Study through Colossians lesson 2

Introduction

In this lesson we will discuss the position of Christ in two areas.

We will solidify his position in the trinity

We will describe his position in the church

Christ in the trinity

Colossians 1:15–23 ESV

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

The ESV Study Bible The Trinity

The Trinity

The biblical teaching on the Trinity embodies four essential affirmations:

1. There is one and only one true and living God.

2. This one God eternally exists in three persons—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

3. These three persons are completely equal in attributes, each with the same divine nature.

4. While each person is fully and completely God, the persons are not identical.

The differences among Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are found in the way they relate to one another and the role each plays in accomplishing their unified purpose.

The unity of nature and distinction of persons of the Trinity is helpfully illustrated in the diagram.

Some say the term firstborn of all creation would imply that Christ is not eternal, and that he had a beginning. Rather what this term, firstborn, denotes is the rights and privileges of a firstborn son. Just like the son of a king would inherit the throne. Christ is the rightful heir to the heavenly throne.

Psalm 89:27 ESV

27 And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.

Hebrews 1:1–3 ESV

1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

While being the heir to the throne he is co-equal with God the father, and also God the Holy Spirit.

The ESV Study Bible God Is One God: Monotheism

God Is One God: Monotheism

There is nothing more fundamental to biblical theology than monotheism (the biblical belief that there is one and only one God): “Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Deut. 6:4). This verse, known as the Shema in Hebrew (from the opening verb of the verse meaning “hear” or “listen”), is one of the most familiar and foundational verses in the OT. God rejects polytheism (belief in many gods) and demands exclusive devotion: “I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God” (Isa. 45:5; cf. Deut. 4:35, 39; 1 Kings 8:60; Isa. 40:18; 46:9). The NT affirms the deity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as we shall see, but does not waver from OT monotheism (John 17:3; 1 Cor. 8:4–6; 1 Tim. 2:5; James 2:19). Jesus quotes the Shema in a debate with the Jewish leaders (Mark 12:29), and Paul continues to teach that there is one God while recognizing Jesus as the divine-human Mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5).

In verse 16, six things that Christ created are listed. What are they?

Visible, invisible, thrones, dominions, rulers, and authorities.

Verse 16 deals with the macro (things we can see). It also with the ranking of beings, and people. As if that were not enough verse 17 digs into the exact rank and into the micro (things to small for the eye to behold)

Verse 17 tells us that he is before all things. And in him all things hold together.

The God Particle

The Higgs boson's nickname "the God Particle" was solidified upon its discovery, namely as a result of the popular media. The origin of this is often connected to Nobel Prize-winning physicist Leon Lederman referring to the Higgs boson as the "God Particle" in frustration with regards to how difficult it was to detect.

Still, it's hard to overestimate the importance of the Higgs boson and the Higgs field in general, as without this aspect of nature no particles would have mass. That means no stars, no planets, and no us  —  something which may help warrant its hyperbolic nickname.

Though physicist and astronomers as a whole refuse to credit Jesus with being the tie that binds. Even they when finding the piece of matter that holds all things together nickname it the God particle. How amazing is it to consider that even at the deepest reaches to microtechnology still there is an eternal force holding all things together.

Christ in the Church

Christ is the head of the church.

1 Corinthians 12:27 ESV

27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

Ephesians 1:22–23 ESV

22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Exploring Colossians & Philemon: An Expository Commentary (1) He Heads a New Body (1:18a)

“He is the head of the body, the church,” Paul says. The word He is emphatic. We can put it thus: “He [with special emphasis] is [an undying fact] the Head [the inspiring, controlling, deciding, and sustaining power] of the body [linked to Him, the Head, in organic unity], the church [the instrument through which He asserts his headship on earth and in the heavenlies].”

He is the head. No sovereign pontiff, no patriarch, no priest, no pastor, is the Head of the church. Christ is the Head.

What other body part is specifically defined as to who it is in the church?

Nothing.

If Christ is the head where does that put the pastor, deacons, elders, workers, etc?

The part of the body that they represent is not defined by scripture.

Much emphasis is put on what role man kind fills in the church. When we consider what things did Christ emphasize we see a different picture of the church.

How does Jesus say all people will know that we are his disciples?

If you have love for one another.

John 13:34–35 ESV

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

What does Jesus say we should seek first?

Math 6:33 “ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

So where does this leave us with leadership in the church. If Christ is the head how do we operate since he is not physically here with us? He left us the Bible for us to be able to know how to run the church.

God established two primary groups, or offices, of leadership in the church - elders and deacons. The qualifications for elders and deacons are given in 1 Timothy 3:1-13 which means we must pay close attention to this passage if we want healthy leaders and healthy churches.

Much of the following in the “elders” “deacons” and “the goal” categories is a direct quote from the book, Twelve Traits, by David Platt.

Elders

The word “elder” is a fairly common term in the bible that is used in various ways. In the old Testament, for example, it can refer to the leaders who assisted Moses (Ex 4:29). The New Testament also uses the term “elder” to refer to spiritual leaders in Israel (Matt 15:2). However, about twenty times in the New Testament this word refers to a unique group of leaders in the church. In fact, nearly every church we know of in the New Testament is specifically said to have had elders.

The New Testament uses other words that are interchangeable with “elder”, such as “pastor” or “overseer”. We knows these titles are interchangeable because of the way they are used in Titus 1:5-7, as Paul uses both “elder” and “overseer” to refer to the same group of people. Whenever you hear the word “elder”, you could substitute “pastor” or “overseer”. They refer to the same biblical office.

Almost every time the Bible uses the term “elders,” when referring to leaders in the church, the term is plural. Though certain individual leaders among God’s people are highlighted, we always hear of more than one elder in a church. In Acts 20, for example, the apostle Pauls speaks to the elders of the church at Ephesus, His instructions address some of the most important things of being an elder:

Acts 20:28–32 ESV

28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. 32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

Based on these instructions, along with Paul’s instruction in 1 Timothy 3:1-7, we discover four responsibilities of elders.

Elders lead under the authority of Christ

Elders care for the body of Christ

Elders teach the word of Christ

Elders model the character of Christ

These passages also teach, or in some cases assume, that a church should only have male leaders or pastors. This teaching goes agains the grain of our culture, much like the Bible’s teaching on marriage. Just as God has called husbands to be the leaders in their families (as a picture of Christ’s love for the church), so God has called men to be elders in the church. To do otherwise is to go against God’s Word. However, this does not mean that the Bible views men as superior to women in any way. Males superiority is not God’s design for the husband in the home, and it is not God’s design for the pastor in the church.

Deacons

Immediately after giving the qualifications for elders in 1 Timothy, Paul lists the qualifications for deacons. However, in comparison with elders, the Bible does not give us as clear a picture of what deacons do. In fact, we rarely see deacons mentioned specifically. But we do see a powerful picture in the word “deacon” (from the greek diakonos). This word is used at least one hundred times in the New Testament, and it almost always refers to some form of service or ministry. We see a deacon-like ministry taking place in acts 6, where a form of the word “deacon” is used three times int eh first four verses.

Acts 6:1–7 ESV

1 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

Though every member in the church is called to serve, deacons lead others who are serving. Notice the word “deacon” is also used in verse 4 to refer to the apostles, who were servants of the Word. This passage outlines three primary responsibilities of deacons.

Deacons meet needs according to the Word

Deacons support the ministry of the Word

Deacons unify the body around the Word

The goal

Church leaders are intended to help us love Jesus more, and in the process, equip and enable us to accomplish our mission in the world. Every follower of Jesus is called to make disciples of Jesus, which means that according to God’s word, the church is comprised of Elders, deacons, and member who are together, giving their lives to make the love of Christ known in the world.

Application

Remember the placement of Christ at all times

Acknowledge the placement of Christ at all times

Search out what His plan for your life is

Be the church