colossians 1

Read Colossians 1 at Bible Gateway.

Col 1:5-23 chiastic structure:

1a) Col 1:5-10, Hope of the gospel you heard + as has has been heard in all the world;

1a) Col 1:5-6, The word of the truth of the gospel + which is bringing forth fruit;
1b) Col 1:6, Since the day you heard of the grace of God;
central axis) Col 1:7-8, Epaphras, the faithful minister of Christ;
2b) Col 1:9, Since the day we heard it (your faith in Christ Jesus);
2a) Col 1:9-10, Be filled with the knowledge of His will + fruitful in every good work;

1a) Col 1:9, May you be filled with the knowledge of His will in wisdom + spiritual understanding;
1b) Col 1:10a, That you may walk worthy of the Lord,
central axis) Col 1:10b, Fully pleasing Him;
2b) Col 1:10c, Being fruitful in every good work;
2a) Col 1:10d, And increasing in the knowledge of God;

1b) Col 1:11, Strengthened with might, according to His power, for patience + longsuffering with joy;

1c) Col 1:12, Thanking the Father + partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light;

1d) Col 1:13, Delivered from the power of darkness + conveyed into the kingdom of His beloved Son;

1e) Col 1:14, In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins;

1f) Col 1:15-17, He is deity + firstborn + by Him all things created + preeminent;

1) Col 1:15a, He is the image of the invisible God;
2) Col 1:15b, He is the firstborn over all creation;
3) Col 1:16, For by Him all things were created, both in heaven and on earth;
4) Col 1:17, And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist;

central axis) Col 1:18a, And He is the head of the body, the church;

2f) Col 1:18b-20a, He is firstborn + preeminent + deity + by Him all things reconciled;

2) Col 1:18b, He is the firstborn from the dead;
4) Col 1:18c, That in all things He may have the preeminence;
1) Col 1:19, For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell;
3) Col 1:20a, By Him all things were reconciled to Himself, whether on earth or in heaven;

2e) Col 1:20b, Having made peace through the blood of His cross;

2d) Col 1:21-22a, Once alienated + enemies, yet now reconciled in His body through death;

2c) Col 1:22b, To present you holy + blameless + above reproach in His sight;

2b) Col 1:23a, If you continue in faith, grounded + steadfast, not moved;

2a) Col 1:23b, The hope of the gospel you heard + which was preached to every creature under heaven.

The thing that jumped out at me today is in the F pair. Messiah Yeshua is the express image of YHVH. He is His Word made flesh, and He is fully Him. You know, there are some things we can know about the nature of God, that He has revealed, but understanding Him is beyond the ability of human comprehension. He will most likely always remain above comprehension throughout eternity, even if our comprehension of Him increases every day of eternity. He is that deep.

But back to Colossians. Through Him (by His Word) He created all things for Himself, and through Him He reconciled all things to Himself. In other words, what God created, He carried the responsibility of, even if that responsibility extended to their reconciliation at His own expense. He is a perfect Father, and no sacrifice was too great to fulfill His responsibility to His creation or to express His love for His creation — without our help, without our invitation, and without our winsomeness or attractiveness to compel His sacrifice. We were enemies ensnared in wicked works.

That depth of love comforts me. ♥