The Submission To Christ In The Church #1 Series

COLOSSIANS #4

(Much of the material comes from Barnes’ Notes, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft.)

Part One: The Supremacy of Christ in the Church (1: 1 2:23)

In the first two chapters Paul as shown that if the church follows Christ He is over everything in the church’s life, and we are the church not this building. He has shown that the things of the world have not a place in the church, the knowledge of the world is not superior to the knowledge of Christ. That we have a freedom from the laws that man try to impose on us as to what to eat and to wear and to what to touch. Christ told us that it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles us but what comes out of the mouth in MATTHEW 15:17-20. Now Paul starts on the second part of the letter on our submission to Christ. How we should be different after coming to Christ than what we were before.

Part Two: The Submission to Christ in the Church (3:1 4:18)

1. The Position of the Believer 3:1 4

1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where

Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

MATTHEW 6:19 21

19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

20 "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

II. The Practice of the Believer 3:5 4:6

A. Put Off the Old Man 3:5 11

5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity,

passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.

6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of

disobedience,

7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.

8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech

from your mouth.

9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,

10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the

image of the One who created him

11 a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and

uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.

a. ROMANS 1:18 32

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.

20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,

23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four footed animals and crawling creatures.

24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.

25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural,

27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

2 8 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,

29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips,

30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,