Colossians Lesson 6

Colossians 3:22 – 4:18
Chapters 16, 17, and 18 in Lucas

The verses just prior to this next series dealt with family relationships and now Paul moves to our work relationships. We need to read “slaves” as employees and “masters” and employers.

Colossians 3:22-25
Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.

For some it may be natural to associate the word “slave” with “employee” but for the rest of us … just read employee instead of slave. Slaves were not slaves in the sense that we often think of. The arrangement in biblical times tended to be more contractual and therefore, in principal, works for instruction in a capitalist society in which most are employed or employers in a contractual arrangement. Think of how these instructions apply to you in your employment. Even if you are self employed you generally have a customer and these commands would then apply with regard to your work for the customer. The work ethic developed here draws our attention to God and away from ourselves and away from falsehood. Our love and reverence for God causes our motivation (even in our secular pursuits) to be directed for His glory and not ours. Consequently, since we live “coram Deo” (before the face of God) our performance doesn’t depend on whether a human is watching or not. We know that God is watching and we know our rewards will come from Him. Our work is for Christ.

These instructions set bounds on the way we approach our work. We can’t simply say that our work for God is in one class of behavior and our secular work is in another class. Paul didn’t do a poor job of making tents (his secular employment). Paul made tents as if he was serving Christ because he was serving Christ when he made tents.

It is possible you may feel this is a burden in that Christ claims authority and Lordship over your secular work and perhaps you have thought of this as something separate from service to God. When I was in High School I once thought that perhaps I should tithe my time. I first thought of giving God 2.4 hours a day. Well that was obviously too much so then I thought maybe I would subtract 8 hours for sleep. That got me down to 1.6 hours but even then I decided that was just too much of my time. To be fair, I was thinking of nothing but “religious” pursuits in my 1.6 hours. Later I found that God wanted all 24 hours but that he also wanted what I considered to be time lost from “religious” pursuits. I now find it a real blessing that all my time should be spent in service to God. Dividing our lives into “time serving God” and “time serving me” is a source of confusion and frustration as well as contrary to Scripture. God will work with you and through you. He makes life a great adventure.

Colossians 4:1
Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.

This is a reminder as an employer that your behavior is to be an example of God’s righteousness and fairness. God’s mercy and blessing place some of us for a portion of our lives in the position of employer or supervisor. This responsibility should be taken as an opportunity to represent your Master in heaven.

Colossians 4:2-4
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.

In our prayer life we are urged to be devoted, watchful, and thankful. These are tremendous foundations for an effective intercessory prayer ministry. The fervent or devoted prayer life will be blessed and our watchfulness in prayer with thanksgiving can be used by God to build the kingdom.

The additional command to pray for evangelism is also a great reminder of how we can participate in the clear and effectual presentation of the Gospel. I think we can also use this Scripture to remind us to prayer for our brothers and sisters who are in jail or under threat of legal action as a result of their faith.

Colossians 4:5-6
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

I don’t suppose we should need to be told this but apparently it is something we need to hear. We shouldn’t isolate ourselves within our community. The Christian community should be outward looking in the sense that we think about how we interact with the unsaved and take opportunities to share the Gospel. We should expect to have opportunities and to provide answers for the unsaved as the Holy Spirit moves.

I think what is implicit here is that the Church is having an impact on “outsiders”. We would not be inclined to seek a community in isolation from the rest of the world. We would expect our community to interact with the those outside the Church. However, even a community that is considered somewhat isolated like the Dutch Amish are able obey this Scripture.

Colossians 4:7-9
Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts. He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here.

While we aren’t supposed to be a closed community we are clearly supposed to be a community. These verses are setting the stage for brothers who love each other to communication further with each other. These guys obviously love each other and care about what is going on in each other’s lives.

Tychicus was a mailman. He was obviously trusted by Paul and is mentioned in the following Scriptures; Eph 6:21-22, Acts 20:4, 2 Tim 4:12, Titus 3:12.

Colossians 4:10-11
My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.) Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me.

Aristarchus was also part of Paul’s work in many places (Acts 19:29, Acts 20:4, and Acts 27:2) and Mark was part of a controversy earlier (author of Gospel and Acts 13:13; 15:37-40) but God had healed the disagreement and reconciled them.

I’ve wondered from time to time how Paul handled leaving his home. The strangeness of the places he went to and the relatively few Jews who came to Christ would seem to make Paul miss his culture and home. These verses show us that God was merciful and provided some Jews for fellowship and encouragement for Paul (Romans 9:1-5).

Colossians 4:12-13
Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis.

Remember that it seems Epaphras was the one who reported on the struggles of the church and the false teaching that was being spread in Colossae that resulted in Paul writing this epistle.

Colossians 4:14-15
Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings. Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.

Luke (author of book of Luke) was there with Paul. It makes me think of Luke taking notes and writing the book of Acts. Then Paul mentions the Church at Laodicea. These letters were Scripture from the time they were written. They were circulated and read over and over again as the Holy Spirit built and instructed the Church.

Demas left Paul when he was imprisoned the second time in Rome and is mentioned in Philemon (2 Timothy 4:10, Philemon 24).

Colossians 4:16
After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea.

The hand of God put Scripture together. It wasn’t a magical event in which scrolls floated through the air from all over the Holy Land and collected in a room. It was history with real people and real arguments but our sovereign God is able to work in the real world. We aren’t missing a portion of our Bible. We don’t need to worry about a lost book of the Bible called Laodiceans. Some folks argue that this was a reference to the book we call Ephesians. It is possible but seems unlikely.

Colossians 4:17
Tell Archippus: “See to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord.”

It is possible that Archippus was a leader of the church in Colossae. If so he is fortunate to have someone like Epaphras whose love for the brothers and sisters and concern about the false teaching present resulted in this epistle. In any case, this is a pretty direct order from Paul.

Colossians 4:18
I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.

Paul would dictate his epistles and then sign the epistle at the end. He also mentions his personal prayer request (his chains) and then adds his blessing of “Grace be with you”. Grace is when God blesses us without our deserving it. It is the beginning and end of our salvation. We are saved by Grace and God keeps us by His Grace. We need to seek God’s Grace in our lives and intercede for each other that God’s Grace would be poured out.

Colossians Lesson 5

Colossians 3:1-21
Chapters 13, 14, and 15 in Lucas

After spending time in the epistle establishing the sufficiency, supremacy, and perfection of Christ in our salvation we move to Chapter 3 and Paul begins to get specific about how these ideas impact our lives. We’ve had warnings that would keep our hearts from errors such as those found in Scientology and Kaballah. Now Paul will begin to show us how the truths he presented should impact the way we should live before the face of God (Coram Deo). The doctrines we have studied need to find expression in our lives if we have really heard and understood what God has said to us. The heart’s grasp of revealed truth will drive our actions and behavior in our lives.

Colossians 3:1-4
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (NIV)

In verse 1 we are reminded again that we have been raised from the dead. You who were spiritually dead in your trespasses and sins have been raised to new spiritual life. If our hearts receive that as truth then what is the logical thing to do? Paul points out that it is only logical then to set your heart on things above where your Savior is. Our minds are to be set on things above. In case you haven’t noticed the struggle in your life, please note that this is an active process. Your flesh is dead and so you should naturally set your mind on things above. But your flesh doesn’t go easily. God calls you to put on your armor each day, to seek His Grace, and purpose in your heart to run this race to live the way He has made you; alive to Christ and dead to this world.

I think this is another place in which we can see Paul’s order of hope linking from heaven to support our faith and love. Our hearts are set on things above like an anchor so we can live the lives of faith and express the agape love in work that God has ordained for us.

We are not so heavenly minded we are no earthly good. This setting of our minds on things above does not weaken our usefulness here on earth. On the contrary, we can be the best at the work God gives us to do moving forward with faith and God’s love because our foundation is in heaven.

Colossians 3:5-6
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. (NIV)

Your flesh will not die easy and unfortunately for many the struggle is approached without much passion. That is sort of like walking into an professional football game to play center without safety equipment and in your current physical condition. The result is predictable. However, if we pursue God then He enables us to do what we would otherwise not be able to do. You can’t do this in your own strength but God directs you to do it with Him. God raised you from the dead as a sovereign act of His Grace (salvation is monergistic or one worker) but He calls you to participate in your sanctification (sanctification is synergistic or a working together). If, by God’s Grace, we are thinking clearly then we will take this command to put our earthly nature to death seriously. We won’t feed on things or put ourselves in places that encourage sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, or greed.

One of the keys to this process is a realistic (i.e., scriptural) evaluation of your sinful nature. People like to think that we are “basically good people” because we are not as evil as we could be. The Bible teaches that our sin nature is treacherous, runs to our core, and is not to be underestimated. The recent hateful outbursts of high profile individuals like Mel Gibson and Michael Richards are viewed by many unsaved people as the exception rather than the rule. They like to think with pride that (no matter what their race is) that they are open minded, gracious, and loving without regard to race, color, or creed. Your heart is desperately wicked and only God truly knows your heart in this life. Forewarned is forearmed.

Scripture provides many more complete lists and descriptions of the effects of our earthly nature. This is a short list but I was really impacted by the list and the timing of the current Christmas sales. The recent news reports and my limited observations of much of preparations for a holiday celebrating the birth of Christ is that they, inappropriately, fit the five aspects of our earthly nature listed here. I suppose that in reality we should expect a secular culture to face Christmas with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed. But when you see video of someone punching someone in the process of trying to purchase a present for Christmas it still seems odd. But we as Christians are not to live that way or to let those types of sinful attitudes rule our lives. We put these things to death in our lives. This is to be a conscious and active part of your life. God expects you to run this race with patience and to participate with Him in cleaning up your life.

Colossians 3:7-11
You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. (NIV)

The past activities of your earthly nature are to be history and stay history. Paul says, “You used to walk in these ways” with the past tense. Here is another command from our Lord that we should rid ourselves of “anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language” and that we must not lie or be bigoted. These Scriptures are especially focused on life within the Church. In fact, even the phrase “filthy language” is contextually probably rough language directed at somebody. After being told to rid ourselves of these 5 things we are also told not to lie to each other and also to put aside all bigotry.

We need to know that our pursuit of the various means of Grace (prayer, devotions, Bible study, fellowship, worship, etc) is purposeful in that it is how we meet the challenge and move to obey this Scripture. The Means of Grace are not just good things but a process of obeying what God has told us to do in this “taking off” and “putting on”. These spiritual disciplines are how we are renewed in knowledge in the image of our Creator. It certainly isn’t a passive process. In school I remember wishing there was a shortcut to learning. Sleep learning sounded pretty good. Sleeping on a book and learning by osmosis doesn’t work; been there tried that. God has called us to an active and challenging pursuit that Scripture compares to war and not to a garden party.

Colossians 3:12-14
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. (NIV)

These scriptures give us the positive side of the command. These are the things we put on after we put off the character of our earthly nature. I have always liked the picture presented here of the binding power of love. This is agape love. Remember that this is not just a feeling. This is God’s love that makes compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness possible in tough times. This kind of love put Jesus on the Cross for your soul. This isn’t a perfume and roses type of love. When you pray for this love you are praying for the ability to lay down your life in sacrifice.

Bearing with one another and forgiving grievances is not an easy thing or something that appeals to our earthly nature but obedience to these commands is part of our life in Christ. The cement that holds our virtues together is agape love. The importance of clothing ourselves with these virtues and cementing theme in place with agape love can’t be overestimated in creating the unity we need for ministry (Psalm 133).

Colossians 3:15-17
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (NIV)

Instead of actions like “rid yourself of” and “cloth yourselves with” now we are told to let the peace of Christ rule and let the Word of Christ dwell. These “lets” require a picking of one thing and putting down of another. As we let the peace of Christ rule in our heart we must put down pride and selfishness. As we let the Word of Christ rule we put down the things the things our earthly nature and the world teach us like deceiving and provoking one another. Notice also that Christ’s claims extend to ALL things we do. If you can’t do it in the name of the Lord Jesus then don’t do it. Paul then continues with some specific commands for the family.

Colossians 3:18-21
Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. (NIV)

We’ve certainly discussed some of these family aspects in detail previously but remember that wives submit because men need, and are appointed to, a leadership role. This submission is gracious in the sense that they willingly allow us to occupy a position. It isn’t because the wife is lesser in honor or position before God. The word translated “submit” also had a military usage in the sense of following a commander. For example, if I follow a military leader or my boss at work it doesn’t mean that my leader is a better person or more valuable than I am. I follow leadership out of respect for the authority structure represented.

Husbands get a tougher command. We are told to show agape love toward our wives and not be harsh. You know you can show agape love and still be harsh. God says not to do that. These commands are hard in our day but these were radical concepts in the first century when women were treated as property.

Children are told to obey parents. This is a simple thing when we are kids but not something we are inclined to do. As we grow older it becomes more complicated to honor our parents as our other responsibilities increase. God will guide us as we seek to honor our Parents throughout our lives.

Fathers are further commanded not to provoke their children. This doesn’t mean you never make a decision that your children object to. I would hope you could recognize that would be impossible and not just unlikely. But the word indicates you should not make decisions or act in a certain way in order to provoke them. The Golden Rule would work here to guide our actions.

Colossians Lesson 4

Colossians 2:16-23
Chapters 10, 11, and 12 in Lucas

In these verses Paul begins to wrap up his teachings designed to prevent error in relation to the place of Christ and the Gospel in the lives of the Colossians and, by extension, in our lives. Remember that the root of the error coming against the young church in Colossae was a religious teaching that they needed special works and observances and ceremonies to be really holy and pure. So what does Paul say?

Colossians 2:16-17
Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. (NIV)

Have you realized before that you can “let” someone judge you? We don’t like it and we often chaff under it but we do “let” others judge us. Our pride makes it hard to let go when someone thinks we are sinful or less spiritual than we should be. I’ve been in a Muslim country in which Christians were judged less spiritual because we didn’t have the rigorous observances that they did. They had a much more active observance of the Sabbath. It was so serious that you had to stop work early on Friday. Look at Ramadan! It affected our work for a month. They judged us because of what we ate and drank too. They had taped “calls to prayer” that they played so loud that you couldn’t miss them. But I didn’t feel less holy because the reality is found in Christ. Do you think the world’s best “air-guitar” player makes Carlos Santana feel like an inferior guitarist? I think that is unlikely. We have the reality of Christ in that our sins are forgiven by His work on the Cross and we’ve received, by Grace, the righteousness of Christ. All the dietary laws, festivals, and even the Sabbath rest pointed toward Christ. Our observance of the Sabbath is a larger discussion but think of this. Next Sabbath day, see if you can go the entire day in the Sabbath rest of knowing that every sin (even those committed that day) was paid for on the Cross and that you have no (none, not a bit, nada) claim for any righteousness before God apart from that imputed to you by the perfect life of Christ. Can you spend a day in which you’ll do your best to do each thing you do in Jesus name at the time God asks, in the way God asks, with no thought but for His glory. Now that would be a true Sabbath rest.

Colossians 2:18-19
Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. (NIV)

I think we used to refer to this a spiritual weirdness in weird places. Every once in while, you’ll meet someone who is really way off the spiritual wall. I remember once I was running on a country road in Oregon. I looked up ahead and here came a “spiritual dude” with a robe followed by a woman. So I said “hi!” being polite even while sweaty and near anaerobic. The guy was barefoot and as I ran by him yelled, “Take off your shoes and liberate your feet!” I’d say he had lost connection with the Head for sure. Scripture is a valuable and essential framework for our growth. It sets boundaries and commands growth.

One of the perennial problems with many cults is that their lost connection with the Head results in an uncontrolled drift. For example, the Mormons taught that the “burning in the bosom” could be used to discern truth. Well then when you have conflicting truth, whose truth trumps the other truth? It makes for a real mess and cult leaders have a real problem with stray cult members running with their own revelations.

Colossians 2:20-22
Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. (NIV)

We need to make sure we are free from thinking that our righteousness has any source but Christ. Rules are a treasured source of feeling righteous and have been for thousands of years. We have all sorts of rules that we use to make ourselves feel righteous. Protestant churches have certainly had as much traffic in this arena as the Roman Catholic Church.

Be sure to separate in your mind things that are part of the moral law from things that are not part of the moral law. We are told in Deuteronomy 4:2 that we are not allowed to add to or take from the law of God. The moral law still has claim on us. The issue in question in Colossians 2:20-22 are those things which are known as adiaphorous. That means they are things that God has neither commanded nor forbidden. This now includes those things in the ritual law which were fulfilled in Christ and no longer have claim on our lives. For example, have you eaten ham lately? If so, it had no impact on your holiness before God. It may have increased your girth but it was not a sin unless you were gluttonous. In other words the ritual prohibition against eating pork is gone but the moral law commanding us to not be gluttonous still stands. I think that generally we don’t find this very confusing on a day to day basis but teachings regarding adiaphorous actions are common in cults and even in some Christian fellowships. The fundamental problem, aside from the sin of violating Deuteronomy 4:2, is that these teachings pollute our understanding of our justification before God and confuse the process of our sanctification.

Colossians 2:23
Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. (NIV)

Benjamin Franklin was big on “moral improvement” and noted that every time he thought he had a moral problem fixed that he’d find a problem popping up in another arena. Paul goes right to the heart of the matter. These things look good but they are not produced by the Holy Spirit and they don’t have any true value in fixing our sin nature. The pharisaical nature of “religious” systems creates a deeply rooted web of pride that confirms those caught in the web in the system and binds them from abandoning something in which they are so deeply invested.

Colossians Lesson 3

Colossians 2:1-15
Chapters 7, 8, and 9 in Lucas

Over the last few weeks we’ve seen how the book of Colossians stands against various cults. We’ve briefly discussed Christian Science, The Secret, and Conversations with God as examples of teachings opposed by Colossians and the Gospel of Christ. We’ve also discussed the fact that Paul’s presentation in his epistle to Colossae is positive rather than negative. What I mean by this is that Paul presents the truth rather than specifically identifying the false teaching at hand. This week I want to start with a brief reference to what may be the current false teaching(s) most closely aligned with the heresies coming against the young church at Colossae.

I don’t know how many of you have paid any attention to the singer called Madonna. She has been pretty high profile for a long time and is a little hard to ignore completely. As Tom Cruise has been a high profile proponent of Scientology, Ms. Madonna has been a high profile proponent of a form of Jewish Mysticism called Kabbalah. Maybe you remember her (and others) wearing a red string bracelet that keeps you free from the negative effects of “envious stares and looks of ill will” (whatever those effects are). You can get a bracelet for $26 bucks and the particular form that is popular in Hollywood seems to be very commercial but Madonna is the material girl so maybe that is appropriate. You can also get candles for prosperity and sex as well as rocks with one of God’s 72 (according to their count) names for various purposes.

The home page for Kabbalah.com has the following intro for one of their articles. It states, “If an angel came down and whispered into your ear, ‘Change these few things, and you will get everything you are looking for,’ what would you do? Naturally you would change.” Well no I wouldn’t and neither would anyone who really knew the Gospel. If you were a Christian familiar with the scripture that states, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! (Galatians 1:8-9; NIV) you would test everything with Scripture. The Kabbalah is quite different from the Gospel we have received. Just like “The Secret” that we discussed last week, the Kabbalah is presented as hidden information that you can use to have a happy and successful life.

I’d especially warn you against being lured by these views of religion as a “method” and as a “commodity” that you compare like cars or TV sets to see which will make you happier. It is completely inconsistent with the teaching of Hebrews 11 which after covering the successful stories … says “Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect (Hebrews 11:36-40; NIV).

Success does not equal spirituality. Obedience to God by doing His will in the way He wants it done at the time He wants it done and only for His glory is a good thing and a work of Grace. The World will not necessarily consider you a success when God is pleased with your life. You are supposed to put His opinions first.

Colossians 2:1-3
I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (NIV)

As we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses in our struggle to be pleasing children living before God … it is a good thing to know that Paul is struggling for us who have had no opportunity to meet him personally. I hope we can tell him someday that we heard what the Holy Spirit was saying through him. I do find the book of Colossians an encouraging epistle that makes me thankful for what God has done in my life.

Notice again that Paul is stressing the fullness of our revelation in Christ and that “the mystery of God” is Christ. We know Him in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. If I needed a red string to protect me from mean looks from people who don’t like me then He would have told me that. Christ did teach about turning the other cheek and loving those who don’t love you but nothing about doing it with red string wrapped around you.

The Gospel delivered to you is complete and it is a full revelation of the mystery of Christ in you the hope of glory (or hope of being judged righteous). Paul also prays that we would have the full riches of complete understanding. In another place he commands us to study so we wouldn’t be ashamed as we discuss the Gospel.

Colossians 1:4-7
I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is. So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. (NIV)

False religions can sound good and appeal to needs in our lives. When seeker sensitive methods of evangelism were popular I always wondered when you were supposed to deal with the hard stuff. For example, things like taking up your cross daily and crucifying the flesh and being joyful in trials seem to be hard to spin. We need order and firm faith because we are in a spiritual war. We will be in this struggle until we see Christ. False religion very often will offer you a way out of struggle by presenting itself as a method for acquiring what you want. They serve the flesh. Sometimes they serve the flesh overtly (like candles for sex and prosperity) and sometimes it is subtle (like promising purification apart from Christ and on your own terms).

Colossians 1:8-10
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. (NIV)

The heart of philosophy that is “hollow and deceptive” is a reliance on human tradition and the basic principles of this world. The Kabbalah is steeped in human tradition with layers of rabbinical teaching and embellishment set upon embellishment for thousands of years. While the “versions” change they all struggle to establish a link back to early teachings to hold onto the illusion of secret traditions handed down through the ages. In other words, they do exactly what Paul is telling us to avoid. The basic principles or elements of this world may very well be a direct reference to common Kabbalah teaching that God has 10 emanations including the “elements” of fire, water, and wind for influencing the world. This may reflect a significant Assyrian influence and is summarized in a short pamphlet titled “Sefer Yetzirah”. This philosophy would of course make you wonder that if God has 10 emanations how many would Christ represent? How could one man represent fire, water, or wind? The false teachers in confusing the Creator with the creation would likely have taught that Christ was only a partial revelation.

Paul puts an end to this teaching by saying that “in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.” The statements that we have fullness in Christ and that He is head over every power and authority also stands against Kabbalistic teaching in a genre of writings known as Heichalot (Heavenly Palaces) that purportedly teach how to ascend to heaven and how to draw down angelic spirits to help. The Gospel tells us that we don’t need to magically ascend through heavenly palaces and we don’t need angelic intermediaries since we have the One who is head over every power and authority.

It is hard to say how old various teachings are in all the incarnations of Kabbalistic teaching. They have not been consistent down through the ages further complicating the issue. In any case, we face old heresies again and they seem to be similar to those our brothers and sisters in Colossae faced.

Colossians 1:11-12
In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. (NIV)

Paul is probably not opposing a teaching here like the one we discussed in his epistle to the Galatians in which the teachers were telling them they needed to be circumcised. Here it looks like Paul is simply continuing his explanation of what Christ has done. It would be important for the Colossians to know that they, like us, had been circumcised by Christ, as signified by baptism, and raised up by faith to live for Him. The false teachers were probably teaching a gradual and progressive purification through various rituals and Paul needed to remind the Colossians, and us, that justification before God is a finished work symbolized by our baptism and we are enabled by faith to lives pleasing to Him.

Once again in passing … this is why I believe that believer’s baptism is appropriate and consistent with Scripture although I know that I have many brothers and sisters who think otherwise. I suspect that not too many members of the DMSSC think otherwise.

Colossians 2:13-15
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (NIV)

Christ has done it all and to Him and Him alone you are a debtor. We were dead as a result of both our past sins and our sin nature. We are in need of a salvation with a double imputation (at least we’ll get that concept memorized by the time we finish this epistle). We need to be forgiven of our past sins and have a cure for our sinful nature. God made us alive in Christ with a nature that desires to be pleasing to God. We still struggle against our old nature but now we are alive in Christ. Our forgiveness is complete. He took it away and nailed it to the Cross. Christ took the wrath of God for the believer’s sins.

Just in passing (again) … do you see how foolish it is to argue about who is responsible for the death of Christ? We’ve 2000 years of arguments over Jewish versus Roman responsibility. I’m responsible along with all my brothers and sisters in Christ. God did it for us so that we who deserved nothing but destruction could be His children.

The work accomplished on the Cross was God’s triumph over the powers and authorities that owned us and kept us dead in our sins and sinful nature. We were completely lost and without hope because we were sinners and, as a result of our sin nature, we continued to sin because we wanted sin and not God. The Bible says that before God’s work in salvation our minds were set in direct opposition to God.

Coram Deo
We shouldn’t be able to read Colossians without a renewed desire to live with a deep fidelity to the Gospel. I pray God would stir up our hearts to remember His work and to keep it clear and central in our minds.

Colossians Lesson 2

Colossians 1:15-29
Chapters 4, 5, and 6 in Lucas

Paul doesn’t address the false teaching in Colossae directly by outlining the false teaching. We know they had some false teachers who were probably at least influenced by Gnosticism and the Colossians were being told they needed more for salvation and that they didn’t have the whole story. This is still a standard line of argument for cults and false religions. The idea of special knowledge or revelation is a current trap used by the enemy of your soul when he comes disguised as an angel of light.

One example of the concept of special knowledge is “The Secret”. Larry King has just recorded special editions for his CNN program based on “The Secret” entitled “Beyond Positive Thinking” based on the premise that there is a “universal law” that our thoughts create our lives. A woman named Rhonda Byrne came up with this version but of course the Colossians were hearing the same story in the first century AD. Ms. Byrne says, “The Secret is released to the world! This ground-breaking feature length movie presentation reveals The Great Secret of the universe. It has been passed throughout the ages, traveling through centuries... to reach you, mankind, and humankind. This is The Secret to everything - the secret to unlimited joy, health, money, relationships, love, youth: everything you have ever wanted.” So it appears as a religion with greed as the basic motivator but it certainly sound like a seeker sensitive presentation. Jesus tells us to take up our cross daily and follow Him. Jesus says to lose your life if you want to find it and the greatest will be the servant of all. I don’t think Jesus was aware of seeker sensitive presentations.

Special revelation is also a popular story these days and “The Secret” folks seem to have some alliances at least informally with the material from Neale Donald Walsch who is responsible for the poorly named “Conversations with God”. It would be better named worshiping my flesh. We are supposed to believe that a generally misunderstood god (little g on purpose) has confided in Mr. Walsch and said, “My purpose in creating you, MY spiritual offspring, was for ME to know MYSELF as God. I have no way to do that except through you.” In this heresy we are asked to believe that God’s knowledge is limited and that He can only know Himself fully by knowing us. God did not create us out of a need. He created out of abundance and so that we as creations can glorify Him. Praise His name for He is perfect and complete without any darkness or lack of knowledge. Mr. Walsch goes on to blaspheme further by claiming that God told would say, “Is it FEAR that you need in order to be, do and have what is intrinsically right? Must you be THREATENED in order to ‘be good’? Who gets the final say about that? I tell you this; YOU are your own rule maker. You set the guidelines.” Since God has taught us that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom something so transparently designed to appeal to our sinful nature as this statement should be laughable. Unfortunately the ignorance of Scripture and a rejection of its authority characterize this age and without the anchor of Scripture, mankind is drifting and seeking for teachers who scratch them where they itch.

Colossians is a book that stands against these attacks against the sufficiency of Christ and strengthens our desire to walk in the Sprit and not fulfill the demands of our old natures. This week’s lesson begins with verses that seem almost like a psalm..

Colossians 1:15-20 (NIV)
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Christ is a perfectly and completely represents God. You can’t ask Jesus to “show you God” because Jesus will just tell you that if you’ve seen Him then you’ve seen God. It is a request that simply shows your ignorance … Jesus said to Philip, ““Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? (NIV; John 14:9). In his commentary, Calvin observes that “we must be careful not to look for Him anywhere else, for apart from Christ whatever offers itself to us in the name of God will turn out to be an idol”.

Christ is the firstborn over all creation. This is a scripture that is often twisted and I wonder if Paul wouldn’t be standing up yelling when people distort this verse if it were not for the perfect peace in which he now stands. You may someday (if you haven’t already) have a Mormon or JW tell you that this scripture means that Jesus was first born and this means that He is a creation and for some cults that we’ll eventually be like Him in stature. When we say that James Nasmith was the father of basketball it doesn’t mean he was the father in a physical sense with a woman who gave birth to a basketball or even the first kids who ran around playing basketball. This is way of speaking that works in our culture and we all know what we mean with regard to his preeminence of Mr. Nasmith in the game of basketball. In a similar manner, this is a reference to Christ’s status and position as the heir of all things. In Scripture the term “firstborn” is much richer in meaning that it is in our day. Jesus was born in Bethlehem and existed before all creation. He is fully God and fully man. In fact, Paul immediately and clearly begins to explain and expand his meaning that all things were created by Jesus. That would be all things in heaven and earth, visible and invisible, thrones, powers, rulers, authorities, all created by Him and for Him. The fact of Christ’s position being worthy of all glory and honor is then repeated as He is seen as before all things, holding all things together, and head of the body, the church.

The primary take home lesson is that there is no spiritual authority above Christ. The Gospel is a clear expression of the highest and best. There is no “secret” you must learn to gain spiritual maturity apart from Christ. There is no part of God in other traditions that you are missing by following Christ. If someone is having conversations with God that contradict the Gospel taught in Scripture then I pray they would stumble and fall so that they might know the truth. After establishing the perfection and completeness of God’s revelation in Christ then Paul moves on to explain what Christ has done for you specifically.

Colossians 1:21-23 (NIV)
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Here is double imputation again. You were alienated from God and were opposed to the work of God but Christ’s death has reconciled you. Your sins on the Cross so that you can be holy in His sight without blemish and free from accusation.

When you read, “if you continue in your faith” remember that Paul is talking to a church and while a believer may depart from following God for a long time and be in serious sin, God will ultimately correct and restore them as a Father. A local church does not, as a group, have the assurance of salvation given to an individual. For example, in Revelation God threatens to come and remove the lampstand of the church at Ephesus because they have left their first love. The reason Paul put the “if” in for this group of believers is because if they depart from this atonement (at one ment) and hope they received from Epaphras then they will have departed from the Gospel and the remnant of believers may be moved out to another place but that local Church will be dead. In other words, this is life and death discussion for this particular local church.

Colossians 1:24-27 (NIV)
Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Paul never moans about the suffering that he has been through and is even ready for more as it builds the body of Christ. He knows that these afflictions are Christ’s afflictions and that as Christ’s servant he identifies with the body of Christ and Christ. How could you complain about an affliction that Christ shares with you for the sake of His body, which is the church? You’d have to rejoice if you had your head screwed on right. I would probably complain but Paul had it right. Paul rejoiced in the suffering because he knew that Christ was present in the midst of his trial and participated with him in the trial. This is so real to Paul that he calls the trials “Christ’s afflictions” and they are really and fully as the Holy Spirit enabled Paul and can enable us in service.

There are other keywords here because of the attack on the Colossians. These keywords are good for us too in an age in which we are told we need to know the secret to have a full life. Paul says “fullness” and “mystery” and those are keywords for the attack of Gnostics.

The word for fullness is πληρόω [/play·ro·o/] and indicates that a vessel is filled to the top or brim. It means complete and perfect in every aspect. This strikes at the Gnostics false teaching that the Colossians don’t have a complete and full Gospel.

In the Greek the work for mystery is μυστήριον [/moos·tay·ree·on/] and is derived from a word that means to shut the mouth. Remember when something so surprising and beyond understanding would make a southerner say “Well shut my mouth”. This word runs right at the heart of the Gnostics because it means religious secrets known only to the initiated and not to ordinary people like you and me. Paul is making it clear that he has fully declared the mystery of the Gospel to the Colossians. They don’t need to look elsewhere for truth.

Colossians 1:28-29 (NIV)
We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me. 

The purpose of instruction and teaching is so that we can be perfect in Christ. We know that our standing in holiness before God is based on the work of Christ and it is important to recognize here what perfection means in the Greek is maturity as the end-product of discipleship. If we are to be pressing on for the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus then we are working to grow to maturity in the sense of the Greek word because it doesn’t indicate holy it indicates full grown. Listen to what Paul says in another place (that we just studied).

Philippians 3:12-16 (NIV)
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

Paul is using slight variations on the same root word here when he says perfect and mature. Here your NIV translation has some problems in which the ESV is a little bit better at not switching the translation around. Here the Colossians word translated perfect is translated mature and the word translated perfect has the same root but is a finished maturity. So the NIV changes words where the ESV is consistent on this point. Think of the work in Colossians as mature and here the verse helps you understand what Paul is getting at. Even Paul isn’t fully perfected but this attitude of diligent pursuit of what we have been called to is a sign of a mature Christian.

I love this last bit, “Only let us live up to what we have already attained.” That is the bottom line isn’t it. I’m not being moved in fear of losing my salvation or trying to be good enough to earn my salvation. On the contrary, I’m motivated by the surpassing Grace of God that has set my feet on the Rock and tells me to live like the child of my Father.

Colossians Lesson 1

Colossians 1:1-14

Chapters 1, 2, and 3 in Lucas

Paul’s epistle to the Colossians isn’t filled with severe correction like some other epistles and it is generally a positive letter. We read the fairly mild correction and warnings given and then work back from there to figure out what caused Paul to write a letter to a group of believers he had never met (other than the Holy Spirit which is of course a necessary and sufficient cause). In part it is given away by terms that Paul uses that he doesn’t use in other epistles like elemental spirits and asceticism.

Colossae was about 100 miles west of Ephesus. Paul certainly got close to visiting but he says in the second chapter that he had never seen them face to face. The person who started this church was named Epaphras. He probably met Paul and was taught by him between AD 53 and AD 55 in Ephesus during Paul’s lunch time lectures (Acts 19:8-10). Then 5 to 7 years later Epaphras visited Paul in prison in Rome because he was apparently worried about the church in Colossae.

Many heresies came against the Church in the first few centuries of her existence. Many heresies have come against the Church in the last few centuries of her existence. The middle centuries were pretty much like both ends. I am continually amazed at type of attention attracted by various manuscripts written hundreds of years after the epistles and Gospels were completed. For example, the false gospels of Thomas or Judas are considered as if they were valid. Real things of value almost always have counterfeits and false substitutes. Remember how the old man laughed at the middle-aged man and the young man in Treasure of Sierra Madre because they were attracted by fools’ gold? The Church in every age has been attacked in overt and/or subtle ways to depart from a clear understanding and communication of the Gospel.

Fidelity to the Gospel is just as crucial today as it was in the first century. God was not asleep when the canon of Scripture was formed. Do we really need to remind ourselves that He paid attention to the process and He still pays attention? The canon of Scripture was formed by all the messy processes of real historical men … under the sovereign hand of God. You need to have Scripture in your head and heart as clearly as you are able by the enabling of the Holy Spirit. There are just as many heresies now as there ever were and there are some that are at least as subtle and attractive as those that our brother Epaphras had to stand against. A faithful pastor in a young church in Asia Minor who was concerned that seductive teaching was going to lead some of the flock astray.

Colossians 1:1-2

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father. NIV

This salutation is similar to others that we have studied. Timothy is there with Paul in prison assisting him. Paul, in his old age, acknowledges that it was God’s will that made him who he is. Once again, this is not just humility, Paul is stating a fact.

If you will think back to the beginning of Philippians you’ll remember that Paul acknowledged the leadership in the church at Philippi. Here he doesn’t and that, along with the likely dating, is how we know that this was a young church that was still forming.

Paul calls the Colossians holy and faithful. This is the first breeze of correction. Do you know you are holy? It was bought on the Cross. Double imputation! I am righteous in God’s eyes. My sins are forgiven and Christ dresses me in His perfect obedience. Justification is 2 fold. Justified: Just as if I’d never sinned. Justified: Just as if I’d obeyed. That is an accomplished work to the Glory of God.

The Colossians (we’ve read the back of the book so we know) were being told that to be holy they needed to do more. They were being taught to add to the work done for them. They were being taught that the work was good on the cross but not everything needed to be holy and fully righteous. So they were being taught that they needed some rites and ceremonies to complete and perfect holiness. What do you do to complete and perfect your holiness? Practice a quiet time? It is a good and blessed thing for the Christian life; but It doesn’t add one bit to your justification before God. Do you tithe? It is a good thing to do. The 10% is a minimum for crucifying the flesh that we struggle against daily but it doesn’t add to your justification. In fact, we are all tempted by our flesh to seek some little thing that will cause God to judge us righteous. This is all my hope and plea, nothing but the Blood of Jesus. Nothing is not a little something. The Galatians were under a fairly overt attack to work their way to heaven. The Colossians were under a fairly subtle attack to move away from the sufficiency of Christ for justification and Paul starts by calling them holy because they are holy through Faith alone in Grace alone by Christ alone to the Glory of God alone.

Colossians 1:3-8

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints— the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth. You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit. NIV

This is a very encouraging epistle. The Colossians want to be holy and they just need to be pointed back to the Gospel and assured that they are in right standing with God. They are told that their faith and love are known by Paul and the other Church leaders in Rome. They are also told that their faith and love spring from hope stored in heaven. Sometimes we have this the other way around. We think of our faith and love generating our hope in heaven. In the sense Paul is using these terms, our hope in heaven makes it possible for us to live lives of faith and to love others with God’s love as we are called too. We are not doing things in faith here on earth and loving people here on earth in order to secure a place in heaven. Our hope in the completed work of Christ provides the drive to be faithful and loving children of God. Paul is turning the Colossians away from a serious error.

Paul also lets them know that the Gospel is growing and is not in danger or in need of fixing. He reminds them they have heard and understood God’s Grace in all its truth. Paul’s point, which of course is the Holy Spirit’s point, is that Epaphras faithfully ministered the Gospel and that the Colossians understood God’s Grace in ALL its truth. These points were not wasted on the Colossians. They knew what they were going through and the struggles they were facing with people teaching them that they needed more to be fully informed and practice all sorts of various rites and rituals to be holy. It is the same old song when cults in our day teach false doctrine.

I want to review the point of attack of the enemy on the faith of the Colossians by reminding us of the three aspects of saving faith. First is the knowledge of the Gospel. At this point we are informed that we are sinners in need of God’s Grace. At that point we may not even believe what we are told but we understand it. Secondly we acknowledge the truth of what we have been told. We know we are sinners in need of God’s Grace for salvation. However, many sinners know this and won’t leave their sin. The Holy Spirit must move our stone cold dead hearts to the third point which is a saving faith in the Gospel message. We place all our eggs in the basket of the justification purchased on the Cross for us. That is the point at which the Colossians were attacked and we are often attacked at that point. They were being tempted to take eggs out of the basket of the Gospel and put them in another basket; a basket with a big hole in the bottom. They were in danger of being seduced into steps to perfection made by men. Steps that lead away from a knowledge of God but steps that make you feel like you are more holy than another.

Listen to the following prayer. I’ll remind us again that we need to pray these prayers for ourselves and others.

Colossians 1:9-14

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. NIV

I love type of Scripture because we get to find out what the Apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, prayed for believers. I get out my note pad here because I know that I need this too. He prayed a prayer designed to armor their minds against any attack on the perfection of Christ’s work in our lives.

He prayed that:

1) they would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will,

2) that the filling would be through all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

3) that this would produce a worthy and pleasing life for God,

4) that they would bear fruit in every good work,

5) that they would be growing in knowing God,

6) that they would be strengthened as God is strong,

7) that their strength would produce endurance and patience, and

8) that they would joyfully give thanks.

Notice also that he ends with the object of praise being our hope that drives our faith and love. He praises God our Father because He has qualified us to be part of the Church. We don’t need anything else to be part of the Kingdom of Light. He rescued us from darkness. We are not trapped anymore. We are in the kingdom of the Son He loves. In Christ we are redeemed and forgiven for our sins.

This has to be one of the most wonderful prayers in the Bible but they are all wonderful. Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the frame of the sweetest person on earth when they lead me away from this. I must wholly lean on Jesus name.

Our knowledge of God’s will is to be prudent. To be prudent is to be filled with wisdom and understanding. If we are prudent we have the right application of knowledge. We don’t just know “what” and “how” but we also know “when”. Our good works are good because we do what God wants in the way He wants and when He wants it done. This increases our familiarity with God as we walk in the works that He has prepared for us before hand. Even experiencing weakness is an act of His grace as He draws us near Him so that we move in His strength and our endurance and patience are produced by the Holy Spirit and not just an act of our will.

Our hope in His complete and perfect work is like an anchor. That anchor will not move and it makes it possible for us to live in faith day by day and to display God’s Agape love to those who are unlovable just like HE does.

Philippians Lesson 7

Philippians 4:4 - 23
Chapters 22, 23, and 24 in Motyer

Today we’ll spend some time looking at a series of final commands that are given to the Philippians at the close of Paul’s letter to them.

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Paul begins with a double command to start this list of God’s commands to us. Note that there are not constraints on this command to rejoice. Back in the early 70s a book was published that is still in print. The title is Power in Praise and it has sold millions of copies. The book was/is good in the way it stresses the importance of rejoicing in God constantly but the extension of the principle to praising God for evil in our lives as a method of acquiring what we want from God is problematic. These aspects were criticized during the 70s (at least in the circles I ran in) but the general principal of rejoicing in the Lord always holds true because it is Scripture. So what is the key here? First, that we are commanded to rejoice in the Lord … always. The driving force in our rejoicing is the unchanging eternal Lord who has taken us from the kingdom of darkness and placed us in the Kingdom of Light. Remember the song, “It is Well With My Soul”? That hymn continually comes back to a steadfast rejoicing in the work of salvation. In the Lord we rejoice and we don’t stop. Secondly, in the midst of a bad thing we praise God for His work and His sovereignty in all things. I don’t praise God for the bad thing but I praise Him for His care and love in my life. Satan means bad things for harm but God will use the same things for good. Sometimes we don’t see that in our life and we have to trust God. The accident that Pat and I had was a bad thing. I don’t want to do that again. However, God used the time to draw us closer together as a husband and wife. It was a very positive thing in our marriage. I praise God for the accident but I’m not praising God for a bad thing. I praise God for what He did in turning a bad thing into something good. The hard thing is that we don’t always get to see the end. Thirdly, if you think this is a means of manipulating God into giving you what you want then you really need to think about who you are dealing with. He isn’t your Mom or Dad. He can read you like a kid’s popup book. You can’t manipulate God and His arm is way too big for you to twist.

Paul repeats our command for emphasis and because he knew it would not always be an easy thing to do. This thankfulness is a commandment. You shouldn’t refuse God because you just aren’t feeling like rejoicing from time to time. You must not withhold your rejoicing because of circumstances. It is hard to rejoice when things are not going well and God knows our struggle with this. He is there in the midst of our trials. One awful thing that can happen is the birth of bitterness in our heart towards God for our circumstances. It is awful because it puts you in sin and it is awful because it separates you from the only true source of peace and fellowship with the Savior of your soul.

Philippians 4:5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

Although these scriptures can be read like a bulleted list I think that they are connected. The rejoicing in God always produced a rock solid faith in His Lordship. Nothing is out of control even when everything appears to be out of control. In this verse we are told to let our “gentleness” be evident to all. The word translated “gentleness” is a word that has no good direct translation to English. That should worry us since we are told to let it be evident to all and we don’t even have a word for it. The old KJV had it as “moderation” and that should make you scratch your head. I had a friend (still have a friend) in the 70s that his mother (an irreligious woman) decided was a Jesus freak (well maybe we were). She said this verse meant he should chill out and not let his love of Christ rule in his life. Nice try but we already owned a Strong’s Concordance. The word is ἐπιεικής [epieikes /ep·ee·i·kace/] and is translated as gentleness, patience, moderation, equitableness, fairness, or mildness. The word seems to really indicate a generosity that ignores offenses. Jesus is our perfected example ring spirit, of which Jesus provides the supreme example of a person with such strength of character that they. Such a person does not insist on his rights (2 Corinthians 10:1; Philippians 2:1–4). I wish we had one word for epieikes rather than a paragraph that would carry the fullness of this humble selfless graciousness. Is there any wonder we don’t have a word for this? You need this character to be displayed in your life to keep you rooted and grounded in the rejoicing of the prior verse. If we are going to live the opposite of egotism in our lives then we need the Holy Spirit every moment.

Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

First we are told to rejoice, then we are told to display a humble selflessness, and now we are told not to be anxious about anything. We may not have a word for epieikes but we sure have one for anxiety. Some existentialists raise anxiety to a godlike status. Think of the painting called “The Scream” by Edward Munch. It was in the news lately because it was stolen and the recovered. The point is the anxiety or angst that man feels in his aloneness but awareness. The feeling of dread is thought of as good because it means you are aware and alive. It is a desperate lost feeling. So we don’t even have a word for what we are supposed to show to all men and we paint paintings of what we are commanded not to have. God is gracious and full of mercy.

If you feel anxious then you are commanded to pray and petition God with thanksgiving. The thanksgiving is not a method to get what you want but it is a method to keep your feet on the Rock. It helps us remember that He is in control. We don’t want to pray and wallow in anxiety since that really means we are not allowing the awareness of God’s sovereign control to have a place in our minds. Anxiety means we have forgotten who is in control. We need to ask for what we need. Sometimes we don’t have something because we didn’t ask for it. Sometimes we ask for reasons that are bad and God says no. Sometimes God just says no and doesn’t explain. But we are told to ask. If you don’t ask with thanksgiving then you are disobedient to God. After asking for what I want then the meditation on Him and His love for me and His promises for me brings that Divine Peace transcends understanding. It isn’t contrary to understanding but transcends and goes above and beyond a human understanding.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Our feelings are not as easily corrected by God as our thinking. God can command with His revelation in Scripture and we can obey. When God tells us to rejoice He isn’t telling us to generate a feeling of happiness. He is telling us to “rejoice in the Lord” or to rejoice in what we know to be true in Scripture. Even when I don’t feel happy I can rejoice in my salvation and my right standing with God and a whole list of God’s promises in scripture.

In this scripture we are told to think about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. This isn’t a command to feel but this is a command to think. I’ve been thinking about The Lord of the Rings by Tolkien again lately. I’ve been listening to some comments by a Baylor professor who has taught on the Gospel in Tolkien’s work for years. One of the things that struck me is that this work growing out of Tolkien’s love of language is a meditation on virtue. It is all about truth, noble things, admirable things, lovely things, excellence, and praiseworthy acts. There is no real mention of divinity in the book while good and evil are brought to the forefront. What a tremendous very long meditation on virtue.

Philippians 4:9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Paul was always sure to maintain a lifestyle and a teaching that was worthy of imitation. My dad frequently said to “Do as I say and not as I do.” That was not a Biblical concept but I knew what he meant. He pointed to Scripture as authoritative. Paul is clearly worthy of imitation. Doctrinally, Paul was used by God to deliver most of the New Testament. Clearly you can not learn what God wants you to learn unless you pay attention to what the Church learned, received, heard, and saw in Paul. Don’t try the false dichotomy of defining some doctrines as “Pauline” to make them less than God’s word to you.

Philippians 4:10-13 I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

I can be in need for a while but I have a lot of growing to do before I’m likely to put up with bad circumstances; however, isn’t it good to see the context of “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength?” It isn’t moving mountains and building cathedrals. The context is being content with God in whatever circumstances you find yourself in. Wow. That should humble us and stop our mouths. We are so accustomed to placing our comfort and conditions first that truly we should embrace this scripture to find our contentment as our mountain to move into by God’s strength.

Philippians 4:14-16 Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need.

These people were Paul’s dear friends and old friends too. They supported his work for years.

Philippians 4:17-20 Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Our offerings are sacrifices to God. Note again the context of God supplying all your needs is in response to the obedience in giving.

Philippians 4:21-23 Greet all the saints in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send greetings. All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar’s household. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Grace starts the book and Grace ends the book. The undeserved favor of God is our life.

Philippians Lesson 6

Philippians 3:17 - 4:3

Chapters 19, 20, and 21 in Motyer

Examples are useful things in all sorts of learning. General rules are good but it is nice to see a particular example and learn from it. Paul brings up the apostolic example in Philippians 3:17.

Philippians 3:17 Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.

According to the command of Jesus we are not to judge others. How does that command and the popular cry of “Don’t you judge me!” fit with this text. Jesus context was the hyper-extended legalism of the Pharisees. I say hyper-extended because they loved adding to God’s command and then feeling superior about arranging the chairs on the deck of the Titanic. Jesus called them white washed coffins. They looked really good on the outside but on the inside were full of dead men’s bones. That sounds a little judgmental doesn’t it? The sad thing is that we tend to judge each other in pharisaical ways. We wipe and polish the coffin and avoid dealing with the serious problems inside. So Jesus says to stop judging each other and judge ourselves.

In the book of Romans Paul also focuses on the self righteousness resulting from this behavior as he established the universal sinfulness of mankind. Here Paul is saying to notice and be thankful for those around you who are seeking God as He sought God. In particular he calls on us to take note of the apostolic example and follow them. That is no trivial example.

Philippians 3:18-19 For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.

Jesus said we would have weeds and wheat growing together. Until the last day we’ll have folks in the Visible Church (everything in the field) who are not part of the Invisible Church (the wheat in the field). Just because you know you won’t eliminate all the weeds doesn’t mean you don’t remain watchful and at the harvest you deal with it. Wheat doesn’t handle foot traffic well, the grassy weeds can be hard to identify in the wheat, and the intertwined roots can damage the wheat if you try to pull out the weeds. Jesus told the parable of the weeds and said, “When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared” (Mt 13:26). This was said because it is so hard to tell some grassy weeds from wheat except by their seed heads or “fruit”.

Jesus taught that the owner of the field said, “Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn. (Mt 13:30)’ ” God will eventually put an end to all pretense but in the meantime … we speak the Gospel as purely and clearly as God’s Grace allows.

How do you identify an enemy of the Cross? Paul goes on to clarify that “their destiny is destruction” so we know that he is talking about tares and not wheat. These are not Christians. This is why I really don’t like the term “carnal Christian” because generally when scripture addresses the issue of folks who are in the fellowship of Christians and yet acting like they are unsaved … well it is because they are unsaved. Weeds are in the field but are not wheat. You wouldn’t call them carnal wheat. There is nothing that makes a weed in a wheat field wheat. A farmer would look at you like you were nuts if you started calling the weeds by the crop name just because you found them in the field.

Another characteristic of the enemies of the Cross is that their god is their own desires. Whatever they want trumps God’s commands and direction because He isn’t the Lord of their life. We need to be careful in our own lives not to let our desires sneak in with spiritual clothes on and direct us in error. If we are correctable, then God helps us daily with that problem. The enemies of the Cross do not have shame for making decisions that are based on their wants and not on God’s commands. They don’t place Spiritual things first but place earthly things first and glory in things that they should be ashamed of. We check the fruit to know the tree. Instead of calling people “carnal Christians” perhaps it would be better to just say the “lost in church”. It seems more like a disservice to both the Church and to the lost in church to use the term carnal Christian.

Philippians 3:20-21 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

The distinction is the direction of our eyes. Where are you looking? We have a citizenship in heaven and not here on earth. The Apostles showed us how we were to live with our eyes on heaven. We are looking to Christ our savior and waiting for his transforming power to give us a resurrection power. Our heavenly body will be “like his glorious body” by His power that brings everything under His control. Jesus is Lord to the Glory of God the Father.

Remember that you will not be a disembodied spirit floating on a cloud. We will have bodies that are not limited like these bodies but remember that Jesus was touchable after his resurrection not a wisp and vapor. It is important to remember this teaching because the world, through the secular arts, tends to teach that we’ll be disembodied rather than embodied. Our bodies will be like His. I sort of hope that my resurrection body will have no scars. I’ve picked up a few more this year. The reason I have that hope is that Jesus has His scars and I’d be embarrassed to have any in His presence. Nothing I have been through in this world is worthy to be compared with him. The marks of my passage through this world should disappear before His marks. I hope that when all tears and mourning are passed away that my scars go with them.

We should live our lives in expectation of His return. That is a good thing to remember. I remember the book “88 Reasons Christ is Returning in 1988”. I didn’t think the author was right. I’d already seen too many mistakes in interpreting prophecy by then. But I remember setting in my office in mid-September of 1988 and telling God, well OK go for it if you are ready. I guess he wasn’t.

Philippians 4:1-3 Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends! I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

The “therefore” points back to citizenship in Heaven and focus on our returning Savior. We stand firm on our citizenship in Heaven and not of this earth. We stand firm waiting on our Savior. We meet Him in the air or we may meet Him there but we will meet Him.

I’ve observed that a fundamental source of differences within the Church is sometimes the point of view of those who have been saved forever (as a child) and those who have been saved late in life. It is often a fruitful difference of opinion and I think it is often constructive as Christ builds his Church.

Here Paul is pleading with two ladies to work together. However, this is pretty far out on a limb so if you want to ignore me on these points they certainly are not essential points. Scripture makes the same points elsewhere. The names have Greek meanings that make me laugh.

Euodia is “fragrant/fine journey” she has the smell of success. Maybe the name is as it is because of the role of spices and food in most successful journeys.

Syntyche means “with fate/accident” or sort of a to come suddenly or not when expected. It seems reasonable to think that she may have been named because of something sudden, unexpected, and providential about her birth.

I think that in the wisdom and providence of God that He is giving us a little additional instruction here. If you have had a life that is as fine a journey as a person is likely to have in this world, then you need to be alert and sensitive to those who are saved late in life as if by accident. And if you were saved late in life then you need to be alert and sensitive to those who have been saved for a long time. The interaction is intended by God to be a good one and beneficial for the church. The interaction fails to be constructive when we don’t submit to Scripture and in particular God’s command from this same book to “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others (Php 2:3-4).” We have one more name who these ladies were told to work with. Clement is (by tradition) the same Clement who became the Bishop of Rome toward the end of the first century. His name means mild or merciful. As we live and work together we certainly need mercy and mildness toward each other as we resolve, and live with, differences.