Who is First?

Introduction

The Author

Paul wrote the book of Colossians to dispute some false doctrine that, like in other places, had made its way into the church. He deals with this false teachings through teaching of truth and so it is hard to pinpoint the exact doctrinal group he was targeting, but it is believed to be, at least in part, the Gnostics who tried to convince people of their spiritual superiority.

The Audience

The book was written to the church in the city of Colosse, one of the three cities that made up the inhabitants of the Lycus valley. Paul had never been to Colosse and he did not start this church. It is likely that the Christian that started the church is the one named in the first chapter, Epaphras. He had taken a report back to Paul that was largely encouraging, but some of that report likely included the attacks of Satan through the false teachings that Paul would counter with truth in the Epistle.

The Aim

As I have already said Paul intended to counteract false teachings with truth. We know that each of his epistles was written to help the churches and encourage them in truth and Colossians is no different. He aims to point the church back to the work and person of Jesus Christ as the foundation of their faith.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter One: From Paul, with Love (Colossians 1:1–2)

To begin with, this heresy promised people such a close union with God that they would achieve a “spiritual perfection.” Spiritual fullness could be theirs only if they entered into the teachings and ceremonies prescribed. There was also a “full knowledge,” a spiritual depth, that only the initiated could enjoy. This “wisdom” would release them from earthly things and put them in touch with heavenly things.

Of course, all of this teaching was but man-made philosophy based on traditions and not on divine truth (

As you can see these teachings would endanger the foundations of the Christian faith for anyone that would entertain them in mind, heart, or body. They had to be refuted. In this book we will see Paul’s masterful defense of the Christian Faith and seek to apply it to our own hearts and lives.

The Authority

Colossians 1:1 “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,”

Paul declares that the authority by which he wrote to them was found in Jesus Christ. This was an important point for Paul to make because after all they were Christians because Epaphras had brought them the gospel of Jesus Christ. He didn’t give them some mysticism wrapped in spiritual superiority to be their foundation for what they believed. Paul wanted to remind them why they were Christians and who saved them by giving himself for them.

As it was in the days of Colosse so is it in our day today; there are false teachers who want to use their seeming spiritual superiority to point you to how important they are when Christianity only allows for the preeminence in our lives to be given to the Lord Jesus Christ. We live in a world that cries out for inclusiveness through the guise of love and compassion and acceptance. We live in a world that wants us to all huddle together and make the case that one religion is just as good as another; that we need to accept that there are many paths to God. Paul approaches this very lie with the truth that Christ is above all and he is to get all the praise and all the glory. It is in him and from him that Paul gets his authority to proclaim the truth to the church at Colossae and for the church today.

He refers to them as the faithful IN CHRIST.

Colossians 1:2 “To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

He tells us who he is writing to, but he does not refer to them as the church at Colossae though that would have been correct. He calls them “the saints and faithful brethren in Christ.” Paul chose very specific language to remind them of the person that they had trusted for their salvation. It was not a message of spiritual superiority that had brought them to Christianity, but the love of the most amazing person that had ever lived, the Son of God, and the Savior of the universe; Jesus Christ. He used the first part of his greeting to point them to the person of Christ and this theme would persist throughout the letter.

Further, his language IN CHRIST was very specific as well. They were not brethren in Epaphras. They were not brethren in Paul. They were not brethren in Gnosticism. They were brethren in Christ; which means they were brought together through the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ and they were born again through the blood of Jesus Christ and they were adopted into the family of God through Jesus Christ.

Paul was doing for the Colossians what he did for everyone he spoke with; he was pointing them to the person of Jesus Christ. The false teachers wanted them to believe that they were spiritually superior and he was reminding them who they were before they got saved and became IN CHRIST.

He gives thanks to God and Christ for them.

Colossians 1:3 “We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,”

Paul is thankful for all people that trust in Christ and serve him. Paul is not just giving fluffy word. He is genuinely thankful for them. But he doesn’t just say, “I’m thankful for you.” He says he gives thanks to God and Christ for them. Paul in a genuine, loving, and encouraging way tells them he thankful for them. In doing so he uses the opportunity to point them back to Christ.

He highlights their faith in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 1:4 “Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,”

Paul is a master at encouraging people while also sending them the message that is intended. He highlights their faith and once again reminds that their faith is in Jesus Christ and not in anyone else, including the false teachers that were trying to steer them away from Jesus.

He identifies the gospel as their hope for eternity.

Colossians 1:5 “For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;”

He then identifies their hope for eternity rests in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul in very few words is repeatedly pointing the Colossian church back to the person that they fell in love with when they trusted Jesus and became Christians. Their hope didn’t rest in anyone else. Their hope was in the person, the work, and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

He mentions their fruit that has been produced in them.

Colossians 1:6 “Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:”

He talks about the fruit that abounds to their account. He told them that their fruit was a result of the grace of God in their life. The grace of God was to send Christ to save them. Even in complimenting their fruit he reminds them of who produced that fruit in them.

He reminds them who brought them the message of Christ.

Colossians 1:7–8 “As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ; Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.”

Then, for the first time in the book he does point them to a human being. Only after he has reminded them several times their hope, their faith, their identity, is all in Jesus Christ does he also remind them of the person that had brought the gospel to them in the first place. He is not doing this to diminish Christ. He just spent the last six verses uplifting him. He is doing this to diminish the influence of the false teachers in their mind. Christ was preeminent and he wanted to remind them that Epaphras was the person that brought them the gospel of Jesus Christ in the first place. It wasn’t the false teachers that were trying to gain their ear. It was Epaphras. The best way to point them back to Jesus Christ was to point them back to the person that introduced them to Jesus.

Conclusion

Paul’s number one reason for writing this book is to highlight the preeminence of JESUS CHRIST which is why this entire message was about how he did that. The question I have for you all that are here this morning is this:

Who is Preeminent in your life? Who is First?

Preeminence is “the fact of surpassing all others.” Who is first in your life? What is first in your life? Every spiritual problem that a person has in their life can be traced back to putting someone or something before Jesus Christ. This is what the Colossians were doing and this is what every Christian that backslides in their walk with God does. So, I’ll ask again, Who or What is Preeminent in your life? If your answer is Jesus Christ then that is amazing and may I encourage you to continue down that path. If Jesus was not your answer then you have some repenting to do. You are guilty of idol worship. Jesus must be first in your life or you are breaking at least one of the ten commandments. If Jesus is not first and someone or something else is there the chances that you are breaking more commandments of the Word of God is extremely high. It is time to repent.

The Colossian Church had a lot going for them. They were saved, they were faithful, they were placing their hope of eternity in Christ, and they were being fruitful for the cause of Christ. There was an enemy though, that was tempting them to move Jesus from his preeminent position and replace it with their own teachings and enlightenments that were contrary to the gospel. Paul warns them against taking the bait.

This morning I am here to tell you not to take the bait. If Jesus is preeminent in your life do not let anyone steer you away from Christ. If Jesus is not preeminent in your life I plead with you to repent and tell Christ that you are sorry for not making him number one in your life. If you have never trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior I am telling you that there is not a more trustworthy person than the person of Jesus Christ. He loves you more than anyone else loves you. He showed that love to you more than anyone could ever show love to you. He will accept you like you are and through his power he will change you to be what he wants you to be. Jesus is everything because he was here before the foundations of the world was ever laid and everything that is a part of your life was created by him. Do you want to trust some in this life or the someone that created this life for you? Do you want to trust some material thing in this life or do you want to trust the one who made everything?

It is time to make a choice. For those that have never trusted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior it is time to make the choice to accept Christ. For those of you that are saved, but have put other priorities before God it is time to put Christ back where he belongs; in the preeminent place in your life.

Again, Preeminent means, “the fact of surpassing all others.” Christ is to be first in our lives. Second to no one and backseat to nothing. Putting Christ first means there is no one before him and there is nothing higher on your priority list than him.

Who has the Preeminence in your life? In other words, “Who is first in your life?”