Colossians 1:1-2 - Greetings

The Word Read

I invite you to turn your attention to Colossians 1:1-2 this morning. As I said last week, it is vitally important that you see the text with me not simply hear it - for in the Word of God we see the glory of God which drives us to God-glorifying, Christ-magnifying, and Spirit-driven worship. So, ideally open your Bible to Colossians 1:1-2. Hear the Word of the Lord:

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

Behold, brothers and sisters, this is Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Let us pray.

Introduction to Colossians

Today we start the book of Colossians. This is a magnificent book that reveals the supremacy of Christ Jesus. He, and only He, is the true Lord of all. All other religions are counterfeits. All other celestial beings must and will bow the knee to Him. As we shall see, any spiritual being that does not bow the knee to Christ is an evil spirit that is already conquered. Furthermore, the Church submits to His Lordship. He alone is the Head of the Church. Those who are elders are called to shepherd their churches, but under the authority and leadership of the Lord Jesus.

Paul wrote Colossians around 62AD. Colossae had once been a wealthy city, but it had lost its prosperity by the time Paul writes this epistle. The church in Colossae appears to have been planted during Paul’s third missionary journey between 52-55AD. At the time of this writing, Paul is most likely in Roman prison (Acts 28). Paul writes to encourage his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. There is false teaching that is threatening the church and his desire is to educate and exhort them to continue in the faith.

In light of this, there are a few dominant themes that span the book. First, Jesus is the Lord of all - both visible and invisible. There is no human ruler or spiritual ruler that is outside of His domain. He is their ruler and He is their Lord.

Second, the theme of reconciliation, which means to restore a relationship from hostility. This is the work of Christ. Those who are not in Christ are under the wrath of God. By this, I do not mean that they will one day be under the wrath of God, but at this very moment those who are not in Christ are under the wrath of God. Romans 1:18:

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

Every single person who walks this earth and does not follow Christ is under the wrath of God. It is only by the work of Christ that we are no longer children of wrath. Ephesians 2:1-5:

1And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

Did you notice what Paul called those who are not in Christ? Sons of disobedience, children of wrath. However, God is His great mercy and great love transferred us from being children of wrath to being sons and daughters of the Most High! The theme of reconciliation is clear especially as Paul writes “in Christ” throughout the book.

Third, Christ is the supreme truth. Colossians 2:8 states:

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

The false teachers were claiming their teachings were philosophies. However, they were not in accordance to Christ. Their claims were counter to the Gospel and the Word of God. This is a great danger that faces our churches today. We can keep the philosophies of the world or the spirits so long as Christ does not interfere with their human traditions or spiritual beliefs. This false teaching has infiltrated our churches today. Colossians is clear - Christ is supreme Lord of all and all will bow the knee to Him.

Summation & Diagnosis

Colossians 1:1-2 is the introduction to the book. In these two verses, we are made aware of the author, the recipients of the epistle, and the great grace and peace from God the Father. As we look at this passage there are some questions for us to ask:

Who are Paul and Timothy? What does it mean for Paul when he says he is an apostle of Christ Jesus? Why does Paul say his apostleship is by the will of God? Why does Paul call the church saints and faithful brothers/sisters in Christ? What does it mean that the Father is a God of grace and peace?

Colossians 1:1 - Exegesis

Let us turn our attention to Colossians 1:1 where we meet the authors of Colossians:

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

The authors are Paul and Timothy with Paul being the primary author. Paul shows up in Scripture first in Acts 7:58-8:3:

58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. 8:1 And Saul approved of his execution.

Paul’s past is one marked by a zealousness for God, but a total rejection of Jesus as the Messiah. Here in Acts 7-8, Paul approved of the stoning of Stephen. Paul, at that time, sought to kill those who were Christ-followers. He deemed them to be heretics worthy of death. In Acts 9, Paul went to the synagogues seeking permission to bring Christ-followers to Jerusalem. Paul then made the trek from Damascus to Jerusalem, a six day journey. As he approached Damascus, a light shone from heaven and a voice said, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Paul’s trip to imprison Christ-followers takes a detour - he met the Messiah he once rejected. Paul was blinded and ultimately received his sight after being baptized by Ananias. Christ told Ananias that Paul would carry His name to the Gentiles, the children of Israel, and kings. Also, Paul would suffer much for the name of Christ. In a moment, Paul’s life was radically changed by the Lord Jesus.

Timothy is first mentioned in Acts 16:1-5:

Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. 2 He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.

From this point on, Timothy becomes a dear friend to Paul. So much so that Paul calls Timothy his true child in the faith (1 Timothy 1:1) and his beloved child (2 Timothy 1:2). These two men brought together by the Gospel of Jesus Christ write this epistle.

Scripture reveals that Paul was an apostle. Apostle can be used as a gift and referred to as an “office”. This calling practically happened on the way to Damascus, but Paul also understood that He was set apart before he was even born. Galatians 1:15-16:

15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles

Paul’s apostolic ministry is given to him so that he would be an apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13, Ephesians 3:8). Paul was called to be a messenger of the Gospel. He had been set apart even before his birth for this wonderful ministry. Also, he was an apostle of Christ Jesus. Here is where the authority of Paul’s ministry is found. Paul’s ministry as an apostle is not found in himself or his gifts. This was not a work of Paul, but one of God so that Paul would proclaim the riches of Christ to the Gentiles.

Notice where Paul’s authority comes from - it is derived from Christ Jesus! He is an apostle of Christ Jesus. He has no other foundation to stand on for his ministry. Christ is the supreme authority and Paul comes speaking with authority because of Christ Jesus! Paul does not come in the name of the gods of Buddha, Hinduism, Janeism, or some other ancient religion. No, Paul comes in the name of Christ Jesus and Him alone!

Paul also says that his apostleship comes by the will of God. This reinforces Paul’s point that his apostolic ministry does not come by his own doing. Paul did not wake up one day and decide to be an apostle. Romans 1:1:

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God

The language used for “called” here reveals that God summoned him to this special office. I have been summoned to court twice as a witness. Neither of those times did the judge give me an option to be there. I received the summons and was informed of when I would be required to arrive. Paul was called or summoned by God to be an apostle. This was not a work of Paul, but one of God so that Paul would proclaim the riches of Christ to the Gentiles.

Colossians 1:1 - Conscience

Paul as an apostle was called to go to the ends of the earth to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. His ultimate desire was to get to Spain (Romans 15:24) and proclaim the wonderful riches of God in Christ Jesus. The aim of Paul’s life was to get the Gospel everywhere. The missionary heartbeat of Paul was found in Christ and Christ’s mission to the disciples. Matthew 28:16-20:

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

As you read the book of Acts, you can sense the desire of Paul to get the Gospel everywhere. He did not want to go to places that already had the Gospel, but to new frontier fields. Romans 15:20-21:

20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, 21 but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.”

Paul knew that Christ will conquer all. He knew that the Gospel had the power to release people from their sins. He knew that the Gospel would produce fruit in the elect. So, Paul went. Paul went because of the mandate given to him by God.

Colossians 1:1 - Use

Most of us in this room are not called to this type of missionary ministry. We are not picking up our lives and moving our families across the globe. However, I do pray that this does become our reality for some of our members. I pray that in the future we gain a vision for the nations. I pray that Psalm 96:1-6 becomes the heartbeat of our congregation.

1 Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! 2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. 3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! 4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens. 6 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

We see that God desires all peoples everywhere to hear the Gospel, that His glory is proclaimed to the nations. I pray that God would save our our covenant children and then send them to reach those who have never heard the Gospel! Will we pray for this? Will we pray that the Lord Jesus would call some of us to leave FPC and go to the ends of the earth? Will we give of ourselves sacrificially to train others to take the Gospel everywhere? Chapter 4 of the EPC’s Book of Government:

It is the primary mission of the local church to evangelize, making disciples by extending the gospel both at home and abroad, leading others to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, providing for the nurture of that faith that all might worship the true God and grow in grace and in sanctification.

We must be willing to ask this question - is everything we do aligned with this? Is everything we do for the primary mission of evangelization AND making disciples to the ends of the earth? We cannot simply evangelize. We must also disciple others into the image of Christ! We also cannot simply disciple without evangelizing! Furthermore, does our individual lives reflect this reality? Though we may not be called to take the Gospel to ends of the earth, we are all called to share the Gospel here in Eden. Every single one of us has the responsibility to share the Gospel with others. 2 Corinthians 5:17-20:

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

Though we are not called to go to the ends of the earth personally, we are all called to the ministry of reconciliation. Let us share the Gospel with those in Eden. I have no doubt there are people in this area who have never heard the Gospel. They don’t even know there is freedom from sin, guilt, shame, and condemnation. They sit under their guilt day after day. Let us provide the Gospel that will save them. Let us trust the work of the Spirit who is already at work in their lives. Pray this week - God who is ONE person that needs to hear the Gospel from me. It could be a family member, it could be a friend, or it could be a stranger you run into at Walmart. But, God would you give me a heart to share the Gospel with ONE person this week. Would you show me one person trapped in their bondage of sin that desperate needs the freedom only Christ can bring!

Colossians 1:2 - Exegesis

Now let us turn our attention to Colossians 1:2:

To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

Did you notice what Paul calls those who are receive this epistle? He calls them saints and faithful brothers or brothers and sisters. Paul causes them to remember who they belong to. They no longer belong to the master of sin. They no longer below to the enemy. Their allegiance is not to their fleshly desires. Furthermore, he makes note of where they are - at Colossae or in Colossae. Citizens of Colossae had taken tremendous pride in their status. Yet, Paul is telling them they no longer belong to their city’s rich heritage. They belong to Christ and Christ alone! They are saints or made holy only because of Jesus. Nothing else in their lives would have given them holiness. Just the sacrifice of Christ Jesus. So, Paul reminds them who they belong to and who made them holy - Jesus, Jesus alone.

A saint is someone who is dedicated to God alone. As a result of being dedicated to God alone, they are separate from the world. Notice it is not a special class of believer, but all who are in Christ. These saints are not only made holy by Jesus, but they also live holy because of Jesus.

They are faithful brothers and sisters. This means they have continued to keep the faith. They are the elect who are persevering in their world. They have not wavered from the faith, but have been faithful to the Gospel upon their salvation. Furthermore, this is also an exhortation and a note of encouragement for them to continue in the Gospel of Jesus!

Their holiness and their faithfulness come from no other place than in Christ. Though they may live in Colossae they receive no holiness or faithfulness from being citizens of the once great city. They do not receive salvation from the rich heritage of the city. They only receive this in Christ alone! It is only in the redemptive work of Christ Jesus that they are made holy and made faithful.

Now look at the last part of the introduction in 1:2 - Grace to you and peace from God our Father. Many will view this as Paul simply writing “hello”, but there is much more to this than a simple hi. The close of the introduction is a divine greeting. The greeting you receive from us comes from the Father above. We are simply the mediators giving the message. This epistle comes from God to you.

Grace speaks to the unmerited favor God has given them. Peace is the shalom of God whereby a person’s relationships are brought into wholeness. This is what God does for those who are His. He gives them unmerited favor. No one deserved it, but He gave it freely without any conditions. He also causes them to have wholeness with God and with one another. This is the prayer given by the Father. Wow. Don’t we have a wonderful Father? A wonderful Father who gives us grace and mercy that we don’t deserve? We’ve all run from Him, yet He provides us grace and mercy.

Colossians 1:2 - Conscience

The grace and mercy of God flows from the throne of God. Hebrews 4:14-16:

14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Notice how these verses are constructed. First, we have a great high priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses. Jesus the great high priest sympathizes with our weaknesses. This is not weakness in general, but weakness that could lead to sin. When we are in throes of being tempted by our flesh, the enemy, or the world know that Jesus sympathizes with you. However, here is the great difference, though He was tempted in every respect as we are, He endured and never sinned. Christ is the spotless lamb of God who did not sin. Though tempted by the world, He did not sin. Though tempted by the enemy, He did not sin. Fleshly desires were conquered by Him. Tempted like us, but sinless. He gave in to no temptation.

Due to this, due to His sinless life, death, and resurrection we are now able to come to the Father’s throne. We come to the Father through the blood of the Son. We come in confidence too. Not because of ourselves, but because of the work of the Lamb! Where do we come? To the throne of grace where the Father reigns. What does the Father desire to give us in times of need? Mercy and grace!

Unlike the kings of old, we can boldly approach the throne of God through the Son. I can think of no greater lie of the Father than He is an angry God sitting on His throne annoyed with His petulant children. Does the Father discipline us? Yes, but He does not consider us an annoyance. This is not the biblical view of the Father! In the covenant of redemption, made before the foundations of the world, the Father initiates the plan of redemption. His desire is not keep His elect away, but to have them come to Him! He does not sit on the throne entirely distant from us. No, Hebrews 4:16 is clear - the Father has made a way for us to run to Him. Through Jesus, the Father calls to us to Him. In moments of temptation, the Father says, come to me dear child. Run from the world, run from the enemy, run from your flesh. Run through Jesus to Me! I am here for you! Come, child, come! If you are in the midst of a struggle of sin, run to Him! He says to you, come to me my child! When we think of the Father we should not think of an angry distant god. Instead, we should see the grace and mercy that He has given us and rejoice. Oh, God how could your grace and mercy extend to me? I am but a sinner who rebels against you. Thank you Father for your overwhelming grace and mercy! Thank you for the work of Christ and the Holy Spirit in my life!

Colossians 1:2 - Use

This is the love of the Father for us. As Ephesians 1:3-4 states:

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.

This the love of God for us. That He would chose us in Christ before the foundations of the world were made. Do we love the grace and mercy that the Father gives to us or do we take it for granted? Has our salvation become a mere fact to us that we no longer experience the depths of the Father’s love or the sacrifice He made in sending His Son for our sin? Or do we take advantage of the grace and mercy of the Father? In times of sin, do we run to the throne crying out for the Father’s help or do we give into sinful temptations. Those in Christ all struggle here. The taste of sin is so sweet. It brings us something we crave only later to fill us with guilt and shame. Yet, the Father’s throne is still open. Come to me, my child. Confess sin through Christ and come to me. The Father did not send His Son, nor did the Son come to die, so that every time we sin we are met with an angry Father and Son seeking retribution. The Father extends His grace and mercy at the throne, so come to Him.

Or maybe you sit here not knowing this great love? Have you never experienced the love of God the Father? It is because you don’t know Christ. Does the sin, guilt, shame, and condemnation sit upon you continually? Do you seek to run from it, but find nothing to stop the conviction? Come to the Father through the sacrifice of the Son. Repent of sin. Call upon Jesus as Lord. Sin may feel great in the flesh, but your soul sits under the wrath of God. There is only one who can save you and His name is Jesus! As 2 Corinthians 5:21 says:

21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Here is where you will find the healing for your weary soul!

For those of us in Christ, let us persevere as faithful brothers and sisters. Be faithful to the God of the Gospel that saved you long ago. Let the love of the Father fill our hearts and cause us to remain faithful to Him always remembering that we have been made holy by the work of Christ, nothing in and of ourselves.