Colossians 4:6-18 English Standard Version 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. Final Greetings 7 Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. 8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, 9 and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here. 10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him), 11 and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. 12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. 14 Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas. 15 Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. 16 And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. 17 And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.” 18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Somehow, I missed verse 6 as part of yesterday's passage on "Final Instructions," so I've included it here today. Paul saves this instruction for last for the Colossian church--"Let your speech always be gracious , seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer each person." This echoes a lot of the teaching from the Psalms and Proverbs that encourage our words to be sweet like honey, but Paul encourages our words to be well-seasoned with salt so that they not only "taste good," but make people thirsty for the gospel and the Lord. Our words are a reflection of what is going on in our hearts, "Out of the heart the mouth speaks."
Luke 6:45 English Standard Version45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Also we are told in the book of James that the words that come out of a person's mouth can tell us a lot about if a person is regenerate or unregenerate, and also that small words have big consequences. James 3:1-12 English Standard VersionTaming the Tongue3 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. Now I hope you see why I did not want to pass by this instruction, for our speech is important not only in telling people the gospel, but showing other the power of the gospel as the gospel will change our hearts and will therefore change the very words we speak and the tone with which we speak to others. Let's now move onto some of the final greetings that Paul makes at the end of his letter as is common to many of his letters that we've already studied. It seems like Tychicus is the letter-carrier here and that the will relay some things to them verbally that Paul didn't want to put in writing about what has been going on in Paul's life. We've seen his name before in Ephesians and we'll see his name in the book of Acts, 2 Timothy, and Titus. He doesn't seem to be a major player, but he seems to be important to Paul and his ministry at this point in Paul's life. We also get introduced to someone named Onesimus, but we won't really know his story until the book of Philemon (Onesimus is a slave that ran away from Philemon--a crime which deserved the death penalty--and found Paul and became a Christian during the time that he was a fugitive. Paul will plead for Philemon, the master, to take Onesimus back as a brother in Christ, but that if he doesn't want him back to let Paul keep him as a fellow minister of the gospel because he has been a great help to Paul). We can only assume this means that Philemon is part of the Colossian church and that Paul is sending Onesimus home. Along with these that accompanied the letter, Paul sent greetings from Aristarchus, a fellow prisoner who either was jailed for the gospel as well or who was converted in prison (I think it would be fair to say that Paul definitely had one of the first prison ministries since he seemed to be in prison quite often and I can't imagine if he was singing hymns that he wasn't also preaching and teaching too). Paul also sends greetings from John Mark (yes, the same Mark that wrote the gospel of Mark and accompanied Peter for some of his missionary journeys. John Mark and Paul didn't get along so well as the beginning of Paul's ministry, but the Holy Spirit used this to send Paul and Barnabas into different areas of the world as Barnabas took John Mark and Paul took Silas. Later on Paul realizes that he needed to invite John Mark back to work with him and the relationship between the two seems to have been healed. Paul made sure that they got special instruction regarding if John Mark came to visit--probably related to what I just said to not bring up the fact that he had deserted Paul earlier because he had gotten homesick, and to make sure he was welcomed as a valued member of the team. Paul also sends greetings form one called Jesus (a popular name as it was the Romanized version of the name Joshua) that preferred to go by the name "Justus" or "Justice." These two men (John Mark and Jesus called Justus) were the only Jews working with Paul at this time and I'm sure it was comforting to him to have a couple people like him to work alongside him among so many that were of other ethnicities and cultures. Paul then adds greetings from some of His Gentile co-workers. He first sends greetings from Epaphras (we've talked about him several times before). We lean here that Epaphras is what we might call a "prayer warrior" who has struggled and battled in prayer for the needs of the local churches, specifically the Colossian church, according to Paul, and not just their church but other churches in the surrounding area, specifically the churches in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. Paul also sends greetings from Luke (yes, the writer of the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts) who accompanied Paul on many of his missionary journeys--probably as both historian and doctor as it seems like Paul was always getting beaten, whipped, stoned and so on (we see him "brag" about this in other epistles), so having a doctor on staff might not have been such a bad idea for Paul--especially now when he's in prison. Paul likewise sends greetings from Demas (Demas will not remain faithful and will desert Paul and the gospel as it becomes more and more apparent that Paul is heading to death row and Demas doesn't want any part of that, so he heads home to Thessalonica sometime between the books of Colossians and Philemon (probably written at the same time--I'm assuming Onesimus carried the letter to Philemon with him) and the book of 2 Timothy where Paul calls out Demas for his desertion. Paul then gives instructions to the Colossian church to send greetings to some others in the area and some of the other congregations in the area and to pass this letter along to some of the other churches as well. Paul specifically gives instructions for them to give greetings to the churches in Laodicea, and to Nympha (not sure where she is from) and the church that meets in her house--this is not to say that she was a pastor, but that she was probably a businesswoman (maybe like Lydia) who had a large enough house to hold a church service in. Paul asks them to send a copy of the letter to the church in Laodicea and for them to make sure that they also read the letter that had been sent to the church in Laodicea (we don't have this letter in the New Testament, but that shouldn't bother us). Paul finally has one last person he wants to speak to and that is a brother named Archippus who needs to be encouraged or corrected or both with the words, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.” This is a good word to each of us too whether it mean "keep up the good work" or "get to work" or "Don't stop working." All of these are probably appropriate ways to read this message. Paul ends the letter by saying that he has written this letter with his own hand from prison and asks the church to remember him and his imprisonment (his chains) and gives a benediction asking for the grace of God to be upon those that read the letter.
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Further Instructions 2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison-- 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. 5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. In this passage, Paul tells the Colossian church to continue in prayer, preach the gospel and to walk in wisdom by the power of the Spirit of God that is working in and through them so that they may make the most of the time that they have, since Paul and the Church believed that the return of Christ we imminent.
We'll see that this expectation of the return of Christ is going to be front and center in the next of the Pauline epistles, the books of First and Second Thessalonians. We'll be getting to those soon as we only have one more section remaining in the book of Colossians. For now, let's look a little more closely at some of the exact instructions that Paul gives these Christians. How are we to pray? Steadfastly, watchfully, and with thanksgiving! We should be in the habit of praying in all places at all times, privately, publicly and corporately. We should be watchful in our prayers so that we are on guard for enemy attack, but also for the answer to the prayer as sometimes God sends the answer in the midst of our prayer. Last, but not least, we should always be thankful in our prayers because of who God has made us and what He has done for the sake of His great name! There may be circumstances about which we want to pray for God's intervention, but there should be no circumstances that stop us from seeing the goodness and greatness of God. Paul then asks for them to pray for him and those with him that even in this challenging time where Paul was in pinion and likely nearing the end of his life (Paul may or may not have been aware of this), that God would open doors for the gospel to be preached and that it would be clear to Paul what to say and who to speak to. Paul would also need to be given the words as he would be standing before governors and other rulers as he is going to be put on trial and Paul would be the one that was sent not only to the Gentiles, but to their kings and emperors. Last, but not least, as we have already discussed, Paul encourages them to be careful and diligent about their walk because time is something we can't get back, so we need to make the most of the time that we have and use the limited time we have to make sure we are about the work of living out our testimony of the new creation that God has made us in front of those who are not saved, the outsiders Paul mentions here. They will understand the words you say better when they are accompanied by actions that make your words believable, but if your actions do not match your words and it looks like the gospel has had no power or impact in your own life, then why would anyone else want to hear about it or experience it? Put On the New Self 3 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. 12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Paul now addresses the issue of how we should live our lives in the here and now until we reach heaven. There are so many things around us that could ensnare and easily entangle us Coas the writer of Hebrews tells us in Hebrews 12:1. We are instead to fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter (or Finisher) of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Likewise, Paul here tells the church in Colosse seek after the things "above where Christ is" (heavenly things) and to not be fixated on earthly things.
This is not to say that we look upwards so much that we forget the gospel work in the here and now--Paul will correct the church in Thessalonica for this in the epistles to the Thessalonians, but we must first be citizens of the kingdom of God and swear full allegiance to Christ and His kingdom, as that is where our residence and destiny lie--with Him in glory. We see another one of the great passages about what Christians cannot be (we'll see others in I Corinthians, and we saw lists like this in Galatians and Ephesians). I'd say that this topic of how life in Christ being controlled by the Spirit and not by the flesh and how that makes us look and act different from the world is probably one of the biggest topics that you can find throughout the entire New Testament, but definitely in the Pauline epistles. Many don't like these passages because they seem to tell you how to know that someone is not genuinely saved and that's not something we like to think about. So, what are we to put to death so that these things have no more control over us?: Sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desires and covetousness (which is idolatry). That last one seems new to us as Paul doesn't seem to address that much in the other epistles, so we can only guess that this church had an issue with materialism and worshiping "stuff" (not simply money). When we look to stuff to make us happy and find our meaning in it, that stuff has taken the place of God. We covet the things we don't have believing that they will fill the God-shaped vacuum in our hearts. Stuff will never provide us with the answers to origins, meaning, morality, destiny and identity that we seek. Only God can give us those answers. We are also told to put away things like anger, wrath, malice, slander, obscene talk (swearing, cursing, foul language and dirty jokes), and we are not to lie to each other because lying is the language of the devil, but if we are in Christ who is the Truth, that we should be full of the Truth and should be truth-tellers. We should put off these things because Christ died to save us from these things and to buy us out of our slavery to sin. We should all be made in the image of our Creator so that there will be no more distinction between Jew and Gentile, man or woman, slave or free, but we will all be made into the image of Christ (who is the exact and perfect image of the invisible God) so that we might fully reflect His character and nature and glory to the whole world. We should let His desires become our desires and His will become our will. So then what should our new character and nature look like and what should living in accordance with this new nature look like? We first need to remember who we are and what we are called to be. We are beloved (loved of God) and we have been made holy (set apart) and blameless through Christ and we are who we are because we were chosen before the beginning of time in Christ not because of our own goodness, but because of the goodness of God who desired to redeem a people for Himself that would make His name great. We should therefore reflect God's character and nature and demonstrate His attributes to others in the way that He has demonstrated them to us. We should be known as people who are compassionate, kind, humble, meek, patient, forgiving, and bound by the bond of love which makes us one in Christ (so that there is harmony in the body of Christ). We should have the peace of Christ guarding our hearts and minds so that we are not controlled by fear as we have faith in the one who can speak the world into existence, and at the sound of His voice the raging storms will cease. He is the one who owns the cattle on a thousand hills (He has wealth beyond our imagination) and there is nothing impossible for Him and He is the Good Shepherd who not only laid down His life for His sheep, but makes everything that gets to them pass through Him first--He will not let anything get to us that isn't for our good and His glory, even if it is painful. Because of this we are to give thanks in all things and be known for having an attitude of gratitude and living a different as we can sing songs of praise to the Lord for who He is and what He has done even in life's darkest moments because nothing can steal our joy from us. In Christ we will learn the wisdom of the Word instead of the wisdom of the world. We will be filled with this knowledge and understanding of who God is and what His character and nature is as the Holy Spirit lives in us and leads us into all truth. We encourage each other and teach and admonish each other with the wisdom of the Word. We sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs in both private and corportate worship and the praise of God is always on our lips. Most importantly, we exist so that everything we are and everything we do is for the glory of God alone. It is Him what we are serving and worshiping as we seek to make His name great among the peoples and nations of the earth. He alone is worthy as we will see sung by all the saints in the book of Revelation in the seven-fold Hallelujah. Revelation 19:1-8 English Standard VersionRejoicing in Heaven19 After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, 2 for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.” 3 Once more they cried out, “Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.” 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” 5 And from the throne came a voice saying, “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.” The Marriage Supper of the Lamb 6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”-- for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. Let No One Disqualify You 16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. 20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations-- 21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. The issue of Judaisers seems to be at the heart of this passage as once again, Paul has to address that Gentiles don't need to first become Jewish and adhere to all the of the Law before becoming Christians. None of these Gentile Christians were to let anyone pass judgment on them for not eating what we would call a Kosher diet or their for not celebrating the Jewish holy days (holidays). Paul says that all of the things that the Jews celebrate in their feasts, festivals, and even Sabbath days are but a foreshadowing of the better things that are to come when we are united with Christ.
Also, they should not listen to the "wisdom" of the Greek philosophers that were trying to mix their paganism with Christianity and make a false gospel--for example, the Gnostics. There were various false gospels and false doctrines that Paul is summing up in these few words here, but essentially Paul is telling the Colossians like he told the Galatians not to believe any other gospel. They need to hold fast to Jesus and Him alone because it is by Him through Him and for Him that we exist and are held together. If we died to the world through the work of the crucifixion, then why would anyone turn to the world and its systems to tell them how to be a Christian? The world has no valid input to give here, even if it was from a system such as Judaism that was somehow closely connected with those who were the first Christians. The laws were there to protect us and if we obey the Law, we do so out of love for the one who is the Law-Giver, but not out of a desire to earn favor with God. We are not saved by religion that weighs our good deeds against our bad deeds, but by a relations and if we are "in Christ" or "in Adam." No amount of good works or acts of contrition will save us. We are sinful by nature and only a change in nature brought about by the gospel (and eventually Christ conquering sin, death, the devil and all those who have rebelled against God) will free us from the very presence of sin. Until then, only the gospel and allowing the Holy Spirit to fight for us and live through us will give us victory over the power of sin in our lives. Alive in Christ 6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. This again shouldn't sound new or surprising to us having read many of the other epistles from Paul to the churches that he helped plant and pastor, nor should it surprise us having read other epistles like I John and James, as well as having read the gospel of Matthew and having studied parts of the gospels of Mark, Luke and John as well--real faith results in a metamorphosis of sorts where everything about us seems to change, but it's even more than that. Like the Valley of Dry Bones in Ezekiel the gospel actually takes that which was dead and makes it alive and all things have been made new in the image of Christ Himself so that when God the Father sees us, He sees His own Son living in and through us by the power of the Holy Spirit. So then everything about us should be different as we put off our old sinful nature (the flesh) and are led by the Spirit. We studied this both in Galatians and Ephesians and even talked about how we need to "suit up" in the armor of God daily for the spiritual warfare that we encounter.
Paul reminds them first that true faith also leads to true worship--that we will have an attitude of gratitude towards God and the things He has done. This attitude and the things we know to be certain through God's Word should keep us from falling prey to the lies of the vain philosophies of this world that were espoused as the "wisdom of the world" that are nothing more than empty deceit. Instead we should remember that Jesus is fully God (not just fully man) and all of God's attributes, including His omniscience, lives fully and completely in Jesus and in the Holy Spirit as well, and that as we let the Spirit of Christ (the Holy Spirit) live in and through us, we too have access to that knowledge and power and understanding as the Holy Spirit explains it to us--that is as much as we need to know at the time. Therefore we should not be tricked into believing that there is some deep knowledge that is mysterious that some men have access to that God is hiding from us--these are the lies of the devil. Go back to the Garden of Eden if you want to see the first time this line of attack was used on humans as Satan convinced Eve (and Adam who was with her) that God had hidden some good from them in hiding knowledge from them that would make them like gods themselves. One of the temptations was that the fruit was desirable to make them gain wisdom. We fight the same enemy who uses many of the same tricks today, just rewrapped in different packaging, but inside are the same old lies. As Solomon says in Ecclesiastes, "There is nothing new under the sun" (he was speaking of philosophies and worldly wisdom when he said this). This is still true to today as people may take a little of this and a little of that and mix it together and rename and repackage it, or they may blatantly take something ancient and try to make it sound new, but there really is nothing new. We've seen all the rebellion and false religion of this world system traces back to the book of Genesis and the rebellion that we saw in chapters 3-10. Do not be tempted by any system of religion or philosophy that promises that you will be a god or like God or that you can build your own way to God. The next section that speaks of circumcision not made by hands might have been a little tricky if we hadn't already talked about the book of Galatians, and there are a couple of other places we've looked at along the way so far that should help us understand that Paul is talking about us not receiving an outward sign of the covenant put something that happens to our hearts that is an inwards sign so that this is something that God alone does and it is done without human hands. Once we are saved we become a new kind of tree that produces a new kind of fruit because we have a new kind of root. This transformation is usually radical and visible to all around us. Again, read I John, James, and I & II Peter if you have any question about real faith being faith that is lived out in action and that "by their works you will know them (See Matthew 7:16). Even though that's true we can't take apples and put them on a grape vine and make it an apple tree. the issue is the root, not the fruit, even though the fruit is the visible evidence that we see of what has happened at the root level. But we can say that if we see bad fruit or no fruit, then there is an issue with the root. Only a good root will produce good fruit. We also know that the Father is the Vinedresser that takes every branch (person who says they are in Christ or a part of the "true Israel") that is dead or diseased and that bears no fruit or diseased fruit and cuts them off and throws them into the fire as well as pruning back the things in the lives of every true believer that are unnecessary and will make us more fruitful in the areas where we are meant to grow. We (or flesh and its passions and desires) have been crucified with Christ and like Christ we have been raised to walk in newness of life, but we have not yet received our Resurrection bodies--we will receive those one day in what we call the Rapture. Through this death and Resurrections Christ became sin for us and put it to death so that we might become the righteousness of Christ and be presented holy, blameless and without blemish to God the Father and will be the Bride of Christ adorned in garments white and clean as we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ alone. No one who comes to God with garments polluted by the works of the flesh (comes in their old, sinful nature) will be able to enter into His presence. They must discard that identity that they are clothed in that is filthy (Isaiah 64:6) to be dressed in the righteousness of Christ which are our wedding garments (Matthew 21-22) Through these actions our debt has been cancelled as in the parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18:21-35). Not only that but our account has been filled up to overflowing with the good credit that comes from Christ's infinite righteousness that we did not deserve. For this reason Christ used the accounting term to say "It is finished" meaning "The debt has been paid in full" when He died on the cross (John 19:30). All this was done so that sin, and the flesh, and the devil and all of the forces of darkness would no longer have any power over us. Romans 8:37-39 English Standard Version37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Paul's Ministry to the Church 24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. 2 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. 5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. I have to admit that it's hard for me to grasp in verse 24 what Paul is talking about that is "lacking" in Christ's afflictions, but nonetheless, Paul is saying that he is suffering for the good of the Church in the same kind of way that Christ suffered for the Church by giving His body as a sacrifice for them. Paul's sacrifice is very different as it is not penal substitutionary atonement, but I think Paul is saying that in becoming like Christ, the world hates him in the same way that they would hate Christ Himself and that they are doing the things to Paul that they would do if Christ were still physically here--instead they are doing those things to the members of His Body, the Church.
We've seen much of the same language of this passage before--Paul is a minister of the gospel and is a steward of the people that God has entrusted to him (like an under-shepherd to watch over the flock of God). Paul's job is to make the Word of God known and to preach it in season and out of season, and to make the mystery of the gospel known among the Gentiles (an apostle to the Gentiles) so that God's plan from before the beginning might be revealed and God might be glorified. Another part of that ministry that was given to Paul (and to us today) is teaching, exhortation and correction as we desire to see all those we lead and disciple become spiritually mature and become more and more like Christ. Paul says this is hard work and he can only do it because of the energy that comes from Christ working in him and through Him to accomplish His good purposes that He set out to do. Paul then specifically relates a struggle he has with wishing to visit the churches in Colossae and Laodicea face-to-face. We heard this before with the epistle to the Ephesians how Paul desired to see the believers in these churches so that they might be encouraged during the time that they were so worried about him, but he is concerned for them like a parent for his children. He wants them to have full assurance of the gospel and full understanding of who Christ is and what He did and what He is doing and what He will do so that they will be complete and mature and lacking nothing. Paul also desires for them to be knit together so that the many may become one Body and that they might receive every spiritual blessing through Christ. Paul also desires for them to have the fullness of the wisdom and knowledge that comes from God so that they will not be led astray by false teachers and false gospels. The devil and those that belong to him are still at work telling lies to try to steal, kill and destroy and to try to disqualify the elect of God, if possible (a theme that is coming up soon in this letter). Paul ends this section by reminding them that even though he can't be with them physically that there is a stronger connection here that binds them and he still has unity and communion with them, even from such a great distance. We can rejoice with those who are rejoicing and weep with those who are weeping from afar because we are one Body in Christ. When one part is in pain, the whole body feels it, but also when one part is glad the whole body feels that as well. Paul is happy to see them growing in their faith in Christ, becoming more spiritually mature and holding fast tot he things they have been taught and not wavering from the true gospel. The Preeminence of Christ 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister. For those of us in our Gospel Foundations curriculum, you should find these verses familiar, as we recently studied them as part of our first lesson on Creation. Some key points here is that Jesus is not "made in the image of God" like Adam was, He is THE image of the invisible God--Jesus is everything that God, especially the things that we cannot see. Jesus put all of God's invisible attributes into action for us so that we could see them at work through the way He lived and died and rose again and now how He intercedes for us and is coming again as Husband of the Church, Judge, and King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Jesus is the Creator of all things and the one for whom all things were created. We see in John 1 that Jesus is the Word--the very Word of God that spoke the world into existence out of nothing. He is preeminent over all creation and He himself is uncreated--He is like nothing else in creation. He is before all things, so even though He was born in Bethlehem, He is as eternal as the Father, and He is the one in whom all things consist and hold together.
He is the Head of the Body (the Church)--which I mentioned before by calling Him our Husband. We will be married with Him once we are united with Him in heaven and will live with Him forever in the New Jerusalem (heaven on earth). He is also the firstborn of the living from among the dead--a promise to us that like Him we will receive a new body in His likeness that is fit for heaven, for this body that is fit for earth is not fit for heaven since it has been corrupted by sin. Again we see that this was done so that in all things Christ may have authority and be preeminent. But why would God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit set out on such a plan that included the death of God the Son on a cross from before the beginning of time? Paul answers that one too--so that He might reconcile until Himself all things whether things on earth or things in heaven. That is everything that lasts after the coming judgement will belong to Him because He has purchased its redemption and made way for its reconciliation through His own blood. Even though we failed God and deserved hellfire and damnation for our rebellion and sins that we willingly commit against Him, God interceded on our behalf to make a way--the one and only Way--to Him through the body and blood of Jesus that through His death we might have life and that through God's wrath being poured out on His own Son that we might receive grace and mercy and that by becoming sin for us, we might become the righteousness of Christ. Now we are co-heirs with Jesus as we are going to be made like Him and receive everything that a son of God would receive from the one we can call "Abba, Father" (Daddy). We have been brought near and are presented without blemish and with no need for shame or reproach) remember how after sin Adam and Eve realized they were naked and were ashamed and tried to cover themselves, but before that they were naked and not ashamed? Shame will no longer exist for us in heaven because we will simply be exactly what God has created us to be. This is the destiny for all those who persevere in their faith, but that too really is something that He does, and not that we do, for He is the one that keeps us to the end. Remember in John where Jesus talks about Himself being the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep and that He will not lose any of the sheep that have been given to Him. There is one true gospel that we must cling to and not waver from. It is the foundation that is our solid rock that our lives are built on because it is the gospel of Jesus Christ and what He has done for us, in us and through us. He is the one who has made us new, called us to be holy and set apart, and sealed us with the Holy Spirit (like the ring that is given as both a promise and down payment as an engagement ring to show that we belong to Him and He belongs to us), and He is coming again for us and will put all of His enemies in subjection to Himself and judge them for what they have done to Him (and part of what they have done to Him is what they have done to us as the Church). It is this good news that like Paul we go forth to tell--this is the only message that can save people and give them hope in the kinds of times that Paul lived in and that we now live in. We are citizens of a kingdom that is not of this world and are made for a purpose that this world doe not understand unless they too come to salvation by the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is because He loved us that He did things for us and sent His apostles to the whole world to tell us, and it is because we have His love flowing in and through us that we go into all the world to proclaim the gospel to all people groups so that all creation might be reconciled to Christ. |
Daniel WestfallI will mostly use this space for recording my "journal" from my daily devotions as I hope to encourage others to read the Bible along with me and to leave a legacy for others. Archives
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