Biddeford Church of Christ

Not too long ago, I watched a show that focused on older women getting scammed by online relationships. I mentioned this in a previous lesson, noting a woman who went to the point of selling her home to help her “fiancé.”  Many in this world seek to cheat others out of what is theirs. The saying goes, “There is nothing new under the sun.”  Back in the early church days, they had to be vigilant when it came to those who would craftily seek to dissuade them from their newfound hope in Christ. This dissuasion happened in the church at Galatia, where some believers were turning “to a different gospel” (Galatians 1:6). Paul exhorted them, saying, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free…” (Galatians 5:1). The Judaizers were not denying Jesus, only saying that He was not enough. They needed the law of Moses. The urgent nature of his concern is found in Galatians 6:4, “If you try to be made right with God through the law, your life with Christ is finished-you have left God’s grace” (ETRV). So it is with the church in Colosse. Paul urges them to be aware and anchor themselves to Christ.

“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the

tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”

Colossians 2:8

The word “beware” is not found in most translations; instead, the words “see to it.”  Here, the Greek word means to look, see, perceive, and discern. Strong’s translates this word as “beware” as well.   However one wishes to translate it, Paul encourages these early Christian to pay attention. Paul urged the church in Ephesus, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16). Why such a posture? There are people out there looking to cheat you! Your translation most likely reads “takes you captive,” where the ETRV uses the words “led away.”  The Greek word means make victim by fraud, i.e., seduce. Jesus warned of “false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15). Paul would warn the church at Corinth regarding how Satan “changes himself to look like an angel of light” and how his servants “make themselves look like servants who work for what is right” (2nd Corinthians 11:14-15, ETRV). Paul does not intend to cause the church to cower. Instead, to be aware of their surroundings and deceptive teachings.

So, what about this idea of deceptive teachings? First, Paul mentions philosophy and empty deceit. What is philosophy? This philosophy would be Jewish sophistry, that is, the use of fallacious arguments, especially to deceive. Thus, the words “empty deceit” need not be viewed as something different from philosophy but rather that which describes it. With the eloquence of words and clever arguments, these false teachers can plant doubts in the minds of believers concerning what they have come to learn about Christ and His redemptive work. Remember, these false teachers in Colosse suggested that knowledge is above Christ and did so with seemingly persuasive arguments. Something sounding reasonable does not necessarily make it good. Evolution seems plausible to many, but is it? Scholars and scientists speak about the validity of its teaching. But what does God say about creation? Paul would declare in 1st Corinthians 1:20, “Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” (1st Corinthians 1:20, NIV). What may seem foolish to many makes complete sense to the believer who puts their trust in God.

Next week’s lesson will dive a little further into what exactly Paul was cautioning them about, and it all centers around Christ. Today we can walk away with two critical things. First, let’s always be fervent in our walk with Christ. Be aware that there will always be people looking to cheat you out of your freedom in Christ. Second, be mindful that their arguments can sound reasonable. Paul writes, “We destroy people’s arguments; we tear down every proud idea that raises itself against the knowledge of God” (2nd Corinthians 10:4-5, ETRV). We do this not in arrogance but with confidence in the truth that we find in His word. Blessed be the church.

Dennis

We have all heard the saying, “In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”  Little did I know that this saying was actually from Benjamin Franklin’s letter back in 1789. In a world that at times has our tomorrow in doubt, we must cling to an anchor that cannot move. That is where we need to place our confidence. Confidence is the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust. As one person said, “We don’t need self-confidence; we need God-confidence.”  So today, we pick up where we left off in Colossians chapter 2. Paul will build on something he just talked about; that is, the “full assurance of understanding.”  Or, as we saw in last week’s lesson, the “wealth of conviction” (NEB) or the ability “to have the full confidence” (ETRV). Where the Gnostic mindset and the Jewish influences could rob them of such a hope, Paul encourages them to walk in complete confidence of Christ.

“As you, therefore, have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him….”

Colossians 2:6

Your translation may use the word live instead of walk. The word carries the idea of following. Follow what? What they received concerning Christ Jesus. Paul said to the Corinthians church, “Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand…” (1^st Corinthians 15:1). And again, to the church in Philippi he wrote, “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:9). It is important to remember the problem they were facing; that is, those influences that were placing doubt about who Jesus is. They learned through the preaching of the gospel concerning Jesus that He is both Christ and Lord. In his first sermon, Peter proclaimed, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”  As one commentator put it, “This historical person Jesus…is the Christ who reigns as the universal Lord, subject to no other powers and able to incorporate all his followers into himself as his own body,” the church. Once again, don’t get dissuaded; instead, trust in what you have learned about Jesus. Paul builds on this, saying:

“…rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have

been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.”

Colossians 2:7

As they walk or live in Him, remember that you have been rooted in Him.  “Have been rooted” is past tense, meaning it has already happened. Paul had written earlier, “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into of the Son of His love” (Colossians 1:13). From what you have learned and come to believe, know you are fixed firmly [the meaning of the Greek word translated rooted] into Christ. Paul now goes from past to present with the words “built up in Him.”  Here is the reason for confidence, for as they walk in Christ and His teachings, they will get built up in Him, for He is the One who holds the church together and enables it to grow. The building up all takes place as they walk confidently in the faith as Epaphras taught them.

When one walks with confidence in what Christ the Lord has done and continues to do, one can’t help but be thankful. Thank You, Lord, for giving us confidence. Confidence in where we are; that is, in Christ, rooted in His grace and mercy. Confident in knowing that as we reside in Him, He continues to work on us, making us more like Him each day. Thank You, Lord, for loving mankind as you do. Amen

Dennis

As we prepare to begin chapter 2 of Colossians, it would be helpful to reflect on something he said back in chapter 1.  Paul wrote in 1:28, “Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.”  His commitment to doing all he could to help these young Christians grow in Christ and fend off those who would seek to dissuade them about their newfound confidence in Jesus reveals his deep care for them. Although they “have not seen my face in the flesh” (2:1); that is, Paul had never actually met them in person; he wanted them to “know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea” (2:1). He saw himself battling for their spiritual welfare. What was he fighting?

“…that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining

to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the

mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ.”

Colossians 2:2

To begin with, he wants them to be encouraged. Paul shows his unmistakable care for them throughout this letter. As he begins to close it out, he talks about sending Tychicus to them in part to “comfort your hearts” (4:8). He says this very thing to the church in Ephesus (6:22) and asks that the Lord do the same to the church in Thessalonica (2:17). He wants them to be “knit together in love.”  I think of the song lyrics which say, “Bind us together Lord, bind us together with chains that cannot be broken.”  Love is that chain! He will write in Colossians 3:14, “But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.”  Like the church in Ephesus, he desired that they be “rooted and grounded in love” (Ephesians 3:17). 1st Peter 4:8, “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”  Paul encouraged the church in Rome also. He says, “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love…”(Romans 12:10). I think we get the idea. He goes on talking about them coming to a “full assurance of understanding.”  The NEB reads “wealth of conviction.”  The ETRV reads “to have the full confidence.”  We need to remember what they were battling against; that is, a form of Gnosticism: The idea that knowledge itself is the end-all. The words in 1st Corinthians 8:1 speak loudly, “Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.” Their hope, assurance, and conviction were in to be in the redemptive work of Christ, “the mystery which has been hidden from ages and generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.” (Colossians 1:26) This is what Paul desires that they grow in, their conviction about the Father’s plan to redeem them through Christ. Why? For it is only in them that “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3).

“Now, this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words.”

Colossians 2:4

The ETRV reads, “I tell you this so that no one can fool you by telling you ideas that seem good but are false.”  Another translation uses the words “smooth rhetoric.”  The use of persuasive words goes back to the beginning when the serpent asked Eve, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?'” (Genesis 3:1) Paul is cautioning these early Christians to not succumb “to the pseudo-reasoning and impressive language of the heretics” (Michael Weed) of their day, which placed their confidence in earthly wisdom that sought to lure them away from the hope that is indeed found, in Christ. Although he is not with them, he knows that such pursuits will result in “good order and the steadfastness” (Colossians 2:5) of their faith in Christ.

May it be our quest to be knitted together in love and grow in understanding the assurance found in no other than Jesus Christ. And may we be attentive to the world’s so-called wisdom that will seek to draw us away from that very hope. Be blessed this day knowing you are loved by the Great I Am, and the proof is the cross of Christ.

Dennis

As we get ready to pick up where we left off in Colossians, it is important to reflect for a moment. In chapter 1:21, we read, “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled…”  This truth, directed at a group of believers, was primarily Gentile. Through the work of Christ, they can now confidently know of their newfound relationship with God, who made them “holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight” (1:22). Little did they know that this incredible opportunity provided through the suffering of Christ had also resulted in Paul’s suffering. Paul is not seeking to elevate himself nor in some way minimize the cross; instead, he wants them to know it is all worth it.

“I now rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill up in my flesh what is lacking

in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church…”

Colossians 1:24

We have all heard the saying, “No pain, no gain.”  As one commentator observes, there are “paradoxes of the Christian faith.”  One of those is the “positive meaning and purpose invested in the sufferings endured by Christians.”  Paul spoke of his desire to “know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death…” (Philippians 3:10). Why? “We share in the many sufferings of Christ. In the same way, much comfort comes to us through Christ” (ETRV, 2^nd Corinthians 1:5). This suffering is where sympathy is cultivated, enabling those in Christ to share the comfort they received with others. Then, there is what Peter writes concerning how Christians are to view the “fiery trials” they may face. He encourages them to “rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy” (1^st Peter 4:13). It will be worth it!

Paul states it is all worth it “for the sake of His [Christ’s] body, which is the church.”  After that dramatic Damascus road experience (Acts 9), Paul’s task, in large part, would be proclaiming the gospel to the Gentiles (Galatians 1:16). His ministry was all about helping the church to grow. As an apostle, God commissioned him “to equip his [Christ’s] people for works of service” with the hope that they attain “the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12, 13). This fullness was the reason for “which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God” (Colossians 1:25). The mystery he was given, which was once hidden but now revealed, was and is “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).   Paul said in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

“Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom,

that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.”

Colossians 1:28

The ETRV reads, “So we continue to tell people about Christ. We use all wisdom to counsel every person and teach every person. We are trying to bring everyone before God as people who have grown to be spiritually mature in Christ.”  It is all about the gospel of Christ and the maturing of His church, His body. It is all worth it! “To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily” (Colossians 1:29). May our labor be the same as Paul’s, allowing Christ to work in and through each of us.

Dennis

Today marks a time of year that many in the religious community take time to celebrate the holiday called Easter.  Although we have been walking us through the letter to the Colossians, I thought I would take a moment and remind us all of the hope and joy that is found in His resurrection.  Remember, the apostle Paul wrote that Jesus was “the firstborn from the dead” (Colossians 1:18) and “His resurrection marked his triumph over all the forces that held men and women in bondage.”  So often the lessons presented on this day focus on the events of Christ’s resurrection.  I think of “Mary Magdaline and the other Mary” (Matthew 28:1) who went to the tomb of Jesus only to see an angel sitting on the rolled back stone of the tomb.  The angel told the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here; FOR HE IS RISEN…” (Matthew 28:5-6).  Can you imagine how that news impacted them?  That is the Good News climatic truth, He has risen!  And because He has, there are things we can know with confidence.

If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.

1^st Corinthians 15:19

Okay, I am guilty.  I have used this very verse numerous times in the past on this very day.  But bear with me this time.  Concerning that verse, I found the ETRV powerful and simplistic, “If our hope in Christ is only for this life here on earth, then people should feel more sorry for us than for anyone else.”  The whole thrust of 1^st Corinthians 15 is the confidence in our future resurrection.  That future rest on the reality of His resurrection.  Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica, “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus” (1^st Thessalonians 4:13-14).  This life presents many challenges, and we find ourselves at times overwhelmed and burdened.  This journey will be worth it, for “He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you” (2^nd Corinthians 4:14).  “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1^st Corinthians 15:57).  The future holds much for all those in Christ Jesus!

And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!

1^st Corinthians 15:17

What precedes that our resurrection is the joy we come to know that because He is risen, sin no longer holds me captive.  One of the most sobering bible verses to me is found in 1^st Peter 2:24-25.  Peter writes of how Jesus “bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness-by whose stripes you were healed.”  The movie The Passion vividly brought this to a visual reality for me.  I was dead in my sins!  Void of any effort to gain redemption.  Yet, because of “His great love” for me, He “made me [us] alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised me [us] up together…” (Ephesians 2:4-6).  Paul wrote, “It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification” (Romans 4:24-25).  Because He has Risen, we have been freed from our sinful past.  This kind of leads one final thought concerning the benefits of Christ’s resurrection.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant

mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…

1 Peter 1:3

Hope rests upon the truth of His resurrection!  And because He has risen, we have a living hope.  A hope of “an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and does not fade away” (1^st Peter 1:4).  It is not fully realized yet, for Christ has not come back.  Even so, it does not minimize the new life we have in Christ because of Christ.  When by faith in Him we gave ourselves to Him through baptism, He raised us from the dead just like Christ was and we now “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). 

There is NO hope outside the resurrection of Christ!  The life He lived, the life He gave, and the power of His resurrection is where the good news is to be found.  It is all because He has risen.

Dennis

If there is something the events of our world speak to, it is the need for peace.  As one person said, “Peace of mind for five minutes, that’s what I crave.”   Paul wrote, “…and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).  If I understand it right, the peace noted here is that absence of thought that is debilitating to the believer.  The anxiousness that shackles us to temporary things and situations causes us to lose sight of our God, who is in control.   Although such peace is essential and its source is our God, there is a peace of greater importance to the believer.

“For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him

to reconcile all things to Himself, by Himself, whether things on earth or things

in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.”

Colossians 1:19-20

We pick up where we left off, once again reminded of who Christ is and that “in Him, all the fullness should dwell.”  F.F. Bruce writes, “He is the one, all-sufficient intermediary between God and the world of humanity, and all the attributes of God-his spirit, word, wisdom, and glory are disclosed in Him.”  Paul wrote in 1st Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.”  There is no one other than Jesus to put your trust!

You may recall back in Colossians 1:14; Paul mentions the word redemption and how it was possible through the blood of Christ.  In the above two verses, we find two words that speak to this very idea, amplifying the preeminence of Christ Jesus.  First, the word reconcile means to change from one state of feeling to another (Strong’s): to reconcile completely and back again (Thayer’s).  2nd Corinthians 5:18, “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ….”  This act of reconciliation resulted from Christ making “peace through His blood.”  The word peace carries a similar thought to reconcile, meaning to harmonize.  Through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, the sinful man would be able to claim their newfound relationship with God.  Ephesians 2:5 in the ETRV reads, “We were spiritually dead because of all we had done against him.  But he gave us new life together with Christ.”  There is no wisdom known to man that can do what Christ has done.  There is no angelic being that can lay claim to what God has done through Christ.  He is the answer and the only answer.

“And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your

mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled…”

Colossians 1:21

Aliens!  Enemies!  These describe their condition before coming to know Christ and His redemptive work.  This alienation and hostility towards God caused that harmony (i.e., peace) to be severed, all because of sin.  His work was the only solution to their problem.  It caused me to think of Romans 5:10, “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”  Once again, it is in Him that we place our hope.  He will present them “holy, blameless, and above reproach in His sight” (Colossians 1:22).

To me, the most sobering verse in today’s text is v23.  Paul has reminded them that Christ is preeminent, above all other things and that their redemption is only through His complete work on the cross, through the shedding of His blood.  This confidence comes “if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel you heard, which we preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.”  These early Christians faced things that sought to lure them away from their hope in Christ.  Salvation was at stake!  So, continue to ground yourselves in the message you received!  Be steadfast!  Cling to Christ, who is your hope because He is the only peacemaker.

Dennis

Who is Jesus?  That would seem like a rather easy question to answer, but it all depends on where you are at and what is seeking to distract you.  In last week’s lesson we focused on the need to give thanks to the Father “who has qualified us,” delivering us “from the power of darkness” and bringing us “into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Colossians 1:13).  For it is through His sacrifice, the shedding of His blood, that redemption is found, and forgiveness is realized (Colossians 1:14).  Paul is earnestly seeking to remind them of just who Jesus is, and with good reason.  He writes, “Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the Head…” (Colossians 2:18-19).  From Gnosticism which would elevate and personify wisdom above Christ, to the experiential ideas of celestial beings that would seek to do the same, these early Christians needed to be reminded of who Jesus is in order to fight against such seemingly spiritual things that are merely worldly in nature.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

Colossians 1:15

Remember what Paul is doing, he is confronting the false teachers.  The Jewish influences of their time taught that “wisdom is the breath of the power of God, and a pure stream from the glory of the Most High-the brightness of the everlasting light, the unspotted mirror of the power of God, and the image of His goodness.”  Can you sense the beginnings of Gnosticism?  Paul makes this simple point: Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God, or as one commentator put it, “In Christ he fixes in solid reality the floating vision of the ‘image of God’”. Hebrews 1:3 says that Jesus, as He relates to God Himself, is “the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person.”  John would write, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).  To further this idea, Paul writes that Jesus is “the firstborn over all creation.”  We could spend a great deal of time dissecting this idea, but I think one person summed it up well.  He writes that Jesus “is the firstborn, heir, or Lord of the whole.”  This is further discussed in the very next verse.

For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth,

visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.

All things were created through Him and for Him.

Colossians 1:16

Remember, the Jewish influences that have evolved into some sort of Gnostic thinking, have sought to marginalize Jesus.  In doing so, His lordship and dignity is being questioned by some, denied by others.  So, Paul states emphatically that “all things”, with no exceptions, were created by Him; that is, Jesus Christ.  F.F. Bruce writes, “Christ, then, is prior to all creation and, as the Father’s firstborn, he is heir to it all.”  John would write, “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”  What is the point?  As one person said so simply, “The one through whom the divine work of redemption has been accomplished is the one through whom the divine act of creation took place in the beginning.”  That is why Paul would write, “And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist” (Colossians 1:17).

I will be up front in saying that this text is rich with thought concerning that of our Lord and Savior.  I find myself still needing to glean more from it.  The question for us is simple, what do we walk away with today.  We are not tempted by Jewish influences or Gnosticism for that matter.  Maybe not the same, but I do believe we are influenced by ever evolving wisdom of this world.  It too, like times of old, seek to marginalize Jesus.  Any time His redemptive work and His created work is questioned, and doubt begins to prevail, His lordship is compromised.  So let me end this article with these words from Paul, “And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that is all things He may have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:18).  May He always reign in our lives as Lord and Savior.

Dennis

Today we pick up where we left off in our journey through the letter to the church in Colosse. The apostle Paul writes about his prayer for them, that they be “filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding” (1:9). The reason for such a prayer is simple; he desires that they continue “being fruitful to every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (1:10). Their growth (i.e., maturity) is crucial, at least in part, because of the influences around them and their need to fight against them. But there is something present in the youngest of believers that can wield the sword of God against such foes. It is a simple yet powerful act of thankfulness. Here though, the object of such gratitude is specific.

“…giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers…”

Colossians 1:12

This idea caused me to pause and think about my walk with Christ. Remember, Paul’s prayer mentioned earlier is that they “walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him,” which will involve the pursuit of maturity. But what is behind even that quest? Thankfulness! Not for all that the Father does for us, although that deserves my gratitude. Here, Paul wants them to focus on their appreciation. First, remember He has qualified you. The word qualified simply means to make sufficient, render fit. Listen to how the ETRV translates this verse, “He has made you able to have what he has promised to give all his holy people, who live in the light.”  The kindness of God is impossible the measure but so easy to forget. He has qualified us to be partakers, to share or participate. It caused me to think of 2nd Peter 1:4, which also speaks of our ability to be “partakers of the divine nature” through the work of Christ. So, Paul focuses even further, reminding them of what precisely the Father has done through the giving of His Son.

“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and

conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.”

Colossians 1:13

Our ability to be thankful links us to two fundamental truths; First, remember your spiritual state before Christ. The fact that “all have sinned” (Romans 3:23) has resulted in a separation from God (Isaiah 59:1-2) and is worthy of death (Romans 6:23). Those verses, so familiar in my mind, have lost their edge in some ways. The Father has delivered, meaning to rescue, or as Peter wrote, “called you out of darkness” (1st Peter 2:9). One commentator writes, “Salvation is, first of all, rescue from the guilt and bondage of sin, to which man has given occasion by his own choice, but which, once admitted, he cannot himself break.”  All mankind find themselves “having no hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12). Part of their ability to fight against the forces around them and us is to remember where we came from. That, within itself, leaves one only in despair. Thus, it is vital to continuously remember that the Father has “conveyed (i.e., to transfer) us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.”  Remember the salvation that I have provided and the cost of it. My Son gave His life spilled His blood to supply the redemption you need, the forgiveness of your sins. Through Christ’s blood, the church was purchased (Acts 20:28). God made possible the impossible, “having made peace through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:20). It is “in Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” Ephesians 1:7). Take time to be thankful for this amazing gift of mercy and grace.

I am convinced that a thankful heart is at the very core of spiritual maturity. A heart that takes the time to reflect and remember what God has done to save us from ourselves. That He has delivered us from such a bleak existence and horrible future and conveyed us into the glorious kingdom of the Son of His love. His Son loved His Father so much that He gave His life for sinful man.  It is so easy to forget that there has never been a gift so precious.

Dennis

What exactly is heresy?  The best working definition I found to fit what I am presenting in this: an opinion, doctrine, or practice contrary to the truth or to generally accepted beliefs or standards.  You may recall last Sunday that I would mention other “influences” this early church was facing.  Remember, it is assumed that Epaphras that founded the church in and around the time of A.D. 55 or so.  The letter he writes to Colosse is around A.D. 61, making this a very young church family.  So, as Epaphras “declared to us your love in the Spirit” (1:8), he also had reported the many influences that sought to rob them of their newfound freedom in Christ.  They faced “philosophy and empty deceit” (2:8) that were simply out of alignment with those things taught “according to Christ” (2:8).  More about that in future lessons.  Today, we pick up in chapter 1:9, and find the apostle Paul being guided by the Holy Spirit, pointing these young Christians towards what is most important, the truth found in their Savior.

For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you…

Colossians 1:9

Once again, I am moved by the care and support the apostle Paul reveals to them.  His concern for their spiritual well-being is undeniable and his prayer is specific to their need.  He wants them to be “filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding” (1:9).  If this sounds at all familiar, you would be right.  Paul also prayed for those in Ephesus that “the eyes of your understanding be enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling” (Ephesians 1:18).  Paul’s reason for this prayer to the church in Colosse was, “that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him” (1:10).  I like how the ETRV translates this, that they “live in a way that brings honor to the Lord and pleases him in every way.”  Once again, Paul exhorted the church in Ephesus to do the same, writing, “Live as children of light…and find out what pleases the Lord” (Ephesians 5:8, 10).  The quest to please the Lord is found in the acquirement of wisdom and understating.  Wisdom is speaking of insight, intelligence, or as one commentator put it, mental excellence, while understanding is means a mental putting together; that is, “the critical judgment to distinguish between truth and falsehood.”  It is the “solid food” the writer of Hebrews speaks of that when exercised, enable a Christian to “discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14).  It would be their task to seek after these truths with vigor in order to fight against the throws of the false teachings around them.

…being fruitful to every good work and increasing in the knowledge God…

Colossians 1:10

Such growth will also enable them to be “fruitful”; that is, to be fertile, to bear fruit.  What fruit?  It will empower them to “walk worthy of the Lord” (1:10).  This desire to conduct oneself in such a way is common in Paul’s letters (Ephesians 4:1; Philippians 1:27).  This desire and effort to grow in one’s understanding is not so they can gain anything of greater value than what they already had (Life in Christ), but it is because of that marvelous gift.  The “goods works” (Ephesians 2:10) that they had been “created in Christ Jesus for” is a gift that needs nurturing.  Their willingness to seek this spiritual growth would help them from becoming “ineffective and unproductive” in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2^nd Peter 1:8).

I am intrigued by what God wanted these earlier Christians to do.  And it is all because of what Jesus had done for them.  That is what heresy does, it seeks to distract us from our goal in life, which is to please God in all that we do.  And the best way to do that is distract us from the reason we do so, that is the hope we have in Christ.  In my next lesson, we will dive into that hope and be reminded once again why we seek after Christ likeness.  Until then, may you be “strengthen with all might, according to His glorious power” (Colossians 1:11).  Walk this day in the confidence of the cross and the truth of that empty tomb.

Dennis

As we begin our journey through the letter to the church in Colossae, it is worth noting some details about it. Colossae, located some 10 miles southeast of Laodicea, was once a “flourishing commercial community” {Michael Weed, commentary on Colossians). It was Epaphras, a “dear fellow servant” (v7) of Paul’s, who first brought the gospel to this area resulting in the establishment of the church there, and as some others surmise, also to Laodicea (note Colossians 4:15). Traditionally speaking, the church consisted mainly of Gentile converts but was not void of Jewish influences. Although the apostle Paul had not gone there personally (2:1), he had an intimate connection with them, most likely through the work of Epaphras.

So, we come to the salutation, a part often overlooked. Paul writes, “To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse” (1:2). In several of Paul’s letters, as he prepares to encourage and challenge his readers, some who have wandered from the truth, he begins with affirming words. To the church in Corinth, which was so misguided, he begins, “To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints…” (1st Corinthians 1:2). The point is simple, affirming words are often the gateway towards helping someone remember who they are and better realize why change may be needed. And so, the affirming words continue.

“We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints.”

Colossians 1:3

Paul gave thanks to the “God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Epaphras’s report was the basis of that thanksgiving. That report “declared to us your love in the Spirit” (1:8). Word had gotten out that the church in Colosse was loving. Later on, Paul would go on to talk about his desire that “their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ” (Colossians 2:2) and that they “put on love, which is the bond of perfection” (Colossians 3:14). As we will see later in this series, there is always room for growth; change is critical to one’s well-being. Still, it is good to hear the things you are doing right. So, where did this love come from?

“…because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven,

of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel…”

Colossians 1:5

Charles Spurgeon wrote, “Without Christ, there is no hope.”  RC Sproul wrote, “Hope is called the anchor of the soul because it gives stability to the Christian life. But hope is not simply a ‘wish,’…it is that which latches on to the certainty of the promises of the future that God has made.”  The writer of Hebrews wrote long ago, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Real hope looks to the future with great anticipation while giving purpose to the life we now live. Paul wrote later to the church in Rome saying, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13) We find the message of hope in the gospel (1:5-6, 23) of Christ Jesus. It becomes “the hope of glory” (1:27) for those who accept it and continue to grow through the work of the Holy Spirit.

In the weeks ahead, we will consider the challenges the church in Colosse faced, and the urgent plead for them to stay the course and not get distracted. But for today, let’s consider the impact the gospel had on them and the love displayed because of it. It may be true that Colosse had lost its commercial influence, but they have come to know something of far greater value and made it a point to share it with others. Have a blessed day.

Dennis