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.