Col 1:12 (Amp version) Giving thanks to the Father, Who has qualified and made us fit to share the portion which is the inheritance of the saints (God’s holy people) in the Light.13 [The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
1 Peter 2:9,10 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God’s] own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people [at all], but now you are God’s people; once you were unpitied, but now you are pitied and have received mercy.
I had never read Col 1:12 in a version other than KJV. Some other versions make it very clear that God Himself has “qualified” us and made “fit” to share in the inheritance of the saints in the Light. (Note that: we are in the Light now, NOT will be someday). It is not because of anything we did that He qualified and made us fit, but only because of His love and grace. The Father (not our doing) delivered and drew us to Himself out of the control and dominion of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of the Son.Not only that, He made us (the church):
- a chosen race (not Jew, not Gentile, but a NEW third race),
- a royal priesthood (every believer is a priest),
- a dedicated nation (not of this world – an alien colony from heaven),
- God’s own purchased (He paid with the precious blood of His Son),
- a special people, God’s own people.
Now why did He make us, the “church”, all these things? – to display the wonderful works and virtues of Him Who called us out of darkness into His light, in other words, to give visible expression to Jesus on this earth.
How do we do that? Notice the corporate nature of I Peter 2:9, 10 - It refers to race, nation, and people. An individual Christian may be able to do these things, but God’s purpose is fulfilled, when the church (Christians as a body) functions as she is supposed to – every member functioning as royal priests (not just in theory, but practically), sharing Christ in them with each other, fellow-shipping and living a shared life as members of His family, as people of this new race and colony.
