COLOSSIANS: Christ Over ALL Things; "For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself!"

...giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.  He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:12-14)

The book of Colossians was written by God through the Apostle Paul to the church in Colosse (or Colossae) in Asian Minor (now known as Turkey). The letter was written during Paul's imprisonment in Rome. Epaphras came to visit Paul, and gave him an update on the progress of the church - more so the problems in the church, with false teachers.* ...as you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, who also declared to us your love in the Spirit. (Colossians 1:7-8)

Paul sent this letter back to the Colosse church by Onesimus to reiterate and clarify several things: refute the heretical teaching or Judiastic tendencies, referring to circumcision, food regulations and feast days; refute the heretical teaching of Gnostic philosophy, which consisted of ascetic ideas, workship of angels as intermediaries between God and man, teaching that there were a number of initiations and levels of wisdom in spiritual mysteries.* For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; (Colossians 1:9-11)

Paula concentrates more on explaining that all things are fulfilled in the person of Christ; all wisdom and spiritual understanding can be found in the Lord Christ Jesus, who redeemed us and has all authority over all things.  He goes on to explain how to die to the flesh in order to live by the Spirit, and he gives practical instruction for Christian behavior.* (*Notes from Strong's Word Bible.)

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel [John 17:17], which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth; (Colossians 1:1-6)

First Christ's Divinity must be understood and believed.  Divinity is the state of things that come from a supernatural power or deity, ie. God, and are therefore regarded as sacred and holy. He is the image of the invisible God [Genesis 1:26], the firstborn over all creation.  For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him [Genesis 2]. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.  And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:15-18)

John the Baptist explained this Truth of who Christ is very clearly. John [the Baptist] answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ ... He must increase, but I must decrease.  He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies [John 8:28-30,38, 12:49-50, 14:10]; and no one receives His testimony. He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.  For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.  The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:27-36)

Only through Christ can we be reconciled back into a relationship with God; For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, ... (Colossians 1:19-23); ...because what may be known of God is manifest in them [all men], for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that [all men] are without excuse,... (Romans 1:19-20) 

Paul taught this same truth to the people of Athens, that all things exist within God, and that only through Christ can we be reconciled to God. “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. ...; for in Him we live and move and have our being, ..., ‘For we are also His offspring.’ Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man [Christ Jesus] whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead [John 21].” (Acts 17:24-31)

But the most profound thing about this Truth, especially for back then, and even now, is the "mystery" that was finally revealed  to the Gentiles; the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. (Colossians 1:26-28) God is not just the God of the Jews, nor is Christ just the Savior of the children of Isreal, but [God our Savior] desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (I Timothy 2:3-4); For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord [Christ Jesus] shall be saved!” (Romans 10:12-13)

Paul acknowledged how humbling it was to him that God would use him in such a way, and that it made all his suffering worth it.  ...of which I, Paul, became a minister.  I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,... To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily. (Colossians 1:23-25, 29) 

Whatever God calls us to do, even if suffering becomes a part of the process, as Paul told the church in Philippi; For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me. ...  But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ...  that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 1:29-30, 3:7-11)