Theme: The Purpose of Preaching
Text: Colossians 1:28-29
Greetings: The Lord is good and his love endures forever.
Paul, a Prisoner.
At the end of Paul’s third missionary journey he stayed in Corinth (Acts 20:2, 1 Corinthians 16:6). During this time, he wrote an epistle to the Romans mentioning his vision to evangelise the western regions of the Roman Empire. Paul left Corinth and reached Macedonia, visiting and encouraging the saints in Philippi and then Troas before sailing on to Miletus, just south of Ephesus (Acts 20:3-15). Paul summoned Ephesian elders and exhorted them about “savage wolves” (Acts 20:16-38). Then Sailed to Tyre in Syria and then to Caesarea. Those places Paul was warned through the Spirit that he would be arrested (Acts 21:4,11). But for the sake of the Gentiles Paul was ready to be arrested and to die (Acts 21:13). After his arrest, Paul defended himself before the Sanhedrin but they plotted on his life.
So Paul was transferred from Jerusalem to Caesarea, the capital of the Roman province of Judea (Acts 23). There he defended himself before the governor Felix. But he left Paul in Prison to please Jews. Governor Festus succeeded (Acts 24). Festus, wanted to please Jews. But Paul declared his innocence and exercised his rights as a Roman citizen to appeal to Caesar, his appeal was granted (Acts 25:6-12). However, not understanding the religious charges brought against Paul by the Jews and having nothing definite to write to the emperor, Festus sought the counsel of King Agrippa. Both agreed that Paul had done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment (Acts 26:31-32). But because Paul had appealed he was sent to Rome. After a dreadful voyage and shipwreck, Paul finally reached Rome.Paul had house arrest (Acts 28:16).
Paul’s first Roman imprisonment (Acts 22:22) began here and continued his prison life for over four years. Luke records in Acts that Paul “stayed two full years in his own rented quarters, and was welcoming all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ”(Acts 28:30-31). During this time, he wrote the Prison Epistles: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon.
City of Colosse
Colosse was a city in Phrygia, in the Roman province of Asia (part of modern Turkey), about 100 mi. E of Ephesus. The city lay alongside the Lycus River, not far from where it flowed into the Maender River. The Lycus Valley narrowed at Colosse to a width of about two mi., and Mt. Cadmus rose 8,000 feet above the city.
Colosse was a thriving city in the fifth century B.C. when the Persian king Xerxes (Ahasuerus, Esther 1:1) marched through the region. Black wool and dyes were important products. In addition, the city was situated at the junction of the main north-south and east-west trade routes. By Paul’s day, however, the main road had been rerouted through nearby Laodicea, thus bypassing Colosse and leading to its decline and the rise of the neighboring cities of Laodicea and Hierapolis.
Colossians Theme, purpose and Outline
Theme: Christ is Lord over all of creation, including the invisible realm. He has redeemed his people, enabling them to participate in his death, resurrection, and fullness.
Purpose, Occasion, and Background: A dangerous teaching was threatening the church at Colossae, one that lessened Christ’s role and undermined the new identity of believers “in Christ”(1:2,28). Paul wrote to warn against this false teaching and to encourage the believers in their growth toward Christian maturity. He emphasises Christ’s authority over all evil powers. Christians are united with the risen Christ, and share in his power and authority. Paul also encourages these believers to fight against sin, pursue holiness, and live as distinctively Christian households.
Founder of the church: The church at Colosse began during Paul’s 3-year ministry at Ephesus (Acts 19). Its founder was not Paul, who had never been there(Colossians 2:1), but Epaphras (Colossians 1:7).
Outline (by BLUE LETTER BIBLE)
1. Personal Matters (1:1-14)
Paul’s Greeting (1:1-2)
Paul’s Thankfulness (1:3-8)
Paul’s Prayer (1:9-14)
2. Doctrinal Instruction(1:15-2:23)
About Christ’s Deity (1:15-23)
About Paul’s Ministry (1:24-2:7)
About False Philosophy (2:8-23)
3. Practical Exhortations (3:1-4:18)
Christian Conduct (3:1-17)
Christian Households (3:18-4:1)
Christian Speech (4:2-6)
Christian Friends (4:7-18)
The purpose of preaching:
The preaching office undergirds and nourishes all the work of the church and of Christians. John Calvin said that where the Word is not preached and heard, there is no church. The preacher must be mentally and spiritually prepared. (The Westminster Directory of Publick Worship). The purpose of preaching is expressed by Isaiah (Isaiah 61:1-3 & Luke 4:18-19, 2 Timothy 4:2-4).
Colossians 1:28-29: Paul mentions the four importance preaching in v.28. First, the idea of proclaiming involved communicating to a large audience. Second, Paul communicated Christ through "warning" or "counselling." Third, Paul communicated through teaching or instruction. Fourth, Paul desired maturity in his church.
1. We proclaim:
Paul, Timothy, attributed as Epaphras, and many others mentioned in at the end of this book. The Greek word translated proclaim, "katangello," means "to announce" or "proclaim" It is sometimes translated "preach." It is a vocal expression of purposeful communication.
Kataggello was a general term focusing on the extent to which the proclamation extended and was not restricted to formal preaching. Paul continually declared clearly, forcefully and authoritatively Christ. The proclamation of the gospel is not the statement of a set of doctrines of the faith, but the proclamation of a Person. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ.
To proclaim Him means to communicate all that Jesus is. God Himself is the gospel, the good news for humanity.
Austin Precept: Paul does not proclaim politics, philosophy, a system of theology, a theory of knowledge.
David Guzik: “Paul didn't preach himself, his opinions, even lots of entertaining stories or illustrations. He preached Jesus.”
Paul wrote to the Corinthians and said: "We preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." (1 Corinthians 1:23-24).
2. Admonishing:
The Greek word for admonishing, "noutheteo," means "warning." He is going to warn the saints in Colossae of the temptations and perils of choosing to depart from God and His Kingdom.
Nous=mind, tithemi=place, literally means to place in the mind and so to warn or give notice to beforehand especially of danger or evil, by reasoning with them. The idea is to lay it on the mind or heart of the person, with the stress being on influencing not only the intellect, but also the will, emotions and disposition. The idea is to counsel about avoidance or cessation of an improper course of conduct. Helping someone make the journey of thinking through an issue – from premise to necessary conclusions (convictions) which rest on a solid, scriptural foundation. God changes us by transforming our thinking (Romans 12:1-2).
English dictionaries state that to admonish is to indicate duties or obligations to; to express warning or disapproval to especially in a gentle, earnest, or solicitous manner; to give friendly earnest advice or encouragement to; to reprove firmly but not harshly; to advise to do or against doing something; warn; caution.
The Wycliffe Bible commentary says that "The ‘doctor of souls’ has a warning and teaching ministry, not self-entered but patient-centered."
3. Every man.
The word man in Greek is "anthropos" (from which we get the term "anthropology"). Paul might be addressing his message primarily to males, but given the context here, this should likely be understood as something shared by all of humanity.
EVERY MAN...EVERY MAN...EVERY MAN...Thrice repeated, in order to emphasise the universality of the Gospel and surely a thrust at the exclusiveness of those (Gnostics) who advocated a system of truth designed from the intellectual few. We teach not to warn alone but to win every man.
4. Wisdom:
Paul means knowledge applied in a manner fitting with how God made the world, such that we gain true and lasting benefit. Paul's aim here is to equip the Colossians such that they live in such a manner as to gain as much as possible from living life in this world. Wisdom is a skill; a mixture of discernment and proper action. Only by refining this skill through teaching and admonition) can we develop habits toward a more complete life in Christ.
It is the right use of knowledge and in Scripture is the ability to apply the knowledge of God's will to real life situations.
John Macarthur: “wisdom refers to practical discernment—understanding the biblical principles for holy conduct.”
Didasko -holding discourse with others in order to instruct them, delivering didactic discourses, imparting instruction, explaining doctrine, explaining or expounding something to another, communicating to another the knowledge of that of which he was before ignorant, exhibiting or instructing by precept, example, or experience so as to impress the listener's mind.
5. We Present
In the phrase so that we may present every man complete in Christ is a translation of the Greek word "paristemi." that we might have deeds of gold, silver, and precious stones rather than wood, hay, and straw (1 Corinthians 3:10-17) . Paristemi was used as a technical term (especially in the Greek Septuagint) for a priest’s placing an offering on the altar. Paristemi was also a legal term meaning “to bring” someone before the magistrate or judge.
The Greek word translated completion is "teleios." It is the idea of wholeness, completion, perfection, or fulfillment of purpose. His vision of the gospel is wholistic. He strove to help everyone entrust and dedicate themselves to lives of faithful obedience to God, so that they would be complete by the end, ready for their place within His kingdom.
Teleos means complete, mature, fully developed, full grown, brought to its end, finished, wanting nothing necessary to completeness, in good working order.
Austin: “Maturity equals Christ likeness. No other standard may be allowed to substitute. All other standards will be lesser, man-made alternatives that disguise the all-demanding standard God sets before us in the Scriptures.” The phrase “perfect in Christ” does not simply mean perfect in knowledge, perfect in moral, but sanctifying effect. Clement of Alexandria means “the man entire— the soul, body, and spirit”. Many at times we feel that we serve spiritual babies in our congregations.
Hymn: “Lord I want to be a Christian in my heart….”
6. His power, which mightily works within him.
It is not a purely Pauline effort that achieves this. It is about awakening the Spirit of God inside of Paul. The thing that he wishes for the Colossians Paul is experiencing within himself: the resurrection power of Jesus is flowing through him, and allowing him the strength to walk in obedience.
Ephesians 4:12-14: A goal of church leaders is to "equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes."
Dunamis: refers to inherent power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature and is especially "achieving power" or power which overcomes resistance. For example the Gospel is the inherent, omnipotent power of God operating in the salvation of a lost soul who accepts it (Romans 1:16). Paul is saying he has that same power residing in him, enabling him to labor and strive to present every man and woman complete in Christ.
7. Struggling
The term agonizomenos is translated as "struggling, striving, or fighting." Paul is willing not only to work, but to work hard and at great cost on behalf of his fellow Christians. Paul both "toiled" and struggled to care for the many believers he served. It was not a part-time effort, but rather something that required "all his energy." Paul often worked to the point of exhaustion on behalf of those he served. Yet he did not serve in his own human strength. God provided the power.
Kopiao speaks of intense toil even sweating and straining to the point of exhaustion if necessary. Kopiao was sometimes used to refer to athletic training. It was also common used among the down-trodden masses of the Roman world. this was Paul's lifestyle.
John MacArthur writes "People sometimes tell me that I work too hard. But compared to Paul, I am not working hard enough. It saddens me to hear of pastors or seminary students who are looking for an easy pastorate. When I was a young pastor, a lady (Who did not know I was a pastor) advised me to go into the ministry. When I asked her why, she replied that ministers did not have to do anything and could make lots of money....No one can successfully serve Jesus Christ without working hard. Lazy pastors, Christian leaders, or laymen will never fulfill the ministry the Lord has called them to. Striving...refers to competing in an athletic event. Our English word agonize is derived from it. Success in serving the Lord, like success in sports, demands maximum effort."
John Piper said it this way - "God does not work instead of our working, but through our working. God does not energise instead of our having energy; he energises our energy. Therefore it is unbiblical and irrational to say that because the grace of God produces an active trust in God, we don't need to exert an active trust in God.”
Martin Luther alluded to the mysterious interaction of God's sovereignty and Man's responsibility when he said "… I would have nothing whatever if I did not plow and sow. God does not want to have success come without work, and yet I am not to achieve it by my work. He does not want me to sit at home, to loaf, to commit matters to God, and to wait till a fried chicken flies into my mouth. That would be tempting God.”
Conclusion: We proclaim Christ to lead every one to maturity.
