Chapter 1
V1 Paulus Latin for small or humble. It more than likely related to his humility rather than to his purported small physical stature, of which no concrete historical evidence is available. He did consider himself a spiritual dwarf and undeserving of Elohim’s grace cf 1 Cor 15:9. Yeshua never referred to him as Paul but Shaul cf Acts 9:4,11 and 26:14. Of importance to note in Acts 26:14 is the fact that Yeshua did definitely speak Hebrew, his mother tongue not Aramaic as a large volume of speculative commentators state.
It is unfortunate that the true identity of the Jews in this day and age is difficult to place, the occupants of current day Israel being largely of Khazarian lineage, which was a semi-nomadic Turkic people of non-Shemite, but descendants of Japheth. They were as an empire converted to Judaism by their king Bulan in the mid-8th to 9th century AD.This particular commentary is not the platform to go into greater detail regarding this hidden historical fact, but suffice it to say that anti-Semitism has largely arisen from a torrid past enshrouded in the advent of this pseudo-Semitic stock, of which is no new phenomenon cf Ecc 1:9.
The Pharisees, Sadducees and those in positions of power in the times of Yeshua were indeed children of Abraham i.e. Shemites, but not necessarily all children of Jacob, having been more than likely proselytised Idumeans as King Herod cf Jn 8:37,39,44. I have attached some links related to the Khazarian empire and also the current decadence in Israel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-FYsCvQkS8&ab_channel=TRUEISRAELITES777
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziwiKoMOB-0&ab_channel=LordiscomingTV
Hebrew, spoken by Yeshua, is identified in scripture as the pure language notwithstanding cf Zeph 3:8-11 which is a prophecy of the end times. The anti-Semitism in the Christian church is rife. We must not be dissuaded by the events in Israel at present, as the current occupants do not necessarily represent true Hebrews. We must pray for the land of Israel, particularly Jerusalem but not necessarily be governed in this prayer by the people occupying it at specific epochs in history, as they may not be children of Elohim, and if anything may be representatives of Satan’s kingdom cf Jer 29:7; Ps 122:6; Rev 2:9;3:9.
It was only after Acts 13:9 that Shaul went by the appellation of Paul, being called so even by his Jewish kinsmen in Messiah cf 2 Pet 3:15. This did not diminish in anyway his Jewish lineage. The Bible has been Romanised and Anglicised throughout the centuries post Messiah, to a point where the Hebrew names Yochanan, Yakov, Kepha are unrecognisable, as we currently refer to them as John, James and Peter in the New Testament. I would prefer to refer to them by their Hebrew names, but for the sake of students of scripture who are neophytes in the faith, am obliged to stick to the present norm, so as to not lose some through confusion. However, the name Yeshua/Jesus, Yehovah is Salvation I feel compelled to use, as He is my creator, is deity worthy of worship, and being born a Jew and resurrected a Jew, sat at the right hand of the Father as a Jew, I find no qualms in calling upon His Hebrew name.
Timotheus/honouring Elohim was a resident of Lystra, whose father being a Greek and mother a Jewess cf Acts 16:1-3.
Note that Paul was carrying out the thelema/will, purpose of Elohim the Father, not his own will, being an apostolos/delegate of Yeshua cf Acts 9:15-16.
V2-3 Saints/hagios, most holy ones-more than just holy/qodesh in Hebrew but most holy/qodesh qodeshim cf Ex 26:33-34. The Holy Spirit resides in the soul of the saints, deeming them most holy as the area where the ark of the covenant resided cf 1 Cor 3:16. The saints and faithful/pistos specifically separates the letter from being for the saints who are faithless. Faithful saints bear fruit unlike faithless ones cf 2 Tim 2:13. Many saints in the churches of today have backslidden and are not prepared for Yeshua’s coming nor making disciples for the body of Messiah cf Jer 3:14, Matt 25:1-2,10-13, 24-26,30. Attending church yet sitting on your laurels, may deny one entry into the kingdom. We should indeed make hay whilst the sun shines cf Eph 5:15-16.
Brethren/adelphos- Brethren in the NT always refers to brothers of the same parents or of the same national ancestor i.e. Israel/Jacob. Hence why Paul in this verse strictly uses the term brethren IN Messiah i.e. both Jewish and those Gentiles grafted into the congregation of Israel spiritually.
The grace/charis which is mercy and compassion from Elohim the Father and Yeshua the Son, always precedes the subsequent peace/eirene (Hebrew shalom) which we have in the knowledge and hope of salvation to come cf Num 6:25-26. The order of grace followed by peace is consistent in scripture. Peace is the condition that arises from Elohim’s grace to us. We, as Paul must always pray for the body of Messiah, in order to operate in unison decimating the kingdom of Satan. The armour of Elohim of Ephesians 6 (refer to teaching on my channel) is ineffective if not accompanied by prayer, which keeps us in constant communication with Yehovah Elohim and Yeshua haMashiach our captain of the host who fights on our behalf cf Josh 5:13-15.
V4-5 This beautifully outlines in an orderly manner the purpose of the gospel. V5 clearly explains that the euaggelion/gospel, glad tidings of the life, death and resurrection of Yeshua of Nazareth, is comprised of the word of the truth. In the expositions of Romans, Galatians and Ephesians, we have discovered beyond a shadow of a doubt that the word is Yeshua Jn 1:1-3 and the truth is Yeshua personified too Jn 17:17. Additionally the Word is Torah, which is truth Ps 119:142,160.
This beautiful gospel is accepted by those who have faith in Messiah v4. This faith justifies the believer Hab 2:4; Rom 1:17. The tsaddiyq/just means the lawful ones i.e. Torah-keeping ones. Also our previous studies have confirmed that we are justified by faith unto good works of love i.e. keeping Torah led by the Holy Spirit in truth cf Gal 5:6; Jm 2:14,17,20,22,24. The Torah is summed up in love which can only be achieved if the Holy Spirit abides in us Gal 5:14. This faith unto good works/Torah keeping, which is equated with love, leads to hope which is of eternal life in heaven.
V6 This gospel came unto the Colossians as it did unto us. It bears fruit evidenced by conviction of us unto prisoners/ disciples of Yeshua, following Torah in Spirit and in truth Jn 8:31-32. The grace of Elohim is His compassion for us once reprobate souls trapped in the clutches of Satan, deserving of death and hellfire. Without the gospel having being preached to us, we would not have known of this provision of freedom from darkness into light of Torah truth 1 Jn 1:5-9;5:18-20. The end goal of the word of the truth of the gospel is to bring forth fruit i.e. to win true disciples for the kingdom.
V7 Epaphras/lovely was a sundoulos/fellow slave in Messiah as Paul and other true believers. Freedom from Satan’s kingdom does not result in us being free to do as we please without consequence. The blood shed for us by Yeshua frees us from Satan, hence we are compelled to become slaves of our new King who is Holy, righteous and good, having rightfully bought us with a price. We hence have no rights and are to obey His ways/Torah and covenants of promise if we are to remain protected by Him, and guaranteed of eternal life, should we persevere in service to Him to our dying day 1 Cor 6:19-20; Gen 17:13; Ex 12:43-44. All believers should be diakanos/servants executing the commands of Messiah unto His ecclesia.
A minister is a servant and should not seek prominence and elevation over the ecclesia, as the Nicolaitans/destruction of people whom Yeshua hates Rev 2:6,15. The ministers in most churches of today conquer over the laity and rarely serve them but gain financially and in worldly stature and fame off of them.
V8 What is love in the Spirit? Rom 5:5; 1 Jn 4:7,8,13 cf with Jn 15:10;14:15. True love is expressed through those abiding in the Holy Spirit. Yeshua’s very own words qualifies such a condition as being available to those who follow His commandments/Torah which He gave on Mount Sinai. These commandments are impossible to keep by human endeavour, but only through guidance by the Holy Spirit which leads us into following Torah in love Rom 8:2,8,9.
V9-11 The thelema/will of Elohim is to be filled with wisdom and understanding of things in heaven as we declare in the Lord’s prayer Matt 6:10. This is expounded in v 10 as:
a. walking worthy in Messiah. How did Messiah walk? Let’s read 1 Jn 1:6-7; 2:3-6. We need to keep Torah as Yeshua did on earth and does in heaven, and shall do during the millennial reign
b. be fruitful in every good work i.e. win disciples for the kingdom
c. increase in knowledge through reading His word, the Bible d. Strengthened in spiritual might. We being justified through faith in Yeshua are eligible to ALL might, provided in the spiritual armour of Elohim of Eph ch 6. We simply need to exercise it in prayer against the whole host of hell.
V12-14 Light derived from Yeshua who is the light of the world cf Jn 8:12. This light of the world differs from Satan the angel of light (including his false ministers) in that the bearers of it do good works, Matt 5:16 defined by keeping Torah Matt 5:17-19; 1 Jn 3:4,24. One must be turned to light in order for the sprinkling of Yeshua’s blood to be effective in forgiving our sins 1 Jn 1:7.
V15-17 It is quite evident that Yeshua created ALL things. This more than ever proves His deity. Note in Genesis 1 and thereafter the use of the term Elohim which is plural signifying the triune Elohim-head. Additionally, in Gen 1:26 it is stated ‘Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness. The Spirit of Elohim moved upon the face of the waters Gen 1:2, and Elohim the Father spoke the Word which was personified in the Son, Yeshua, which Word created all things cf Jn 1:1-3. Paul by revelation from Yeshua was given this epignosis/precise knowledge, sophia/wisdom and spiritual sunesis/understanding of Col 1:9 for us to have too cf Heb 1:2; Col 1:16; 1 Cor 8:6.
V16 We are given insight into some of the invisible beings in the spiritual realm
a. thronos/thrones, kingly power or royalty
b. kuriotes/dominions, lordship
c. arche/principalities, beginning in a series of leaders e.g. prince of Persia and Grecia and also Michael the archangel. Same word in Septuagint used for these 3 in Daniel 10:13,20
d. exousia/power of authority. Effectively Yeshua supersedes all these mighty beings in positions of rulership, which were all created by Him.
V17-note Yeshua IS, and not WAS before all things. If he were before all things it would indicate that he was created. Because IS before all things is used this gives the concept of omnipresence and perpetual existence i.e. never created but is the creator. By Him all things consist further denotes cohesion of all things by Messiah. All laws of the universe, scientific and natural are based and dependent upon Yeshua the Son.
V18 We, the ecclesia makes up the body of Messiah, of which He is the head. V15 prototokos/first begotten gives the impression of Yeshua being created. However, in v18 this is qualified as relating to being the first begotten from the dead. Yeshua created all and hence was never created. He however was born into the world as man by the Holy Spirit. Besides the Greek word for first created is protoktisis. He is the first to have died and risen to eternal life unlike Lazarus and others raised from the dead who would have died a second time 1 Cor 15:20-23.
V19 pleroma/fullness is in the sense of the completeness of the body of Messiah. It is Elohim’s will that all that believe in His Son be full partakers of His body, which represents the congregation of Israel Is 41:8; Gal 3:29.
V20-23 V20 The fullness of the congregation of Israel was pre-crucifixion of Yeshua in disarray by virtue of a. The Israelites outrightly rebelling against Torah, and additionally led by false shepherds stuck in traditions of men, which failed to achieve justification by works of Torah and cf Mk 7:8,13 b. The Gentile world was alienated altogether stuck in the elements/false gods of the world cf Gal 4:3,8. The blood of Yeshua allowed for reconciliation of both Jewish and Gentile believers in Messiah to Elohim, being allowed back into the congregation of Israel under a new covenant. This differed from the old in that the Torah, a spiritual set of instructions, which were impossible to justify us in the flesh due to sin tripping us up through the lusts of our flesh, is now written in our hearts and minds by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, in the souls of those who believe. Torah can only be followed in Holy Spirit power and truth. We have already seen this in the opening verses of Rom ch 8. Cf 2 Cor 5:17-21
V21 further confirms the eligibility of believing Gentiles into the congregation of Israel, being former heathen strangers/nekar in Hebrew, but are now sojourners or resident aliens/ger in Hebrew and slaves/doulos bought with a price.
V22-23 Ultimately Yeshua died for the elect to be presented as acceptable unto the Father, who being an all-consuming fire destroys any impurity in His vicinity. We are thus made holy/sanctified by the blood of Yeshua, the lamb without spot, and remain in a state of holiness provided the Holy Spirit continues to abide in us, dependent on our continuous observance of Torah.
V23 shatters the once saved always saved doctrinal fallacy. The race of liberty in Torah of our Christian walk commences at deliverance from the grip of Satan, being justified by faith in Yeshua. His blood redeems us and cleanses us of all unrighteousness. This is followed by continual sanctification in the Holy Spirit through our observance of Torah in Spirit and in truth. Salvation unto eternal life is then dispensed at the end of our race of life. This beautifully summarises v13 through to 23.
Note that this verse also confirms that once one is delivered, they are not guaranteed salvation cf 1 Jn 2:19; 1 Tim 4:1-2. Paul intentionally utilizes the word IF to stress the need for one to persevere in the faith, unshakable and steadfast, in order to not lose that hope of salvation presented at the end of our Christian walk, preached of in the gospel. This gospel is that of Yeshua, which is Hebrew for Yehovah is salvation, which indeed is what we work towards in Torah truth and righteousness.
V24-25 Paul through his life defined the role of a diakonos/minister, servant. It is a shame that the KJV and a plethora of other Bible version which sprouted out of it, watered down the true meanings of doulos rendered servant and diakonos rendered minister. In worldly society a servant is viewed as one who works for some form of remuneration, whilst a minister is perceived as one who has servants beneath him and lords over them. If the Greek words were translated correctly in every instance of these Bibles, doulos would be rightfully rendered slave and diakonos attendant.
I thoroughly believe that as Christians such a subtle change would radically transform our mindset, and promote greater piety within the ecclesia. We are slaves of a master, Yeshua haMashiach, who bought us with the price of His blood, freeing us from a cruel taskmaster, Satan the devil, who had us destined for the lake of fire created for him and his angels Matt 25:41. We have no rights of our own as slaves of any master, including our new loving Master Yeshua. This foments unquestioning obedience. As His slaves we are instructed to attend to His sheep and execute His commands without question too.
The church of today arrogantly defies the Saviour they claim to serve, steeped in worldly debate in the name of science, which is falsely so-called, brazenly disobeying the Laws of Messiah codified in the Torah given on Mount Sinai cf 1 Tim 6:20-21; Pro 3:5; Isa 2:12. Such pride is what led to Satan’s downfall and the church of today which is accepting of evolution, eugenics, gender reassignment, homosexuality, abortion, sexual promiscuity, adultery, drunkenness and the like has a bleak destiny, provided they radically wake up from their profoundly deep stupor cf 1 Cor 6:9-11.
Very few in this day and age, serve the ecclesia, and even less are prepared to suffer and be afflicted for the greater good of it. Worse still is the reality of the false sense of blessings and prosperity that the churches of today believe they are in, free of persecution. Satan and his demonic host have artfully steered the churches into such gross alienation from truth, that they do not bother afflict them, as they purr in their laps of depravity and hatred for Torah, perpetuating a devastatingly disguised false sense of security cf Jer 17:5; Pro 28:26; Ps 40:4.
V26-27 As slaves of Messiah, and attendants to the ecclesia, we should endeavour with all our might to preach this mystery revealed to Paul and ultimately to us. This throughout his epistles is the magnanimous victory achieved in Yeshua’s death and resurrection for us, to bring forth a means of redeeming those who have faith in Him, both Jew and Gentile. This victory was never anticipated by Satan and his army who foolishly believed that they had won, never understanding the far-reaching implications of it 1 Cor 2:8.
The Gentiles had in times past never had a hope of salvation being alienated from the covenant promises of Elohim, never having even known of Him, yet Yeshua’s redemptive, justifying, sanctifying blood created a means for the Gentiles to share in these promises led by the Holy Spirit to Torah righteousness and truth Eph 2:11-17. Now both the hopelessly lost Jews bound in fleshly works of Torah unto death, and the alienated Gentiles from Torah outright, are made one in the holy body of Messiah guided by the parakletos/comforter in KJV better translated ‘called to one’s aid’, advocate, being the Holy Spirit.
Ultimately the mystery creates a hope of glory, which is a hope of salvation earned at the end, succoured throughout our race by the Holy Spirit, this salvation permitting us to partake in the radiant glory of our Father Yehovah Elohim who will be all in all, once Yeshua’s mission is fully accomplished in the millennial reign cf 1 Cor 15:20-28. I pray oh dear beloved that you do not miss the glorious message in this mystery that our churches of today seem to miss.
V28 Yeshua is the hope of our glory of salvation, being so eponymously named. Our preaching must indeed warn of the consequences of disregarding faith unto good works i.e. Torah truth in Holy Spirit power, the wisdom taught being defined in scripture as Torah itself cf Ps 19:7-10, Pro ch 8. Teaching the wisdom in Torah teleios/completes, perfects us only being possible if we are in Messiah as Paul carefully states. Messiah is the personification of Torah, presented Torah on Mt Sinai, lived Torah on earth, and shall judge by Torah in heaven. Hence why we must be perfect IN Him obeying His commandments aided by the parakletos/succourer, Holy Spirit cf Jn 14:15-17.
V29 the working of Messiah which worketh in His doulos/slaves is in the Greek energeia defined as efficiency only of superhuman power, be it of Elohim or of the Devil. In this verse it relates undoubtedly to the Holy Spirit power of Yeshua haMashiach afforded those who walk in His Torah observing ways. These mighty powers heal the sick, cast out demons and evangelize efficaciously Mk 16:16-18.