Colossians 3.24a-Slaves in the Colossian Christian Community Will Receive the Reward of the Inheritance for Obeying Paul's Command in Colossians 3.23
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday December 18, 2016
Colossians: Colossians 3:24a-Slaves in the Colossian Christian Community Will Receive the Reward of the Inheritance for Obeying Paul’s Command in Colossians 3:23
Lesson # 99
Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. (NASB95)
“Knowing” is the verb oida (οἶδα), which means, “to know as an accepted fact, to affirm as an accepted fact, to know for certain, to know without a doubt” since it pertains to having knowledge of something to the extent of having no doubt about the matter.
In Colossians 3:24, the verb oida is in the perfect tense and emphasizes the slaves in the Colossian Christian community were experiencing a state of certainty that they would be rewarded by the Lord Jesus Christ at the Bema Seat if they continued to faithfully perform their duties as slaves.
The participle form of the verb oida is a causal participle which presents the reason or expresses the reason why the slaves in the Colossian Christian community must obey the command in Colossians 3:23.
“You will receive” is the verb apolambanō (ἀπολαμβάνω), which means “to obtain what is due or merited, to receive what is due or merited.”
The future tense of this verb apolambanō is a “predictive” future tense expressing the certainty that these slaves in the Colossian Christian community would receive from the Lord Jesus Christ at the Bema Seat the reward of the inheritance if they continue to obey his command in Colossians 3:23.
The middle voice of this verb is an indirect middle which is expressing the fact that the slaves in the Colossian Christian community will “for their own benefit” receive from the Lord at the Bema Seat the reward of the inheritance.
“The reward of the inheritance” is composed of the following: (1) noun antapodosis (ἀνταπόδοσις), “the reward” (7) noun klēronomia (κληρονομία), “of inheritance.”
The noun antapodosis means “reward” since the word pertains to a compensating reward in repayment for work done faithfully and denotes that which is given to someone in exchange for what has been done.
The noun klēronomia means “inheritance” since the word pertains to the acquisition of valuable possessions and property as a result of meritorious service on behalf of another.
Colossians 3:23 Whenever any of you, at any time, should do something, each of you from your entire being, for your own benefit, must continue making it your habit of working hard as for your one and only true Lord, indeed, never for people 24 The reason for this command is that each of you know without a doubt that each of you will certainly receive for your own benefit your reward, which is your inheritance. Each of you continue making it your habit of serving the Lord, who is the Christ. (My translation)
The apostle Paul presents the reason why the slaves in the Colossian Christian community must continue to obey the command in the apodosis of the fifth class conditional statement in Colossians 3:23.
They must continue to obey this command because each of these slaves know without a doubt that each of them will certainly receive for their own benefit their reward, which is their inheritance.
They knew this for certain because Epaphras, their pastor-teacher taught them this.
They knew they would be rewarded for faithful service at the Bema Seat because Epaphras was faithful in teaching them the gospel and the gospel teaches that faithful service in whatever one does in life will be rewarded by the Lord at the Bema Seat.
In fact, Paul taught in Colossians 1:3-5 that the gospel promises that they would be rewarded by the Lord at the Bema Seat because of their faithfulness to the gospel.
Therefore, with this in mind, the causal clause in Colossians 3:24 is reassuring these slaves in the Colossian Christian community that they will be rewarded by the Lord Jesus Christ at the Bema Seat Evaluation of the church if they continue to obey the command in Colossians 3:23.
In other words, if they continue to work hard for their human slave masters as a result of possessing the perspective that this servitude is in reality on behalf of the Lord Jesus Christ and not only on behalf of their human slave masters, they will be rewarded by the Lord Jesus Christ at the Bema Seat.
They will receive their reward which is their inheritance as a result of faithful service on the earth.
This was amazing, fantastic news for these slaves since technically under Roman law they could possess no property and were in fact under this law considered as the property of their slave masters.
They did receive a small amount of money on a regular basis for the purpose of eventually purchasing their freedom.
However, this could not compare to what the gospel was promising these slaves in the Christian community.
Paul mentions this inheritance in Colossians 1:12 and teaches them in this passage that the Father qualified each and every one in the Colossian Christian community including Timothy and himself to share in the saints’ inheritance which resides in that which is characterized by light, namely the kingdom of God.
This inheritance is a reference to rewards at the Bema Seat for faithful service to God and speaks of the reward believers will receive for being a good and faithful steward with their time, talent, treasure and truth God gave to them as trusts.
Every church age believer has the opportunity to receive their eternal inheritance if they fulfill the condition of being faithful till death or the rapture whichever comes first and thus executes the Father’s will for their life.
Both the Old and New Testament’s speak of an inheritance, which could be forfeited due to unfaithfulness.
Although the believer’s salvation cannot be merited but is received when a person expresses faith alone in Christ alone (Eph. 2:8-9), the believer’s inheritance on the other hand is meritorious.
This means they have to fulfill the condition of being faithfully obedient to the will of God till physical death or the rapture (i.e. resurrection of the church).
The believer is promised that if they fulfill the condition of being faithful, they will be given the privilege to reign with Christ (Rom. 8:16-18; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; Gal. 5:19-1; Eph. 5:5-10; Heb. 12:12-17).
A prominent doctrine of the New Testament concerns the Judgment Seat of Christ (Rom. 14:10-12; 1 Cor. 3:11-15; 2 Cor. 5:10; 1 John 2:28).
Though it is tremendously serious with eternal ramifications, the Judgment Seat of Christ is not a place and time when the Lord will mete out punishment for sins committed by the child of God.
Rather, it is a place where rewards will be given or lost depending on how a believer has lived their life for the Lord.
The Bema Seat is a time when the believer will be rewarded for their actions that were empowered by the Spirit and in response to God’s love for them.
The believer who was properly motivated to serve Him and the body of Christ out of love and appreciation for what the Lord did for them will be rewarded at the Bema Seat.
Believers who execute the Father’s plan for their life are called in Revelation 2 and 3 “overcomers,” meaning that they overcame their old sin nature, the devil and his cosmic system by obeying the Word of God, which is motivated by love for God.
There are two words in the Greek New Testament that are used to describe rewards for believers: (1) Stephanos, “wreath, garland, crown.” (2) Brebeion, “prize.”
In the ancient world, the stephanos was the wreath or garland, the actual crown for winning an event whereas the brabeion was the prize given to the victor in the athletic games of the ancient world.
These believers will receive the following rewards from the Lord Jesus Christ at the Bema Seat Evaluation:
The “prize” in Philippians 3:14 refers to the believer’s inheritance or escrow blessings, which are released to the believer upon executing the Father’s plan for their lives (Eph. 1:14, 18; Col. 1:12; 3:23-24; 1 Pet. 1:4; He. 9:15).
The “crown of righteousness,” is a reward given to believers for their faithfulness in executing their own spiritual life and functioning in their spiritual gift (2 Tim. 4:7-8).
“The Incorruptible Crown” describes all the crowns and is also a special crown given for faithfulness in running the race and exercising self-control in order to serve the Lord and finish the race (1 Cor. 9:24-27).
The “crown of life” is given to the believer for enduring testings (trials) and temptation (James 1:12; Rev. 2:10).
The “unfading crown of glory” is a reward promised to pastor-teachers for their faithfulness in the discharge of their responsibilities in shepherding their flocks (1 Pet. 5:4).
“White garment” is a reward for faithfulness in the form of a translucent uniform of glory over the resurrection body (Rev. 3:4).
The overcome or winner believer will receive a “white stone” and “hidden manna” and a “new name” written on the stone, which refers to intimate access to the Lord Jesus Christ and great responsibility in Christ’s millennial government and in the eternal state (Rev. 2:17).
They will also receive a New Title in the Lamb’s book of life and will have a membership to the Paradise Club and access to the Gazebo in the Garden (Rev. 2:7).
The overcomer believer will have his name recorded in the historical record section of heaven (Rev. 3:12) and they will have a special audience with God the Father (Rev. 3:5).