A Rope Of Sand With Strength Of Steel

“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, 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.” [1]

Colosse was united to Laodicea in the Apostle’s mind. When Paul thought of one congregation, he thought of the other. These two congregations were united in more than merely being in close proximity, however. Obviously, at the time Paul wrote this letter to the saints in Colossae, these two churches shared a great deal in common. As an example, the Apostle acknowledged that he struggled in his labours on behalf of these two churches [COLOSSIANS 4:13]. The two churches were also charged with the responsibility of exchanging greetings as they were to exchange letters that the Apostle had written each of them [COLOSSIANS 4:15-16]. What Paul said to one would be applicable, and even beneficial, to the other. It is quite possible that these two churches may have shared pastors at one time, or at the very least shared interest in one of the pastors. At the conclusion of this letter, Paul addresses a man named Archippus [COLOSSIANS 4:17], who was likely the son of Philemon [cf. PHILEMON 2]. From the tone of the verse to which I just now referred, situated as it is near the end of the Colossian letter, it could even be inferred that this man Archippus was the pastor of the Laodicean church.

I suggest that these two churches shared more in common than simply being congregations of followers of the Son of God. Even if none of the speculation I have just advanced is accurate, it is nevertheless true that at the time Paul wrote this letter to the Congregation in Colossae, these two churches were united with that which fully unites God’s people until that spiritual union should be voluntarily broken by one of the parties. You know very well that there is a unity of the Spirit that is recognised between those congregations that seek the Lord and serve Him.

Was there a break in fellowship between these two churches? I raise the issue because John, writing only a few decades later, conveyed the scathing message of the Risen Christ to Laodicea. Laodicea had become a church which sickened the Lord. They had grown lukewarm, tepid, neither hot nor cold. Did the church at Colosse seek to maintain a semblance of unity with their fellow church of the Laodiceans? Did the church at Colosse maintain close relations with their sister congregation? The two congregations could literally look across the valley and see their respective cities, but did they continue as one in the Faith? The question will be answered through considering the Word of God. I leave it to you to weigh the teaching of the Word and judge for yourselves whether the two churches might have maintained their confession of unity.

We Baptists pride ourselves on our independence. We speak boldly of the autonomy of the local church. By this we mean that no outside agency can dictate to a church in matters of faith and practise. No government agency can tell us what to believe. No denominational agency can tell us how we are to conduct our service to the Lord. No sister church can dictate to us how we shall worship. Instead we are fiercely free in the determination of and in the implementation of our service before the Lord.

In the text chosen for the message this day the Apostle speaks of encouragement and of unity. The encouragement of which he speaks and the unity to which he refers are those precious commodities which are always and only revealed when faith is centred in Christ the Lord. The Apostle rejoices in the orderliness and in the firmness exhibited by these two churches. He commends these two churches and encourages them in that which glorifies the Lord Christ. So long as the churches followed the apostolic teaching, they enjoyed sweet communion. However, as soon as one departed from that apostolic doctrine, there could be no further communion. Just so, it is our doctrine which unites us and not any organisation. That doctrine constitutes a rope of sand with strength of steel.

WE CHRISTIANS ARE UNITED BY LOVE. I know that some among us have convinced themselves that love is a feeling, an emotion. These individuals are focused on their feelings and thus they gauge the quality of the love they hold for others, or they gauge the love others reveal for them, by how they are made to feel. I am aware that when I avow that we who believe are united by love that these same individuals will likely imagine that I mean love for one another. While that may be great “pop” psychology, it is neither good science nor is it sound theology. To say we “love one another” can prove rather superficial, especially if we are focused on how we feel about one another.