E

Of darkness.

A

B

C

Into eis.

Now are ye light in the Lord.

D

The kingdom.

E

Of the Son of His love.

The word translated 'power' in the Authorized Version here is the Greek

exousia, 'authority', and in the three other occurrences in Colossians it

refers to those principalities and 'powers' which were created by the Son,

some of whom own Him as Head, although He is Head over all, some of whom were

spoiled and who were antagonistic to the Church and its freedom (Col. 1:16;

2:10,15), and appear to be behind the Colossian failure to 'hold the head'

(Col. 2:19).  It is evident the term is employed here to indicate the

completely new sphere of blessing, life and glory, that pertains to the

Church of the Mystery.

The extraordinary title, 'His dear Son' which is literally 'The Son of

His love' looks back to the rare title 'The Beloved' in Ephesians 1:6, where

full and perfect acceptance is provided for every one who was chosen in Him

before the overthrow of the world.  Here is indicated the sphere of our

blessing, the kingdom of the Son of His love, embracing the calling of the

Church of the One Body, and the peculiar blessings and sphere of its

manifestation 'in heavenly places', 'far above all'.  No question of

worthiness, or of reigning, crown or prize can intrude.  All here is a matter

of sheer grace.

In Colossians 4 Paul records names of fellow servants such as Tychicus

and Epaphras and Luke.  Two names, Marcus, sister's son to Barnabas, and

Jesus which is called Justus are especially marked out for comment, for they

were 'of the circumcision'.  'These are my fellowworkers unto the kingdom of

God, which have been a comfort unto me'.  The apostle did not have many of

his own race as helpers, but these two, Marcus and Justus, are specially

mentioned with thankfulness.  'The kingdom of God' cannot conflict with the

recorded goal of Paul's ministry written large over his epistles, and

especially in the epistle to the Ephesians.  'To make all men see what is the

fellowship (or dispensation) of the Mystery' (Eph. 3:9), in which those

called 'apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers' shared (Eph.

4:11 -13), the building up of the Body of Christ, the perfect man, being the

special phase of the overall kingdom of God, with which the apostleship of

Paul was especially concerned.  To say that this 'kingdom' is the same that

was ushered in by John the Baptist, and for which Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

looked, is to shut our eyes to the distinct ministry of the Mystery and the

unique claims of Ephesians 3:1 -13 and Colossians 1:24 -29.  The prayer of

Epaphras 'that ye may stand perfect and complete' (Col. 4:12) reveals him a

fellowworker with Paul, who had already written in Colossians 1:28, 'that we

may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus'.

Another link between these two ministries is the double occurrence of

the Greek word, agonizomai, 'striving' and 'labouring fervently'.  We have no

need that any one tell us what constituted the kingdom of God in Paul's

conception when he wrote Colossians 4:11, it is made abundantly clear by the

verbal links he has forged himself, binding it to himself as an 'ambassador

in a chain' (Eph. 6:20).  Can we say that Paul's reference to the 'heavenly

kingdom' (2 Tim. 4:18) is exactly the same as 'The kingdom of the Son of His

love'?  In 2 Timothy 2:11 -13 reigning with Christ is associated with