A Few Thoughts About Colossians 1:9

 

Colossae is in the area of modern Turkey and was an important Roman city.

Epaphras visited, preached, and started a church there (Colossians 1:7) in the early 60s A.D. It is one of the prison epistles. Paul was in near-by Ephesus at the time (Acts 19).

Colossians 1:9 WEL Also, for this reason, since we heard, we do not stop praying for you and asking that you might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,

Paul is thankful to God for the Colossians for several reasons.

B1 The first reason is in verse 4—they believed the gospel.

B2 The second is love for fellow believers.

B3 Thirdly, they are producing fruit honoring God. Fruit that comes from living and thinking God’s ways. For example, Galatians 5:22-23 NIV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

B4 Love is the fourth. This is God’s version of love.

This is the reason for Paul and his assistants praying for them. They pray for the Colossians to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will. This knowledge is in wisdom and spiritual understanding.

Words:

B1 Filled is the word πληρόω plēróō. It means to fill a container to the very top and ready to run over. It cannot be filled any more liquid. It also has the ideas of completing a task, prophecies that come true, and perfect obedience to God’s rules.

B2 Knowledge is the word ἐπίγνωσις epígnōsis. It means correct and precise knowledge. It is truth.

B3 Will is the word θέλημα thélēma. It means what a person wants to do and is able to do. It also has the idea of what we must be doing or not doing.

B4 Wisdom is the word σοφία sophía. It means using knowledge is the most efficient and honorable way. This wisdom is successful, a blessing to others, and honors God. It helps others to be successful. It is based on the knowledge of experience.

B5 Understanding is the word σύνεσις sýnesis. It is a spiritual understanding of everything, that is, God’s perfect plan. It is a greater, more successful, and blessings of emotional joy to us and others. It is different than knowledge in that understanding connects the dots, puts the pieces together. It is more than facts. It is a knowledge of why.

Application:

B1 Answering questions as what occupation should I prepare for.

B2 God has given us various means of knowing His will:

C1 Prayer—James 1:5

C2 Things we must do—work is good (Genesis 2:2), to have a job (1 Thessalonians 4:11), pay taxes (Romans 13:7)

C3 Things we must NOT do—be a workaholic (Proverbs 23:4), not to love money (Ecclesiastes 5:10), laziness (Titus 1:2)

C4 Principles we must do—working diligently and highest quality possible (Titus 2:9-10), leaders who help with the work (or at least willing to do so) (Luke 22:26)

C5 Principles we must NOT do—dishonorable work (thief (1 Peter 4:15), cheating tax collector (Luke 3:12-13)), a leader listening to lies (Proverbs 29:12)

C6 Examples of people blessed by God—Oholiab the son of Ahisamach (Exodus 38:23), the honorable woman in Proverbs 31, Boaz in the book of Ruth

C7 Examples of people not blessed by God—laziness (Titus 1:2), lazy servant (Matthew 25:26), harlots (Deuteronomy 23:17-18)

B3 If we want to do a particular occupation, we have a standard of measure.

Paul prays for them to not only know God’s will but why and how. God is the master teacher but once we learn, we need to teach others.

Whether it is our earthly work (occupation) or our spiritual work (ministries), all can work (if they healthy) both types of work.