Colossians 1:12-13

12. giving thanks unto the Father, who made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints, in light; 13. who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love;

Translation and Paraphrase

12. (Also let us be) giving thanks to the father who made us worthy to obtain a share of the inheritance of the saints (who dwell) in the light (of God);
13. (Also we thank the father, for it is he) who drew us to himself out of the authority (and power) of (Satan's kingdom of) darkness, and transferred (us) into the kingdom of his beloved son (which is the church).

Notes

1.

The final, and probably climactic, part of walking worthily is to be giving thanks unto God the Father. God certainly deserves our thanks because: (1) he qualified us to be sharers in the inheritance of the saints; (2) he delivered us out of Satan's power into the kingdom of his son.

2.

Giving thanks must be a continual process. 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Ephesians 5:20. Gratitude is the foundation of Christian character. We should not have one day each year for thanksgiving and 364 for complaining. It would be better to have 364 for giving thanks, and one (or none!) for our gripes, grumbles, grunts, and groans.

3.

The Father has made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance. Meet means fit for, or qualified, or good enough for, or adequate, or sufficient for. We are God's workmanship. Ephesians 2:10. He makes us meet for the inheritance.

4.

We rejoice to share in the inheritance from God with the saints in light. See Acts 20:32.

The saints in light are those both living and dead who have come to have fellowship with God, for God is light. (1 John 1:5; 2 Corinthians 4:16). Light refers to holiness (Acts 26:18), to divine revelation and truth (2 Corinthians 4:4; 2 Corinthians 4:6), to love (1 John 2:9-10), and glory (Isaiah 60:1-3).

5.

God delivered us from the power of darkness. Delivered is in the Greek aorist tense, indicating an action at one point, as opposed to a continuous action. Thus our deliverance is a once-for-all deliverance.

6.

God has translated us into the kingdom of his son. Translated here means transferred. The Gr. is ruomai, which means to draw to oneself, to rescue, to deliver. In ancient times conquering generals ofttimes transported conquered peoples from their homelands to other lands. Similarly God, having defeated Satan in our lives, has transferred us to a new realm.

7.

Note that Paul speaks of us and not of you. Paul himself was a partaker in the work of God, so that he could not write of salvation abstractly.

8.

The power of darkness or the dominion of darkness refers to the world, or Satan's kingdom. (Acts 26:18; Matthew 4:16; John 8:12; John 12:35; John 12:46;1 John 1:5-6). The fact that the darkness has power (Gr. exousia, authority) shows that there is a personal quality about it; a personal devil has the power in the domain of darkness.

9.

We are transferred into the kingdom of God's beloved son. This is one of numerous verses in the New Testament that teach that Christ's kingdom already exists, that it is practically synonymous with the church, and that we do not have to wait unto Christ comes back for the establishment of His kingdom. See Hebrews 12:28; Revelation 1:9; Mark 9:1.

Study and Review

31.

What two facts are told about the father in Colossians 1:12-13 that should cause us to give thanks?

32.

Define the word meet in Colossians 1:12.

33.

Of what are we made partakers?

34.

What is meant by the expression the saints in light? How are the saints in light?

35.

What has God delivered us out of?

36.

What is the power of darkness?

37.

Give a synonym for the word translated in Colossians 1:13.

38.

Into what are we translated?

39.

What is the kingdom of God's son?