Introduction
If you are on Facebook, you are inundated with advertisements.
One of the ads that pops up in my feed is about a man who seems to be about my age and weight.
He says he is going to try a specific program as his workout regimen.
Next, there is a picture of him with astonishing abs, about 100 pounds lighter, and he says that he accomplished that in just a few months!
The transformation is so astonishing that I am tempted to try it.
Then, I slap myself back into reality and carry on with my daily life.
I tell you this because this helps us understand what was going on when Paul wrote his short letter to the Christians in Colossae.
Paul was in prison in Rome.
It was about 62 AD.
A man named Epaphras came to see Paul in Rome.
Epaphras was the likely church planter and pastor of the Colossian Church.
He was very concerned about false teaching that was affecting Christians in the Colossian Church.
They were being told that, though they had begun with Christ, their continued growth as Christians would be hastened and helped apart from Christ.
Paul was aghast when he heard this from Epaphras.
He wrote to the Colossians that Christ was all they needed.
In fact, Christ was supreme and preeminent in all things.
Theologians call the false teaching that was taking place in Colossae the “Colossian Heresy.”
However, it is tough to know precisely what false teaching—or heresy—was being taught.
The reason is that we only have Paul’s response to guide us as to what false teaching was being taught there.
My seminary professor, Doug Moo, probably gives the best summary of the false teaching that was taking place in Colossae and to which Paul was responding. He writes:
“The false teachers were appealing to spiritual beings, visions, and rules to find security in this very uncertain universe. In doing so, they were questioning the sufficiency of Christ. They may have done so directly, but it is more likely that their questions about Christ were implicit in their approach and that it is Paul who draws out the implications of this “philosophy” for Christology…. Any teaching that questions the sufficiency of Christ—not only for ‘initial’ salvation but also for spiritual growth and ultimate salvation from judgment—falls under the massive christological critique of Colossians” (Douglas J. Moo, The Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon, The Pillar New Testament Commentary [Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 2008], 60).
As we go through Paul’s letter to the Colossians, we will address the false teaching and apply it in our current church and cultural setting.
This year, I want to preach through Paul’s letter to the Colossians.
I could have called the series, “The Supremacy of Christ” or “The Preeminence of Christ.”
However, many others have used that as their series title.
So, I am calling my sermon series, “The Peerless Christ.”
The word “peerless” means “matchless, incomparable.” (Inc Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary[Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2003], n.p.).
So, to say that Christ is peerless means that he is matchless and incomparable, that he has no equal, and that he is eminent beyond comparison.
Today, we are just going to examine the greeting of Paul’s letter to the Colossians.
Paul begins his letter to the Church of Colossae with the standard ancient greeting: first, the name of the sender or senders; second, the name or names of the recipients; and third, a greeting.
Scripture
Let’s read Colossians 1:1-2:
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
Lesson
Colossians 1:1-2 teaches us that God wants believers to embrace their holy identity as one family resting in his blessings.
Let’s use the following outline:
1. Who Is Writing? (1:1)
2. Who Are We? (1:2a)
3. Where Do We Live Out This Identity? (1:2b)
4. What Do We Receive? (1:2c)
I. Who Is Writing? (1:1)
First, who is writing?
Paul begins in verse 1 with these words, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother.”
Paul had never been to Colossae, so he started his letter by making his right to write to the Colossians clear.
He does so with one word: he is an “apostle.”
The Greek word for “apostle” (apostolos) means “one who is sent out.”
Paul’s right to speak is that Jesus has sent him out to be his ambassador to the Gentiles.
Moreover, Paul is an apostle “by the will of God.”
He did not earn or achieve his apostleship.
It was given to him by Christ Jesus.
Jesus’ words to his apostles in the Upper Room were equally valid for Paul, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you” (John 15:16).
In his opening sentence, Paul stresses that he is an apostle and that God’s will has called him to that office.
Because Paul was an apostle, he writes with God’s authority.
We pay attention to the letter because God has spoken to us through Paul.
Paul lists Timothy as the co-sender of this letter to the Church at Colossae.
He writes, “and Timothy our brother....”
Paul gives Timothy an excellent title.
In Greek, he is literally called “the brother.”
The translators have smoothed out the translation to provide the sense of Paul’s wording by saying “our brother.”
This title is also given to Quartus (Romans 16:23), Sosthenes (1 Corinthians 1:1), and Apollos (1 Corinthians 16:12).
It is vital in Christian ministry to get along with all kinds of people.
Timothy is not described as “the preacher,” “the teacher,” “the church planter,” or “the pastor,” but as “the brother.”
A person who cannot get along with others will have a tough time serving with others.
Commentator William Barclay writes,
“In his autobiography, Premanand, a highborn Indian who became a Christian, tells of Father E. F. Brown of the Oxford Mission in Calcutta. Brown was everyone’s friend, but he was especially the friend of the horse-drawn carriage drivers, the carters, the tram conductors, the servants, and the hundreds of poor street boys. When he was travelling about India, Premanand would often meet people who had stayed in Calcutta, and they would always ask for E. F. Brown, saying: ‘Is that friend of the Calcutta street boys still alive, who used to walk arm-in-arm with the poor?’ Sir Henry Lunn, the missionary and pioneer of popular travel, tells how his father used to describe his grandfather: ‘He was a friend of the poor without patronage, and of the rich without subservience’ ” (William Barclay, The Letters to Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians, 3rd ed. fully rev. and updated, The New Daily Study Bible [Louisville, KY; London: Westminster John Knox Press, 2003], 120).
You and I are not apostles.
But we are brothers and sisters to all kinds of people in our service to Christ.
II. Who Are We? (1:2a)
Second, who are we?
Paul writes in verse 2a, “To the saints and faithful brothers….”
Paul now addresses the recipients of his letter.
The recipients are the saints and faithful people in the Church of Colossae.
In the Bible, “saints” refers to those who have been set apart as holy to the Lord.
It does not refer to a spiritually elite class but to every believer who is in Christ.
The “faithful brothers,” which includes “faithful sisters,” are those who have faith in Jesus Christ.
They are the ones who have repented of their sins and trusted in Jesus alone for eternal life.
By using the term “brothers,” Paul wants them to understand that they are members of God’s family.
They are not isolated individuals who are members of Club Church.
No.
They are brothers and sisters in the family of God.
Paul addressed his earlier letters to the church of the district to which they were sent.
That was the case with his letters to the Thessalonians, the Corinthians, and the Galatians.
But beginning with his letter to the Romans, Paul addressed his letters to dedicated people.
That was the case with his letters to the Romans, Colossians, Philippians, and Ephesians.
Over time, the people in the various places became more important to him.
And Paul increasingly stressed that Christians are members of God’s family.
If you are a Christian, you must stop thinking, “I am just a nobody in church.”
In Christ, you are part of God’s family.
In Christ, you are a saint and faithful brother and sister.
So, think of yourself as a member of God’s family.
Treat fellow Christians as dearly beloved brothers and sisters in Christ.
My dear Christian, we are “saints and faithful brothers” in the family of God.
III. Where Do We Live Out This Identity? (1:2b)
Third, where do we live out this identity?
Paul writes in verse 2b, “To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae.”
The most critical aspect about the recipients is that they are “in Christ at Colossae.”
In the Greek text, they are literally “in Christ in Colossae.”
They have two addresses.
First, they have a spiritual address: they are “in Christ.”
They are united to Jesus by faith in him.
The expression “in Christ” occurs 89 times in the New Testament and 4 times in Paul’s letter to the Colossians.
It is a significant term describing the Christian’s union with Christ.
Being “in Christ” describes a comprehensive union with Jesus that reshapes identity, status, and existence across multiple dimensions.
The phrase functions as a virtual synonym for “Christian,” yet it encompasses far more than a simple label.
And second, they have a physical address: they are “at Colossae.”
Colossae was a small city with real problems and pressures.
The Christians were trying to flourish in a city and had to deal with financial, relational, physical, and emotional challenges.
Commentator William Barclay writes:
“Christians always move in two spheres. They are in a certain place in this world, but they are also in Christ. They live in two dimensions. They live in this world, whose duties they do not treat lightly, but above and beyond that, they live in Christ. In this world, they may move from place to place, but wherever they are, they are in Christ. That is why outward circumstances make little difference to Christians; their peace and their joy are not dependent on them. That is why they will do any job wholeheartedly. It may be menial, unpleasant, or painful; it may be a job far less distinguished than they might expect to have; its rewards may be small and its praise non-existent; nevertheless, Christians will do any job diligently, cheerfully, and without complaint, for they are in Christ and do all things as if they do them for the Lord. We are all in our own Colossae; but we are all in Christ, and it is Christ who sets the tone of our living” (William Barclay, The Letters to Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians, 3rd ed. fully rev. and updated, The New Daily Study Bible [Louisville, KY; London: Westminster John Knox Press, 2003], 121).
Christian, your job, your neighborhood, and your school are not accidents.
It is the place where your union with Christ is meant to be seen.
Ask yourself each day, “How can I live as a saint and a brother/sister in my particular street, office, or classroom today?”
IV. What Do We Receive? (1:2c)
And finally, what do we receive?
Paul writes in verse 2c, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father.”
Here is the greeting in Paul’s letter to the Church at Colossae.
Ancient letters often included the phrase “Greetings” at this point.
However, Paul changed the greeting and made it distinctly Christian.
He wished for God the Father’s grace and peace to be upon the Colossians.
“Grace” refers to God’s free kindness in Christ.
It is God’s undeserved favor that saves, forgives, and strengthens.
The Colossians were the recipients of God’s grace and were enabled to trust in Jesus and repent of their sins.
They did not earn or merit God’s favor.
It was all freely given to them by God.
“Peace” refers to their reconciliation with God and to the deep inner rest that flows from it.
Again, they did nothing to earn or merit it.
It was all because of God’s initiative and action.
“God our Father” is the source of the grace and peace.
It was not because of their efforts, feelings, or circumstances.
The Hillsborough River has its headwaters in the Green Swamp and ultimately flows into Tampa Bay.
The Hillsborough River is the primary water source for the city of Tampa.
Tampa does not have its own water source.
It receives it from another source—the Green Swamp, which doesn’t sound like you would want it to be the source of your water, but it is.
God’s grace and peace are like the source of water—constantly flowing from the Father through Christ to his people.
Paul used this Christian greeting in all thirteen of his letters to various persons and churches.
When you are struggling, perhaps when you feel anxious, worn out, or even guilty, remember that God’s greeting to his people is not “Try harder,” but “grace and peace to you.”
Begin each day by praying, “Father, help me to live today out of the grace and peace that you freely give in Christ.”
A university professor recalls being invited to speak at a military base one December and meeting an unforgettable soldier named Ralph there.
Ralph had been sent to meet him at the airport, and after they had introduced themselves, they headed toward the baggage claim.
As they walked down the concourse, Ralph kept disappearing.
Once, to help an older woman whose suitcase had fallen open.
Once, to lift two toddlers so they could see Santa Claus.
And again, to give directions to someone who was lost.
Each time he came back, he had a big smile on his face.
“Where did you learn to do that?” the professor asked.
“Do what?” Ralph said.
“Where did you learn to live like that?”
“Oh,” Ralph said, “during the war, I guess.”
Then he told the professor about his tour of duty in Vietnam, about how it was his job to clear mine fields, and how he watched his friends blow up before his eyes, one after another.
“I’ve learned to live between the steps,” he said. “I never knew whether the next one would be my last, so I learned to get everything I could out of the moment between when I picked up my foot and when I put it down again. Every step I took was a whole new world, and I guess I’ve just been that way ever since” (Quoted from Barbara Brown Taylor, Leadership Journal, Summer, 1993, Vol. XIV, #3, p. 61).
My dear Christian brother and sister, learn how to experience and show God’s grace and peace every chance you get.
Conclusion
In closing, let me recap what I have said.
Though the Apostle Paul is writing to God’s people, he is writing on Christ’s behalf and with his authority.
We are saints and faithful brothers and sisters in the family of God.
We are in Christ in Tampa.
Because we are in Christ, our identity is completely wrapped up in him.
We are new creations in Christ and are completely transformed by him.
God our Father continually lavishes us with his grace and peace.
We are the most blessed people in all the world.
Because these things are true, believe what God calls you.
You are a dear child of God who is in Christ.
Remember where God has put you.
You can live effectively for Christ wherever you are.
You don’t have to wait until things change.
You can live, love, serve, and worship God right now where you are.
Rest in the grace and peace that God our Father freely gives through Jesus Christ.
When God calls you to himself, he always equips you with the abilities to accomplish his will.
I read a story about a speaker who was presenting Christ to a large audience on one of the great university campuses.
One of the professors in the audience was struck by the power of the message and the speaker's calm, peaceful appearance.
Leaving the auditorium, the professor said to a fellow professor walking beside him, “I suppose that preacher spends most of his time in study and preparation of sermons, away from the tension and strain of this busy world of ours.”
“Would you like to meet the speaker?” the fellow professor asked. “I know him well.”
The professor said he would, so a meeting was scheduled for lunch the next day.
How shocked the professor was when he was taken to a snack room in one of the local factories.
Sitting at the table with the speaker, he asked about his profession.
The speaker said, “My occupation is to do the will of God and to love people while I wait for Christ to return to earth,” the speaker replied. “Meanwhile, I operate one of the machines here at the factory” (Leadership Ministries Worldwide, Practical Illustrations: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians [Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 2001], 149).
May God use each one of us to do his will wherever we are. Amen.
