COLOSSIANS (3)
Doctrinal: Deeper Life IN CHRIST
DOCTRINE Christian truth and teaching passed on from generation to generation as “the faith that was delivered to the saints” (Jude 3 HCSB).
Specifically, doctrine refers to Christian teaching and most specifically to Christian teaching about God, the gospel, and the comprehensive pattern of Christian truth. The word itself means “teaching” and generally refers to the accepted body of beliefs held by the Christian church universally and to those beliefs specific to individual denominations and congregations in particular.
The Christian church cannot avoid teaching and thus must formulate a framework for understanding and teaching the basic rudiments and principles of the faith and for developing those basic doctrines into more comprehensive and thorough understandings. Without such a framework, the church has no coherent system of beliefs and no means of discriminating between true and false beliefs.
Doctrine thus serves a vital and necessary role within the life of the church and the life of the believer. The biblical focus on doctrine is not based upon the notion of static and dead beliefs but upon living truths cherished and defended by all true Christians.
The foundation, sourcebook, and authority for developing doctrine is the Bible. The Bible is “profitable for teaching” (2 Tim. 3:16), and it forms the structure, content, and authority for the development of doctrine.
I: Paul’s Greeting: Colossians 1:1 through 2:7
1A: Greetings:
Paul began his letter by designating himself as an apostle, by the will of God (Paul was not one of the original 12 apostles, see Acts 1:21-26) (Rom 1:1-7)
APOSTLE—a person sent by another; a messenger; envoy. This word is once used as a descriptive designation of Jesus Christ, the Sent of the Father (Heb. 3:1; John 20:21). It is, however, generally used as designating the body of disciples to whom he intrusted the organization of his church and the dissemination of his gospel, “the twelve,” as they are called (Matt. 10:1–5; Mark 3:14; 6:7; Luke 6:13; 9:1). We have four lists of the apostles, one by each of the synoptic evangelists (Matt. 10:2–4; Mark 3:16; Luke 6:14), and one in the Acts (1:13). No two of these lists, however, perfectly coincide.
Our Lord gave them the “keys of the kingdom,” and by the gift of his Spirit fitted them to be the founders and governors of his church (John 14:16, 17, 26; 15:26, 27; 16:7–15). To them, as representing his church, he gave the commission to “preach the gospel to every creature” (Matt. 28:18–20). After his ascension he communicated to them, according to his promise, supernatural gifts to qualify them for the discharge of their duties (Acts 2:4; 1 Cor. 2:16; 2:7, 10, 13; 2 Cor. 5:20; 1 Cor. 11:2). Judas Iscariot, one of “the twelve,” fell by transgression, and Matthias was substituted in his place (Acts 1:21). Saul of Tarsus was afterwards added to their number (Acts 9:3–20; 20:4; 26:15–18; 1 Tim. 1:12; 2:7; 2 Tim. 1:11).
Paul did see the risen Christ (1 Cor 9:1, 15:8-9)
Paul did possess special miraculous powers given to authenticate true apostles of Jesus. (2 Cor 12:12, Heb 2:3-4)
14 Afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen.
15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
16 “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.
17 “These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues;
18 they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
19 So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.
20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.]
[And they promptly reported all these instructions to Peter and his companions. And after that, Jesus Himself sent out through them from east to west the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation.]
