Paul's Letter to the Colossians
DOCTRINE: CHRIST’S PREEMINENCE DECLARED Chapter 1
A. In the Gospel message 1:1–12
B. In redemption 1:13–14
C. In Creation 1:15–17
D. In the church 1:18–29
DANGER: CHRIST’S PREEMINENCE DEFENDED Chapter 2
A. Beware of empty philosophies 2:1–10
B. Beware of religious legalism 2:11–17
C. Beware of man-made disciplines 2:18–23
DUTY: CHRIST’S PREEMINENCE DEMONSTRATED Ch. 3–4
A. In personal purity 3:1–11
B. In Christian fellowship 3:12–17
C. In the home 3:18–21
D. In daily work 3:22–4:1
E. In Christian witness 4:2–6
F. In Christian service 4:7–18
1
The Epistle to the Colossians
Introduction
Paul’s Epistle to the Colossians s regarded as including the most
elevated view to be found in the Bible
it focuses on the most relevant insights and counsel for Believers even in our day.
To the messenger of the church in Laodicea, write: “The Amen, the
witness who is faithful and true, the originator of God’s creation,
says this:‘I know your actions, that you are neither cold nor hot. I
wish you were cold or hot. Since you are lukewarm and neither hot
nor cold, I am going to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am
rich. I have become wealthy. I don’t need anything.’ Yet you don’t
realize that you are miserable, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.”
Revelation 3:14-17 ISV v2.0
Jesus of Nazareth is sick of lukewarm, useless Christian lifestyles.
But he doesn’t leave the Laodicean pastor without a solution to the
problem:
Therefore, I advise you to buy from me gold purified in fire
so you may be rich, white clothes to wear so your shameful
nakedness won’t show, and ointment to put on your eyes so
you may see. I correct and discipline those whom I love, so
be serious and repent! Look! I am standing at the door and
knocking. If anyone listens to my voice and opens the door,
I will come in to him and eat with him, and he will eat with
me. To the one who conquers I will give a place to sit with
me on my throne, just as I have conquered and have sat
down with my Father on his throne.‘Let everyone listen to
what the Spirit says to the churches.’ Revelation 3:18-22
ISV v2.0
The whole Western world that only a short time ago was saying,
“I am rich. I have become wealthy” I don’t need anything.”
is now about to find out from personal experience what it will mean to
hear the 3rd horseman of the Apocalypse cry out,
“A quart of wheat for a denarius, or three quarts of barley for a
denarius.” (Rev 6:6, ISV).
All of this trouble comes on the world from a God who loves us and who
corrects and disciplines those whom He loves.
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And that’s why this message is going to be your road map through the
times of trouble that are about refine God’s children and judge all of
God’s enemies.
The counsel contained in Colossians will explain what the life of faith is
as it is intended by its Author,
a divinely ordered preparation for the rulership in the coming
Kingdom.
to be firmly entrenched “overcomers” who have no need of
exhortation.
In the words of the centuries-old carved in a gothic, medieval alphabet
on a towering, ornate cathedral door right in the heart of a small town in
Germany.
Translated into modern English, the words take the form of a
frightening poem.
You call me eternal, then do not seek me.
You call me fair, then do not love me.
You call me gracious, then do not trust me.
You call me just, then do not fear me.
You call me life, then do not choose me.
You call me light, then do not see me.
You call me Lord, then do not respect me.
You call me Master, then do not obey me.
You call me merciful, then do not thank me.
You call me mighty, then do not honor me.
You call me noble, then do not serve me.
You call me rich, then do not ask me.
You call me Savior, then do not praise me.
You call me shepherd, then do not follow me.
You call me Way, then do not walk with me.
You call me wise, then do not heed me.
You call me Son of God, then do not worship me.
When I condemn you [and claim I do not know you], then do not
blame me.
Paul’s Epistles
Paul wrote 13 letters.
Three of them are “First & Seconds,” leaving 10 addressees,
Three of the ten are pastors
The remaining seven Paul wrote to Seven Churches.
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The Seven Churches - “The Things that Are” (Rev 2-3)
Why these seven?
Why not Jerusalem? Antioch? Rome? Lystra? Iconium? Et al.
“He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches.”
Levels of Application:
1) Local: actual churches. Researched archaeologically by Sir Wm.
Ramsey...
2) Admonitory: “..churches”: all of them. Each message applies to
each, to some extent.
3) Homiletic: “He that hath an ear...” Applies to us.
4) Prophetic. In their particular order, they lay out the history of the
church.
[They fill the gap implied in Daniel 9:26, and between Rev 12:5
and 6, etc.]
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Introduction
Do heavenly bodies have any influence over our lives?
(Millions of people consult their horoscopes every day.
In the U.S., 1220 of the 1750 newspapers carry astrological data.)
Is there any relationship between diet and spiritual living?
Does God speak to us immediately, in our minds, or only through His
Word?
Do the Eastern religions have anything to offer the evangelical Christian?
These very contemporary questions are among the very issues Paul
dealt with in his epistle to the Colossians.
Many Bible scholars have concluded that Colossians is the most
profound letter Paul ever wrote.
[Unless we depend upon the Spirit of God to teach us, we will miss the
truths God wants us to learn.]
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THE AUTHORSHIP OF THE LETTER
Some scholars do not believe that Paul wrote this letter at all. They give
three major reasons.
They say Colossians contains many words and phrases which do not
appear in any other of Paul's letters.
Men do not always write in the same way and with the same
vocabulary especially when discussing new things.
They say that the development of Gnostic heretical thought
developed much later than the time of Paul. If the Colossian heresy
was connected with Gnosticism, then the Colossian letter must have
been later than Paul time.
The great written Gnostic systems were not codified until later.
The idea of two worlds and the idea of the evil of matter were
present in Jewish and Greek thought predating Jesus incarnation
going back several hundred years BC.
They say that the view of Christ presented in Colossians is far in
advance of any of the other letters written by Paul.

Paul speaks of the unsearchable riches of Christ.
The Christology of Colossians is an advance on anything in the
earlier letters of Paul; but that is far from saying that Paul did not
write it, unless we are willing to argue that his thought remained
forever static.
A man usually only thinks out the implications of his faith only as
circumstances compel him to do so; and in face of a new set of
circumstances Paul thought out new implications of Christ.

The seed of all Paul's thought about Christ as he presents him in
Colossians does exist in one of his earlier letters.
Paul writes of one Lord Jesus Christ through whom are all things
and through whom we exist.
1Co 8:5 For even if there are "gods" in heaven and on
earth (as indeed there are many so-called "gods" and
"lords"), 6 yet for us there is only one God, the Father,
from whom everything came into being and for whom
we live. And there is only one Lord, Jesus the Messiah,
through whom everything came into being and through
whom we live. [ISV]
In verse 6 is the essence of all he says in Colossians.
Colossians as the letter itself states was written by Paul.
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THE TOWNS OF THE LYCUS VALLEY
Colosse was one of three closely situated cities in the Lycus River
Valley, where the Lycus River joins the Meander River, about 100 miles
east of Ephesus (capital) in Asia Minor.
Its name is possibly derived from Colossus, a large statue.
Three important cities -- Laodicaea, Hierapolis and Colosse - once
existed there.
Originally they had been Phrygian cities but now they were part of
the Roman province of Asia.
They stood almost within sight of each other.
Hierapolis and Laodicaea stood on either side of the valley with the
River Lycus flowing between, only six miles apart, in full view of each
other;
Colosse straddled the river twelve miles farther up from Hierapolis
and Laodicea, the other two cities of the valley.
Col 4:13 For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for
you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis....
Col 4:16 When this letter is read among you, have it also
read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part
read my letter that is coming from Laodicea.
The Lycus Valley had two remarkable characteristics.
It was notorious for earthquakes.
Strabo describes it by the curious adjective "euseistos," which in
English means "good for earthquakes."
More than once Laodicaea had been destroyed by an
earthquake, but she was a city so rich and so independent
that she had risen from the ruins without the financial help
which the Roman government had offered.
As the John who wrote the Revelation was to say of her,
in her own eyes she was rich and had need of nothing.
Rev 3:17 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have
become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and
you do not know that you are wretched and
miserable and poor and blind and naked,
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The waters of the River Lycus and of its tributaries were impregnated
with chalk.
This chalk gathered and all over the countryside built up the
most amazing natural formations.
Lightfoot writes in description of that area:
"Ancient monuments are buried; fertile land is overlaid; rivers
beds choked up and streams diverted; fantastic grottoes and
cascades and archways of stone are formed, by this strange,
capricious power, at once destructive and creative, working
silently throughout the ages. Fatal to vegetation, these
incrustations spread like a stony shroud over the ground.
Gleaming like glaciers on the hillside, they attract the eye of
the traveller at a distance of twenty miles, and form a
singularly striking feature in scenery of more than common
beauty and impressiveness."
A WEALTHY AREA
Volcanic ground is always fertile; and what was not covered by the
chalky incrustations was magnificent pasture land.
On these pastures there were great flocks of sheep and the area was
perhaps the greatest center of the woollen industry in the world.
Laodicaea was specially famous for the production of garments of
the finest quality.
The allied trade was dyeing.
There was some quality in those chalky waters which made them
specially suitable for dyeing cloth, and Colosse was so famous for
this trade that a certain dye was called by its name.
These three cities stood in a district of considerable geographical interest
and of great commercial prosperity.
THE UNIMPORTANT CITY
Originally the three cities had been of equal importance, but, as the
years went on, their ways parted.
Laodicaea became the political center of the district and the financial
headquarters of the whole area, a city of splendid prosperity.
Hierapolis became a great trade-center and a notable spa.
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In that volcanic area there were many chasms in the ground from
which came hot vapors and springs, famous for their medicinal
quality;
people came by the thousands to Hierapolis to bathe and to
drink the waters.
Colosse at one time was as great as the other two.
Behind Colosse rose the Cadmus range of mountains and she
commanded the roads to the mountain passes.
Both Xerxes and Cyrus had halted there with their invading
armies, and Herodotus had called her "a great city of Phrygia."
But for some reason the glory departed.
Hierapolis and Laodicaea are both to this day clearly discernible
because the ruins of some great buildings still stand; but there is
not a stone to show where Colosse stood and her site can only
be guessed at.
The fact remains that in this town of Colosse there had arisen a heresy
which, if it had been allowed to develop unchecked, might well have
been the ruination of the Christian faith in Asia [Turkey].
THE JEWS IN PHRYGIA
These three cities stood in an area in which there were many Jews.
Many years before, Antiochus the Great had transported 2,000 Jewish
families from Babylon and Mesopotamia into the regions of Lydia and
Phrygia.
These Jews had prospered and more of their fellow-countrymen had
come into the area to share their prosperity.
So many came that the stricter Jews of Palestine lamented the
number of Jews who left the rigors of their ancestral land for "the
wines and baths of Phrygia."
Laodicaea was the administrative center of the district.
In the year 62 B.C., Flaccus was the Roman governor resident there.
He sought to put a stop to the practice of the Jews of sending money
out of the province to pay the Temple tax.
He did so by placing an embargo on the export of currency
In his own part of the province alone he seized as contraband no
less than twenty pounds of gold which was meant for the Temple at
Jerusalem.
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That amount of gold would represent the Temple tax of no fewer
than 11,000 people.
Since women and children were exempt from the tax and since
many Jews would successfully evade the capture of their money,
we may well put the Jewish population as high as almost 50,000.
THE CHURCH AT COLOSSE
The Christian Church at Colosse was one which Paul had not himself
founded and which he had never visited.
(Col 1:7) just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved
fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our
behalf,
(Col 2:1) For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on
your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those
who have not personally seen my face,
(Col 4:7) As to all my affairs, Tychicus, our beloved brother and
faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord, will bring
you information.
Paul classes the Colossians and the Laodicaeans with those who had
never seen his face in the flesh (Col.2:1).
But no doubt the founding of the Church sprang from his teaching during
his three years in Ephesus
- the whole province of Asia was evangelized, so that all its
inhabitants, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord (Acts
19; 20:17-38).
“all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord
Jesus...” (Acts 19:10).
Colosse was about one hundred miles from Ephesus and it was no doubt
in that campaign of expansion that the Colossian Church was founded.
Two men, Epaphras and Philemon (Phile 19), who were in Ephesus,
seem to have been primarily responsible as founders (Col 1:7) of the
church in Colossae.
Epaphras apparently carried the thrilling news of the Gospel to his
family back home in Colossae (for example. Mark 5:19).
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And He did not let him, but He *said to him, "Go home to
your people and report to them what great things the Lord
has done for you, and how He had mercy on you."
Philemon had a church meeting in his home (Phile 2).
It is likely that Apphia and Archippus were respectively the wife
and son of Philemon, and Archippus may have been the local
leader of the church.
(Col 4:17) Say to Archippus, "Take heed to the ministry
which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill
it."
THE OCCASION
Paul wrote to the Colossians about 60-62 AD, while he was imprisoned
in Rome. (Acts 21:17-28:31).
One purpose for the letter was to correct the heresy that had sprung
up in the Asian city of Colossae.
While Paul was a prisoner in Rome under house arrest, he met a
runaway slave named Onesimus who belonged to Philemon, one of the
leaders of the church at Colossae.
Paul led him to Christ, and then wrote Philemon, asking his friend to
forgive Onesimus and receive him back as a brother in Christ.
About the same time, Epaphras showed up in Rome because he needed
Paul’s help.
In his status report, some new doctrines were being taught in
Colossae and were invading the church and creating problems.
The Epistle itself gives it as being due to the arrival of Epaphras from
Colossae (Col 1:7-9; 4:12f ).
He is probably one of Paul’s converts while in Ephesus who in behalf
of Paul (Col 1:7) evangelized the Lycus Valley (Colossae,
Hierapolis, Laodicea) where Paul had never been himself (Col 2:1;
4:13-16).
Since Paul’s departure for Rome, the “grievous wolves” whom he
foresaw in Miletus (Acts 20:29f) had descended upon these churches
and were playing havoc with many and leading them astray much as
new cults today mislead the unwary.
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Epaphras remained with Paul in Rome (Col 4:12-13).
Onesimus and Tychicus carried Paul’s epistles to their destinations:
Ephesus (Eph 6:21), Colossians (Col 4:7-9) and Philemon.
Epaphras was called Paul’s “fellow-prisoner,” a title also given to
Aristarchus (Col 4:10; Phile 23).
Epaphras willingly remained with Paul to assist him as a matter of his
own choice.
Paul regarded himself as a prisoner of Jesus Christ - not the
Roman government...
he may have that same thought in mind when he refers to
Epaphras as his "fellow-prisoner".
They were Paul’s willing companions, sacrificing their own comfort to
assist and comfort him.
A GENTILE CHURCH
It is clear that the Colossian Church was mainly Gentile and was about
five years old when Paul wrote this letter, about 60 AD
The church seems to have been predominantly Gentile.
The phrase "estranged and hostile in mind" (Col.1:21) is the kind of
phrase which Paul regularly uses of those who had once been strangers
to the covenant of promise.
In Col.1:27 he speaks of making known the mystery of Christ among the
Gentiles, when the reference is clearly to the Colossians themselves.
Col 1:25-29
(25) Of this church I was made a minister according to the
stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so
that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,
(26) that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the
past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to
His saints, (27) to whom God willed to make known what is
the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles,
which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
(28) We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching
every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every
man complete in Christ.
(29) For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His
power, which mightily works within me.
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In Col.3:5-7 he gives a list of their sins before they became Christians,
and these are characteristically Gentile sins.
Col 3:5-9
(5) Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as
dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed,
which amounts to idolatry.
(6) For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will
come upon the sons of disobedience,
(7) and in them you also once walked, when you were living in
them.
(8) But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice,
slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.
(9) Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self
with its evil practices,
THE THREAT TO THE CHURCH
The area was a meeting point of East and West;
an important trade route passed through there.
It was fertile ground for religious speculations and heresies.
It must have been Epaphras who brought to Paul, in prison in Rome,
news of the situation which was developing in Colossae.
Much of the news that he brought was good.

Paul is grateful for news of their faith in Christ and their love of the
saints (Col.1:4).

He rejoices at the Christian fruit which they are producing (Col.1:6).

Epaphras has brought him news of their love in the Spirit (Col.1:8).

He is glad when he hears of their order and steadfastness in the faith
(Col.2:5).
There was trouble at Colossae certainly; but it had not yet become an
epidemic.
Paul believed that prevention was better than cure; and in this letter
he is grasping this evil to stop it before it has time to spread.
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THE HERESY AT COLOSSE
"The Colossian Heresy" is one of the great problems of New Testament
scholarship.



All we can do is to go to the letter itself,
List the characteristics we find indicated there and
then see if we can find any general heretical tendency to fit the
list.
(i) It attacked the total adequacy and the unique supremacy of Christ.
No Pauline letter has such a lofty view of Jesus Christ or such
insistence on his completeness and finality.
Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God; in him all fullness
dwells (Col.1:15,19).
In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and of knowledge
(Col.2:2).
In him dwells the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form
(Col.2:9).
(ii) Paul goes out of his way to stress the part that Christ played in
creation.
By him all things were created (Col.1:16);
In him all things cohere (Col.1:17).
(iii) Paul goes out of his way to stress the real humanity of Christ.
It was in the body of his flesh that he did his redeeming work
(Col.1:22).
The fullness of the Godhead dwells in him "somatikos," "in bodily
form" (Col.2:9).
For all his deity Jesus Christ was truly human flesh and
blood.
(iv) There seems to have been an astrological element in this heresy.
In Col.2:8, as the King James Version has it, he says that they
were walking after the rudiments of this world, and
In Col.2:20 that they ought to be dead to the rudiments of this
world.
The word translated "rudiments" is "stoicheia," which has two
meanings.
(a) Its basic meaning is a row of things; it can, for instance, be
used for a file of soldiers.
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But one of its commonest meanings is the A B C, the letters
of the alphabet, set out, as it were, in a row.
From that it develops the meaning of the basic elements of
any subject, the rudiments.
The Colossians were slipping back to an elementary
kind of religious superstition when they ought to be going
on to Christian maturity.
(b) The second meaning of "Stoicheia" can mean the elemental
spirits of the world, and especially the spirits of the stars and
planets.
The ancient world was dominated by thought of the influence
of the stars; and
Even the greatest and the wisest men would not act
without consulting them.
It believed that all things were in the grip of an iron fatalism
settled by the stars;
The science of astrology professed to provide men with
the secret knowledge which would rid them of their
slavery to the elemental spirits.
It is most likely that the Colossian false teachers were
teaching that it needed something more than Jesus Christ to
rid men of their subjection to these elemental spirits.
(v) This heresy made much of the powers of demonic spirits.
There are frequent references to principalities or authorities, which
are Paul's names for these spirits (Col.1:16; Col. 2:10,15).
The ancient world believed implicitly in demonic powers.
The ancient world lived in a demon-haunted universe.
The air was full of them.
Every natural force - - the wind, the thunder, the lightning,
the rain - - had its demonic superintendent.
Every place, every tree, every river, every lake had its spirit.
They were in one sense intermediaries to God and
In another sense barriers to him, for the vast majority of
them were hostile to men.
The Colossian false teachers were clearly saying that something
more than Jesus Christ was needed to defeat the power of the
demons.
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(vi) There was a philosophical element in this heresy.
The heretics are out to spoil men with philosophy and empty deceit
(Col.2:8).
The Colossian heretics were saying that the simplicities of the
gospel needed a far more elaborate and recondite knowledge
added to them.
(vii) There was a tendency in this heresy to insist on the observance of
special days and rituals -- festivals, new moons and sabbaths (Col.2:16).
(viii) There was a would-be ascetic element in this heresy.
It laid down laws about food and drink (Col.2:16).
Its slogans were: "Touch not; taste not; handle not" (Col.2:21).
It was a heresy which was out to limit Christian freedom by
insistence on all kinds of legalistic ordinances.
(ix) This heresy had at least sometimes an antinomian streak in it.
It tended to make men careless of the chastity which the Christian
should have and to make him think lightly of the bodily sins (Col.3:58).
(x) This heresy gave at least some place to the worship of angels
(Col.2:18).
Beside the demons it introduced angelic intermediaries between man
and God.
(xi) There seems to have been in this heresy something which can only
be called spiritual and intellectual snobbery.
In Col.1:28 Paul lays down his aim;
it is to warn every man;
to teach every man in all wisdom; and
to present every man mature in Jesus Christ.
We see how the phrase every man is reiterated and how the aim is
to make him mature in all wisdom.
The clear implication is that the heretics limited the gospel to
some chosen few and introduced a spiritual and intellectual
aristocracy into the wide welcome of the Christian faith.
Gnosticism was a general heretical tendency of thought which included
all these errors.
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THE GNOSTIC HERESY
This false teaching seemed to be the beginning of what in the 2nd
century came to be known as:
Gnosticism [From gnosis, “to know”]
Alexandria was a major headquarters.
• Eastern speculations + mysticism:
– Man-made traditions and philosophy (Col 2:8);
– Matter was evil (Col 1:16);
– Astrology: angelic beings associated with heavenly bodies (Col
2:10,15);
• Plus, a form of Jewish legalism:
– Good and evil were derived from rules (Col 2:21);
– Circumcision (Col 2:11);
– OT dietary laws (Col 2:14-17)
They declared themselves “in the know” when it came to the deep things
of God;
They felt they were the “spiritual aristocracy” in the church.
These pretensions of knowledge are similar to the Theosophists
of today and the so-called New Agers.
Gnosticism began with two basic assumptions about matter.
1. It believed that spirit alone was good and
Matter was essentially evil.
The gnostics came to the false conclusion that matter
was evil; that a powerful spirit world used material things
to attack mankind.
2. It believed that matter was eternal;
The universe was not created out of nothing as the orthodox
belief asserts
rather it was created out of this eternal flawed matter.
This had certain inevitable consequences.
(i) If God was spirit, then he was altogether good and could not
possibly work with this evil matter.
Therefore God was not the creator of the world.
He put out a series of emanations or aeons, each of which was a
little more distant from God until at the end of the series there
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was an emanation so distant that it could handle the evil preexistent matter;
They believed it was this distant emanation which created
the world.
AEONS --> The word aeon, also spelled eon or æon, originally
means "life", and/or "being",
Later though it tended to mean "age", "forever" or "for
eternity".
Although the term aeon may be used in reference to a
period of a billion years (especially in geology,
cosmology or astronomy), its more common usage is for
any long, indefinite, period
Since each emanation was more distant from God they were
each also more ignorant of him.
As the series went on that ignorance turned to hostility.
The emanations most distant from God were both ignorant of
him and hostile to him.
They concluded that he, the emanatiion who created the
world, was completely ignorant of and utterly hostile to God.
Paul insisted that the agent of God in creation was not some
ignorant and hostile power, but the Son who perfectly knew and
loved the Father.
(ii) The basis for Gnostic belief had its effect on the doctrine of the
person of Jesus Christ.
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The Gnostic argued that if matter was altogether evil and if Jesus
was the Son of God, then Jesus could not have had a flesh and
blood body.
He must have been some kind of spiritual phantom.
The Gnostic philosophers would claim that when Jesus
walked, he left no footprints on the ground. Of course
none of them had seen Him much less met Him...
This completely removed Jesus from humanity shich made it
impossible for Him to be the Savior of men.
Paul insisted on the flesh and blood body of Jesus and insisted
that Jesus saved men in the body of his flesh.
(iii) It had its effect on the ethical approach to life.
If matter was evil, then it followed that our bodies were evil.
If our bodies were evil, one of two consequences followed.
(a) We must starve and beat and deny the body;
We must practice a rigid asceticism in which the body
was kept under, and in which its every need and desire
were refused.
Matter is not evil, neither is the human body - they are
subject to evil.
Our fallen human nature wants to control the body and
use it for sin;
But the body itself is not evil, or Jesus would never have
come to earth in a human body.
Nor would He have enjoyed the everyday blessings such
as attending wedding feasts or dinners.
Diets and disciplines may be good for one’s health,
but they have no power to develop true spirituality
(Col 2:10-23).
(b) Some Gnostics took precisely the opposite point of view.
If the body was evil, it did not matter what a man did with it;
spirit was all that mattered.
A man could satisfy any of the body's desires and it
would make no difference to his spirit or his eternal
spiritual future.
Gnosticism could, therefore, demand
19


strict asceticism, with all kinds of laws and restrictions;
or,
antinomianism, in which any immorality was justified.
We see both these tendencies at work in the false teachers at
Colosse.
(iv) Gnosticism was (in its own estimation) a highly intellectual way
of life and thought.
These heresies promised people “spiritual perfection” if they
entered into the teachings and ceremonies prescribed.
This “depth” and “full knowledge” could only be enjoyed by those
initiated, etc.
These were all based on man-made traditions and
philosophy, not on divine truth (Col 2:8).
There was supposedly a long series of emanations between a
man and God;
Man must fight his way up a long ladder to get to God.
In order to do that he would need all kinds of secret
knowledge and esoteric learning and hidden passwords.
If he was to practice a rigid asceticism, he would need to know
the and follow the 'rules'.
So rigid would his asceticism be that it would be impossible
for him to involve himself in the ordinary activities of life.
The Gnostics were clear that the higher reaches of religion were
open only to the chosen few.
This imposed necessity of belonging to an intellectual
religious aristocracy precisely suits the situation at Colosse.
(v) There was a Jewish element in the false teaching threatening the
Church at Colosse.
The festivals and the new moons and the sabbaths were
characteristically Jewish;
The laws about food and drink were essentially Jewish
Levitical laws.
It is a strange thing that so many Jews were sympathetic to
Gnosticism.
The Jews knew all about angels and demons and spirits.
They said, "We know quite well that it takes special
knowledge to reach God.
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The special knowledge is to be found nowhere else than
in the Jewish law.
It is our ritual and ceremonial law which is indeed the
special knowledge which enables a man to reach God."
As a result, a form of Jewish legalism was added to these Eastern
and Gnostic speculations
the idea that the rite of circumcision was helpful in spiritual
development (Col 2:11);
the OT dietary laws were also helpful in attaining spiritual
perfection (Col 2:14-17).
Good and evil were derived from observing rules and regulations
(Col 2:21).
The result was that there was a strange alliance between Gnosticism
and Judaism; and
It is just such an alliance that we find in Colosse, where, as we
have seen, there were many Jews.
The false teachers of Colosse were clearly infected with Gnostic heresy.
They were trying to turn Christianity into a philosophy and a
theosophy.
If they had been successful, the Christian faith would have been
destroyed.
Like the differences between the ascetic and the antinomian Gnostics,
there were other 'divisions' (denominations) of Gnosticism.

Docetic Gnostics
The Docetic (from dokew, “to seem”) Gnostics held that Jesus
did not have a real human body, but only a phantom body.
He was, in fact, an aeon and had no real humanity.

Cerinthian Gnostics
The Cerinthian (followers of Cerinthus) Gnostics believed an
aeon came on Jesus at his baptism in the form of a dove and left
him on the Cross so that only the man Jesus died.
Some thought that Jesus was “just a man” — similar to Christian
Science and other phases of “New Thought” today.
Paul deals with this heresy directly.
Others held that Jesus was only spiritual, not material;
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In addition to Paul, John deals with these in his three epistles.
This heresy sharpened the issue of controversy concerning the Person
of Christ.
Php 2:5-11 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in
Christ Jesus,
(6) who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard
equality with God a thing to be grasped,
(7) but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and
being made in the likeness of men.
(8) Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself
by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a
cross.
(9) For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed
on Him the name which is above every name,
(10) so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of
those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
(11) and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Paul met the issue squarely and powerfully portrayed his full-length
portrait of Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Son of Man (both deity
and humanity) in opposition to both types of Gnostics.
Colossians seems written expressly for our own day when so many
are trying to rob Jesus Christ of his deity.
22
Gnosticism today Huxley coined the term “agnostic” = “without
knowledge”;
(Latin = ignoramus)!
Paul: Epignosis, “superknowledge”!.
Col 1:9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have
not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the
knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
These errors are important to understand since these attacks on the
deity of Christ are just as prevalent today as then.
Each cult group involves a strategy to misrepresent some aspect of
revealed truth in regards to Christ and His redemptive work.

These heresies promised people “spiritual perfection” if they entered
into the teachings and ceremonies prescribed.
This “depth” and “full knowledge” could only be enjoyed by those
initiated, etc.

These were all based on man-made traditions and philosophy, not
on divine truth (Col 2:8).

These views undermined the very foundations of the Christian faith,
and attacked the person and work of Jesus Christ.

To them, Jesus was but one of God’s many “emanations” and not
the very Son of God, come in the flesh.
The Incarnation means “God with us” (Mt 1:23), but these false teachers
claimed that God was keeping His distance from us!
Mat 1:23 "BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND
SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME
IMMANUEL," which translated means, "GOD WITH US."
When we trust the Son of God, there is no need for any intermediary
beings between us and heaven!
In His work on the cross, Jesus Christ settled the sin question (Col
1:20)
He completely defeated all satanic forces (Col 2:15).
He put an end to the legal demands of the law (Col 2:14-17).
He alone is the Preeminent One and completely sufficient (Col 1:18;
3:11).
Gnosticism denied the deity of Christ, thus calling forth one of the
greatest declarations of Christ’s deity found anywhere in Scripture (Col
1:15-16; 2:9).
23
The Age of Syncretism
These false teachings were a combination of many things:
Jewish legalism, Oriental philosophies, pagan astrology, mysticism,
asceticism, with a touch of Christianity.
Gnosticism contained characteristics of several belief systems:
• It was Jewish, stressing the need for observing Old Testament laws
and ceremonies;
• It was philosophical, laying emphasis on some special or deeper
knowledge (gnosis);
• It involved the worship of angels as mediators to God (2:18);
• It was exclusive, stressing the special privilege and “perfection” of
those select few who belonged to this philosophical elite;
There was “something for everybody”
— an attempt to harmonize and unite many different schools of thought
into a composite religion.
tolerance and eccumenicalism
These teachers claimed that they were not denying the Christian
faith, but only lifting it to a “higher level.
Dangerous! - Tolerance, Accommodation, Compromise
Nothing “New” in the “New Age”!
Every modern erroneous cult is some ancient Satanic heresy revived.
Every “new” heresy has been anticipated by the Holy Spirit.
Satan has nothing new to offer.
We live in a day when religious toleration is interpreted to mean “one
religion is as good as another unless it is Christianity”
Many people try to take the best from various religions and fabricate
their own.
To them Christ is only one of several great religious teachers,
with no more authority than they have.
Jesus Christ may be prominent, but He is certainly not preeminent.
When we make Jesus Christ and the Bible only a part of a total
religious system or philosophy, we cease to give Him
preeminence.
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When we strive for “spiritual perfection” or “fullness” by
means of formulas, disciplines, or rituals, we go backward
rather than forward.
We fall from grace back into law...
We must beware of mixing our Christian faith with such
alluring things as yoga, transcendental meditation, Oriental
mysticism, and the like.
We must also beware of the “deeper life” teachers who offer
a system for victory and fullness that bypasses devotion to
Jesus Christ.
In all things, He must have preeminence!
No one familiar with the teaching of Colossians will ever be misled
by the specious sophistries of the various occult systems now
being foisted upon a credulous public,
such as Theosophy, or Spiritualism; or be deluded by the revived
Gnostic religions of Eddyism, Unity School of Christianity, or other
branches of misnamed New Thought or New Age.
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Overview
Paul’s Letter to the Colossians was written about the same time as the
Letter to the Ephesians;
Ephesians focus is on the church, the Body of Christ;
Colossians focus is on the Christ, the Head of the Body.
• Ephesians: Prophet
• Hebrews: Priest
• Colossians: King
Paul uses the vocabulary of the false teachers, but with their true
meaning.
We find such words as fullness, perfect, complete, wisdom, etc.
Over 30X the word all.
He spoke much about angels and spirit powers.
There is no need for us to worry about angelic mediators or spiritual
emanations. God has sent His Son to die for us!
Every person who believes on Jesus Christ is saved and is a part of
His body, the church, of which He is the Head (Col 1:18).
Nothing more needs be added to our relationship with Him—each
believer is complete in Him. He is totally sufficient.
Paul did not begin by attacking the false teacher or their doctrines.
Paul begins by exalting Jesus Christ and showing His preeminence in
five areas:
1) The Gospel message,
2) Redemption,
3) Creation,
4) The Church, and
5) Paul’s own ministry.
In Chapter 2, he exposed the false origin of their teachings and how they
contradicted everything Paul had taught about Jesus Christ.
The believer who masters this chapter is not likely to be led
astray by some alluring and enticing “new and improved” brand
of Christianity.
The greatest antidote to false teaching is a godly life!
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Paul concludes, in Chapters 3 & 4, with some important exhortations.
Wrong doctrine always leads to wrong living.
What we believe determines how we behave.
• Chapter 1: Christ’s Preeminence Declared.
• Chapter 2: Christ’s Preeminence Defended.
• Chapter 3 & 4: Christ’s Preeminence Demonstrated.
Christology
• The visible form of the invisible God;
• The Prior-head of all creation;
• In Him the universe was created;
• He is before the universe;
• In Him the universe coheres;
• The Head of the Body: the Church;
• The Firstborn from among the dead.
Above the Angels—all of them “that in all things He might have the
preeminence.”
Christ the Creator
For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that
are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or
dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created
by Him, and for Him. And He is before all things, and by Him are
all things held together. Colossians 1:16-17
Christ the Redeemer
And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the
beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He
might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in
Him should all fullness dwell; And, having made peace through
the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto
himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things
in heaven. Colossians 1:18-20
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Astrology, Angels, and Heavenly Bodies
On the cross, Jesus won complete victory over all satanic powers (Col
2:15).
Christians do not need to turn to the “rudiments” [“elemental beings”]
—referring to the beings believed to be controlling the heavenly
bodies, which in turn controlled events on the earth.
Horoscopes and superstitions deny the person and work of Christ.
In the United States, there are about 1,750 daily newspapers, and
1,220 of them carry astrological data!
Is there any relationship between diet and spiritual living?
Does God speak to us immediately, in our minds, or only through His
Word, the Bible?
Do the Eastern religions have something to offer the evangelical
Christian?
Mysticism, legalism, Eastern religions, asceticism, and man-made
philosophies are secretly creeping into churches.
They are not openly denying Christ, but they are dethroning Him and
robbing Him of His rightful place of preeminence.
These very contemporary questions are the very issues Paul dealt with
in his magnificent epistle to the Colossians.
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The Epistle to the Colossians
Chapter 1:1-14
Habakkuk 2:4 “The Just Shall Live by Faith”:
This verse led to a Trilogy of epistles in the New Testament:
The Just...
...Shall live…
...By Faith!
Romans
Galatians
Hebrews
Rom 1:17
Gal 3:11
Heb 10:39
This implies that Paul wrote all three!
Each use Hab 2:4 as a cornerstone, which became the battle cry
of the Reformation which, in turn, changed the history of the
world!
Colossians 1
DOCTRINE: CHRIST’S PREEMINENCE DECLARED
A. In the Gospel message 1:1–12
B. In redemption 1:13–14
C. In Creation 1:15–17
D. In the church 1:18–29
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Colossians 1
CHRISTIAN GREETINGS
Colossians 1:1 "This is a letter from Paul, an apostle of Jesus
Christ by the will of God, and from Timothy, the brother, to the
dedicated people of God and faithful brothers in Christ who are in
Colosse."
1] Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ Timotheus our brother,by the will
of God, and Timothy our brother,
“Paul”: 13 NT epistles begin with this name
(a 14th, Hebrews, we believe was also by Paul…).
Paul was also authenticated by Peter (2 Pet 3:15,16).
Paul had never actually been in Colosse
he begins by making clear what right he has to send a letter to the
Colossians.
Paul's right to speak is that he has been sent out by God to
be his ambassador to the Gentiles.
“...an apostle”: The word "apostolos" literally means one who is sent
out.
Its NT meaning probably is to be derived from the Hebrew word
shalah, “to send.”
The substantive shaliah, a virtual equivalent of the NT word
“apostle,” is not uncommon in rabbinical writings.
It was primarily a legal term, signifying authorized
representation.
As in the modern law of agency, the one sent was held to be
equivalent to the sender himself.
To dishonor the king’s ambassador was to dishonor the king
(2 Sam 10; cf. 1 Sam 25:5-10, 39-42).
“...an apostle of Jesus Christ”: Although the term, apostle of Jesus
Christ, has other secondary usages (Phil 2:25; 2 Cor 8:23),
it appears to apply primarily to those directly commissioned as
apostles by the risen Lord (cf. 1 Cor 9:1; 15:8-10).
"...by the will of God..": Paul exercised the function of an apostle by
the will of God.
That office is not something which he has earned or achieved; it is
something which has been given him by God.
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"You did not choose me," said Jesus, "but I chose you"
(Jn.15:16).
A man is not what he has made himself, but what God has made him.
As in the Philippian letter, Paul associated Timothy with him in the
salutation and he describes Timothy not as the preacher, the teacher,
the theologian, the administrator, but as the brother.
He calls him the brother, a title which is given
to Quartus (Rom.16:23);
to Sosthenes (1Cor.1:1);
to Apollos (1Cor.16:12).
Brotherliness: The first necessity for Christian service is the ability to "get
alongside" all kinds of people.
Timothy was with Paul often(cf. 2 Cor 1:1; Phil 1:1; 2 Thess 1:1).
Timothy had a Gentile father (Acts 16:1),
but his mother and grandmother were godly Jewesses (2 Tim 1:5)
from them he had learned the Old Testament Scriptures from
childhood (2 Tim 3:15).
Paul picked up Timothy on his second missionary journey at Lystra
where the “brothers...spoke well of him” (Acts 16:2).
Paul spent much time discipling Timothy and wrote two of his last letters
to him.
This letter is to God's dedicated people and to the faithful brothers in
Colosse.
Paul's custom changed. In his earlier letters he always addressed
the letter to the Church of so and so or at so and so...
1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Corinthians and Galatians are all
addressed to the Church of the district to which they are sent.
But beginning with Romans his letters are all addressed to God's
dedicated people in such and such a place.
It is so in Romans, Colossians, Philippians and Ephesians.
What matters is individual people - the place or the organization.
The Church is not a kind of abstract entity; it is individual men and
women and children.
He writes to the Christians
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who are in Colosse and
who are in Christ.
A Christian always moves in two spheres.
He is in a certain place in this world;
but he is also in Christ.
He lives in two dimensions.
He lives in this world whose duties he does not treat lightly;
but above and beyond that he lives in Christ.
In this world he may move from place to place;
but wherever he is, he is in Christ.
Outward circumstances make little difference to the Christian;
his peace and his joy are not dependent on them.
That is why a true follower of Christ can do any job with all his heart.
It may be menial, unpleasant, painful,
it may be far less distinguished than he might expect to have;
its rewards may be small and its praise non-existent;
nevertheless the true Christian - servant of Christ - will do it
diligently, uncomplainingly and cheerfully,
for he is in Christ and does all things as to the Lord.
We are all in our own Colosse, but we are all in Christ,
and it is Christ who sets the tone of our living.
32
THE DOUBLE COMMITMENT
Colossians 1:2-8
"Grace be to you and peace from God our Father. We always thank
God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for you in our prayers; for
we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love you
have to all God's dedicated people, because of the hope which is
laid up for you in heaven. Of that hope you have already heard in
the true word of the gospel, which has come to you, just as in all
the world it is bearing fruit and increasing, just as it did among you
too, from that day on which you heard and knew the grace of God
as it truly is, as you learned it from Epaphras, my beloved fellowbondman, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, and who
has made known to us your love in the Spirit."
2] To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse:
Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ.
“...saints and faithful brethren...”:
Saints vs. faithful brethren?
Are they different?
Saint: Divine call: you must be born into it...
Faithful brethren: our response to His call.
(Which are you? cf. Jn 8:31, 32....)
3] We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
praying always for you,
“...praying always for you”: People he probably had never met...
For Paul to learn of others coming to the Lord it invariably meant that
his prayer burden was increased!
The Prayers of Paul offer valuable lessons for all concerning the
meaning of Christian prayer.
When compared with the Lord’s Prayer, they provide an index to the
way Christ’s instruction, “after this manner pray ye” (Mt 6:9) was
applied in the early church.
After the initial thanksgiving, Paul begins a petition that merges into
thanksgiving as the prayer moves into a paean of praise to the exalted
Christ.
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4] Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love
which ye have to all the saints,
“...your faith in Christ Jesus”: Faith (confidence) in a person, not a
“system,” or doctrine, or philosophy.
Not faith in “faith” (as an abstract)!
Faith is totally relying on, depending upon something.
What is your faith in?
"...the love which ye have to all the saints..." Paul's heart gladdened
and he gives God thanks since that he has been told that the Colossians
are showing two great qualities in their lives,
faith in Christ and
love for their fellow-men.
These are the two sides of the Christian life.
The Christian must have faith;
he must know what he believes.
But he must also have love for men;
he must turn that belief into action.
It is not enough simply to have faith, for there can be an orthodoxy which
knows no love.
It is not enough only to have love for men, for without real belief that love
can become mere sentimentality.
The Christian has a double commitment
-- he is committed to Jesus Christ and
-- he is committed to his fellow-men.
Faith in Christ and love to men are the twin pillars of the
Christian life.
That faith and love depend on the hope that is laid up in heaven.
Loyalty to Christ may involve a man in all kinds of loss and pain and
suffering.
There may be many things to which he has to say goodbye.
The way of love may seem to many to be the way of a fool.
Why spend life in selfless service?
Why not use it "to get on" as the world counts getting on?
Why not push the weaker brother out of the way?
The answer is--because of the hope that is set before us.
Hope is the certainty that, in spite of the world's ways, God's way of love
has the last word.
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5] For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard
before in the word of the truth of the gospel;
The Christian hope is that Jesus is returning and will gather us together
with Him. To dwell with Him in a place He has prepared for us.
Hope is what we believe about the future that causes us to act as we
do today.
Loyalty to Christ may bring trouble here -- but that is not the last word.
The world may laugh contemptuously at the folly of the way of love-but the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of man.
The Christian hope is the confidence that it is better to stake one's life on
God than to believe the world.
“For the hope”: Which “hope”? The Second Coming!
No one fully appreciates the Gospel that leaves out this “blessed
hope."
“...laid up”: Our hope is “laid up”— reserved, set aside, for us.
Tense of the verb indicates that this hope has once and for all been
reserved so that nothing can take it from us.
We, too, are being “guarded” for glory (1 Pet 1:1-5).
“...before”: Before the false teachers were on the scene.
False teachers do not take their message to all the world;
They go where the Gospel has already gone and try to lead
believers astray.
They have no good news for lost sinners.
Note: faith, love, and hope intimately linked...Gospel (1 Cor 15:1-8);
Truth (Jn 17:17; 14:6). Satan is the liar (Jn 8:44).
It is our love for God based on our knowing His love for us that
allows us to place our confidence (faith) in Him and live out our
lives assured of the hope we have in Him.
Virtue Trilogy - Virtue vs Values
val·ues.
Changeable, flexible, decided by us
1. To determine or estimate the worth or value of; appraise.
2. To regard highly; esteem.
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3. To rate according to relative estimate of worth or desirability;
evaluate.
4. To assign a value to (a unit of currency, for example)
vir·tues
Fixed, unalterable, set for us
1. Moral excellence and righteousness; goodness.
2. A particularly efficacious, good, or beneficial quality; advantage.
3. Effective force or power.
Ethics: knowing right from wrong
Morality: doing right versus wrong
The ethical man knows he should not steal
The moral man does not steal
This trilogy of virtue — faith, love, and hope — is a favorite of Paul’s (1
Cor 13:13; 1 Thess 1:3) and Peter’s (1 Pet 1:3, 5, 22).
Faith is the soul looking upward to God;
Love looks outward to others;
Hope looks forward to the future.
Faith rests on the past work of Christ;
Love works in the present; and
Hope anticipates the future.
Even though “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Heb 11:6) and
“hope does not disappoint us” (Rom 5:5), nevertheless,
“the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor 13:13).
Paradigm of Graces
• Faith Past – Content of historical facts;
Justification - Made right with God
• Love Present – The emblem of our calling;
Sanctification - Living right before God
• Hope Future
Glorification - Being presented to God
THE ESSENCE OF THE GOSPEL
Verses 6-8 are a kind of summary of what the gospel is and does.
Paul has much to say of the hope, to which the Colossians have already
listened and which they have already accepted.
(i) The gospel is good news of God.
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Its message is of a God who is a Friend and Lover of the souls of
men.
First and foremost, the gospel sets us in a right relationship
with God.
1Co 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel
which I preached unto you, which also ye have received,
and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye
keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have
believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that
which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins
according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and
that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new
creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are
become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath
reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to
us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in
Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their
trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word
of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for
Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you
in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath
made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might
be made the righteousness of God in him.
(ii) The gospel is truth.
All previous religions could be entitled "guesses about God."
The Christian gospel gives a man not guesses but
certainties about God.
(iii) The gospel is universal.
It is for all the world. It is not confined to any one race or nation,
nor to any one class or condition.
The message of the gospel is open without exception to all
men.
(iv) The gospel is productive.
It bears fruit and increases.
The gospel has power to change individual men and the
society in which men live.
It can change the sinner into a good man and
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It can take the selfishness and the cruelty out of society
so that all men may have the chance God would wish
them to have.
(v) The gospel tells of grace.
It is not so much the message of what God demands as of what
he offers.
It tells not so much of his demand from men as of his gift to
men.
(vi) The gospel is humanly transmitted.
It was Epaphras who brought it to the Colossians.
There must be a human channel through which the gospel
can come to men.
The possession of the good news of the gospel involves the
obligation to share it.
That which is divinely given must be humanly passed on to
bring his gospel to those who have never heard it.
6] Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth
forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and
knew the grace of God in truth:
One could use this verse to establish that, even in Paul’s day, the Gospel
had been carried to the ends of the earth (Cf. v.23).
If you were to give a gift that would be suitable for the whole world, what
would you give?
Books? Food? Clothing?
Money?
John 3:16!
7] As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for
you a faithful minister of Christ;
“Epaphras”: Epaphras’ outstanding characteristic was that of fervency in
prayer (Col 4:12).
He was in Rome with Paul, who called him “my fellow prisoner”
(Phile 23).
“Epaphras” is a shortening of “Epaphroditus," referred to in Phil 2:25
and 4:18.
Like Tom for Thomas, Jon for Jonathan, etc
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These could be the same person or different persons since both
names were common.
“...learned of”: Discipled by (Acts 19:10; Mt 28:19-20).
“Disciple”: 260X in Gospels and Acts
“To learn as a disciple”: 25X in NT.
Learning to follow and represent Jesus by living is what the fellowship of
the local church is all about. - Not only fellowship for the sake of a
good time together.
8] Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.
Faith comes by hearing (Rom 10:17).
We learn to walk by faith (2 Cor 5:7) and
work by faith (1 Thess 1:3).
Faith gives power to prayer (Lk 17:5-6).
Faith is our shield against Satan’s darts (Eph 6:16).
Love is the evidence of salvation.
Doctrinal correctness will never make up for a lack of love (Rev 2: 111).
This is the only verse in this epistle that mentions the Holy Spirit explicitly
and it is in connection with love (Jn 16:13).
In contrast with Ephesians...
Prayer Life
It is unlikely that any other writer has given us as helpful an insight for
our own prayer life as is contained in these following verses...
• vv.9-11 sets forth certain blessings for which Paul prays.
• vv.12-14 lists those for which he gives thanks.
They each are different...
some are non-forfeitable;
some are blessings for which need to pray daily...
THE ESSENCE OF PRAYER'S REQUEST
Colossians 1:9-11
39
"That, in fact, is why, from the day we heard about it, we do not
cease to pray for you, asking that you
 may be filled with an ever-growing knowledge of his will,
 in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
o so that you may conduct yourselves
 worthily of the Lord, and
 in such a way as to be altogether pleasing to him,
 bearing fruit in every good work, and
 increasing in the fuller knowledge of God.
 May you continue to be strengthened with all strength
 according to his glorious power,
 so that you may possess all
o fortitude and
o patience with
o joy."
This passage may teach us more about the essence of prayer's requests
than almost any other in the New Testament.
That prayer makes two great requests.


The discernment of God's will and
Then for the power to perform that will.
THE THREE GREAT GIFTS
Prayer begins by asking that we may be filled with an ever-growing
knowledge of the will of God.
Prayers objective is to know the will of God.
We are trying not to make God listen to us as to make ourselves
listen to him;
We are trying not to persuade God to do what we want, but to
find out what he wants us to do.
The first object of prayer is not so much to speak to God as to listen
to him.
Prayer ought to say "Thy will be done"
Not "My will be done" or "Thy will be changed"
Through prayer we reach the greatest gift in all the world
-- knowledge plus power.
40
9] For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to
pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the
knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
Our knowledge of God must be translated into our human situation.
We pray for spiritual wisdom and understanding.
“knowledge” = epignosis,
“superknowledge,” in contrast to the Gnostics’ “superior knowledge”
boasted of.
Epignōsis is a Koiné word for additional (epi) or full knowledge.
The word is the keynote of Paul’s reply to the conceit of Gnosticism.
The cure for these intellectual upstarts is not ignorance, not
obscurantism, but more knowledge of the will of God.
“...wisdom”: (sophia; used six times in Col. 1:9, 28; 2:3, 23; 3:16; 4:5);
that is,
practical know-how which comes from God (James 1:5; 3:15).
Spiritual wisdom is "sophia," which we could describe as knowledge
of first principles.
“...spiritual understanding”: (sunesis ; also used in Col. 2:2),
which speaks of clear analysis and decision-making in applying
this knowledge to various problems.
Understanding is "sunesis," which is what the Greeks sometimes
described as critical knowledge,
meaning the ability to apply first principles to any given situation
which may arise in life.
So when Paul prays that his friends may have wisdom and
understanding, he is praying that

they may understand the great truths of Christianity and

may be able to apply them to the tasks and decisions which
meet them in everyday living.
A man may quite easily be a master of theology and a failure in living;
able to write and talk about the eternal truths and yet helpless to apply
them to the things which meet him every day.
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The Christian must know what Christianity means, not in a vacuum
of thought and theory but in the business of day to day living.
Wisdom
By contrast, the false teachers offered only “an appearance of wisdom"
(sophia; Col 2:23), which captivated their minds and lives in
legalistic regulations.
True spiritual wisdom is both stabilizing and liberating (Eph
4:14).
Truth is not learned through the intellect alone.
Paul emphasizes neither an abstract intellectualism nor an occult
experience of the “powers,” but


a thorough knowledge (epignōsis) of God’s will
in accordance with wisdom (sophia; I Cor 1:24-30) and
perception.
Although in using these terms the apostle may have been influenced by
the vocabulary of his opponents, he turns the meaning of the words
against the false teachers.
10] That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being
fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
This knowledge of God's will, and this wisdom and understanding, must
issue in right conduct.
Paul prays that his friends may conduct themselves in such a way as
to please God.
Prayer is not escape from reality.
Prayer and action go hand in hand.
We so not pray in order to escape life but in order to be
better able to meet it.
Walk worthy
Eph 4:1 • Walk worthy of the gospel.
Phil 1:27 • Walk worthy of God.
1 Thess 2:12 Faith is understanding’s step, and understanding is
faith’s reward.
—Augustine The end of all knowledge is conduct.
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—Lightfoot “...pleasing”: This word is not found in any other passage
in the NT;
Greek usage = “a preference of the will of others before our own.” [G.
Thomas].
“...every good work”: Everything in a believer’s life is sacred. There is
nothing “secular."
We need power in order to do things...
11] Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power,
unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
The asking part of Paul's prayer ends with a prayer for three great
qualities.

He prays that his Colossian friends may possess all fortitude,
patience and joy.
Paul prays for "hupomone," the fortitude which no situation can
defeat,
and "makrothumia," the patience which no person can defeat.
Fortitude and patience are two great Greek words which often
keep company.
There is a distinction between these two words.
It would not be true to say that Greek always rigidly observes
this distinction, but it is there when the words occur together.
"Hupomone" is translated patience in the King James Version.
It is not simply bowing the head and letting the tide of events
flow over one.
It is a conquering consistency of walk and attitude rising
above any and all situaltions and circumstances.
It means not only the ability to bear things, but the
ability, in bearing them, to turn them into glory.
"Hupomone" is the ability to deal triumphantly with
anything that life can do to us.
It is the ability to remain consistent in the face of
adversity as well when experiencing peace and comfort.
Endurance and patience are often associated (cf. 2 Cor 6:4, 6; 2
Tim 3:10; James 5:10-11).
43
Endurance (hupomeno, lit., a “remaining under”) implies not
easily succumbing under suffering;
Patience (makroqumi,a makrothumia, lit., “long temper”;
Col. 3:12) means self-restraint which does not hastily
retaliate.
A lack of endurance often results in despondency or losing heart,
whereas a lack of patience often leads to wrath or revenge (Prov
15:18; 16:32).
At work in the Christian is no less than the power of Almighty
God himself, not at present to exalt, but to give patience,
fortitude, and endurance.
"Makrothumia" is usually translated long-suffering in the King
James Version.
Its basic meaning is patience with people. The ability to
endure without failing.
It is the quality of mind and heart which enables a man so to
bear with people that their unpleasantness and
maliciousness and cruelty will never drive him to bitterness,
that their unteachableness will never drive him to
despair,
that their folly will never drive him to irritation, and
that their unloveliness will never alter his love.
"Makrothumia" is the spirit which never loses patience with,
belief in, and hope for men.

He prays that the Christian may be such that no circumstances will
defeat his strength and no human being defeat his love.
The Christian's fortitude in events and patience with people must
be indestructible.

Added to all this there is joy.
The Christian way is not a grim struggle with events and with
people;
it is a radiant and sunny-hearted attitude to life.
The Christian joy is joy in any circumstances. - continual
contentment...
It is easy to be joyful when things go well, but the Christian
radiance is something which not all the shadows of life can
quench.
Patience, not with stoical tolerance, but with joyfulness (James 1:2).
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The Stoic philosophers also enjoined these virtues but, like the traditional
poker-faced Indian, coupled them with an attitude of complete
detachment.
Paul means hopeful waiting and suffering with joyfulness.
So the Christian prayer is:
"Make me, O Lord, victorious over every circumstance;
[Not just separate me from the circumstance]
make me patient with every person; and withal
[Not just change them]
give me the joy which no circumstance and no man will ever take
from me."
[Not just bring me happiness]
Paul prays that his friends may be strengthened with the power of God.
The great problem in life is not to know what to do but to actually do it.
We are well aware of what we ought to do in most situations
our problem is to put that knowledge into action.
What we need is power; and that we receive in prayer.
If God merely told us what his will was, that might well be a
frustrating situation;
but he not only tells us his will, he also enables us to perform it.
The same spiritual dynamic that raised Christ from the dead operates in
us: the Holy Spirit. (Wow!)
“The joy of the Lord is your strength" (Neh 8:10).
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PRAYER'S GREAT THANKSGIVING
Colossians 1:12-14
"May you give thanks to the Father, who enabled us to obtain our
share of the inheritance of God's dedicated people in the Kingdom
of light; for he rescued us from the power of darkness, and brought
us over into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have
redemption and the forgiveness of sins."
Paul turns to grateful thanksgiving for the benefits which the Christian
has received in Christ.

God has given to the Colossians a share in the inheritance of God's
dedicated people.
There is in this whole passage a very close correspondence with
Paul's words in Acts when he told Agrippa that the work God had
given him was:
"To open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to
light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may
receive forgiveness of sins, and a place among those
who are sanctified by faith in God" (Ac.26:18).
The first privilege is that there has been given to the Gentiles a
share in the inheritance of the chosen people of God.
The Jews had always been God's chosen people, but now
the door has been opened to all men.

The second key idea lies in the phrase which says, as the Revised
Standard Version has it, that God has transferred us to the kingdom
of his beloved Son, or, as we have translated it, that God has
brought us over into the kingdom of his beloved son.
The word which Paul uses for to transfer or to bring over is the Greek
verb "methistemi."
In the ancient world, when one empire won a victory over another, it
was the custom to take the population of the defeated country and
transfer it lock, stock and barrel to the conqueror's land.
Thus, the people of the northern kingdom were taken away to
Assyria, and the people of the southern kingdom were taken
away to Babylon.
Paul says that God has transferred the Christian to his own kingdom.
That was not only a transference but a rescue.

46
It meant a transference from darkness to light.
Eph_5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but
now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of
light:
Without God men grope and stumble as if walking in the
dark.
They know not what to do;
They know not where they are going.
Life is lived in the shadows of doubt and in the darkness
of ignorance.
In Jesus Christ, God has given us a light by which to live
and by which to die.

It meant a transference from slavery to freedom.
Gal_5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty
wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not
entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
It was redemption, and that was the word used for the
emancipation of a slave and for the buying back of
something which was in the power of someone else.
Without God men are slaves to their fears, to their sins
and slaves to their own helplessness.
In Jesus Christ there is liberation.

It meant a transference from condemnation to forgiveness.
Joh_5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that
heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent
me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into
condemnation; but is passed from death unto
life.
Man in his sin deserves nothing but the condemnation of
God;
But through the work of Jesus Christ he discovers God's
love and forgiveness.
He knows now that he is no longer a condemned
criminal at God's judgment seat, but a lost son for
whom the way home is always open.

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It meant a transference from the power of Satan to the
power of God.
Act_26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them
from darkness to light, and from the power of
Satan unto God, that they may receive
forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them
which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
Through Jesus Christ man is liberated from the grip of
Satan and is able to become a citizen of the Kingdom of
God.
Just as an earthly conqueror transferred the citizens of the land he
had conquered to a new land, so God in his triumphant love transfers
men from the realm of sin and darkness into the realm of holiness
and light.
Eph_2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners,
but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
12] Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be
partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
2 Pet 1:10, 11: Here is the beginning of the list of things for which Paul is
thankful.
All our prayers should be filled with thanksgiving.
“...inheritance”: “Of the lot,” “for a share of the lot.”
An old word.
First a pebble or piece of wood used in casting lots (Acts 1:26),
then the allotted portion or inheritance as here (Acts 8:21; cf.
Heb 3:7–4:11).
We will review inheritance in Col 3:24.
13] Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath
translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
“hath translated us”: This word was used to describe the deportation of a
population from one country into another.
History records the fact that Antiochus the Great transported at least
2,000 Jews from Babylonia to Colossae.
“...power of darkness...”: The kingdom of light, vs. kingdom of
darkness.
Paul here rules out the whole system of aeons and angels that the
Gnostics placed above Christ.
48
AEONS --> The word aeon, also spelled eon or æon, originally
means "life", and/or "being",
Later though it tended to mean "age", "forever" or "for eternity".
Although the term aeon may be used in reference to a period of
a billion years (especially in geology, cosmology or astronomy),
its more common usage is for any long, indefinite, period
It is Christ’s Kingdom in which he is King.
He has moral and spiritual sovereignty (cf. the Kingdom that will be
established).
Light and darkness are common theological terms used in many
religions, and found most recently in the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Here Paul seems to be contrasting the realm or sphere of the new
age—light, with that of the present age, the evil sphere or authority
(exousia) of darkness.
Elsewhere this evil sphere is equated with the power of Satan (Col 2:15;
Lk 22:53; Acts 26:18; Eph 2:2).
It is interesting that the Hebrew of erev and boker (“evening” and
“morning”) in Genesis profiles each step of the Creation going
from darkness to light; (Chaos to Order; obscurity to clarity)
the Gentiles parallel is to reckon their days from “midnight" to
“midnight”…
14] In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the
forgiveness of sins:
“...forgiveness of sins”: And, because we have been forgiven, we can
forgive others (Col 3:13).
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant makes it clear that an unforgiving
spirit always leads to bondage (Mt 18:21-35).
These verses, which posit a past deliverance and transference into
Christ’s Kingdom and a redemption which Christians have as a present
possession; and that these are the hallmarks of a realized eschatology:
that the actual new age arrived with Christ’s resurrection and that
Christians enter it at conversion.
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Paradigm of Salvation
“I have been saved; I am being saved; and I will be saved." — Earl
D. Radmacher
• Justification (Past tense): The gift from God of everlasting life received
by faith alone in Christ alone.
• Sanctification (Present tense): A progressive work that involves the
faith and the works of the believer.
• Glorification (Future tense): A result of the previous aspects.
• Justification is for us;
Sanctification is in us.
• Justification declares the sinner righteous;
Sanctification makes the sinner righteous.
• Justification removes the guilt and penalty of sin;
Sanctification removes the growth and the power of sin.
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Foundational Issues:
Eternal Security
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that
cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from
heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all
which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise
it up again at the last day. John 6:37-39
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father,
which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to
pluck them out of my Father’s hand. John 10:28,29
I have searched the original texts; I cannot find, “Ooops!"
The Origin of Evil
Why is there evil in this world if creation was made by a holy God?
These philosophers came to the false conclusion that all matter was
evil.
Their next false conclusion was that a holy God could not come into
contact with evil matter, so there had to be a series of “emanations"
from God to His creation.
They believed in a powerful spirit world that used material things
to attack mankind.
51
They also held to a form of astrology, believing that angelic beings
ruled heavenly bodies and influenced affairs on earth (cf. Col. 1:16;
2:10, 15).
Since to them matter was evil, they had to find some way to control their
own human natures in this pursuit of perfection.
Two different practices resulted.
One school of thought held that the only way to conquer evil matter
was by means of rigid discipline and asceticism (Col 2:23).
The other view taught that it was permissible to engage in all kinds of
sin, since matter was evil anyway!
It appears that the first opinion was the predominant one in Colossae.
[Source: Wiersbe, Warren W.: The Bible Exposition Commentary.
Wheaton, Ill. : Victor Books, 1996, c1989, S. Col 1:5.]
Matter is not evil, and the human body is not evil.
Each person is born with a fallen human nature that wants to control the
body and use it for sin; but the body itself is not evil.
If that were the case, Jesus Christ would never have come to earth
in a human body.
Nor would He have enjoyed the everyday blessings of life as He
ministered on earth, such as attending wedding feasts and accepting
invitations to dinner.
Diets and disciplines can be good for one’s health, but they have
no power to develop true spirituality (Col 2:20–23).
Gnosticism
Spiritual perfection by mixtures of legalism; mysticism; special rites and
ceremonies; eastern philosophic thought; and diet-based commitments
— all false concepts deriving from their views of the origin of evil.
These heretics attacked the person and work of Jesus Christ.
To them, He was merely one of God’s many “emanations” and not
the very Son of God, come in the flesh.
The Incarnation means God with us (Mt 1:23), but these false teachers
claimed that God was keeping His distance from us!
Christian believers must beware of mixing their Christian faith with such
alluring things as yoga, transcendental meditation, Oriental mysticism,
and the like.
52
We must also beware of “deeper life” teachers who offer a system for
victory and fullness that bypasses devotion to Jesus Christ.
In all things, He must have the preeminence!
The Ultimate Remedy
When we trust the Son of God, there is no need for intermediary
beings between us and heaven!
In His work on the cross, Jesus Christ settled the sin question (Col 1:20)
and completely defeated all satanic forces (Col 2:15).
He put an end to the legal demands of the Law (Col 2:14–17).
Jesus Christ alone is the Preeminent One! (Col 1:18; 3:11).
All that the believer needs is Jesus!
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The Epistle to the Colossians Chapter 1:15-29
Overview
The false teachers in Colossae, like the false teachers of our own day,
rarely deny the importance of Christ, they simply dethrone Him.
No one familiar with the teaching of Colossians will ever be misled by
the specious sophistries of the various occult systems now being
foisted upon a credulous public.
What holds the universe all together, if anything?
Astronomers and astrophysicists are continuing to struggle with
these questions — with new theories continually displacing the
old...but the Bible has much to say about them.
New Testament Creation References: John 1:1-3
[Eternal preexistence, prior to the existence of the material universe.]
THE TOTAL ADEQUACY OF JESUS CHRIST
Colossians 1:15-23
"He is the image of the invisible God, begotten before all creation,
because by him all things were created, in heaven and upon earth,
the things which are visible and the things which are invisible,
whether thrones or lordships or powers or authorities. All things
were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and
in him all things cohere. He is the head of the body, that is, of the
Church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that he
might be supreme in all things. For in him God in all his fullness
was pleased to take up his abode, and through him to reconcile all
things to himself, when he had made peace through the blood of his
Cross. This was done for all things, whether on the earth or in the
heavens. And you, who were once estranged and hostile in your
minds, in the midst of evil deeds, he has now reconciled in the body
of his flesh, through his death, in order to present you before him
consecrated, unblemished, irreproachable, if only you remain
grounded and stablished in the faith, not shifting from the hope of
the gospel which you have heard, which has been proclaimed to
every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, have been made a
servant."
This is a passage of such difficulty and of such importance that we shall
have to spend considerable time on it.
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1. THE MISTAKEN THINKERS
Man thinks only as much as he has to.
It is not until a man finds his faith opposed and attacked that he
really begins to think out its implications.
It is not until the Church is confronted with some dangerous heresy
that she begins to realize the riches of creeds, doctrine and
orthodoxy.
When Paul wrote Colossians, he was writing to meet a very definite
situation.
The Gnostics were dissatisfied with what they considered the rude
simplicity of Christianity and wished to turn it into a philosophy and to
align it with the other philosophies which were popular at that time.
The Gnostics began with the basic assumption that matter was
altogether evil and spirit altogether good.
They further held that matter was eternal and that it was out of
this evil matter that the world was created.
The Christian, to use the technical phrase, believes in creation exnilo - out of nothing; the Gnostic believed in creation out of evil
matter.
Now God was spirit and if spirit was altogether good and matter
essentially evil, it followed, as the Gnostic saw it, that the true
God could not touch matter and, therefore, could not himself be
the agent of creation.
So the Gnostics believed that God put forth a series of emanations,
each a little further away from God until at last there was one so
distant from God, that it could handle matter and create the world.
The Gnostics went further.
As the emanations went further and further from God, they became
more and more ignorant of him.
And in the very distant emanations there was not only ignorance
of God, but also hostility to him.
The Gnostics came to the conclusion that the emanation who
created the world was both ignorant of and hostile to the true God;
and sometimes they identified that emanation with the God of the
Old Testament.
As the Gnostics saw it, the creator was not God but someone hostile to
him;
55
The world was not God's world but that of a power hostile to him.
Paul insists that God did create the world, and that his agent in
creation was no ignorant and hostile emanation but Jesus Christ, his
Son (Col.1:16).
As the Gnostics saw it, Jesus Christ was by no means unique.
They postulated a whole series of emanations between the world
and God.
They insisted that Jesus was merely one of these emanations.
He might stand high in the series; he might even stand highest;
but he was only one of many.
Paul meets this by insisting that in Jesus Christ all fullness dwells
(Col.1:19);
that in him there is the fullness of the godhead in bodily form
(Col.2:9).
One of the supreme objects of Colossians is to insist that
Jesus is utterly unique and that in him there is the whole of
God.
As the Gnostics saw it, if matter was altogether evil, it followed that the
body was altogether evil.
It followed further that he who was the revelation of God, could
not have had a real body.
He could have been nothing more than a spiritual phantom in
bodily form.
The Gnostics completely denied the real manhood of Jesus.
In their own writings they, for instance, set it down that when Jesus
walked, he left no footprints on the ground.
That is why Paul speaks of Jesus reconciling man to God in his
body of flesh (Col.1:22);
Paul says that the fullness of the godhead dwelt in him
bodily.
In opposition to the Gnostics, Paul insisted on the flesh and blood
manhood of Jesus.
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The Gnostics saw the task of man was to find his way to God. They
believed that way was barred to common man.
Between this world and God there was this vast series of
emanations. Before the soul could rise to God, it had to get past the
barrier of each of these emanations.
To pass each barrier special knowledge and special passwords were
needed;
It was these passwords and that knowledge that the Gnostics
claimed to give.
This meant that salvation was intellectual knowledge.
Paul insists that salvation is not knowledge; it is
redemption and the forgiveness of sins.
The Gnostic teachers held that the so-called simple
truths of the gospel were not nearly enough.
To find its way to God the soul needed far more than
that; it needed the elaborate knowledge and the
secret passwords which Gnosticism alone could
give.
Paul insists that nothing more is needed than the saving truths of the
gospel of Jesus Christ.
If salvation depended on this elaborate knowledge, it was clearly
not for every man but only for the intellectual.
The Gnostics divided mankind into the spiritual and the earthly;
and only the spiritual could be truly saved.
Full salvation was beyond the scope of the ordinary
man.
It is with that in mind that Paul wrote the great verse Col.1:28.
It was his aim to warn every man and to teach every man,
and so to present every man mature in Christ Jesus.
Against a salvation possible for only a limited intellectual minority, Paul
presents a gospel which is for every man, however simple and unlettered
or however wise and learned he may be.
We must have the key Gnostic doctrines in mind, for only against them
does Paul's language become intelligible and relevant.
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II. WHAT JESUS CHRIST IS IN HIMSELF
15] Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every
creature:
He is "the firstborn of all creation" (Col.1:15).
In English it might well mean the Son was the first person to be
created
In Hebrew and Greek thought the word firstborn ("prototokos") has
only very indirectly a time significance.
"Firstborn" is very commonly a title of honor.
Israel, for instance, as a nation is the firstborn son of God
(Exo.4:22).
The meaning is that the nation of Israel is the most favored
child of God.
Second, firstborn is a title of the Messiah.
In Ps.89:27, as the Jews themselves interpreted it, the promise
regarding the Messiah is "I will make him my firstborn, higher
than the kings of the earth."
Clearly firstborn is not used in a time sense at all, but in the sense of
special honor.
So when Paul says of the Son that he is the firstborn of all
creation, he means that the highest honor which creation holds
belongs to him.
In contrast to the Gnostic (and the Muslim) who maintains that God can
never be known or understood, we have One who has made God known
to us.
“And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us…" (Jn 1:14)
1Jn 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that
confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3
And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come
in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist,
whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now
already is it in the world..
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“...the image”: The image of God reflects upon the Adam-Christ
typology (Gen 1:27; Ps 8; Heb 2:5-18), in which Christ is viewed as the
first true man who fulfills God’s design in creation.
Thus, to be in the image of Christ is the goal of all Christians (Rom 8:2829; 1 Cor 11:7; 15:49; 2 Cor 3:18; 4:4; Col 3:10).
Paul used the word image, which means “an exact representation and
revelation.”
The writer to the Hebrews affirms that Jesus Christ is “the express
image of His Person” (Heb 1:3).
Jesus was able to say, “He that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father”
(Jn 14:9).
In His essence, God is invisible; but Jesus Christ has revealed Him to us
(Jn 1:18).
In this passage Paul says two great things about Jesus, both of which
are in answer to the Gnostics.
The Gnostics had said that Jesus was merely one among many
intermediaries and that,
however great he might be, he was only a partial revelation of
God.
Paul says that Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God (Col.1:15).
Here he uses a word and a picture which would waken all kinds of
memories in the minds of those who heard it.
The word is "eikon," and "image" is its correct translation.
When Paul uses this word, he lays it down that Jesus is the
"perfect manifestation" of God.
To see what God is like, we must look at Jesus.
He perfectly represents God to men in a form which they
can see and know and understand.
WISDOM
The Old Testament and the inter-testamental books have a great deal to
say about Wisdom.
In Proverbs the great passages on Wisdom are in Prov.2 and 8.
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There Wisdom is said to be co-eternal with God and to have
been with God when he created the world.
It is as if Paul turned to the Jews and said,
"All your lives you have been thinking and dreaming and
writing about this divine Wisdom, which is as old as God,
which made the world and which gives wisdom to men.
In Jesus Christ this Wisdom has come to men in bodily form
for all to see."
Jesus is the fulfillment of the dreams of Jewish thought.
The Greeks were haunted by the thought of the "Logos," the word, the
thought process and reasoning of God.
It was that "Logos"
which created the world,
which put sense into the universe,
which kept the stars in their courses,
which made this a dependable world,
which put a thinking mind into man.
It is as if Paul said to the Greeks:
"For the last six hundred years you have dreamed and thought
and written about the reason, the mind, the word, the `Logos of
God';
You called it God's `eikon';
in Jesus Christ that `Logos' has come plain for all to see.
Your dreams and philosophies are all come true in him."
Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word [G3056 Logos], and
the Word [G3056 Logos] was with God, and the Word [G3056
Logos]
was God.
Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him
was not any thing made that was made.
In these connections of the word "eikon" we have been moving in the
highest realms of thought, where only the philosophers can move
familiarly.
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But there are two much simpler connections which would
immediately flash across the minds of those who heard or read this
for the first time.
Their minds would at once go back to the creation story.
There the old story tells of the culminating act of creation.
"God said, Let us make man in our image.... So God created
man in his own image, in the image of God he created him"
(Gen.1:26-27).
Man was made that he might be nothing less than the "eikon" of
God, for the word in the Genesis story is the same.
That is what man was meant to be, but sin came in and man
never achieved his destiny.
By using this word of Jesus, Paul in effect says,
"Look at this Jesus.
He shows you not only what God is;
he also shows you what man was meant to be.
Here is manhood as God designed it.
Jesus is the perfect manifestation of God
and the perfect manifestation of man."
He and we are the reasoning and thought process
behind all that God has done in creation...
There is in Jesus Christ the revelation of Godhead and the revelation
of manhood.
There is no doubt that many of the simpler of Paul's readers would
think of this.
Even if they knew nothing of the Wisdom Literature and nothing
of Philo and nothing of the Genesis story they would know this.
"Eikon"--sometimes in its diminutive form "eikonion"--was the word
which was used for a portrait in Greek.
It is the nearest equivalent in ancient Greek to our word
photograph.
But this word had still another use.
When a legal document was drawn up, such as a receipt or an
IOU, it always included a description of the chief characteristics
and distinguishing marks of the contracting parties, so that there
could be no mistake.
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The Greek word for such a description is "eikon."
The "eikon," therefore, was a kind of brief summary of the personal
characteristics and distinguishing marks of the contracting parties.
Paul is saying,
"You know how if you enter into a legal agreement,
there is included an `eikon,'
a description by which you may be identified and
recognized.
Jesus is the portrait of God.
In him you see the personal characteristics and the
distinguishing marks of God.
If you want to see what God is like, look at Jesus."
Joh_14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my
Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have
seen him .... 9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long
time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he
that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest
thou then, Shew us the Father?
Joh_15:24 If I had not done among them the works which
none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have
they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
The other word Paul uses is in Col.1:19.
He says that Jesus is the "pleroma" of God.
"Pleroma" means fullness, completeness.
Jesus is not simply a sketch of God or a summary and more than
a lifeless portrait of him.
In him there is nothing left out;
he is the full revelation of God, and nothing more is
necessary.
III. WHAT JESUS CHRIST IS TO CREATION
According to the Gnostics the work of creation was carried out by an
inferior god, ignorant of and hostile to the true God.
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It is Paul's teaching that God's agent in creation is the Son and in this
passage he has four things to say of the Son in regard to creation.
“...the firstborn” = prototokos (5X: Col 1:15; 18; Rom 8:29; Rev 1:5;
Heb 1:6.) Priority of position, rather than origin.
“Firstborn”: Positional Title
Heir and preeminent one, not necessarily the one born first: Ishmael
and Isaac; Esau and Jacob; Reuben and Joseph; Manasseh and
Ephraim; et al.
The first Adam vs. the Last Adam!
Preexistent (Micah 5:2) and
Only Begotten: 5X in NT (Jn 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18; 1 Jn 4:9).
Isaac is so-called in Heb 11:17 Abraham’s “only begotten son.”
Israel was called God's son - his firstborn
And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is
my son, even my firstborn: And I say unto thee, Let my son go,
that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I
will slay thy son, even thy firstborn. Exodus 4:22,23
“Firstborn”: Messianic Title
I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed
him: With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also
shall strengthen him. The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor
the son of wickedness afflict him. And I will beat down his foes
before his face, and plague them that hate him. But my
faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name
shall his horn be exalted. I will set his hand also in the sea, and
his right hand in the rivers. He shall cry unto me, Thou art my
father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. Also I will make
him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. My mercy
will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand
fast with him. His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and
his throne as the days of heaven. Psalm 89:20-29
“...firstborn of all creation” = prior to all creation. (Cf. Letter to
Laodicea, Rev 3:14; Jn 1:1-3; et al.).
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This was interpreted by the Arians to mean “first of a kind,” i.e., Christ
was the first creature.
The word can have this meaning (cf. Rom 8:29), but such a reading
is not consistent with Paul’s theme, which here stresses a Messianic
priority and primacy.
16] For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that
are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or
dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by
him, and for him:
It was by the Son that all things were created (Col.1:16).
This is true of things in heaven and things in earth, of things seen
and unseen.
The Jews themselves, and even more the Gnostics, had a highlydeveloped system of angels.
With the Gnostics that was only to be expected with their long
series of intermediaries between man and God.
Thrones, lordships, powers and authorities were different
grades of angels having their places in different spheres of
the seven heavens.
Paul dismisses them all with complete indifference.
He is in effect saying to the Gnostics,
"You give a great place in your thinking to angels.
You rate Jesus Christ merely as one of them.
So far from that, he created them."
Paul lays it down that the agent of God in creation is no inferior,
ignorant and hostile secondary god, but God the Son himself.
“Thrones, dominions, principalities, powers” = these words in the
Greek refer to the hierarchy of angelic beings.
“...by him and for him”: Three prepositions (by, for, through) used to
refute the philosophy of the false teachers.
He is the heir of all things.
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We are the house guests in Someone Else’s Universe!
History is headed somewhere, and we all have an accountability.
“...created by him...” Disbelief or denial is no refuge.
We all have an appointment with destiny (Jn 5:22-29).
“...by him were all things created”: including Satan (vs. Mormon view!).
Whatever cosmic powers there may be, they have nothing to offer or
deny a Christian;
in Christ he has all things (Rom 8:38; Eph 1:10).
“...visible and invisible”: There are two kinds:
the four dimensions we experience; and
the 6 that we know exist = 10 in total...
The Boundaries of our Physical Reality Hyperdimensions:
Spaces of more than Three Dimensions
Time is not uniform: it is a physical property that varies with mass,
acceleration and gravity…among other things...
We exist in more than three dimensions (apparently 10).
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This physical insight will dissolve most theological paradoxes…
Hyperdimensions: Beyond Euclid (>3 Dimensions)
June 10, 1854: the most important mathematical lecture ever given…It
took over 60 years for it to be applied…Georg Riemann’s lecture on
Metric Tensors.
• 1915: Einstein, Four-Dimensional Space-time: Einstein went to his
grave frustrated over his inability to reconcile issues which
subsequently yielded by applying his previous insights.
• 1953: Kaluza-Klein: 4+n Dimensions (Light & Supergravity).
• 1963: Yang-Mills Fields (Electromagnetic & Both Nuclear Forces).
• 1984: Superstrings, 10-Dimensions (The current thinking among
quantum physicists is that our universe consists of one-dimensional
“superstrings” vibrating in 10 dimensions…).
Dimensions of “Reality"
Nachmonides (13th century): 10 dimensions, only 4 are “knowable"
(Commentary on Genesis, 1263).
Particle Physicists (20th century):
10 dimensions,
4 are directly measurable: (3 spatial + time) and
the other 6 are “curled” into less than 10-33 cm, and thus inferable
only by indirect means.
(We have spent billions of dollars building elaborate particle
accelerators to learn what Nachmonides discovered by doing his
homework on Genesis One!)
There are only two kinds of people who are able to deal with
hyperspaces (spaces of more than 3 dimensions):
mathematicians with special training and small children.
We can gain some useful insights by examining a two-dimensional
universe…Meet Mr. & Mrs. Flat:
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SPHERE PASSING THROUGH A PLANE
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How Solid is this Podium?
Is this podium “solid”? or is this just “empty space”?
Conjecture (2) is more descriptive than (1) by the same ratio: ~ one
second / 30 million years!
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear
what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we
shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2
Prepositional Power
For centuries, the Greek philosophers had taught that everything needed
a primary cause, an instrumental cause, and a final cause.
– The primary cause is the plan
– The instrumental cause the power
– The final cause the purpose.
When it comes to Creation, Jesus Christ is:
– The primary cause (He planned it)
– The instrumental cause (He produced it)
– The final cause (He did it for His own pleasure).
This passage is parallel to the [Logos] passage in Jn 1:1–18 and to Heb
1:1–4 as well as Phil 2:5–11, in which these writers give the high
conception of the Person of Christ (both Son of God and Son of Man).
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This central activity of Christ in the work of creation is presented also in
Jn 1:3 and Heb 1:2 and is a complete denial of the Gnostic philosophy.
17] And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
It was for the Son that all things were created (Col.1:17).
The Son is not only the agent of creation, he is also the goal of
creation.
Creation was created to be his and that in receiving its worship
and its love He finds honor and joy.
Paul uses the strange phrase: "In him all things hold together."
Not only is the Son the agent of creation in the beginning
and the goal of creation in the end,
but between the beginning and the end,
during time as we know it,
it is he who holds the world together.
All the laws by which this world is order and not chaos are an
expression of the mind of the Son.
The law of gravity and the rest,
The laws by which the universe and even the very atoms
and subatomic particles that make it up hangs together,
are not only scientific laws but also divine.
The Son is the beginning of creation, and the end of creation, and the
power who holds creation together,
the Creator, the Sustainer, and the Final Goal of the world.
“...consist” = sunistemi, to be compacted together, to cohere, to be
constituted with, to be held together.
Four Basic Forces
1) Gravity: keeps our feet on the ground, the earth in its orbit, the
galaxies in their places;
2) Electromagnetic: radio waves, light, as well as the molecules of
chemistry;
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3) “Strong” Nuclear force: holds the atom together;
4) “Weak Nuclear force”: radioactivity, the heat of the sun, etc.
The first two decrease in strength inversely with the square of the
distance between two objects; the last two act only at very short ranges.
The nucleus of every atom is held together by what physicists call
“weak" and “strong” forces.
The nucleus of the atom contains positively charged and neutral
particles—to use a simplistic model.
Mutual electrostatic repulsion between the positrons would drive
the nucleus apart if it were not for the “strong” nuclear force
which binds the nucleus together.
Zero Point Energy
There is an active force imposed upon the universe, which actively holds
the very atoms of the material world together moment by moment, day
by day, century by century.
Similarly, accelerated electrons circling the nucleus should quickly
radiate all their energy away and fall into the nucleus unless there
exists an invisible energy source to counteract this.
This would appear to correlate with the “zero point energy” — the
energy of empty space — and the atoms appear to behave like perpetual
motion machines, picking up energy from the background zero point
energy and thus sustained by it.
[Barry Setterfield has estimated that the rate at which this “outside”
energy from the “vacuum” of empty space would have to be fed into
the universe is a staggering 1.071 x 10117 kilowatts per square meter
per second!]
Other NT passages which deal with the destiny of atomic structure and
physics (cf. Heb 1:2-3; 2 Pet 3:6-12).
Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he
hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the
worlds; Hebrews 1:2
“...worlds”: The Greek word aionas (plural) means “time domains."
Some Bibles may say “ages.”
It is generally regarded by scholars to mean the entire creation.
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Jesus is the Creator (Jn 1:3; Col 1:16).
Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of
his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power,
when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right
hand of the Majesty on high; Hebrews 1:3
“...express image” is the Greek charakter, the impressed character,
like a steel engraving.
All the prophets, and all the writings up til now, have all been but
shadows and hints at the aspects of Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Tim 6:16; Col
1:15).
The opposite of this is also true:
Without Jesus Christ man is in the dark about God.
“...upholding all things”: (Col 1:15,17,20 which enumerates the three
facts in the same order as here).
The word for upholding is the very same word in the LXX as used in
where it speaks of the Spirit of God “moving” on the face of the
waters (Gen 1:2).
“...when he had by himself purged our sins”: The Greek aorist
participle there is completed: it is done; cf. tetelestai “it’s finished!” (Jn
19:30).
The Son is the Final Revealer: Hebrews 1:1-3
• He is the heir of all things;
• Through the Son the ages were made;
• He is brightness of God’s glory;
• He is the image of the Father;
• He upholds all things by His power;
• He made purification of sin;
• He sat down on Majesty on High.
God, The Sustainer of the Universe: 2 Peter 3:6-13
Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water,
perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the
same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of
judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 2 Peter 3:6,7
“...fire”: Next time by fire. Cf. Isa 66:15; Dan 7:10; Mal 4:1; 2 Thess
1:8.
By Him are the very elements “held together” (Col 1:17).
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God’s sovereignty over time (Job 22:15-18).
God has a perspective, an intensity, a priority, that we lack.
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count
slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any
should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9
“...not willing that any should perish”: Another refutation of Calvinism.
The great tragedy is that after the entire panorama of redemption,
God doesn’t get what He wants out of the deal! Not all will repent.
Time is our most inelastic (and thus, precious) resource.
Teach us to number our days (Ps 90:12).
How many weekends do you suppose you have left??
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which
the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements
shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are
therein shall be burned up. 2 Peter 3:10
“...day of the Lord”: Cf. 1 Thess 4:13f (“bring with Him” v.14).]
“...as a thief in the night”: Only to those who are in darkness (1
Thess 5; 1 Thess 4:18 introduces).
“Behold I create a new heavens and new earth” (Isa 65:17).
“...in the which”: The Day of the Lord closes at the end of the
Millennium when the destruction of the heavens and the earth (Rev
20:11; 21:1).
“...a great noise”: rhoizēdon.
It is the word used for the swish of an arrow, the rush of wings,
the splash of water, the hiss of a serpent.
“...elements”: stoicheia basic building blocks.
“...melt”: luo to untie, to loose.
Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of
persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 2
Peter 3:11
“...ought ye to be”: So how then shall we live?
Do the realities of all this impact our priorities?
What is the "So What?" of this passage?
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Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein
the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall
melt with fervent heat? 2 Peter 3:12
“Looking for and hasting unto”: You can hasten the Day of God!
Lord’s Prayer: “Thy Kingdom Come.”
Help bring in the “fullness"
(Rom 11:25).
[Cf. Revelation & Isaiah Commentaries; Mal 4:1; Joel 2:10; Mt
24:29; Mk 13:24; Rev 6, 8, et al.]
“...melt”: Mountains melting (Ps 46:6; Micah 1:4; etc.).
Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens
and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 2 Peter 3:13
“...new heavens and a new earth”: World #3? (Isa 65:17; 66:22;
Rev 21:1).
This one will have righteousness dwelling in it.
God dynamically sustains the universe, including the very atoms
themselves.
Atoms, it seems, are stable only because force and energy are being
supplied into their nuclear binding fields from outside the system.
God is the Sustainer of the universe: He is not uninvolved, remote,
detached and impersonal—leaving things to run themselves.
He energizes all things according to the counsel of His will (Eph 1:11).
He cares about the sparrow that falls to the ground, the widow, the
orphan, and the homeless and You.
God does not lose track of His children but watches over them with
infinite, patient, intimate, precise, Fatherly care.
He also intervenes from time to time to alter the status quo in response
to prayer, and even alters the course of entire nations.
IV. WHAT JESUS CHRIST IS TO THE CHURCH
Paul sets out in Col 1:18 what Jesus Christ is to the Church; and he
distinguishes four great facts in that relationship.

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He is the head of the body, that is, of the Church.
The Church is the body of Christ, that is, the organism through which
he acts and which shares all his experiences.
The body is the servant of the head and is powerless without it.
Jesus Christ is the guiding spirit of the Church; it is at his bidding that
the Church must live and move.
Without him the Church cannot think the truth, cannot act
correctly, cannot decide its direction.
There are two things combined here.
There is the idea of privilege.
It is the privilege of the Church to be the instrument through
which Christ works.
There is the idea of warning.
If a man neglects or abuses his body, he can make it unfit to
be the servant of the great purposes of his mind;
By undisciplined and careless living the Church can unfit
herself to be the instrument of Christ, who is her head.

Is the beginning of the Church.
The Greek word for beginning is "arche," which means beginning in
a double sense.
It means not only first in the sense of time, as, for instance, A is
the beginning of the alphabet and 1 is the beginning of the series
of numbers.
It means first in the sense of the source from which something
came, the moving power which set something in operation.
We will see more clearly what Paul is getting at, if we remember
what he has just said.
The world is the creation of Christ; and the Church is the
new creation of Christ.
She is his new creation
By water and the word.
Christ is the, source of the Church's life and being and the director of
her continued activity.

He is the firstborn from among the dead.
Here Paul comes back to the event which was at the center of all the
thinking and belief and experience of the Early Church -- the
Resurrection.
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Christ is not merely someone who lived and died and of whom we
read and learn.
He is someone who, because of his Resurrection, is alive for
evermore and whom we meet and experience, not a dead hero
nor a past founder, but a living presence.

The result of all this is that he has the supremacy in all things.
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is his title to supreme lordship.
By his Resurrection he has shown that he has conquered every
opposing power and that there is nothing in life or in death which
can bind him.
So there are four great facts about Jesus Christ in his relationship to the
Church, which now we can put in order.




He is the living Lord;
He is the source and origin of the Church;
He is the constant director of the Church; and
He is the Lord of all, by virtue of his victory over death.
THE CHURCH
18] And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the
beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might
have the preeminence.
“...the beginning”: The originator.
The Alpha and Omega, Aleph and Tau (Rev 1:8-10, 17-18).
As the body of Christ (not “body of Christians”) the church is not merely a
“society” but is defined in terms of its organic communion with Christ
“...preeminence”: prwteu,w proteuo is used nowhere else in NT.
This is The Theme of this epistle…
19] For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
“...fullness” = pleroma, sum total of all the divine power an attributes.
(A favorite term of the gnostics.) 8X in this letter.
Lit. “For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell”: God the
Father was in Him (Jn 17:21-23;
God the Holy Spirit was His in full measure (Isa 42:1; Jn 3:34)
“...dwell”: katoikeo reside, to be at home permanently.
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“...fullness dwell”: The verb indicates that this fullness was “not
something added to His Being that was not natural to Him, but that it
was part of His essential Being as part of His very constitution, and
that permanently.”
[Source: Dr. Kenneth S. Wuest, Ephesians and Colossians in the
Greek New Testament, p.187.]
What does this really mean?
God is fully manifested in Him (Col 2:9; cf. Phil 2:5-11).
It may be that the Deity can forgive sins, but I do not see
how." —Socrates, to Plato
WHAT JESUS CHRIST IS TO ALL THINGS
In Col.1:19-20 Paul sets down certain great truths about the work of
Christ for the whole universe.
The object of his coming was reconciliation.
He came to heal the breach and bridge the chasm between God and
man.
The initiative in reconciliation was with God.
The New Testament never talks of God being reconciled to men,
but always of men being reconciled to God.
God's attitude to men was love, and it was never anything else.
It was God who began the whole process of salvation.
It was because God so loved the world that he sent his Son.
His one object in sending his Son into this world was to woo men
back to himself and, as Paul puts it, to reconcile all things to
himself.
The medium of reconciliation was the blood of the Cross.
The dynamic of reconciliation was the death of Jesus Christ.
Paul means exactly what he said in Rom.8:32: "He who did not
spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, will he not also
give us all things with him?"
In the death of Jesus, God is saying to us, "I love you like that.
I love you enough to see my Son suffer and die for you."
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The Cross is the proof that there is no length to which the love of
God will refuse to go in order to win men's hearts; and a love like that
demands an answering love.
If the Cross will not waken love in men's hearts, nothing will.
We love Him because He first loved us...
Paul says that in Christ God was reconciling all things to himself.
The Greek is a neuter ("panta").
The point is that the reconciliation of God extends not only to all
persons but to all creation, animate and inanimate.
The vision of Paul was a universe in which not only the people
but the very things were redeemed.
There is no doubt that Paul was thinking of the Gnostics.
They regarded matter as essentially and incurably evil, therefore
regarded the world as evil.
As Paul sees it, the world is not evil.
It is God's world and shares in the universal reconciliation.
Often in Christianity there has been suspicion of the world. "Earth is
a desert drear."
This is God's world and it is a redeemed world, for in some
amazing way God in Christ was reconciling the whole universe of
men and living creatures and even inanimate things to himself.
The passage ends with a curious little phrase.
"... whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven."
Paul says that this reconciliation extended not only to things on earth
but also to things in heaven.
- It has been suggested that even the heavenly places and the
angels there were under sin and needed to be reconciled to God.
In Job we read: "His angels he charges with error"
(Jb.4:18).
"The heavens are not clean in his sight" (Jb.15:15).
So it is suggested that even the angelic beings needed the
reconciliation of the Cross.
- Origen, the universalist, thought that the phrase referred to the
devil and his angels and he believed that in the end even they
would be reconciled to God through the work of Jesus Christ.
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- It has been suggested that when Paul said that the reconciling
work of Christ extended to all things in earth and in heaven, he
did not mean anything definite but was simply using a
magnificent and sonorous phrase in which the complete
adequacy of the reconciling work of Christ was set out.
- The most interesting suggestion was made by Theodoret and
followed by Erasmus.
It was that the point is not that the heavenly angels were
reconciled to God, but that they were reconciled to men.
The suggestion is that the angels were angry with men
for what they had done to God and wished to destroy
them; and the work of Christ took away their wrath when
they saw how much God still loved men.
God's aim was to reconcile men to himself in Jesus Christ, the medium
by which he did so was the death of Christ which proved that there were
no limits to his love, and that reconciliation extends to all the universe,
earth and heaven alike.
20] And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him
to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be
things in earth, or things in heaven.
“...the blood”: How rarely we hear this preached today…He has taken
care of all of our needs.
“...to reconcile”: Three main truths:
1) Jesus has taken care of all things.
2) Jesus is sufficient; all that we need is in Him.
3) God is pleased when Jesus is honored and given preeminence.
“GRACE: God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense"
Reconcile apokatallasso = to reconcile completely (Rom 5:10,11;
11:15; 1 Cor 7:11; 2 Cor 5:18-20; Eph 2:16; Col 1:20-21).
Two distinct reconciliations:
1) At Calvary: By the death of Christ, the barrier because of sin was
taken away judicially, enabling God to show mercy where judgment
was deserved.
The work of God alone, in which man had no part.
2) Wrought by God in the sinner himself, whereby he becomes
changed in his rebellious attitude toward God, so that he is
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persuaded to receive the reconciliation already accomplished at the
cross (Rom 5:11).
In this Christians have a part, as ambassadors for Christ bearing
the “word of reconciliation” committed to them (2 Cor 5:19) and
beseeching men (2 Cor 5:20).
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VI. THE AIM AND OBLIGATION OF RECONCILIATION
Col 1:21-23 set out the aim and the obligation of reconciliation.

The aim of reconciliation is holiness.
to present us to God consecrated and irreproachable.
The fact that a man is loved does not give him carte blanche to
do as he likes;
it lays upon him the greatest obligation in the world, the
obligation of being worthy of that love.
In one sense the love of God makes things easy, for it takes away
our fear of him and assures us that we are no longer criminals at the
bar of judgment, certain of nothing but condemnation.
But in another sense it makes things agonizingly and almost
impossibly difficult, for it lays upon us this ultimate obligation of
seeking to be worthy of that love.

Reconciliation has another kind of obligation, that of standing fast in
the faith and never abandoning the hope of the gospel.
Reconciliation demands that we never lose confidence in the love of
God.
Out of reconciliation is born the strength of unshakable loyalty
and of unconquerable hope.
21] And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your
mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
Man is never called upon in Scripture to make his own peace with God
(Rom 5:1)
It was in heaven that sin began...
Assurance always has to be present tense.
While God’s election is not vacillating, it can be affirmed only in terms of
profession (Rom 10:9);
conduct (1 Cor 6:9); and,
the witness of the Spirit (Rom 8:9).
22] In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and
unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
The purpose of this reconciliation is personal holiness.
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God does not make peace so that we can continue to be rebels.
A two-fold headship here:
1) Over all creation;
2) As Head of the Church.
Colossians 1:23-2:1
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



Heard the gospel  Learned it
Responded to the gospel  Received it
Share the gospel
Suffered for the gospel;
Reward of the gospel
The gospel spreads - The more we are mowed down, the more the
gospel spreads
The more the world sees that we believe it and are willing to suffer
for it, the more it becomes real to them – those who do not believe
and who are watching us
23] If [Since] ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be
not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard,
and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven;
whereof I Paul am made a minister;
False teachers attempted to move them away from the hope of the
Gospel.
The unsaved are without hope (Eph 2:11-12; 1 Thess 4:13).
There is no hope held out in Scripture that the sad inhabitants of
the infernal regions will ever be reconciled to God.
They are, indeed, hopeless.
“If”: This should be rendered “Since.”
This is not a conditional clause that is based on the future.
The if that Paul uses here is the if of argument.
It does not mean that something shall be if something else is
true;
rather it means that something was if something else is true.
Endurance is proof of reality (1 Cor 15:1, 2; Heb 3:6; 10:38-39).
1Co 15:1 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which
I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you
stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word
which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
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Heb 3:4 For every house is built by someone, but the builder of
all things is God. 5 Now Moses was faithful in all His house as
a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be
spoken later; 6 but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house-whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the
boast of our hope firm until the end.
Heb 10:35 Therefore, do not throw away your confidence,
which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance,
so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive
what was promised. 37 FOR YET IN A VERY LITTLE WHILE, HE
WHO IS COMING WILL COME, AND WILL NOT DELAY. 38 BUT
MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH; AND IF HE
SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM. 39 But
we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those
who have faith to the preserving of the soul.
THE PRIVILEGE AND THE TASK
Colossians 1:24-29
"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and in my flesh, for the sake
of his body, I fill up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ. By
his body, I mean the Church, of which I was made a servant,
according to the office which God gave me to exercise for your
sakes. That office is to make the word of God fully known, that
secret which has remained hidden throughout all the ages and the
generations, but which has now been made manifest to God's
dedicated people; for God desired to make known to them how
great was the glorious wealth among the Gentiles of this secret now
revealed, and that secret is, Christ in you, your glorious hope. It is
that Christ whom we proclaim, warning every man, and teaching
every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man complete
in Christ. That is the end for which I toil, striving with his energy,
which works mightily within me."
Paul begins this passage with a daring thought.
He thinks of the sufferings through which he is passing as
completing the sufferings of Jesus Christ himself.
Jesus died to save his Church; but
the Church must be built up and extended;
it must be kept strong and pure and true;
Anyone who serves the Church by
widening her borders,
establishing her faith,
saving her from errors,
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is doing the work of Christ.
If such service involves suffering and sacrifice, that affliction is
filling up and sharing the very suffering of Christ.
To suffer in the service of Christ is not a penalty but a
privilege, for it is sharing in his work.
Paul sets out the very essence of the task which has been given him by
God.
To bring to men a new discovery, a secret kept throughout the ages
and the generations and now revealed.
This was that the glorious hope of the gospel was not only
for the Jews but for all men everywhere.
Paul's great contribution to the Christian faith was that he took Christ to
the Gentiles and destroyed forever the idea that God's love and mercy
were the property of any one people or any one nation.
Paul's great aim is to warn every man, and to teach every man, and to
present every man complete in Christ.
The Jew would never have agreed that God had any use for every man;
he would have refused to accept that he was the God of the
Gentiles.
This idea would have seemed incredible and even blasphemous.
The Gnostic would never have agreed that every man could be warned
and taught and presented complete to God.
He believed that the knowledge necessary for salvation was so
involved and difficult that it must be the possession of the spiritual
aristocracy and the chosen few.
The only thing in this world which is for every man is Christ.
It is not every man who can be a thinker.
There are gifts which are not granted to every man.
Not every man can master every craft or every game.
There are those who are color-blind and to whom art means
little.
There are those who are tone-deaf and for whom the glory of
music does not exist.
Not every man can be a writer or a student or a preacher or a
singer.
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Even human love at its highest is not granted to all men.
There are gifts a man will never possess; there are privileges a man
will never enjoy;
there are heights of this world's attainment which a man will
never scale;
But to every man there is open the good news of the gospel, the love of
God in Christ Jesus and the transforming power which can bring holiness
into life.
24] Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which
is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake,
which is the church:
Php_2:30; 1Co_16:17 fill up what was lacking...
supplying what was missing...was not previously available Paul
supplied to the Gentiles what Christ did not do - he carried the
gospel of Jesus Christ to the gentiles.
Jesus mission and the afflications He suffered were not deficient,
they were sufficient for the 'sins of the whole world' 1 Jn 2:2
but Jesus message did not reach to the whole world at that
time - hence the great commission.
Mat 28:18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All
authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go
therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20
teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am
with you always, even to the end of the age."
Php 3:8 But, no, rather I also count all things to be loss
because of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my
Lord, for whose sake I have suffered the loss of all things and
count them to be trash, that I might gain Christ 9 and be found
in Him; not having my own righteousness of Law, but through
the faith of Christ, having the righteousness of God on faith, 10
to know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the
fellowship of His sufferings, having been conformed to His
death, 11 if somehow I may attain to a resurrection out of the
dead. 12 Not that I already received or already have been
perfected, but I press on, if I also may lay hold, inasmuch as I
also was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brothers, I do not
count myself to have laid hold, but one thing I do, forgetting the
things behind, and stretching forward to those things before,
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14 I press on after a mark for the prize of the high calling of
God in Christ Jesus.
Act 5:40 And they obeyed him. And calling the apostles, having
flogged them, having charged them not to speak on the name of
Jesus, even they set them free. 41 Then they indeed departed
from the presence of the sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were
deemed worthy to be dishonored on behalf of His name. 42
And every day they did not cease teaching and preaching the
gospel of Jesus the Christ in the temple, and house to house.
When Paul was arrested in Jerusalem on false charges, the Jews
listened to his defense until he used the word “Gentiles" (Acts 22:21ff ).
Act 22:21 "And He said to me, 'Go! For I will send you far away
to the Gentiles.'" 22 They listened to him up to this statement,
and then they raised their voices and said, "Away with such a
fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!"
It was that word that infuriated them and drove them to ask for his
execution (Acts 22-22).
Had Paul compromised with the Jews and stopped ministering to
Gentiles, he could have been spared a great deal of suffering.
This idea is to be understood from the standpoint of the Hebrew concept
of corporate personality as illustrated in Jesus’ graphic statement
concerning his church,
“Why persecutest thou me?” (Acts 9:4).
25] Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of
God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
“...dispensation”: oikonomia economy, stewardship.
Paul’s dispensation or assignment in God’s redemptive plan was,
specifically, to make salvation known to the Gentiles.
Ask not, “What will I get out of it,”
but rather, “How much will God let me put into it?”
26] Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from
generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
“...mystery”: In the world of the 1st century musterion meant
1) something mysterious;
2) an initiatory religious rite;
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3) a secret known only by divine revelation (Dan 2:28-30, 47).
Dan 2:27 Daniel answered before the king and said, "As for
the mystery about which the king has inquired, neither wise
men, conjurers, magicians nor diviners are able to declare it
to the king. 28 "However, there is a God in heaven who
reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King
Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days. This
was your dream and the visions in your mind while on your
bed. 29 "As for you, O king, while on your bed your
thoughts turned to what would take place in the future; and
He who reveals mysteries has made known to you what will
take place. 30 "But as for me, this mystery has not been
revealed to me for any wisdom residing in me more than in
any other living man, but for the purpose of making the
interpretation known to the king, and that you may
understand the thoughts of your mind.
Dan 2:47 The king answered Daniel and said, "Surely your
God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of
mysteries, since you have been able to reveal this mystery."
The broad Pauline usage falls into the last category (1 Cor 15:51; Eph
5:32; 2 Thess 2:7);
musterion, sacred secrets made known to the initiated.
These divine secrets could never have been discovered by
human reason—especially limited by observing a cursed
creation (Cf. Eph 3, Mt 13...).
1Co 15:51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but
we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an
eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead
will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this
perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must
put on immortality.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved
the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might
sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with
the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all
her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that
she would be holy and blameless. 28 So husbands ought also
to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his
own wife loves himself; 29 for no one ever hated his own flesh,
but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the
church, 30 because we are members of His body. 31 FOR THIS
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REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER
AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL
BECOME ONE FLESH. 32 This mystery is great; but I am
speaking with reference to Christ and the church.
2Th 2:3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come
unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is
revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts
himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that
he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as
being God. 5 Do you not remember that while I was still with
you, I was telling you these things? 6 And you know what
restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. 7 For
the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now
restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 8 Then that
lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the
breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of
His coming; 9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with
the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false
wonders, 10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those
who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so
as to be saved.
27] To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory
of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope
of glory:
“...riches of the glory of this mystery”: In relation to God’s redemptive
plan, the mystery is the corporate union with Christ,
Christ in you, by which God gives righteousness and salvation.
In Ephesians 3:6 the focus is upon the inclusion of the Gentiles in the
Body, and this aspect of the mystery is also explicitly present here.
28] Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man
in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ
Jesus:
“Whom”: Christian is about a person, not a “system.”
Paul preached (warned, announced as a herald);
Paul was a teacher of the truth.
How far would we get if highway signs only told us where the
roads were not going?
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29] Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working,
which worketh in me mightily.
“...striving”: Literally, “For this I labor to the point of exhaustion,
agonizing”:
agonizomai to contend, struggle, with difficulties and dangers; to
endeavor with strenuous zeal, strive: to obtain something.
Our moment-by-moment existence depends upon His gracious
sustenance of every electron, every atom, every molecule and
every spiritual entity as well.
We are safe when we place our trust in Him and put our whole lives into
His hands.
Should we not stand in awe of our Great God and Creator (Psalm
95:1-7).
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The Epistle to the Colossians Chapter 2:1-17
Review
• Declaration of the deity of Christ.
• The Answer to every heresy, every problem: The Person of Jesus.
• Four Primary Heresies:
1) Worldly Philosophy
2) Jewish Legalism
3) Oriental Mysticism
4) Stoical Asceticism
Colossians 2
LOVE'S STRUGGLE
Colossians 2:1
"I want you to know how great a struggle I am going through for
you, and for the people of Laodicaea, and for all those who have
never seen me face to face."
Paul is going through a struggle for these Christians whom he had never
seen but whom he loved.
He associates the Laodicaeans with the Colossians, and speaks of
all those who had never seen his face.
He is thinking of the Christians in that group of three towns in the
Lycus valley, Laodicaea, Hierapolis and Colosse and picturing
them in his mind's eye.
The word he uses for struggle is a vivid word; it is "agon," from which
comes our own word agony.

It was a struggle in prayer.
He must have longed to go to Colosse himself to face the false
teachers and deal with their arguments and recall those who were
straying from the truth.
But he was in prison so Paul wrestled in prayer for those whom
he could not see.

Paul was a human being with all a man's natural problems.
He was in prison, awaiting trial before Nero, and the issue was
almost certainly death.
It would have been easy to play the coward and abandon the
truth for the sake of safety.
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Paul well knew that such a desertion would be disastrous in its
consequences.
If the young Churches knew that Paul had denied Christ, the
heart would be taken from them and it would be the end of
Christianity for many.
His struggle was not for himself alone; it was also for those whose
eyes were fixed upon him as their leader and father in the faith.
We do well to remember that in any situation there are those
who are watching us; and that our action will either confirm or
destroy their faith.
Our struggle is never for ourselves alone; always the honor
of Christ is in our hands and the faith of others in our
keeping.
1] For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and
for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in
the flesh;
“...great conflict” = intense agony! agwon (“ag-one”) the assembly of
the Greeks at their national games; hence the contest for a prize at their
games; generally, any struggle or contest; a battle; an action at law, trial.
Summary: Laodicea
Note the explicit “linkage” with Laodicea.
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
Geographically, only a mile apart.
They were to exchange letters (Col 4:16).
There are unique Greek phrases only in this letter and Rev 3:14-22.
Laodicea stood midway between the hot springs of Hierapolis and
the cold waters of Colossae.
It was fed by an aqueduct from Hierapolis, the water being lukewarm
when it arrived.
Militarily undefendable, its typical posture was one of compromise.
Prophetically, Laodicea (“rule of the people”) was the self-satisfied
church.
It is one of only two, of the seven of Revelation 2 & 3, of which
nothing positive is said.
It is the church of today.
The letter to Colossians seems to specifically address the doctrinal
deficiencies of today.
An inscription on the cathedral in Lubeck, Germany:
Ye call Me Master and obey Me not.
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Ye call Me Light and see Me not.
Ye call Me the Way and walk Me not.
Ye call Me Life and choose Me not.
Ye call Me Wise and follow Me not.
Ye call Me Fair and love Me not.
Ye call Me Rich and ask Me not.
Ye call Me Eternal and seek Me not.
Ye call Me Noble and serve Me not.
Ye call Me Gracious and trust Me not.
Ye call Me Might and honor Me not.
Ye call Me Just and fear Me not.
If I condemn you, blame Me not.
A Litmus Test
• Has your church failed to help you understand the horrible
consequences of sin, the certainty of hell, and the fact that belief in
Jesus alone can save?
THE MARKS OF THE FAITHFUL CHURCH
Colossians 2:2-7
"My struggle is that their hearts may be encouraged, that they may
be united together in love, that they may come to all the wealth of
the assured ability to take the right decision in any situation, to the
knowledge of that truth which only God's own may know, I mean of
Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and of
knowledge.
"I say this so that no one may lead you into error by false reasoning
with persuasive arguments. For, even if I am absent from you in the
body, I am with you in spirit, happy when I see you maintaining your
ranks and the solid bulwark of your faith in Christ.
"So, then, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, live your life
in him. Continue to remain firmly rooted, and go on being built up
in him. Continue to be established more and more firmly in the faith,
as you were taught it, and to overflow with thanksgiving."
Here is Paul's prayer for the Church, and in it we distinguish the great
marks which should distinguish a living and faithful Church.

It should be a Church of courageous hearts. Paul prays that their
hearts may be encouraged.
The word which he uses is "parakalein."
Sometimes that word means to comfort, sometimes to exhort,
but always at the back of it there is the idea of enabling a
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person to meet some difficult situation with confidence and with
gallantry.
There was a Greek regiment which had lost heart and was utterly
dejected. The general sent a leader to talk to it to such purpose that
courage was reborn and a body of dispirited men became fit again
for heroic action.
It is Paul's prayer that the Church may be filled with that courage
which can cope with any situation.

It should be a Church in which the members are knit together in
love. Without love there is no real Church.
Methods of Church government and ritual are not what matter.
These things change from time to time and from place to place.
The one mark which distinguishes a true Church is love for God and
for the brethren.

It should be a church equipped with every kind of wisdom.
Paul here uses three words for wisdom.

In Col.2:2 he uses "sunesis," which the Revised Standard
Version translates "understandingly."
"sunesis" is what we might call critical knowledge.
It is the ability to assess any situation and decide what
practical course of action is necessary within it.

A real Church will have the practical knowledge of what to do
whenever action is called for.
He says that in Jesus are hid all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge.
Col 2:3
Wisdom is "sophia" and
knowledge is "gnosis."
These two words do not simply repeat each other; there
is a difference between them.
"Gnosis" is the power, almost intuitive and instinctive, to
grasp the truth when we see it and hear it.
"sophia" is the power to confirm and to commend the truth
with wise and intelligent argument, once it has been
intuitively grasped.
"Gnosis" is that by which a man grasps the truth;
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"sophia" is that by which a man is enabled to give a
reason for the hope that is in him.

The real Church will have the clear-sighted wisdom which
can act for the best in any given situation;
wisdom which can instinctively recognize and grasp the truth
when it sees it; and
wisdom which can make the truth intelligible to the thinking
mind, and persuasively commend it to others.
All this wisdom, says Paul, is hidden in Christ.
The word he uses for hidden is "apokruphos."
Apokruphos" means hidden from the common gaze,
and therefore secret.
We have seen that the Gnostics believed that a great mass of
elaborate knowledge was necessary for salvation.
That knowledge they set down in their books which they
called "apokruphos" because they were barred to the
ordinary man.
"You Gnostics have your wisdom hidden from ordinary people; we
too have our knowledge, but it is not hidden in unintelligible books; it
is hidden in Christ and therefore open to all men everywhere."
The truth of Christianity is not a secret which is hidden but a
secret which is revealed.

The true Church must have the power to resist seductive
teaching.
It must be such that men cannot beguile it with enticing
words.
Enticing words translates the Greek word "pithanologia."
This was a word of the law-courts;
it was the word used for the persuasive power of a
lawyer's arguments, which could enable the criminal to
escape his just punishment.
The true Church should have such a grip of the truth that it is
unmoved by seductive arguments.

The true Church should have in it a soldier's discipline.
As the Revised Standard Version has it, Paul is glad to hear of
the order and of the firmness of the faith of the Colossians.
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These two words present a vivid picture, for they are both military
words.
The word translated order is "taxis," which means a rank or an
ordered arrangement.
The Church should be like an ordered army, with every man in
his appointed place, ready and willing to obey the word of
command.
The word translated firmness is "stereoma," which means a solid
bulwark, an immovable phalanx.
It describes an army set out in an unbreakable square, solidly
immovable against the shock of the enemy's charge.
Within the Church there should be disciplined order and
strong steadiness, like the order and steadiness of a trained
and disciplined body of troops.

In the true Church life must be in Christ.
Its members must walk in Christ; their whole lives must be lived
in his conscious presence.
They must be rooted and built in him.
The word used for rooted is the word which would be used of
a tree with its roots deep in the soil.
Just as the great tree is deep-rooted in the soil and draws its
nourishment from it, so the Christian is rooted in Christ, the
source of his life and strength.
The word used for built is the word which would be used of a
house erected on a firm foundation.
Just as the house stands fast because it is built on strong
foundations, so the Christian life is resistant to any storm
because it is founded on the strength of Christ.
Christ is alike the source of the Christian's life and the foundation
of his stability.

The true Church holds fast to the faith which it has received. It
never forgets the teaching about Christ which it has been taught.
This does not mean a frozen orthodoxy in which all adventure of
thought is heresy.
We have only to remember how in Colossians Paul strikes
out new lines in his thinking about Jesus Christ to see how
far that was from his intention.
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But it does mean that there are certain beliefs which remain the
foundation and do not change.
Paul might travel down new pathways of thought but he
always began and ended with the unchanging and
unchangeable truth that Jesus Christ is Lord.

The distinguishing mark of the true Church is an abounding and
overflowing gratitude.
Thanksgiving is the constant and characteristic note of the
Christian life.
The one concern of the Christian is to tell in words and to
show in life his gratitude for all that God has done for him in
nature and in grace.
The Christian will always praise God from whom all
blessings flow.
2] That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love,
and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the
acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of
Christ;
Note Paul’s intensity of prayer for people he had never met.
“...being knit together”: Truth unites; error divides.
“...all riches”: The sufficiency of Christ.
“...mystery of God”: Incarnating the fullness of the Godhead, and all
the divine wisdom and knowledge for the redemption and
reconciliation of man
3] In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
“...all the treasures”: [All!] It is not necessary to go elsewhere,
investigating human systems and philosophies, for an explanation of the
mystery of the universe and the relations of the Creator to His creatures
(v.8).
horoscopes
yoga
meditation
psychiatry / psychology apart from Christ
“In whom”: The person is the key: in Him are all the answers!
The necessity of psychology to meet life challenges? Will review at
verse 8.]
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“...wisdom and knowledge”
Paul here uses three words for wisdom.

Col.2:2 "sunesis," >> critical knowledge. RSV translates
"understanding."
the ability to assess any situation and decide what
practical course of action is necessary within it.
A real Church will have the practical knowledge of what
to do whenever action is called for.

Col 2:3 "sophia" >> wisdom
the power to confirm and to commend the truth with
wise and intelligent argument, once it has been
intuitively grasped.
that by which a man is enabled to give a reason for the
hope that is in him.

"gnosis" >> knowledge: that by which a man grasps the truth;
the power, almost intuitive and instinctive, to grasp the
truth when we see it and hear it
Wisdom implies the ability to defend what we understand;
knowledge suggests the ability to grasp truth behind what we claim
to understand
All of these terms were also used by the gnostics.
Proverbs 8, personalizes Wisdom.
Paul says that in Jesus are hid all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge
Pro 8:1-36
(1) Does not wisdom call, And understanding lift up her voice?
(2) On top of the heights beside the way, Where the paths meet,
she takes her stand;
(3) Beside the gates, at the opening to the city, At the entrance
of the doors, she cries out:
(4) "To you, O men, I call, And my voice is to the sons of men.
(5) "O naive ones, understand prudence; And, O fools,
understand wisdom.
(6) "Listen, for I will speak noble things; And the opening of my
lips will reveal right things.
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(7) "For my mouth will utter truth; And wickedness is an
abomination to my lips.
(8) "All the utterances of my mouth are in righteousness; There
is nothing crooked or perverted in them.
(9) "They are all straightforward to him who understands, And
right to those who find knowledge.
(10) "Take my instruction and not silver, And knowledge rather
than choicest gold.
(11) "For wisdom is better than jewels; And all desirable things
cannot compare with her.
(12) "I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And I find knowledge and
discretion.
(13) "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance
and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate.
(14) "Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding,
power is mine.
(15) "By me kings reign, And rulers decree justice.
(16) "By me princes rule, and nobles, All who judge rightly.
(17) "I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek
me will find me.
(18) "Riches and honor are with me, Enduring wealth and
righteousness.
(19) "My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold, And my yield
better than choicest silver.
(20) "I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the
paths of justice,
(21) To endow those who love me with wealth, That I may fill
their treasuries.
(22) "The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way,
Before His works of old.
(23) "From everlasting I was established, From the beginning,
from the earliest times of the earth.
(24) "When there were no depths I was brought forth, When
there were no springs abounding with water.
(25) "Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills I was
brought forth;
(26) While He had not yet made the earth and the fields, Nor the
first dust of the world.
(27) "When He established the heavens, I was there, When He
inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,
(28) When He made firm the skies above, When the springs of
the deep became fixed,
(29) When He set for the sea its boundary So that the water
would not transgress His command, When He marked out the
foundations of the earth;
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(30) Then I was beside Him, as a master workman; And I was
daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him,
(31) Rejoicing in the world, His earth, And having my delight in
the sons of men.
(32) "Now therefore, O sons, listen to me, For blessed are they
who keep my ways.
(33) "Heed instruction and be wise, And do not neglect it.
(34) "Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at
my gates, Waiting at my doorposts.
(35) "For he who finds me finds life And obtains favor from the
LORD.
(36) "But he who sins against me injures himself; All those who
hate me love death."
Evidences
• Encouragement: “that their hearts might be comforted."
• Endearment: “being knit together in love."
• Enrichment: “unto all riches of the full assurance of
understanding."
• Enlightenment: “full assurance of understanding."
4] And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing
words.
Advocates of error delight in packaging their systems in the most
attractive phraseology, to entrap the unwary...
5] For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit,
joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith
in Christ.
Word picture (6): an army.
Order and steadfastness are military terms..
6] As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye
in him:
“...so walk ye”: Word picture: a pilgrim Walk.
7] Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have
been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
Word pictures:
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a) a tree, rooted (Similar figures in Eph 3:7).
Rooted, once and for all; but (continually) growing, and built
up, in Him.
Eph 3:4 By referring to this, when you read you can
understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5
which in other generations was not made known to
the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His
holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; 6 to be
specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow
members of the body, and fellow partakers of the
promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, 7 of
which I was made a minister, according to the gift of
God's grace which was given to me according to the
working of His power.
b) a building, built up is an architectural term;
c) a school, stablished and taught;
d) a river, abounding suggests a river overflowing its banks. Jn
4:10- 14; 7:37-39
Joh 4:10 Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the
gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a
drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have
given you living water." 11 She *said to Him, "Sir, You
have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where
then do You get that living water? 12 "You are not
greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the
well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his
cattle?" 13 Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone
who drinks of this water will thirst again; 14 but
whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall
never thirst; but the water that I will give him will
become in him a well of water springing up to eternal
life."
Joh 7:37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast,
Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty,
let him come to Me and drink. 38 "He who believes in
Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will
flow rivers of living water.'" 39 But this He spoke of the
Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive;
for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not
yet glorified.
Ro 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so
be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any
man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
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Ro 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God,
they are the sons of God.
Ro 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our Spirit,
that we are the children of God:
Ro8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities:
for we know not what we should pray for as we
ought:
• but the Spirit Himself maketh intercession for us
with groanings which cannot be uttered.
8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts
knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit,
• because he maketh intercession for the saints
according to the will of God.
8:28 And we know that all things work together for good
to them that love God,
to them who are the called
according to his purpose.
Jn 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him,
If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father
will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our
abode with him.
He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings:
and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's
which sent me.
25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present
with you.
26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost,
whom the Father will send in my name,
• he shall teach you all things, and
• bring all things to your remembrance,
whatsoever I have said unto you.
27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as
the world giveth, give I unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Jn 16: 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you
that I go away:
for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto
you;
but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
8 And when he is come, he will
• reprove the world of sin, and
• of righteousness, and
• of judgment:
9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
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10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see
me no more;
11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot
bear them now.
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will
• guide you into all truth:
for he shall not speak of himself;
but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and
• he will shew you things to come.
• 14 He shall glorify me:
for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
15 All things that the Father hath are mine:
therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it
unto you.
1CO 12: 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is
given for the common good.
8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of
wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of
the same Spirit,
9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of
healing by that one Spirit,
10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to
another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking
in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the
interpretation of tongues.
11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he
gives them to each one, just as he determines.
12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts;
and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it
is with Christ.
13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—
whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all
given the one Spirit to drink.
Psa 1:1 Blessed is the man that
walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor standeth in the way of sinners,
nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and
in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree
planted by the rivers of water,
that bringeth forth his fruit in his season;
his leaf also shall not wither; and
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whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so: but are
like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
5 Therefore the ungodly
shall not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous:
but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
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ADDITIONS TO CHRIST
Colossians 2:8-23
"Beware lest there will be anyone who will carry you off as his spoil,
by insisting on the necessity of a so-called philosophy, which is, in
fact, an empty delusion, a philosophy which has been handed down
by human tradition, and which is concerned with the elements of
this world, and not with Christ; for in him there dwells the fullness
of the divine nature; and you have found this fullness in him who is
the head of every power and authority. In him you have been
circumcised with a circumcision not made by man's hands, a
circumcision which consists in putting off the whole of that part of
you which is dominated by sinful human nature, which you were
able to do by the circumcision which belongs to Christ. You were
buried with him in the act of baptism, and in that act you were
raised with him through your faith in the effective working of God,
who raised him from the dead. God made you alive with him, when
you were dead in your sins and were still uncircumcised Gentiles.
He forgave you all your sins, and wiped out the charge-list which
set out all your self-admitted debts, a charge-list which was based
on the ordinances of the law and was in direct opposition to you.
He nailed it to his Cross and put it right out of sight. He stripped
the powers and authorities of all their power and publicly put them
to shame, and, through the Cross, led them captive in his triumphal
train.
"Let no one take you to task in matters of food or drink, or with
regard to yearly festivals and monthly new moons and weekly
sabbaths. These are only the shadow of things to come; the real
substance belongs to Christ. Let no one rob you of your prize by
walking in ostentatious humility in the worship of angels, making a
parade of the things he has seen, vainly inflated with pride because
he is dominated by his sinful human nature and not holding fast to
the head, from whom the whole body, supplied and held together by
the joints and muscles, increases with the increase which only God
can give.
"If you died with Christ to the elements of this world, why do you
continue to submit yourselves to their rules and regulations, as if
you were still living in a world without God? `Handle not! Taste not!
Touch not!' are their slogans. These are rules which are humanly
taught and humanly imposed, and they are rules which deal with
things which are destined for decay as soon as they are used.
These things have a reputation for wisdom, with their self-imposed
devotion and their flaunting humility and their stern treatment of the
body, but they have no kind of value in remedying the indulgence of
sinful human nature."
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Can the words of an unbelieving world have a detrimental impact on a
believer?
How?
When - under what conditions?
What impact?
For those who heard or read this passage for the first time it would be
crystal clear.
It is packed from beginning to end with allusions to the false teaching
which was threatening to wreck the Colossian Church.
Every sentence and every phrase would go straight home to the
minds and the hearts of the Colossians.
The false teachers wished the Colossians to accept what can only be
called additions to Christ.
o
o
o
o
They were teaching that Jesus Christ himself is not sufficient;
that he was not unique;
that he was one among many manifestations of God; and
that it was necessary to know and to serve other divine powers
in addition to him.
We can distinguish five additions to Christ which these false teachers
wished to make.
1] They wished to teach men an additional philosophy (Col.2:8).
The simple truth preached by Jesus and preserved in the gospel
was not enough.
It had to be filled out by an elaborate system of pseudophilosophical thought which was far too difficult for the
simple and which only the intellectual could understand.
2] They wished men to accept a system of astrology (Col.2:8).
The elements of the world were the elemental spirits of the
universe, especially of the stars and the planets.
It was the teaching of these false teachers that men were
still under these influences and needed a special knowledge,
beyond that which Jesus could give, to be liberated from
them.
3] They wished to impose circumcision on Christians (Col.2:11).
Faith was not enough; circumcision had to be added.
A badge in the flesh was to take the place of, or at least
be an addition to, an attitude of the heart.
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4] They wished to lay down ascetic, rules and regulations (Col.2:16,
Col.2:20-23).
They wished to introduce all kinds of rules and regulations about
what a man might eat and drink and about what days he must
observe as festivals and fasts.
All the old Jewish regulations--and more--were to be brought
back.
5] They wished to introduce the worship of angels (Col.2:18).
They were teaching that Jesus was only one of many
intermediaries between God and man and that all these
intermediaries must receive their worship.
It can be seen that here there is a mixture of Gnosticism and Judaism.
The intellectual knowledge and the astrology come direct from
Gnosticism;
The asceticism and the rules and regulations from Judaism.
We have seen that the Gnostics believed that all kinds of special
knowledge, beyond the gospel, was needed for salvation.
There were Jews who joined forces with the Gnostics and declared
that the special knowledge required was none other than the
knowledge which Judaism could give.
This explains why the teaching of the Colossians' false teachers
combined the beliefs of Gnosticism with the practices of Judaism.
The one thing certain is that the false teachers taught that Jesus
Christ and his teaching and work were not in themselves sufficient
for salvation. Let us now take the passage section by section.
TRADITIONS AND THE STARS
Colossians 2:8-10
"Beware lest there will be anyone who will carry you off as his spoil,
by insisting on the necessity of a so-called philosophy, which is, in
fact, an empty delusion, a philosophy which has been handed down
by human tradition, and which is concerned with the elements of
this world and not with Christ; for in him there dwells the fullness of
the divine nature; and you have found this fullness in him who is
the head of every power and authority."
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Paul speaks of a false teacher as anyone who will carry you off as his
spoil.
The word is "sulagogein" and could be used of a slave-dealer
carrying away the people of a conquered nation into slavery.
To Paul it was an amazing and a tragic thing that men who had
been liberated (Col.1:12-14), could contemplate submitting
themselves to a new and disastrous slavery.
8] Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain
deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world,
and not after Christ.
“...philosophy and vain deceit”: The history of philosophy is the story of
contradictory, discarded hypotheses.
Plato yearned for a divine “Word”—logos—which would come with
authority and make everything plain (Jn 1:1-3, 14).
Religion versus Relationship
What is the difference?
“...rudiments”: The Greek word translated “rudiments” basically means
“one of a row or series”; ABCs…
These false teachers offer a philosophy which they declare is necessary
in addition to the teaching of Christ and the words of the gospel.
1] It is a philosophy which has been handed down by human
tradition.
The Gnostics were in the habit of claiming that their special
teaching was teaching which had been told by word of mouth by
Jesus,
sometimes to Mary, sometimes to Matthew, and sometimes
to Peter.
They said that there were things which Jesus never told
the crowd and communicated only to the chosen few.
Paul declares that their teaching is a human thing; it has no
basis in Scripture.
It is a product of the human mind; and
not a message of the Word of God.
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No teaching can be a Christian teaching if it is at variance with
the basic truths of Scripture and with the Word of God.
2] It is a philosophy which has to do with the elements of this world.
The word for elements is "stoicheia,"which has two meanings.
(a) It means literally "things which are set out in a row."
It is the word for a file of soldiers.
Its commonest meanings is the letters of the alphabet, no
doubt because they form a series which can be set out in a
row.
Because "stoicheia" can mean the letters of the
alphabet, it can also very commonly mean elementary
instruction in any subject.
We still speak of learning the A B C of a subject,
when we mean taking the first steps in it.
Paul may be saying,
"These false teachers claim that they are giving you
knowledge which is very advanced and very profound.
In point of fact it is knowledge which is uninstructed and
rudimentary because at the best it is knowledge of the
human mind.
The real knowledge, the real fullness of God, is in Jesus
Christ. If you listen to these false teachers, so far from
receiving deep spiritual knowledge, you are simply
slipping back into rudimentary instruction which you
should have left behind long ago."
(b) "Stoicheia" has a second meaning.
It means the elemental spirits of the world, and especially
the spirits of the stars and planets.
Astrology was the queen of the sciences.
Men as powerful as Julius Caesar and Augustus,
as cynical as Tiberius,
as level-headed as Vespasian
would take no step without consulting the stars.
Alexander the Great believed implicitly in the influence
of the stars.
Men and women believed that their whole lives were
fixed by them.
If a man was born under a fortunate star all was
well;
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If he was born under an unlucky star, he could not
look for happiness;
If any undertaking was to have a chance of success, the
stars must be observed. Men were the slaves of the stars.
People today who take astrology seriously. They wear
signs of the zodiac charms and read newspaper columns
which tell what is forecast for them in the stars.
But it is almost impossible for us to realize how
dominated the ancient world was by the idea of the
influence of the elemental spirits and the stars.
But .... if men knew the right pass-words and the right formulae, they
might escape from this fatalistic influence of the stars; and a great part of
the secret teaching of Gnosticism and of kindred faiths and philosophies
was knowledge which claimed to give the devotee escape from the
power of the stars;
In all likelihood that was what the false teachers of Colosse were offering
saying.
"Jesus Christ is all very well, he can do much for you; but he cannot
enable you to escape from your subjection to the stars. We alone
have the secret knowledge which can enable you to do that."
Paul didn't argue with the popular belief, rather he declared that Jesus,
the creator, was more powerful than any created thing.
"You need nothing but Christ to overcome any power in the universe;
for in him is nothing less than the fullness of God and he is the head
of every power and authority, for he created them."
The Gnostic teachers offered an additional philosophy;
Paul insisted on the triumphant adequacy of Christ to overcome any
power in any part of the universe.
You cannot at one and the same time believe in the power of Christ
and the influence of the stars.
Epistemological Approach: Study of knowledge, its scope and limits.
Two Primary Systems
Two great systems—when Paul wrote this letter to the Colossians—are
still contending over minds of the Western World:
1) Stoicism:
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
Live nobly and death cannot matter; hold appetite in check,
become indifferent to changing conditions.

Be not lifted up by good fortune nor cast down by adversity.

Man is more than circumstances;

the soul is greater than the universe (1 Cor 9:24-29; Phil 4:1113)
2) Epicureanism:

All is uncertain; we know not whence we come, nor whither we
go; we only know that after a brief life we disappear from this
scene;

it is vain to deny ourselves any present joy in view of possible
future ill.
“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die” (Cf. Isa 22:13; 1
Cor 15:32).
“Beware lest any man spoil you”: Beware lest any man make a prey of
you.” Or “carry you captive.”
The Scripture nowhere condemns the acquisition of knowledge.
The Christian may well avail himself of any legitimate means of
becoming better acquainted with the great facts of history, the findings of
true science, and the beauties of literature.
Contemporary “Science” is not the pursuit of truth:
It is the attempt to explain the observations of the physical
universe while denying any existence of a Creator.
...but let the Christian never put human wisdom in the place of divine
revelation.
This is the first element of the Armor of God: to gird oneself with Truth
(Eph 6:14; Jn 14:6; 2 Tim 2:15).
It is the wisdom of this world, not its knowledge, that is foolishness
with God.
The Ultimate Oxymoron
The “Foolishness of God” (1 Cor 1:19-29).
Examples:


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Noah and his barge (Gen 6-8);
Moses and the Brazen Serpent (Num 21; Jn 3:14-16);




Samson and his jawbone (Judg 15);
Elisha and Naaman (2 Kgs 5);
Jonah and the Fish (Jonah 2)...
The Ultimate Foolishness?
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish
foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the
power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18
Note: Only two categories.
Christ is the antidote for human philosophy,
Jewish legalism, oriental mysticism, or carnal asceticism (1 Cor 1:30-31).
9] For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
“Fulness” = pleroma, the sum of the qualities of deity.
“He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (Jn 14:7-9).
10] And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality
and power:
“...complete” = filled full.
“We are accepted in the Beloved” (Eph 1:6).
Dr. Kenneth Wuest’s Expanded Translation, reads:
“And you are in Him, having been completely filled, full with the
present result that you are in a state of fullness."
[Need for psychology?]
Denial of guilt vs. a remedy for the primary dynamic of the human
predicament: Sin.
Our Personal Architecture?
Seven times the Bible declared:
“Ye are the Temple of God” (1 Cor.3:9-17; 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16; Eph.
2:20,21; Heb. 3:6; 1 Pet. 2:5; 4:17).
This appears to hold the key to our “software” architecture:
What is our Heart? Soul? Spirit? Mind?
The Greatest Commandment instructs us to “love God with all of our
heart, soul, strength and mind.”
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What does this mean?
You can’t determine the architecture of software by external means; you
need the designer’s manual.
That’s why you can buy it at a store: you can use it, but not infer its
internal design…
Thus, psychology is doomed to frustration to establish causes —
or even deal with guilt.
The Doom of Psychology
A programmable computer is an infinite state machine.
An infinite state machine defies external determination of its internal
architecture.
The frustration of psychology is that it is attempting to determine internal
architecture from external behavior.
The real you is software, not “hardware."
You have no mass: you are not restricted to our physical time
dimension; you are eternal—whether “saved” or not!
ARCHITECTURE

Hardware
o Microcircuits
o Memory
o Wires, resistors, etc
Physical Body
Flesh
Bones
Circulatory sytem, etc.

Software
o User Interface
o Internal Interfaces
o Machine Language
o Algorithims, etc
Our Selves
Soul
Spirit
Mind
Thoughts, etc
Psychological Insights?
The problem with Adam and Eve is that they came from a dysfunctional
family?
Was that Satan’s problem, too?
Isn’t it tragic that Paul didn’t have the insights of modern psychology
when he counseled Timothy?
If you are “filled full” why doesn’t it show?
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If we have the love of God within us, why do we behave the way we
do?
THE REAL AND THE UNREAL CIRCUMCISION
Colossians 2:11-12
"In him you have been circumcised with a circumcision not made
by man's hands, a circumcision which consists in putting off the
whole of that part of you which is dominated by sinful human
nature, which you were able to do by the circumcision which
belongs to Christ. You were buried with him in the act of baptism
and in that act you were raised with him through your faith in the
effective working of God, who raised him from the dead."
The false teachers were demanding that Gentile Christians should be
circumcised for circumcision was the badge of God's chosen people.
God, they argued, had said to Abraham,
"This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and
you, and your descendants after you; Every male among you
shall be circumcised" (Gen.17:10).
All through the history of Israel there had been two views of circumcision.
There was the view of those who said that in itself it was enough to
put a man right with God.
It did not matter whether an Israelite was a good man or a bad
man; all that mattered was that he was an Israelite and that he
had been circumcised.
The great spiritual leaders of Israel and the great prophets took a
very different view.
They insisted that circumcision was only the outward mark of a
man who was inwardly dedicated to God.
 They talked of uncircumcised lips (Exo.6:12),
 of a heart which was circumcised or uncircumcised
(Lev.26:41; Eze.44:7,9; Deut.30:6);
 of the uncircumcised ear (Jer.6:10).
To them being circumcised did not mean having a certain
operation carried out on a man's flesh but having a change
effected in his life.
Circumcision was, indeed, the badge of a person dedicated
to God; but the dedication lay not in the cutting of the flesh
but in the excision from his life of everything which was
against the will of God.
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That was the answer of the prophets centuries before: and that was still
Paul's answer to the false teachers:
"You demand circumcision; but you must remember that
circumcision does not mean simply the removal of the foreskin from
a man's body;
it means the putting off of that whole part of his human nature
which sets him at variance with God."
"Any priest can circumcise a man's foreskin;
only Christ can bring about that spiritual circumcision
which means cutting away from a man's life everything which
keeps him from being God's obedient child."
For Paul this was not a theory but fact.
"That very act has already happened to you in baptism."
Baptism
The word baptize has both a literal and a figurative meaning:
The literal meaning is “to dip, to immerse.”
The figurative meaning is “to be identified with.” For example, the
Jewish nation was “baptized unto Moses” when it went through the
Red Sea (1 Cor. 10:1,2).
There was no water involved in this baptism, because they went over on
dry land.
In this experience, the nation was identified with Moses.
In the early Church, as today in the mission field and even in the Church
extension areas, men were coming straight out of heathenism into
Christianity.
They were knowingly and deliberately leaving one way of life for
another; and making in the act of baptism a conscious decision.
This was of course, before the days of infant baptism which did not
and could not come until the Christian family had become a reality.
Baptism in the time of Paul was adult baptism; it was instructed baptism;
and, wherever possible, it was baptism by total immersion.
As the waters closed over the man's head, it was as if he died;
As he rose up again from the water, it was as if he rose to new life.
Part of him was dead and gone forever; he was a new man risen
to a new life.
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The symbolism of Baptism could become a reality only when a man
believed intensely in the life and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
It could only happen when a man believed in the effective working of
God which had raised Jesus Christ from the dead and could do the
same for him.
Baptism for the Christian is truly a dying and a rising again, because
he believed that Christ had died and risen again and that he was
sharing the experience of his Lord.
Paul in effect said:
"The only true circumcision is when a man dies and rises with Christ
in baptism, in such a way that it is not part of his body which is cut
away but his whole sinful self which is destroyed, and he is filled with
newness of life and the very holiness of God."
11] In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made
without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the
circumcision of Christ:
“...circumcision made without hands”: God never separates the
Person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Circumcision was a sign of the Covenant (Gen 17:9-14).
It was a physical emblem with a spiritual significance.
As so often happens, the physical sign tended to replace the
actuality (Rom 2:25-29).
God warned them (Deut 10:16; 30:6; Jer 4:4; 6:10; Ezek 44:7).
People make the same mistake today when they rely on any ritual to
save them.
A contrast between Jewish circumcision and the believer’s spiritual
circumcision in Christ:
Jews
• External surgery
• Only part of the body
• Done by hands
• No spiritual help in conquering sin
Believers
• Internal—the heart
• The whole “body of sins"
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• Done without hands
• Enables them to overcome sin
The Victory over Sin
When Jesus Christ died and rose again, He won a complete and final
victory over sin (Rom 6:10ff ).
What the Law could not do, Jesus Christ accomplished for us.
The old nature (“the body of the sins of the flesh”) was put off —
rendered inoperative — so that we need no longer be enslaved
to its desires.
The old sinful nature is not eradicated, for we can still sin (1 Jn 1:5–2:6);
but its power has been broken as we yield to Christ and walk in the
power of the Spirit.
12] Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him
through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from
the dead.
Only Paul emphasizes His death as an essential part of the Gospel: 1
Cor 15:1-4
When a person is saved, he is immediately baptized by the Spirit into the
body of Christ (1 Cor 12:12-13).
Whatever happened to Christ is imputed to us, “through faith in the
operation of God."
TRIUMPHANT FORGIVENESS
Colossians 2:13-15
"God made you alive with Christ, when you were dead in your sins
and were still uncircumcised Gentiles. He forgave you all your sins
and wiped out the charge-list which set out all your self-admitted
debts, a charge-list which was based on the ordinances of the law
and which was in direct opposition to you. He nailed it to his Cross
and put it right out of sight. He stripped the powers and authorities
of all their power and publicly put them to shame and, through the
Cross, led them captive in his triumphal train."
Paul uses a series of vivid pictures to show what God in Christ has done
for men.
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The intention is to show that Christ has done all that can be done and all
that need be done, and that there is no need to bring in any other
intermediaries for the full salvation of men.
Men were dead in their sins.
They had no more power than dead men either to overcome sin or to
atone for it.
Jesus Christ by his work has liberated men both from the power and
from the consequences of sin.
He has given them a life so new that it can only be said that he
has raised them from the dead.
It was the old belief that only the Jews were dear to God, but this
saving power of Christ has come even to the uncircumcised Gentile.
The work of Christ is a work of power, because it put life into
dead men;
It is a work of grace, because it reached out to those who had no
reason to expect the benefits of God.
3] God took that indictment and nailed it to the Cross of Christ.
On the Cross of Christ the indictment that was against us was itself
crucified.
It was executed and put clean out of the way, so that it might
never be seen again.
The debt we owed was marked paid in full and nailed in full
public view for all to see - tetelesti.
The charge-list had been based on the ordinances of the law.
Before Christ came men were under law and they broke it
because no man can perfectly keep it.
But now law is banished and grace has come.
Man is no longer a criminal who has broken the law and is at
the mercy of God's judgment;
he is a son who was lost and can now come home to be
wrapped around with the grace of God.
13] And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of
your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven
you all trespasses;
What else do we need?
What did you contribute to the process?
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You (and I) are helpless.
“By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified in His sight”
(Gal 2:16);
“The flesh profiteth nothing” (Jn 6:63);
“It is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Rom
8:7).
The Law was certainly against us, because it was impossible for us to
meet its holy demands.
Even though God never gave the Ten Commandments to the
Gentiles, the righteous demands of the Law—God’s holy
standards—were “written in their hearts” (Rom 2:12-16).
How could the holy God be just in canceling a debt?
Socrates, pondering the unsolvable problems relating to future rewards
and punishments, said,
“It may be, Plato, that the Deity can forgive sins, but I do not see
how."
“...hath he quickened together with him”: Hath, not will...present
possession.
Therefore God is making no attempt to improve it.
There is no place for merit as far as Man is concerned.
All merit is Another’s!
14] Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us,
which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his
cross;
“...handwriting of ordinances that was against us” = our Certificate of
Debt: cheirographon: a note of one’s own hand or writing in which one
acknowledges that money has either been deposited with him or lent to
him by another, to be returned at the appointed time; an
acknowledgment of debt.
“...contrary to us”: hupenantios opposed to, contrary to, as an
adversary.
(Our debt...) The legal practice in the Greco-Roman period involved
a literal “certificate of debt” which would result from a sentence being
passed against an accused.
This debt was paid as one served his sentence.
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(In the event of an escape, the jailer was considered liable
for any unpaid remainder. Cf. Acts 16:23ff.)
exaleipho to wipe off, wipe away; to obliterate, erase, wipe out, blot out.
When the sentence was completed, the jailer would endorse the
Certificate of Debt as:
Tetelestai, from tele;w finish, complete, end; to fulfill, carry out,
accomplish; come to an end, be over; pay (obligations); keep or obey
(the law).
Cf. Jn 19:30: “Paid in Full!” “It is finished.” Christ is God’s last
word to mankind.
The substance on which ancient documents were written was either
papyrus, a kind of paper made of the pith of the bulrush, or vellum, a
substance made of the skins of animals.
Both were fairly expensive and certainly could not be wasted.
Ancient ink had no acid in it;
Ink lay on the surface of the paper and did not, as modern ink usually
does, soak into it.
Sometimes a scribe, to save paper, used papyrus or vellum that had
already been written upon.
When he did that, he took a sponge and wiped the writing out.
Because it was only on the surface of the paper, the ink could be
wiped out as if it had never been.
God, in his amazing mercy, banished the record of our sins so
completely that it was as if it had never been; not a trace remained.
God paid sin’s debt when He gave His Son on the cross, and He upheld
the holiness of His own Law.
King James Version has it, Jesus Christ blotted out the handwriting of
ordinances which was against us;
He wiped out the charge-list which set out all our self-admitted debts,
a charge-list based on the ordinances of the law.
The word for handwriting or charge-list is "cheirographon."
It literally means an autograph; but its technical meaning
was a note of hand signed by a debtor acknowledging his
indebtedness.
It was almost exactly what we call an I.O.U.
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Men's sins had piled up a vast list of debts to God and it could be
said that men definitely acknowledged that debt.
More than once the Old Testament shows the children of
Israel hearing and accepting the laws of God and calling
down curses on themselves should they fail to keep them
(Exo.24:3; Deut.27:14-26).
In the New Testament we find the picture of the Gentiles as
having, not the written law of God which the Jews had, but
the unwritten law in their hearts and the voice of conscience
speaking within (Rom.2:14-15).
Men were in debt to God because of their sins and they
knew it.
There was a self-confessed indictment against them,
a charge-list which, as it were, they themselves had
signed and admitted as accurate.
But Jesus Christ did even more than cancel the debt: He took the Law
that condemned us and set it aside so that we are no longer under its
dominion.
We are “delivered from the Law" (Rom 7:6).
We “are not under the Law, but under grace” (Rom 6:14).
Pilate’s Epitaph
Pilate’s official label: titlon, the official announcement from the official
representative of the ruler of the world.
Written first in Hebrew, the first letter of each of the four words spelled
out the tetragammaton, the ineffable name of God, YHWH, Yehovah,
or Yahweh:
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And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing
was,JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. This title then
read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was
nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.
Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King
of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. Pilate
answered, What I have written I have written. John 19:19-22
15] And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew
of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Jesus not only dealt with sin and the Law on the cross, but He also dealt
with Satan.
Speaking about His crucifixion, Jesus said, “Now is the judgment of
this world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out” (Jn
12:31).
Jesus has stripped the powers and authorities and made them his
captives.
The ancient world believed in all kinds of angels and in all kinds of
elemental spirits.
Many of these spirits were out to ruin men.
It was they who were responsible for demon-possession and the
like.
They were hostile to men.
Jesus conquered them forever.
He stripped them;
the word used is the word for stripping the weapons and the
armor from a defeated foe.
Once and for all Jesus broke their power.
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He put them to open shame and led them captive in his
triumphant train.
The picture is that of the triumph of a Roman general.
When a Roman general had won a really notable victory, he was
allowed to march his victorious armies through the streets of
Rome and behind him followed the kings and the leaders and the
peoples he had vanquished.
They were openly branded as his spoils.
Paul thinks of Jesus as a conqueror enjoying a kind of cosmic
triumph, and in his triumphal procession are the powers of evil,
beaten forever, for everyone to see.
Paul sets out the total adequacy of the work of Christ.
Sin is forgiven and evil is conquered; what more is necessary?
There is nothing that Gnostic knowledge and Gnostic intermediaries
can do for men -- Christ has done it all already.
Three Great Victories
Jesus had three great victories on the cross.
1st: He “spoiled principalities and powers” (Col 2:15), stripping Satan
and his army of whatever weapons they held.
Satan cannot harm the believer who will not harm himself.
It is when we cease to watch and pray (as did Peter) that Satan
can use his weapons against us.
Luk 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold,
Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as
wheat: 32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail
not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy
brethren.
1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary
the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking
whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the
faith, knowing that the same afflictions are
accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
Mat_26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into
temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is
weak.
2nd: Jesus “made a show of them openly” (Col 2:15), exposing
Satan’s deceit and vileness.
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In His death, resurrection, and ascension, Christ vindicated God and
vanquished the devil.
His 3rd victory is found in the word triumph.
Whenever a Roman general won a great victory on foreign soil, took
many captives and much loot, and gained new territory for Rome, he
was honored by an official parade known as “the Roman triumph.”
Paul alluded to this practice in his 2nd Letter to the Corinthians
(2 Cor 2:14).
Jesus Christ won a complete victory, and He returned to glory in
a great triumphal procession (Eph 4:8ff ).
In this, He disgraced and defeated Satan.
Conclusion
You and I share in His victory over the devil.
We need not worry about the elemental forces that govern the planets
and try to influence men’s lives.
The satanic armies of principalities and powers are defeated and
disgraced!
As we claim the victory of Christ, use the equipment He has provided
for us (Eph 6:10ff) and trust Him, we are free from the influence of
the devil.
Summary
A fourfold identification with Christ makes it not only unnecessary, but
sinful for us to get involved with any kind of legalism:
1) Circumcised in Him v.11
2) Alive in Him vv.12-13
3) Free from the Law in Him v.14
4) Victorious in Him v.15
Caveats: Where does character and integrity fit in?
Do we need to keep appointments?
Honor business commitments?
What does it mean to be a fiduciary to our brothers and sisters?
To our employers?
We are called to holiness and obedience, nevertheless.
This is not legalism.
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It is our thanksgiving offering for what He has already done
for us.
Falling from Grace has nothing to do with sin
It has everything to do with falling from accepting solely what
God has done on our behalf for us and once again attempting to
earn His favor by keeping rules and laws....
Three Warnings
1) Let no man judge you (Col 2:16,17);
2) Let no man beguile you of your reward (Col 2:18,19);
3) Let No One Enslave You (Col 2:20-23).
Religious Externalism
Some Issues:
Should we worship on Sunday or Saturday?
Can we eat shrimp and pork?
Can we have a glass of wine with dinner?
Do we need to “keep” the feasts of the Torah?
RETROGRESSION
Colossians 2:16-23
"Let no one take you to task in matters of food or drink, or with
regard to yearly festivals and monthly new moons and weekly
sabbaths. These are only the shadow of things to come; the real
substance belongs to Christ. Let no one rob you of your prize by
walking in ostentatious humility in the worship of angels, making a
parade of the things which he has seen, vainly inflated with pride
because he is dominated by his sinful human nature and not
holding fast to the head, from which the whole body, supplied and
held together by the joints and muscles, increases with the increase
which God alone can give.
"If you died with Christ to the elements of this world, why do you
continue to submit yourselves to their rules and regulations, as if
you were still living in a world without God? `Handle not! Taste not!
Touch not!' are their slogans. These are rules which are humanly
taught and humanly imposed, and they are rules which deal with
things which are destined for decay as soon as they are used.
These things have a reputation for wisdom, with their self-imposed
devotion and their flaunting humility and their stern treatment of the
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body, but they have no kind of value in remedying the indulgences
of sinful human nature."
This passage Paul is warning the Colossians not to adopt certain Gnostic
practices, on the grounds that to do so would be not progress but rather
retrogression in the faith. Behind it lie four Gnostic practices.
 There is Gnostic "asceticism" (Col.2:16 and Col.2:21).
There is the teaching which involves a whole host of regulations
about what can and cannot be eaten and drunk. In other words
there is a return to all the food laws of the Jews, with their lists of
things clean and unclean.
Gnostics considered all matter to be essentially evil. If matter is evil,
then the body is evil. If the body is evil, two opposite conclusions
may be drawn.
(a) If the body is essentially evil, it does not matter what we do
with it.
Being evil it can be used or abused in any way, and it makes
no difference.
(b) If the body is evil, it must be kept down; it must be beaten
and starved and its every impulse chained down.
Gnosticism could issue either in complete immorality or in rigid
asceticism.
It is the rigid asceticism with which Paul is dealing here.
In effect he says, "Have nothing to do with people who identify religion
with laws about what you may or may not eat or drink."
Jesus himself had said that it made no difference what a man ate or
drank (Matt.15:10-20; Mk.7:14-23).
Peter had to learn to cease to talk about clean and unclean foods
(Ac.10).
Paul uses an almost crude phrase which repeats in different words
what Jesus had already said.
He says, "These things perish as they are used" (Col.2:22).
He means exactly what Jesus did when he said that food
and drink are eaten and digested, and then excreted from
the body, and flushed away down the drain (Matt.15:17;
Mk.7:19).
Food and drink are so unimportant that they are destined
for decay as soon as they are eaten.
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The Gnostics wished to make religion a thing of regulations about
eating and drinking; and there are still those who are more
concerned with rules about food than about the charity of the gospel.
16] Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in
respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
Origin of the Kosher Laws
Kosher Laws: Kashrut; “kosher state” (Lev 11, Deut 14—esp. Ex 23:19;
34:26; Deut 14:21).
Separation of milk and meat products may derive from a
misunderstanding of Ex 23:19.
Some scholars believe it was to prohibit a common pagan practice,
Lebu immf, among the ancient Zabii, Ishmaelites (and still among
some Arabs).
A kid seethed in its mother’s milk was used by certain pagans to
propitiate the deities, and milk was sprinkled on the fruit trees,
fields, and gardens, to improve the crops of the coming year.
[Sources: Dr. Thompson, The Land and the Book, Vol. 1,
p.135; Spencer, De Legibus Hebraeorum, 2, 8; R. Jamieson,
Critical and Experimental Commentary on Old Testament,
p.375.]
Kosher Laws?
Abraham served the Lord a non-Kosher meal(!) in Gen 18:7, 8.
Reform Jews regard kashrut as no longer meaningful, but often
accommodate some in deference to their “Observant” guests.
The Karaites
Among the groups that protested against the rigidities of Talmudic
Judaism were the Karaites, led by Anan ben David in Mesopotamia
(a “Jewish Luther”), 740-800 a.d., who would not accept the oral
traditions of the Talmud but defended the Torah and the Prophets as
the sole source for religious doctrine and practice.
Beginning in the 8th century Persia, it spread to Egypt and Syria
and later to Europe through Spain and Constantinople.
In 19th century Russia, the Karaites so distanced themselves
from Talmudic (“Rabbinic”) Judaism that they were relieved of
the double taxation, exempted from military conscription, and
were permitted to acquire land.
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The Lenningrad Codex, the oldest complete Hebrew Bible, was
acquired through their efforts.
Christians are freed from the law (Lev 11; 17; Deut 14).
God does not condemn those who eat everything (Rom 14:1-).
In fact, God says that all foods may be eaten since they were
“created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe
and who know the truth” (1 Tim 4:3).
The teaching that forbids this, Paul wrote, is “taught by demons” (1
Tim 4:1) whom Christ has disarmed (Col 2:15).
16] Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in
respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
 There is the Gnostic and the Jewish observation of days (Col.2:16).
They observed yearly feasts and monthly new moons and weekly
sabbaths.
They drew out lists of days which specially belonged to God, on
which certain things must be done and certain things must not be
done.
They identified religion with ritual.
Paul's criticism says, "You have been rescued from all this tyranny of
legal rules. Why do you want to enslave yourself all over again? Why
do you want to go back to Jewish legalism and abandon Christian
freedom?"
The spirit which makes Christianity a thing of regulations is by no
means dead yet.
 There are the Gnostic special visions.
The King James Version in Col.2:18 speaks of the false teacher
"intruding into those things which he hath not seen."
That is a mistranslation.
The correct translation should be "making a parade of the
things which he has seen."
The Gnostic prided himself upon special visions of secret things
which were not open to the eyes of ordinary men and women.
No one will deny the visions of the mystics, but there is always
danger when a man begins to think that he has attained a height of
holiness which enables him to see what common men--as he calls
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them--cannot see; and the danger is that men will so often see, not
what God sends them, but what they want to see.
Sunday vs. Sabbath?
(There is no commandment in the New Testament establishing the
sacredness of the first day of the week.)
The Sabbath was, of course, established as a memorial of the creation
(Gen 2:3, Ex 20:11), as well as their deliverance from Egypt (Deut 5:15).
Sunday was the day of Jesus’ resurrection (Mt 28:1; Mk 16:2; Lk 24:1;
Jn 20:1) and 6 of the 8 post-resurrection appearances recorded in the
Gospels occurred on Sunday.
The Feast of Pentecost (Shavout) was on “the morrow after the
sabbath" after Passover (Lev 23:15,16); thus, the Church was “born”
on a Sunday (Acts 2:1-4).
[There are some that suspect that the rapture will occur on this
same day, just as there is a tradition that Enoch was “translated"
on his birthday, celebrated at the beginning of Hag Shavout.]
Sunday as a Day of Worship
The NT has surprisingly little to say about Sunday as a day of worship:
There are only three references:
1) Paul’s visit to Troas: Acts 20:5-12
Paul arrived after the Feast of Unleavened Bread and remained
there for seven days.
On Sunday evening the church gathered to break bread and
Paul gave a farewell address to them which lasted until after
midnight.
After the miraculous resuscitation of Eutychus, they continued
until day break.
(Some suggest that this was actually a Saturday evening...)
2) Paul’s command to the Corinthian church (1 Cor 16:1,2)
Here, however, some argue that this was a procedure to avoid
“gatherings when I come."
3) “Lord’s Day” only Appears in Rev 1:10.
Many scholars view the phrase as referring to the “The Day of
the Lord.” It seems that both the Sabbath and Sunday were
probably both venerated by the early (Jewish) Christians, but as
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the church became increasingly Gentile, Sunday emerged as the
distinctly Christian day of observance.
Ignatius, a disciple of John, and the bishop of Antioch, wrote to
the Magnesians in the early years of the 2nd century, describing
Christians with a Jewish background as those who
“have come to the possession of a new hope, no longer
observing the Sabbath, but living in observance of the Lord’s
Day, on which also our life has sprung up again by Him and
by His death.” [Ignatius, Magnetsians 9:1-3.]
Sunday has been, of course, a primary pagan day: “Sunday” was
the label from the ancient Babylonians: the days of the week
were named after the Sun, Moon, and five planets.
Popular among the Romans, especially the soldiers, was
Mithraism, a religion imported from Persia.
Mithra was the god of the Sun, and regarded Sunday as a
sacred day.
In 321, Emperor Constantine declared Sunday as the imperial
rest day.
This seems to have been a deliberate policy on the part of
Constantine in attempt to unite the diversified religions of the
empire.
Several Current Views
The Biblical View:
Christianity had its roots in the Old Testament, so Sunday seems
to borrow many of the practices of the Sabbath: setting aside the
seventh day to worship his Creator, assembly, Bible reading, etc.
However, Paul clearly teaches that the Sabbath was part of the
old covenant that was done away in Christ.
There is not the slightest hint that Christ or the apostles changed
the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week.
The 7th Day
The liberation of believers from the Law was the dispute resolved
in Acts 15.
This Colossian passage explicitly condemns those who
command Sabbath obedience.
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However: The Millennial Temple (Ez 40-48) will only be open on
Shabbat and the New Moon; (it is closed on Sundays; Ezek
46:1).
 There is the worship of angels (Col.2:18,20).
Jews had a highly-developed doctrine of angels and the Gnostics
believed in all kinds of intermediaries.
They worshipped these,
The Christian knows that worship must be kept for God and for
Jesus Christ.
Paul makes four criticisms of all this.
He says that this kind of thing is only a shadow of truth; the real truth
is in Christ (Col.2:17).
Aa religion which is founded on eating and drinking certain kinds
of food and drink and abstaining from others, a religion which is
founded on Sabbath observance and the like, is only a shadow
of real religion; real religion is fellowship with Christ.
He says that there is such a thing as a false humility (Col.2:18,23).
When they talked of the worship of angels, both the Gnostics
and the Jews would have justified it by saying that God is so
great and high and holy that we can never have direct access to
him and must be content to pray to the angels.
But the great truth that Christianity preaches is, in fact, exactly
that the way to God is open to the humblest and the simplest
person.
He says that this can lead to sinful pride (Col.2:18,23).
The man who is meticulous in his observance of special days,
who keeps all the food laws and who practises ascetic
abstinence is in very grave danger of thinking himself specially
good and of looking down on other people. And it is a basic truth
of Christianity that no man who thinks himself good is really
good, least of all the man who thinks himself better than other
people.
He says that this is a return to unchristian slavery instead of
Christian freedom (Col.2:20) and that in any event, it does not free a
man from fleshly lusts but only keeps them on the leash (Col.2:23).
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Christian freedom comes not from restraining desires by rules
and regulations but from the death of evil desires and the
springing to life of good desires by virtue of Christ being in the
Christian and the Christian in Christ.
17] Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
“...a shadow of things to come”: We get our word photograph from the
Greek word used here for “shadow.”
As Paul put it, the Old Testament Law (including the Sabbath) was only a
shadow of the things that were to come.
The reality or “substance” (soma, lit., “body”), however, is to be found
in Christ (cf. Heb 8:5; 10:1).
What the Old Testament foreshadowed, Christ fulfilled (cf. Mt 5:17; Rom
8:3-4).
A “shadow” (skia) is only an image cast by an object which
represents its form.
Once one finds Christ, he no longer needs to follow the old shadow.
The Feasts of Israel—in fact, every element of the Torah—are not just
historically commemorative, but prophetically significant!
Passover, The Cities of Refuge; Daughters of Zelophehad; et al.
Warnings
• Let no man judge you (Col 2:16,17);
• Let no man beguile you of your reward (Col 2:18,19)
Can you lose your “reward”?
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How?
The Epistle to the Colossians - Chapter 2:18 - 23
As we study this profound letter, we must heed Paul’s warnings:
1) “Lest any man should beguile you” Col 2:4
2) “Lest any man spoil you” Col 2:8
3) “Let no man therefore judge you!” Col 2:16
18] Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility
and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he
hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
“Let no man beguile you”: Or judge against you (1 Tim 2:5).
1Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God
and men, the man Christ Jesus;
The error against which Paul warned them later developed into the
heresy called Gnosticism.
This false teaching assigned to Christ a subordinate place to the true
Godhead, and undervalued the uniqueness and completeness of His
redemptive work.
It interposed a host of beings, angels, etc., forming a bridge of which
Christ was a member.
Whether disillusioned by the self-imposed blinders and myopia of contemporary “science,” or frustrated by the moral bankruptcy of unbridled
materialism, increasing numbers of desperate people are now seeking
“answers” outside the realm of natural phenomena and are pursuing the
supernatural.
The anguished plea of the disenfranchised now begs the question, “Is
there anyone out there?”
The Flight to Mysticism: Kabbalah
Kabbalah originally simply designated “received tradition.”
Generically, it refers to Jewish mysticism in all its forms.
Denotatively, it refers specifically to the esoteric theosophy that
crystallized in 13th century Spain and Provence, France.
It is particularly paradoxical to find these occultic practices embedded
within Judaism, despite the numerous explicit prohibitions against all
forms of the occult recorded throughout the very Torah that is so highly
venerated among the Jews.
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Judaism Redefined
Two cataclysmic challenges happened to Judaism in the 1st century a.d.:
1) The rejection of Christ as the Messiah and
2) The subsequent destruction of the Temple in a.d.70
How could there be a continuation of the prescribed sacrifices without an
altar and a Temple?
The Council of Jamnia met in a.d. 90 and began redefining Judaism
with the formulation of
the Talmud (3rd - 6th centuries) and
the Geonic Era (7th - 11th centuries).
Talmud
The Talmud is a body of Jewish civil and religious law, including
commentaries on the Torah, or Pentateuch, and the oral laws handed
down through tradition.
The Mishnah is a codification of laws;
The Gemara is a commentary on the Mishnah;
The Halakhah (from Hebrew, “to go”) are scholarly materials on
disputed legal questions; and
The Haggada includes illustrations and amplifications of the ethical,
political, and religious principles involved in the laws
Two compilations of the Talmud exist:
The Jerusalem Talmud (3rd – 5th century a.d.) and
The Babylonian Talmud (3rd – 6th century a.d.).
It became authoritative because the rabbinic academies of
Babylonia survived those in Palestine by many centuries (and is
referred to in the “Geonic Era”: 7th – 11th centuries).
Both compilations contain the same Mishnah, but each has its own
Gemara.
Veneration of Commentaries
The epistemological problems emerge from an excessive veneration of
the scholastic commentators over the text itself.
The Mishneh Torah by the Spanish rabbi, philosopher, and physician
Maimonides is an abstract of the rabbinical legal literature in existence
at his time.
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Among the most widely known commentaries are those on the Babylonian Talmud by the French Rabbi Rashi and by certain scholars known
as tosaphists, who lived in France and Germany between the 12th and
14th centuries.
This lengthening tether reaches its extremes in the imaginative
conjectures that emerged among the Kabbalistic scholars of the 11th
and 12th centuries and subsequently.
Karaites
In the 8th century, there emerged a Jewish sect known as the Karaites
who clung to the strict interpretations of the Scriptures, rejecting the
Talmud and the rabbinical traditions that had been incorporated during
the first six centuries.
Considered heretical by “Orthodox” Jews, in Czarist Russia they
were exempted from abuses such as the double taxation, the
pogroms, etc., that fell on Talmudic Judaism.
Today there are some 30,000 Karaites, concentrated largely in Israel;
small communities are also found in the United States, Poland, France,
and Turkey.
Kabbalah Emerges
One of the basic works that was to impact all subsequent mystical
movements in Judaism is the Sefer ha-Zohar, (or Zohar for short).
This monumental work was composed by Moses de León (born in Léon,
Spain), who lived in Guadalajara, former Spanish kingdom of Castile,
until 1290, and thereafter led a life of wandering.
De León was a prolific writer, completely immersed in mysticism.
The Zohar, his greatest work, was written over 30 years in Aramaic.
Zohar
The Zohar depicts the Godhead as a dynamic flow of force: above and
beyond all human contemplation is God as he is in himself, the unknowable, immutable Ein-Sof (Infinite “Nothingness”).
Other aspects or attributes, knowable through God’s relation to the
created world, “emanate” from Ein-Sof in a configuration of ten sefirot
(realms or planes), through which the divine power further radiates to
create the cosmos.
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Zoharic theosophy concentrates on the
nature and interaction of these The Ten
Sefirot:
1. Kether Elyon, “Supreme Crown"
2. Chokhmah, “Wisdom"
3. Binah, “Intelligence"
4. Chesed, “Love”; or Gedullah,
“Greatness"
5. Geburah, “Power"
6. Tiphareth, “Beauty"
7. Nezach, “Lasting Endurance"
8. Hod, “Majesty"
9. Yesed, “Foundation”; or Zaddik,
“Righteous One"
10. Malkhuth, “Kingdom"
Interior Workings of Cosmos
Because the sefirot are viewed as archetypes for everything in the world
of creation, an understanding of their workings ostensibly illuminate the
inner workings of the entire cosmos and all of history.
The Zohar thereby provides a cosmic-symbolic interpretation of Judaism,
and of the history of Israel, in which the Torah and commandments—as
well as Israel’s life in exile—become symbols for events and processes
in the inner life of God.
Thus, the proper observance of the commandments by man assumes a
cosmic significance.
Ein-Sof
The concept of Ein-Sof is, among other things, a tragic attempt to depersonalize God.
In contrast to the unknowable “nothingness” (their words) of Ein-Sof, or
the unknowable, capricious (and thus, untrustworthy) Allah of the Quran,
the YHWH of the Old Testament is a God who delights in making—and
keeping—His promises!
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Kabbalah Errors
Any attempt to chart the “inner life” of the Godhead, by means of the
sefirot or any other, is akin to “uncovering the Father’s nakedness,” a sin
of grave disrespect emphasized in the Tenach itself! (cf. Gen 9:22-27; 2
Sam 16:22; et al.).
The disciplines of Kabbalah include meditative practices that promise to
enable individuals to share and participate in the diverse dimensions of
God’s being.
[Similar to the claims of New Age aspirants as well.]
Lurianic Kabbalah
The 16th-century Lurianic Kabbalah (named for its formulator, Isaac
ben Solomon Luria) developed dramatically the cosmic aspect of the
Zohar.
The Lurianic system represented a response to the cataclysmic
experience of Jewish exiles expelled from Iberia in the 1490s and it
projected this experience onto the divine world.
In this system, the Ein-Sof withdrew into itself (tzimtzum) at the outset of
creation, making room for the world, but also for evil.
A cosmic catastrophe occurred during emanation when vessels of the
divine light shattered and the sparks were imprisoned in the world in
shards of evil (qelippot).
Luria held that God, as well as Israel, was in need of redemption from
exile, and that humanity was assigned the critical role in the cosmic
drama of redemption (tiqqun).
The human task, through prayer and proper observance of the
commandments, becomes nothing less than the redemption (tiqqun) of
the world and the reunification of the Godhead.
It would seem that without you and me, God won’t be able to get His act
together!? Get serious....
There was, indeed, a man assigned the critical role in this cosmic drama
who was, indeed, fully qualified, worthy, and capable for the role.
He is presently sitting on His Father’s throne as you read this.
Luria’s thought provided the basis for transforming Kabbalah into a
popular, messianic movement that infused the rabbinic traditions and
affected all Jewry, paving the way for Sabbatian Messianism (after Sabbatai Zevi) in the 17th century and Hasidism in the 18th century.
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Hasidic Judaism
In the Hebrew Bible, the word hasid usually refers to a pious or
righteous person (Ps 32:6).
(The plural is hasidim).
Psa 32:6 For this cause everyone who is godly H2623 shall
pray to You In a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood
of great waters They shall not come near him.
H2623 ‫ חסיד‬châsı̂ yd / ḥāsiyḏ: BDB Definition:
1) faithful, kind, godly, holy one, saint, pious
1a) kind
1b) pious, godly
1c) faithful ones (substantive)
By the 11th and 12th centuries, however, the term hasid implied a
person involved in a specifically mystical form of contemplative piety.
It came to be applied to a group of German Jewish mystics known as the
Hasidei Ashkenaz (“German Pietists”) who became known for rigorous
ascetic practices designed to suppress the power of physical appetites to
place the body under the dominion of the soul as it strove for intimate
knowledge of God.
Hasidism, as we know it today, developed in the mid-18th century in
Eastern Europe from the Kabbalah, and continues today in dozens of
Hasidic communities around the world.
Some communities consist of only a few hundred members in isolated
Jewish neighborhoods of New York City, Los Angeles, and Jerusalem.
Other Hasidic groups, such as the Satmar Hasidim and the ChabadLubavitch Hasidim, have an international membership numbering in the
tens of thousands.
All of these communities trace their origins to a single individual, 18thcentury rabbi Israel ben Eliezer, better known to the Jewish world as the
Baal Shem Tov (Hebrew for “Master of the Divine Name”) credited with
miraculous cures.
Summary
• Mosaic Judaism Exodus - Ezra
• Pharisaical Judaism Gospel period
• Talmudic Judaisim 3rd – 8th century
• Kabbalah 12th century
• Hasidic Judaism 18th century
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Gematria
In Kabbalah, great importance is attached to manifold manipulations of
letters and numbers, particularly those involved in many of the “Names of
God,” to which are ascribed magical properties.
The manipulation of the numeric values attached to the alphabet is called
Gematria, and there are virtually unlimited varieties of “rules” for their
use.
Forms of Gematria
1) Ragil (nominal).
2) Kolel, the ragil values plus the number of letters in the word.
3) Katan, small values; all tens and hundreds reduced to 1 - 9 by
summing the digits. (Also called “reduced” values.)
4) Hakadmi, nominal values plus the values of each letter preceding
it.
5) Hameruba Haklali, the value of the word squared.
6) Hameruba Haperati, the sum of the squares of each individual
letter.
7) Miluy, the sums of the values of the names of each letter that
makes up the word. (Also called “filling.”)
(“If you torture data long enough, it will eventually confess to anything!”)
Cryptology
It was the esoteric skills of the Jewish Kabbalists who were attached to
the courts of Europe which developed the techniques of cryptology which
emerged during the Renaissance.
These techniques led to mechanical aids, ultimately culminating in the
Enigma coding machines of the Germans during World War II.
In turn, this accelerated the development of the computers to defeat
them—by John Von Neuman in the U.S. and Alan Turing in Great Britain.
These computers, in turn, have now led to the rediscovery of some of the
astonishing properties of the Biblical text that has caused such
sensationalism—some valid, much fanciful—today (cf. Cosmic Codes,
2004).
Occult Practices
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Anyone with a modicum of Biblical literacy should realize that occult
practices are expressly prohibited in the Scriptures:
Scripture condemns by name:




spiritism, mediums (“channeling”), and necromancy (Deut 18:912; 2 Chr 33:2, 3, 6);
various forms of sorcery and divination (Lev 19:26; Deut 18:912, 14; Hos 4:12; Ex 22:18; Isa 44:25; 29:8, 9; Ezek 21:21; cf.
1 Sam 15:23);
astrology (Deut 17:2-5; 2 Kgs 17:15-17; Isa 47:9-14); and
magic (Acts 13:8; 19:16-19; Isa 47:9, 12).
In ancient Israel, divination was a capital crime; if someone was caught
casting a horoscope, or other occultic practice, they were put to death.
God is jealous of His uniqueness, and He alone knows what the
future holds (Isa 46:10; 45:3, 5).
To intrude on His office is to attempt to intrude on His glory
(Ex 19:12, 13; 1 Chr 16:22 cf. David quoting Psa 105:15).
Occult activity also courts deception and betrayal from the demonic
realm, and promotes evil under the guise of legitimate religious practice.
Occult involvement will eventually lead to judgment for those who refuse
to forsake it (Rev 22:15; 2 Chr 33:6).
Kabbalah’s Errors
De-personalize God?
Uncovering the Father’s nakedness?
Occult practices?
For all these errors, Paul had one remedy, the epignosis —
superknowledge—of the fullness of God in Jesus Christ.
19] And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and
bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth
with the increase of God.
The mystic, while believing that he is in touch with a higher reality, has,
in fact, lost connection with the Head (Jn 15:1-5).
Three Warnings
• Let no man judge you (Col 2:16,17);
• Let no man beguile you of your reward (Col 2:18,19);
• Let No One Enslave You (Col 2:20-23).
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20] Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the
world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to
ordinances,
“...if”: Condition of the first class, assumed as true (better translated
“since”)
“...rudiments”: or, elements; row or a series.
In Greece, rudiments also meant the elemental spirits of the
universe, the angels that influence the heavenly bodies; one of the
words in the astrological vocabulary of that day.
The rudiments (stoicheia) or elemental spirits are identified
1) with demonic powers to whom have been delegated authority in
the cosmos and, therefore, over men (Col 2:15) or
2) with angelic powers generally who mediated the law and
exercised in the old age a certain suzerainty over men.
Astrology (excerpted from Sky & Telescope, Aug.1989)
1984 Gallup Poll: 55% of American teenagers believe in astrology!
But empirical results prove: It Doesn’t Work!
Marital compatibility:
Psychologist Bernard Silverman of Michigan State University
analyzed birth dates of 2978 couples who were getting married and
478 who were getting divorced.
No correlations with predicted compatibility.
Professional aptitude:
Random expectation of 34% achieved [Nature, December 5, 1985.]
French statistician Michel Gauquelin sent the horoscope for one of
the worst mass murderers in French history to 150 people and asked
how well it fit them;
94% said they recognized themselves in the description.
Geoffrey Dean, an Australian researcher, reversed the astrological
readings of 22 subjects: 95% identified themselves with the reversed
readings.
Astronomers Culver and Ianna tracked the published predictions of
well-known astrologers and astrological organizations for five years.
Out of 3000 predictions, only 10% came to pass.
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10 Questions for Astrologers
1) What is the likelihood that 1/12th of the world’s population is
having the same kind of day today?
2) Why is the moment of birth, not conception, crucial for astrology?
Why don’t identical twins always have the same personality?!
3) If the mother’s womb can keep out astrological influences until
birth, can we do the same with a slab of steak?
4) If astrologers are as good as they claim, why aren’t they richer?
(e.g.: stock market, etc.)
How many foresaw Black Monday, October 1987? The plunge of
2008? None.)
5) Aren’t all horoscopes done before the discovery of the three
outermost planets incorrect? (Uranus, 1781; Neptune, 1846; Pluto,
1930)
6) Shouldn’t we condemn astrology as a form of bigotry? (i.e.,
refusing to hire a Leo or date a Virgo, etc.)
7) Why do different schools of astrology disagree so strongly with
each other? (Ex: Precession of the Earth’s axis, how many planets
and celestial objects to be included, allocation of personality traits,
etc. No convergence of consensus.)
8) If the astrological influence is carried by any known force, why do
the planets dominate?
The obstetrician who delivers the child turns out to have about
six times the gravitational pull of Mars and about 2,000 billion
times its tidal force (less mass, but a lot closer!)
9) If astrological influence is carried by an unknown force, why is it
independent of distance?
The importance of Mars in a horoscope is identical whether the
planet is on the same side of the sun as the Earth or seven times
farther away on the other side, etc.
10) If astrological influences don’t depend on distance, why is there
no astrology of stars, galaxies, and quasars?
Doesn’t the omission of Rigel, the Crab pulsar, and M31 render a
horoscope incomplete?
Additional Sources
140
Astronomy versus Astrology, 20 page pamphlet, Astronomical Society of
the Pacific, 390 Ashton Ave., San Francisco, CA, 94112.
Astrology: True or False, by Roger Culver and Philip Ianna, 1988, Prometheus Books, 700 E. Amherst St., Buffalo, NY 14215.
Best skeptical book on the subject.
“Jetology”?
A “New science” not weighed down by tradition and history: taken from
the position of all jumbo jets at the moment of birth...etc.
21] (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
22] Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments
and doctrines of men?
“...commandments and doctrines of men”: Cf. Eve’s carnal exaggeration: Gen 3:3 (vs. Gen 2:16-17).
Asceticism, the pseudo-spiritual ritual that revels in rules of physical selfdenial, is based on man’s rules.
Circumcision, a sign of grace becomes a condition of grace...
The ascetic’s entire life is wrapped up in a system of rules.
Asceticism
Paul condemned legalism and mysticism; next he attacked and condemned asceticism.
An ascetic practices rigorous self-denial and even self-mortification
in order to become more spiritual.
Ascetic practices were popular during the Middle Ages:
 wearing hair shirts next to the skin,
 sleeping on hard beds,
 whipping oneself,
 not speaking for days (maybe years),
 going without food or sleep, etc.
• God “giveth us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Tim. 6:17).
1Ti 6:17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to
be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living
God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.
• Foods have been “created to be received with thanksgiving” (1 Tim
4:3).
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1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some
will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and
doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their
own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3 forbidding to marry,
and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to
be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know
the truth.
• But the “commandments and doctrines” of the false teachers replaced
the inspired Word of God (Mk 7:6-9).
Mar 7:6 He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah
prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'THIS PEOPLE
HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR
FROM ME. 7 AND IN VAIN THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS
DOCTRINES THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN.' 8 For laying
aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—
the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things
you do." 9 He said to them, "All too well you reject the
commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.
• God gave foods to be used, and they “perish with the using” (Col
2:22).
Col 2:20 Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic
principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do
you subject yourselves to regulations— 21 "Do not touch, do
not taste, do not handle," 22 which all concern things which
perish with the using—according to the commandments and
doctrines of men?
• Jesus explained that food went into the stomach, not the heart (Mk
7:18ff).
Mar 7:18 So He said to them, "Are you thus without
understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a
man from outside cannot defile him, 19 because it does not
enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus
purifying all foods?"
• “I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is
nothing unclean of itself” (Rom 14:14).
23] Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and
humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the
satisfying of the flesh.
The “flesh”: doctrinally, the nature which fallen man has inherited from
his first father.
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Human nature is something we are to rise above.
1Co 9:27 But I discipline my body and bring it into
subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself
should become disqualified.
[The“dog” that wins is one the one I feed and exercise the most.]
Monasticism is not the answer.
Untold thousands of monks, hermits, and ascetics of all descriptions
have proved that they are useless against the indulgences of the
flesh.
By creating a reputation for superior sanctity, as some did, they did
not really honor God but only satisfied the flesh.
This section closes the 2nd chapter of Colossians in which the emphasis
was on danger.
Paul defended the preeminence of Jesus Christ, and he refuted the false
doctrines of legalism, mysticism, and asceticism:
• The answer to legalism is the spiritual reality we have in Christ.
• The answer to mysticism is the spiritual union with Christ, the Head
of the church.
• The answer to asceticism is our position in Christ in death, burial,
and resurrection.
Wrong doctrine always leads to wrong living.
Right doctrine should lead to right living.
In the two concluding chapters, Paul applied the preeminence of Christ
to the daily affairs of life.
If Christ is truly preeminent in our lives, then we will glorify Him by
keeping pure, by enjoying fellowship with other saints, by loving each
other at home and being faithful at work, and by seeking to witness for
Christ and serve Him effectively.
Unless doctrine leads to duty, it is of no use to us.
As we study this profound letter, we must heed Paul’s warnings:
“Lest any man should beguile you” (Col 2:4);
“Lest any man spoil you” (Col 2:8);
“Let no man therefore judge you!” (Col 2:16).
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The Epistle to the Colossians Chapter 3:1 - 17
Paul always gives the doctrinal section and then the practical section.
Chapters 3 (after v.4) and 4 comprise the practical section of Colossians.
Review
Is there any sense in which “we are on probation?”
Just what are our responsibilities?
After his lengthy digression (Col 2:13-23), Paul returns to apply the truth
of verse 12:
“Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him
through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him
from the dead."
After all, it does little good if Christians



declare the truth and
defend the truth, but fail to
demonstrate the truth in their lives.
There are some Christians who will defend the truth at the drop of a hat,
but their personal lives deny the doctrines they profess to love
Tit 1:16 They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him,
being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good
work.
We must keep in mind that the pagan religions of Paul’s day said little or
nothing about personal morality.
What a person believed had no direct relationship with how he behaved,
and no one would condemn a person for his behavior.
Three Instructions
1) Seek the Heavenly (Col 3:1-4)
2) Slay the Earthly (Col 3:5-9)
3) Strengthen the Christly (Col 3:10-11)
1) Seek the Heavenly (Col 3:1-4)
– We died with Christ v.3a (Cf .Rom 6-8)
– We live in Christ v.4a (Cf. Phil 1:21)
– We are raised with Christ v.1a
– We are hidden in Christ v.3b
– We are glorified in Christ v.4b
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Colossians 3
THE RISEN LIFE
Colossians 3:1-4
"If then you were raised with Christ, set your hearts on the things
which are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Have a mind all of whose thoughts are fixed on the things which are
above, not upon the things on earth. For you died and your life is
hidden with Christ in God. Whenever Christ, your life, shall appear,
then you too shall appear with him in glory."
In baptism the Christian dies and rises again.
As the waters close over him, it is as if he was buried in death;
as he emerges from the waters, it is like being resurrected to a new
life.
the Christian must rise from baptism a different man.



now the thoughts of the Christian must be set on the things
which are above.
He can no longer be concerned with the trivial passing things
of earth;
he must be totally concerned with the eternal verities of
heaven - following and serving His Lord
Paul is not pleading for an other-worldliness in which the Christian
withdraws himself from all the work and activities of this world and does
nothing but contemplate eternity.
We are not to be so heavenly minded we are no earthly good...
Paul goes on to lay down a series of ethical principles which make it
quite clear that he expects the Christian to go on with the work of this
world and to maintain all its normal relationships.
But from now on the Christian will view everything against the
background of eternity and no longer live as if this world was all that
mattered.
This will obviously give him a new set of values.
Things which the world thought important, he will no longer worry
about.
Ambitions which dominated the world, will be powerless to touch
him.
He will go on using the things of the world but he will use them in a
new way.
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He will set giving above getting, serving above ruling, forgiving
above avenging, etc.
The Christian's standard of values will be God's not men's.
The life of the Christian is hid with Christ in God.
The early Christians regarded baptism as a dying and a rising again.
When a man was dead and buried, the Greeks very commonly
spoke of him as being hidden in the earth;
The Christian had died a spiritual death in baptism and he is not
hidden in the earth, but hidden in Christ.
The very act of baptism wrapped a man round with Christ.
There may well be a word play here which a Greek would recognize
at once.
The false teachers called their books of so-called wisdom
"apokruphoi," the books that were hidden from all except from
those who were initiated.
The word which Paul uses to say that our lives are hidden with
Christ in God is part of the verb "apokruptein," from which the
adjective "apokruphos" comes.
Using one word would suggest the other.
"For you the treasures of wisdom are hidden in your secret books; for
us Christ is the treasury of wisdom and we are hidden in him."
The life of the Christian is hidden with Christ in God.
That which is hidden is concealed;
the world may not recognize - understand or acknowledge - the
Christian.
But: "The day is coming when Christ will return in glory and then
the Christian, whom no one recognized, will share that glory
and it will be plain for all to see."
Some day the verdicts of eternity will reverse the verdicts of time
and the judgments of God will overturn the judgments of men.
CHRIST OUR LIFE
In verse 4 Paul calls him Christ our life.
"For me to live is Christ" (Php.1:21).
"It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me" (Gal.2:20).
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To the Christian Christ is and should be the most important thing in life;
more, he is life.
Sometimes we say of a man,
"Music is his life--Sport is his life--He lives for his work."
Such a man finds life and all that it means in music, in sport,
in work, as the case may be.
For the Christian, Christ is his life.
This is the kind of peak of devotion which we can only dimly
understand and only haltingly and imperfectly express.
That is precisely why the Christian sets his mind and heart on the things
which are above and not on the things of this world.
He judges everything in the light of the Cross and in the light of the
love which gave itself for him and in consideration of the resurrection
the power, mercy and grace of a living Lord's love.
The world's wealth and ambitions and activities are seen at their
true value;
The Christian is enabled and determined to set his whole
heart on the things which are above.
1) If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are
above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
“If”: “Should be translated “Since...”
1st class condition: assumes that the premise (protasis) is true for
the sake of argument; with any mood and tense in the apodosis.
[Greek has more ability than English in describing the kind of
relationship between the protasis and the apodosis.
It is possible for the writer/speaker to indicate whether the
protasis is true or not.]
“...seek”: “having an urgency and a desire and an ambition” to seek
those tings above....
2) Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
“...on things above”: Think heaven.
Set your watch on “HQ time.”
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Daniel, when he was a captive of Babylon, yet reckoned his time to
Jerusalem, 200 miles to the west (e.g. Dan 9:21).
Dan 9:20 Now while I was speaking, praying, and
confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and
presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the
holy mountain of my God, 21 yes, while I was speaking in
prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at
the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about
the time of the evening offering.
Politics: “How you stand depends upon where you sit.”
Where are you seated? “In the heavenlies” (Eph 1:3, 10; 2:6).
Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the
heavenly places in Christ,
Eph 1:10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He
might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are
in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.
Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great
love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in
trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you
have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit
together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
A warning against false systems which attempt to rob the
believer of the great unity with Christ in His death and
resurrection (Col 2:13-23).
“...things on the earth”: “In Adam” we are fallen.
“In Christ” we have received a new life from Him and, therefore, we are
not to think of ourselves as in any sense on probation.
We do not stand before God on the ground of responsibility.
The “responsible man” utterly failed to keep his obligations.
There was nothing for him but condemnation, but the Lord Jesus
Christ has borne that condemnation (Rom 8:1).
Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to
those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk
according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For
the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me
free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law
could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God
did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful
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flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be
fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but
according to the Spirit.
“Things on earth”: Idols? = Any alternative obsession.
Don’t expect the world to understand us.
Cain hated Abel because his own works were unacceptable.
Even the Lord said, “They hated Me without a cause” (Jn 15:25).
[Cf. Ps 69…]
3] For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
“...ye are dead”: We have died in Christ (Rom 6-8).
He died for us (substitution); we have died with Him (identification);
He not only died for sin, bearing its penalty,
but He died unto sin, breaking its power.
Our link that has bound us to the world—and all its purposes—has
been severed, and we are freed from all necessity to be subject to
sin in the flesh (Rom 5:1ff).
Rom 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have
peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through
whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which
we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Two deaths; the order is important.
1st: separation of the soul and the body;
2nd: separation of soul from God.
(Our “second” was taken care of at the cross; Rev 2:11; Rev
20:6, 14; 21:8).
Rev 2:11 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not
be hurt by the second death." '
Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the
first resurrection. Over such the second death has no
power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ,
and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
Rev 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who
sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled
away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I
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saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and
books were opened. And another book was opened,
which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged
according to their works, by the things which were
written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who
were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead
who were in them. And they were judged, each one
according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were
cast into the lake of fire.
This is the second death.
Rev 21:8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable,
murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and
all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with
fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
“...life is hid”: Our life is in His safekeeping.
“Whoever heard of a man drowning with his head that high above
water!”
Nothing can separate us from the risen Christ (Rom 8:31-39).
Rom 8:31-39
(31) What then shall we say to these things? If God is for
us, who can be against us?
(32) He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him
up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give
us all things?
(33) Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God
who justifies.
(34) Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and
furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand
of God, who also makes intercession for us.
(35) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or peril, or sword?
(36) As it is written: "FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE KILLED
ALL DAY LONG; WE ARE ACCOUNTED AS SHEEP FOR
THE SLAUGHTER."
(37) Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors
through Him who loved us.
(38) For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor
angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present
nor things to come,
(39) nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall
be able to separate us from the love of God which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord.
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The Christian life is a “hidden life” as far as the world is
concerned, because the world does not know Christ.
1Jn 4:5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as
of the world, and the world hears them. 6 We are of
God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God
does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and
the spirit of error.
4] When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also
appear with him in glory.
“...then shall ye also appear with him”:
“For me to live is Christ” (Phil 1:21).
How can we appear with Him, but for a pre-trib rapture?
1Th 1:9 For they themselves declare concerning us what
manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to
God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and
to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from
the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to
come.
2Th 2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day
will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the
man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who
opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God
or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple
of God, showing himself that he is God. 5 Do you not
remember that when I was still with you I told you these
things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he
may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of
lawlessness is already at work; only He who now
restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8
And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord
will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy
with the brightness of His coming.
This ends the doctrinal teaching;
Christ is the antidote for every form of error.
The true gospel makes nothing of man and everything of Christ.
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THE THINGS WHICH LIE BEHIND
Colossians 3:5-9a
"So, then, put to death these parts of you which are earthly-
fornication,

uncleanness,

passion,

evil desire,

the desire to get more than you ought--for this is idol
worship;
and because of these things the wrath of God comes upon those
who are disobedient.
It was amongst these things that you once spent your lives; when
you lived among them;
but now you must divest yourselves of all these things -
anger,

temper,

malice,

slander,

foul talk which issues from your mouth.

Do not lie to one another."
The New Testament demands with a certain violence the complete
elimination of everything which is against God.
5] Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth;
fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence,
and covetousness, which is idolatry:
“Mortify”: [nekrōsate]: Put to death; Take them to the undertaker...
"Put to death every part of your self which is against God and
keeps you from fulfilling his will."
Rom.8:13 "If you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by
the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live."
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Mat 5:29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it
from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members
perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your
right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is
more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for
your whole body to be cast into hell.
The Christian must kill self-centeredness and regard as dead all private
desires and ambitions.
There must be in his life a radical transformation of the will and a radical
shift of the center.
Everything which would keep him from fully obeying God and fully
surrendering to Christ must be surgically excised.

“...fornication”: [porneian]: sexual immorality in general

“...uncleanness”: [akatharsian]: lustful impurity connected with
loose living;
Fornication and uncleanness must go.
In the ancient world sexual relationships before marriage and outside
marriage were the normal and accepted practice - a thing to be
gratified, not to be controlled.

“...inordinate affection”: [pathos]: inappropriate and excessive
affection: appetites seek opportunities to satisfy themselves;
A person who is the slave of his passions ("palkos")

“...evil concupiscence”: [epithumian kakēn] (base, evil desires;
unlawful lusts): desires lead to deeds.
One who is driven by the desire for the wrong things ("epithumia").

“...covetousness”: [pleonexia]: Putting things in the place of God;
worship of self) which is Idolatry.” (Cf. Ex 20:17).
"Pleonexia" - the insatiate desire to have more.
like trying to keep a bucket with a hole in it full
Comes from two Greek words;
from "pleon" which means "more"
from "echein" which means to have.
the desire for what belongs to others.
ruthless self-seeking.
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the desire for that which we have no right to have
If it is the desire for money, it leads to theft.
If it is the desire for prestige, it leads to evil ambition.
If it is the desire for power, it leads to sadistic tyranny.
If it is the desire for a person, it leads to sexual sin.
Paul calls this desire to get, idolatry.
"idolatry is an attempt to use a god for man's purposes, rather
than to give oneself to God's service."
The man whose life is dominated by the desire to get things has set
up things in the place of God--and that precisely is idolatry.
Upon all such things the wrath of God must fall - a man will sow what
he reaps and that no one ever escapes the consequences of his sin.
6] For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children
of disobedience:
The “wraths” of God:





Eternal Wrath (vs. sin…);
Eschatalogical Wrath (Rev 6-19);
Calamitous Wrath (Gen 6-9);
Consequential Wrath (Gal 6:7); and,
Abandonment Wrath (Judg 16:20; Prov 1:24-32; Hosea 4:17;
Rom 1:18-32).
Abandonment Wrath
And [Delilah] said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he
awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times
before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was
departed from him. Judges 16:20
How can we tell if God has “abandoned” us?
Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone. Hosea 4:17
“Ephraim” (37 times in Hosea) is God’s synecdoche for the Northern
Kingdom, the name of its dominant tribal constituent.
The parallels between “Ephraim” and the U.S. is sobering.
“Let him alone” has a painful note of finality (cf. Rev 22:11).
Proverbs 1:24-32
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Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my
hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my
counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your
calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear
cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind;
when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek
me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge,
and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of my
counsel: they despised all my reproof.
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled
with their own devices.
For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the
prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
Is there a national indicator that would confirm God’s abandonment?
There is a specific judgment of God clearly so identified!
Romans 1:18-32
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in
unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is
manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are
clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made,
even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without
excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him
not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their
imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And
changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made
like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and
creeping things.
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the
lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies
between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie,
and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator,
who is blessed for ever.
Amen.
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even
their women did change the natural use into that which is
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against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural
use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men
with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in
themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge,
God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things
which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness,
fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of
envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters,
haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil
things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding,
covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable,
unmerciful:Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which
commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same,
but have pleasure in them that do them.
No excuse can be offered on the ground of the innate tendencies of
human nature
To purify our actions, we must first purify our minds and hearts.
“Taking every thought captive…” (2 Cor 10:5).
Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are:
adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry,
sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath,
selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders,
drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you
beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who
practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Eph 4:17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you
should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the
futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened,
being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance
that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who,
being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to
work all uncleanness with greediness.
Eph 5:3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it
not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither
filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not
fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know, that no
fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an
idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of
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these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of
disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them. 8
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.
Walk as children of light
THE THINGS LEFT BEHIND
7] In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
Paul then turned to “social sins.” [ “the sins in good standing.”]
8] But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice,
blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
That’s our pollution problem!
In Col.3:8 Paul says that there are things we must strip from ourselves.
“...put off”...“put on”: These are terms of changing our garments.
The Greek grammar indicates a “once and for all” action.
“Habits” = garments.
At His resurrection, Jesus left His grave clothes behind.
Cf. Lazarus:




Dead (Jn 11:14);
Defeated; yet entangled in his grave clothes (Jn 11:44);
Dangerous (Jn 12:10); and
Dining with our Lord (Jn 12:2).
The uses is the word for putting off clothes.
When the early Christian was baptized, he put off his old clothes
when he went down into the water and
When he emerged he put on a new and pure white robe.
He symbolically and testimonially divested himself of one kind of
life and put on another.

anger and temper.
...anger”: Anger cherished, begets wrath.
"Thumos" is a blaze of sudden anger which is quickly kindled
and just as quickly dies.
The Greeks likened it to a fire amongst straw, which quickly
blazed and just as quickly burned itself out.
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"Orge" is anger which is long-lasting, slow-burning anger, which
refuses to be pacified, It nurses its wrath keeping it hot and
roiling.

malice.
"kakia"; a difficult word to translate,
“...malice”: Malice is an attitude of ill will toward another (Eph
4:26: “let not the sun set on your wrath...”).
“...wrath”: Wrath, if not judged, begets malice.
It means that viciousness of mind from which all the individual vices
spring.
It is all-pervading, consuming attitude bringing evil action.

slander and foul talk
"blasphemia," KJV: blasphemy
Blasphemia is insulting and slanderous speaking either Godward
or manward.
insulting speech directed against God becomes blasphemy.
To impute evil to God, or seek to misrepresent Him, or pervert the
truth as to the Father, the Son, or the Spirit
...To speak injuriously of one another, to circulate wicked and
untruthful reports against one’s brethren
"aischrologia"; foul talk / obscene language / “...filthy
communication”:
It is: foul speech, coarse humor, obscene language.
Some think it is manly or contemporary to use this kind of speech:
If someone says, “Now, take this with a grain of salt!” you can
remind him of Colossians 4:6: “Let your speech be always
with grace, seasoned with salt.”
Salt is a symbol of purity, and grace and purity go together.

not lie to one another.
9] Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man
with his deeds;
Lying is one of the very first evidences of the carnal nature.
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“The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as
soon as they be born, speaking lies” (Ps 58:3).
A lie is a misrepresentation of truth, even if the words are accurate.
It involves the intent to thwart God's purposes.
False
Exaggerations
Not fully telling all
When a Christian lies, he is cooperating with Satan, the father of lies.
Joh 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of
your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the
beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no
truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own
resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth (Jn 14:17; 15:26).
Joh 14:7 "If you had known Me, you would have known My
Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen
Him."
Joh 15:26 "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to
you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the
Father, He will testify of Me.
Turn these 3 negative speech characteristics into positive commands
(i) Christian speech must be kind.
All slanderous and malicious talking is forbidden.
Before we repeat anything about anyone we should ask four
questions:
Is it true?
Is it necessary?
Is it kind?
Is it helpful?
The New Testament is unsparing in its condemnation of the
gossiping tongues which poison truth.
(ii) Christian speech must be pure.
There can never have been a time in history when so much filthy
language is used as today.
And the tragedy is that many people have become so habituated
to unclean talk that they are unaware that they are using it.
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The Christian should never forget that he will give account for every
idle word he speaks.
Mat_12:36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may
speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
(iii) Christian speech must be true.
Far more falsehoods told unawares than are told deliberately;
It is easy to distort the truth;
 an alteration in the tone of voice or
 even a look will often do it; and
 silences can be as false and misleading as any words.
Our speech must always be kind, pure, and honest
to all men and in all places.
2) Slay the Earthly (Col 3:5-9)
Declare and defend the truth, but also demonstrate it.
• Verses 5-11: relates to ourselves;
• Verses 12-17: our relationship with others.
We must be right with ourselves before we can be right toward others.
THE UNIVERSALITY OF CHRISTIANITY
Colossians 3:9b-13
"Strip off the old self with all its activities. Put on the new self,
which is ever freshly renewed until it reaches fullness of
knowledge, in the likeness of its creator. In it there is neither Greek
nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian,
slave nor free man, but Christ is all in all. So then, as the chosen of
God, dedicated and beloved, clothe yourself with a heart of pity,
kindness, humility, gentleness, patience. Bear with one another,
and, if anyone has a ground of complaint against someone else,
forgive each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must
forgive each other."
When a man becomes a Christian, there ought to be a complete change
in his personality.
He puts off his old self and puts on a new self.
3) Strengthen the Christly (Col 3:10-11)
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10] And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge
after the image of him that created him:
Christianity which does not change a man is imperfect
- 'believed in vain' or thrown off / abandoned faith.
Having 'put off' - we must also 'put on' something
“...renewed” = present participle, indicating “constantly being renewed.”
Cf. Rom 12:1,2.
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of
God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do
not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good
and acceptable and perfect will of God.
This transformation is a continual renewal.
It causes a man to grow continually in grace and knowledge
reaching what he was meant to be: mature -- attaining manhood
in the image of God.
This is the very opposite of legalism:
It reflects the spontaneous expression of the life of the Head in
the body's members here on earth!
“...after the image of him”: Man was created in the image of God.
Gen 1:26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image,
according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish
of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all
the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the
earth." 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image
of God He created him; male and female He created them.
When man sinned, this image of God was marred and ruined.
Adam’s children were born in the image of their father .
Gen 5:1 This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the
day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of
God. 2 He created them male and female, and blessed them
and called them Mankind in the day they were created. 3
And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a
son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him
Seth.
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In spite of sin, man still bears the image of God
Gen 9:6 "Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood
shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man.
Jas 3:9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and
therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude
of God.
We were formed in God’s image, and deformed from God’s image by sin.
But through Jesus Christ, we can be transformed into God’s image renewed in the spirit of our minds
Eph 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And
that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in
righteousness and true holiness.
Eph 5:26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by
the washing of water with the word,
As we grow in knowledge of the Word of God, we will be transformed by
the Spirit of God to share in the glorious image of God
2Co 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the
glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory
to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
God transforms us by the renewing of our minds, changing our thinking
and attitude but this involves the study of God’s Word.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove
what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Titus 3:5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we
have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by
the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy
Spirit,
It is the truth that sets us free from the old life
Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him,
If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
God’s purpose for us is that we be “conformed to the image of His Son”.
Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate
to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the
firstborn among many brethren.
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11] Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor
uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is
all, and in all.
“...Barbarian, Scythian”: Greeks regarded all non-Greeks as “barbarians.”
However, the Scythian was proverbially the worst!
[N. beyond the Caspian and Black Sea: “Caucasian”(!?)]
All barriers, all previous distinctions are irrelevant:
national, ethnic, religious, social, political, et al.
Ministries that are built upon human distinctions, such as race, color,
social standing, etc., are not Biblical.
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor
uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk
according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon
the Israel of God. Galatians 6:15,16
Pursuit of Holiness
• Verses 5-11: Relates to ourselves;
• Verses 12-17: Our relationship with others.
THE GARMENTS OF CHRISTIAN GRACE
Paul gives us the list of the graces with which we must clothe ourselves.
1. Paul addresses the Colossians as chosen of God, dedicated and
beloved.
Each of these three words originally belonged to the Jews.
They were the chosen people;
They were the dedicated nation,
They were the beloved of God.
God's love and grace have gone out to the ends of the earth.
2. Every one of the characteristics of grace listed has to do with
personal relationships between man and man.
Christianity is community.
It has on its divine side the amazing gift of peace with God and on its
human side the triumphant solution of the problem of living together.
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12] Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels
of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness,
longsuffering;
“...elect of God”: Those whom He has foreknown from outside of time
(eternity) and who are manifest in time as believers in His Son.
Deu 7:7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose
you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye
were the fewest of all people: 8 But because the LORD loved
you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn
unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty
hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the
hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the
foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without
blame before him in love:
God’s sovereign purpose exemplified in these two verses:
For whom he did foreknow,
he also did predestinate
to be conformed to the image of his Son,
that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and
whom he called, them he also justified: and
whom he justified, them he also glorified. Romans 8:29,30
Uncertainty about election can arise from some kind of selfrighteousness…
This eternal choice and foreknowledge involves more than
establishing a relationship between God and believers—it involves
the certainty of our sanctification!
Those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the
likeness of His Son (Rom 8:29).
A Chain of 5 Links (Romans 8:29-30)
1) Foreknow (God’s Knowledge): The process starts with
Foreknowledge, God's wisdom in establishing His plan, purposes,
and their results.
2) Predestinate (Abraham): The result planned in advance (Eph 1:4-6).
The result of answering God's call (or rejecting God's call) is
predestined, “predetermined."
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3) Called (Issac): The efficacious call to come to Him (Jn 10:27; Rom
1:6; 8:28).
He calls us and we choose
As a result of our choice He brings about the result for us that He
determined in advance for those that choose Him (and those
that do not).
4) Justified (Jacob): Declared righteous (Rom 5:1; cf. 3:24, 28; 4:2;
5:1, 9).
When we choose Him, we are justified.
5) Glorified (Joseph): “Those...he also”; Rom 8:30 (Cf. 3:23; 8:17; Col.
1:27; 3:4).
“Glorified” is another way of saying that God’s children will be
“conformed” to His Son; and that is God’s ultimate “purpose.”
No longer will they “fall short of the glory of God” (Ro 3:23).
In the process not a single person is lost.
Paradigm of Divine Volition
• Foreknowledge determines Election;
• Predestination brings to pass the Election;
• Election looks back to Foreknowledge;
• Predestination looks forward to Destiny.
Divine Election
• Corporate: Israel (Isa 45) and the Church (Eph 1:4).
• Individual: According to the foreknowledge of God (1Ptr 1:2);
Wholly of grace, not human merit (Ro 9:11; 11:5,6),
Whereby certain are chosen for Himself (Jn 15:19)
or for distinctive service (Lk 6:13; Acts 9:15; 1Cor
1:27,28).
• Election = people of God
• Predestination = purposes of God
Those who are His - have acknowledged Him - are predestined to the
purpose and end He determined before the foundation of the world...
12] Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels
of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness,
longsuffering;
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“...holy (set apart) and beloved”: Those who have been set apart in
Christ; sanctified by the blood of the everlasting covenant, dear to God
because they are His own children, partakers of the Divine Nature.
“...bowels”: an ancient idiom equivalent to our use of “heart” to express
the deepest feelings of humanity.
Stirred with deep compassion.
We need to express our tender feelings of compassion to one
another (Phil 2:1ff).
Php 2:1 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if
any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any
affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of
one mind.
“...mercies, kindness”: Mercies and kindness are our “inner vestments.”
[David’s treatment of Mephibosheth, the crippled prince of Saul’s
family, to show the kindness of God (2 Sam 9).
- If there was one thing the ancient world needed it was mercy.
- The sufferings of animals were nothing to it.
- The maimed and the sickly went to the wall.
- There was no provision for the aged.
- The treatment of the idiot and the simple-minded was unfeeling.
Christianity brought mercy into this world.
Everything that has been done for the aged, the sick, the weak in
body and in mind, the animal, the child, the woman has been
done under the inspiration of Christianity.
kindness ("chrestotes").
"chrestotes": the virtue of the man whose neighbor's good is as
dear to him as his own.
Goodness by itself can be stern; but "chrestotes" is the
goodness which is kind.
It is used as a description of Isaac, the man who dug wells and gave
them to others because he would not fight about them (Gen.26:1725).
It is used of wine which has grown mellow with age and lost its
harshness.
It is the word used when Jesus said, "My yoke is easy."
(Matt.11:30).
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It is that type of goodness which Jesus used with the sinning woman
who anointed his feet (Lk.7:37-50).
No doubt Simon the Pharisee was a good man; but Jesus was
more than good, he was "chrestos."
“...humbleness of mind”: a hat for the head
There is humility ("tapeinophrosune").
In classical Greek there is no word for humility which does not
also have some tinge of servility;
Christian humility is not a cringing thing.
God is the Creator, man the creature, and in the presence of the
Creator the creature cannot feel anything else but humility.
Pride is a stench in God’s nostrils.
It was through pride that sin was introduced through Lucifer.
Isa 14:12 "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son
of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You
who weakened the nations! 13 For you have said in your
heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above
the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the
congregation On the farthest sides of the north; 14 I will
ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the
Most High.' 15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To
the lowest depths of the Pit. 16 "Those who see you will
gaze at you, And consider you, saying: 'Is this the man who
made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms, 17 Who
made the world as a wilderness And destroyed its cities,
Who did not open the house of his prisoners?'
Leaven came to be a “type” for sin; it corrupts by puffing up.
Humbleness of mind is not thinking poorly of oneself;
it is having the proper estimate of oneself in the will of God
Rom 12:3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to
everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more
highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God
has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
Meekness is not weakness; it is power under control
(i.e., a soothing wind, a healing medicine, a broken colt).
Moses also was meek (Num 12:3).
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Num 12:3 (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than
all men who were on the face of the earth.)
We are told to seek meekness (Zeph 2:3) and
Zep 2:3 Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, Who
have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility.
It may be that you will be hidden In the day of the LORD's
anger.
Jesus is the model (Mt 11:29).
Mat 11:29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I
am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your
souls.
In contrast with the world’s (and psychotherapy’s) pursuit of “selfesteem,” we are to take on a vesture of meekness.
gentleness ("praotes").
Aristotle: "the happy mean between too much and too little anger."
The man who is self-controlled because he is God-controlled
He is always angry at the right time and never angry at the
wrong time.
He has the strength and the sweetness of true gentleness at the
same time.
patience ("makrothumia").
This is the spirit which never loses its consistency in its dealings with
its fellow-men.
Foolishness and unteachability never drive it to cynicism or
despair;
Insults and their ill-treatment never drive it to bitterness or wrath.
Human patience is a reflection of the divine patience which bears
with all our sinning and never casts us off.
“...longsuffering”: (lit. “long-tempered”) = readiness to endure grief
or suffering wrongfully.
It is natural for us, when falsely accused, to feel we must defend
ourselves, or to resent such treatment.
When King Hezekiah and his officers were taunted by the adversary,
charging them falsely and threatening severe treatment, the king’s
command was,
“Answer them not a word” (2 Kgs 18:36; Isa 36:21).
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God can be depended upon to vindicate His own if they do not
attempt to vindicate themselves, “praying for those who
despitefully use them and who persecute them.” (Mt 5:44).
Again, Jesus is the model
13] Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man
have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do
ye.
“Forbearing”: lit. “to hold up” one another (cf. Eph 4:32).
Eph 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving
one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
The Christian forbears and forgives
He does so because a forgiven man must always be forgiving.
As God forgave him, so he must forgive others, for only the
forgiving can be forgiven.
“...forgiving on another”: Forgiveness opens the heart to the fullness of
the love of God (Mt 6:14,15).
Mat 6:14 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your
heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not
forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive
your trespasses.
How much—and how frequently—has He forgiven you?
The Christian’s “bar of soap” (1 Jn 1:9).
1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.
You need to ask another for forgiveness!
You don’t say “I'm sorry” to the mirror and think you've been
forgiven.
Forgiveness is a two-party transaction:
you ask for forgiveness, the other party does the
forgiving.
THE PERFECT BOND
Colossians 3:14-17
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"On top of all these things, clothe yourselves with love which is the
perfect bond; and let the peace of God be the decider of all things
within your hearts, for it is to that peace you were called, so that
you might be united in one body. May the word of Christ dwell
richly in you with all wisdom. Continue to teach and to admonish
each other with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing to
God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you may be doing
in word or in deed, do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him."
14] And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of
perfectness.
“...put on charity”: In spiritual warfare, we need a white belt, not a black
one.
The pinnacle of gifts is agape (1 Cor 13).
Love is the first fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22);
the other fruits follow after the fruit of love.
The biggest shortage in the Body of Christ is Love.
Mahatma Ghandi was asked, “What is the biggest obstacle to
Christianity in India?
His answer: “Christians.”
Exo 20:7 "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in
vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in
vain.
This is not swearing or cursing - it is misrepresenting Him to the
world who is watching and listening...
Love is the binding power which holds the whole Christian body together.
15] And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also
ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
“...rule”: brabeuo is an athletic term: it means “to preside at the games
and distribute the prizes.”
Paul uses a vivid picture. "Let the peace of God be the decider of all
things within your heart."
In the Greek games, there were judges (we would call them umpires)
who rejected the contestants who were not qualified and who
disqualified those who broke the rules.
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Literally what he says is, "Let the peace of God be the umpire in your
heart."
He uses a verb from the athletic arena; word that is used of the
umpire who settled things in any matter of dispute.
If the peace of Jesus Christ is the umpire in any man's heart,
when feelings clash and we are pulled in two directions at
the same time,
the decision and action that brings to us the peace of
Christ within will keep us in the way of love.
The way to right action is to appoint the peace of Jesus Christ as
the arbiter between the conflicting emotions in our hearts;
We are to listen to the Holy Spirit,
Accept his decisions, and
Confirm it with the presence of God's peace.
“...be ye thankful”: One of our most common sins is ingratitude.
Everything I have asked God for in prayer, He reminds me He has
already planned for and promised.
My only response - the action I can take is to give thanks to Him.
Always, for all things (Eph 5:20).
Eph 5:18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is
dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to
one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to
one another in the fear of God.
16] Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching
and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual
songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
The gratitude of the Church has always gone up to God in praise and
song.
“...word of Christ”! (only here) Does His Word dwell in you?
“...spiritual songs” Songs are important.
Our lives are to be lyrical and filled with the melody of Him.
“The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh 8:10).
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“...singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord”:
It is sobering to contrast the richness of theology of the classic
hymns with the somewhat vapid lyrics of today...
A hymn is addressed to Him.
From our hearts, not our lips.
This is all parallel to Eph 5:18-6:9.
From the beginning the Church was a singing Church.
It inherited that from the Jews,
Philo ways they would often spend the whole night in hymns and
songs.
One of the earliest descriptions of a Church service we possess
is that of Pliny, the Roman governor of Bithynia, who sent a
report of the activities of the Christians to Trajan, the Roman
Emperor, in which he said,
"They meet at dawn to sing a hymn to Christ as God."
17] And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the
Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all
not some things all things
not only our deeds but our words
do all..representing the Lord Jesus
One of the best tests of any action is:
Can we do it, calling upon the name of Jesus?
Can we do it, asking for his help?
Can we tell those, without embarassment or apology, who watch
us do it that we represent Jesus after we've done it.
One of the best tests of any word is:
"Can we speak it and in the same breath name the name of
Jesus?
Can we speak it, remembering that he will hear?"
If a man brings every word and deed to the test of the presence of
Jesus Christ, he will not go wrong.
“...giving thanks”: 5th of 6 references in this letter (Col 1:3, 12; 2:7;
3:15, 17; 4:2).
Remember, Paul was a Roman prisoner while writing this!
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“...the name of the Lord Jesus”: His Name:
names were assigned to reflect character.
Often they were changed:
Abraham & Sarah: the “h” (heh) to reflect the Spirit);
Jacob to Israel,
Simon to Peter,
Saul to Paul, et al.
Our entire life—every detail—is to be put in subjection to the Lord.
This is the ultimate test of appropriateness, conduct, etc.
Can you do “X” in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks?
There is no room for self-will, self-assertiveness.
He doesn’t want to be “No.1” on a list of 10;
He is to be No.1 on a list of one!
Even the Lord of the Universe “...came not to do Mine own will but the
will of Him that sent Me” (Jn 5:30; 6:38).
=======================================================
What Is a True Disciple? by Nancy Missler
This article in its original form was originally published in the August
2012 Personal Update NewsJournal.
Copyright © 1996-2012 by Koinonia House Inc., P.O. Box D, Coeur
d'Alene, ID 83816
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What exactly is a true disciple of Christ?
A true disciple has “a lifestyle alongside his belief.”
In order for God’s power to become apparent, “all self-confidence
and self-dependence must be exposed, repented of and put at the
Cross.”
If we are clean and open vessels, then God can pour His power
through us in His plan of redemption.
What, then, is the difference between:
a believer who lives for himself, follows his own will and depends
upon his own strength and
a Christian who has laid everything down at the Cross, lives only
for Christ and depends only upon His power?
How can we tell them apart?
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What exactly is a true disciple of Christ?
A true disciple has “a lifestyle alongside his belief.”
One who not only has “partaken in Christ,”
meaning he has received God’s Spirit,
but is one who has also “partaken of Christ,”
meaning he is living Christ’s Life, His Love, and His power.
He is not only following Christ around and listening to His sermons,
he is also obeying and doing what he hears.
Just because we are followers of Christ does not necessarily mean we
are “true disciples.”
Remember Judas?
disciple.
He was a follower of Christ, but not a true
Joh 12:4 But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was
intending to betray Him, ...
Being a true disciple indicates that a life action is accompanying our
belief.
A true disciple not only proclaims the message of Christ with his
words,
He also shows forth Christ’s Life in his actions
Gal 5:25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
A true disciple is one who does the will of God.
He is one who denies himself, picks up his cross, and follows Christ
Mar 8:34 And He summoned the crowd with His disciples,
and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he
must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
He is one who has forsaken all in order to follow Him
Luk 14:33 "So then, none of you can be My disciple who does
not give up all his own possessions.
Everything that Paul taught in his epistles, he actually lived out daily.
He daily walked by faith and not by sight
2Co 5:7 for we walk by faith, not by sight-Hab_2:4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in
him: but the just shall live by his faith.
Rom_1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed
from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by
faith.
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Gal_2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet
not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live
in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved
me, and gave himself for me.
Gal_3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight
of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. 12
And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them
shall live in them.
Heb_10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man
draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
He preached the gospel and taught all the counsel of God, “not in
the letter that kills” but in the power of the “Spirit who gives life”
Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the
power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to
the Jew first and also to the Greek.
2Co 3:6 who also made us adequate as servants of a new
covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter
kills, but the Spirit gives life.
He suffered every sort of persecution there is for his Lord’s sake
2Co 11:23 Are they servants of Christ?--I speak as if insane-I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments,
beaten times without number, often in danger of death.
24 Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was
stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I
have spent in the deep. 26 I have been on frequent
journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers,
dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles,
dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on
the sea, dangers among false brethren; 27 I have been
in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in
hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and
exposure.
Rom 8:17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow
heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we
may also be glorified with Him. 18 For I consider that the
sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be
compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Everything he did, he did so that he might share Christ’s glory. His
life was, in every sense, a pattern for all to follow.
Paul also told us that if we need to boast, we are to do so only in our
infirmities.
That way the Lord will be glorified, not us.
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Paul saw weakness not as a liability, but rather as a way of being
totally surrendered to the Lord.
“I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in
persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am
weak, then am I strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).
A true disciple of Christ, therefore, is one who has done a complete
reordering of his life.
He constantly relinquishes his self-life to the Lord and in exchange,
Christ gives him His.
He is one who not only spends time in the Word, but he also lives
what he preaches.
Power seems to be the mark of a true disciple of Christ.
2Co 12:9 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient
for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most
gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my
weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in
me.
Weakness (or yielding to Him) is the prerequisite for this kind of
divine power.
A real disciple is always concerned with the personal application of
truth first.
Then he becomes willing to share what he has learned.
“For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ
hath not wrought by me [first], to make the Gentiles obedient, by
word and deed” (Romans 15:18).
God’s truth must first be personalized in a disciple’s life, before it can
be shared.
It’s one thing to know God’s principles in your head, but it’s
something totally different to walk out those principles in your
everyday life.
Christ told us that our mission is to go out and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
and teaching them to observe all that the Lord has told us in His Word.
Mat 28:18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All
authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy
Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded
you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the
age."
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Not just talking to them about the gospel, but actually showing
them how to live it.
Characteristics of a True Disciple
Contrast the characteristics of a true disciple or a faithful Christian
with a nominal or unfaithful Christian.
A spiritual or a faithful Christian is a person who not only has been
born again,
but who is also abiding in and walking by the power of the Holy
Spirit,
thereby producing fruit
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23
gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no
law.
Joh 15:2 "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He
takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes
it so that it may bear more fruit.
Joh 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who
abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart
from Me you can do nothing.
Joh 15:8 "My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much
fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.
He has allowed God to rein in his own emotions and his own will,
so that his works are done through God’s empowering, not the
flesh
1Pe 1:1 ... who are chosen 2 according to the foreknowledge
of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to
obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May
grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.
1Th 5:23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you
entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be
preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
His motive for speaking, his strength for working, and his reason
for living is simply the Love of God
1Ti 1:5 But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure
heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
He is more concerned about what Christ thinks of him, than what
others think.
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Christ’s presence in this believer brings about “a peace that passes
all understanding”
Joh 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me
you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation,
but take courage; I have overcome the world."
2Co 2:14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in
triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet
aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.
Some of the main characteristics that this spiritual Christian should
display are presented in Galatians 5:22.
He should be filled with “the fruit of the Spirit” as evidenced by
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Love (Agape),
joy,
peace,
long-suffering,
gentleness,
goodness,
faith,
meekness,
temperance.
These characteristics all manifest themselves in
humility
Luk 14:11 "For everyone who exalts himself will be
humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Love suffereth long, and is kind; Love envieth not; it vaunteth not
itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh
not [its] own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not
in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth
all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love never fails.
– 1 Corinthians 13:4–8
And beside this … add to your faith virtue; and to virtue
knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance
patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly
kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. – 2 Peter 1:5–7
If these characteristics describe you, then
2 Peter 1:11 “…ye shall never fall. For so an entrance shall be
ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of
our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
Characteristics of a Carnal (or Secular or Nominal)
Christian
A “carnal, unfaithful or nominal Christian” is one in whom:
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the flesh is in control, not the Spirit of God
Heb 5:12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you
have need again for someone to teach you the elementary
principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need
milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only
of milk is not
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He is a saved believer, but he loves the world and himself more
than he loves Christ.
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And, thus, he operates out of his own desires rather than God’s
will.
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He simply does not let God rein in his own thoughts and emotions.
He can’t, because the Spirit of God is quenched in Him.
o
Thus there is no life transformation in his soul
Rom 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of
God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice,
acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of
worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you
may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and
acceptable and perfect.
o
no Agape Love,
o
no resurrection power, and
o
no fruit
Rom 7:22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the
inner man, 23 but I see a different law in the members
of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and
making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my
members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me
free from the body of this death?
Gal 5:17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and
the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to
one another, so that you may not do the things that you
please.
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This type of carnal Christian professes to be born-again, and yet
has not allowed the Cross to slay his self-life
2Ti 3:1-5 (1) But realize this, that in the last days difficult times
will come. (2) For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money,
boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful,
unholy, (3) unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips,
without self-control, brutal, haters of good, (4) treacherous,
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reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of
God, (5) holding to a form of godliness, although they have
denied its power; Avoid such men as these.
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He claims to know God, but in truth he actually denies Him by the
way he lives.
Those who live by the flesh will not inherit the coming kingdom.
Gal 5:19-21 (19) Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which
are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, (20) idolatry, sorcery,
enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes,
dissensions, factions, (21) envying, drunkenness, carousing,
and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have
forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not
inherit the kingdom of God.
Instead of overcoming the flesh, the world, and the enemy by the
power of God, unfaithful Christians have been overtaken by them.
The flesh rules over them, the world has a hold on them, and
the enemy has acquired an entrance in them.
Some of the characteristics that a carnal and unfaithful Christian might
display are a:
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bad temper,
anger,
fretting,
murmuring,
pride,
selfishness,
malice,
worldliness,
evil speaking,
bitterness,
jealousy,
envy,
quarrelling and
hatred.
They also portray
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self-confidence,
self-centeredness,
self-exultation,
self-reliance,
self-importance,
self-love,
self-ambition and
pride.
On the other end of the spectrum, they can also be
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totally consumed with themselves through
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self-pity,
self-condemnation, and
self-doubt.
Either way, they are pridefully consumed with themselves and not God
Rom 7:18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in
my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the
good is not.
1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the
lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the
Father, but is from the world.
A carnal Christian often makes himself the center of attention and
values his own will above God’s.
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He is a “soulish” Christian, which means his self-life rules.
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He can do righteous deeds and do them well. But, Scripture
tells us that any good deed that the flesh does is an
abomination in the sight of God.
Carnal Christians say one thing, but often do another.
They are also often talkative and flippant, making themselves
the center of attention.
They tend to use many words and have the attitude that they
are more advanced than others.
As a result they are often fault finders and judgmental.
Working for the Lord is of the utmost importance to them;
however,
they feel that everything must be done in a hurry and
all must be done to attain the glory for themselves.
They do not wait on the Lord for His direction and His answers.
Thus, they walk by sight not by faith.
They are often uncommonly gifted, have great talent and magnetic
personalities, but at the same time are worldly, ambitious, and selfpleasing.
1Co 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual
men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. 2 I gave
you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to
receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, 3 for you
are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among
you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere
men?
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In the Old Testament, Saul, Solomon, Lot, and Uzziah have similar
profiles
Eze 18:24 "But when a righteous man turns away from his
righteousness, commits iniquity and does according to all the
abominations that a wicked man does, will he live? All his
righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for
his treachery which he has committed and his sin which he has
committed; for them he will die.
Many carnal believers try to satisfy their curiosity by studying.
They believe that knowing something mentally is the same thing
as possessing it experientially.
Thus, they are often double-minded, living two lives.
They have an abundance of acquired knowledge, but very little Spiritrevealed knowledge.
They don’t realize that increased spiritual head knowledge can
often become a trap.
Head knowledge can strengthen our carnality and deceive us into
thinking we are spiritual.
The danger is that because God’s Spirit is suppressed, the soulish and
bodily realm will rule.
God designed the sanctification process to remove all hindrances such
as these, so that the Holy Spirit can control and direct us.
So much of what a carnal Christian does, he does for show and to gain
something for himself, even if it’s just the praise of men.
Isa 29:13 Then the Lord said, "Because this people draw near
with their words And honor Me with their lip service, But they
remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me
consists of tradition learned by rote,
He does these things for the love of self, not for the glory of God.
A lack of Love for others shows a denial of Christ’s character.
1Co 13:1-4 (1) If I speak with the tongues of men and of
angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong
or a clanging cymbal. (2) If I have the gift of prophecy,
and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all
faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I
am nothing. (3) And if I give all my possessions to feed
the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do
not have love, it profits me nothing. (4) Love is patient,
love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is
not arrogant,
Some works of the flesh of a carnal Christian are:
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“adultery,
fornication,
uncleanness,
lasciviousness,
idolatry,
witchcraft,
hatred,
variance,
emulations,
wrath,
strife,
seditions,
heresies,
envyings,
murders,
drunkenness,
revelings,
and the like.”
Obviously they do not display the fruit of the Spirit
Heb 5:12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you
have need again for someone to teach you the elementary
principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need
milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only
of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he
is an infant.
They “deny” Christ through their actions
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There’s no Agape Love coming from their lives,
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no supernatural power being displayed, and
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no godly wisdom being shared.
“Whoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before
my Father” (Matthew 10:33).
Dangers of Being Carnal or Lukewarm
It is impossible for us to really know who is carnal and who is spiritual.
Only God knows the truth.
Only He knows our hearts.
We are not to judge!
That’s God’s business at the Bema Seat.
But, we are told to be “fruit pickers.”
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Our lives will either show forth the fruit of the Spirit manifested by
God’s Love or we will display rotten fruit showing forth our
carnality.
Luk 8:14 "The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the
ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are
choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and
bring no fruit to maturity.
The danger of being carnal is that we can be born-again by God’s
Spirit (justified) and yet spend 90 percent of our time in the soulish or
fleshly realm.
If this is the case, our ministry, our teaching, and our preaching
will not produce any real godly fruit.
“It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing.”
(John 6:63)
Carnal Christians not only quench the power of God from coming forth
through them, thereby hindering their own sanctification:
They hinder salvation in others.
They give a false impression of what a true Christian is really
like.
They can actually become stumbling blocks to passing along
the true gospel because
nonbelievers look at them and say, “Hey! If that’s a
Christian, I want no part of it.”
Unfortunately we were stumbling blocks for our children years ago
when we were going through our own marital trials.
We were all smiles when we were out in public, but behind closed
doors we argued, screamed, and yelled at each other.
Sadly, our children experienced this and said to us, “Why
would we want what you have? You’re no different from the
people down the street who don’t even know God.”
This broke our hearts, but we knew it was true.
If we want the gospel to be passed on, especially to our families,
our friends, and our associates, we must become spiritual
Christians.
There’s no longer such a thing as a “fence-sitter Christian.”
As we get closer to Christ’s coming, we’ll be pushed one way or
the other.
If a carnal Christian persists in doing things his own way, he will never
grow to full maturity.
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This results in spiritual dullness, with no possibility of sparking a
revival in himself, much less in anyone else.
By living this way he discredits Christ in all his actions.
The sobering part of this is that Scripture says:
“If we deny Christ [in our actions], He will deny us before the
Father.” Mat 10:33
“Denying Christ” in this Scripture not only refers to our
words about Christ, it also refers to our not reflecting Him
with our lives.
If there is no “fruit of the Spirit” in our lives, it doesn’t matter how
many verses of Scripture we know, we still will be denying Christ.
The Lord told us that if we deny Him here, He will be forced to deny us
there before the Father.
(God’s will is that we deny ourselves—totally surrender and
relinquish our own thoughts, emotions and desires—pick up our
crosses, and follow Him.)
Mat 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes
to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his
cross and follow Me.
What is also scary is that carnal and unfaithful Christians are no longer
moved by a sense of urgency or watchfulness for Christ’s soon coming.
They have been lulled to sleep by a sense of complacency and
they are not concerned about being prepared or ready or qualified
to inherit the kingdom.
This is a grave mistake!
Hebrews 4:1 “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of
entering into His rest, any of [us] should seem to come short of it.”
=======================================================
Four Motivations
1) We forgive because Christ forgave us (Col 3:13).
2) The peace of Christ that should rule in our hearts (Col 3:15).
3) The Word of Christ should dwell in us richly (Col 3:16).
4) The name of Christ should be our identification and our authority.
(Col 3:17).
“Christ is all, and in all” (Col 3:11).
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Comparing the Ephesians passage (Eph 5:18-21) with this one, we are
to be “filled with the Spirit” as well as filled with His Word.
There is a danger today for local churches minimize, ignore, water
down the Word of God.
There is (according to Paul) a definite relationship between our
knowledge of the Bible and our expression of worship in song.
It has been said that one way we teach and encourage ourselves
and others is through the singing of the Word of God.
But if we do not know the Bible and understand it, we cannot
honestly sing it from our hearts.
Perhaps this “poverty of Scripture” in our churches is one cause of
the abundance of unbiblical songs that we have today.
The Epistle to the Colossians Chapter 3:18-25
Four Motives
The Grace of Christ (Col 3:12–14):
– God chose them v.12
– God set them apart v.12
– God loves them v.12
– God has forgiven them vv.13-14
The first institution God founded on earth was the home (Gen 2:18- 25;
Mt 19:1-6).
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[The following statistics were excerpted from Barbara Dafoe Whitehead’s
article “Dan Quayle was Right,” Atlantic Monthly, April 1993.]
Our Dysfunctional Society
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In the postwar generation: 80% grew up in a family with two
biological parents who were married to each other.
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Since 1980, less than 50% expect to spend their entire childhood
in an intact family.
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An increasing number of children will experience family breakup
two or even three times during childhood.
Broken Families
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Scientific evidence demonstrates that children in disrupted
families do worse than those of intact families: they are 6X more
likely to be poor;
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22% of one parent families will experience poverty during
childhood for 7 years or more, vs.
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2% of children in two-parent families.
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Children of single parent families are 3X as likely to have
emotional and behavioral problems and more likely to drop out of
high school, get pregnant as teenagers, abuse drugs, or be in
trouble with the law.
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They are also at higher risk for physical or sexual abuse and less
likely to be successful as adults: esp. in love, and in work.
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They have a harder time achieving intimacy in a relationship,
forming a stable marriage, or even holding a steady job.
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Teen suicide rate has tripled; juvenile crime has increased and
become more violent; school performance has continued to
decline.Welfare dependency tends to be passed on from one
generation to the next.
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Daughters of single parents are: 53% more likely to marry as
teenagers;
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111% more likely to have children as teenagers; 164% more
likely to have premarital birth; and, 92% more likely to dissolve
their own marriages.
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Problems since the 1960s: after the Supreme Court outlawed
mentioning God in schools: Divorce: 10/1000; then sudden
growth to (1979) 23/1000.
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In 1974 divorce exceeded death as leading cause of family
breakup.
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In 1990: 1 out of 4 women had a child while unmarried.
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Half of all marriages now end in divorce.
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Remarried couples are more likely to break up than couples in
first marriages (56%).
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1 in 4 children will eventually enter a stepfamily.
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Hollywood celebrates divorce and unwed motherhood.
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Federal policy celebrates social and sexual variances
The “Me” Generation
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Fewer than half of all adult Americans today regard the idea of sacrifice
for others as a positive moral value.
The adult’s quest for freedom, independence, and choice in family
relationships conflicts with a child’s developmental needs for stability,
constancy, harmony, and permanence in family life.
Each divorce is the death of a small civilization. It inflicts wounds that
never heal.
Survey after survey demonstrates that Americans are less inclined than
they were a generation ago to value sexual fidelity, lifelong marriage, and
parenthood as worthwhile personal goals.
The Lack of Love in America
The love of many will grow cold (Mt 24:12).
The most basic form: the family.
Heterosexuals reproduce; homosexuals recruit.
God’s judgment as Creator (Rom 1:18-32).
The family serves as the seedbed for virtues.
This is the first generation in the nation’s history to do worse
psychologically, socially, and economically than its parents.
Is your home a refuge or a battleground?
The Insidious Cycle
Our government is now the purveyor of immorality.
Why are we surprised?
Governments have always loved crises: they provide the rationale for
increasing budgets and bureaucracies, and subjugating the population.
Most new dictators create external crises to consolidate their internal
powers.
In our country, they long ago learned that social crises serve as well as
military ones.
There is one insight that supplies a key missing link:
immorality results in social crises.
Is it any surprise to learn that governments have an enormous incentive
to promote immorality?!
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THE PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS OF THE CHRISTIAN
Colossians 3:18--4:1
"Wives, be submissive to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
Husbands, love your wives and do not treat them harshly. Children,
obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing in the Lord.
Fathers, do not irritate your children, that they may not lose heart.
Slaves, obey in all things those who are your human masters, not
only when you are watched, like those whose only desire is to
please men, but in sincerity of heart, reverencing the Lord.
Whatever you do, work at it heartily, as if you were doing it for t he
Lord and not for men; and never forget that you will receive from
the Lord your just recompense, even your share in the inheritance.
Show yourselves the slaves of the Lord Christ. He who does wrong
will be paid back for the wrong that he has done, and there is no
respect of persons. Masters, on your part provide for your slaves
treatment which is just and equitable, and remember that you too
have a master in heaven."
Here Paul turns to the working out of Christianity in the everyday
relationships of life and living.
The Christian ethic is an ethic of reciprocal obligation.
It is never an ethic on which all the duties are on one side.
As Paul saw it, husbands have as great an obligation as wives;
parents have just as binding a duty as children;
masters have their responsibilities as much as slaves.
Under Jewish law a woman was a thing, the possession of her
husband, just as much as his house or his flocks or his material
goods.
She had no legal rights whatever.
Under Jewish law, a husband could divorce his wife for any cause,
while a wife had no rights whatever in the initiation of divorce; and
the only grounds on which a divorce might be awarded her were if
her husband developed leprosy, became an apostate or ravished a
virgin.
In Greek society a respectable woman lived a life of entire seclusion.
She never appeared on the streets alone, not even to go marketing.
She lived in the women's apartments and did not join her menfolk
even for meals.
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From her there was demanded complete servitude and chastity;
but her husband could go out as much as he chose and could
enter into as many relationships outside marriage as he liked
without incurring any stigma.
Under both Jewish and Greek laws and custom all the privileges
belonged to the husband and all the duties to the wife.
In the ancient world children were very much under the domination of
their parents.
The supreme example was the Roman "Patria Potestas," the law
of the father's power.
Under it a parent could do anything he liked with his child.
He could sell him into slavery; he could make him work like a
labourer on his farm; he had even the right to condemn his
child to death and to carry out the execution.
All the privileges and rights belonged to the parent and all the
duties to the child.
Most of all this was the case in slavery.
The slave was a thing in the eyes of the law. There was no
such thing as a code of working conditions. When the slave
was past his work, he could be thrown out to die.
He had not even the right to marry, and if he cohabited and
there was a child, the child belonged to the master, just as
the lambs of the flock belonged to the shepherd.
Once again all the rights belonged to the master and all the
duties to the slave.
The Christian ethic is one of mutual obligation, in which the rights
and the obligations rest with every man.
It becomes an ethic where the thought of privilege and rights falls
into the background and where the thought of duty and obligation
becomes paramount.
The whole direction of the Christian ethic is not to ask:
"What do others owe to me?" but,
"What do I owe to others?"
The really new thing about the Christian ethic of personal
relationships is that all relationships are in the Lord.
The whole of the Christian life is lived in Christ.
In any home the tone of personal relationships must be dictated by
the awareness that Jesus Christ is an unseen but ever-present
guest.
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In any parent-child relationship the dominating thought must be the
Fatherhood of God; and we must try to treat our children as God
treats his sons and daughters.
The thing which settles any master and servant relationship is that
both are servants of the one Master, Jesus Christ.
The new thing about personal relationships in Christianity is that Jesus
Christ is introduced into them all.
THE MUTUAL OBLIGATION
18] Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in
the Lord.
One rule for wives (cf. Eph 5:22-27).
Gen 3:16 To the woman He said, "I will greatly multiply Your
pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet
your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over
you."
Est 1:20 "When the king's edict which he will make is heard
throughout all his kingdom, great as it is, then all women
will give honor to their husbands, great and small."
1Co 11:3 But I want you to understand that Christ is the
head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman,
and God is the head of Christ.
1Co 14:34 The women are to keep silent in the churches;
for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject
themselves, just as the Law also says.
(Eph 5:22) Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to
the Lord. (23) For the husband is the head of the wife, as
Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the
Savior of the body. (24) But as the church is subject to
Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in
everything.
Eph 5:33 Nevertheless, each individual among you also is
to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see
to it that she respects her husband.
1Ti 2:12 But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise
authority over a man, but to remain quiet.
Tit 2:4 so that they may encourage the young women to
love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be sensible,
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pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own
husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.
1Pe 3:1 In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your
own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to
the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior
of their wives, 2 as they observe your chaste and respectful
behavior. 3 Your adornment must not be merely external-braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on
dresses; 4 but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with
the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is
precious in the sight of God. 5 For in this way in former
times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to
adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands;
6 just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you
have become her children if you do what is right without
being frightened by any fear.
The wife is to be submissive to her husband; but the husband is to
love his wife and to treat her with all kindness.
The practical effect of the marriage laws and customs of ancient
times was that the husband became an unquestioned dictator
and the wife little more than a servant to bring up his children
and to minister to his needs.
19] Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.
One rule for husbands (Eph 5 also).
There’s only one rule for each; why can’t we simply follow them?
“...be not bitter”: A “root of bitterness” in a home can poison the
marriage relationship and give Satan a foothold (Eph 4:31; Heb 12:15).
“Let not the sun go down upon your wrath” is a wise policy to follow if
you want to have a happy home (Eph 4:26).
The fundamental effect of this Christian teaching is that marriage
becomes a partnership.
It becomes something which is entered into not merely for the
convenience of the husband, but in order that both husband and
wife may find a new joy and a new completeness in each other.
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Any marriage in which everything is done for the convenience of one
of the partners and where the other exists simply to gratify the needs
and desires of the first, is not a Christian marriage.
20] Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well
pleasing unto the Lord.
One rule for children: Decalogue commitment, with a promise (Ex
20:12; cf. Lev 19:3; Stoned: Deut 21:18-21; Prov 6:20; Mt 19:19
Eph 6:1-3).
Lack of obedience of children a sign of moral decay in the nation (Isa
3:4, 12).
Children who do not obey their parents when young will not obey
their parents when older.
For the most part, children do not create problems; they reveal them.
The Christian ethic lays down the duty of the child to respect the
parental relationship.
21] Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be
discouraged.
One rule for fathers.
We are to imitate Him who is our Father-God.
[The word fathers in Col 3:21 could be translated “parents,” as it is in
Heb 11:23.
Paul made it clear that parents must make it as easy as possible
for children to obey.]
There is always a problem in the relationship of parent and child.
If the parent is too easy-going, the child will grow up indisciplined
and unfit to face life.
But the more conscientious a parent is, the more he is likely always
to be correcting and rebuking the child.
Simply because he wishes the child to do well, he is always on
his top.
The duty of the parent is discipline, but it is also encouragement.
The better a parent is the more he must avoid the danger of
discouraging his child, for he must give discipline and
encouragement in equal parts.
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THE CHRISTIAN WORKMAN AND THE CHRISTIAN MASTER
22] Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh;
not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart,
fearing God:
[Incidentally, the peasants in the feudal period owed their
landowners 25% of their produce; we are required to pay over 60%
(counting state and municipal taxes as well as federal.)
You work until August before you earn anything for yourself!]
If this applies to bondmen, how much more to those of us who have (a
measure of) freedom of our choices of employment?
“...singleness of heart”: in honest dedication; we owe fiduciary duties to
our employers! ...as to Lord Himself!
Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal;
knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven. Colossians 4:1
(This 1st verse of Chapter 4 concludes these topics in Chapter 3.)
The duties of an employee to his employer is simply 60 minutes of
faithful work for each hour paid.
But Christian, however, should be a fiduciary which is a much higher
calling (normally just applying to senior management
responsibilities).
It will be noted that this section is far longer than the other two; and its
length may well be due to long talks which Paul had with the runaway
slave, Onesimus, whom later he was to send back to his master
Philemon.
Paul says things which must have amazed both sides.
He insists that the slave must be a conscientious workman.
He is in effect saying that his Christianity must make him a better
and more efficient slave.
Christianity never in this world offers escape from hard work; it
makes a man able to work still harder.
Nor does it offer a man escape from difficult situations; it enables him
to meet these situations better.
The slave must not be content with eye-service; he must not work only
when the overseer's eye is upon him. He must not be the kind of
servant, who remembers that he will receive his inheritance.
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Under Roman law a slave could not possess any property
whatsoever and here he is being promised nothing less than the
inheritance of God.
He must remember that the time will come when the balance is adjusted
and evil-doing will find its punishment and faithful diligence its reward.
The master must treat the slave not like a thing, but like a person, with
justice and with the equity which goes beyond justice.
The workman must do everything as if he was doing it for Christ.
We do not work for pay or for ambition or to satisfy an earthly
master;
We work so that we can take every task and offer it to Christ.
All work is done for God so that his world may go on and his men
and women have the things they need for life and living.
The master must remember that he too has a Master--Christ in heaven.
He is answerable to God, just as his workmen are answerable to
him.
No master can say, "This is my business and I will do what I like
with it."
He must say, "This is God's business.
He has put me in charge of it. I am responsible to him."
The Christian doctrine of work is that master and man alike are
working for God, and that, therefore, the real rewards of work are not
assessable in earthly coin, but will some day be given--or withheld-by God.
Commitment to Honesty and Devotion
We have lost the concept of the “sanctity of commitment” — in our
marriages and in our businesses.
We have a society which completely severed any ostensible connection
between Character and Destiny.
Even in the Christian Body, we have so focused on grace that we have
abandoned any practical call to obedience and holiness.
Our conduct is to be our primary form of witness to what God has done
in our lives.
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Basic Vocabulary
• Faithful: Firmly adhering to duty; of true fidelity; loyal; true to
allegiance; constant in the performance of duties or services; true to
one’s word; honest; loyal, worthy of another's confidence and trust
Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
1 Corinthians 4:2
• Fiduciary: The relation existing when one person justifiably reposes
confidence, faith, and reliance in another whose aid, advice, and
protection is sought in some matter;
the relation existing when good conscience requires one to act at all
times for the sole benefit and interests of another with loyalty to
those interests; the relation by law existing between certain classes
of persons (as confidential advisors and the one advised; executors
or administrators and legatees or heirs; corporate directors or
officers).
The Requirements of a Fiduciary
Many forms of conduct permissible in a workaday world for those acting
at arm’s length, are forbidden to those bound by fiduciary ties.
A trustee is held to something stricter than the morals of the
marketplace.
Not honesty alone, but the punctilio of an honor the most sensitive, is
then the standard of behavior.
As to this there has developed a tradition that is unbending and
inveterate.
He will not be permitted improperly to profit at the expense of his
corporation.
Undivided loyalty will ever be insisted upon.
Personal gain will be denied to a director when it comes because he
has taken a position adverse to or in conflict with the best interests of
his corporation.
The fiduciary relationship imposes a duty to act in accordance with the
highest standards which a man of the finest sense of honor might impose
upon himself...
Social Action?
Why didn’t the church of that day openly oppose slavery and seek to
destroy it?
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For one thing, the church was a minority group that had no political
power to change an institution that was built into the social order.
Paul was careful to instruct Christian slaves to secure their freedom if
they could (1 Cor 7:21),
but he did not advocate rebellion or the overthrow of the existing
order.
The purpose of the early church was to spread the Gospel and win souls,
not to get involved in social action.
While it is good and right for Christians to get involved in the promotion
of honesty and morality in government and society, this concern must
never replace the mandate to go into all the world and preach the Gospel
(Mk 16:15).
23] And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not
unto men;
“...as to the Lord”: Employment instructions...
Who is your real supervisor?
Your heavenly supervisor “loves you so much He can’t take His eyes off
of you!"
24] Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the
inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
“...reward of the inheritance”: You are the fiduciary for the estate—that
you will inherit!
25] But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he
hath done: and there is no respect of persons.
God is no respecter (of rank) of persons.
Act 10:34 Opening his mouth, Peter said: "I most certainly
understand now that God is not one to show partiality,
Rom 2:11 For there is no partiality with God.
Eph 6:9 And masters, do the same things to them, and give up
threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in
heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.
Jas 2:1 My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord
Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.
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Jas 2:9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and
are convicted by the law as transgressors.
Basic Doctrinal Division
Calvinism
• Eternal Security
• Perserverance of
the saints
• Experimental
Predestinarians
Arminianism
• Only those
that persevere
to the end
are saved.
Overcomers
• Eternal Security
Distinction between:
- Entering the Kingdom
and
- Inheriting the Kingdom
variance of Reward
PERSEVE'RANCE, n. [L. perseverantia. See Persevere.]
1. Persistence in anything undertaken; continued pursuit or
prosecution of any business or enterprise begun; applied alike to
good or evil.
Perseverance keeps honor bright.
Patience and perseverance overcome the greatest difficulties.
2. In theology, continuance in a state of grace to a state of glory;
sometimes called final perseverance.
PERSEVE'RE, v.i. [L.persevero]
The last component part of this word, severo,must be the same as in
assevero, with the radical sense of set, fixed or continued.
So persist is formed with per and sisto, to stand.
Constant and continue have a like primary sense.
So we say, to hold on.
To persist in any business or enterprise undertaken;
to pursue steadily any design or course commenced;
not to give over or abandon what is undertaken;
applied alike to good and evil.
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Everything will be brought to light at the Judgment Seat (Rom 14:10; 2
Cor 5:10) or,
in the case of the unsaved, at the Great White Throne (Rev 20:1115).
But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by
any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a
castaway. 1 Corinthians 9:27
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that
every one may receive the things done in his body, according to
that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:10
For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is
Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold,
silver, precious stones; wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall
be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be
revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort
it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he
shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall
suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 1
Corinthians 3:11-15
For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our
confidence steadfast unto the end; Hebrews 3:14
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Overcomers Of the Seven Churches
• To eat of the Tree of Life Rev 2:7
• Not hurt of the 2nd death Rev 2:11
• Hidden manna, white stone, Rev 2:17 new name
• Power over the nations Rev 2: 26
• White raiment, assured Rev 3:5
• Pillar, new name Rev 3:12
• Sit with Christ on His Throne Rev 3:21
They Shall inherit all things Rev 21:7
Crowns Promised
• Crown of Life (Jas 1:12; Rev 2:10) for those who have suffered for
His sake.
• Crown of Righteousness (2 Tim 4:8) for those who loved His
appearing.
• Crown of Glory (1 Pet 5:4) for those who fed the flock.
• Crown Incorruptible (1 Cor 9:25) for those who press on
steadfastly.
• Crown of Rejoicing (1 Thess 2:19) for those who win souls.
For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them,
and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall
wipe away all tears from their eyes. Revelation 7:17
Of all the words of tongue or pen, The saddest are these: It might have
been. —Ralph Waldo Emerson
Rewards for Faithfulness
• Some entrusted with special privileges; some not (1 Cor 3:11-15);
• Some reign with Christ ; some not (2 Tim 2:12; Rev 3:21);
• Some rich; some poor (Lk 12:21,33;16:11);
• Some heavenly treasures of their own; some not (Lk 16:12).
Separate Events?
The Marriage of the Lamb takes place in the Father’s house.
The Marriage Supper takes place in the Kingdom and includes the Old
Testament saints resurrected at His Second Coming (including John the
Baptist, a “friend of the Bridegroom”; Cf. Mt 22:1-14).
Rev 19:7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the
wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself
ready. 8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear."
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) :9 Then
the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited
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to the wedding supper of the Lamb!'" And he added, "These are
the true words of God."
Judgments
• Bema Seat of Christ (2 Cor 5:10; 1 Cor 3:11-15)
– Rewards: crowns, assignments
• Kingdom Parables: Talents, Virgins, Uninvited… (Mat 14)
– Call of the Bride to the Marriage of Lamb
• “Sheep & Goat” judgment (Mt 25:31-46)
– On the earth: (3 separate parties involved)
– Mortals are judged on the basis of “works"
• Great White Throne (Rev 20:11-15)
– At the end of the Millennium
– Then: New Heavens, New Earth, New Jerusalem
Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man
take thy crown. Revelation 3:11
Caveats
• Not under the Law
—The Messiah is the fulfillment of the Torah (Mt 5:17).
• Avoid a “Works Trip”
—Walk by the Spirit not the flesh (Gal 3:3).
Sin is not to reign anymore… (Rom 6:12).
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• Walk with Him: not ahead, nor behind (Heb 4).
• How about us? Note the centrality of Christ:
– Forgiven by Him;
– His Peace in our hearts;
– His Word to dwell in us;
– His name to be our primary identification;
– “...is all, and in all” (Col 3:11).
• We have all we shall ever need.
The Epistle to the Colossians Chapter 4
Review of the Book
• Ephesians is on the church, the Body of Christ;
• Colossians is on the Christ, the Head of the Body.
Paul did not begin by attacking the false teacher or their doctrines. He
began by exalting Jesus Christ and showing His preeminence in five
areas:
• The Gospel message,
• The Redemption,
• The Creation,
• The Church, and
• Paul’s own ministry.
Chapter 1: Christ’s Preeminence Declared.
Chapter 2: Christ’s Preeminence Defended.
Chapters 3 & 4: Christ’s Preeminence Demonstrated.
Our moment-by-moment existence depends upon His gracious
sustenance of every electron, every atom, every molecule and every
spiritual entity as well.
We are safe when we place our trust in Him and put our whole lives into
His hands.
Colossians 4
1] Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal;
knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.
(In our previous session we explored the fiduciary requirements
involved in the subject of employee/employer relations, etc.)
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The Power of Speech
In James 3, the tongue is compared to a bridle, a rudder, a fire, a
poisonous animal, a fruitful tree, and a fountain! In each of these pairs,
the tongue has the power to direct, to destroy, and to delight.
The power of speech is a gift from God.
Paul now follows with focuses on our ministries of speech: Prayer.
Colossians 4
THE CHRISTIAN'S PRAYER
Colossians 4:2-4
"Persevere in prayer. Be vigilant in your prayer, and let
thanksgiving always be a part of it. And at the same time pray for
us, that God may open for us a door for the word, that we may
speak the secret of Christ now revealed to his own people, that
secret for which I am in bonds, that I may make it manifest to all, as
I ought to speak."
2] Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;
“Continue in prayer”: persist; devote yourself to.
The biggest lack in the Christian walk: prayer.
Not a casual luxury; it is essential.
Prayer = “the Christian’s vital breath.”
Prayer is the heavy artillery of the Armor of God (Eph 6:10-17).
Prayer should be faithful:
“Men ought always to pray and not to faint.”
“Pray without ceasing.”
“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.”
“Praying in the Holy Ghost.”
Our walk will directly reflect the time we spend with Him.
The soul flourishes in an atmosphere of prayer.
“...watch in the same”: Prayer should be watchful:
Paul tells them to persevere in prayer.
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Even for the best of us, there come times when prayer seems to
be unavailing and to penetrate no farther than the walls of the
room in which we pray.
At such a time the remedy is not to stop but to go on praying;
for in the man who prays spiritual dryness cannot last.
He tells them to be vigilant in prayer.
Literally the Greek means to be wakeful.
The phrase could well mean that Paul is telling them not to go to
sleep when they pray.
Maybe he was thinking of the time on the Mount of
Transfiguration when the disciples fell asleep and only when
they were awake again saw the glory (Lk.9:32).
Or maybe he was thinking of that time in the Garden of
Gethsemane when Jesus prayed and his disciples slept
(Matt.26:40).
Prayer is God’s way of enlisting us in what He wants to do.
Christ was our example:
again and again, retreating into the solitude of a garden, a desert, or
a mountain side.
It was an essential part of preparation for His mightiest works and to
bear witness to the truth.
We are bidden to bring everything to Him in prayer.
God delights in answering our prayers.
God’s delays are not always God’s denials.
Prayer is the effective antidote to anxiety (Phil 4:6).
Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance; it is laying hold of His
willingness. —Richard Trench (1807-1886) Archbishop of Dublin
“Watch and Pray.” These are never separated.
“Watch in the same”: be alert; beware of spiritual drowsiness by attention
to the world (Mt 24:42; Acts 20:31; 1 Cor 16:13; 1 Thess 5:6)
or by the wiles of the devil (Eph 6:16; 1 Pet 5:8).
It is interesting that we are to pray even for that which is prophesied
(Dan 9:2, 3ff);
“Thy Kingdom come” (Mt 6:10).
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Prayer is to be purposeful: A forward spotter, calling in an artillery
barrage, needs to be precise.
(“Shoot the enemy” isn’t very practical command in a battle...)
3] Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of
utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in
bonds:
Paul asks for their prayer not so much for himself as for his work.
There were many things for which Paul might have asked them to
pray--release from prison, a successful outcome to his coming trial, a
little rest and peace at the last. But he asks them to pray only that
there may be given to him strength and opportunity to do the work
which God had sent him into the world to do.
When we pray for ourselves and for others, we should not ask
release from any task, but rather strength to complete the task which
has been given us to do.
Prayer should always be for power and seldom for release; for
not release but conquest must be the keynote of the Christian
life.
“...a door of utterance”: Paul was never shy in requesting prayer.
(Neither are we.)
Paul was in a prison cell! Paul did not ask for the prison doors to be
opened, but that doors of ministry be opened (1 Cor 16:9; Acts
14:27).
“...I am also in bonds”: Yet it was from here that we have the four great
“prison epistles!”
Also, it was from here that even the guards were saved (Phil 1:1218; 4:22).
Study Paul’s prison prayers: Phil 1:9-11; Eph 1:15-23; 3:14-21; Col
1:9-12.
4] That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
“...as I ought to speak”: Paul needed more boldness? (Eph 6:19).
As wonderful as Paul’s preaching was to his hearers and seems to
us, he was never satisfied with it. Neither can any of us be…
THE CHRISTIAN AND THE WORLD
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Colossians 4:5-6
"Behave yourselves wisely to those who are outside the Church.
Buy up every possible opportunity. Let your speech always be with
gracious charm, seasoned with the salt of wit, so that you will know
the right answer to give in every case."
5] Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the
time.
“...them that are without”: Those outside the family of God.
There are some things that are best confined to those who are of the
faith and possess the essential background to understand…
Careless behavior when we are among those of the world will only
convince them that we do not ourselves really believe the tremendous
truths which we would press upon them.
“...redeeming the time”: a commercial term; the faithful steward exploits
an opportunity when he encounters one.
We should be making the very most of every opportunity.
And the time is short!
How many weekends do you have left?
Wasting time can be the most expensive opportunities gone to
waste…
You might say, “I have 20 years left...” but 20 years is an
abstraction lacking tangibleness or palpability
—“1000 weekends” pinches us in more graphic terms!
How many “weekends” do you have left?
The Christian must behave himself with wisdom and with tact towards
those who are outside the Church.
He must of necessity be a missionary; but he must know when and
when not to speak to others about his religion and theirs.
He must never give the impression of superiority and of censorious
criticism.
Few people have ever been argued into Christianity.
The Christian, therefore, must remember that it is not so much
by his words as by his life that he will attract people to, or repel
them from, Christianity.
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On the Christian there is laid the great responsibility of showing men
Christ in his daily life.
The Christian must be a man on the outlook for opportunity.
He must buy up every opportunity possible to work for Christ and to
serve men.
Daily life and work are continually offering men opportunities to
witness for Christ and to influence people for him--but there are so
many who avoid the opportunities instead of embracing them.
The Church is constantly offering its members the opportunity to
teach, to sing, to visit, to work for the good of the Christian
congregation--and there are so many who deliberately refuse these
opportunities instead of accepting them.
The Christian should always be on the outlook for the opportunity to
serve Christ and his fellow-men.
6] Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye
may know how ye ought to answer every man.
The Christian must have charm and wit in his speech so that he may
know how to give the right answer in every case.
It is all too true that Christianity in the minds of many is connected
with a kind of sanctimonious dullness and an outlook in which
laughter is almost a heresy.
The Christian must commend his message with the charm and the
wit which were in Jesus himself.
There is too much of the Christianity which stodgily depresses a man
and too little of the Christianity which scintillates with life.
“Seasoned with salt”: the condiment of conversation; the preservative
power of faithfulness.
(Salt was added to the sacrifices: Lev 2:13.) Cf. 1 Pet 3:15.
As you follow Christ through the Gospels, notice that Paul had no
stereotyped or formula methods of dealing with souls:
He met each individual case with its unique needs:
In the Jewish synagogue, he reasoned as a rabbi.
At Mars Hill, among the Athenian philosophers, he was a master
of rhetoric and Greek thought and literature (Acts 17:22-34).
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Addressing the idolaters of Lycaonia, (Acts 14:11-18) he met
them on their own ground, and appealed from nature to nature’s
God, seeking to turn them from their vanities and draw their
hearts to the Creator of all things.
Closing Personal Salutations
Paul made many friends: over 100 different Christians (some named and
unnamed) are referenced in Acts and his letters (26 in Romans 16
alone!)
FAITHFUL COMPANIONS
Colossians 4:7-11
"Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful servant and my fellowslave in Christ, will inform you all about how things are going with
me. I send him to you for this very purpose, that you may know
about what is happening to me and that he may encourage your
hearts. Along with him I send Onesimus, the faithful and beloved
brother, who is one of yourselves. They will inform you about all
that has been happening here. Aristarchus, my fellow-prisoner,
greets you, and Mark, Barnabas' cousin. (I have given you
instructions about him; if he comes to you, give him a welcome.)
Jesus, who is called Justus, sends you greetings. These were all
converts from the Jewish faith. These alone are my fellow-workers
in the work of the Kingdom, men who have been a comfort to me."
The list of names at the end of this chapter is a list of heroes of the faith.
Remember the circumstances.
Paul was in prison awaiting trial and it is always dangerous to be a
prisoner's friend, for it is so easy to become involved in the same fate
as the prisoner himself
It took courage to visit Paul in his imprisonment and to show that one
was on the same side. Let us collect what we know of these men.
7] All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved
brother, and a faithful minister and fellowservant in the Lord:
8] Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might
know your estate, and comfort your hearts;
“...Tychicus”: He was among the seven who accompanied Paul when he
left Ephesus (Acts 20:4).
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Tychicus was a pastor of the church in Ephesus (Eph 6:21, Acts
20:4, 2 Tim 4:12).
These men were helping Paul deliver the love offering from the
Gentile churches to the poor saints in Judea (1 Cor 16:1; 2 Cor 8-9).
Tychicus and Onesimus delivered the Ephesian letter (Eph 6:21,22)
and this Colossian letter (Col 4:7-9), as well as the letter to
Philemon.
Paul would send Tychicus to Crete (Titus 3:12) and then to Ephesus
(2 Tim 4:12).
He came from the Roman province of Asia and was most likely the
representative of his Church to carry its offering to the poor
Christians of Jerusalem (Ac.20:4).
Paul writes that Tychicus will tell them all about how things are going
with him.
This shows how much was left to word of mouth and never set down
in Paul's letters at all.
In the nature of things the letters could not be very long and they
dealt with the problems of faith and conduct which were threatening
the Churches.
The personal details were left to the bearer of the letter to tell.
Tychicus, then, we can describe as the personal envoy of Paul.
“...faithful minister and fellowservant”: Evidently one in whom the
apostle had complete confidence: beloved and faithful. How precious.
How rare it is to find one who is both faithful to the truth, and yet
caring and sensitive personally.
9] With Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you.
They shall make known unto you all things which are done here.
“...Onesiums”: Also, faithful and beloved.
Onesimus has been suggested as the collector of the Pauline corpus
of letters [John Knox, Philemon Among the Letters of Paul].
Paul's way of mentioning him is full of lovely courtesy. Onesimus was
the dishonest runaway slave who had somehow reached Rome and Paul
was sending him back to his master Philemon.
But he does not call him a runaway slave; he calls him a faithful and
beloved brother.
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When Paul had anything to say about a man, he always said the
best that he could.
10] Aristarchus my fellowprisoner saluteth you, and Marcus,
sister’s son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye received
commandments: if he come unto you, receive him;)
“Aristarchus”: A “fellow-prisoner,” a Thessalonian who accompanied
Paul on his third missionary journey (Acts 19:29; 20:4; 27:2).
He was a Macedonian from Thessalonica (Ac.20:4).
We get only fleeting glimpses of Aristarchus but from these glimpses one
thing emerges--he was clearly a good man to have about in a tight
corner.
At the uproar at Ephesus (Acts 19:28-41), he endangered his own
life on behalf of the Gospel.
He sailed with Paul to Rome (Acts 27:2), which means he also
experienced the storm and shipwreck that Luke so graphically
described in Acts 27.
(He is also called a fellow worker in Philemon 24.)
His name seems to imply a member of the upper class, an aristocrat
of Macedonia, who apparently renounced his place of prominence in
the world to become a doulos (bondslave) of Jesus Christ.
He was there when the people of Ephesus rioted in the Temple of Diana
and was so much in the forefront that he was captured by the mob
(Ac.19:29).
He was there when Paul set sail a prisoner for Rome (Ac.27:2).
It may well be that he had actually enrolled himself as Paul's slave in
order that he might be allowed to make the last journey with him.
And now he is here in Rome, Paul's fellow-prisoner.
Clearly Aristarchus was a man who was always on the spot when things
were at their grimmest.
Whenever Paul was in bad trouble Aristarchus was there.
The glimpses we have are enough to indicate a really good
companion.
There was Mark.
“...Marcus”: It is gratifying to see Paul speak affectionately of Marcus,
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Of all the characters in the Early Church he had had the most
surprising career.
He was so close to Peter that Peter could call him his son
(1Pet.5:13);
When Mark wrote his gospel, it was the preaching material of
Peter that he was setting down.
Marcus was the nephew of Barnabas (“son of consolation or
encouragement”); Acts 4:36
On the first missionary journey Paul and Barnabas had taken Mark
with them to be their secretary (Ac.13:5); but in the middle of the
journey, when things got difficult, Mark quit and went home
(Ac.13:13).
It was long before Paul could forgive that.
When they were about to set out on the second missionary journey,
Barnabas once more wished to take Mark with them.
But Paul refused to take the quitter again, and on this issue he
and Barnabas parted company and never worked together again
(Ac.15:36-40).
Tradition says that Mark went as a missionary to Egypt and founded
the Church at Alexandria.
What happened in the interim we do not know; but we do know that
he was with Paul in his last imprisonment who had once again come
to look on him as a most useful man to have around (Phm.24;
2Tim.4:11).
Mark was the man who redeemed himself.
Paul instructs the Church at Colosse to receive Mark and to give him
a welcome if he should come. Why does he do that?
Doubtless because his Churches looked with suspicion on the
man whom Paul had once dismissed as useless for the service
of Christ.
And now Paul, with his habitual courtesy and thoughtfulness, is
making sure that Mark's past will not stand in his way by giving
him full approval as one of his trusted friends.
The end of Mark's career is a tribute at one and the same time to
Mark and to Paul.
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11] And Jesus, which is called Justus, who are of the circumcision.
These only are my fellowworkers unto the kingdom of God, which
have been a comfort unto me.
“...Jesus, which is called Justus”:
Jesus—now a name above every name—was then a common
Hebrew name, Joshua.
Here we have a brother with a Roman surname for a reputation for
integrity. (Cf. Joseph Barabas, Acts 1:23 and Justus in Acts 18:7.)
The surname Justus is the Latin Justus for the Greek Δικαιος
[Dikaios] and the Hebrew Zadok [zādôq; ‫ ] ָ דו ֹק‬and very common as
a surname among the Jews.
[Source: Robertson, A.T.: Word Pictures in the New Testament.
Oak Harbor : Logos Research Systems, 1997.]
Of Jesus, who was called Justus, we know nothing but his name.
These were Paul's helps and comforters.
We know that it was but a cool welcome that the Jews in Rome gave
him (Ac.28:17-29); but there were men with him in Rome whose
loyalty must have warmed his heart.
MORE NAMES OF HONOUR
Colossians 4:12-15
"Epaphras, one of yourselves, the slave of Jesus Christ, greets you.
He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand mature
and fully assured in the faith, engaged in doing the will of God. I
bear him witness that he has toiled greatly for you and for those in
Laodicaea and in Hierapolis. Luke, the beloved physician, greets
you, and so does Demas. Greet the brothers in Laodicaea and
Nymphas and the Church in their house."
So this honour-roll of Christian workers goes on.
12] Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you,
always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand
perfect and complete in all the will of God.
“Epaphras”: We have discussed Epaphras in Col 1:7.
It was his efforts that founded the church at Colossae, and it was
Epaphras’ visit and status report that prompted this letter.
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It is also significant that he was a prayer warrior.
13] For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them
that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis.
“...Laodicea”: All three churches were his burden. (They were only a few
miles apart.)
Zeal is a key part of prayer.
Remember Paul’s “agony” earlier (Col 2:1).
Laodicea was Christ’s “last word” in His letters to the Seven Churches
(Rev 3:14-21).
It’s His Word to us today.
He was a servant of God who prayed and toiled for the people over
whom God had set him.
14] Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.
“Luke”: He was not mentioned among the three that “were of the
circumcision.”
He seems to have been a Gentile.
[There are some traditions that he may have been among the 70 (Lk
10:1)
or that he may have been the other disciple on the Emmaus Road
(Lk 24:13].
Some suspect that he was the man who appeared in Paul’s vision
(Acts 16:9,10)
It is intimated in Acts 16, when Luke changes his pronoun from
“they” to “us,” indicating that then Luke formed one of the party at
Troas (Acts 16:8,9).
Luke remained with Paul until the end, and possibly saw him
martyred. (2Tim.4:11).
Was he a doctor, who gave up what might have been a lucrative
career in order to tend Paul's thorn in the flesh and to preach Christ?
“...Demas”: It is pathetic to compare v.14 with 2 Tim 4:10, 11.
When Paul first mentioned Demas, he called him a fellow worker.
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Here he simply says, “and Demas”; this may indicate that Paul
isn’t really sure about him at this time.
Demas and Luke seem to have been intimately associated as they
are bound together here and in Philemon 24.
It is significant that Demas' name is the only one to which some
comment of praise and appreciation is not attached.
He is Demas and nothing more. .
In Phm.24 he is grouped with the men who are described as
Paul's fellow-labourers.
Here in Col.4:14 he is simply Demas.
And in the last mention of him (in 2Tim.4:10) he is Demas who
has forsaken Paul because he loved this present world.
Surely here we have the faint outlines of a study in degeneration,
loss of enthusiasm and failure in the faith.
Here is one of the men who refused to be remade by Christ.
15] Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and
the church which is in his house.
There was Nymphas (the Revised Standard Version has the feminine,
Nympha) and the Church of the brothers at Laodicaea which met in his
house.
Nymphas would be a person both of Christian character and of
generous feeling, and of some amount of wealth.
Nothing more is known regarding him, as this is the only
passage in which he is named.
Nymphas was a person of outstanding worth and importance in the
church of Laodicea, for he had granted the use of his dwelling-house
for the ordinary weekly meetings of the church.
(But the Sinaiticus and the Alexandrinus and the Ephraemi
Rescriptus manuscripts read “which is in their house”;
the Vaticanus manuscript has “her house,” making Nymphas a
woman.)
“...the church which is in his house”: Home churches (Acts 12:12;
16:15, 40; Rom 16:5, 23; I Cor 16:19; Philmon 2).
It was not till the 3rd century that separate buildings were used for
church worship.
214
Even today, this is still where the real personal growth takes
place!
There was no such thing as a special Church building until the third
century.
Up to that time the Christian congregations met in the houses of
those who were the leaders of the Church.
There was the Church which met in the house of Aquila and
Prisca in Rome and Ephesus (Rom.16:5; 1Cor.16:19).
There was the Church which met in the house of Philemon
(Phm.2).
In the early days, Church and home were identical: and it is
still true that every Christian home should also be a Church
of Jesus Christ.
This fact, that the church met there, also shows that Nymphas was a
person of some means, for a very small house could not have
accommodated the Christian men and women who gathered
together on the first day of every week for the purposes of Christian
worship.
THE MYSTERY OF THE LAODICAEAN LETTER
Colossians 4:16
"When this letter has been read among you, see to it that it is also
read in the Church of the Laodicaeans, and see to it that you read
the letter which is on the way to you from Laodicaea."
The letter to Colosse has to be sent on to Laodicaea.
And, says Paul, a letter is on the way from Laodicaea to Colosse.
What was this Laodicaean letter? .
It may have been a special letter to the Church at Laodicaea.
If so, it is lost, although, as we shall shortly see, an alleged letter
to Laodicaea still exists.
We have only thirteen Pauline letters, covering roughly fifteen
years.
It is certain that Paul must have written more letters than we
possess.
It may be the letter we know as Ephesians.
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It is well-nigh certain that Ephesians was not written to the
Church at Ephesus but was an encyclical letter meant to
circulate among all the Churches of Asia.
It may be that this encyclical had reached Laodicaea and
was now on the way to Colosse.
It may actually be the letter to Philemon. That is a real possibility.
For many centuries there has been in existence an alleged letter of Paul
to the Church at Laodicaea.
As we have it, it is in Latin; but the Latin is such that it has every sign
of being a literal translation of a Greek original.
This letter is actually included in the "Codex Fuldensis" of the
Latin New Testament which belonged to Victor of Capua and
which goes back to the sixth century.
This alleged Laodicaean letter can be traced even further back.
It was mentioned by Jerome in the 5th century, but Jerome
himself said that it was a forgery and that most people agreed
that it was not authentic.
The supposed Laodicaean letter runs as follows:
"Paul an apostle, not by men neither through any man, but
through Jesus Christ, to the brothers who are at Laodicaea.
Grace be to you and peace from God the Father and from our
Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank Christ in every one of my prayers that you remain
steadfast in him, and that you persevere in his works,
awaiting his promise on the day of judgment. Let not the
empty words of certain men seduce you, words of men who
try to persuade you that you should turn away from the truth
of the gospel which is preached by me...
...(There follows a verse where the text is uncertain)....
And now my bonds which I suffer in Christ are plain for all to
see; in them I delight and joy. And this will result for me in
everlasting salvation, a result which will be brought about by
your prayers, and by the help of the Holy Spirit, whether by
my life or by my death. For me to live is to be in Christ, and
to die is joy. And may he in his mercy bring this very thing to
pass in you, that you may have the same love, and that you
may be of the one mind.
Therefore, my best-beloved, as you have heard in my
presence, so hold to these things and do them in fear of
God, and then there will be to you life for eternity; for it is
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God who works in you. And do without wavering whatever
you do.
As for what remains, best-beloved, rejoice in Christ; beware
of those who are sordid in their desire for gain. Let all your
prayers be made known before God; and be you in in the
mind of Christ.
Do the things which are pure, and true, and modest, and
just, and lovely.
Hold fast what you have heard and received into your heart;
and you will have peace.
The saints salute you.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Cause that this letter be read to the Colossians, and that the
letter of the Colossians be read to you."
Such is the alleged letter of Paul to the Laodicaeans.
It is clearly made up mainly of phrases taken from Philippians
with the opening introduction taken from Galatians.
There can be little doubt that it was the creation of some pious
writer who read in Colossians that there had been a letter to
Laodicaea and who proceeded to compose what he thought
such a letter should be.
Very few people would accept this ancient letter to the
Laodicaeans as a genuine letter of Paul.
We cannot explain the mystery of this letter to the Church at
Laodicaea.
16] And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read
also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the
epistle from Laodicea.
SEVEN CHURCHES
Jesus:
Ephesus
Smyrna
Pergamos
Thyatira
Sardis
Philadelphia
Laodicea
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-->
-->
-->
-->
-->
-->
-->
-->
Paul:
Ephesus
Philippians
Corinthians
Galatians
Romans
Thessalonians
Colossians
Apostolic letters were circulated.
This was done usually by copying and keeping the original.
[The fascinating connection with Laodicea Rev 3:14-21 is the end-time
church; the Epistle to Colossians is the antidote!]
There are 34 words unique to Colossians.
Expressions common to both:
“...the beginning of the creation of God.”
“I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne.”
Some suspect that the letter “from Laodicea” may have been our epistle
to the Ephesians, a circular letter to the other churches in Roman
Proconsular Asia, reaching Colossae from Laodicea.
The most commonly accepted explanation is that the reference is to
the circular letter which we know as Ephesians; but the suggestion
put forward in our study of Philemon is even more romantic and very
attractive.
THE CLOSING BLESSING
Colossians 4:17-18
"And say to Archippus, `See that you complete that piece of service
which you have received from the Lord to do.' Here is my greeting
in the handwriting of myself, Paul. Remember my bonds. Grace be
with you."
17] And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou
hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it.
The letter closes with an urgent spur to Archippus to be true to a special
task which has been given to him.
“...Archippus, Take heed to the ministry”:
It may be that we can never tell what that task was; it may be that our
study of Philemon throws light upon it.
Also mentioned in Philemon possibly his son and the pastor of the
church that met in his home), he was apparently also ministering at
Colosse, but, with a tendency not uncommon today, settled down
comfortably and taking things easily.
Promptness, energy, and sense of urgency, is important in our
spiritual work as in anywhere else.
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Our work ethic is an important part of our witness! How about
us? One day we each will have to give an account...
18] The salutation by the hand of me Paul. Remember my bonds.
Grace be with you. Amen.
It was Paul's custom at the end of a letter to write his signature and his
blessing with his own hand--and here he does just that.
You can hear the clank of his chains, reminding us that he wrote as a
prisoner…
Paul signed it (cf. 1 Cor 16:21; Gal 6:11);
Paul’s trade mark: 2 Thess 3:17; Philemon 19.
Written from Rome to Colossians by Tychicus and Onesimus.
They were Paul’s amanuenses.
(Due to Paul’s eye problem? Cf. 2 Cor 12:7; Gal 4:15).
To write his letters Paul used a secretary.
We know, for instance, that the penman who did the writing of
Romans was called Tertius (Rom.16:22).
"Remember my bonds," he says.
Again and again in this series of letters Paul refers to his bonds
(Eph.3:1;Eph. 4:1;Eph. 6:20; Phm.9).
There is no self-pity and no sentimental plea for sympathy.
Paul finishes his letter to the Galatians: "I bear on my body the
marks of Jesus" (Gal.6:17).
Of course, there is pathos.
Paul's references to his sufferings are not pleas for sympathy; they
are his claims to authority, the guarantees of his right to speak.
It is as if he said, "This is not a letter from someone who does
not know what the service of Christ means or someone who is
asking others to do what he is not prepared to do himself.
It is a letter from one who has himself suffered and sacrificed for
Christ.
My only right to speak is that I too have carried the Cross of Christ."
219
All of Paul’s (and only Paul’s) —13 signed and Hebrews—close with
“grace” at the end.
He always ended by commending others to that grace which he himself
had found sufficient for all things.
220
Summary
We are complete in Christ.
We should beware of any teaching that claims to give us “something
more” than we already have in Jesus Christ.
All of God’s fullness is in Him and He has perfectly equipped us for the
life God wants us to live.
We do not live by addition, but by appropriation.
May the Lord help us to live as those who are indeed, complete in Christ.
Two Basic Challenges
Find out what the Bible says—this is not to be delegated to others
Mat 5:17 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the
Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
Take advantage of our unique environment of Today, with Advanced
Information Appliances and Internet Resources.
Explore the role of small groups
Then, find out what is really going on in the world. “What is
truth?”
Remember, we live in the age of deceit…
Action Plan?
What is God calling YOU to do?
“Raise the bar” on your personal walk with Him:
Commit to a systematic program to really learn your Bible; join (or
start) a Small Study Group;
respond to His calling…NOW!
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Our Coming King — inspired by Pastor S.D. Lockridge
He is:
King of the Jews (racial);
King of Israel (national);
King of all the Ages;
King of Heaven;
King of Glory;
King of Kings;
..and Lord of Lords. [Do you know Him? Do you really?]
A prophet before Moses;
A priest after Melchizedek;
A champion like Joshua;
An offering in place of Isaac;
A king from the line of David;
A wise counselor above Solomon;
A beloved/rejected/exalted son like Joseph.
And yet far more...
The Heavens declare His glory...
and the firmament shows His handiwork..
He who is, who was, and who always will be;
The first and the last
He is the Alpha and the Omega
the Aleph and the Tau
the A and the Z;
He is the first fruits of them that slept.
He is the “I AM that I AM” [the Voice of the Burning Bush!]
He is the Captain of the Lord’s Host
He was the conqueror of Jericho
He is enduringly strong;
He is entirely sincere;
He is eternally steadfast;
He is immortally graceful;
He is imperially powerful;
He is impartially merciful;
In Him dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
The very God of very God.
He is our Kinsman-Redeemer
and He is our Avenger of Blood;
He is our City of Refuge;
our Performing High Priest,
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our Personal Prophet,
our Reigning King.
He’s the Loftiest idea in Literature;
He’s the highest Personality in Philosophy;
He’s the Fundamental Doctrine of Theology;
He’s the Supreme Problem in “higher criticism”!
He’s the Miracle of the Ages
the Superlative of everything good
We are the beneficiaries of a Love Letter:
It was written in blood,
on a wooden cross
erected in Judea
2,000 years ago.
He was crucified on a cross of wood,
yet He made the hill on which it stood.
By Him were all things made that were made;
without Him was not anything made that was made;
By Him are all things held together!
What held Him to that cross? It wasn’t the nails!
(At any time He could have declared, “I’m out of here!”)
It was His love for you and me.
He was born of a woman
so that we could be born of God;
He humbled Himself
so that we could be lifted up;
He became a servant
so that we could be made co-heirs;
He suffered rejection
so that we could become His friends;
He denied Himself
so that we could freely receive all things;
He gave Himself
so that He could bless us in every way.
He is
Available to the tempted and the tried;
Blesses the young;
Cleanses the lepers;
Defends the feeble;
223
Delivers the captives;
Discharges the debtors;
Forgives the sinners;
Franchises the meek;
Guards the besieged;
Heals the sick;
Provides strength to the weak;
Regards the aged;
Rewards the diligent;
Serves the unfortunate;
Sympathizes and He saves!
His Offices are manifold;
His Reign is righteous;
His Promises are sure;
His Goodness is limitless;
His Light is matchless;
His Grace is sufficient;
His Love never changes;
His Mercy is everlasting;
His Word is enough;
His Yoke is easy and
His Burden is light!
He’s indescribable;
He’s incomprehensible;
He’s irresistible;
He’s invincible!
The Heaven of heavens cannot contain Him;
Man cannot explain Him
The Pharisees couldn’t stand Him
and learned that they couldn’t stop Him;
Pilate couldn’t find any fault with Him;
the witnesses couldn’t agree against Him.
Herod couldn’t kill Him
death couldn’t handle Him
the grave couldn’t hold Him!
He has always been and always will be;
He had no predecessor and
will have no successor;
Your can’t impeach Him and
he isn’t going to resign!
His name is above every name;
224
That at the name of Yeshua
Every knee shall bow
Every tongue shall confess
That Jesus Christ is Lord!
His is the kingdom, the power, and the glory... for ever, and ever.
...Amen!
***
225
Bibliography

Astronomy versus Astrology, 20 page pamphlet, Astronomical
Society of the Pacific, 390 Ashton Ave., San Francisco, CA 94112.

Astrology: True or False, by Roger Culver and Philip Ianna, 1988,
Prometheus Books, 700 E. Amherst St., Buffalo, NY 14215. Best
skeptical book on the subject.

Bruce, F.F., The Epistles to the Colossians, To Philemon and to the
Ephesians, Wm B. Eerdman’s Publishing Company, Grand Rapids,
MI, 1984.

Bullinger, E.W., The Companion Bible, Zondervan Bible Publishers,
Grand Rapids, MI, 1958.

Gutzke, Manford George, Plain Talk on Colossians, Zondervan
Corporation, Grand Rapids, MI, 1981.

Henry, Matthew and Thomas Scott, Commentary on the Holy Bible,
Thomas Nelson Publishing Company, NY, 1979.

Ironside, H.A., Lectures on Colossians, Loizeaux Brothers Inc.,
Neptune, NJ, 1929.

Jamieson, Rev. Robert, Rev. A.R. Fausset and Rev. David Brown, A
Commentary Critical, Experimental, and Practical on the Old and
New Testaments, vol. IV, William B. Eerdman’s Publishing
Company, Grand Rapids, MI, 1948.

Lightfoot, J.B., St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians, Logos Research
Systems, Inc. 1890.

Lucas, R. C., The Message of Colossians and Philemon, InterVarsity Press, Leicester England, 1980.

Moule, C. F. D., The Epistles of Paul the Apostle to the Colossians
and to Philemon, Cambridge University Press, 1957.

New Testament Study Bible, Galatians - Philemon, Edited by Ralph
Harris, World Library Press, Inc., Springfield, MI, 1989.

Pfeiffer, Charles F. and Harrison, Everett Falconer, The Wycliffe
Bible Commentary: New Testament, Moody Press, Chicago, IL,
1962.

Robertson, A.T., Word Pictures in the New Testament, Broadman
Press, Nashville, TN, 1943.

Scofield, C.I., The New Scofield Study Bible, (KJV) Oxford University
Press, New York, 1967.
226

Sky & Telescope, Cambridge, Mass, Sky Publishing Corp., August
1989.

Spence, H.D.M. and Joseph S. Exell (editors), The Pulpit
Commentary, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand
Rapids, MI, 1961.

Spencer, De Legibus Hebraeorum, Ritualibus et earum rationibus...
Cantabrigiae: Ex officinae Joan. Hayes Impensis Richardi Chiswel,
Londini, 1685.

Whitehead, Barbara Dafoe, “Dan Quayle was Right”, Atlantic
Monthly, April 1993.

Wiersbe, Warren W., Philemon, Scripture Press, Wheaton, IL, 1989.
The Bible Expostion Commentary, vol. 2, Victor Books, Wheaton, IL,
1989.

Wilson, Geoffrey B., Colossians and Philemon, The Banner of Truth
Trust, Edinburgh, 1980.
Colossians
THE LETTERS TO THE PHILIPPIANS, COLOSSIANS, AND
THESSALONIANS
REVISED EDITION
Copyright (c) 1975 William Barclay
First published by The Saint Andrew Press
Edinburgh, Scotland
Philippians, First Edition, 1957; Second Edition, 1959
Colossians, First Edition, 1957; Second Edition, 1959
I and II Thessalonians, First Edition, 1954; Second Edition, 1959
Published by Westminster John Knox Press
Louisville, Kentucky
227