Colossians TNIV (adapted)
Chapter ONE
1. Paul, an apostle of Mashiach Yehoshua by the will of God and Timothy our brother...
apostle - The office of apostle is here distinguished. It is the office of Paul but not of Timothy, although Timothy is united by Paul's own address to the Colossians in one authority with Paul.
6. (...true word of the gospel), which has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world — just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God's grace.
God's grace - What is Paul's unique apostolic testimony? It is the testimony of the "veil removed". This is the removal of the veil which will come to All-Israel through the working of God's grace, especially through the testimony of Paul among the goyim. Know and understand that the apostolic testimony of the twelve disciples/apostles is the testimony of the portion referred to by the words, "as many (of his own) as received him", John 1:12. But Paul's testimony is of the portion, "he came to his own and his own did not receive him". But in the case of Paul first, this testimony is the testimony of this same portion who after they have not received him will receive him. This unique apostolic testimony of Paul is the testimony of this portion of Israel who will be converted from enmity toward Yehoshua to Torah love for Yehoshua HaMashiach.
Thus, Paul's calling and ministry is to the goyim for this very reason, to further the conversion of his own "hard of hearing and seeing" portion of Israel, not to a different Faith, but to the blossoming of their own Faith according to the Scriptures. But the calling and ministry of the twelve disciples/apostles is to the Jew who is called as one of the remnant of those who have or will receive Yehoshua from the very start. And this includes, as will be shown in the day of Adonai, also any soul which is from the twelve tribes but now lost among the goyim, who receives Yehoshua from the start, from first hearing of him and being drawn to him.
For as to the gospel, the division in Israel is no longer between the one tribe of Judah, which was preserved for the sake of David and for the sake of Jerusalem and the promise made to David, on the one hand, and the eleven other tribes, on the other hand. For in the worlds above, which rule over all worlds, there is now no separation between the tribes. For all twelve tribes are one in the risen Mashiach, who sits at the right hand of God. At this time, the division in Israel is the division of those in Israel who are immediately given to him as a remnant and those who at first do not receive him (like Paul) but who will later will receive him. For All-Israel will be saved.
12. "...and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his people in the kingdom of light.
the inheritance of his people - While Paul's unique testimony is indivisible from that of the twelve, who are the apostles of the remnant of Israel, (who immediately received or receive Yehoshua), Paul's testimony is as of one born out of due time, (1 Cor. 15:8). The time of the corporate conversion of that spiritual portion of Israel which did not and does not receive Yehoshua was to come only at the time of Yehoshua's open revelation to the world, (see Rev. 11:13-19). But Sha'ul, who was spiritually apportioned to this same spiritual part of Israel, would be born from Above at a time much earlier.
Paul's calling would be to the goyim as goyim and not specifically to lost Israelite souls, (or Jewish souls), among the goyim. For his calling would be to bring the hidden blessing of the atonement made by Mashiach for Israel upon the nations, in order that a called out portion of the nations might be a prophetic evidence to Israel of the truth of Yehoshua. Out of all the apostles, therefore, Paul's calling is and remains (alone) to the goyim as goyim, to testify that the corporate atonement for Israel is accomplished. It is this calling of Sha'ul as Paul which is now allowing for the qualification of the nations, that due to the blessing of Abraham the atonement made for Israel should result in the nations being included "in the inheritance of his people," the kingdom of light — "the kingdom of the Son he loves."
15. The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
The Son - Paul speaks here of Yehoshua in accordance with the Torah and prophetic Writings as the King of his Kingdom, extolling and describing him as who he is, as the one able to extend the inheritance of Israel as the kingdom realized in him and through him over all the earth — over every nation and, indeed, over all worlds, (see verse 20).
23. ...If you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
The Gospel - Paul speaks in the prophetic absolute sense: the Good News of Israel and Her Messiah was being , is being and will be preached to every creature under heaven. That this should be so is itself the power of the Kingdom!
25. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness —
26. — the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to Adonai's people.
it's servant - In serving the gospel, Paul serves God by serving the Great Assembly, Knesset Israel — all things created in Mashiach gathered into one in Israel redeemed in heavenly places, (see Eph. 1:10). And this gathering all things together in one is by Mashiach's blood shed for Israel, in fulfillment of the commandment spoken to Adam, first fulfilled by Mashiach in the aspect of the corporate sentence of death, the penalty of the commandment carried and decreed upon Adam, should it be transgressed. For by the obedience of this sacrifice the righteousness of the commandment given to Adam was fulfilled, and its sentence was mitigated for corporate Israel by the prayer of the Righteous One for Israel. Paul desired it to be known that he served no other word and no other gospel than this.
27. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Mashiach in you, the hope of glory.
this mystery - and this is the mystery of all ages which is made known by Mashiach being made known to due time to Israel, through the living Mashiach being revealed to them. For when they shall see Mashiach living in the midst of the nations then they shall know that their salvation has been accomplished by him!
28. We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Mashiach.
fully mature - And so shall it be that these things are made fully known when all those having received the testimony of Paul in truth are presented in spiritual maturity to the saints in Jerusalem, to be set under their authority for the witness of the Good News of Yehoshua HaMashiach!
Chapter TWO
2. My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Mashiach.
Mashiach is the mystery of God. That he should be called, Christos, Christ, is indicative of the mystery. For like Joseph in Egypt he is first hidden from his people amongst the goyim before he is revealed to his people amongst the goyim. Mashiach is the mystery of God, "in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge".
In 2nd Corinthians 5:21 we read that Mashiach was made sin for us. That is, he was made to be accursed for Israel. Seeing him in that position Israel rejects him as possibly being the one to bring the rule of the Torah to the whole world and salvation to Israel. Rambam says of him, "May his bones be ground to dust". But Yehoshua responds: "Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing".
Indeed, in bringing Israel down into the dust of death in Egypt and the nations he has no sin. For it is he who brings the Shekinah there with them, that the very shards of the shattered Creation, which was unable to withstand the judgment of God based on His strict justice, might be raised up with Israel in the mercy of God's Torah.
All Creation shall stand up and rejoice with Israel, all things shall rise up out of corruptibility with Israel and shall sing with Israel a new song unto the God of Israel! For all eternity the whole Creation shall see itself standing with Israel at Mount Sinai receiving the Gift of God! Therefore, let those now already reborn in the Mashiach of Israel rise up and walk in him!
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