IN CHRIST ALONE (COLOSSIANS 1)
Many years ago, a believer who served regularly but attended church sporadically was asked to stop serving in the praise team. Unhappy with the decision, the person dropped out of church altogether, but was approached by Jehovah Witnesses at work.
The person was drawn by the cult’s continual coming and care. When believers visited the person absent from church, the person replied, “The new group was more attentive to my needs.” The person would try to convince visitor to watch a video.
Cults from Jehovah Witnesses to Eastern Lightning are everywhere. Jehovah Witnesses affirm that God—Jehovah—is the most high. Jesus Christ is God’s agent, through whom sinful humans can be reconciled to God. Eastern Lightning, on the other hand, holds that Jesus has returned as a Chinese woman, worshiped by the religious group as Almighty God, hence its official name.
The early church had no lack of warning against false Christs and false prophets (Matt 24:24) and false teachers (2 Peter 2:1). 2 Peter 2:1 says, “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them — bringing swift destruction on themselves.”
From Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons in the past to the Chinese cult Eastern Lightning, cults deny the deity of Christ
What are cults? What competing and counterfeit teaching did the early church face? Why is it hard to tell the true from the false? The three sections deal with the church (vv 1-16), the church (vv 17-23) and Christ, and the church and the world (vv 24-29).
Look Out for Believers
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father. 3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints— 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth. 7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit. 9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
It’s been said:
“Mrs. Prayer Meeting died recently at the First Neglected Church on Worldly Avenue. Born many years ago in the midst of great revivals, she was a strong, healthy child, fed largely on testimony and spiritual holiness, soon growing into world-wide prominence. She was one of the most influential members of the famous Church family. But for the past several years, Sister Prayer Meeting has been failing in health, gradually wasting away until rendered helpless by stiffness of knees, until her death was caused through lukewarmness and coldness of heart. Lack of spiritual food, coupled with the lack of faith, shameless desertion of her friends and non-support, were contributing causes of her death. Only a few were present at her funeral, sobbing over memories of her past beauty and power. Carefully selected pallbearers were asked to bear the remains tenderly away, but failed to appear. Her body rests in a beautiful cemetery of bygone memories and glories, awaiting the summer from above.!”
The book of Colossians, jointly written with Timothy (2 Cor 1:1, Phil 1:1, Phm 1), is traditionally ascribed to Paul, who wrote it while in jail (Eph 3:1, 4:1). The theme of the book is the centrality and Crucially of Christ in creation, to the church and His commission.
The verb “thank” (v 3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you) is “eucharisteo” in English, or good (eu) + grace (charis) in Greek. It means to be grateful, gracious to God, i.e. (actively) to express gratitude (towards). The direct statement “thank God” – e.g. “I…,” “We…” or ” You… + “thank God”” - is always in the present tense, never in the future tense in the Bible. It is a continual, current and constant practice.
Inside and local, Paul was thankful for the Colosse church (vv 18, 24) or believers’ (1) faith IN (v 4 en) God - inward, (2) love TO (eis) believers – outward, and (3) FOR (dia ten) the hope in heaven - upward. The combination of “faith + love” in one verse (v 4) shows up 17 times in Paul’s epistles – it is unique to Paul and no book else. The preposition for “in” Christ is inward based, while the love “to” saints is outward bridge, and the hope in heaven is upward bound. Faith is reliance on Christ, love is relationship with others, and “hope in heaven” is reassurance of salvation. Faith is the attitude, love is the affection, and hope is the affirmation. Norman Geisler says, “Faith rests on the past work of Christ, love works in the present and hope anticipates the future.”
V 4 Faith “in” (en) Christ Love “to” (pros) saints V 5 For (dia ten) the Hope
Inward based Outward bridge Upward bound
Reliance on Christ Relationship with others Resolve of truth (gospel)
Attitude Affection Assurance
Outside and global, it “IS bearing fruit and growing” (v 6). All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing. The scope is now broaden from Colosse to the world (v 6). The three “heard” (vv 4, 5, 9) are in the past/aorist tense heard (v 4 we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus…, v 5 you have already heard about in the word of truth), but the gospel that “IS” (v 6) bearing fruit and growing is in the present tense. Bearing fruit and growing is the contrast of quality and quantity, abundance and amount, superiority and size
Paul’s prayer (“not stop/cease”), however, is continuing in the present tense, and the purpose (hina) for the saints is they might (hina) be “filled” (v 9 we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to FILL you …) with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Stop (v 9 stopped praying) is “pauo” in Greek or “pause” in English – no disruption, discontinuity or disinterest. It is present tense, in contrast to the three “heard” (vv 4, 5, 9) in the past tense.
V 9 Knowledge (epignosis) Wisdom Understanding
Doctrine Discernment Discovery
What How Why
Acknowledgment Application Awareness
The purpose (v 10 infinitive) of the unceasing prayer for the believers to be filled (hina) with knowledge, wisdom and understanding is to “live a life worthy of the Lord” - to “walk” worthy of the Lord (v 10 KJV), followed by four “how to” participles. “Walk” (v 10) means stride by stride, step by step, spot by spot, station to station, situation by situation. It includes our character, contact, conversations, conduct, choices and care. “Worthy’ includes praiseworthy, trustworthy and creditworthy.
12
bearing fruit in every good work,
growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power … 12 giving thanks to the Father,
NIV
Produce for Him Pursuit of God Power in Him Praise to God
Lift Jesus’ Name Higher
17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. 21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
Shortly after his 50th birthday, Einstein also gave a remarkable interview in which he was more revealing than he had ever been about his religious sensibility. A noted interviewer asked Einstein, “To what extent are you influenced by Christianity? Einstein answered, “As a child I received instruction both in the Bible and in the Talmud. I am a Jew, but I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene.”
The interviewer questioned, “You accept the historical existence of Jesus?”
The illustrious scientist replied, “Unquestionably! No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life.” (“Einstein & Faith,” Time Magazine Apr. 16, 2007, By Walter Isaacson)
Here is an examination of the seven “preposition + Him” phrases. Basically, they are two sets of “in + through + for” prepositions front and back or first three and last three, with another “in” preposition as the middle fourth.
vv 16, 17, 19 By/in (en) Him vv 16 20 Through (dia) him vv 16, 20 For/to (eis) Him
V 16 Initiation
V 17 Insistence “hold”
V 19 Indwelling V 16 Involvement
V 20 intermediation V 17 Importance
V 20 Inclusion
The three “by (in) him” (vv 16, 17, 19) refers to His initiative, intact and indwelling, the two “through him” (vv 16, 20) is His involvement and intermediation, and “for Him” (vv 16, 20) as His importance and for His inclusion.
The main verbs in the new section are “He IS before all things” (v 17 before creation) “hold together” (sun-istao, in creation) and “He is the head” (v 18 after creation). “Hold together” is literally “together stand” in Greek. He is the gravity, the glue and the gel that hold all things together. The climax (v 18), however of this second section (vv 17-23) is in the “hina” (“that”) subjunctive purpose clause – His purpose for His creation from of old and for the church in the present - “THAT in everything he might have the supremacy.” (v 18) Supremacy (v 18) is “proteuo’ in Greek, from the nun “protos,” or “first” in Greek, where we get “proton,” the first heavy subatomic particle to be discovered. The traditional translation for it is preeminent (ESV, RSV) or preminence (KJV).
I asked Perplexity: “What is preeminent?” Perplexity replied. “Preeminent means being the very best, most important, or outstanding in a particular field or area—someone or something that clearly stands above all the rest. Think of it as having supreme rank or excellence that others don’t match.”
“Preminent” (proteuo) means superior, superb or surpassing or standout – the greatest, biggest and finest. He is excellent, extraordinary and esteemed.
Paul talked about all creation (vv 16-17) before but the church presently (v 18-22), of which the verb “reconcile” is prominent; it occurs thrice in the Bible, two of which is in this chapter. Reconcile (vv 20 for things, 22 for people) is a theological, judicial and social term that occurs only one time in the Bible (Eph 2:16). It is to rescue, repair or restore a broken relationship. The purpose (v 22 for believing people) is to present us holy, unblameable and unreproveable (KJV). You are now different, delivered, devoted and discipled.
V 22 Holy Without blemish Free from accusation
Consecration (to God) Character (in oneself)
Certification (from others)
Belonging Being Behaving
Lead Nations to Christ
24 Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. 29 To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.
“All in the Family” was an acclaimed TV series in the 1970s. Sally Struthers, who the adult daughter of Archie Bunker in the series, told how unhappy she was when her handful of lines per episode were reduced on actual air time. She said, “Maybe I only had seven lines in that whole episode. The writers were older men, and they didn’t know how to write for Gloria (adult daughter). And so, there wasn’t a lot for her to say. My lines every week were akin to, ‘I’ll help you set the table, Mom’ and ‘Oh, Daddy! Stop it!’ If one of my three lines went [and got cut], I would physically sink in my chair because I was spending a lot of time at CBS in Los Angeles, rehearsing with everyone, and I always have the least to say as my character.”
Sally’s TV husband Rob Reiner took her aside and said to her one day, “Rob said, ‘I know that we’re the same age, and I have no business instructing you. But, I see how disappointing it is for you when you lose a line or two, and nobody writes for you the delicious arguments like I get to do with Archie (her TV father). If you could change your mindset, Sally, if you could make the show more important than your part, then you would not only be fine if a line or two of yours was cut, but you might even offer up yourself, knowing that’s not an important line and it could go. I hope you can do that.’”
From then on, Struthers “made each episode more important” than her “silly part.” She said, “And I wasn’t disappointed anymore. Reiner] taught me all about mindset and that was a huge teaching moment for me.” Struthers ultimately won two Emmys for the role.
https://us.yahoo.com/entertainment/tv/articles/family-star-sally-struthers-reveals-180057219.html
For the first time, sufferings (v 24) and afflictions are mentioned in the same verse in the Bible. If that was not enough for the imprisoned Paul (Col 4:3, 18), both nouns are plural. Paul’s mindset was to rejoice in suffering “for (huper) you” just as Christ’s afflictions “for (huper) the… body”
Mystery (v 26) is contrasted with “disclosed,” the second important assertion besides “rejoice” (v 24) in the last section. Disclose (phaneroo) is also translated as see, shine, or shown. Paul is very clever, jumping from himself as “servant” in the previous verse (v 25) to “saints” in verse 26, from church (v 24) to Gentiles (v 27), from ages and generation to now (v 26).
The third important assertion (v 28) is “proclaim” + “present” as his purpose (hina) to present everyone perfect in Christ. “Present” (vv 22, 28 paristemi) is Christ’s death to “present” believers holy in His sight (v 22), but now we are to “present” Gentiles perfect in Christ, perfect as in “end product.” – “everyone” occurs thrice in the verse, meaning Jews and Gentiles. Perfect is not flawless or faultless but finished product.
What (v 24) Now I REJOICE in what was suffered for you, and I FILL UP in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church Mindset
Who
(v 25) I have become its SERVANT by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness Minister
When (v 26) the mystery that has been kept hidden for AGES and GENERATIONS, but is NOW “disclosed” to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the “Gentiles” the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you (plural), the hope of glory Mystery
Where (v 27) among the Gentiles Mission
Why
(v 28) We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that (hina) we may PRESENT everyone perfect in Christ Motivation
How
(v 29) To this end I labor, STRUGGLING with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me. Method
Lastly, what is the most repeated word in the chapter? (First, “in” 31x, next “all” 20x). No chapter in the New Testament is the word “all” more repeated. “All” means entirety, everything, end-to-end. All people, things, elements. All total, all throughout, all together (all at once).
Conclusion: Have you accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior? God is love and God is light. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) Without Him, there is no door to salvation, no deliverance from sin, and no destruction of Satan. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) With him as the light of the world and the light of life, there is light instead of darkness, light for your path and light at the end of the tunnel.
Conclusion:
Our five roles:
Brethren (vv 1, 2)
Saints (v 2, 4, 12, 22, 26)
Fellowservant (v 7)
Partakers (v 12)
Minister (vv 7, 23, 25)
