1. Paul’s first action is to pray.
A. All Christians should pray.
B. The prayer life of a Christian should be without ceasing.
2. His second action is to desire.
A. This word desire has two objects: “that ye might be filled” and “that ye walk worthy.”
B. A Christian does not wake up one day automatically filled or walking worthy; he must take other actions in order to produce these goals.
3. The last part of this passage (verse ten and all of verses eleven and twelve) is filled with participles that modify the one for whom the praying and desiring are done. A Christian desiring to “be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding [and to] walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing” must actively pursue these characteristics.
A. “Being fruitful in every good work” is the first participle.
B. “Increasing in the knowledge of God” is the second participle.
C. “Strengthened with all might” is the third participle.
D. “Giving thanks unto the Father” is the fourth participle.
At first glance, it appears that Paul is simply praying that the members at the Colossian church would conquer just two spiritual goals: “be filled with the knowledge of His will” and “walk worthy of the Lord.” In one sense, he is. But the careful student will notice a little twist on those goals: Paul tells the believers how to be filled and how to walk worthy. He tells them that they must be proactive in their Christian life before those goals may be met. His instructions on “What Must Come Before”(1) is the main idea of the passage based on the meaning of his words and the logical conclusion brought forth in combination with other Scriptures.
Nothing is more frustrating than to have someone give an order but not explain how he wants it accomplished. With no explanation, the task usually is not accomplished in a proper or timely fashion. Because these are eternal, Spiritual goals, explanations are expected and necessary. Paul does not leave the original audience or his modern audience hanging with no elucidation.
Some introductory material is in order: Paul and Timothy were writing the church at Colosse, possibly a church to which Paul had never been. Epaphras (and/or possibly “other converts of Paul”) had started the church which was now under attack from some heretical views.(2) These heretical views were probably ceremonialism, asceticism, angel worship, depreciation of Christ, secret knowledge, and reliance on human wisdom and tradition.(3)
Paul labels these members as “saints and faithful brethren.” “As saints, they were set apart unto God…As faithful brethren in Christ, the Colossians possessed and confessed faith in God’s Son as their Savior.”(4) As set-apart believers, they were interested in pleasing the Lord, their redeemer.
It is possible that gnostics had been trying to infiltrate the church and Paul saw the need to assure the members of the correct spiritual path. Gnostics, named such after the Greek word for knowledge, “claimed that Christianity offered only incomplete knowledge, and they urged Christians to become initiated into a religious philosophy that involved hidden passwords and secret knowledge.”(5) Paul’s assurances later in the chapter are phrased this way by a scholar: “God had made full knowledge available to the Christians. Divine revelation, rather than human speculations, is the firm foundation for a sound theology and a holy life.”(6)
After his greeting, Paul begins the letter by giving thanks and telling them of his prayer and desire for them: that they would “be filled with the knowledge of His will…” and that they would “walk worthy of the Lord.” This Greek word translated prayer is the word that is usually referring to a prayer to God.(7) The Greek word translated desire is the word that means “to ask.”(8) A simple application may be made here on this note: often a Christian will desire something, but his desire does not transfer into a prayer of reliance on the only One Who can meet that desire; sometimes he chooses to plan and scheme to solve the issue himself. Paul instead takes his desire to God in prayer.
Another simple yet profound application may be made concerning the phrase “we. . .do not cease to pray…” How often modern Christians pray for a matter once or twice, assume that God said “No” and then move on. How the modern church could move forward for Christ if her prayer life was “not ceasing.”
Paul’s desire is that “ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will…” “To make replete, to cram” is the definition according to e-sword.(9) Vine claims that it means “to make full, to fill to the full.”(10) One Bible teacher articulates this concept this way: Christians, filled with knowing His will, are so governed by His will(11) that they change their attitudes and actions to His will. Paul expounds on this thought in Romans 12:2 when he uses the term “the renewing of your mind” which has the end result of proving the will of God. “Renewing your mind” and “being filled” are not necessarily synonyms; however, one cannot be done without the other. To the degree one is willing to be filled with knowing God is the degree that he will “know His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.”
On this topic, F. B. Meyer wrote, “We all need a quicker insight into God’s will, and this is only acquired through the wisdom and understanding communicated by the Holy Spirit to our spirits. But that understanding is conditioned, as in Col1:10, by a daily behavior which pleases God and bears fruit in every good work. It is as we slowly climb the ascent of consistent living that the landscape of God’s nature expands around us. As character and knowledge grow, so will our spiritual strength; . . .”(12)
As one is filled, crammed, replete with the knowledge of God or is consumed with meditating on His truths, he will then walk in truth, with God. Just as walking is a natural, normal behavior, walking in God’s will should be a natural behavior. Someone walking down the street does not have to ponder how to take the next step; he just does it. Someone walking in the knowledge of God’s will does not have to ponder if he will attend church faithfully, or if he will read his Bible with the intent to obey, or if he will tell his neighbor of God’s amazing grace; he will just do it. It will be natural. It will be what comes out of him for it is what has gone into him.
This idea is the same as the tea bag illustration – when exposed to hot water, the contents of the tea bag will come out. When exposed to the hot water of normal, everyday life, a Christian will reveal what is in him.
On the topic of being filled, one observation must be made. Often in modern Christianity, adherents want just enough of God and His character to stay out of Hell but not enough to make any drastic changes in their life. After pondering all that God has done for mankind, why would any man want to short-change himself on the knowledge of His will.
Many people sit and stew about finding God’s will as if it were a missing puzzle piece, failing to recognize that God does not hide His will. He wants His children to find it. In fact, He uses Paul’s words in this passage to tell Christian how to find His will.
Noticing the root meanings of the expression “knowledge of His will” will put a fresh outlook on this Scripture. This concept entails that the child of God not only know “God’s commands but [apprehend] the values and character of His heart.”(13) A Christian on one level may know what job God has planned, but to go to the next level of “walking worthy,” he must know the “values and character of God’s heart” so he can perform that job to His glory. A Christian on one level may know whom God wants him to marry, but he must also know the values and character of God’s heart so he can be the Godly spouse that God wants him to be.
One may engage the question, “How does one get to know the ‘values and character of God’s heart’?” The response is the same to the question, “How does one get to know the values and character of any person?” The answer is by spending time with that person.
Spending time with God is the secret to this passage. Verse 9 mentions that the knowledge is “in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” As finite man ponders how to have knowledge in all wisdom, he only has to obey James 1:5 which encourages the child of God to ask Him for wisdom – the same word for wisdom is used in Colossians 1:9 and James 1:5 so God promises that He’ll give wisdom to whoever asks. For some of the believer’s time with God, he should be asking God for wisdom which will then assist him in ascertaining God’s will in any matter that arise in life.
The term “spiritual understanding” also appears in verse 9. The Bible commentary e-sword says that this word understanding means “a mental putting together.”(14) Dictionary.com explains that this word means “to be thoroughly familiar with; apprehend clearly the character, nature, or subtleties of” a concept or person.(15) Obviously then, “spiritual understanding” is the being thoroughly familiar with the character, nature, or subtleties of God’s character. Halley’s Bible Handbook claims that this expression means “knowing how to live a Christ-like life.”(16)
Paul’s second request is in verse 10: “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord.” An impossible task is this! How can sinful mankind even avail to such a goal? Paul tells the answer in the form of participles.(17) The participles in this passage are modifying the people for whom Paul is praying and by extension, the current-day believer for these wishes are eternal principles meant for every believer who desires to be filled and to walk worthy.
For proof of the ones being modified, one should consider this: since the first participle is “being fruitful in every good work,” the Bible student should ask himself, “Who in this passage is supposed to be fruitful?” It is not Paul or Timothy. It is not God. It must be the only other people mentioned in the text (the Colosse church) and anyone else who desires to be filled and to walk worthy. If one wants to be filled or to walk worthy, he must be fruitful in every good work.
“Fruitful” meant to the Greeks the same concept that it means to current Christians – to bring forth fruit which is the result of growth, literally and figuratively. Vine holds that it includes the idea of bringing forth fruit “of conduct, or that which take effect in conduct”;(18) therefore, being fruitful makes a change in behavior. A man’s behavior is a result of his growth. If the man is an artist, his later works should be better than his earlier work. A runner should be faster as he grows in muscle development and in physical techniques.
“Good work” is the effect of the change in conduct. “Good” has the idea of being “beneficial in its effect.”(19) “Work” has the connotation of “toil, labor.”(20) Logic demands then that a believer recognize that a “good work” is a toil or a labor that has beneficial results.
Watching the actions and attitudes of some believers today makes one wonder if their work has beneficial results. Wisdom would dictate that “beneficial results” would be synonymous with “positive eternal results” for nothing else is beneficial. God has given each person only twenty-four hours per day. Acknowledging that one must give account for his actions and attitudes should prompt the diligent Christian to ensure that his actions are beneficial, not just to himself (for he is not the King) but to God Himself.
Verse 10 ends with the next participle that should be modifying the Colosse church and the current church: “increasing in the knowledge of God.” “Increasing” is simply to grow. In other verses, it has the connotation of going “over and above, to abound.”(21)
The Greek word translated knowledge is not the normal word for knowledge, ginosko, which means “to be taking in knowledge. . . to understand.”(22) The original Greek word is epiginosko which has the meaning “to observe, fully perceive, notice attentively, discern, recognize.” This word implies that the diligent believer does more than just take a Bible class or listen well in Sunday school; he is to be increasing, growing in fully perceiving and noticing attentively.
Another demonstration of this word is the fact that a man may know (ginosko) the lady at work, but he knows (epiginosko) his wife as explained by Vine: epiginosko “suggests generally a directive, a more special, recognition of the object. . .it may also suggest advanced knowledge or special appreciation; . . .Sometimes epiginosko implies a special participation in the object known and gives greater weight to what is stated.”(23) No, no, and no again – a believer is not just to be staring at the facts about God but he is to be staring at Him, actively participating in Him, in His values, in His character.
A gardener may know that his soil is hard, red, Carolina clay. But until he studies the soil with the intent to participate in it, to have advanced knowledge of it, and to have a greater appreciation for it, he will not understand the subtleties of its character – what minerals needs to be added, what additives will improve the soil, and what type of seed will grow best. Therefore, he will not have beneficial results. His toil will be wasted and so will the soil.
So far in this passage, every concept has been an action: “being fruitful” is an action; “increasing in the knowledge of God” is an action. The next participle is also action: “strengthened with all might.” This verb is somewhat different from the other verbal adjectives (participles) thus far. “Being fruitful” and “increasing” was action incumbent upon the Christian; however, this verbal adjective is in the passive voice – a technique used to show that the subject was acted upon. In this case, the church member and the current Christian was strengthened. Vine’s interpretation says that it means “to strengthen” and it is also used in Hebrews 11:34 where it means “were made strong.” Here, the Christian is told “to be made strong,” not “to be strong.” The average person will ask, “How?”
Again, Paul, the excellent teacher, explains: “with all might, according to His glorious power. . .” The word might comes from a Greek word that means “miraculous power.”(24) However, Vine takes it a little further when he states that this word “denotes inherent ability, capability, ability to perform anything.”(25) Putting these two explanations together leads one to a fascinating concept: a believer, being fruitful and increasing in the knowledge of God, has within himself the “inherent ability,” the “miraculous power” to be strong. Those who are participating in epiginosko already know the source of that “miraculous power” – God Himself in the form of the Holy Spirit. What a reward this is for participating in “observing, fully perceiving, noticing attentively.”(26)
This word might in verse 11 comes from the word dunamis which has several meanings relating to power, force, and strength. One commentator holds that it is synonymous with dominion, as in having dominion over something.(27) Evidently, Christians, as they are being strengthened, will have dominion over something. Leaning on the principle that this Christian is walking in God’s will, one may conclude that he will have the strength, the power, the force to have dominion over anything that is not God’s will. Obviously, sin is not God’s will; therefore, as the believer is being strengthened by that “inherent ability” given by His Holy Spirit, he is able to have dominion over sin.
This same commentator puts forth these synonyms for the word dunamis: “power, especially inherent power, . . power, especially in exercise, operative power, . . .liberty of action, . . authority either delegated or arbitrary, . . especially physical, power as an endowment.”(28) What an eye-opening significance these words and their meanings have for the Christian: because of his being fruitful and increasing in the knowledge of God, he has operative power, the liberty of action, and delegated authority because of the endowment of the Holy Spirit!
There is a preposition phrase that modifies that “strengthened” phrase – the phrase “according to His glorious power.” E-sword claims that the word power has the same roots as the word dunamis – the inherent, operative, liberty-to-act power; therefore, this glorious power is the inherent, operative liberty-to-act power that strengthens the believer.
The end of verse 11 entails three other terms that should be defined and explained. The Christian is being strengthened “unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness.” Strongs expresses the meaning of patience as “cheerful or hopeful endurance, constancy. . . . waiting.”(29)
Often, God calls upon His children to wait, as in they are currently waiting for His return. Sometimes He calls upon them to wait in their prayer life for He is not ready to give them the answer they are so desiring. This waiting time cannot be filled with angst and turmoil of heart for one must appreciate the fact that He, not a mere human, is in control.
Another view of this word translated patience demonstrates the ability “to stay under.” A patience person will stay under the responsibilities instead of running away. Patience also involves the mind as well as the body for a patience person’s mind will be cheerfully staying under the task at hand. Possibly God has a humanly disgusting place for a Christian in which to serve; his task is to be cheerfully staying under the task in mind and in body. Often a believer wanting to be out of a particular trial may leave the trial in his mind, an action that often is close to idolatry and/or adultery. For example, if God has given a special needs child to a mother and she is always desiring to have a “normal” child, she has built an idol to worship and crave instead of worshipping and craving God. If God has allowed a marriage to become soured due to sinful choices by one or both spouses, a spouse can commit adultery by leaving the marriage in his mind though not with his body. Scripture is full of examples of patient people: Abraham and Sarah, John the Baptist (did he really want to run around wearing only camel clothing and then be thrown into prison only to be beheaded?), Paul (how many times was he beaten just for obeying God?) Ruth (a widow who legally had not much control over her own life), Martha and Mary as they waited for Jesus to come heal their brother but He did not.
It is possible that patience and faith are closely related in that faith produces patience. One must contemplate Hebrews 11 and the list of people who were commended for their faith – their patient waiting for God to do what He said He would do even though some of them “received not the promise.” They stayed under the task that God had assigned; some stayed even unto their death.
In context of Colossians 1:11, the believer being fruitful and increasing in knowledge is also being strengthened unto patience as he learns more of the values and character of God’s heart. An important word in this verse is the preposition unto. Strongs claims that this word means “indicating the point reached or entered,” a definition that gives a reason to ponder. In context, the Holy Spirit (the inherent ability, and the miraculous and endowed power) strengthens the being-filled-and-increasing-in-knowledge Christian unto the point of being patient. What a tragedy it is if one is attempting to be patient in an attempt to be strong when the correct direction is the other way around: God gives strength to be patient, not patience to be strong.
Paul mentions in this verse that believers are strengthened “unto all patience and longsuffering,” a word that seems to very close in meaning to patience. To determine its meaning, one could turn the word longsuffering around: suffering long. “Longsuffering is that quality of self-restraint in the face of provocation which does not retaliate or promptly punish; it is the opposite of anger, and is associate with mercy, and is used of God, . . .Patience is the quality that does not surrender to circumstances or succumb under trial; it is the opposite of despondency and is associated with hope.”(30)
“Surrendering to circumstances” brings to mind the many temptations from the world, the flesh, and the devil. If a Christian is to be longsuffering in temptations, he must have already been made strong “unto [or to the place of] patience and longsuffering.” If a Christian is to be longsuffering in trials from God, he must have already had time spent with God to learn His heart values and character.
One more participle must be discussed: one more action that a proactive Christian must take if he is to be filled and to walk worthy. Verse 12 uses the term “giving thanks unto the Father” and then gives an extremely good reason to give Him thanks (for His work on the believer’s behalf). The thanks mentioned here has the connotation of being given freely, from a heart of gratitude.(31) Because God’s thoughts are so far above man’s thoughts, he may often struggle to ascertain a reason to give thanks. One writer says this about giving thanks though she refers to it as “choosing gratitude:” “It’s a choice that requires constantly renewing my mind with the truth of God’s Word, setting my heart to savor God and His gifts, and disciplining my tongue to speak words that reflect His goodness and grace. . .”(32) She says “renewing my mind” and Paul says “being filled with the knowledge of His will.” She says “setting my heart to savor God and His gifts” and Paul says “increasing in the knowledge [epiginosko] of God.” She says “disciplining my mind to speak words that reflect his goodness and grace” and Paul says “unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness.”
True thanksgiving is the voluntary expression of heartfelt gratitude for benefit received. . . .Thanksgiving is in no way a payment for the benefit received; it is rather a gracious acknowledgement of the fact that the who had received the benefit is indebted to the giver. Since no payment can be made to God for His unmeasured and uncounted benefits, the obligation to be thankful to Him is stated thought Scriptures, and all thanksgiving is closely related to worship and praise.(33)
However, even though God may choose to send certain seemingly-negative trials, man can still give thanks for the reason Paul gives in this verse: The Father “hath made us meet [fit, appropriate, able] to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light” – a very good reason to give thanks freely, from a heart of gratitude. Bible scholars may disagree exactly what are the details of this “inheritance” mentioned in this verse but one may gratefully rest in the concept that his Heavenly Father knows the inheritance that He has planned.
In summary, Paul has a prayer and a desire: that his fellow believers “be filled with the knowledge of His will” and be walking “worthy of the Lord.” Because of Paul’s usage of participles, the believer must realize that he himself must be proactive, recognizing that he cannot accomplish those two goals until he pursues the goals of being fruitful, increasing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened, and giving thanks unto the Father.
Now one may ask, “How do I bring forth fruit, increase in knowledge, be strengthened, and give thanks?” Knowing that the fruit of these behavior-commands results in a believer’s being filled and walking worthy, he must purpose to act and then act upon these deeds.
The key to these four behavior-commands is the key to a successful Christian life: spending time with the Heavenly Father for only then can one know His will. “Spending time with the Heavenly Father” may seem to be a vague path to walk; however, because He loves a man enough to send His only begotten Son to die for him, He has revealed Himself to that man in His Word. Reading His Word with the intent to obey (Deut 6:1), always asking for wisdom for applying His Word (James 1:5), and then actually applying His Word (Proverbs 2:1-9) will result in being filled and walking worthy.
Often Christians will listen to a sermon or Bible lesson, acknowledge that they need to apologize to God about a particular sin and to stop making “provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof,” and then leave unchanged. It is by the Holy Spirit’s power that a man is convicted and only by His power does that man have the strength to make changes by recognizing that God has made a way of escape; however, a man must hear that way and to hear that way of escape, he must be listening to God’s voice. That listening and then obeying is the answer to living the Christ-filled life, being fruitful as one increases in knowledge of God, being strengthened, and giving thanks.
1. The title of this expose´ is What Must Come Before.
2. Hindson, Edward, ed., Zondervan King James Version Commentary: New Testament, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010), 586-7.
3. Ibid, 587.
4. James T. Dyet, Complete in Christ, (Schaumberg, IL: Regular Baptist Press, 1994), 11.
5. Ibid, 18.
6. Ibid.
7. W. E. Vine, Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc, 1996), 480.
8. Ibid, 162.
9. Rick Myers, Colossians 1:9, e-sword Bible Commentary, 2016.
10. Vine, 236.
11. Dyet, 19.
12. F. B. Meyer, Through the Bible Day by Day: A Devotional Commentary, n.p.:n.p. 1914, as quoted in e-sword, 2016.
13. Hindson, 589.
14. Myers.
15. Dictionary.com, LLC, “understanding,” dictionary.com, Accessed May 16, 2017.
16. Henry H. Halley, Halley’s Bible Handbook: An Abbreviate Bible Commentary, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959) 622.
17. A participle is a verb-looking word that modifies a noun (otherwise known as an adjective). Some grammarians call these verbal adjectives. Examples would include “the falling rain.” “Falling” is usually a verb but in this sentence, it is modifying a noun, thus making it a participle.
18. Vine, 257.
19. Ibid, 273.
20. Ibid, 683.
21. Ibid, 323.
22. Ibid, 346.
23. Ibid, 347.
24. E-sword.
25. Vine, 406.
26. The Holy Spirit does not come into a believer when he is focused attentively at God; He comes into a believer at salvation. Salvation is by faith and grace, not by focusing on God’s character. However, as the Christian focuses more attentively at his Heavenly Father, he learns to submit his life in such a way that the Holy Spirit is displayed more and more and His power is revealed.
27. Vine, 181.
28. Ibid.
29. Strongs, quoted in e-sword, 2016.
30. Hogg, C. F., Vine, W. E., Notes on Thessalonians, (London: Alfred Holness, 1955) 183-4, as quoted in Vine, 377.
31. Vine, 625.
32. Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy, (Chicago: Moody Press, 2009) 17.
33. Lewis Sperry Chafer, Major Bible Themes: 52 Doctrines of the Scriptures Simplified and Explained, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1974), 262-263.
WORKS CITED
Chafer, Lewis Sperry. Major Bible Themes: 52 Vital Doctrines of the Scriptures Simplified and
Explained. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1974.
Dyet, James T. Complete in Christ. Schaumberg, IL: Regular Baptist Press, 1994.
Dictionary.com. “understanding.” Dictionary.com. Accessed May 16, 2017.
DeMoss, Nancy Leigh. Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy. Chicago: Moody Press, 2009.
Halley, Henry H. Halley’s Bible Handbook: An Abbreviated Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959.
Hindson, Edward, ed. Zondervan King James Version Commentary: New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010.
Hogg, C. F., Vine, W. E. Notes on Thessalonians London: Alfred Holness, 1914. As quoted in Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc, 1996.
Meyer, F. B. Through the Bible Day by Day: A Devotional Commentary. n.p.:n.p. 1914.
Myers, Rick. Colossians 1:9, e-sword Bible Commentary, 2016.
Vine, W. E. Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc, 1996.
