#12~Colo.4:1-18 PAUL'S CONCLUTION 2-9-14
1 Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.
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2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;
Paul emphasis's thanksgiving in this epistle; he mentions it 5 times--
(1:3, 12; 2:7; 3:17; 4:2). ~ It is one of the most "thankful" books in the N.T.
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2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;
~ Let's watch how God answers this prayer. -- (No-wait-ok.)
~ One of the most important things a person can do; if not "the most important," is to have a closer walk with God, and prayer is the way to do it. ----
~ lets realize what we're doing, when we pray we're calling on God to work, and when we're sincere in our prayer, we're expressing our faith in Him.
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~ Throughout this epistle Paul's emphasis has been on the believer's union with Christ. --- The Christian who does not pray is demonstrating independence from God. --- He wants His children to ask Him.
>John 15:5 I am the vine, ** ye are the branches: ** He that abideth ** in me, [continue, dwell, remain]
-- and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
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3 Withal ** [at the same time] 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:
4 That I may make it manifest, ** as I ought to speak.
~ In our way of thinking, {how is the best way to talk to this particular person about Jesus}
~All people are not the same, it may be best to first gain his or her confidence, it may take time, -- then others may be ready right away, if they ask questions pertaining to religious beliefs or maybe the church or Israel.
>1st. Peter 3:15-- and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
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~Let's always be looking for the right opportunity. -- Never tell a person to go to the church of their choice; people need to go to a church that tells the truth, and never to a charismatic church, these churches emphasize the Holy Spirit, we're to emphasize Jesus Christ. -- Jesus Himself said;
>John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, HE shall testify of me:
>John 16:13 Howbeit when HE, the Spirit of truth, is come, HE will guide you into all truth: for HE shall not speak of Himself, --Jesus is the Saviour.
~ The Word must be heard first, and then the Holy Spirit becomes involved, and He'll use the Word and convicts the sinner of their sins, if the lost sinner will heed His call, He'll then birth them into the Body of Christ, the church, then He seals them unto the day of redemption, that means the redemption of our new body. -- If something is sealed, it will not perish.
>John 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
>Psalm 37: 28 For the LORD loveth judgment, {justice] and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever:
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~ If people don't go to a church that tells the truth, how can they ever be saved? -- They'll never have saving faith.
>Rom.10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
>Galatians 3: 26For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
~ Not by faith in anything, or any one else. -- This certainly lets Mary out.
* Paul said;
>Acts 13: 39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things,
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Paul asks the believers that read or heard this epistle too pray for two matters in particular. ---- He asked them to pray that God would give him and his fellow workers opportunities for evangelism [telling others] and edification. [Encouraging the saved] ---- He also asked that when these opportunities came he would be able to present the gospel clearly.
~ "The mystery of Christ" is the gospel; 1st.cor.15:1-4 [death-burial & resurrection] explain especially, that Jews and Gentiles have equal opportunity for salvation. ~ Paul had a genuine burden for the lost, that all people would hear and understand their need to be saved.
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5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, [without Christ] redeeming the time.
~Take advantage of THAT particular TIME.
~ Paul instructs the believers that would be reading and hearing this letter [that includes us today as well] the best way to deal with unbelievers. -- He emphasizes using "wisdom" as most important. --- This involves living life in the light of God's revealed Word, and then applying this knowledge to specific situations.
~ This "opportunity" seems to be the opportunity to best bring others to the saving knowledge of Christ.
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6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
~ Paul turned from thinking about the believers walk to their talk. -- He tells them to keep in mind our choice of words, because words reveal what is inside the believer.
" seasoned with salt" could means, not bitter or tasteless.
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~ Paul then ends this epistle with personal information and instructions; he wanted these believers to be drawn closer together in the body of Christ, because they were in danger of being pulled apart under the influence of the false teachers that had crept in. --
Paul sent Tychicus with this letter for two primary purposes. --- He wanted to provide more information about himself, and his present ministry, than he revealed in this letter. --- He also wanted to encourage the Colossians.
Paul spent a lot of time in this letter explaining the truth and exposing bad doctrine. -- We should expose bad doctrine as well, if Christians don't do it, then who will. -- Lost sinners either don't know or they don't care.
~ It seems that the Colossian Christians didn't know who Tychicus was. --- He and Onesimus would carry this letter to them.
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7All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellowservant in the Lord:
"All my state" that is, my affairs, the things relating to me.
~ Tychicus' name occurs five times in association with Paul in the New Testament (Acts 20:4; Eph. 6:21; Col. 4:7; Titus 3:12; 2 Tim. 4:12).
~ Tychicus, and also Onesimus was the bearer of this letter.
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8Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he* might know your estate, and comfort your hearts;
~ That Tychicus could know the things concerning the Colossian believers.
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9With Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They** shall make known unto you all things which are done here.
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~ Onesimus had been a slave in the household of Philemon and a member of the Colossian church, he had run away to Rome, and Paul led him to Christ there.
~ After Onesimus was saved, Paul sent him back to Colossi with Tychicus, not in chains but as a beloved brother in Christ who had proved himself faithful.
~ These men traveled from Rome to Colosse, probably by way of Ephesus and Laodicea, with the epistle to the Ephesians.
>Eph. 6:21-22 But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things: --- 22Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts.
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~ They probably also carried a letter to the Laodiceans.
Verse-16 And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.
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10Aristarchus my fellowprisoner saluteth you,
"fellow prisoner" probably means prisoner to the will of God rather than a prisoner locked up in Rome.
"Aristarchus" was a Macedonian from Thessalonica (Acts 20:4). ---- He was Paul's travel companion, and with the apostle when the Ephesian mob seized Paul (Acts 19:29). ---- He was also with Paul when he set sail for Rome under his Roman imprisonment (Acts 27:2).
"Aristarchus" had been with Paul during much of his hard times.
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10-b ~~ and Marcus, sister's son to Barnabas, [touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him;)
~ Because Paul identified Mark in terms of his relationships with Barnabas, it seems that the Colossian Christians knew who Barnabas was.
~ (Marcus was his Latin surname. -- His Jewish name was John]
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>Acts 12: 12And when he [Peter] had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark;
~ If Mark is the son of "Mary" who is the sister of Barnabas, then Barnabas is Marks uncle. -- He is also the writer of the gospel of Mark, as most likely was mostly dictated by Peter, Mark was not an apostle.
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~ John Mark (Acts 12:25) had rejoined Paul after their separation during Paul's first missionary journey (Acts 13:5, 13).
~ John Mark should be an encouragement to everyone who has failed in their first attempts to serve God. --- He didn't sit around all puffed up; --- he got back into the ministry and proved himself faithful to the Lord and to the Apostle Paul.
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11And Jesus, [there were many people named "Jesus" in those days] which is called Justus, who are of the circumcision. [Jews]
~These three men were Jewish Christians as is clear from their names.
"Jesus Justus" name occurs only here in the New Testament.
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These only are my fellowworkers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me.
~ These three men were Jewish Christians as is clear from their names.
~At that time, Paul had only three fellow workers with a Jewish heritage.
Aristarchus, Marcus and Justus as Jewish Christians. -- Of all Jews converted to Christ, only these three are known to have been Paul's fellow workers unto the kingdom of God.
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Let's be sure and notice that, Peter was not at Rome, else he certainly would have been mentioned in this list; also there is no evidence that Peter ever saw Rome at any time. -- The Catholics say that Peter was the 1st. pope, even though he was never there.
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12Epaphras, who is one of you, [a native of Colosse] 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.
Epaphras prayed well because he cared much, If he lagged in zeal, he certainly would have lagged in prayer. -- we don't know if he was killed in the earth quake or not.
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14Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.
~ XXX this is the one and only passage that informs us that Luke, the author of the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts, was a physician.
"Demas"-- nothing positive is said about Demas, only that he greets the Colossian Christians and therefore must have been known to them.
~ But as time for Paul's departure drew near he write to Timothy concerning
Demas.
>II Timothy 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world,
15Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.
"Nymphas" was a man that had church in his house.
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16And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.
~ Paul wrote a letter to the Laodiceans that we have no record of.
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~ When the city was destroyed by an earthquake in 60 A.D. -- Laodicea refused help from the Roman government, even when all of the neighboring cities gladly accepted such aid.
~ The words of Christ to the Laodicea church in Revelation 3:14--22 contain allusions to the economic prosperity and social prominence of the city.
~ That said that they had no need for nothing. -- the luke warm church.
~The site of Laodicea is now a deserted heap of ruins that the Turks call Eski Hisar, or "old castle."
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~ Laodicea was a neighboring city of Colosse, along with Hierapolis.
According to historians, all three cities were destroyed.-- Colossae was completely destroyed by the AD 60 earthquake. After that it survived only as a small village before being finally abandoned in eighth century, AD.
~ All that is seen there today is a mound of dirt.
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17And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it.
Paul wanted Archippus to be encouraged and strengthened, but he didn't make this appeal to Archippus directly.--- He asked that it come to Archippus through the Colossians (or the Laodiceans).
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18The salutation by the hand of me Paul. Remember my bonds. Grace be with you. Amen.
[Written from Rome to Colossians by Tychicus and Onesimus]
