Sermon Tone Analysis
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There are two main theological focal points in Colossians.
One is
the person and work of Jesus Christ; the other is
the believer’s new life in Christ.
They are linked by the proclamation of the gospel.
Much of the teaching on Christ in the letter is a response to the ‘Colossian heresy’ (*cf.
2:4).
The advocates of this unorthodox teaching claimed that it had a Christian basis (see 2:4), but it
denied Christ his proper place (2:8, 16–17, 19),
but it denied Christ his proper place (2:8, 16–17, 19),
exhibited Judaistic and ritualistic tendencies (2:16–17), was
exhibited Judaistic and ritualistic tendencies (2:16–17), was
philosophic in approach (2:8, 18),
philosophic in approach (2:8, 18), advocated the worship of angels (2:18), and emphasized asceticism (2:18, 20–23).
advocated the worship of angels (2:18), and
emphasized asceticism [abstinence, avoidance, chastity](2:18, 20–23).
The person of Christ
The majestic passage 1:15–20 establishes the supremacy of Christ, both
in creation (vv.
15–17) and
in redemption (vv.
18–20).
A similar link between nature and grace, cosmology and soteriology, is found in and and is common in the OT (*e.g. ; ).
First, Christ is supreme in creation: as ‘the image of the invisible God’ (v.
15a, niv), the exact and visible expression of God; as ‘the firstborn over all creation’ (v.
15b),
a title which denotes his pre-eminence in rank and priority in time;
as the creator of the entire universe,
including the angelic occupants of heavenly thrones and all supernatural potentates (v.
16a, b);
as the goal of the whole universe (v.
16c; cf.
);
as the person who is ‘before’ everything in time and status (v.
17a); and as
the sustainer of the universe (v.
17b),
maintaining its permanent order, stability and productivity.
In OT thought, Wisdom existed at God’s side before creation and acted as his master craftsman in his creative work ().
Paul may have had this passage in mind in his description of Christ’s role in creation, but there are crucial differences between and .
In Paul’s view, Christ is more than the embodiment or personification of Wisdom, for unlike Wisdom he is the uncreated image of God and sustains what he once created (vv.
15–17), and he is the focus of all creation (v.
16c; cf. ) and himself embodies all the divine attributes.
Second, he is supreme in redemption: as ‘the head of the body, the church’ (v.
18a),
its authoritative ruler and director; as ‘the beginning’ (v.
18b),
the originating cause of the church and the constant source of its life;
as ‘the firstborn from among the dead’ (v.
18c),
the pioneer of a resurrection to immortality (*cf.
; );
as the possessor of all God’s fullness (v.
19); and
as the agent of God’s reconciliation (v.
20).
This emphasis on Christ’s unchallenged superiority is also found elsewhere.
Christ is ruler over every cosmic power and authority (2:10).
He is the source of the nourishment, unity and growth of his body, the church (2:19),
where he is everything, all that matters (3:11).
As the Son whom God dearly loves, he possesses and rules over a kingdom of light (1:12–13).
Being ‘seated at the right hand of God’ (3:1)
he occupies a position of unparalleled dignity, honor and power (*cf.
).
He is the source of corporate peace in his church (3:15) and
will dispense to believers their inheritance as a reward for their service (3:24).
Also it is in Christ and Christ alone that the full treasury of God’s wisdom and knowledge is stored (2:3).
and 2:9 together form a very clear statement of Christ’s deity.
It was by God the Father’s choice and at his pleasure that all the divine attributes and powers resided in the person of Jesus;
in him God in all his fullness was pleased to dwell (1:19).
Paul has the post-incarnational state of Christ in mind when he says that in him the whole fullness of deity dwells in bodily form (2:9).
Two distinct affirmations are being made:
1. the total sufficiency and volume of the Godhead dwells in Christ eternally (‘dwells’ is a timeless present);
2. this fullness now permanently resides in the incarnate Christ in bodily form.
Here, then, both the eternal deity and the permanent humanity of Christ are implied.
The work of Christ
In both Testaments God is portrayed as a God who saves (; cf. ).
But the NT is distinctive in its claim that ‘ “[s]alvation belongs to our God … and to the Lamb” ’ ().
The source of salvation is God the Father and the agent in its attainment salvation is Christ (*cf.
).
In Colossians this salvation is portrayed in two ways.
It is through union with Christ that believers enjoy the possession of redemption (1:14),
that is, release from the bondage of sin, or as 1:13 expresses it, rescue from the dominion of darkness.
Thus Paul can define redemption as simply ‘the forgiveness of sins’ (1:14; cf.
2:13; ), an equation that is totally in line with OT teaching (*e.g. and 51).
Reconciliation is God’s act of restoring humankind and nature to their proper relationship to himself, through the death of Christ.
God is the reconciler (1:19–20, 22) and the goal of his action is the harmony of all creation with himself (1:20; cf. ).
This harmony was achieved through Christ (1:20a) and through him alone (1:20c, where there is an emphatic repetition of ‘through him’),
that is, ‘through his blood, shed on the cross’.
Reconciliation embraced the entire universe (*ta panta, 1:20a),
including inanimate nature, the world of human beings, and spiritual powers that were at variance with God (1:20b, ‘whether things on earth or things in heaven’; cf.
1:16).
But 1:21–23, and especially 1:23a (‘if you continue in your faith’), make it clear that although the universe in its totality has now regained its divinely appointed direction
(that was frustrated by the effects of human sin, )
in an objectively real reconciliation,
the benefits of this reconciliation are not experienced by individual humans automatically, apart from their faith.
By nature they were alienated from God and at enmity with him (1:21; cf.
2:13), but now reconciled,
they will be presented blameless before God (1:22),
assuming that they persist in faith and refuse to shift from the hope generated by the gospel (1:23).
This insistence on the necessity of faith for the receipt of divine blessing reflects an OT emphasis (see e.g. ; ; ).
Two further aspects of the work of Christ on the cross are mentioned in 2:14–15.
God has completely cancelled the statement of indebtedness—the sinner’s IOU to God—and its particulars (broken regulations), that was a threat to sinners, and has set it aside by nailing it to Christ’s cross (2:14).
In doing this God was acting in accordance with his nature declared centuries earlier: ‘ “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more” ’ (; cf.
44:22; , ).
In addition, after disarming ‘the powers and authorities’ whose demonic aim is to enslave the human race (2:20–22; cf.
, ),
he boldly exposed them to public display by leading them in Christ’s triumphal procession as his captive enemies (2:15).
The gospel
The OT is certainly not devoid of ‘good news’, but the OT gospel that declares Yahweh’s universal victory and reign (; ; ),
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