Pauls Epistle to the Colossians (1)

First Baptist Church Leominster

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I mentioned David Burris in praying. He was scheduled to return tomorrow.

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We had made this reservation six months ago. I thought there might be some hesitancy or difficulty, so I was able to obtain a refundable ticket.

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It cost a little bit more back then, but thankfully we were able to cancel. Apparently tomorrow they've got a world summit in Manila and world leaders coming from all over the world.

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Security is terrible. They were canceling flights left and right. They actually moved his flight from 1230 noon back to 240 a .m.

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and he just didn't have time to get there, didn't have a ride to get there. So I did everything.

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I was on the phone for well over an hour trying to make changes and finally I just said let's cancel it, which he was actually hoping would happen, and so we'll see if he comes back.

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He may not. I don't know. He's got a fruitful ministry there. I'm hoping he stays on.

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Well let us begin this morning with the reading of Colossians 1 and we'll read the first 14 verses, although certainly we're not going to be able to cover that.

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We'll hopefully get through verses 1 and 2, as well as some introductory information on this epistle,

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Paul's epistle to the Colossians. Colossians 1 verses 1 through 14, and this is the

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English Standard Version, I believe. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae, grace to you and peace from God our

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Father. We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.

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Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you as indeed in the whole world, it is bearing fruit and increasing, as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth.

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Just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant, he is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the spirit.

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And so from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the

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Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.

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May you be strengthened with all power according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy, giving thanks to the

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Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints of light.

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He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved

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Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

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Let's pray. Thank you, Father, for your word that you have given to us.

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We thank you, our God, that by this word we can learn more of you, and as a result learn more about ourselves and how we should live before you.

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We pray, our God, that you would bless your word to our hearing, illuminate our minds to understand your word.

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We pray the blessed Holy Spirit would apply these words to our lives as well.

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We pray that the instructions given, the admonitions given, in and through this epistle would take root in our lives, in the life of our church.

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We pray, Lord, that we can be and experience everything that you set forth before us,

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Lord, as the blessing of your people who enjoy these things through Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray, amen.

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So today we begin this series of messages based on this epistle of Paul written to the church in the city of Colossae.

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We'll, of course, discover in our study that a number of ideas and themes are the same or quite similar to some of Paul's other epistles, as well as other portions of God's written word, and therefore we desire not only to set forth what this epistle directly teaches us, the exact text, but also we'll address matters that are suggested by our text as they relate to other portions of Holy Scripture.

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As with the beginning of a study of any book of the Bible, it's important to understand some preliminary matters that will enhance our understanding and appreciation of the text as it unfolds before us.

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This is what is commonly referred to as matters of introduction, and you notice I put introduction in quotation marks.

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For in the arena of biblical studies, the introduction of a book has a technical meaning. It's not just like the introduction to a book that we commonly associate with, but rather an introduction in biblical studies is more technical, more involved.

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Introduction has to do with specific information about a book, and so normally an introduction addresses matters of authorship, the date in which a book was written, the place where the book was written, the identification of the original readers, including the place to which the book was sent.

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Oftentimes the canonicity of the book, how did the book get into the Bible as a word of God, is set forth in matters of introduction.

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And then also major themes are rehearsed regarding a book, and so a valuable resource is a good book, an introduction to the

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New Testament, and there are a handful of them that are that are quite good and valuable. And just because it says introduction, you should not think that somehow it's rudimentary and simplistic.

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It's not. It involves very important matters regarding some question.

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Now let's consider, therefore, the introduction to this epistle first by considering the origin of the church.

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How did this church begin? The city of Colossae was located about a hundred to a hundred and twenty miles east of the city of Ephesus.

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There in what is now western Turkey, the mountains are quite high, reaching well over 10 ,000 feet, and they are mountain ranges that basically run, the ridge of the mountains run east and west, and so down these valleys going east and west, you have rivers flowing commonly.

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And Colossae sits within this valley about a hundred miles east of Ephesus. It's in an area near the foot of the mountains, and it has been fed for centuries by fresh springs from really the snow -capped mountains just to the south of it, and the waters are clear and fresh.

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It sat on the Lycus River, which is a tributary to the larger

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Meander River that flows down through that valley. And although it was more prominent in an earlier time, it wasn't so much in the first century because the two cities to the west,

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Laodicea about 12 miles and Hierapolis about five miles north of Laodicea or so, became prominent in the first century.

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When I was there back in the 90s, a friend of mine from California, Rick Boefinger, and I had rented a car and we drove to that region of Colossae.

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It has never been excavated formally, and whereas some of the other sites are well -preserved like Ephesus and Pergamum, Colossae isn't, and so it wasn't even well marked on the map.

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I had a map of Turkey in German, and so we were trying to locate these places.

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It was an adventure, but we found the ancient place of Colossae, and it was basically kind of like a plateau leveled off dirt smooth.

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You would see, you know, some ancient stones, clearly building stones, sticking out here and there, but the area around was very lush with trees and a farming community, a beautiful, nice, cool breeze blowing through, and I remember as we were leaving there and coming down the road, we passed a mule -drawn cart.

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This cart was maybe, you know, five feet wide, maybe ten, twelve feet long, and it was stacked maybe four or five feet high with conquered grapes, or grapes that appeared like conquered grapes, just loaded down and overflowing, and there was this old man and woman who looked like they were, you know, well into their 90s, you know, in this mule cart coming down the road, so Rick stopped.

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He wanted to take a picture of this. We stopped about a hundred yards in front of them, got out in the middle of the road.

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There was nobody around. It was just a rural road, and we took pictures all the way up until they came up to us, and they stopped, and they were very cheerful, and they gave us loads of grapes to take with us, and we went on our way.

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That was our little bit of experience of Colossae, and I just remember it was a beautiful area.

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In great contrast to Laodicea, which again was 12 miles to the west down in the valley, which had a few rolling hills, really kind of depressions, very few ruins, except once in a while in one of these depressions you would see maybe a ruined amphitheater or whatnot.

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There was a tower in the middle that was a water distribution point, but there was hardly any semblance of a civilization there, and it was almost barren ground.

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There was little bits of brown grass, and this this went on, you know, maybe for two, three miles in every direction.

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It was a very barren place, and it was hot, and by the time the water got that 12 miles from Colossae down into Laodicea, it was rather tepid in temperature and mineral rich, because Hierapolis, just about five miles north of Laodicea, was a region of hot springs, mineral springs, and even in the first century it was a

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Roman resort, and it is today. It's called Pamucolae, and if you go there, you see pictures of it if you look on the internet, and it looks almost like a snow -capped mountain, but it's not.

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They are actually salt deposits, and they actually shape, they carve out pools, and so the water cascades down the mountain into these pools, and they have motels where you can get a room that actually steps out in the back into these mineral pools, and so it's a resort today, even.

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Well, anyway, somehow a lot of those minerals must get into the water by the time it reaches

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Laodicea, and so it's not the fresh flowing clear waters of Colossae, but rather it's the lukewarm waters that want to make you vomit down in Laodicea, of which our

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Lord Jesus alluded to, of course, in Revelation 3 when he mentioned the church at Laodicea, and so although these cities of Laodicea and Hierapolis were nearby, they were quite different in some respects.

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At the time of the writing of this epistle, Paul had not visited this church at Colossae. He had never been there, and so he had not started the church, and this can be understood by Paul's comments in Colossians 1 verses 3 and 4 that we read.

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He wrote, we always thank God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ when we pray for you since we heard of your faith in Christ.

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He heard it from another person, Epaphras, no doubt, and he heard of not only their faith in Christ, but their love that they had for all other believers, and then in Colossians 2 .1

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he wrote, I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and for those in Laodicea, for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, and so the church at Colossae had not seen him, met him, nor had those in the church at Laodicea, not far away.

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And so again, how was this church begun? Well, the church was probably founded by Epaphras, an acquaintance of the

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Apostle Paul who may have been converted under Paul's ministry when he was in Ephesus.

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Epaphras then probably returned home to Colossae and evangelized, forming the church of new disciples of Jesus Christ.

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Paul mentioned Epaphras, we read of it, of this you have heard, speaking of the gospel, of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel which has come to you as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing as it also does among you since the day you heard it understood the grace of God and truth just as you learned it from Epaphras.

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And then Paul describes him, our beloved fellow servant, and then he gave this glowing recommendation, he is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and he's made known to us your love in the

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Spirit. And so Paul's knowledge of this church and these people was indirect, it was through Epaphras.

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Later in the epistle, Paul refers to Epaphras as one of them, in other words, a citizen of Colossae, a member of the church there,

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Colossians 4 12 and 13. Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you always laboring fervently for you in prayers that you may stand perfect, complete in all the will of God.

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I bear him witness, he has a great zeal for you and those who are in Laodicea and those in Hierapolis.

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Again, there's three cities all within a small or short distance of one another.

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You want me to relate my story of Laodicea? Some of you have heard it. I'll do it.

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Rick and I headed out, you know, from Ephesus and it got dark and, you know, there weren't a lot of good signs and whatnot and you don't read, we don't read

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Turkish, but we were trying to find Laodicea. So we're driving all afternoon, the traffic was wild, couldn't find it.

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We finally found a hotel, let's stop here, and so we went into this hotel and and they included food.

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It was like 20 bucks for the night for the two of us and they provided dinner down in the cellar.

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They had a large room about the size of a fellowship hall and they had tables with all the forbidden foods laying out there.

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Everything the State Department said stay away from, you know, you're not supposed to eat anything unless you can peel it or break it open basically.

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And here, you know, you had every kind of meat and onions and olives and pickles and we were so hungry we just loaded up.

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And so we were sitting there on this table and there was a large table on one end and there was a

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German tourist group of several dozen people there and there was others sitting around too.

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And I noticed these two women coming in, they were both wearing trench coats and they went and sat over there.

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Rick was facing me, they sat on the other side and after a little while the music began and these two women pulled off their trench coats and they were a couple belly dancers.

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And so they started dancing around and they went over to the table of Germans and one of them grabbed this guy and ripped his shirt off and started dancing with him.

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And then the other gal looked over at us and Rick is looking at me kind of afraid and I said,

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Rick, we got to make like Joseph and beat it out of here, man. So we took off and so we went up to our room.

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Anyway, about an hour later I got violently ill and so I was on my knees most of the night in front of the ivory idol and I was sick.

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And so in the morning we come, you know, it was like I was hungover.

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We come out of the motel into the parking lot, you know, and I was washed out.

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And so here's this great big billboard and it said, welcome to Laodicea. And of course that's the church

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Jesus said, you know, I'll spew you out of my mouth. And so Rick says, well

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I suppose if you're gonna get sick this is the place to do it. That was my, that was our experience of Laodicea.

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It was an adventure. Well anyway, Epaphras was involved with churches in Hierapolis and Laodicea as well as Colossae.

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He was one of them from Colossae. The church may have met in the house of Philemon.

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Philemon must have been a man of some means. He was, of course, the man to whom

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Paul addressed that short epistle regarding his servant who had run away to Rome and then come in contact with Paul.

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Apparently was converted and Paul wanted to send him back to his master Philemon so he wrote that letter.

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And he made reference to a church that met in Philemon's house. And so Philemon, verses 1 & 2, there's only one chapter,

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Paul a prisoner of Christ Jesus, Timothy our brother, to Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer, to the beloved

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Apphia, that was probably Philemon's wife, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house.

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And so the church in Colossae was probably in the house of Philemon. Now what about the authorship and occasion for the epistle?

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There is no valid questioning of Paul as the author and although again he had not visited the church prior to his writing this epistle, he wrote with the authority of his apostleship.

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And you might notice that in the way he opens his letter, verse 1, chapter 1.

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Paul was confident that the church had been well instructed in the faith, Colossians 2, 6 & 7, as you've been therefore received

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Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in him, rooted and built up in him, establish in the faith as you have been taught.

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He didn't mention Epaphras by name but it seems like he's intimating regarding him.

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And so apparently Epaphras had learned well from Paul and the church had learned well from Epaphras. He was a faithful minister.

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We ought to be concerned about who will come in after us, right, and fill our shoes as it were.

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Paul described Epaphras as having been a faithful minister. But false teachers had troubled the church.

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Later when Paul was in prison in Rome, Epaphras came to see him and at one point

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Paul even described Epaphras as a fellow prisoner. He may have been arrested also.

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Epaphras had come to Rome to see Paul to inform him about the church in Colossae, probably to encourage

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Paul but also to solicit advice from Paul about a problem in the church back home.

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Apparently there was a terrible heresy that was threatening the well -being of the church.

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And so Paul wrote this epistle, the Epistle to the Colossians, primarily to address and correct this errant teaching and to affirm these believers in Jesus Christ.

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Date of the writing, although there is some disagreement about this, most conservative scholars would say

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Paul wrote this epistle from his Roman prison cell anywhere from AD 60 to 62.

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And you'll see both those dates set forth by commentators.

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This would have been during Paul's first imprisonment there. We believe that he was probably released and then there was a second imprisonment which resulted in his martyrdom.

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When he was first in prison he wrote the Epistle to 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy and he anticipated in 1

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Timothy that he was going to be released, confident he would be released. 2 Timothy he thought he was going to be executed, pour out his life as an offering to the

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Lord. And so 1 Timothy probably reflects his first imprisonment, 2 Timothy his second imprisonment in Rome.

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And so Paul also probably wrote the Epistle to the Ephesians as well, his personal letter to Philemon at the same time or about the same time as he wrote this

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Epistle to the Colossians. In fact we're going to see some similar similarities between Colossians and Ephesians when we work through this.

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Now what about the heresy that threatened the church? Well there was a specific kind of heresy that threatened the church but really identification of the precise heresy is simply not possible.

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Back in seminary back in the 80s I read a journal article of a scholar who basically tried to bring together all the different scholarly proposals as to the nature of this heresy at Colossae and he had gathered 33 distinct different assertions.

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This is the nature of the heresy and so the bottom line is you really can't know specifically what the heresy was.

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For Paul doesn't describe the heresy, he does prescribe the remedy for it and therefore we can certainly glean some idea of the nature of the heresy but we cannot identify directly specifically and to attempt to do so is probably doomed to failure.

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And so Paul did not identify specifically the content of the heresy but he did set forth the doctrines of the

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Christian faith that countered and corrected the errors to which the church was subjected by this heresy.

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And so when we consider some of the clear instruction of the Apostle, the general nature of the heresy may be somewhat reconstructed.

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And so what are the doctrinal emphases of this epistle? And I've listed some for us.

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First of all and perhaps most importantly you have the Christology of the epistle, the setting forth of Jesus Christ, his person, his nature, who he is and what he's like and what he does.

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And so Paul gave great detail and emphasis to the person of Christ particularly in the first chapter.

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The manner in which Paul depicts Christ seems to suggest that he was correcting some of the teachings of Gnosticism that had its beginnings in the first century but became a great challenge to the

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Christian churches in the second century. Maybe half of professing

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Christendom became Gnostic and they were heretics in the second century but there are suggestions in this epistle and in John's epistles in the

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Revelation and the Gospel of John that there were some incipient beginnings of this Gnostic heresy that they had to deal with in the churches of the first century.

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And so there is a high Christology. This is a Christ -centered epistle and this is one of the reasons why we thought it would be good for us to consider.

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Secondly, we might consider also the philosophical nature of the heresy.

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In chapter 2, the Apostle warns against being corrupted by philosophy and therefore he warned the church, beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.

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Some of the Greek words, by the way, that Paul used, such as those translated as fullness, pleiroma, knowledge, gnosos, the neglect of the body, aphidia, somatos, were words that were commonly used by the

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Gnostic heretics of the second century. And so there's a similarity of language here that Paul uses.

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And then there's also a Jewish association with this heresy. The references and allusions to Jewish traditions and practices complicate the identification of the heresy.

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And so Paul addresses the matter of Jewish circumcision that seemed to be corrupted and promoted.

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We read in Colossians 2 .11 Christ, in Christ you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ.

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And then in chapter 3, do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man with his deeds and have put on the new man who's renewed in knowledge according to the image of him who created him where there is neither

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Greek nor Jew circumcised nor uncircumcised barbarian scythian slave nor free but Christ is all in all.

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It would seem that these heretics were presenting some type of Jewish ritualism that singled them out as distinct.

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And Paul was addressing the nature of true circumcision of the heart regeneration.

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And then also Paul warned the church against emphasizing matters of food and drink, festival or new moon or Sabbath.

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These are Jewish terms and practices alluding to Jewish traditions. And so it's apparent that the heresy that Paul was correcting contained

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Jewish elements. And then the matter of angel worship also was caught up in this heresy.

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Paul addressed the error of elevating angels to an errant stature. You have some of that in evangelicalism today, don't you?

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Touched by an angel. And so Paul wrote, let no one cheat you of your reward, take in delight and false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, not holding fast to the head, that would be

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Christ, from whom all the body nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments grows with the increase that is from God.

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This too may suggest a Jewish background. However, the later Gnostics had developed a very elaborate angeology, believing that they were intermediaries, the angels were intermediaries between us, we're fallen in flesh, who could not come into the presence of God, who is spirit and good.

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And so we needed to have intermediaries, demiurges, bridging the gap between us and God.

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And so they had a very elaborate system of angels and they worshiped them.

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And Paul teaches them that Jesus Christ is the only true mediator between God and man, he is

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God fully manifested in the flesh. And so although the identification of the specific heresy is not possible, some information is available, but again it's not, it's actually not the knowledge of the heresy that we need, but rather the remedy that Paul set forth, which is valuable and beneficial for Christians.

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That's the point, the Holy Spirit used this, didn't he, in order to put down truths that we need to understand, we need to know and apply to our lives.

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And the answer really to all that threatened the orthodoxy of this church was met with the full realization of the person of Jesus Christ and the benefits that are accrued by being in union with him as Christians.

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And so Colossians is a Christ -rich, Christ -centered epistle that is able to confirm and establish his people in any place and in any age.

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One set forth the substance of Colossians in this way, the epistle contains a high

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Christology. Christ is preeminent over all other creatures and over creation itself.

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In fact, all things were not only created by him but for him. He is seen in the center of the universe, sovereign over all principalities and powers, over all agencies, that is to say, which might challenge his authority.

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And not only so, he is the image of God and the possessor of the fullness of God, and these statements could not fail to exalt him to an equality with God.

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He is further described as the head of the church, which is conceived of as his body. The Christological passage in which all of these ideas are expressed is followed immediately by a statement regarding Christ's redemptive work, and this work is supported by further statement of 2 .14,

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that in the cross Christ triumphed over all his enemies. Clearly Paul's purpose is to demonstrate the immeasurable superiority of Christ as contrasted with the inadequate presentation of him being advocated by the

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Colossian false teachers. Amen. That's a good summary and description of this epistle, and because it's therefore

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Christ -centered, it cannot help but be beneficial for us, edifying for us, encouraging, and also strengthening for us.

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We might just consider briefly the organization or the order of the epistle.

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Outlines are helpful, some more so than others. I actually included several just for your consideration.

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The first one seems to maybe reflect the contents most thoroughly and accurately.

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We have an initial salutation, and then we have the person and work of Christ set forth, and in doing so,

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Paul's thanksgiving for the Colossians' faith, Paul's prayer that the Colossians may increase in the knowledge and love of God revealed in Christ, Paul's stewardship of the revelation of God, Paul's concern for the

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Christians of the Lycus Valley, and then he advocates, go on as you have begun.

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And then thirdly, false teaching and its antidote. Christ is all and all you need.

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Guard your freedom, and then we have two sections. You died with Christ, therefore you rose with Christ, therefore, and then we have the

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Christian life in which he gives instruction. You're to put off some things as a Christian. You're to put on some things as a

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Christian. You're to be subject to some things as a Christian. You're to watch and pray as a

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Christian. And then he concludes with some personal notes. He describes

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Paul's messengers, greetings from Paul's companions, greetings to various friends, and then a final greetings.

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That is a good reflection of the content. There is another outline

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I've included, Christ the preeminent one, the only and all sufficient Savior. And here you have a

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Christ -centered epistle being depicted. And so in chapters 1 & 2, this only and all -sufficient

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Savior is the object of the believer's faith. This truth is expounded positively in chapter 1, and then in chapter 2, it's expounded both positively and negatively.

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And then in chapters 3 & 4, this only and all -sufficient Savior is the source of the believer's life, and thus the real answer to the perils by which they are confronted.

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And so he applies this truth to all believers, and then applies this truth to special groups, and then closing admonitions.

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You see how an outline can bring out different emphases of a writing? Like J.

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Sidlow Baxter, he has a way of alliterating an outline of a passage.

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Sometimes it's a little forced, but he just has a way of putting a fourth.

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If there's only, if there's one person who is better at outlining than he, and then his name slips my mind, mercy.

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Oh well, it'll come to me sometime. Anyway, this is J. Sidlow Baxter. Introductory Thanksgiving verses 1 through 8, opening prayer for fullness and worthy walk, 9 through 14.

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And then he has a doctrinal section, and then a practical section. Now this is common in Paul's epistles, and so first, doctrinal that you may be filled, chapters 1 & 2,

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Christ the fullness of God in creation, Christ the fullness of God in redemption, Christ the fullness of God in the church,

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Christ the fullness of God versus heresy, and then practical, chapters 3 & 4, that you may walk worthy, the new life and believers individually, new life and believers reciprocally, the new life and domestic relationships, the new life employment obligations, and new life and them that are without.

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In other words, we're non -Christians. And so, outlines are helpful, give you a sense of the major ideas or themes.

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Warren Weersbe, best outliner of the Bible that there is, in my opinion. Warren Weersbe, he used to do

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Back to the Bible on radio years ago, but he has, he's an author too, and I'm not saying that his teaching is as clear and sound as others, but as far as his ability to outline the

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Bible, there's nobody that touches him. Well, let's consider the contents of the epistle now, and again, in the time we have, we just want to look at verses 1 & 2.

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This is Paul's greeting. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother, to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae, grace to you, and peace from God our

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Father. Paul begins his epistle in the typical fashion of an epistle of that day.

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He first identified himself in Timothy, and in doing so here, he gives his apostolic credentials.

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He then identified his recipients to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae, and he then gave a customary greeting, grace to you, and peace from God our

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Father. So let's just consider some of these. In Paul's greeting, he identified himself as an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.

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Apostles were special emissaries for Jesus Christ in the early decades of the

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Christian era. The Lord Jesus individually called them, trained them, equipped them, each one to be his apostle, and sent him, them, forth to represent him, going forth with the authority to speak truth on his behalf.

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When they spoke, he spoke. That was the nature of the apostolic office.

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There are no other apostles than those that are listed in the New Testament. It was a temporary office.

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There are those among our Pentecostal friends who claim that the office of apostle continues today, and they claim they have apostles, and they come with authority, they claim, and they have prophetic utterances, and they have undue influence on many people.

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They are not a message through them. It does not need further authentication. It needs to be believed now.

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There's no question as to its validity. God proved it, and so the witness of the apostles has been substantiated by the

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Lord working through them, and so our Lord taught, now the case is true, a sinful and adulterous generation seeks after a sign.

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It's an unbelieving world that has to have a sign to believe. No, we're to believe the record that God has given us through Jesus Christ, through his apostles.

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Paul did not always assert his apostleship, however, before his readers in his epistle, but since this church had not known him directly or personally, and since he would be bringing correction to this church in his epistle, it was important that he assert his apostolic authority at the outset of his epistle.

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Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, you know, by the will of God, and so he identified himself as an apostle.

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He claimed for himself to have the authority of Jesus Christ, who had called him and commissioned him.

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He was an apostle by the will of God, and so God had conferred authority upon him, and with that authority came responsibility for him to care for the churches of Jesus Christ.

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You'll hear it commonly, some argue against Paul's teaching. Well, that was Paul, but Jesus never taught that, and that is ludicrous.

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Everything the apostles taught, Jesus was teaching through them. They had that authority.

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So the word apostle means one who is sent, and so when an apostle spoke or wrote, he did so as an authoritative representative of Jesus Christ.

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Paul claimed to be an apostle, again, one on which the church was being built, and so here, in his opening words to this epistle, he was asserting his apostolic authority in order for his readers to embrace what he was saying as valid, as true, as authentic, even though he had never visited this church.

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He was adding authoritative weight to the substance of his letter to his readers by asserting his apostleship.

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Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of...Paul included

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Timothy in his greeting. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother.

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Why do you do that? Now, it could be that Timothy was helping Paul write this letter. Paul didn't write any of his letters entirely by his own hand.

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He would always sign his letters with his own hand. He probably had poor eyesight.

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There were others that were sending letters around purporting to have been written by Paul, trying to lead people astray, and so Paul, in order to authenticate which letters were actually his, he would write the last words of the epistle, and I think it's

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Galatians, doesn't he say, you see what large, large letters I'm writing? You know, and it was apparent this was

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Paul who completed this letter. It was basically a seal of authentication.

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Paul wrote, but here...so Timothy may have been assisting him in writing. He...Timothy had been at Paul, you know, first Timothy asked

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Paul...Paul asked Timothy to come, you know, bring the parchments, you know, bring the books, especially the parchments, bring the cloak, and Timothy was with him, but Paul may have had more in mind than conveying that Timothy had co -authored the epistle to the

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Church of Colossae, and it was during this time that Paul had written the first epistle to Timothy, and in that epistle he was seeking to instruct and commission

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Timothy on pastoring the church at Ephesus, and so Paul knew Timothy was going to be there at Ephesus.

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That was the major church center of that region, and so with Timothy there in Ephesus, and by including him in this...in

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this letter, he was really affirming and confirming

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Timothy in the eyes of Colossae that existed a hundred, hundred twenty miles to the east, that in the future he might have weight with them, influence with them perhaps, and so I think he was commending

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Timothy here in their...in their sight. Paul identified to whom he was writing.

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He wrote to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae. These are important words.

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This, of course, should not be seen as two groups, but rather one group only, their saints and faithful brothers.

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Paul assumed everyone in the church was a true believer, saints and faithful brothers. This is not to say that everyone was so absolutely, for it's possible there are some tares among wheat in every church, but here

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I think we see evidence that a local church should be comprised of people who give evidence of having been genuinely converted to Christ.

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They're saints and they are fellow brothers. Later on, again, he'll mention, since I heard of your faith and your love for the saints, he was convinced these people were born again, regenerate, and this is a distinctive of Baptist churches.

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You know, we...we believe that the Bible teaches only regenerate people should become members of churches, not believers and their children, but believers.

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And although children of believing parents are blessed and they're in a privileged position and they're responsible for the

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Lord of it, but they're certainly privileged, they are not formal members of the covenant community because they're not in their new covenant with God through Jesus Christ until they become holy ones, until they become faithful brothers and sisters in Christ.

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And so Paul is writing to the church and he's presuming these people are born again, regenerate.

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I think this is important. Paul wrote this epistle to the saints.

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We have to say a word about this. You know, we're in Roman Catholic New England and you hear about this from time to time.

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There's much confusion about this as to what group of people this signifies. Of course, everywhere in the

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New Testament, saints refer to Christians. Not to dead Christians, but to living

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Christians. Every true Christian is a saint. This is the language of God's Word.

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Obviously, Paul wasn't writing to dead people. He was writing to the saints, Christians at Colossae in this church.

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And so the term saint describes those not who do exceptional acts of righteousness.

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In other words, they're not special Christians, more holy Christians than others, but rather they are true

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Christians, saints or true believers. And just as we're never instructed to worship angels, we're never instructed to worship saints, are we?

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And this is important because some do. We're to worship God only.

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And to reverence or worship departed Christians because they've been designated to be saints is wrong.

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And the Bible clearly teaches that. In the book of Revelation, we read what occurred when the

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Apostle John attempted to worship an angel. Revelation 19, and I fell at his feet to worship him.

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Speaking of the angel speaking to him. But he said to me, see that you do not do that. I am your fellow servant and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus.

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Worship God. We're not to worship anyone but God only.

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Some people think that they're doing right by doing homage to Christians who have died. But God says, according, you know, to John's experience, see that you do not do that.

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He says in his word, I am the Lord, that's my name and my glory. I'll not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

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We worship God and him alone. Now, saints is not a term for super Christians who've died, but it's a term for every true

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Christian. So what does the word saint mean or suggest? Well, it describes both the

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Christian's position as well as the character of the Christian. The Greek word for saints simply means holy ones.

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A Christian is is holy, hagios. Christians are both wholly respecting their position and should be in their character.

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First, let's consider Christians as being positionally holy. The root idea of being holy is to be set apart for the service of God.

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Under the Old Testament economy, when articles of furniture, utensils were to be used in the service of God, they underwent a ceremonial cleansing.

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And then they were recognized to be used for this purpose, for God's service. They were no longer to be regarded or used in ordinary or profane ways.

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They were set apart. They were made holy, set apart for the service of God.

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And every true Christian has been positionally set apart by God in this way. If you're a

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Christian, God has called you out from among all sinners, and he has purposed and he has regarded you to be employed in his service.

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He has set you apart positionally, every one of us who are Christians. Paul mentioned this in Romans 1.

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Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God.

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And then we drop down in that paragraph. He speaks, among whom you also are called by Jesus Christ to all who are in Rome to be saints.

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If you're a Christian, you are a saint. 1st Corinthians 1. Paul called to be an apostle of Christ.

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Drop down. To those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints. To be sanctified positionally here is to be a holy one, set apart for God.

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That's what it is to be a saint. So if you're a true believer in Christ, you're a saint. And you're not a saint because a church leader or a religious assembly declared you to be.

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God has called you that because he has set you apart. He has sanctified you.

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You're special in his sight. That makes you a saint. And you're a genuine saint.

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A biblical description describes you as a saint. Positionally so.

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But not only are we positionally saints, but our title as saints should describe our character.

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We should be saintly. We should be holy in our character. We should be holy ones. That's what a saint is in the way we live.

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Christians are called Christians first at Antioch because they were Christ -like, and we are to be characterized by holiness.

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Holiness or moral purity, spiritual mindedness are characteristic of every true Christian.

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We're not perfect, but we desire and strive to be so, and we lament that we fall so short of being so.

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And so we must be holy, not only in position but in practice. In fact, the writer declared in Hebrews, pursue peace with all men and holiness without which no one will see the

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Lord. We must be holy. We must pursue holiness, for if we're not holy, we cannot be saved.

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We dare not be as Esau. He was not holy, but rather profane. There you have the idea of not being separated, but profane, common.

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Esau only concerned himself with this life and the things of this life. He easily and readily set aside the things of God for his immediate and temporary satisfaction.

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We should not be that way, and we are to give our whole lives over to this matter of being separated unto

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God, practically speaking. And so we read in Romans 8, Therefore brethren, we are debtors not to the flesh to live according to the flesh.

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For if you live according to the flesh, you will die. In other words, you'll perish. You'll not have everlasting life if you live your life according to the flesh.

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Christians don't do that. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

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For as many as are led by the Spirit, these are ones who are dealing with sin in their lives. They're being led by the

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Spirit to put away sin. They are the sons of God, is what Paul declares.

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And so true Christians are led by the Holy Spirit, and he leads them to put to death the deeds of the body.

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Well after identifying himself and his recipients, Paul gives a customary greeting, Grace to you and peace from God our

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Father. This was a customary greeting of Christians in letters in the first century.

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We find Paul using the same or very similar words in other epistles, and we've studied these before, at the beginning of Romans, at the beginning, you know, of other epistles that we have looked at over the years.

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Grace to you and peace. We tend to read over these quickly because they're so familiar to us.

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It's only a greeting, customary greeting, but we should not have regard for these words in that way, dismissing their significance.

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Actually if the early Christian writers and God himself were so moved to use these words in a customary greeting, then we conclude these words must be very important, even vital and fundamental needs for the

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Christian. And so if God would desire us to have grace and peace, we must be in very much need of these two graces.

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Grace and peace from God the Father be to you. If I could have anything for you that I could desire,

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I would desire may God's grace and peace be with you. That's how important these matters are, aren't they?

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And yet we read over them casually without considering them. It's true each

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Christian has already been saved by grace, God's favor toward us, working powerfully in us and on our behalf, and certainly when we initially believe we experience peace, peace with God, but actually when we speak about peace, we're speaking about two kinds of peace.

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There is objective peace and there is subjective peace. Objective peace describes the state that we have before God.

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We are at peace with God before we were his enemies. He was at war with us, we were at war with him.

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We believed on Christ, we were justified, we are now in a state of peace with God. That's objective peace and knows no diminishment, no variance whatsoever.

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It's the same for each and every one of us. But there's also a subjective peace. The fact is we are able to experience a sense of peace, a tranquility of soul.

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Do you know that? Do you experience that in your life? We sing, it is well with my soul.

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This is what we're talking, you know, it's what we're talking about, a subjective peace, a settling of our guilty conscience, respecting sin.

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Most of us probably experience this when we're first converted, when we sense a free and full part of our sin through faith in the crucified risen

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Jesus. But this subjective peace may be experienced by the true Christian really at any time in this life if he's thinking rightly and behaving rightly.

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Philippians 4, 6, be anxious for nothing. Are you fearful? Anxious? Do you worry a lot over what's happening, what might happen?

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Be anxious for nothing. That's all -inclusive, isn't it? Nothing.

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What is troubling you now? You know, there's a way out of that for the Christian. He doesn't want you to be troubled.

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But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. And here it is, the peace of God which surpasses all understanding.

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It doesn't make sense. What I'm going through right now should send me bonkers, you know, running screaming into the night.

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But I'm at peace. It passes understanding. It's a grace of God that grants us this peace.

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And so the child of God may enjoy peace in the most terrible of situations, who are enduring the most terrible of circumstances.

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And so whereas the object of peace we have with God, the state of peace between the believer and God, is always the same and unchanging, the subjective feeling of peace and well -being varies greatly between us.

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I suspect some of us are quite troubled. And others of us, perhaps, are quite at peace.

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And it may not be in accordance with the degree of difficulty you're going through right now. Someone who may be going through great difficulty may be really at peace, and some who are just kind of going through, you know, the normal irritants of life are extremely troubled.

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Shouldn't be that way. Some trouble themselves because they refuse or fail to order their lives according to the means which

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God has given, by which God gives grace, the grace of peace to his people. And so the sense of their peace has been shaken, even removed for a time.

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And so may the Lord restore a sense of peace to us, to any troubled Christian here.

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Let's use the means appointed. May grace and peace be given to us. By the way, the order of words,

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I think, is important here, too. He doesn't say, may peace and grace be given to you, but may grace and peace from God be given to you.

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One must first encounter saving grace, and then peace may be in joy. Luke 2 14, glory to God in the highest, on earth peace to men on whom his grace rests.

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Grace precedes peace. But again, grace and peace is not just a past need.

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When we came to Christ, it's a present need. And that's why Paul wrote, grace and peace to you.

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He desired this for the church at Colossae. It comes from God our

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Father. We need grace to strengthen us, because life is full of challenges.

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We need peace to comfort us, because life is full of troubles. And so may the

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Lord grant you and me grace, that we would be empowered to do the things that he commands us.

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And may he grant us peace, that we can do so cheerfully and with a sense of well -being, that nothing overwhelms us and troubles us.

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Amen. And that's our birthright. That's what God has given us in Christ, thankfully.

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Let's pray. Father, we thank you for your Word, and these very simple few words that have such import for us.

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We pray that you would help us to go forth, Lord, trusting you, acknowledging our own weakness,

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Lord, and our inability to do the least of the things that you command us, apart from your enabling grace.

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And we pray, our God, that you would settle the troubled conscience and the troubled soul as we move forward.

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We know some, Lord, are facing some very difficult situations. Some are enduring some very difficult situations.

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But we pray, our God, that your peace would guard that soul, guard that heart, keep it in Christ Jesus.