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Colossians 1:2

in Colossians 1

To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ that are at Colossæ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

KJV

To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

This verse in Colossians 1

Commentary

10 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

To the saints - Those who professed Christianity. See the note on Eph 1:1. Which are at Colosse - Instead of εν Κολοσσαις, at Colosse, or among the Colossians, ABC, and many other excellent MSS., with both the Syriac, Coptic, Slavonic, Origen, Gregory Nyssen, Amphilochus, Theodoret, Damascenus, Theophylact, and others, read εν Κολασσαις in Colassa, or among the Colassians; and this is most probably the true reading. That this city perished by an earthquake, a short time after the date of this epistle, we have the testimony of Eusebius.

This site's exposition

Timothy our brother

on Colossians 1:1-2

Paul writes to a church he has never seen (2:1), planted by Epaphras (1:7) while Paul taught in Ephesus. Colossae was the small town of the Lycus valley, long outgrown by Laodicea and Hierapolis.

This site's exposition

the saints and faithful brothers

Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read saints as holy to God, and faithful brothers as believers bound to one another in Christ. The same saints are to be presented holy and blameless at verse 22.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers2 voices

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Colossians 1 · Written before 407.

proposed

"Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God." It were well also to say, what from considering this Epistle we have found to be its occasion and subject. What then is it? They used to approach God through angels; they held many Jewish and Grecian observances. These things then he is correcting. Wherefore in the very outset he says, "Through the will of God." So here again he hath used the expression "through." "And Timothy the brother," he saith; of course then he too was an Apostle, and probably also known to them. "To the saints which are at Colossae." This was a city of Phrygia, as is plain from Laodicea's being near to it. "And faithful brethren in Christ." Whence, saith he art thou made a saint? Tell me. Whence art thou called faithful? Is it not because thou wert sanctified through death? Is it not because thou hast faith in Christ? Whence art thou made a brother? for neither in deed, nor in word, nor in achievement didst thou show thyself faithful. Tell me, whence is it that thou hast been entrusted with so great mysteries? Is it not because of Christ? "Grace to you and peace from God our Father." Whence cometh grace to you? Whence peace? "From God," saith he, "our Father." Although he useth not in this place the name of Christ. I will ask those who speak disparagingly of the Spirit, Whence is God the Father of servants? Who wrought these mighty achievements? Who made thee a saint? Who faithful? Who a son of God? He who made thee worthy to be trusted, the same is also the cause of thy being entrusted with all. For we are called faithful, not only because we have faith, but also because we are entrusted of God with mysteries which not even angels knew before us. However, to Paul it was indifferent whether or not to put it thus.

A commentator

Cyprian

Treatise IV On the Lord's Prayer · Written before 258.

proposed

Moreover, when we stand praying, beloved brethren, we ought to be watchful and earnest with our whole heart, intent on our prayers. Let all carnal and worldly thoughts pass away, nor let the soul at that time think on anything but the object only of its prayer. For this reason also the priest, by way of preface before his prayer, prepares the minds of the brethren by saying, "Lift up your hearts," that so upon the people's response, "We lift them up unto the Lord," he may be reminded that he himself ought to think of nothing but the Lord.

The Medieval Church2 voices

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on Colossians · Written before 1107.

proposed

Colossae is a city of Phrygia, which is now called Chonae — this is evident from the fact that Laodicea is a neighboring country to it. From what then did you become saints? Was it not through baptism into the death of Christ? Why are …

A commentator

Thomas Aquinas

Commentary on Colossians · Written before 1274.

proposed

The persons to whom this letter is sent are the saints and faithful brethren at Colossae. The greater ones are called saints: "Let us serve him in holiness and righteousness" (Lk 1:74); and the lesser ones are referred to as the faithful, who have at …

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ,....
2 more voices on this verse

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

Colosse--written in the oldest manuscripts, "Colasse." As "saints" implies union with God, so "the faithful brethren" union with Christian men [BENGEL]. and the Lord Jesus Christ--supported by some oldest manuscripts omitted by others of equal antiquity.
Grace be unto you - See the notes at Rom 1:7.

The words behind it

17 Greek words

Every Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Revelation 1:4

    John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from Him who is and was and is to come, and from the seven Spirits before His throne,

    it leads to

    • Isaiah 11:2

      The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD.

    • John 1:1

      In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

    • Hebrews 13:8

      Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

    • Psalms 90:2

      Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God.

    • Revelation 5:6

      Then I saw a Lamb who appeared to have been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven…

  • Through

    Ephesians 1:1

    Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:

    it leads to

    • 2 Corinthians 1:1

      Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia:

    • 1 Corinthians 1:1–2

      Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

  • Through

    2 Peter 1:2

    Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

    it leads to

    • 2 Peter 3:18

      But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Where this verse is studied

About Colossians

Christ Blessing ('The Saviour of the World'), El Greco, 1600, Scottish National Gallery. Public domain.
Christ Blessing ('The Saviour of the World'), El Greco, 1600, Scottish National Gallery. Public domain.
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Cyprian, Treatise IV On the Lord's Prayer; J. B. Lightfoot, Saint Paul's Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Colossians 1; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Colossians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Colossians.