Introduction To Colossians

Who its from

Who its to

Why its written

Quick word on expository preaching

Who its From

Paul

Formerly Saul

Jew, Pharisee

Conversion

Mighty force for God

Half of nt books

Beaten, shipwrecked, stoned

In Prison for preaching the gospel

He says he is in chapter 4

Paul writes this letter around the year 62 ad. Approx 30 years after Christ’s death

Eventually be killed

Apostle

Directly Commissioned by Jesus (Acts 1:21-22, 1 Cor 9:1 )

“One sent out”

Sent out by Christ

“By the will of God”

Acts 1:2 “until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.”

Replace Judas

Acts 1:24–25 “And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.””

Pauls greeting in Gal

Galatians 1:1 “Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—”

Witness to the resurrected Christ (Acts 1:22 ; 1 Cor 15:7-8 )

Acts 1:21–22 “So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.””

1 Corinthians 9:1 “Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord?”

1 Corinthians 15:7–8 “Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.”

Given miraculous signs to confirm their office (2 Cor 12:12 )

2 Corinthians 12:12 “The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works.”

Acts 2:43 “And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.”

Acts 5:12 “Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico.”

Authoritative teacher of foundational doctrine ( Eph 2:20 )

Ephesians 2:20 “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,”

Acts 2:42 “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

1 Corinthians 14:37 “If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord.”

There are no apostles today

Paul, an apostle, likely hasn’t been to this church in person yet he shows such great care for it.

“Timothy our brother”

Pauls spiritual son

Young pastor who Paul writes to in 1 & 2 Tim

Frequently mentioned companion of Paul

“Our brother”

Brothers share a father

We’ve been adopted

Galatians 4:4–7 “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”

The gospel turns strangers into siblings

Let’s behave like healthy family

Disagreements

Encouragements

Who’s it to?

To the saints and faithful brothers (& sisters) in Christ at Colossae

Colossae

Ancient city in asia minor, approx 100 miles east of Ephesus

Near Laodicea & Heirapolis in the Lycus River valley

Along major trade route & was known for textiles & wool making

At one time it was a great city in size and importance but at this time has declined into near obscurity.

An earthquake just years before this letter may have contributed to it’s further decline & eventual abandonment

This church was started during Pauls 3 year journey to Ephesus somewhere around 52-55 ad.

Paul did not plant or go there

Epaphras planted after being converted from Paul

Colossians 1:7–8 “just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.”

Colossians 2:1 “For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face,”

Colossians 4:12–13 “Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis.”

Nearly 2000 years ago, the gospel was preached and believed and preached and church was planted, and a letter written to them that we will have the joy and privilege to dive into together.

You can go see Colossae today. It is a mound of dirt, unexcavated. Tall buildings that once stood, great statues, thriving markets, all in rubble under dirt. but the word of God still stands

Isaiah 40:8 “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”

But letters aren’t written to cities, they’re written to people.

So who are these people.

“to the saints and faithful brothers (and sisters)”

Not a distinction but rather a continuation

“To my wife, my lover, and, my best friend”

Not addressing 3 different people…

Let’s not skip over the words

Saints

Greek - Holy

Holy ones, the set apart, the consecrated

Refers to God himself

Holy Father John 17:11

Holy Spirit (some 90x)

Holy & Righteous one (Jesus) Acts 3:14

Holy scriptures Rom 1:2

AND US? HOLY ONES?

but wait…

Colossians 1:21 “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,”

Alienated

Hostile

Doing evil deeds

Colossians 2:13 “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,”

Similar to Ephesians 2:1–4 “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 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— 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. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,”

Dead in sin

Walking in the flesh

How do we go from that to Saints, holy ones, set apart

It isn’t the saints and faithful brothers at Colossae

Its the saints & faithful brothers IN CHRIST at Colossae

You go from dead in sin, alienated from God, stranger to the promise, hostile in mind, walking in the flesh, to SAINT by being in Christ

That is repenting and believing.

Placing your faith in Christ and being united to him

“IN Christ”

Becoming a Christian is not simply an intellectual alteration, but it is in fact a spiritual transformation

Grace & Peace (Only from God)

Grace - unmerited favor

The Christian life is one of all grace

Peace - shalom

Completeness

We can have peace because of the cross

You have no peace from god or with god apart from Christ

Obs

You can be in Colossae physically and not be in Christ spiritually

You can be in lakeview bible church physically and not be in Christ spiritually

The rest of this book will be of no real value to you if you are not in him.

The word will not change you divorced from the spirit

Why it’s written

Paul is issuing warning against false teaching and worldly philosophies

Colossians 2:4 “I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.”

Colossians 2:8 “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.”

Colossians 2:16 “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.”

Colossians 2:18 “Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind,”

Colossians 2:20–23 “If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.”

The problem

Gnosticism

Jewish mysticism - Sabbath, festivals, angels

Pagan beliefs & teachings

Someone acting as a spiritual prophet of sorts leading people into weird rituals, beliefs & practices

Either way, false teaching and wrong beliefs is a problem here.

It is also a problem today - Idolotry

Teachings like legalism, works based salvation

Rome, the world

Progressive Christianity

Redefines sin, rejects biblical authority

“Preachers” affirming homosexuality & ‘gender care’

Tries to jump through 500 hoops to make the bible say what it wants rather than what the text says

Prosperity Gospel

Jesus died so you can be healthy & wealthy & prosperous

New age spirituality

I believe in a higher power

Astrology, Tarot cards, Karma

Universalism, pluralism

All roads lead to God, All religions say the same thing,

Larry King Interview Joel Osteen “Americas favorite pastor”

Larry King “Now your fan base is not just Christian right? I understand you have Muslims, even atheists. How to explain that you know, why would an atheist be there?

Joel Osteeen “I think what they like Larry is when, you know, the principles that we teach are from the scripture but they can help anybody, you know, to reach dreams or to forgive, or to to have a healthy you know good self-image… I know I'm not a traditional pastor in terms of just going down teaching scripture by scripture because you know a lot of what I would teach would just be more on how to live a great life”

Paul shows them how they are to guard against the philosophies of the world by standing firm in the faith and holding on to what is true

Whats true is that Christ is supreme

Colossians more clearly lifts up and exhalts christ over perhaps any other book in the bible

“Cosmic Christ”

Christ who is creator & sustainer

Christ who all things were made for and through and in

Christ who has made peace by the blood of his cross

Christ who has reconciled his people

Christ where all the treasures of wisdom & knowledge are hidden

Christ who has cancelled the record of debt that stood against us by nailing it to the cross

Christ who has disarmed the rulers & authorities and put them to open shame by triumphing over them

Christ who is head of his church and

Christ whos peace rules in our hearts

Christ whos word dwells in us richly

Christ who is truth itself

“This epistle reminds us that all truth, all salvation, all power, and all spiritual life are found in Christ alone. Nothing needs to be added.” John MacArthur

As we dig in, let us remember that

The message of Colossians is quite simple when you boil it down.

All the competing views, & teachings, and worldly philosophies & traditions of the world are drowned out the by the by the supreme, sufficient, preeminence of Christ is supreme, sufficient, preeminient , matchless, sovereign

Grace & Peace (Only from God)

Grace - unmerited favor

The Christian life is one of all grace

Peace - shalom

Completeness

We can have peace because of the cross

You have no peace from god or with god apart from Christ