Well, last week we concluded our verse-by-verse exposition of Mark's Gospel account.
! And this week we're going to begin our study of Paul's letter to the church at Colossae.
! So if you will, please with me, turn to the book of Colossians.
Know that I say this often, and I say it because I mean it, but also for the sake of
those who haven't heard me say it before, I'm immensely thankful to be part of a church
that values verse-by-verse exposition. It has value for a number of reasons.
Firstly, we need to hear all that the Word of God has to say to us. It is His inspired,
sufficient, authoritative Word, and none of it's unimportant. All of it is incredibly important.
I think it's helpful in our study verse-by-verse to help you better learn how to study the Bible
for yourself. Me and others that help here, taking week-by-week and helping you place in context
various texts of Scripture. We hope in doing so that we're looking at in a broad sense what
other parts of the Scripture have to say. So as we're going through a New Testament epistle,
for example, to pull in the Old Testament references and speak of them well, I know it's good for me
because it keeps me from having pet topics that I preach upon all the time or being able to skip
over hard things in the Scriptures, which I so very much want to do some weeks, but yet the schedule
is before me and the task is at hand. And so just to reiterate to you the value and importance of that,
as we're about to begin another verse-by-verse exposition of a book of the Bible, in this case,
Colossians. I want you to know that my singular goal in today's sermon is to get you excited
about what God would have to say to us in our study of Paul's letter to the Colossian believers,
that it has relevance and meaning bearing on our lives as we work through this in the coming months.
Colossians, as part of God's holy writ, has a great deal of significance for us today.
But in order for us to fully appreciate that significance, we must rightly understand the
original intent. So we'll begin our study by asking a series of questions of the letter.
Question number one. Who wrote Colossians?
Now in the very salutation in verse one, we see that the letter was written by Paul. Paul,
an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother. Some people say that
Colossians was written by Paul and Timothy. It's possible that Timothy was the scribe, the one who
was actually writing down a secretary, so to speak, as Paul spoke the words to him. But certainly,
we see the use of plural pronouns, we, throughout the text. It is a proper assumption to think that
Paul is referring to himself and Timothy when he says we, but also much use of the singular pronoun
I. It was right to understand that Paul himself is the ultimate author of this text. Colossians 4.18,
he says, I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. So potentially, the very closing of it, he
himself wrote out to emphasize that it was, in fact, a letter from him. Now there are some arguments
against Paul's authorship, but they're so very weak that they're not worth mentioning in this setting
and at this time. You are welcome to study that. I have some books you can borrow on it if you would
care to, but they're incredibly weak arguments. Church history, certainly contained within the text
itself, is the name of Paul, the context in which he writes, the way that your scriptures actually are
organized as has to do with who they believe wrote this letter. If you like with me, turn to your table
of contents in your copy of God's Word. For those of you who don't know, your scripture is not arranged
chronologically, but rather categorically. In the New Testament, it's hard to find that table of contents,
isn't it? Probably a good sign. It means you know your Bible if you can't find your table of contents.
If you look at your table of contents, we have in the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke,
John. These are the gospel accounts. They're historical accounts of the life, death, resurrection,
ascension of Jesus Christ, and then the book of Acts, which is also, some people rightly call it the
acts of Jesus Christ or the acts of the Holy Spirit, but also a historical narrative of the things that
happened after Jesus' ascension and the sending of the Holy Spirit. You then can see Romans,
down through 2nd Thessalonians. These are Pauline epistles, letters that Paul wrote to specific
churches. The church at Corinth, the church at Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, Colossae, Thessalonica.
Then you have the pastoral epistles, also written by Paul, 1st and 2nd Timothy, letters written to
Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. And then Hebrews, which is a letter written to Jewish believers, but we're not
sure who in fact authored it. Some believe that Paul did, some do not, and no one can quite agree
on this, and we're all okay with that. So we stick it there. It's kind of the dividing point after
Paul's writing, the book of Hebrews. And then from there on you have other epistles by various apostles,
and then finally the book of Revelation by John. So that's why it's organized in this fashion,
and how Colossians finds itself in the midst of the Pauline epistles. And it's important for us to know,
to rightly understand the book itself. Who wrote it? Paul wrote it. Clay said for us very well last
week, so I won't get into all of the details of it, but when we believe that the Word of God is the
inspired Word of God, that it was written by God Himself, that it's breathed out, that it's exhaled out
by Him, that God did not circumnavigate the personalities and the context of the writer
himself. So we've got to know who Paul is, and why he would have written in the particular way that he
wrote as he was being carried along by the Spirit. So who wrote Colossians? Paul. Secondly, when and where
was Colossians written? When and where? And you might wonder why I ask it in that way. When and where?
The question of when is largely dependent on the answer to the question where. Colossians is a
prison epistle. It was written from a prison cell, from a sentence that was given to Paul. Imprisonment is
mentioned in chapter 4, verse 3, and chapter 4, verse 18, as well as some form of suffering, but we can
rightly assume the suffering in a prison mentioned in chapter 1, verse 24. So the debate about when
really has to do with which imprisonment. Paul was imprisoned a number of times, and we have to know
which imprisonment it was to rightly set the field for when, in fact, it was written. The wide scholastic
agreement, and again, there are some varying arguments, a little stronger than some of the
arguments against Paul's authorship together, but there's some other arguments, but again, not worth
getting into. The wide scholastic agreement is that it is most likely written during Paul's Roman
imprisonment, which dates the letter at approximately 62 AD, which had been around the same time that the
letter to the Ephesians and to Philemon were written, right? So AD 62, from Roman imprisonment some
thousand miles away from Colossae. So when and where, written in Roman imprisonment around AD 62.
Thirdly, to whom was Colossians written? A little easier off the top, we can answer fairly quickly the
church at Colossae, chapter, or excuse me, verse 2, chapter 1 of the salutation, to the saints and
faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae, but it's good and important for us to understand a few
things about this city before we proceed in our study. Colossae was located in the Lycus River Valley
of West Central Asia Minor, and if you want to later look at a map, this is in modern-day Turkey,
approximately in the center of modern-day Turkey. It's important to know that Paul did not establish
the church at Colossae, but it was likely the fruit of his three-year ministry in Ephesus,
Ephesus being about 120 miles west of Colossae. The text tells us in chapter 1, verse 7, that Epaphras
was the one who came and spoke the Word of God to the people of the Colossian church. So it's presumed
that Epaphras traveled to Ephesus, became a convert to Jesus Christ while he was there, and then,
as a proper disciple of Jesus Christ, went home and made disciples and founded a church back in his
hometown of Colossae. Colossae, at one time, before Paul's time, was a very significant city. In fact,
it had become famous for a particular high-quality dark red wool that was actually known as Colossian
wool, and you can find references to that in other historical works. It was located at the crossroads
of two major highways going through the region. But before Paul's time, the Romans moved the road
to pass through Laodicea, which was 12 miles to the west of Colossae, and Heropolis, which was 15 miles
to the northwest. They built a bypass, so to speak, and sort of left Colossae off the map, and so it had
declined in its prominence. In fact, it was a rather insignificant city altogether in the days of Paul.
J.B. Lightfoot, this rather famous commentary on Colossians, wrote,
Colossae was the least important church to which any epistle of St. Paul was addressed.
So, a rather insignificant church as regards the spread of the gospel, because the city itself was
rather insignificant. Those of you who live in Dahlonega and Dawsonville, even though 400 rips right
through the middle of Dawsonville, may be able to relate to this. Those of you who live in Gainesville
have no idea what's being talked about, because it is the chicken capital of the world.
Really, all fairly insignificant in the large scheme of things.
And our little church can feel that way at times. Rather insignificant, hidden behind the hill on the
side of Highway 60 South, with a deteriorating sign, which is going to be fixed very soon.
Who are we that we should even have the Word of God put before us, that God might speak to us from this
letter today. All the same, even though the church at Colossae seemed fairly insignificant,
note Paul's care for them as a church, and for all the churches for that matter. Colossians 2,
verse 1 and 2, he says,
For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea,
and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit
together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge
of God's mystery, which is Christ. He has a great struggle, a contest, or a battle, because he has
great concern for any who claim the name of Jesus Christ. His suggestion by all of this is that there is
no insignificant extension of God's redemptive work in the world, that if you are a body of Christ,
then you are His, and therefore very significant. The city itself, because of the region in which
Colossae was located, would have been primarily Gentile. And for those of you who don't know, this would
just simply mean not Jewish. This area particularly would have been Greek. But there was also likely a
significant Jewish population. Josephus, a Jewish historian in antiquities, said that Antichius the
Great settled 2,000 Jewish families in the area in 213 BC. So a little over 200 years ago, a massive
number of Jewish families were moved and settled in the area. So it was likely also a very Jewish
populated region. So both a mix here of Jew and Gentile in the area. So that's who it was written
to, the Colossians. Number four, why was Colossians written? Why was Colossians written? Now the letter
itself makes no explicit claim about its purpose. However, the warnings contained within make it clear
that it is intended to encourage the Colossians to resist some kind of erroneous teaching that's going
on at the time. The actual teaching itself is not stated. We don't know for sure. And there's a lot
of conjecture about that. There were a number of heresies floating around in that day. An example of
one would be Gnosticism. Certainly there seems to be some Gnostic elements in the heresy, but we can't say
for sure that it was the Gnostics that were teaching in the area. So there's this mix of
heresy going on, and Paul seems to be writing to correct those things. Many people believe that,
as we know, Epaphras is with Paul at the writing of this letter. You can see that in chapter 4,
that Epaphras has actually traveled to see Paul in Rome, where he's in prison but in a house arrest
kind of a situation. So he's able to go and see him, and Paul, hearing about the trouble that's
happening in this church, writes them to help do away with some of these heresies. Due to the
population of Colossi being made up of both Gentiles and Jews, it is no surprise, or it shouldn't be,
that this heresy contains both Jewish and pagan elements. I'll tell you what I mean. Firstly,
the pagan elements, the false philosophy of the Greeks. The Greeks loved knowledge. They worshipped
knowledge. And they prided themselves in the sophistication of their philosophical systems.
If you study philosophy, you're going to study the Greeks as college students. They actually believed
that the Gospel was too simplistic. It was too easy. It wasn't worthy of believing in because it wasn't
complex enough. Some evidence of that is in Paul's writing in 1 Corinthians 1, 22 and 23.
For Jews demand signs, and Greeks seek wisdom. But we preach Christ crucified, right? The simple
message of the Gospel. Christ crucified. A stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles. It was so
simple that it was silly in their thinking. Colossians 2, verse 4. Paul says, I say this in order that no one
may delude you with plausible arguments. And in chapter 2, verse 8, see to it that no one takes you
captive by philosophy and empty deceit according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits
of the world and not according to Christ. So you've got this false philosophy of the Greeks. You also have
this Judaistic legalism happening as well. The Colossian heretics embraced elements of Jewish
ceremonialism. They taught that circumcision was necessary for salvation. They also taught rigid
self-denial and harsh treatment of the body. Things like keeping the Jewish dietary laws and observing
holy days. Chapter 2, verse 16. Paul writes, therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food
and drink or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. And verse 18, let no one disqualify
you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in details about visions puffed up without
reason by his sensuous mind. So both radical groups suggested that salvation necessitated Christ plus
something else. And we'll get into the details of what those something else's were in our coming study
together. But all of them were saying Jesus Christ crucified was not enough. You must have Christ
plus something else. And this is what Paul seeks to set straight. So question five, what does Colossians
teach? What does Colossians teach? What is the overarching theme of the letter? Because certainly it teaches
many things. But thematically, what is Paul trying to communicate to the Colossian believers and us
today? The sufficiency and supremacy of Jesus Christ.
The sufficiency and supremacy of Jesus Christ. Says it in this way, this kind of perfectly sums it up.
Christ is all. Christ is all and in all. Chapter 3, verse 11. He is God. Chapter 2, verse 9. He is the creator.
Chapter 1, verse 16. Jesus is the savior. Chapter 1, verse 20 and 2, 13 through 14. He is the head of the church.
Chapter 1, verse 18. And kind of wrapping it all up in chapter 1, verse 18. That in everything, Jesus Christ
is supreme.
Chapter 1 has much to do
with the vision and mission statement
of Christ's family church,
desiring that in all things,
Jesus Christ would be shown as supreme.
So the sufficiency and the supremacy
of Jesus Christ.
That He is all and in all.
That He is enough.
So last question,
how does Colossians pertain to us?
We've got some background settings,
some general broad understanding
of the book itself and the writer,
the people that were receiving it.
So how does it then pertain to us?
What is the relevance for us today?
Because certainly we don't deal
with the exact same heretical teachings.
No one's coming into this congregation
and suggesting that you must be circumcised
to be a Christian.
The heresies of our day
are much different,
but the doctrines taught in Colossians
speak to all of our falsehoods as well.
We live in a day
when science seeks to explain away
the very existence of God.
A day when the deity of Jesus
is widely questioned.
When the truth of God
is being laid aside
for a false unity
amongst the religions of the world.
We live in a day
when grace is peddled cheaply.
We live in a day
when followers of Jesus
think they don't need the church
or that it is acceptable
to merely show up
to a congregational meeting
to consume a presentation
rather than being a part of the life
of the body of Christ.
We live in a day
when the definition or role
of the family
is being redefined
and redistributed.
And Colossians speaks
to all of these things
and some more.
It's timely for us
because it answers
all of these
with absolute authority
as Paul's letter
to the church at Colossians
is Scripture
and should be treated as such.
This is the word
of Almighty God
for us.
And with all of that in mind,
I'm now going to read
the entirety of the letter to you.
Now,
I know that some of you
may be already going,
oh my word.
It only takes ten minutes.
It's a rather short epistle.
It contains within it
some phenomenal truth
for how short it is.
It certainly has had
more impact on the church
for its length
than probably any other
of Paul's epistles.
It is important
that we publicly read
the Scripture.
After today,
certainly no one can say
that we don't read
the Word of God
in our meetings
together.
Remember that the way
this would have been received
would have been a letter
on a piece of parchment
and it would have been read
to a congregation
meeting much the way
we are today.
Many people
would have been illiterate.
They definitely wouldn't have
had a copy of it
in front of them.
I'm going to read
from the English Standard Version.
If you have a copy
and you'd like to follow along,
feel free.
If you don't,
it might be better
for you just to listen
to what's being said.
To imagine yourself
in that day
living in a time
with much heresy
running around
and trying to hear
what it is Paul has to say
to set all of that
straight.
This would have always
been taken together
and sometimes
we're so damaging
to the Word of God
because we piecemeal it up.
Because we pull excerpts
from here,
we pull excerpts from there,
and we ignore
the greater context
of what's happening.
And so there's some value
in us seeing it
collectively together
this morning.
So here we go.
I'll do my best
to read it well to you
so you can follow along.
Colossians 1.1
Paul,
an apostle of Christ Jesus
by the will of God
and Timothy our brother
to the saints
and faithful brothers
in Christ
at Colossae,
grace to you
and peace
from God our Father.
We always thank God
the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ
when we pray for you
since we heard of your faith
in Christ Jesus
and of the love that you have
for all the saints
because of the hope
laid up for you in heaven.
Of this you have heard before
in the word of truth,
the gospel,
which has come to you
as indeed in the whole world
it is bearing fruit
and growing
as it also does among you
since the day you heard it
and understood the grace
of God in truth
just as you learned it
from Epaphras,
our beloved fellow servant.
He is a faithful minister
of Christ on your behalf
and has made known to us
your love in the Spirit.
And so,
from the day we heard,
we have not ceased
to pray for you
asking that you may be filled
with the knowledge
of his will
and all spiritual wisdom
and understanding
so as to walk
in a manner
worthy of the Lord,
fully pleasing to him,
bearing fruit
in every good work
and increasing
in the knowledge of God.
May you be strengthened
with all power
according to his glorious might
for all endurance
and patience with joy,
giving thanks to the Father
who has qualified you
to share in the inheritance
of the saints in light.
He has delivered us
from the domain of darkness
and transferred us
to the kingdom
of his beloved Son
in whom we have redemption,
the forgiveness of sins.
He is the image
of the invisible God,
the firstborn
of all creation.
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.
And he is before all things
and in him
all things hold together.
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.
For in him
all the fullness of God
was pleased to dwell
and through him
to reconcile to himself
all things,
whether on earth
or in heaven,
making peace
by the blood
of his cross.
And you,
who once were alienated
and hostile in mind,
doing evil deeds,
he is now reconciled
in his body of flesh
by his death
in order to present you
holy and blameless
and above reproach
before him,
if indeed you continue
in the faith,
stable and steadfast,
not shifting from the hope
of the gospel
that you heard,
which has been proclaimed
in all creation
under heaven
and of which I,
Paul,
became a minister.
Now I rejoice
in my sufferings
for your sake
and in my flesh
I am filling up
what is lacking
in Christ's afflictions
for the sake of his body,
that is,
the church,
of which I became
a minister
according to the stewardship
from God
that was given to me
for you
to make the word of God
fully known,
the mystery hidden
for ages and generations
but now revealed
to his saints.
To them God chose
to make known
how great among you Gentiles
are the riches
of the glory
of this mystery,
which is Christ in you,
the hope of glory.
Him we proclaim,
warning everyone
and teaching everyone
with all wisdom
that we may present
everyone mature in Christ.
For this I toil,
struggling with all his energy
that he powerfully works
within me.
For I want you to know
how great a struggle
I have for you
and for those at Laodicea.
For all who have not seen me
face to face,
for their hearts
may be encouraged,
excuse me,
that their hearts
may be encouraged,
being knit together in love
to reach all the riches
of full assurance
of understanding
and the knowledge
of God's mystery,
which is Christ,
in whom are hidden
all the treasures
of wisdom and knowledge.
I say this in order
that no one may delude you
with plausible arguments,
for though I am absent
in body,
yet I am with you
in spirit,
rejoicing to see
your good order
and the firmness
of your faith in Christ.
Therefore,
as you receive Christ Jesus
the Lord,
so walk in Him,
rooted and built up in Him
and established in the faith,
just as you were taught,
abounding in thanksgiving.
See to it that no one
takes you captive
by philosophy
and empty deceit,
according to human tradition,
according to the elemental
spirits of the world,
and not according to Christ.
For in Him
the whole fullness
of deity dwells bodily,
and you have been filled
in Him
who is the head
of all rule
and authority.
In Him also
you were circumcised
with a circumcision
made without hands,
by putting off
the body of the flesh
by the circumcision
of Christ,
having been buried
with Him in baptism,
in which you were also
raised with Him
through faith
in the powerful working
of God
who raised Him
from the dead.
And you
who were dead
in your trespasses
and the uncircumcision
of your flesh,
God made alive
together with Him,
having forgiven us
all our trespasses
by canceling the record
of debt that stood
against us
with its legal demands.
This He set aside,
nailing it to the cross.
He disarmed the rulers
and authorities
and put them
to open shame
by triumphing
over them in Him.
Therefore,
let no one pass judgment
on you in questions
of food and drink
or with regard
to a festival
or a new moon
or a Sabbath.
These are a shadow
of the things to come,
but the substance
belongs to Christ.
Let no one disqualify you,
insisting on asceticism
and worship of angels,
going on in detail
about visions,
puffed up without reason
by His sensuous mind
and not holding fast
to the head
from whom the whole body,
nourished and knit together
through its joints
and ligaments,
grows with a growth
that is from God.
If with Christ you died
to the elemental spirits
of the world,
why,
as if you were still alive
in the world,
do you submit to regulations,
do not handle,
do not taste,
do not touch,
referring to things
that all perish
as they are used,
according to human precepts
and teachings?
These have indeed
an appearance of wisdom
in promoting self-made religion
and asceticism
and severity to the body,
but they are of no value
in stopping the indulgence
of the flesh.
If then you have been
raised with Christ,
seek the things
that are above,
where Christ is,
seated at the right hand
of God.
Set your minds
on things that are above,
not on things
that are on earth.
For you have died
and your life is hidden
with Christ in God.
When Christ,
who is your life,
appears,
then you also will appear
with Him in glory.
Put to death,
therefore,
what is earthly in you,
sexual immorality,
impurity,
passion,
evil desire,
and covetousness,
which is idolatry.
On account of these,
the wrath of God
is coming.
In these you too
once walked
when you were living
in them,
but now you must
put them all away,
anger,
wrath,
malice,
slander,
and obscene talk
from your mouth.
Do not lie to one another,
seeing that you have put off
the old self
with its practices,
and have put on
the new self
which is being renewed
in knowledge
after the image
of its creator.
Here there is not
Greek and Jew,
circumcised and uncircumcised,
barbarian,
Scythian,
slave,
free,
but Christ is all
and in all.
Put on then
as God's chosen ones,
holy and beloved,
compassionate hearts,
kindness,
humility,
meekness,
and patience,
bearing with one another,
and if one has a complaint
against another,
forgiving each other
as the Lord has forgiven you,
so you also must forgive.
And above all these,
put on love
which binds everything together
in perfect harmony.
And let the peace of Christ
rule in your hearts
to which indeed you were called
in one body,
and be thankful.
Let the word of Christ
dwell in you richly,
teaching and admonishing
one another in all wisdom,
singing psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs
with thankfulness
in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do,
in word or deed,
do everything in the name
of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father
through Him.
Wives,
submit to your husbands
as is fitting in the Lord.
Husbands,
love your wives
and do not be harsh with them.
Children,
obey your parents
in everything
for this pleases the Lord.
Fathers,
do not provoke your children
lest they become discouraged.
Slaves,
obey in everything
those who are
your earthly masters,
not by way of eye service
as people pleasers,
but with sincerity of heart,
fearing the Lord.
Whatever you do,
work heartily,
as for the Lord
and not for men,
knowing that from the Lord
you will receive the inheritance
as your reward.
You are serving the Lord Christ.
For the wrongdoer will be paid back
for the wrong he has done,
and there is no partiality.
Masters,
treat your slaves
justly and fairly,
knowing that you also
have a master in heaven.
Continue steadfastly in prayer,
being watchful in it
with thanksgiving.
At the same time,
pray also for us
that God may open to us
a door for the word
to declare the mystery of Christ,
on account of which
I am in prison,
that I may make it clear
which is how I ought to speak.
Walk in wisdom
toward outsiders,
making the best use
of the time.
Let your speech
always be gracious,
seasoned with salt,
so that you may know
how you ought to answer
each person.
Tychicus will tell you
about my activities.
He is a beloved brother
and faithful minister
and fellow servant
in the Lord.
I have sent him to you
for this very purpose,
that you may know
how we are
and that he may encourage
your hearts.
And with him,
Onesimus,
our faithful and beloved brother,
who is one of you,
they will tell you
of everything
that has taken place here.
Aristarchus,
my fellow prisoner,
greets you.
And Mark,
the cousin of Bartimus,
concerning whom
you have received instructions,
if he comes to you,
welcome him.
And Jesus,
who is called Justice,
these are the only men
of the circumcision
among my fellow workers
for the kingdom of God,
and they have been
a comfort for me.
Epaphras,
who is one of you,
a servant of Christ Jesus,
greets you,
always struggling
on your behalf
in his prayers,
that you may stand mature
and fully assured
in all the will of God.
For I bear him witness
that he has worked hard
for you
and for those in Laodicea
and in Heropolis.
Luke,
the beloved physician,
greets you,
as does Demas.
Give my greetings
to the brothers
at Laodicea
and to Nympha
and the church
in her house.
And when this letter
has been read among you,
have it also read
in the church at Laodicea
and see that you also
read the letter
from Laodicea.
And say to Archippus,
see that you fulfill
the ministry
that you have received
in the Lord.
I, Paul,
write this greeting
with my own hand.
Remember my chains.
Grace be with you.
So this is how
it would have been read
originally
to the church
at Colossae.
And this is God's
word to us
written for His glory
and our good.
We would all do well
to listen to it
in order to believe
its promises
and obey
its commands.
Let's look in conclusion
at the first two verses
in just a bit more detail
and then we'll close out
our time
together.
Let me read to you again
Colossians 1, 1, and 2.
Paul,
an apostle of Christ Jesus
by the will of God
and Timothy, our brother,
to the saints
and faithful brothers
in Christ at Colossae.
Grace to you
and peace
from God our Father.
A very familiar salutation.
Most of Paul's openings
were very similar
to this.
He establishes first off
that he is an apostle
of Christ Jesus
by the will of God.
And I believe he
intends to do two things here.
Firstly,
that this is an expression
of his entire
theological perspective
that all things happen
by the will of God.
You remember that
Paul was once Saul,
a very zealous persecutor
of the church of Jesus Christ.
That he had every intention
of imprisoning
all that he could
who claimed to follow Jesus.
He was on his way
to do this very thing
when Jesus encountered him
on the road to Damascus.
You can read about that
in Acts 9, 1-9.
Took hold of him.
Changed his very personhood
in these moments.
According to Paul,
God works all things
according to the counsel
of his will.
It's Ephesians 1, 11.
I believe he's trying to say
his entire theological perspective
that if things come to pass,
they come to pass
by God's will.
I would not be an apostle
of Jesus Christ.
I would not be a follower
of Jesus Christ
if it had not been
for God's intervention.
I would not stand before you
this morning
caring at all
about what Paul had to say
to the church at Colossae
if it were not
for God's intervention
in my life.
If God had not turned me
from an enemy
to a friend
by the will of God.
We are what we are.
Secondly,
he needed to make very clear
to the Colossians
and to us
their and our obligation
to listen to him.
He was an apostle.
Capital A Apostle.
A sent one.
Sent directly from Jesus Christ.
Had spent time with him.
Had been taught by him.
This is a special category
in church history.
There have not been apostles since.
Little A sent into the world,
but not capital A.
Falling in this lineage
of Jesus' apostles and Paul.
He was set apart
for missionary service
by the Holy Spirit.
Acts 13.2.
Commissioned with this calling.
He authored the vast majority
of the New Testament.
He has the authority
from God
to speak to us.
So Paul,
an apostle of Christ Jesus
by the will of God.
And then in verse 2,
he greets the saints
and faithful brothers.
And these are not
two distinct groups.
He's kind of piling up
description
of the people
at the church
at Colossae.
They're merely qualifiers
of the same group.
Saints,
the Greek word,
refers to separation.
These are people
who have been
set apart from sin
and set apart
to God.
These are people
who have been changed.
No longer sinners
in need of a Savior,
but people who have
received a Savior.
They are now
in a new category.
Saints.
And the fact that
they're faithful brothers
notes the source
of that separation,
which is saving faith.
They had believed
in the person
and work
of Jesus Christ.
This is the way
and the only way
in which God
saves mankind.
The great issue
with mankind
is that we're separated
from God
because of sin.
Our activity
says to Him
that we hate Him
and His ways.
And we must
have somebody
pay the price
for that sin
on our behalf.
That is the person
of Jesus Christ.
All of this
is also by
the will
of God.
Paul writes
in Ephesians 2
verses 8 and 9,
For by grace
you have been saved
through faith.
And this is not
your own doing.
It is the gift
of God,
not a result
of works,
so that no one
may boast.
We are saved
by grace alone,
through faith alone,
in Christ alone.
If you don't know
that to be true
of yourself this morning,
please heed
the warning.
You are being
swept downriver,
surely to be taken
over a large waterfall
that will crush you
at the bottom
if you were not
saved
saved by Jesus Christ.
Galatians 6.14,
Paul says,
But far be it
for me to boast
except in the cross
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
by which the world
has been crucified
to me
and I
to the world.
Paul,
saved by the will
of God,
set apart,
commissioned as an apostle,
wrote this book
to the Colossian believers,
and it has been canonized
now as an inspired work
of the Lord God Almighty
for us to receive
in these coming months.
So we have a background,
a summary,
and a theme
for Paul's letter
to the Colossian believers.
And we have
some bearing
on the salutation.
I hope that you
will join me
with your mind
and with your heart
in these coming months
by praying for our study,
praying for one another
as we receive
God's Word to us,
by attentively listening,
by being active listeners,
taking notes,
really applying your mind
to the text
that's before us,
and then taking that truth
and taking it
from this place
and living
by it
for the glory of God.
Let's pray together.
Amen.