An Introduction to Colossians Part 3
Notes
Transcript
Handout
What is zeal?
Merriam Webster defines zeal as an “energetic and unflagging pursuit of an aim or devotion to a cause.”
The Greek word is ζῆλος (zelos), which is from ζεω (zeo), which means “to be enthusiastic, to be excited, to boil, or to seethe.” In the NT it is either translated as zeal or jealousy, depending on the context.
William Arndt, in Philippians 3:6, defines zeal as an “intense positive interest in something, marked by a sense of dedication to it. (William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 427.)
What are you zealous about?
We first see Paul’s misdirected zeal in Acts 8:1-3
1 And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him.
3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.
Paul will later confirm his misdirected zeal in Acts 22:4-5 and Philippians 3:6.
4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women,
5 as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.
6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.
Spencer writes this, based on first century practice concerning Saul as a zealous persecutor of the Church: “SAUL THOROUGHLY APPROVED OF THE MURDER. LIKE A WILD BOAR let loose in a quiet vineyard he ravaged the church. Like a fanatical ferret he hunted the disciples to their holes. With armed companies supporting him, he now swept to the head of the persecuting party and invaded every synagogue on his errand of inquisition. He laid hold on those who were suspected of heresy and dragged them with blows through the streets to the torture-chamber of the Sanhedrin. All forms of torment known to Jewish ingenuity were there applied—the hot iron, the horse-shaped rack on which the yelling prisoner rode, the knout of sharp leather loaded with balls of lead which often struck out eyes and laid entrails bare.
Such as consented to revile Christ and call him low names were set free. The rest were put in chains and marched off to prison. The doors of private houses were battered down and men and women of all ages whipped through the streets, just as they were when dragged from their beds or from the couches where they celebrated their love feasts.
Not even hovels in narrow, dark alleys were secure from intrusion. Many a spy wormed his way into the secret meeting-places of the Christians by learning their passwords and pretending to be in sympathy with their doctrines. Many an informer, made patient and for the time being religious by donations from the Temple treasury, watched all night for the faintest glimmer of a candle which would reveal the hidden churches of the heretics.
Lashing them on by the sheer force of his spirit, Saul worked at the forefront like a madman. He pursued the persecution with frantic fury. He was a wanton, insolent, insulting bully, as he himself afterwards admitted. He seems to have combined in action the fire of a true son of Benjamin and the wheedling Jewish effrontery of a snooping spy.” (F. A. Spencer, Beyond Damascus: A Biography of Paul the Tarsian, First Edition. (New York; London: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1934), 134–135.)
Paul is zealous, but for all the wrong reasons. He is applying his energies and passions to the wrong things. He is working against God. Jesus will say, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” in Acts 9.
What are you zealous about?
We can obviously have zeal for the wrong things. When zeal is placed in the wrong thing or applied in the wrong way, the results are destructive. Paul, here, applied his zeal to the persecution of the church.
We can apply zeal to our jobs, our finances, our relationships, our hobbies, our standard of living, or to righteous causes, or if we are really misled, to unrighteous causes.
In Philippians 3:3-11 Paul begins to unpack where our zeal should be focused.
3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—
The phrase “we are the circumcision” is speaking of the spiritual circumcision of our hearts, which the Holy Spirit did at our conversion. This sets us apart for service in worship of the Trinity for God’s glory. This is all the work of God and not our own, therefore, we put no confidence in the flesh, i.e. work done to earn salvation or righteousness. Our confidence, then, is to be placed in Christ’s work. Our zeal is to be directed by the Holy Spirit.
Philippians 3:4-7
4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more:
5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;
6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.
7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
Paul reminds us that he was zealous about what he had accomplished in the flesh, that if anyone was caught up in the pursuit of the wrong things with zeal, he was. He, after all, persecuted the Church, and thus, Jesus.
He brings it all into focus for us in verse 7: Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Christ Jesus has become his zeal. He goes on to elaborate on his zeal for Jesus.
Philippians 3:8-11.
8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—
10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Paul is expressing that his first zeal is knowing Christ in all his work - through his suffering and death, and through his resurrection.
His zeal after his conversion was to know Jesus in every way. This shaped the expression of his zeal for the kingdom of God. He will say at the end of his life “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Ti 4:7).
So, I ask you, what are you zealous about?
I encourage you to be zealous about knowing Jesus in every way. This will form healthy zeal for God and life in the Spirit.
May our zeal for the Lord bring him glory in all areas of our life.
