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I hope that you have been enjoying our study through the book of Colossians as we've committed ourselves to the study of this book so that we might deepen our understanding that Jesus is enough. All this week we've been reading through Colossians 1, 15 through 20, and today we're going to do our five-point review so that we might know Christ as preeminent when we understand the text.
Many of the Bible stories and verses we think we know, we don't. When we understand the text as an online ministry committed to teaching sound doctrine and exposing the faulty, visit our website at www .utt .com.
Now here's our host, Pastor Gabe Hughes.
Thank you, Becky. All this week we've been studying one of the most Christ-centric paragraphs in the entire Bible, Colossians 1, verses 15 through 20. It is in this paragraph where we see the word preeminent.
Preeminent. It comes from the Greek word proteuon, which means of the utmost. It is primary. There is nothing else above this. It is a variation of the word protos, which is where we get words like prototype, protoplasm.
You're talking about something that comes first in the way that that prefix, proto, gets used. So Paul uses that word here to describe Jesus. He is top and above him. There is nothing else. As we commit ourselves to the study of Colossians, may we know that Jesus is enough.
We are fully satisfied in our Savior Christ. Today we're going to do review of everything that we've talked about over the course of the week. Our five-point review, as this is Five Point Friday. So before reviewing this text, once again, let's come to the Lord in prayer.
Our wonderful and great God, we thank you for this text. We thank you for an opportunity to study and understand this text. Guide us and lead us according to these things. No matter how many times we've read it, no matter how many times we think that we've come to an understanding of it, we never graduate from Scripture.
As long as we are alive on this earth, we have—give us a motivation. We have a motivation. I pray that we are given that motivation to want to come to your word and study it often. Be filled with it, knowing that what we are committing our eyes and ears to and what we are writing upon our minds and our hearts are the very words of God.
How do we know who you are? How do we know Christ? By reading your word. So subject us to the authority of this word and help it be our constant guide in all things. And we pray this in the name of Jesus.
Amen. Colossians chapter 1, starting in verse 15, Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things were created through him and for him.
And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent for in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
As we go back through this and we summarize it in five points, here is point number one. Jesus is the image of the invisible God. He is the image of the invisible God, as it says there in verse 15. Everything that we can know about God, we know through Jesus Christ.
And knowing Jesus Christ doesn't just mean that we limit ourselves to the gospel of Jesus Christ. We also see how the rest of the Bible talks about Christ. If you did not listen to the Monday program, I can tell by how many views the Friday program gets.
We have more people that listen to Friday's broadcast because it summarizes everything that we talked about over the course of the week than listen to any other program. And that's fine. That's great.
I'm glad that this fits into your schedule somewhere and that you would still want to listen to this teaching to come to a deeper understanding of God's word. Fantastic. But something that I committed time to on Monday that I'm not going to have time for in this broadcast is going through just numerous Bible passages and seeing how Christ is described according to those passages all throughout scripture.
So we understand Jesus not just by what's written in the gospels, not just by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. We understand who Jesus is and the identity of Christ and all of these different things that make up Christ according to what is said in the whole scripture, Genesis to Revelation.
It all points to Jesus. But we see some striking similarities between Colossians 1, John 1, and Hebrews 1. In John 1, 1, in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. He was in the beginning with God.
All things were made through him and without him was not any thing made that was made in him was life and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.
Skipping to verse nine, the true light, which gives light to everyone came into the world. He was in the world and the world was made through him. Yet the world did not know him. He came to his own and his own people did not receive him.
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become the children of God who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
You can see some things that are very similar to what we're reading in Colossians chapter one, right? Okay. Let's look also at Hebrews chapter one. I won't read as much of this particular chapter, but in Hebrews chapter one, it says long ago at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets.
But in these last days, he has spoken to us by his son, whom he appointed the heir of all things through whom he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.
And he upholds the universe by the word of his power. So there Jesus is the image of the invisible God, as we see repeated throughout the scriptures. John one, Colossians one and Hebrews one. And I read another statement in there in Hebrews chapter one that ties in with point number two, Jesus is the creator of all things and in him, all things hold together.
Now, because we read in this passage in Colossians chapter one, that by him, all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible. Since Jesus created all things, he himself is not created.
For if he was created, then he could not be the creator of all things because he could not create himself. Jesus is uncaused and eternal and self-sufficient, self-sustaining rather, just like the father is eternal, has no beginning and no end.
Jesus described in the book of Revelation is the Alpha and Omega. It means that he has no beginning and he has no end. God the father did not create Jesus, which is the old Aryan heresy. Arius at the Council of Nicaea, 325 A .D., came down on the floor and sang this song about how Jesus, the son was created by God, the father, Saint Nicholas came over and punched him in the face.
OK, so that's the Aryan heresy, this idea that Jesus was created. Mormonism adopts that concept that the father begat the son. And so he's one of the spirit children of Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother, Heavenly Father, which is Elohim.
That's a false teaching. Of course, Mormonism is heresy all the way around. You cannot be a Mormon and be saved, period. So I pray if you are a Mormon listening to this broadcast, you are repenting of that and leaving that religion, that false religion and following in the true and sound words that we have in the Bible.
Jehovah's Witnesses, same thing. They think that Jesus was formerly the Archangel Michael, which was created by God. So that also is a heretical teaching. You cannot be a Jehovah's Witness and be saved.
To see how that idea doesn't work, that Jesus is not the Archangel Michael, go to Hebrews chapter one and read that, because that as that chapter goes on to talk about how no other name above all names was ever given to any angel.
It's given to Christ alone, who is the son of God. Jesus is uncaused and eternal. By him, all things were created. And where it says in Colossians 115 that he is the firstborn of all creation, it doesn't mean that he is the first thing created.
It doesn't mean that God the Father created him. It means that God the Father gave him all of the rights of the firstborn. And when you're talking about that tradition of the firstborn son receiving everything from the father, he's given him all things.
OK, just as God the father is given all things to Christ. He created all things through him and for him. All things were created, as it goes on to say in verse 16 in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities and that talking about heavenly powers.
We know that there are rankings in heaven. We don't know exactly how those rankings work. There are rankings even among the demons as well. And so as Paul is using those words to talk about thrones, dominions, rulers or authorities, he's talking about all of those heavenly powers, all of the spiritual powers, even those spiritual beings have been created by Christ.
Again, why he can't have been one of them and then became the son of God, which is what the Jehovah's Witnesses teach. That's not how that happened. Jesus always has been, and he created all of the heavenly authorities, including Satan.
Yes, he created him, too. But Satan was not Satan when he was created. He was an angel of light that was fallen. And he fell at the same time that Adam and Eve fell. The curse that you see given to the serpent in Genesis chapter three is the curse as it was given to Satan.
It's not God cursing an animal. It is a curse that is given to Satan, who is cursed above all living things, even the beasts of the field. So Jesus, creator of all things, including heavenly powers and authorities in him, all things hold together.
Without Christ, the whole universe would just fly apart. Now, after sin, after Adam had sinned, Christ had subjected all things to futility, but he is reconciling all things by the blood of his cross.
And that's a point we're going to get to a little bit later on here. So point number one, Jesus is the image of the invisible God. Point number two, Jesus is the creator of all things. And in him, all things hold together.
Here's point number three. Jesus is the head of the body, the church, which is the statement that we see there in verse 18. He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.
So what does it mean that Jesus is the head of the body, the church? We see that statement made in Ephesians chapter one in Ephesians chapter four and also in chapter five. Maybe it's Ephesians three.
I can't remember if if I'm skipping a chapter there. But anyway, three times in Ephesians, it comes up that Jesus is the head of the body, the church. What does the head do for the body? It is the provider of all things.
It nourishes the body when you feed your face. All right. You're feeding your whole body. The the the head is also the control center of the body. All wisdom and knowledge that is supplied for the body comes from the head.
This is also significant in the way the apostle Paul talks about the armor of God in Ephesians chapter six, because he talks about how the helmet or the helmet of salvation, the helmet is the helmet of salvation because it's protecting the control center of the body.
So it protects the head. It provides for the rest of the body. That's what salvation does for the person. It saves the whole body. So Jesus, as the head of the body, the church provides for the church.
He gives all things for the church, including life. He came back from the dead. And so he gives eternal life and we cannot have eternal life any other way except through Christ Jesus, our Lord. He is the first born from the dead.
So he's the first to come back from the grave, knowing that only through Christ can we have eternal life, as it says in First Corinthians chapter 15, and that if Jesus Christ was not raised from the dead, no one gets raised from the dead.
In Romans chapter eight, beginning in verse 28, famous verse, I know you've heard it before. We know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose, for those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and those whom he predestined.
He also called those whom he called. He also justified and those whom he justified. He also glorified. So being the firstborn among many brothers means that Jesus Christ came back from the grave, but it was always intended that he would not be the only one.
There were others that were going to be saved as well. Other brothers and sisters who would come because of he who was raised from the dead so that in Christ we are all made alive. Many other brothers and sisters that come after him.
So that's what it means by saying that he is the firstborn among many brothers. Then in verse 30, Romans 830, those whom he predestined, he also called those whom he called. He also justified those whom he justified.
He also glorified. Basically, what is being said is this salvation is the gracious work of God from beginning to end. We don't do anything to save ourselves. It is God, by his wonderful and loving will, who has delivered us unto salvation.
He predestined us for it before the beginning of time. He has called us to himself. And by the calling of the Holy Spirit, we have responded and have been justified. And those whom he justified, he also glorified.
We are hidden with Christ in God, which is something that is going to be stated a little bit later on in Colossians chapter three. In chapter three, we read this. If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
So if we are hidden with Christ in God, we are inheritors of that glory now. So when Romans chapter 830 speaks of us being glorified according to Christ and by the power of the spirit, we are in that glorious state even now, though our bodies have not been transformed to be like his glorious body.
So since we are hidden with Christ in God, we need to have our minds focused heavenward We need to focus on heavenly things. We need to know that the hope of salvation that we have in Christ has sealed us for the day of redemption.
And we are promised that glorious state. So let us know that we have received that glory now if we are in Christ Jesus. Point number one, Jesus is the image of the invisible God. Everything that we can know about God, we know through Jesus Christ.
Point number two, Jesus is the creator of all things. And in him, all things hold together. Point number three, Jesus is the head of the body, the church. He is the giver of salvation. We have been reconciled to one another, to the body of Christ.
We are adopted sons and daughters of God because of what Jesus has done and because of what he provides for his body, whom he died for to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession, who are zealous for good works Titus chapter 214.
One of my famous, my famous, my favorite verses in the Bible. It is a famous verse in the Bible. It's one of my favorites. OK, here's point number four. Before I rabbit trail too far. Jesus is preeminent.
He is preeminent. And the word that is used there for preeminence is proteion. As I mentioned earlier, it means number one, he is the first. OK, so as we've talked about him being the firstborn from the dead, as we've talked about him being the firstborn among many brothers, he is that proteion.
He is preeminent above all things. Top number one. And when we know Christ is preeminent, we need nothing else. We are fully satisfied in our Savior. He is above all things. Now he is preeminent anyway.
But when we understand Christ is preeminent in our lives, then we seek and desire nothing else but Christ. If we think that following Jesus is supposed to make us wealthy, if we think that following Jesus is supposed to make us healthy, then we think that Jesus is there to provide something for us.
And when we don't get those things, then we do not find that complete satisfaction in Christ because we expected him to do something for us. But rather, what this means is that when things don't go well for us financially, when we get sick, even with a life threatening disease.
And as I'm saying this right now, by the way, my my father in law is in the hospital and we've been praying for him fervently all week. He's in the hospital with a very serious infection. It could kill him if the doctors aren't able to treat it.
And so it's one of those things where even when you know that your life is so fragile, you still have nothing to worry about. You are anxious for nothing because you know that Christ is enough. This life is temporary.
The sufferings of this life are temporary. They cannot compare with the promise that awaits us in glory if we endure, as it says in Romans chapter five. And so when we know Christ is preeminent, we're completely satisfied in our savior.
We need nothing else and we don't expect him to give us anything else because we know that our life is hidden with Christ in God. We are completely satisfied in Christ. Jesus is preeminent. So we need to know that he's not just preeminent above all things.
We need to make him preeminent in our lives, expecting nothing else, not expecting health and wealth and any of these other things, but knowing that he is providing for our every need and he has taken care of us for all eternity.
Point number five, Jesus reconciles all things to the father, making peace by the blood of his cross. And remember the word reconcile means to accept that which was not previously desired. When we were in our sin, God did not desire us.
And that state and we did not desire God, but God loved us enough to not leave us in that state. He sent his son Jesus to die for us on the cross. And then because his righteousness has been imparted to us, God looks at us as holy.
He sees us not in our sin, but in the image of his own son and whose image we are being shaped into, as we just read in Romans chapter eight, verse twenty nine. And so we've been reconciled to God by the blood of Jesus Christ.
We've been made acceptable to God and we accept God because our hearts have been transformed to seek after God according to the power of the Holy Spirit. So this is the ten second gospel here. In him, all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Jesus will come back, ushering in his peaceful kingdom, the cross being the pivotal point in all of cosmic and human history. All things are being reconciled to God through the person in the work of Jesus Christ.
It reached this pivotal point there at the cross. And so Jesus, who is establishing a kingdom of peace, will come in, ushering in his peaceful kingdom in the new heavens and the new earth. All that is evil will be removed, including those who did not follow Christ.
They will be removed from him, removed from the kingdom and cast into into hell with the devil and his minions as well. And then Jesus peaceful kingdom will reign forever. God is making peace by the blood of the cross of Christ.
And so it is it is it is according to the work that Jesus has done, that we will live forever with him and all things, not just his people, but all of creation itself will be reconciled to the new heavens and the new earth.
Number one, Jesus is the image of the invisible God. Number two, Jesus is the creator of all things. And in him, all things hold together. Number three, Jesus is the head of the body, the church. Number four, Jesus is preeminent.
Number five, Jesus is reconciling all things to the father, making peace by the blood of his cross. Our gracious heavenly father, we thank you for this word and we thank you for making it plain to us according to the power of your spirit.
Continue to grow us in these things. Keep us disciplined by them. And we pray all of this in Jesus name. And all God's people said, Amen. A popular quote about sharing the gospel goes like this. Preach the gospel always, if necessary, use words.
The quote is attributed to St. Francis of Assisi. It was even the inspiration behind an award winning gospel music album. First of all, there is no record that St. Francis ever said this. Secondly, it isn't biblical.
The quote is often used to argue that actions are the primary tool for sharing the gospel, while words are merely a backup. But that's not the gospel. The word gospel means good news. It must be declared.
In Matthew 28, when Jesus commissioned his disciples to go and make more disciples, he told them to teach. And that's exactly what they did. In Acts 2, on the day of Pentecost, the disciples went into Jerusalem and did what?
Made sure everyone saw them miming the gospel? No, they went in and verbally preached about the events concerning Christ's death and resurrection. And 3 ,000 people were baptized that day. In Romans 10, the apostle Paul tells the church to confess with their mouths.
He writes, how will they believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? So the quote is true in the sense that it is necessary to use words, but false if the quote is being used to say that our actions are all the gospel we need.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is history, a message that must be spoken. Our actions affirm that we truly believe in what we speak. So live a life of godliness. Yes, thank you, Smitty. And that's when we understand the text.
You know, that was a quote that I shared for a long time. And I think when I was a youth speaker back when I was in my college days and in my early 20s, I would quote that St. Francis of Assisi quote, the album Live the Life that Michael W. Smith did that was inspired by the St. Francis of Assisi quote was one of my favorite CDs when I was a teenager.
Man, that quote had a huge impact on me. So I tell you what, it was sure pretty shocking when I found out St. Francis never said it, nor is it even really that biblical. Evan in Arizona writes in and says, Dear, what I just saw your video on the St. Francis of Assisi quote, preach the gospel always, if necessary, use words.
And it blew my mind. Not only had I never considered how unbiblical that quote really was, but there's no historical evidence that St. Francis ever said it. Whoa. Yes, indeed. No historical evidence at all.
In fact, there's an article appears from Glenn Stanton in the Gospel Coalition. He says our good friend, our good Francis never said such a thing. None of his disciples early or later biographers have these words coming from his mouth.
It doesn't show up in any of his writings, not even close. Really, the closest comes from his rule of 1221, Chapter 12 on how the Franciscans should practice their preaching. No brother should preach contrary to the form and regulations of the Holy Church, nor unless he has been permitted by his master.
All the friars should preach by their deeds. But in no way is that saying that we aren't supposed to preach the gospel by any other means. But our actions, a fellow by the name of Mark Galley, he's the managing editor at Christianity Today.
He wrote a book about St. Francis of Assisi, and he mentions that St. Francis was a fire and brimstone preacher. He was not at all this this passive sort of a preacher that we tend to portray St. Francis's being.
Galley says that his words were neither hollow nor ridiculous, but filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, penetrating the marrow of the heart so that listeners were turned to great amazement. And Galley compares Francis to being more like Jonathan Edwards or Billy Sunday than the people that tend to misquote him and use that quote, preach the gospel always, if necessary, use words.
The Apostle Paul himself said in Romans Chapter 10, how will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
And how are they to preach unless they are sent as it is written? How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news, but they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?
So faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ. Boy, that is so important. We can't even have faith in Christ if not for having heard the gospel. So we must preach the gospel. So when you hear that quote, preach the gospel always, if necessary, use words, since it is necessary, use words.
Faith comes by hearing and hearing through the word of Christ. Our Lord, thank you so much for giving us your word. And I pray that we commit ourselves to it, writing it upon our minds and hearts in such a way so that we might know how to preach it well, faithfully, according to the calling that you have placed on us by your spirit.
And it is in the name of Jesus that we pray. Amen.
This has been When We Understand the Text with Pastor Gabriel Hughes. For all of our podcasts, episodes, videos, books, and more, visit our website at www .utt .com. If you'd like to submit a question to this broadcast or just send us a comment, email whenweunderstandthetext at gmail .com and let your friends know about our ministry.
Join us again next week as we grow together in God's word when we understand the text.