And This I Pray For You

Though these questions seem contemporary in nature these are the exact things that Paul was addressing when he wrote this fantastic letter in about AD60 while in prison in Rome.

This letter is still as vital today as we face the same issues today as the church in Colossi did. Colossi was located about 100 miles from Ephesus and was mostly a Gentile area. There were two other cities near by Laodicea and Hierapolis (Col4:13, 16)

Colossians 4:13 NASB95

13 For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis.

Colossians 4:16 NASB95

16 When this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea.

This was an important area in which the West met with the East and was a great trade route. There were all sorts of philosophies as well as religious heresies that abounded there. There was a large Jewish settlement and an influx of new eastern ideologies and doctrines coming in.

You don’t find the church at Colossi noted in book of Acts, neither Peter nor Paul started the church there. In fact Paul had never even visited there, he only heard of their faith (Col1:4, 9, 2:1)

Colossians 1:4 NASB95

4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints;

Colossians 1:9 NASB95

9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

I will expand on those verses in a little bit.

I said Paul had never been there so here is he proof of that

Colossians 2:1 NASB95

1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face,

So here is this church that Paul loves and sends a love letter, a reminder letter, and instruction letter to them, but who started the church?

Paul had spent years in Ephesus and the Word spread

Act19:10

Acts 19:10 NASB95

This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

There are names found that were involved in Paul’s prison ministry Epaphras and Philemon (Col1:7, 4:12-13)

Phi

Philemon 19 NASB95

I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand, I will repay it (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well).

Epaphras shared the gospel he heard from Paul with the people in Colossi

Philippians 1:19 NASB95

for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

Colossians 1:7 NASB95

7 just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf,

And the word between Epaphras and Philemon carried to Hirapolis and Laodicea

Colossians 4:12–13 NASB95

12 Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis.

No apostle needed, no temple, no fancy building, just a heart for Christ and the gospel. The gospel needs to be the gospel and not watered down by some of the issues mentioned before.

A mostly Gentile membership which we can see by Col3:5-9 in which Paul names some sins which are normally associated with Gentiles.

What was the reason for the letter, what was the crisis at hand at the time?

There was a mixture of new doctrines, Eastern philosophies and Jewish legalism that were infiltrating the church.

Paul wrote the letter in order to refute these heretical teachings and to fortify the sufficiency of Christ and the truth of the Gospel.

The love letter was delivered by Onesimus and Tychicus who also carried the letter to the Ephesians (Col4:7-9; Eph6:21)

Colossians 4:7–8 NASB95

7 As to all my affairs, Tychicus, our beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord, will bring you information. 8 For I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts;

Colossians 4:9 NASB95

9 and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of your number. They will inform you about the whole situation here.

Ephesians 6:21 NASB95

21 But that you also may know about my circumstances, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make everything known to you.

We find the warning in the letter in Col2:8

Colossians 2:8 NASB95

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, rather than according to Christ.

Man made religion, man made philosophy is not divine truth.

Eastern Philosophies and Jewish legalism brought about two schools of thought at the time rigid discipline or that everything was permissible since all matter is evil.

Colossians 2:23 NASB95

23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.

The false teaching, by the false teachers thinking you needed more than Jesus and that God was distant from man because of sin, had it wrong.

Commentator Warren Wiersbe says

“In His work on the cross, Jesus Christ settled the sin question (Col1:20) and completed defeated all satanic forces (Col2:15). He put an end to the legal demands of the Law (Col2:14-17). In fact, Jesus Christ alone is the Preeminent One! (Col1:18, 3:11).”

All we need is Jesus!

This false teaching, was deceptive then and is deceptive today, Jewish legalism, oriental philosophy, pagan astrology, mysticism, asceticism and mix that with a little Christianity and what happens is a free for all, one religion for all, accepting all things and Christ looses His Supremacy and His Preeminence.

Christ has delivered us from such things and we need to be reminded of that at times

Colossians 1:13 NASB95

13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,

The main theme for book of Colossians is found (Col1:18, 3:11)

Colossians 1:18 NASB95

18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.

Colossians 3:11 NASB95

11 a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.

We are united in Christ when we have this belief, we are made complete (Col2:10)

Colossians 2:10 NASB95

10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;

We are united because of the fulness of Christ dwells in us (Col2:9)

Colossians 2:9 NASB95

9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,

What we believe determines how we behave so Paul slowly methodically works his way through this letter for we also know wrong doctrine leads to wrong living.

In the world we live in today we see and hear about religious tolerance or co-existence

(insert co-exist slide here)

Jesus Christ in not a way to get to heaven, he Is the Way.

John 14:6 NASB95

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

As we study this magnificent book we will be able to heed Paul’s warning

Colossians 2:4 NASB95

4 I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument.

Colossians 2:8 NASB95

and

Colossians 2:16 NASB95

16 Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day—

So now let’s look at the opening of the book, Col1:1-12

The Salutation

Colossians 1:1–2 NASB95

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

What we can identify from the salutation

Written by Paul, an apostle by the will of God

We too today have authority, we have a commission and we have a mission. We must consider how are we acting on those things

Written to the saints, the faithful who are in Colossi

Not only were they believers they were doing something with their belief. They were being faithful and Paul had heard about their faith. May our faith be known by our love, by our actions, by our words.

Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving

Colossians 1:3–4 NASB95

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;

Colossians 1:5–6 NASB95

5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel 6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth;

Colossians 1:7–8 NASB95

7 just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, 8 and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit.

The elements of a prayer of thanksgiving here

Prays to the Father for them, prays always (v.3)

Why he prays for them, because he heard of their faith (v.4)

Prayed because of their faith, their hope and their love. (v.5)

This love was evident and proof they were Jesus disciples (vv.6-8; Jn13:35)

John 13:35 NASB95

35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Think about this, their hope was known, hope laid up in haven the same hope we are to have in Jesus Christ who is in heaven interceding for us right now.

Paul heard about them from Epaphras, he spoke of this church in Colossi and spoke well of them. Do we do the same? Do we speak highly of the church?

Paul’s Prayerful Request

Colossians 1:9–10 NASB95

9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Col1:9-10

Colossians 1:11–12 NASB95

11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.

The elements of his prayerful request

Filled with all knowledge and spiritual understanding (v.9)

So that you will walk in worthy manner bearing good fruit (v.10)

Increasing in knowledge of God; which brings about maturity (v.10)

Strengthened with all power, steadfastness, patience, joyously giving thanks (v.11)

Why? Because the Father qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints (v.12)

What a powerful prayer. Do we want these elements in us? Then let us strive together in Christ and grow in Christ and for Christ for He is our all in all.