The Church at Colossi
Introduction:
Colossians
forms a part of what is usually called the “Prison Epistles”:
Ephesians, Philippians, and Philemon
being the others. These books are so-called because they were
written during Paul’s first Roman imprisonment. [61-63 A.D.]
The city itself was located in Asia Minor, Phrygia in particular,
on the banks of the river Lycus. Today this is modern Turkey.
Laodicea was only about ten miles west and Ephesus another one
hundred miles.
There is no direct statement in the Scripture telling
about the establishment of the church there. From information
in this book and in Philemon, it is very possible that the church at
Colosse met in Philemon’s house.
Why did Paul write this letter? While imprisoned in
Rome, he was able to receive visitors. Apparently Epaphras came to
Paul telling him how the church at Colosse was doing. Certain ones
had begun teaching error on different subjects, especially on who
Christ really was. This error stemmed from two different groups:
Jews [In the 3rd century B.C. Antiochus III
had sent two thousand families here.] and Gentiles. [Many of
whom were saying that Jesus was not the Son of God.] So Paul
stressed in this letter that Jesus possessed the fullness of the
Godhead and that Christians’ spiritual needs are all met in Christ.
We are complete in Him.
Paul’s method of refuting error should serve as a
model for us today. He did not seek some middle of the road
compromise, but used the sword of the Spirit to cut away error to
reveal the truth. Only the truth can make us free. (John
8:32) “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you
free.” NKJV “The book of Colossians
calls all Christians to love Christ and His truth.” T. Warren
Text: Colossians 1:1-8
Colossians 1:1-2
“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy
our brother, To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are
in Colosse: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ.” NKJV
Theme: The truth is essential for the church to
survive.
Body:
I.
The Truth Produces Faith and Love
Colossians 1:3-4, 7-8
“We
give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying
always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of
your love for all the saints; 7 as you also learned from
Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of
Christ on your behalf, who also declared to us your love in the
Spirit.” NKJV
Epaphras, a minister to the church at Colosse, had
informed Paul of their faith and love. Faith comes from hearing
God’s Word. (Romans 10:17) “So then faith comes by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God.” NKJV (John 17:17) “Sanctify
them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” NKJV This kind of
faith cannot be kept quiet or hidden because it is active. Others
will soon hear about this and wonder what is happening. (Romans
1:8) “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that
your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.” NKJV It
gives us strength when we hear about the strong faith of others. We
are thankful for it. (Ephesians 1:15-16) “Therefore I also,
after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all
the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of
you in my prayers:” NKJV Paul was thankful for their faith
in Christ Jesus. Their faith was not in angels,
human philosophy, mankind, but in Christ. This is the only kind of
faith that can save. (Galatians 3:26-27) “For you are all sons
of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were
baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” NKJV The truth also
produces love both for God and for each other. (I John 4:7-11)
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone
who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does
not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was
manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into
the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not
that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the
propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also
ought to love one another.” NKJV (I John 3:18-19) “My little
children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in
truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall
assure our hearts before Him.” NKJV The Holy Spirit, through
His Word [the truth] should influence us to love each other with a
“pure heart fervently.”
II.
The Truth Produces Hope
Colossians 1:5
“because of the hope which is laid up for you in
heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the
gospel,” NKJV The Colossians’ hope had come through the truth,
the gospel. It did not come from feelings, but from a proper
understanding of the truth. (Ephesians 1:13a) “In Him you also
trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation:” NKJV Their hope was one of eternal happiness and
joy in heaven. (I Peter 1:3-4) “Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has
begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled
and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,” NKJV
Our hope is based on Christ and His resurrection from the dead.
(Colossians 1:27) “To them God willed to make known what are the
riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is
Christ in you the hope of glory.” NKJV So unless Christ is in
us and we in Him, we have no real hope. (Galatians 3:27) “For
as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
NKJV The knowledge and confidence of this hope can be a very
powerful influence in our lives. (Hebrews 6:18-19) “that by
two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we
might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold
of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the
soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind
the veil,” NKJV
III.
The Truth Produces Fruit Colossians 1:6
“which
has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing
forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and
knew the grace of God in truth;” NKJV
The gospel, the truth which sets man free, came to
them and bore fruit in two ways.
·
First, it produced children of God, the Christians at
Colosse. (I Peter 1:22-23) “Since you have purified your souls
in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the
brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been
born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the
word of God which lives and abides forever,” NKJV
The pure gospel will only produce Christians – not a
certain “kind” or “type” of Christian, but only Christians – nothing
more, nothing less. It will produce “saved” people, not a member of
a religious order, cult, or denomination. It’s impossible for the
gospel to produce anything other than a Christian.
·
The truth also produces good works in the lives of
each Christian, works of righteousness. When the gospel is received
and allowed to influence our hearts, precious fruit is brought
forth, such as is described in James 3: 17-18. “But the wisdom that
is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to
yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without
hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those
who make peace.”
NKJV
Invitation:
Do you possess real hope as we have seen today? Only
those in Christ have it. Is your Christian life producing fruit
because of your active faith?
Bobby Stafford October 30, 2016
Colossians: Lesson 1 Colossians 1:1-8
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