He
ὃς (hos)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's Greek 3739: Who, which, what, that.

has rescued
ἐρρύσατο (errysato)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's Greek 4506: To rescue, deliver (from danger or destruction).

us
ἡμᾶς (hēmas)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person Plural
Strong's Greek 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

from
ἐκ (ek)
Preposition
Strong's Greek 1537: From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out.

the
τῆς (tēs)
Article - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's Greek 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

dominion
ἐξουσίας (exousias)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's Greek 1849: From exesti; privilege, i.e. force, capacity, competency, freedom, or mastery, delegated influence.

of darkness
σκότους (skotous)
Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's Greek 4655: Darkness, either physical or moral. From the base of skia; shadiness, i.e. Obscurity.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's Greek 2532: And, even, also, namely.

brought [us]
μετέστησεν (metestēsen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's Greek 3179: Methistano meth-is-tan'-o from meta and histemi; to transfer, i.e. Carry away, depose or exchange, seduce.

into
εἰς (eis)
Preposition
Strong's Greek 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.

the
τὴν (tēn)
Article - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's Greek 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

kingdom
βασιλείαν (basileian)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's Greek 932: From basileus; properly, royalty, i.e. rule, or a realm.

of
τοῦ (tou)
Article - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's Greek 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

His
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's Greek 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

beloved
ἀγάπης (agapēs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's Greek 26: From agapao; love, i.e. Affection or benevolence; specially a love-feast.

Son,
Υἱοῦ (Huiou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's Greek 5207: A son, descendent. Apparently a primary word; a 'son', used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship.
[2.The Doctrine of Christ.

(1) His SALVATION AND REDEMPTION of us all (Colossians 1:13-14).

(2) His NATURE AS THE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD, the creator and sustainer of all things heavenly and earthly (Colossians 1:15-17).

(3) His HEADSHIP OF THE CHURCH (Colossians 1:18).

(4) His MEDIATION, reconciling all to God, first generally stated, then applied especially to the Colossians (Colossians 1:19-23).]

(13-23) In this we have the great characteristic section of this Epistle, distinguished from corresponding parts of the Epistle to the Ephesians by the explicit and emphatic stress laid upon the divine majesty of Christ. It corresponds very closely with the remarkable passage opening the Epistle to the Hebrews. In the Epistles of the preceding group, to the Corinthians, Galatians, and Romans, chief and almost exclusive prominence is given to the universal mediation of Christ, as justifying and sanctifying all the souls of men. In these Epistles (this truth being accepted) we pass on to that which such universal mediation necessitates--the conception of Christ as the Head of all created being, and as the perfect manifestation of the Godhead. The former is the key-note of the Ephesian Epistle; the latter is dominant here, although the former remains as an undertone; as also in the great passage of the Epistle to the Philippians (Colossians 2:6-11), speaking of Him as "in the form of God," and having "the Name which is above every name." The especial reason for St. Paul's emphatic assertion of the great truth here we see in the next chapter. But it is clear that it comes naturally in the order of revelation, leading up to the full doctrine of, "the Word" in St. John. As the spiritual meaning of the Resurrection, the great subject of the first preaching, had to be sought in the Atonement, so the inquiry into the possibility of an universal Atonement led back to the Incarnation, and to Christ as pre-existent from "the beginning" in God.

(13, 14) We enter on this great passage, as is natural, and accordant with St. Paul's universal practice, through that living and practical truth of our redemption in Christ Jesus, which in the earlier Epistles he had taught as the one thing needful (1Corinthians 2:2).

(13) Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness.--"Delivered" is "rescued," properly applied to dragging a person out of battle or the jaws of danger. "The power of darkness" (see Luke 22:53) is, of course, the power of evil, permitted (see Luke 4:6) to exist, but in itself a usurped tyranny (as Chrysostom expresses it), not a true "kingdom. Salvation is, first of all, rescue from the guilt and bondage of sin, to which man has given occasion by his own choice, but which, once admitted, he cannot himself break. It is here described in its first origination from the love of the Father. "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son."

And hath translated us . . .--The word "translated" is a word properly applied to the transplanting of races, and the settlement of them in a new home. Salvation, begun by rescue, is completed by the settlement of the rescued captives in the new kingdom of Christ. The two acts, indeed, are distinct, but inseparable. Thus baptism is at once "for the remission of sins" and an "entrance into the kingdom of God."

His dear Son.--The original is far more striking and beautiful. It is, "The Son of His love," corresponding to "the beloved" of the parallel passage in the Ephesian Epistle (Colossians 1:6), but perhaps going beyond it. God is love; the Son of God is, therefore, the "Son of His love," partaking of and manifesting this His essential attribute.

In whom we have . . .--This verse corresponds verbally with Ephesians 1:7, where see Note. From the love of the Father, the first cause of salvation, we pass to the efficient cause in the redemption and propitiation of the Son.

Colossians 1:15-17 pass from Christ as our Mediator to Christ as He is in Himself from all eternity, "the image of the invisible God," and as He is from the beginning of time, the creator and sustainer of all things in heaven and earth. What was before implied is now explicitly asserted; what was before emphatic ally asserted is now taken for granted, and made the stepping-stone to yet higher and more mysterious truth.

Verse 13. - Who (sc. the Father) rescued us from the dominion of the darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love (Ephesians 5:8; Ephesians 6:12; Romans 7:14-8:4; 1 Corinthians 15:56, 57; 1 Thessalonians 1:9, 10; 1 Peter 2:9; 1 John 1:5-7; 1 John 2:7-11). To "rescue" (ῤύομαι: 1 Thessalonians 1:10; Romans 7:24; 2 Corinthians 1:10; 2 Timothy 4:17, 18, - to be carefully distinguished from other Greek verbs rendered "deliver") implies the evil state of the rescued, the superior power of the rescuer, and a conflict issuing in deliverance. St. Paul repeatedly associates the figure of darkness with the language of warfare (Ephesians 6:12; Romans 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:8; comp. John 1:5, R.V. margin). "Dominion of darkness" - same as "dominion of Satan" (Acts 26:18). Αξουσία, as distinguished from δύναμις ("power," vers. 11, 29), is "right," "authority" (comp. 1 Corinthians 9:4-6; John 1:12;. 17:2): the power of Satan is not mere external force, but takes the form of established and (as it were) legalized dominion (1 Corinthians 15:56; Luke 4:6; John 12:31). "The darkness" is precisely opposed to "the light" (ver. 12), being the region of falsehood and hatred, whether in this world or outside of it, where Satan rules (Ephesians 6:12; Ephesians 5:8, 11; 2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 John 2:8-11; Matthew 8:12; Luke 22:53; John 3:19, 20; John 12:35). To "translate" (μεθίστημι) is to remove from one place, office, etc., to another; Josephus ('Ant.,' 9:11, 1) uses it of the deportation of the Israelites by the Assyrian king. The Father, rescuing his captive children, brings them "into the kingdom of the Son of his love." Here we touch the central and governing idea of this Epistle, that of the supreme lordship of Christ (vers. 15-20; Colossians 2:6, 10, 19, etc.); and this passage affords a clue which will, we trust, guide us through some of the greatest difficulties which follow. (On "the kingdom of the Son," comp. Ephesians 1:20-23; Philippians 2:6-11; Romans 14:9; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 1 Corinthians 15:24 28; Hebrews 1:1-4; Hebrews 2:5-10; Revelation 1:5-7, 18; Revelation 5, etc.; John 5:22-27; John 17:2; John 18:36; Matthew 25:31-46; Matthew 28:18-20.) Only here and in Ephesians 5:5; 2 Timothy 4:1, 18; 1 Corinthians 15:24, 25, does the apostle speak of the kingdom as Christ's; otherwise as God's (and future). The "Son of his love" is not simply the "beloved Son" (Ephesians 1:6; Matthew 3:17, etc.), but the representative and depositary of his love: "Who is his love made manifest" (Augustine, Lightfoot; see ver. 2, note; John 3:16; John 17:26; 1 John 4:8, 9, 14-16; Ephesians 2:4; Titus 3:4-6; Romans 5:8), being at once our "Redeemer King "(ver. 13, 14) and the" Image of the invisible God" (ver. 15). 1:9-14 The apostle was constant in prayer, that the believers might be filled with the knowledge of God's will, in all wisdom. Good words will not do without good works. He who undertakes to give strength to his people, is a God of power, and of glorious power. The blessed Spirit is the author of this. In praying for spiritual strength, we are not straitened, or confined in the promises, and should not be so in our hopes and desires. The grace of God in the hearts of believers is the power of God; and there is glory in this power. The special use of this strength was for sufferings. There is work to be done, even when we are suffering. Amidst all their trials they gave thanks to the Father of our Lord Jesus, whose special grace fitted them to partake of the inheritance provided for the saints. To bring about this change, those were made willing subjects of Christ, who were slaves of Satan. All who are designed for heaven hereafter, are prepared for heaven now. Those who have the inheritance of sons, have the education of sons, and the disposition of sons. By faith in Christ they enjoyed this redemption, as the purchase of his atoning blood, whereby forgiveness of sins, and all other spiritual blessings were bestowed. Surely then we shall deem it a favour to be delivered from Satan's kingdom and brought into that of Christ, knowing that all trials will soon end, and that every believer will be found among those who come out of great tribulation.Authority Beloved Darkness Dear Dearly-Loved Delivered Domain Dominion Evil Free Kingdom Love Power Reign Rescue Rescued Transferred Translate TranslatedAuthority Beloved Darkness Dear Dearly-Loved Delivered Domain Dominion Evil Free Kingdom Love Power Reign Rescue Rescued Transferred Translate TranslatedColossians 1:13 NIV
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Alphabetical: and beloved brought darkness domain dominion For from has he His into kingdom loves of rescued Son the to transferred us

NT Letters: Colossians 1:13 Who delivered us out of the power (Coloss. Col Co) Christian Bible Study Resources, Dictionary, Concordance and Search Tools