Colosse. He had run
away to Rome. Paul led him to Christ and had returned him to Philemon
as a brother (see Epistle to Philemon).
v. 10 Aristarchus (Acts 19:29) was a friend of Paul. Mark (Acts
15:37) made good (2 Timothy 4:11).
vv. 12, 13 Epaphras was the minister at Colosse, but at this time
was in prison. He had now a ministry of prayer.
v. 14 Luke was the beloved physician.
vv. 15-18 Personal greetings and injunctions.
v. 18 Remember my bonds was evidently the motto of many
believers who began to witness after Paul was imprisoned.
RECOMMENDED BOOKS:
Harrison, Everett F. Colossians: Christ All-Sufficient. Chicago, Illinois:
Moody Press, 1971.
Hendrickson, William. Exposition of Colossians and Philemon. Grand
Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1965.
Ironside, H. A. Lectures on the Epistle to the Colossians. Neptune,
New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, 1929.
Kelly, William. Lectures on the Epistle to the Philippians and Col-
ossians. Oak Park, Illinois: Bible Truth Publishers, n.d.
Kent, Homer A., Jr. Treasures of Wisdom: Studies in Colossians and
Philemon. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1978.
(Excellent.)
King, Guy H. Crossing the Border. Fort Washington, Pennsylvania:
Christian Literature Crusade, 1957. (Devotional.)
Moule, Handley C. G. Colossians and Philemon. Grand Rapids,
Michigan: Kregel Publications, 1893.
(This is a reprint from The Cambridge University Bible for Schools
and Colleges. This helpful series also covers Romans, Ephesians,
and Philippians.)
Nicholson, William. Oneness with Christ. Grand Rapids, Michigan:
Kregel Publications, 1903. (Devotional.)
Robertson, A. T. Paul and the Intellectuals. Grand Rapids, Michigan:
Baker Book House, 1928.
Thomas, W. H. Griffith. Studies in Colossians and Philemon. Grand
Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1973. (Excellent.)
Vine, W. E. Philippians and Colossians. London: Oliphants, 1955.
(This is an excellent treatment.)
Wiersbe, Warren W. Be Complete. Wheaton, Illinois: Victor Books,
1981.
Wuest, Kenneth S. Ephesians and Colossians in the Greek New Testa-
ment. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.,
1953.
These notes, prepared by J. Vernon McGee, are for the purpose of giving
assistance to the listeners of the THRU THE BIBLE RADIO program.
They are to be used with the Bible and will be more meaningful as you
look up all the Scripture references. Due to the necessary brevity of both
notes and broadcasts, a list of recommended books is included for those
wanting a more detailed study. These books may be obtained from a
Christian library or bookstore or ordered from the publishers.

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