#1~ Col.1:1-8 Colossians Intro. 11-24-13
Key Verses in Colossians is 2:9-10 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
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~Colossians is perhaps the most Christ-centered book in the Bible. In it Paul stresses the preeminence of the person of Christ and the completeness of the salvation He provides, in order to strike down a growing heresy that is threatening the church at Colossae.
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~There are no Old Testament references in this epistle.
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~ Colossae once was a thriving center of commerce, famous for its glossy black wool.
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~The ruins of Colossae were discovered in 1835 by W. J. Hamilton, the site of Colossae still awaits archaeological excavation. -- The city was deserted completely about a.d. 700 -- nothing to indicate a city was ever there.
It was destroyed by an earth Quake in a.d.60.
~ The visitor to the site will likely be disappointed, for not much can be seen of this once important city in the Lycus River valley. -- The paved road to the site passes over the Lycus River. --- On the south side of the river is a low mound, the site of the acropolis (place of defense) of ancient Colossae. --- The mound and its surroundings are now part of a field.
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~The Letter to Philemon is addressed not just to Philemon but also to the entire church that met in his house in Colossae.
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~The ancient city of Colossae is remembered today primarily because one of the letters in the New Testament is addressed to "the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae" (Col 1:2).
Aside from this one reference, the city of Colossae does not appear in the New Testament.
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~Paul had never visited Colossae when he composed his epistle to the church there, but he does imply that Epaphras founded the church, along with those at Laodicea and Hierapolis (Col 1:7-8; 4:12-13). This was probably during Paul's third missionary journey, when he preached in Ephesus for two years.
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~The church at Colossae is not mentioned in the book of Acts, and it was not directly founded by the Apostle Paul.
~The membership was composed largely of Gentiles (1:21, 27; 2:13). Its size is not indicated; it attained no prominence in history, and it soon faded from view.
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~The Epistle to the Colossians is one of the four "Prison Epistles" it was written too the Colossian Christians.
~Paul's 4 prison epistles are-- Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon.
The church of Colossi was located in Asia Minor in the Lycus Valley, about one hundred miles east of Ephesus on the main east-west highway.
~ The city was deserted completely about a.d. 700 and today there's hardly a trace.
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~ It was written by the apostle Paul in a.d. 60--63-- while he was a prisoner in Rome awaiting trial before the emperor.
Tychicus was the person that delivered the epistles of Colossians and Ephesians.
~Paul himself had not visited Colossi at this point (2:1), Timothy and Epaphras (1:7) probably had evangelized the city and founded the church during Paul's three-year stay in Ephesus while on his third missionary journey.
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~ Epaphras was the first to preach in the Lycus Valley after his conversion in Ephesus, and he continued to carry the burden of the churches at Colossi, Hierapolis, and Laodicea.
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~ The church at Colossi had a majority of Gentiles in its membership.
-------- THEME: --- to tear down False Teachings that crept into the church at Colosse some six years after its founding.
~Epaphras visits Paul during his imprisonment in Rome and brings with him the alarming news that certain false doctrines and practices threaten the faith of the Colossian Christians, and because of these false teachings the Colossians was in danger of drifting from the gospel (1:23; 2:8).
~~ Therefore that is what causes Paul to combat these false teachings about Christ and to give encouragement for the Christian life.
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~ The Christ centered nature of this epistle is one of its major characteristics.
This is seen in the fact that Paul uses the word "Christ" 26 times and the title "Lord"13 times. This is a large number of occurrences for a short, four-chapter epistle.
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* Ephesians and Colossians: are two companion Prison Epistles compared:
In Ephesians: -- Jesus Christ: Lord of the Church.
In Colossians: -- Jesus Christ: Lord of creation.
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In Ephesians: -- Emphasis on the church as the body of Christ but also affirms Christ as Head of the church.
In Colossians: --Emphasis on Christ as the Head of creation and the church.
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In Ephesians: -- Less personal and probably sent too other church's to be read.
In Colossians: -- More personal and with the local-church in mind.
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In Ephesians: Addresses the errors of false teaching less directly (heresy is not yet a major danger in Ephesus).
In Colossians: -- addresses the errors of false doctrine directly (heresy is more threatening).
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Col.1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,
~According to the custom of writing letters in that day, the author's name is given first. Therefore the author was Paul; he wrote the letter while in Roman custody.
>Col.4:3 Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:
~~And Timothy our brother:
Timothy was an honored companion of Paul, but he was not an apostle. "Though Timothy is here joined in the salutation, yet he has never been understood as having any part in composing this epistle. He has been considered as the scribe of the apostle." -- would at times write as Paul dictated.
~~An apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God:
Paul was qualified to write this letter of instruction to the Colossians, though he had never met them personally, because he was an apostle.
"The literal meaning of apostle is 'one sent' but at its deepest level it denotes an authorized spokesman for God, one commissioned and empowered to act as his representative."
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2To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
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To the saints and faithful brethren:
When Paul addressed the saints, he did not separate some Christians from others in the Colossian church.
Every true Christian is a saint. -- But Paul might be making a distinction with the phrase faithful brethren. -- He may be referring to those who haven't embraced the false teaching that concerned Paul so much in this letter.
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Which are at Colosse:
The city of Colosse was probably the smallest and least important city that Paul ever wrote to. ---- Lets notice that Paul would turn his attention to the Christians in Colosse at a time when he had so many other concerns. --- Yet he apparently thought the situation in Colosse was important enough for apostolic attention.
~~Paul wrote because there were problems among the Christians in Colosse, but the doctrinal problem - sometimes described as "The Colossian Heresy" - ----- that probably was a corruption of Christianity with elements of mystical and legalistic Judaism.
~~The first century religious environment was much like our own. -- It was a time of religious mixing, with people borrowing a little from this religion and a little from that religion.
Whatever the problem was, Paul dwelt on the solution: and that was, a better understanding of Jesus. Knowing the real Jesus helps us to stay away from the counterfeit, no matter how it seems to be right.
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The city of Colosse is not even mentioned in the Book of Acts. All our Biblical information about the church there comes from this letter and a few allusions in the letter to Philemon.
From these sources we learn that Epaphras was responsible for bringing the gospel to the Colossians. -- He was a native of the city according to 4:12.
Epaphras also got the message out to neighboring towns in the Lycus Valley like Hierapolis and Laodicea.
>Colo.4:12-13 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
13For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis.
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Perhaps Epaphras heard the gospel himself when Paul was in Ephesus. As Paul taught in the lecture hall of Tyrannus, all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord according to Acts 19:10. --- Probably some people from Colosse heard the gospel at that time as well.
v.2-- Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ:
Paul's greeting was familiar but heartfelt. "Grace is God's unconditioned goodwill toward men and women which is decisively expressed in the saving work of Christ."
~~ This letter - full of love and concern, written to a church Paul had neither planted nor visited - shows the power of Christian love. -- Paul didn't need to see or meet or directly know these Christians in order to love them and be concerned for them.
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3We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
Praying always for you:
Though he had never met most of them, the Christian of Colosse was on Paul's prayer list. He prayed for them not only often, but always.
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4Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, --- every one that's saved is a SAINT as soon as their saved, saved people don't at some point in the future become saints, neither are they declared to be saints by some one in high office of a so called religion.
Since we heard:
Paul was thankful for their faith in Christ Jesus and their love for all the saints. Genuine faith in Jesus will always have a true love for God's people.
We notice the three familiar words that are often seen together, faith, hope, and love. -- they're found often together in Paul's epistles.
These were not merely theological ideas to Paul; they dominated his thinking as a Christian.
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5For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;
Paul was thankful that their eternal destiny was affected by the truth of the gospel, brought by Epaphras (as you also learned from Epaphras).
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6Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:
The phrase "in all the world" was a reference that was used a lot during Paul's time, meaning, spreading all over the "Roman Empire." --thus the old saying, "all roads lead to Rome".
And is bringing forth fruit:
Paul was thankful that the gospel was bringing forth fruit over all the world, (the known world) even while Paul was in a Roman prison.
~One commentator said, the doctrine of the Gospel can be thought of as a traveling man whose object it is to visit the whole habitable earth . . . So rapid is this traveler in his course, that he had already gone nearly through the whole of the countries under the Roman dominion, and will keep on traveling until he has proclaimed his message to every people, and kindred, and nation, and tongue.
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7As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;
8Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.
Epaphras is described as a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf.
This doesn't mean that Epaphras was superior to the other Christians in Colosse. The word minister does not mean "superior"; it means "one who serves."
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