20-11-7 AM, Christ Above All: Colossians 1:15-23
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Introduction
The Bible is reliable to tell us the truth and to be our compass for life.
The story of Epaphras and the church at Colossae
Epaphras models the Great Commission very well- 1) share the gospel, 2) lead people around us to Christ, 3) begin a new church as necessary, and 4) repeat
Sadly, the later chapters of Colossae were not was wonderful. Heresy slipped into the church.
Epaphras went to Rome to discuss the issue with Paul.
This letter to the Colossians is Paul’s response to them.
Paul begins this letter by revealing all the ways He is praying for the Colossians.
Paul prayed for the Colossians with a spirit of gratitude because of the great work God had done among them.
He was thankful for their spiritual fruit- faith, love, hope
Paul also told them that he prayed for them to have knowledge of the will of God.
That they would live according to the will of God, producing actions and behavior which were rooted in faith, hope, and love.
He also prayed that they would have their strength to endure in their difficult situation.
To have patience and even joy
He also prayed for them to be thankful because of the redemptive work God did in their lives through the gospel,
13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
This week we continue on. This morning we are going to open a first century Christian hymnal and look at what many Bible scholars believer is an early hymn about the preeminence of Christ.
This picture of Christ stands in contrast to the heresy which has crept into the church at Colossae. Paul’s use of this song clarifies that the heresy (like all heresies) attacked the doctrine of the divinity of Christ.
Paul begins,
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
Image of the invisible God
Link to the wisdom of God. Proverbs 8 depicts wisdom as saying...
27 When he established the heavens, I was there;
when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
and
30 then I was beside him, like a master workman,
and I was daily his delight,
rejoicing before him always,
In later Jewish literature, personified divine wisdom is described as the image of God.
Paul goes on to call Jesus the
Firstborn of all creation
This is not a reference to the creation of a being. For Paul to mean that Jesus was a created person like you or me would run contrary to the message of the letter.
Rather, firstborn refers to the rights and privileges that belong to the firstborn of a family, especially the son of a king (ESVSB 2294). This is a reference to the sovereignty of Jesus Christ which was bestowed to Him by the Father.
C.F.
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
Paul continues...
16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
Paul proves to us in this verse that prepositions are important.
The rabbit ran ______ the log. Over, under, around, through, by
Here, Creation was made ________ Christ. By, through, for
All created things- here or in heaven, whether or not we can see it with our eyes, regardless of what authority it may possess. They are all made in relation to Christ. By Him, Through Him, For Him.
Therefore, Jesus trumps them all.
Important to understand the context again.
Jewish theology at this time had formulated a ranking of heavenly hosts, angels.
That angels possessed thrones, dominions, were rulers, and were authorities.
Given Paul’s mentions the worship of angels in 2:18 and the regular references of these categories of spiritual beings in chapter 2(Col. 2:8, 10, 15, and 20), it appears angel worship was part of the heresy in the church
Look what Paul does. Paul does not dissect the counterfeit beliefs, rather he emphasizes the qualities of Christ.
Paul’s point is that Christ is greater than angels and is therefore the only One worthy of worship.
The angels were made by Him, through Him, and for Him.
Paul continues.
17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
He explains that Christ is not only the agent of creation, but He is the agent of sustaining creation.
Everything is warped and twisted because of sin. What keeps it from unraveling all the way? Christ.
Who keeps your life from unraveling into destruction? Christ
So great is His might in that He is not only keeping it from unraveling absolutely into chaos, but through Him everything is going to be pulled back together into the divine order.
Paul makes reference to the divine mechanisms which are presently at play in the world to pull things back to the ideal.
Christ
18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.
When Christ died for the sins of the world and was raised on the 3rd day, this signified the great reversal. When things changed direction.
Beginning- We saw this word in Christ’s letter to the church at Laodicea.
14 “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.
It means ruler or originator.
Firstborn- Jesus is the first of His kind- a new type which defeated death and was raised.
He is the Head of the church. Where the head goes, the body goes
Wrestling
As Christ goes, so do His church.
Then the repetition of the point- Christ is preemminant
Review-
Church plant- Epaphras
Needing help to self-correct according to the Word of God
Two Jesus+ heresies
Gnostic
Judiazers
Paul assists by giving a message about the pre-eminence of Christ.
He prays for them-
-Thanksgiving for their witness (faith and love and hope)
-Knowledge needed to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord
-Strength to endure with joy and to be thankful in their present trial.
He starts in on the pre-eminence of Christ
-He is God, Creator, Authority.
17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
There are six questions
What comes before this passage? What comes after? Next it talks about Christ’s role specifically in the church; and as the embodiment of the gospel.
What does this passage tell us about God?
Christ is first.
Christ sustains creation, society, and your life.
What does this passage tell us about man (you)?
We are created
We do not hold all things together.
We need Christ.
We can trust Christ with our lives.
Is there a command to obey?
No
Is there an example to follow?
Make Paul’s testimony our testimony
What change do I need to make in my life today because of this passage?
In your life He is to be first. What things often come in before Jesus?
How do you act if you believe Jesus holds all things together in His glorious power?
What is the difference between casually convicted of Christ’s pre-eminence or radically convicted of it.
Look Ahead (20 Minutes)
Look Ahead (20 Minutes)
Practice the Lesson
Practice the Lesson
Evangelism
Sword
Set Goals & Pray
Set Goals & Pray
Oikos
Testimony
Evangelism
Sword
Pray for the lost and needs of the trainers