God-given Authority. Colossians 1:1 The first two chapters of the Book of Colossians explain what we know and believe about the Lord Jesus Christ when confronting false teachers. The name “Jesus” is not used in the book because it is establishing the divine authority of our Lord Jesus Christ as the highest authority in the universe, the church, which is His body, and each congregation of believers. In Paul’s opening statement, he mentioned his apostleship was delegated to him “by Jesus Christ.” He was appointed to this role by “the will of God.”
In Greek, the word “apostle” (send one) was initially used to refer to a cargo ship and soon afterward to describe a fleet commander. In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus personally spoke to the twelve apostles (sent ones) and sent them to preach the good news of salvation and serve as the foundation of His church.
Paul, a man of great intellect, was in prison for his faith, and Timothy, a younger believer from another country, was with him. How did they form these connections by writing letters to people who had never seen his face? One was called to be an apostle by God's will, and the younger man listened when he preached the Word in a distant land and came to know Jesus as his Lord. It was God Himself who made the connections! They had traveled to new harvest fields and now, for the sake of the Gospel, were behind bars. Hearing about new believers they had never met and wondering how they were doing, the Spirit of God began making connections!
Not every act of God's work follows the same pattern. There are differences among people in one place and those in another. Thoughts, ideas, and practices that are acceptable vary because of geography, nationality, culture, and even philosophy. Only God can tailor the messenger and the message of the Gospel to the place He sends him. Paul and Timothy didn't personally deliver the Gospel to Colosse. God, in His wisdom and grace, arranged for Epaphras to learn the way of salvation from those who preached it and saved him. In turn, he was sent to his hometown of Colosse and proclaimed the Gospel there, leading to people's salvation and the formation of a church in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in that city.
We may not see the results of our efforts in declaring the Gospel in our lifetime. The Lord of the harvest can take a seed planted somewhere and use it to produce a harvest of souls for God's kingdom in another place. Sometimes, those who deliver the message of salvation learn about people God saved years earlier through their work, now living for Him in a distant area from where they first heard the Gospel. That is a wonderful encouragement to "cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days."
Paul’s God-given authority is underscored by “The will of God.” His role was to speak for the risen Lord Jesus Christ to both Jews and Gentiles. Therefore, his personal introduction to the church at Colosse was to address himself in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, whose message and words were to be taken seriously as God’s words to them personally. He was not speculating with his words as the Gnostics did, nor was he simply passing along religious rituals and his own opinions about what they believed and how they should act. His message came from the highest source, the Sovereign God – our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.