COLOSSIANS and Ephesians are pre-eminently the great church epistles of the Bible. On the surface they may strike the superficial reader as covering pretty much the same ground. But on a careful examination of their contents, different view-points stand out clearly.
COLOSSIANS is marked by constant reference to Christ in various ways, all leading up to His headship of the body, His church. There is no reference whatever, be it carefully observed, to the Holy Spirit in the unfolding of the doctrine of the epistle, though of course the whole epistle is inspired by the Spirit of God.
EPHESIANS on the other hand is marked by no less than twelve references to the Holy Spirit in connection with the doctrine of the epistle.
There must be a distinct reason to account for this striking difference. We have been helped by visualizing the difference as follows: The view-point of Colossians is that of a believer on earth standing before God in a risen life in Christ, and saying, I have a Head in heaven. The view-point of Ephesians is that of our blessed Lord in heaven, saying, as it were, I have a body on earth through whom My life may be perpetuated, and My work in the world accomplished in the power of the Holy Spirit.
COLOSSIANS looks up to see the glorious Head in heaven, without whom there could be no spiritual life on earth.
EPHESIANS looks down to see the body of Christ on earth.
Christ, objectively presented, must be prominent in Colossians, if the purpose of the epistle is to recall the Christians to the truth of our Lord's headship in heaven. And this is just the object of the epistle. " In Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." (Col. 2:99For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. (Colossians 2:9).)
Just as evident is it, that if the body of Christ is prominent in Ephesians, references to the Holy Spirit of God will be prominent, for the body of Christ on earth, His church, can only function and display the life and activity of Christ in the power of the Spirit of God.