Into Colossae

Intro

Sometimes, people become known for being the right kind of person. They are kind-hearted, gentle, giving, and wholesome. Contrast these virtues with the world that surrounds us, and that’s a recipe for people noticing!

Even in Hollywood, there are people who are especially well known for this kind of character. For example, Keanu Reeves, who starred in movies like The Matrix, is very well known to be very humble and caring for his fans. The same goes for a famous YouTube content creator named Markiplier, who is somewhat renown for being one of the only un-scandalous people on the internet. Though I can say I am personally a fan of these two men, I cannot say that I have met them. Nor do I really expect I ever will. All the same, word has come to me of their behavior towards people.

In some way, this is very similar to Paul’s relationship with the Colossian Christians. He has never personally been to Colossae, though he had spent time in nearby Ephesus. Although he had never been to the city and met this congregation of Christians, he had heard a great deal about them and had written them an Epistle for the sake of expressing gratitude and for teaching!

The Colossian Heresy

So, what exactly does Paul write to them about? A very basic over-view could look something like:

Col. 1.1-14 is all about his gratitude for their faith and good deeds in love. Paul prays for them to grow in the knowledge of God and to encourages them to lead lives “worthy of the Lord.”

Col. 1.15-2.23 is about the all-sufficiency of Christ and the fact that we have no need of anything but Him!

Col. 3-4 is about how we should live now that we are all new in Christ and one together in Him.

Now, Colossae was apparently a very loving congregation:

Colossians 1:3–5 “3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel”

However, being a loving congregation does not mean that they are without problem altogether.

They needed to be reminded of how completely sufficient Jesus is, because heresies had begun to creep in which challenged this view.

Colossians 2:16–17 “16 Therefore, no one is to judge you in food and drink, or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day— 17 things which are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.”

There was also a dangerous ascetic doctrine creeping in, which taught that if you denied your body earthly things, you will conquer evil.

Colossians 2:18–23 “18 Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, going into detail about visions he has seen, being puffed up for nothing by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. 20 If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees: 21 “Do not handle, nor taste, nor touch”? 22 Which deal with everything destined to perish with use, which are in accordance with the commands and teachings of men; 23 which are matters having, to be sure, a word of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.”

Paul had to teach them that this false kind of “humility” was not going to keep them from sin; rather, it would inevitably lead to them being puffed up in pride. They could not muscle through sin on their own will or philosophy — they need Christ.

They were being tempted away from the truth of Christ by persuasive philosophies which taught that Christ was not enough.

Colossians 2:4–8 “4 I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument. 5 For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the stability of your faith in Christ. 6 Therefore as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted and being built up in Him, and having been established in your faith—just as you were instructed—and abounding with thanksgiving. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”

Purpose of this Series

To this day, there are those who have been and are being led astray after these same kinds of heresies!

People who want to add their muscle to the sufficiency of Christ

People who believe we must mix the Old Covenant with the New

People believing they need to muscle their way through life

People who do not understand who we are in Christ because of Christ

People who even believe you must go beyond Christ to find full fulfillment and enlightenment!

This is not going to be a series going after all different manner of heresies, but these do indeed exist in our world today. Colossians shows us just how wonderful and perfect Christ is, and through this study, we should be able to learn more of His beauty, and that we can fully rest in His all-sufficiency.

To the Saints

Colossians 1:1–4 LSB

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 in Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. 3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints,

Paul makes known to the Church here who is writing to them, and why they should heed his letter

Though he makes known he is an Apostle, he also makes known that he is not lording that position over anyone, as we also cites the young Timothy and calls him “brother.” Paul also makes known that he has not attained to the office of an Apostle by his own merit or desire or character; rather, he is made an apostle by the will and grace of God!

We know that Paul would have so much to boast about, if anything according to the flesh mattered. Yet, he lays aside all of that and humbly does not lord his title over other people. He would have the authority to make commands, or to do this or that, but he consistently goes out of his way to remove his own rights for the sake of the brothers whom he loves so dearly.

“To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ”

“Saints” is a word which often is misused today. Due to a certain Catholic teaching, we often think of saints as those brothers in the faith who have gone to glory before us, such as Stephen the Martyr. However, though they are saints, so are you if you are in Christ!

“Saint” means holy ones! All who are in Christ are now made holy, and we are commanded to live holy lives, as we saw in 1 Peter, “Be holy as I am holy.” All saved and true believers in Christ, then, are in fact saints.

“We give thanks to God … since we have heard of your faith in Christ and the love which you have for all the saints,”

This is only part of the sentence here, but it is important to understand Paul’s perspective.

He has not been to Colossae, and has heard that these believers are so full of love and faith! Therefore, because he has heard this from people he trusts (namely, Epaphras), he is “praying always” for them and giving thanks for them!

How often are we praying for and giving thanks for the brothers and sisters that we know, let alone those we don’t? Maybe since we have been around the Church for so long, we kind of take the Body of Christ for granted and forget that how amazing it is that we get to all be coworkers in the Gospel! If being thankful and praying without ceasing is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus, should we not be continuously thankful for the Body of Christ, and for those faithful Christians we have built wonderful relationships with?

I am very thankful for this congregation, and the opportunities I have been blessed with through your kindness and understanding — and I never want to take that for granted! Take a second, and call to mind someone here, or something about this congregation that you are particularly thankful for.

Conclusion

*Pray thanksgiving prayer over the Church and for God’s blessing on the study through the Book*