The Profound Truth: Christ is the Answer

Scripture Reading

Opening Prayer

Introduction

Hook

We exist in a place and system where context is a key to living...

Suppose with me, for a moment, that you had an accident which gave you a kind of amnesia that cause you to forget certain core facts of life.

Flashing read and blue lights

Police

Law

Government...

Introductory Background

Colossians 1:1 ESV

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

Author - Paul with Timothy -

Paul

Apostle

Office - a person called by Christ himself to represent Christ and proclaim Christ and thereby serve as the “foundation” of the new people of God (Eph. 2:20)

Ephesians 2:20 ESV

20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,

Provenance and date -

Prison

Paul says that he was frequently in prison (2 Corinthians 11:23)

Bible records 3 - Overnight in Philippi, 2 years in Ceasarea, 2 years in Rome

Implied - during Paul’s 3 year stay in Ephasus

No certainty

Evidence leans toward Rome (60-62 AD)

Colossae - was formerly prominent city, now declining because of a major highway that had been moved.

Colossians 1:2 ESV

2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

Church had been started by Epaphras

Paul had never visited

Apparently, Epaphras sought out Paul to help address some false teaching that had arisen among the church

“Brothers in Christ”

False Teaching

Gnosticism? (Gnosis = Knowledge)

More likely if written from Rome

Angel cult?

At least somewhat true (2:18 refers to Angel worship)

Compatible with Gnosticim

Judaeizers?

Contained a Jewish Element (2:16-17)

Jewish Mysticism

Mixture?

Phrygian folk belief, local folk Judaism, and Christianity

Magic or ritual power

Conclusion - We don’t know - in summary, as 2:8 says, their teaching was “not according to Christ”

What we do know is that they were questioning the sufficiency of Christ

This leads us to look at Theological Themes in the letter

Theological Themes

Centrality of Christ

Sufficiency of Christ - Christ meets every Spiritual need

The unique relationship between God the Son and God the Father

The equating of The Word of God with The Word of Christ

Christ is the head of the body

The Church - Christ’s new creation

The Gospel

Eschatology

Christian living (Old self vs. New Self)

Exposition

Aspects of thankfulness

Colossians 1:3–4 ESV

3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints,

Paul thanks God for the Colossian Christians

Paul’s letter is strongly focused in Christ

This particular expression draws attention to the Father through Christ

Since Paul heard about them

What did he hear about them

v. 4

I. Jesus, whom we follow, leads us to the Father who receives our thanks (3-4)

Colossians 1:4–5 ESV

4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel,

II. Love one another because of the Gospel (4-5)

Paul thanks God for this love that they exhibit

Faith, Love, and Hope

Notice, Faith in Christ leads to love for the saints because of the hope in the Gospel.

Love here is central

How does faith lead to love?

Faith and Hope are tied together in the Gospel

Jesus loved us, of that we have faith and hope

Jesus’ love is exemplified in the Gospel

Gospel

Hope laid up in heaven

Because we grasp Christ’s love and grace, we love those whom Christ has also loved

What does Loving the saints look like?

Husbands/ wives

Church members

Fellow belivers

Possible believers?

Every Christian that comes accross your path

At work

At school

At home

When gathered

Colossians 1:6–8 ESV

6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf 8 and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.

III. The Good News of Jesus Christ is the most profound and impactful truth that exists (6-8)

We are consistently tempted to make our faith about things other than what it is

We spend more time defending the existence of God than the Bible does

Gen 1:1

With your children

With your church

With the lost