Colossians 2 1

Colossians 2:1 kjv

For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;

Colossians 2:1 nkjv

For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh,

Colossians 2:1 niv

I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally.

Colossians 2:1 esv

For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face,

Colossians 2:1 nlt

I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally.

Colossians 2 1 Cross References

VerseTextReference
Paul's Spiritual Struggle & Labor
Col 1:29For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works...Paul's prior statement on his vigorous labor.
Phil 1:30...having the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear I still have.Paul shares common struggles with believers.
1 Tim 6:12Fight the good fight of the faith...Christian life as a spiritual battle.
2 Tim 4:7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race...Paul's reflection on his completed struggle.
1 Cor 9:24-27Every athlete exercises self-control... I discipline my body...Athletic metaphor for Christian discipline.
Eph 6:12For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual...The spiritual nature of the struggle.
Rom 15:30...struggle together with me in your prayers to God for me.Believers' prayers are part of the struggle.
Paul's Pastoral Concern & Affection
2 Cor 11:28...my daily pressure, the anxiety for all the churches.Paul's universal concern for the churches.
Phil 1:8For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of ChristPaul's deep love for believers.
1 Thess 2:17-18But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time...Paul's longing to be with absent believers.
Acts 20:31Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease...Paul's diligent warning and teaching.
Col 4:12-13Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you...Shared pastoral concern within Paul's team.
Phil 2:19-20I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I may be...Paul sending trusted messengers due to concern.
1 Thess 3:10...praying earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face...Paul's desire for personal interaction.
Faith without Seeing
John 20:29Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are...Blessedness of believing without seeing.
1 Pet 1:8Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see...Loving Christ though unseen.
2 Cor 5:7For we walk by faith, not by sight.The principle of faith.
Heb 11:1Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things...Definition of faith related to the unseen.
Paul's Universal Scope of Ministry
Rom 1:8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because...Paul's concern for Roman believers he hadn't met.
Col 4:13For I bear him witness that he has great zeal for you and for those in...Mention of Laodicea and Hierapolis elsewhere.
2 Cor 10:16...so that we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you, without boasting...Paul's desire to extend the gospel.
Gal 1:17...nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me...Paul's direct apostolic call not dependent on human connections.
Eph 3:1For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you GentilesPaul's apostolic mission to the Gentiles.

Colossians 2 verses

Colossians 2 1 Meaning

Colossians 2:1 expresses the apostle Paul's deep and earnest spiritual struggle on behalf of the Colossian believers, those in Laodicea, and all others in the wider Christian community whom he had not personally met. This intense labor is driven by his profound pastoral concern for their spiritual well-being, particularly in the face of prevailing false teachings. He desires them to grasp the immense effort he pours into his ministry for their spiritual maturity and steadfastness in Christ.

Colossians 2 1 Context

Colossians 2:1 is positioned at a crucial juncture in Paul's letter. It immediately follows the conclusion of Paul's personal account of his ministry in chapter 1, specifically his toil "struggling with all his energy" (Col 1:29). This verse serves as a transition, setting the tone for Paul's vigorous admonition against the "Colossian Heresy" that dominates chapter 2. Historically, Colossae, Laodicea, and Hierapolis were neighboring cities in the Lycus Valley of Asia Minor (modern Turkey). Paul had not personally founded the church in Colossae (which Epaphras likely established, Col 1:7) nor visited Laodicea, yet he feels a deep pastoral burden for these congregations. The "struggle" mentioned directly anticipates the false teachings (a blend of asceticism, Jewish legalism, mysticism, and Gnosticism) that were threatening to undermine the Colossians' faith in Christ's supremacy and sufficiency. Paul's earnestness here underscores the severity of the theological threat they faced.

Colossians 2 1 Word analysis

  • For (γάρ - gar): This is a conjunction meaning "for," "because," or "indeed." It links the current thought directly back to Paul's intense labor and struggle described in Col 1:29. It explains why he struggles: it is for them, specifically because he wants them to know the depth of his concern and effort.
  • I want (θέλω - thelō): Expresses a strong desire or intention. Paul isn't merely stating a fact but emphasizing his profound personal longing and purpose. It reflects a heartfelt wish.
  • you to know (ὑμᾶς εἰδέναι - hymas eidenai): Highlights Paul's purpose. He wants the recipients to be aware, to understand, and to grasp the reality of his inward battle on their behalf. This awareness is intended to strengthen their resolve as he moves into more challenging doctrinal points.
  • how great a (ἡλίκον - hēlikon): An interrogative or exclamatory adjective, indicating magnitude or intensity. It conveys "how great," "what a significant," or "what kind of" struggle. It magnifies the extent of his spiritual effort.
  • struggle (ἀγῶνα - agōna): The core word here. From which we get "agony." It signifies a contest, a conflict, a wrestling match, or intense mental anguish. It denotes a strenuous effort or severe trial, often in an athletic or military context. This is not a physical struggle but an intense spiritual, intellectual, and emotional battle on Paul's part. It represents his fervent prayers, intercessions, anxieties, and theological work to counteract false teachings and affirm true doctrine for them.
  • I have (ἔχω - echō): Simple present tense verb, indicating an ongoing state or possession. Paul's struggle is not a past event but a present and continuing reality.
  • for you (ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν - hyper hymōn): "For" or "on behalf of." The struggle is selfless, for their spiritual benefit and preservation. "You" specifically refers to the Colossians.
  • and for those at Laodicea (καὶ τῶν ἐν Λαοδικείᾳ - kai tōn en Laodikēia): Extends Paul's pastoral concern to the church in the nearby city of Laodicea, which also faced similar spiritual threats and perhaps had believers he had not met personally. It shows the interconnectedness of these early church communities.
  • and for all (καὶ ὅσοι - kai hosoi): Broadens the scope further to encompass all other believers beyond Colossae and Laodicea, especially those in regions he had not yet evangelized or personally visited. This demonstrates Paul's wide apostolic heart for the entire body of Christ.
  • who have not seen me face to face (οὐχ ἑωράκασιν τὸ πρόσωπόν μου ἐν σαρκί - ouch heorakasin to prosōpon mou en sarki): This specifies the nature of "all" mentioned previously. Paul's concern is not limited to those he discipled directly but extends to believers globally who came to faith through other means or without direct interaction with him. "En sarki" literally "in flesh" means "in person" or "physically." It emphasizes that his concern is not based on personal acquaintance but on their shared faith in Christ.

Colossians 2 1 Bonus section

  • The term agōna (struggle) draws on two powerful metaphors common in Paul's writings and ancient Greco-Roman culture: that of an athlete competing in a grueling contest (e.g., boxing or wrestling) and that of a soldier engaged in spiritual warfare. In the context of Colossians, it highlights Paul's mental and spiritual wrestling with false teachers and their deceitful arguments, rather than a physical conflict. He is fighting for the spiritual purity and steadfastness of their faith.
  • Paul's concern for those he hadn't seen "face to face" (prosōpon mou en sarki) is a significant point about apostolic reach and the universality of the church. It transcends personal connections or founding narratives, demonstrating that the health of the entire Body of Christ is the responsibility of its gifted members, regardless of direct personal encounter. It shows that Paul's apostleship was not bound by geographical or relational limits, but by Christ's call to minister to His global Church.

Colossians 2 1 Commentary

Colossians 2:1 offers a profound glimpse into the heart of the Apostle Paul. His declaration of an "agōna," a profound struggle or agony, is not a complaint but an earnest expression of his fervent intercessory prayer, pastoral burden, and intellectual labor against the impending threat of false doctrine. This struggle is vicarious, intensely personal, yet entirely on behalf of others – specifically, the churches in Colossae and Laodicea, and implicitly, all believers scattered throughout the nascent Christian world whom he had never personally encountered. Paul desires these churches, already vulnerable to cunning arguments, to fully apprehend the depth of his emotional and spiritual investment in their well-being. This knowledge of his sacrificial struggle is meant to impress upon them the seriousness of the errors he is about to address and to provide a foundational confidence in the authentic gospel he proclaims, standing in stark contrast to the hollow and deceptive philosophies peddled by others. It underscores that true spiritual leadership involves profound, self-sacrificial love and constant intercession for the flock, whether known personally or only by reputation.