MR. D'S NOTES ON COLOSSIANS

COPYRIGHT 2002

Rev. Stanley L. Derickson Ph.D.

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CHAPTER ONE

Text: 1.1-23

1. CHRIST OUR SAVIOR
Christ our Savior prepares us to serve (vss. 9-10).
Col. 1.1-23

Vs. 1 "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus [our] brother,"

"an apostle"= per vine "one sent forth"

Timothy means honoring God.

"by the will of God" is there any other basis for a man to be in a place of leadership in the Lord's work?

NO

There was a Christian college where the board found that they had power they had never known of before. They started flexing their new found strength and started demanding things of the faculty which were not really proper. The entire faculty finally resigned.

The board moved in assuming they would just run the school with the ease with which they had taken it over. One of them was in the office one day several weeks into their take over complaining to others about how much work it was to take care of all the details they had run into.

One of the faculty members that was cleaning out his office across the hall overheard the conversation so he stepped over beside the board member and quietly said, "You know I was called by God to this ministry, how about you?" and walked off.

The board had been called to be a guiding force, not a driving force. The faculty had been called to the mechanics of the school.

Q. Why does he use the term brother here?

We are all children of God. We are brothers and sisters in a perfect family. Too bad we don't always live like it in our churches today!

Vs. 2 "To 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."

We should note that this letter is addressed to saints not the First Baptist Church of Colosse. This is important in three ways.

a. There were no denominational/fellowship distinctions back then. All believers were Christians, not divided into dozen's of groups.

b. This was a letter to individuals rather than to a group or organization. Importance? A letter to a group is easily dismissed as "not for me." When addressed to people I suspect there would be more responsibility taken. So, the Bible is also to individuals not the church.

c. Since it is addressed to the saints then it is possible that there was more than one church in town. Since churches met in homes we might assume there may have been multiple churches in Colosse. The church is made up of people - not buildings - people will be seated at the marriage feast of the Lamb not a bunch of buildings.

"Saints and faithful" are the same people due to a rule of the Greek language called the Granville Sharp rule so I am told by the commentaries.

This however calls our attention to something. If you are a saint you should also be faithful in all things before the Lord.

Vs. 3 "We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,"

Have you ever been thankful for a group of saints other than in your own church? Years ago there was a little Bible school in the middle of nowhere. The staff served on missionary support. For many years before serving there myself I found myself quite thankful for those men and women that were committed to training young people for the ministry.

Two actions Paul and Timothy are taking on behalf of the saints - Thanking God for them and praying for them. Yes, one is in the other but giving thanks is part of how we pray.

It would be interesting to know what those topics of prayer might have been. I suspect a good study would be to just read through the book jotting down items that Paul wanted for them. You would then have a good idea what Paul's prayer list might have been like.

Always praying for you - pray without ceasing - Paul must have been quite a man of prayer. (Acts 12.5; Rom. 1.9; I Thess. 2.13; I Thess. 5.17) There must have been something to this prayer thing that Paul thought was positive.

"We give thanks"

Thanks comes from "Euchariseo" or the term that we gain our term Eucharist from today.

Paul later seems to ask for their growth. There are mature and there are babes in Christ. It is the mature that ought to be teaching the babes, not the other way around. If a church is made up of only babes, then the one most mature should be teaching them until others find maturity.

We find that Paul is evaluating the believers - not judging them. It is not wrong for the church leaders to evaluate the believers that God has placed under them. After evaluation there should be a setting of goals for those believers - where does the church desire these people to be spiritually in five years - ten years?

Now that we have said this, we need to add a good warning to the leadership. The evaluation must be objective and based on God's requirements, not personal bias nor personal choice.

As one that might be evaluated, we must be open to the evaluation of the leaders and consider it wisely.

Years ago when just starting a marriage, a family and college we were church mouse poor. I wore the very best I had to church which included a sweater and cowboy boots instead of suit and dress shoes. The pastor took exception with my dress - decided I was being rebellious and told me to wear shoes and a suit. While agreeing with him that shoes and a suit would have been preferable, I had no suit nor money to buy one. I had one pair of footwear - cowboy boots. Rebellious? No. His evaluation was based on personal bias not fact, nor Scripture.

Vs. 4 "Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love [which ye have] to all the saints,"

Paul had heard of their faith and love which had caused him to pray for them. Most likely from Epaphrus - he was out telling of his people and their needs.

Love is the agape love. Note their love was for ALL the saints, now if that isn't a problem for many of us I don't know what it is - ALL even those nasty ones you can't stand!

Love is the phrase that everyone likes to use, we are to be more loving, we are to be loving to others, we are to love one another and get along etc. Love comes from the Spirit, not from within us. As we walk with Him his love will be shed forth through us. We don't have to struggle and strain to get that love out of the bowels of our being - walk with the Lord and allow Him to have His way through you.

It isn't the gushy mess that some suggest - it is seeing value in others and treating them as valuable.

Years ago a young woman wrecked her car in front of the store where I was working. She pulled the car into our parking lot, opened the door and proceeded to gusher. She fell completely apart. She told me of the many problems she had already and now this. I am not a loving person as such, but at that moment I had the encouragement and words that she really needed. She was calmed quite quickly. Now, that was not because of my suave way with women, it was the Spirit of God working through me.

I once heard this description of love in action. Recognize the person’s worth before God, desire to benefit that person and take action.

Vs. 5 "For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel"

Not "I hope I'll be resurrected" but "I'm thoroughly confident that I'll be resurrected." Our hope is to be raised with Christ and so we shall be.

The Colossians hope produced love and faith.

What can a hope like this produce in us today?

First of all what is hope?

From the text it is the confidence that we will live eternally with God.

In light of that concept - if we really believed it what would that hope produce in us?

1. A close walk with the Lord.

2. Desire to be a fruitful Christian.

3. Desire to share hope with others that we meet.

4. Living for things above and future, not for things here and now.

Vs. 6 "Which 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:"

Notice that it is the Gospel that is the one that bears fruit! It's great to know the gospel does bear fruit - many missionaries labor for years before seeing converts - this verse should encourage them.

This also is an encouragement to all that labor for God - we may never see any fruit of our ministries but if we labor with Him then we can know there is fruit.

Vs. 7 "As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;"

Some feel that Epaphras was the man that evangelized this valley and the cities of Colossae, Hierapolis, and Laodicea. It would fit that his report to Paul was the prompting for Paul to write the letter.

It seems Epaphras may have been sent by Paul to do a work at Colossae. He was working for Paul in some manner. Some see Epaphras as similar to Timothy and Titus - apostolic delegates to do a work that the apostle could not do himself due to other involvements.

Vs. 8 "Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit."

We see that "love" is a fruit of the Spirit in Gal. 5.22. "In the Spirit" indicates our love - true love comes from God rather from our magnanimousness. Now some might argue with that, but Paul saw love as proceeding from the Spirit.

Vs. 9 "For this cause we also, since the day we heard [it], do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;"

Wow, can you imagine the feeling of those hearing these words - Paul has declared he prays for them twice in the early part of this letter. What would it be like to know someone like Paul was praying for you? Pretty great I would think.

As a whole this verse portrays something that is neat. You are so burdened with someone that you begin to pray for them on a daily basis. People you don't know - maybe people you haven't seen in many years.

A missionary family came to our church many years ago and presented their work in Papua New Guinea. For several years after that I would pray for them on a daily basis. The Lord had given me a tremendous burden for them and their ministry. I never saw them again, and never heard from them, but I felt led to pray for them on a continuing basis for many years.

Paul is very concerned with them finding God's will for their lives. Many today spend great amounts of time looking and seeking God's will for their lives.

I see three phases of God's will. Understanding all three will help us find God's will.

a. His overall will - His decrees - His plan for the ages, which includes each of us as individuals. We can do nothing about this - it is set - don't sweat it.

b. His will for our life as revealed in His Word. Baptism, Lord's Table, use of our gift, refraining from sin, being fruitful and many other items. These aren't options - do them - don't wonder if they are for you - they are.

c. His will for our life - what he wants us to do with our life. There may be some aspect to His will in a specific location of ministry and/or your freedom in that sort of decisions. He is usually very clear in this area - you will normally know what he wants.

Someone once asked me how I would answer someone that thought they had missed God's will in their life. I replied that since God is God, it is inconceivable to me that He could not communicate His will to someone unless they were living in sin for a protracted time.

Anyone that is seeking His will, will certainly find it - He isn't running a top secret organization.

Wisdom is a term that appears six times in the book. (James mentions, if we lack it we should ask - James 1.5)

Vs. 10 "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;"

Imagine that - You can live a life that is worthy of Almighty God!

What does it mean to walk worthy of the Lord?

1. Walk with Him would be a simple all-encompassing answer, but a big discussion stopper.

2. The fact that we can - ought to gather our amazement into one place so that we can be totally shocked. For mortal man to walk worthily of almighty God is quite something - not that we are that great, but that He has allowed it in His grand scheme of things. We will look at the tools to achieve this later - He allows it and gives us the where with all to do it.

One possible translation of this word is to be occupied with - that probably tells it like number one states it. Be occupied with God.

The tense of this verb seems to indicate that this walk is a one time thing - this also would give credence to the thought of occupying yourself with Him. I isn't an on/off item as is convenient, but a life long decision.

"knowledge" is the same term as in verse 9 - "epigenosco" The term indicates a precise and correct knowledge (as opposed to the knowledge of the Gnostics I would guess). It is used of ethical and divine knowledge.

Walking with Him - producing fruit - gaining knowledge of Him. Now, that is a tall order, but it ought to be a very pleasing thought to the believer that he could be a part of this with God.

And don't forget good works! They are an integrated part of our Christian walk.

So, how do we gain this knowledge? By being in the Word, in personal study, in preparation for teaching your own children or a class in church, or in other church Bible studies.

Vs. 11 "Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;"

We don't want to speak of patience and longsuffering do we? We tend to ignore that sort of thing until we have to confront it.

We are strengthened unto all patience - not by our own power, but by HIS!

Longsuffering - what do you think this is? I used to think that trials were only for a time and then we would be "THERE" and not have any more trials - not quite how it works.

Longsuffering is bad enough, but we are to do it with joyfulness! That is hard at times. I can suffer with the best of them, but I like everyone around to know I'm suffering.

Vs. 12 "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:"

"giving thanks" - this guy is always praying! How does that relate to the church today? Most churches are lucky to muster 15% of their membership on prayer night - indeed many churches don't even have a regular prayer meeting. There seems to be something very wrong about that in my mind.

"Inheritance" This is one case where there can be an inheritance without the person dying!!!! Christ died that we might have it.

It is of note also that HE "hath made us meet to be partakers" - not us - HE! We often act as if we made ourselves worthy by our works to be His sons and daughters, but that is far from reality.

Vs. 13 "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated [us] into the kingdom of his dear Son:"

We were moved from one kingdom to another by Him - not ourselves. This is maybe a bit of a stab at the gnostics self help type religion where they have to do the work.

Took us right out of Satan's hands and domain! Stuck us right into His Son's kingdom – son-ship in the family.

Vs. 14 "In whom we have redemption through his blood, [even] the forgiveness of sins:"

Redemption simply means to buy back or to pay a price. This is what Christ did on the cross - He paid the price for us. Not only did He purchase us - He made it possible for us to have forgiveness of our sins - both ongoing and past.

Don't mind if I just stop and list some theological studies mentioned here.

Inheritance.
Delivery from Satan.
Translated into the kingdom.
Redemption.
Forgiveness of sins.
Not to speak of the Fatherhood of God, the Sonship of Christ.

No matter how some like to deride theology, the Bible is full of it!

1-15 seems to be looking at our salvation while 16-23 are looking at the provider of that salvation, our Savior. Paul is really laying it out for his reader - Christ is God - that is a sword to the body of Gnosticism. There is a God and He has provided for us.

Well maybe a little more theology. Some points raised to the point of the deity of Christ in the next section.

15. "image of the invisible God"
16. He created everything
17. Pre-existent/sustainer
18. head of the body - the church
19. fullness of God dwells in Him
20. reconciler
22. makes us free from accusation

Vs. 15 "Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:"

I'm sure that the Jehovah Witnesses camp on this passage. It, to some, indicates Christ was a created being. Their translation reads "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;" They and the Gnostics would suggest He is similar to God - a mere image. They would also see Him as part of the creation rather than the creator.

Vine p. 104 states "...His eternal relationship with the Father is in view, and the clause means both that He was the Firstborn before all creation and that He Himself produced creation...."

It means the first one born. The context lets you know first who. It is applied to first child, first raised to life and first group raised to life. In this text it relates to Christ's eternal generation.

"Not a commencement of existence, but an eternal relation to the Father, ... there never having been a time when the Son began to be, or when the Son did not exist as God with the Father." Systematic Theology; Augustus Strong; The Judson Press; Valley Forge, PA; 1907; p 341

Adam was created mature, creation was created with age, and Christ was always the first begotten.

If, indeed, God is the eternal Father, then Christ must be the eternal Son.

A little logic. If Christ is the image of the invisible God, and if we are to have the mind of Christ (Phil. 2.5), and if Christ is to be our example (I Pet. 2.21) then we can be like God - not God, but like God in our lives.

We are growing into the image of God - we can be like Him, all we have to do is begin to make life changes as indicated by the Word of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Vs. 16 "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:"

All things were created - all things - all thrones - all authorities. There is nothing that He did not create - how comforting is that? It has to be quite comforting to those under the thumb of dictators. God sets up and takes down governments - this is quite clear in the book of Daniel. All governments are there by His dictates. He will remove them at his discretion. America in all its splendor and power is in existence only at the good pleasure and in my opinion longsuffering of Almighty God.

Hitler bit the dirt, Mussolini bit the dirt, Tojo bit the dirt, and all sorts of others have gone by the wayside even though they seemed to be terrors that were in place forever. Imagine the Colossians - under Rome - under rule from outside - this message had to have been an encouragement to them.

Vs.17 "And he is before all things, and by him all things consist."

He is caring for all creation. Heb. 1.10-11 mentions that the creation is aging, yet Christ is not - He is able to keep this old creation going even when it is a senior citizen.

Worried about nuclear holocaust? Don't be - won't happen.
Worried about the sun burning out? Don't be - won't happen.
Worried about an ice age? Don't be - won't happen.

None of the disasters of the doom and gloom crowd can come to pass - these things may come, in part, but they will not wipe out the creation! (Read Gen. 8.22 for more proof of this.) We know about global warming - it is in a fight with Christ the sustainer - I think I know the winner.

Vs. 18 "And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all [things] he might have the preeminence."

Goodness, more theology.

Christ is the head of the body - you'd never know it to hear some pastors talk - "over at my church" "I've built this church and that church." WRONG it is Christ that builds and maintains His church.

To have a church without Christ as the head is like a chicken that has had its head removed - a body running erratically from one end of the yard to the other. Today churches are going from one fad to another to get people in rather than allow the Lord to grow His church through His methods - jazzercise, gift conferences, greeting times, contemporary music, seminars, concerts - you name it.

He is the firstborn from the dead - if He made it out, then we also will make it out of the grave - no other can hinder us from our escape.

That He might have the preeminence - well he created it all, He is upholding it all, He will outlast it all, why not let Him have his day in the news - HE NOT ONLY HAS THE PREEMEINENCE, HE IS PREEMINENT.

He should be first in your life - Romans 12.1-2 tells the believer to give themselves a living sacrifice. Our pastor years ago said of the Romans text, "There's only one problem with a living sacrifice - it keeps climbing down off the altar." He is first - we only need to allow that relationship to develop in our lives.

That He might have first place in everything. Now, just how does that relate to our lives - He deserves as the first fruits from the grave to be first in our lives.

Vs. 19 "For it pleased [the Father] that in him should all fullness dwell;"

All of it is for the Fathers good pleasure. What a good theological study - the good pleasure of God that caused His Son pain.

The term translated "fullness" is used in classical Greek of the crew of a ship or population of a city - the full number which makes up the whole. It is also used of a patch filling a hole - full to completeness. (see Col. 2.9 also) Christ is all that is needed by man.

Vs. 20 "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, [I say], whether [they be] things in earth, or things in heaven."

We saw redemption in verse fourteen (see Acts 20.28; I Cor. 6.20; I Cor. 7.23 for more) and now we see reconciliation. Reconciliation is the bringing together of two that had previously been alienated. It takes a changing of both minds to bring them back together.

Christ's work on the cross did that which was required for God to turn back to man after sin, however each individual must make their own decision - the decision to turn back to God.

It should be of note that it was God's idea to reconcile, not man's.

II Cor. 5.18-19 mentions "And all things [are] of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation"

Sin is terrible, yet God made the decision to wipe the slates clean. No more - washed away. Not just covered as in the Old Testament, but GONE. That is our message to the world.

Paul has laid out some heavy doctrine in this portion - as he usually does. For those that get disgusted with theology I say they have to throw away their Bibles if they don't want to mess with it.

What is meant by "things in heaven" - is there something in heaven that needs reconciling to God? It seems if it is where God is, there is no way that it is not reconciled to Him already, indeed, there is nothing there that ever needed reconciling.

One must assume that the text speaks of the atmosphere/universe, rather than heaven, God's dwelling place. The term used here is used of all three areas, the atmosphere, the universe, and God's dwelling place. (II Cor. 12.4; Matt. 24.29; Matt. 6.26) Let it suffice that Christ has reconciled everything and everyone that needed reconciling.

Christ has set in motion with his shed blood all that is needed for all of mankind and all of creation to be reconciled to God in one final moment of His completed work.

Vs. 21 "And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in [your] mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled"

We were enemies of God yet, He brought us to a place where we can face God with all confidence as our God and Father - no longer enemies - now Father and child.

Personal opinion here. I think one of the fallacies in the modern church is the perception that the saints are and always have been great. Wrong, God said we were alienated and enemies - how long has it been since you've heard the testimony of how someone came to know the Lord.

That used to be part of becoming a church member - sharing with the church what Christ has done in your life. For that matter when is the last time you were in a testimony time? Just believers sharing what God has been doing in their lives during the week.

Vs. 22 "In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:"

WOW the theology! HOLY, UNBLAMEABLE, AND UNREPROVEABLE before Almighty God - what a thumb of the nose to Lucifer!

So, what is theology anyway? A study of God. Soteriology is a study of salvation, ecclesiology is a study of the church, and in case you missed it we are in the middle of a brief course in Christology, a study of Christ.

Vs. 23 "If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and [be] not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, [and] which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;"

Whoooooops. What is that all talking about. Seems we have to "continue" or keep this salvation that we have gained. Can we fall away? No, but we need to see what this verse is saying.

You need the rest of the sentence. If we continue to the end we will be presented as faultless and holy, but if we step away from holy living we will not be holy and faultless, we will be in sin when we are presented to the Lord. That will be a nasty situation to find yourself in!

In the Greek there is what is called a first class condition - if and assumed to be true rather than if as we use it, maybe it will and maybe it won't. This is the thought - Paul assumes they will follow through with their living.

Gospel is the good news of salvation. Paul is the minister of that news. The term minister is the term for servant, or attendant. It is the same thought of the deacons that ministered to the Helenistic widows in the book of Acts. Does that fit the definition of minister today? Not in my mind.

The thought of being made known to the world is a problem to some. Some state that this is hyperbole - an exaggeration to gain effect, however I think the text is quite straightforward - somewhere along the line the good news was spread to the world.

I suspect this relates to the day of Pentecost (Acts 2.5-11) and the time following. There were people from all over the world present and they all knew what was going on in Jerusalem - thus when they went home, they would have been telling everyone about what they had seen. Many believe that Paul went to Spain and tradition tells us that one of the apostles went over into the far east. The known world was covered in Paul's day.

There is also the possibility that it relates to Romans 1.19, "Because that which may be known of god is manifest in them; for god hath shown it unto them."

Personally I think it probably relates to the good news getting out to the known world after Pentecost.

Just some closing thoughts.

Who was Christ according to Paul in these passages?

Image of the living God vs. 15
First born of all creation vs. 16
Creator vs. 16
Preexisted creation vs. 17
Sustains all things vs. 17
Head of the Body vs. 18
Beginning and first born of the dead vs. 18
Fullness of God dwells in Him vs. 19
Reconciled all to Himself vs. 20
Through His blood vs. 20


Does that sound like a spook that doesn't leave footprints in the dust? No. Can you kind of envision the Gnostics scattering as they hear these words from Paul?

One might wonder where Paul received all his information about Christ. Several possibilities.

1. He was a student of the Old Testament (Acts 26.4-5)
2. He was with Christ for three years in the wilderness (Gal. 1.17-18)
3. He may have received further info by revelation or illumination.
4. Possibly from Christ Himself after the wilderness. (Acts 26.16; Gal. 1.12)

Paul's belief in the deity of Christ is in line with Christ's own comments. (Jo. 10.30; Jo. 14.9; Lu. 2.49; Matt. 28.19-20; Mark 14. 61-62; Jo. 14.6-11)

APPLICATION

Let us take some time and just list the items of Christian living that are found in verses 1-14. This is what God wants. It is His desire for our life. (This is not meant to be a complete list.)

Let's consider our place in God's desire.

FAITH: 1.4,7

Faithful: Do you always do everything you can to get along with the neighbor you don't care for? God wants us faithful to his command to "love thy neighbor."

What is faith? Can we have faith in anything? Yes.

Are there limits on our faith?

1. Our faith itself may be small as was that of the disciples - "oh ye of little faith"

2. Our faith should be limited by Scripture.

a. I should not, for example, have faith that God is going to give me a new Lincoln Continental. I don't think it is God's will thus I shouldn't look for it nor place my faith in it. To look for Him to provide transportation? Yes. Maybe He will supply a car, or the bus system or the foot - we should explore the possibilities.

b. I should not rely on faith for provision of my family’s needs because I quit my job and decided to loaf for a few years.

Our faith must be in line with Scriptural principles.

3. Some times I decide something is right but really have no faith to trust with. God may limit our faith at times so that we don't do something He doesn't want us to do.

4. Doubt limits faith. Ask Peter the fellow with the wet feet about that.

LOVE: 1.4, 8

How do we really get this down practically? Make it a way of life - be a loving person.

There are two types of love. Agape which is self-sacrificing love and Philio which is brotherly love.

Can you illustrate these two types of love?

Philio: Mowing a sick Christian's lawn. Helping a widow with minor house repairs. Calling when you know a brother/sister is hurting.

Agape: There is an account of three men caught in the wilderness in a blizzard. One needed medical attention desperately. The other two men were friends - one a believer had witnessed to his friend many times. One needed to go for a doctor. The believer volunteered to go. As he prepared to go out into the night his friend asked him why he had offered when he might well die that night.

The believer told his friend that he knew if he died that night he would go to heaven, but that he knew that his friend would not go to heaven and he wanted to give him added time to accept Christ.

The difference usually is a calculated decision to do - even at the cost of one's life.

Hopeful: 1.5

We have a hope laid up - do we really look forward to living in eternity or are we laying up materials here to enjoy till we go?

Someone once said "My hope is built on nothing less than Gospel Light and Scripture press." NO! Build it on Jesus Christ - hope in HIM!

Knowledgeable: 1.5

What's the reference for the streets of Gold? Rev. 21.21 mentions "street" of gold - singular, but I don't know that "streets" is Biblical. Know what you believe!

Is there any way you can really be knowledgeable about God unless you are learning? No. You learn by reading the Word, by interacting with other believers, and by attending teaching sessions of the church.

That has truth in two areas. First the Christians ought to attend to receive that which is prepared. Secondly the pastor and teachers ought to prepare for those that attend to receive.

Open to His will: 1.1, 9

Have you ever taken time to say "God what do you want me to do with my life?" Many today work and labor for their homes and material things. That is not God's will. We are pilgrims - just passing through.

Worthy: 1.10

If Gabriel the angel had a video tape recorder strapped to his back and he followed you around filming your every move would you want Christ to attend the opening of the film?

Are we really walking worthy of His good pleasure? Are we really doing those things that honor Him? What do we watch on television, what do we talk about when we are with the boys or with the girls, what goes on in our minds when we are with ourselves - would you invite Christ into those situations?

Fruitful: 1.6

What are you doing for Christ? John 15 indicates fruitless Christians are taken home - fruit is not just soul winning - other works are involved as well. Take your total time in a week - that is 168 hours a week if my calculator is working - how many hours did you spend in items relating to Christ last week? You tell yourself how you are doing.

Learning: 1.7

How many new spiritual books have you read this year? One of our children was complaining about how much they had been reading in high school. I asked the child how many books they had read relating to spiritual things. None, was the reply.

Strong: 1.11

Are you strong when confronted by temptation? Are you strong when talking to the unsaved? Are you strong on your stand for your convictions?

Patient: 1.11

Remember now - absolute truth - we can be patient, but are we?

Joyful: 1.11

Thankful: 1.12

Have you thanked God lately for your spouse - your family - your health? Bad health is better than no health at all from a physical point of view.

We have seen way too much in this study to have covered it well in this short a time. You could spend many hours looking through this passage and learning.

Remember! We have a list of absolute truth. We have the ability to do these things. We dare not set these things aside. PUT THEM TO WORK.

You've heard them today. It is your responsibility to get busy on that list.

FAITHFUL 1.4,7
LOVING 1.4, 8
HOPEFUL 1.5
KNOWLEDGEABLE 1.5
OPEN TO HIS WILL 1.1, 9
WORTHY 1.10
FRUITFUL 1.6
LEARNING 1.7
STRONG 1.11
PATIENT 1.11
JOYFUL 1.11
THANKFUL 1.12

And we have only covered twenty-three verses!

He created us.
He is perfecting us.
He is preparing us.

We are works in progress. He is preparing us for What? What is His purpose in preparing us?

Service is all I can think of. He wouldn't go to all that trouble so we can sit on our beds of ease - He ain't no dumb God.

God didn't send His Son to die on the cross so we could be couch potatoes - He has a plan for our lives - for our service!

Find His will and get busy!

Misc.

Beet on Colossians 1.24:

In what sense are these strange words true? In this sense. When Christ breathed His last upon the cross, all the sufferings needful for the complete establishment of the Kingdom of God had not yet been endured. For the full realization of the purposes of God it was needful, not only that Christ should die for the sins of the world, but that the Gospel should be preached to all nations. This involved, owing to the wickedness of men, hardship to the preachers.


This hardship Paul willingly endured in order to save men. Consequently, just as the life on earth of the servants of Christ is in some sense an extension of His incarnation, (for in them He lives, Galatians 2:20) so the sufferings of Paul where in a similar sense a continuation and completion of the sufferings of Christ. This is in close harmony with, and further emphasizes, Paul's constant teaching that Christ's servants share all that Christ has and is and does: 1 Corinthians 1:9; Philippians 3:10; Romans 8:17. But it by no means suggests that Paul's sufferings were in any sense propitiatory or that Christ's sufferings were not so. For the one point in common here mentioned and made conspicuous by repetition is suffering 'on behalf of' another. Propitiation for sin is here entirely out of view.

Notice the infinite dignity here given to sufferings endured for the spread of the Gospel. These, Christ condescends to join with His own mysterious agony on the cross as endured for the benefit of the Church which He recognizes as His own body. 'In' such sacred 'sufferings' well might Paul 'rejoice.' Notice again, as in Colossians 1:18 in conjunction with the same metaphor, 'the Church' Universal. EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS; Beet, Joseph Agar; The Complete Christian Collection CDROM.
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Paul's Letter to the Colossians: An Exegetical and Devotional Commentary; Keathley, J. Hampton III; Biblical Studies Press 2002; http://bible.org/docs/nt/books/col/jhk3/index.htm#TopOfPage

The simplest and most logical explanation stems from the mystical union that exists between Christ and that of His people in the body of Christ, the church. When believers suffer, Christ suffers with them. Christ's substitutionary sufferings are finished, complete, but His sufferings in and through His people continue. This concept is expressed in several other passages of the New Testament (cf. Matt. 25:34-40; 2 Cor. 1:5; Phil. 3:10; Acts 9:4-5). Paul never directly persecuted the Lord Jesus, nevertheless, when on the Damascus road, Paul heard these words from Christ, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" So he said, "Who are you, Lord?" He replied, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting" (Acts. 9:4-5).

... Soon afterwards he heard of further words spoken by Him, "For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake" (9:16). Paul had come to understand that everything done in and for the body of Christ was done in and for Christ Himself. He and the body were one. Thus, the sufferings of Paul were the afflictions of Christ, because He suffered in and with Paul (cf. 2 Cor 1:5-7; 4:10-12). Lightfoot's idea of continuity between His afflictions and the church's is valid, too. In fact, the sufferings of Paul, which arose out of persecution, were simply the continuation of the world's quarrel with Jesus Christ (cf. John 15:18-21). It is a very immature theology, then, which claims that all suffering is alien to the will of God, and it reaches its ultimate expression in the blind and foolish request, "If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross" (Matt 27:40), and its shattering repudiation in the shout of suffering
dereliction, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (27:46).

It is no wonder, then, that Paul rejoiced in his sufferings. Seen in the light of his union with Christ, they were
transfigured and made an occasion for fellowship with Him, as well as a benefit to the body, the church.177