Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible ® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission.
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COLOSSIANS CHAPTER 4
KJV
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1-4 Masters, grant to your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven. 2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; 3 praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned;
4 that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.
Col 4-1
(13i)
Servant >> Support the body >>
Servant in the work force – Employers should fear God and treat their
employees with dignity and respect, since they too have an employer in heaven.
We are in control of God’s judgment and have the power to turn His decision
into a reward, simply by changing our attitude and the way we treat other
people. If we bless those under our authority, God will bless us under His
authority, both now and in eternity. God has a trail of rewards He wants to
give us, but if we won’t walk on that trail, He can’t give us those
rewards, which is our judgment.
(69g) Authority
>>
Righteous judgment >> Meditate on discernment >>
Judging what is right
(88g) Thy kingdom come
>>
Fear the judgment of God is the beginning of wisdom >>
Fear the consequences of your disobedience
(90i) Thy kingdom come
>>
Keeping the law >> Righteousness of the law >>
All righteousness is covered by the law
Col 4,2-6
(44k) Judgment >>
Transformation process >> Fulfill your ministry
in evangelism >> Complete your mission
(82c) Thy kingdom come
>>
Three elements of prayer >> Direction (Attitude) >> Who to pray for
(85e) Thy kingdom come
>>
Words that are spoken in faith >> Powerful when
spoken by the Spirit >> by the anointing
(148i) Witness
>>
Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Evangelism >>
Obligation to preach the gospel >> Ambassador in
chains – In your evangelism efforts don’t just present to them a formatted
evangelistic program, pulling something from your pocket that you say to each
person. These things are not bad or wrong, but neither are they particularly
effective. It may be harder to know what the Spirit wants to say to each
person, but it’s what we’re called to do as Christians. We are His
mouthpiece, so if we don’t know what the Spirit wants to tell those around
us, then we need to devote ourselves to prayer until we develop that gift.
When we talk to people, what we are telling them should be from the Spirit of
God, motivating them to pursue a faith of their own. Virtually every
evangelism program is designed to get somebody to say the sinner’s prayer to
foster a verbal acknowledgement of his need for God. More often than not, when
they are finished talking to the evangelist, his life is not changed and the
moment forgotten. In contrast, what people will take home is a word from the
Spirit of God. That is something they will never forget. Paul, the man of
faith and vision, evangelized the countryside in this manner and turned the
world upside down for Jesus.
Col 4,2-4
(113b) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >>
The anointing >> Heaven’s clothes >>
Protection >> Shelter –
We are to devote ourselves to prayer, clothe ourselves with it, so all may see
our anointing that we received from God. Paul was a repeat offender, being thrown in
prison for preaching the gospel of Christ. Soon as
they let him out he went right back to his same crimes, preaching Jesus to a
lost world and making converts, who are given the Holy Spirit and inherit
eternal life, and they will live forever with God. What a crime, but this is
how the world feels about faith in Jesus, and Paul was asking the Church for
prayer that not only a door be opened, but also his mouth that God would make
it clear how he ought to speak. The gospel is the mystery of Christ. He is a
mystery to the world; He is mysterious even to His own people. He is the
Son of God, who created the universe. We can’t expect Him to be easy to understand, though He has shown a side of Himself that is
straightforward, that we might be saved and come to know Him in this life, much
more in the life to come.
(119h) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Freedom >>
Having freedom to minister
Col 4-2,3
(231a) Kingdom of God
>>
God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Mystery
of godliness >> Solving the mystery of godliness >> The Church discloses the mystery of Christ
–
The world does not know the mysteries that we know, because they are solved by
faith in Christ. When a person turns to the Lord and suddenly his eyes are
opened, he can finally see the truth, and he begins to read the Scriptures in
a whole new light. There are some mysteries that we won’t know until we get
to heaven, and there are other mysteries that we will never know, for eternity
itself is not long enough to solve all the mysteries of God. He is far beyond
His creation, but there are mysteries that He has revealed to us for the
purpose of revealing them to the world. In generations past God revealed
Himself to men and they came to an understanding of Him, but in today’s
world when few are being saved, many have come to the conclusion that they
already know everything and there are no mysteries that they need to know
about God. We have come to a generation that knows only what it wants to know,
and what it doesn’t want to know it refuses to know, and this comes at a
time of information overload when we can know just about anything just by
typing it into a search engine on the Internet, but few of those mysteries
they seek pertain to God. People have lost interest in Him. In the days of
Paul, He went from town to town and preached Jesus, and everywhere he went he
made converts, because people were generally open to the gospel, but today
people’s minds and hearts are closed, because of all the spiritual abuse
that has occurred over the centuries.
Col 4-2
(82h) Thy kingdom come
>>
Prayer >> Thankfulness >>
Giving thanks for His mercy
(83l) Thy kingdom come
>>
Be on the alert >> Remain on duty >>
Be ready – We need to stay devoted to prayer and keep
the embers burning in our hearts for the things of the Lord, not allowing the
fire to quench. Jesus often commanded us to stay on the alert, this being His
main advice for the Church. We read the Bible, we go to church and we
fellowship with the brethren, but staying on the alert refers primarily to
prayer, which is the ingredient most lacking in Christians today.
(96d) Thy kingdom come
>>
Attitude >> Positive attitude toward God >>
Having a thankful attitude
(100k) Thy kingdom come
>>
Devotion >> In your ministry to God >>
Devoted to prayer -- This verse goes with verses 12,13
Col 4-3,4
(123a) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Boldness to speak the
word by the Spirit
Col 4-3
(66j) Authority
>> Jesus’ authority
>>
His words are the authority of God
(216f) Sovereignty
>>
God overrides the will of man >> God’s will
over man >> Compelled by the Spirit >>
God forces His bond-servants to do His will -- This verse goes with
verse 10. Paul
believed in the traditions of Israel, but when God came and revealed to him
that everything he knew was wrong, it toppled his world; there was nothing
left of him. Paul and the Lord made a contract right there on the road to Damascus,
and Paul become the property of Jesus Christ. His old life meant nothing to
him anymore. To become the property of Christ he could get his life back, but
being a mediocre Christian would not account for the lies and deceptions he
helped spread throughout the countryside and the persecutions against the
Church and the martyrs he made of the saints. Paul’s life ended right there
on the road to Damascus, and God gave Him a new life as a bondservant. He no
longer had a choice; when Jesus told him go, he didn’t contemplate whether
he should; he just went. When he was receiving his thirty-nine lashes five
times from the Jews that tore his back into shreds, the old scars reopened
each time he was flogged, it was all part of being a bondservant. He
relinquished his right to choose when he agreed with Christ about the truth.
Paul was a prisoner of Christ Jesus; he said in Eph 3-1, meaning it both
literally and figuratively in equal amounts.
(242c) Kingdom of God
>>
Opposition toward the Kingdom of God >>
Persecuting the kingdom >> Persecuting God >>
Persecuting the word of God
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5&6 Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. 6 Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.
Col 4-5,6
(1g) Responsibility
>>
Become all things to all men >> Blending
together – Paul had perfected the art of changing his colors like a
chameleon, not to be deceitful, but for versatility sake, so he could
reach as many people as possible. He would try not to turn people off by
being "un-relatable," but would try always to be ready for
everything, to have a word specially tailored to fit each person’s
needs. This of course can only be done through the Holy Spirit. He was very
sensitive to the needs of others; he made it his business to care about
people and try to meet their needs even at the cost of his own, yet
knowing his needs would always be met perhaps even
supernaturally as he met the pressing needs of others.
(8c) Responsibility
>> Use time efficiently
>>
Use wisely this moment
(11o)
Servant >> Example of God’s people >>
Example of the Church – We are obligated to set a good example for
those outside the Church. We want to put our best foot forward so they
don’t get the wrong idea about us. People judge us based on first
impressions. If we want them to believe we are faithful children of God, then
we show them this, and that is how they will remember us. In the future we
may become a source of spiritual knowledge and advice to them regarding the
things of God, and hopefully lead many to Christ. To set a good example in
the faith is an utmost priority, for it is not only how we spread the
gospel, but it is also how we encourage one another to grow in the faith.
(62f) Paradox
>>
Anomalies >> Being clever >>
Lure in your prey
(70k) Authority
>>
Believer’s authority >> We are the salt of
the earth (Preservative)
(89d) Thy kingdom come
>>
Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom >>
Answers of wisdom
(105j) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >>
Led by the Spirit >> To the truth >>
Led into the mind of Christ
(110a) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >>
Spirit and the word >> Spirit speaks through
you >> Word of knowledge >>
knowing their thoughts by the mind of Christ – When we interact with people, we should be
listening for the Holy Spirit to lead us to say the right things,
because God knows their needs, their trials an their troubles, and God longs
to speak to them through us. We need to make sure that whatever we say is
seasoned with salt, meaning what we are telling them is of the Spirit. What
is more important than things we believe are things God has revealed to us.
These are the things that encourage others to follow the Lord and bring
about spiritual growth and life to the body of Christ. We are called to
tailor our conversations with those outside the Church.
Col 4-6
(116g) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >>
Working the grace of God >> Through the words
you speak –
How do we season our speech with grace? We must first install His word in our
hearts, so we will know what to say, and possess the wisdom of God to know
when and how we ought to speak. We must prepare to respond with love to anyone
who would despitefully use us, it doesn't come to us naturally, building our
knowledgebase with Scripture as students of the word and developing the
ability to divinely respond in every situation through our ministry of prayer.
Proverbs 25-11 says, “Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word
spoken in right circumstances.” Like rolling the tumblers on a lock, just
the right words can open doors and change the course of our lives, sometimes
in a single moment. Therefore, anger is out of the question, though it is
almost always our first choice, yet anger never achieves the righteousness of
God. We choose the second option as our response, or even the third or fourth,
but almost never the first, since it is the devil’s option that he presents
in our flesh. We don’t want to respond according to the elementary
principles of our flesh; rather, we want to respond to each person according
to the grace of God, showing that God lives in us and that we are His children
and that we live by principles that are different from the world. We are
citizens of an invisible kingdom, and God’s whole purpose is to manifest
that kingdom through the Church, not the building but the people.
7 As to all my affairs, Tychicus, our beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord, will bring you information.
Col 4,7-18
(123g) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Love >>
Spiritual affection >> Ministry of the saints >>
Emotional benediction toward helpers –
A service that is no longer relevant that was once big in the early church was
the ministry of communication; now we just pick up the phone and dial whomever
we need to convey a message. The ancient ministry had an added element of
spiritual affection that we can’t experience over the phone. The message is
supplemented with the messenger himself, and who knows how long a distance he
traveled to bring the message, maybe a three or four day journey. They arrive
at their destination and convey the message, and then it is time to show some
hospitality and break out the bread and pour some wine to refresh the soul.
Communications was a meaningful and joyous ministry, though there was danger
on every corner and adventure too. Danger may have spiked the event with
adrenaline and ratcheted up the risks, but God protected his people in their
service to Him. This communication system employed many people in the
ministry, not financially but spiritually.
Col 4,7-15
(14l) Servant
>>
Ministry of helps >> Helpers fill in the gaps >> Messengers help in
communications
(142j) Witness
>>
Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >> Having a reputable ministry
>>
A reputable ministry of helps –
Luke sent his greeting to his fellow saints. He was the writer of the gospel
of Luke; he was also the writer of the book of Acts. His name was frequently
mentioned among the faithful, though he was not an apostle but a person who
followed the apostles, namely Paul and helped however he could, often
lending his skill in the written word and in his profession as a physician
to the sick and ailing. Luke was the only person who wrote his own gospel,
whereas the rest probably received help, most being uneducated. Luke always
knew what to do in any situation of injury and disease, probably taking care
of Paul more than once after a whipping, cleaning his wounds.
Col 4,7-9
(72f)
Authority >> Transferring authority
>>
Receiving the delegated authority of men
(102c) Thy kingdom come
>>
Faithfulness (Loyalty) >> Faithfulness is
dependable >> God’s servants are dependable
(228m) Kingdom of God
>>
God’s kingdom is a living organism >> God
working in you >> God causes all things to work
together –
It was important to Paul that the Colossians knew about his circumstances.
They say that knowledge is power, and with that power we can make intelligent
decisions and know how to pray. His circumstances were encouraging, for
through his ministry many people were being saved, and though he was
persecuted God was protecting him. It is unquestionably true that the reason
people were getting saved back then was because of persecution. If the Church
were not persecuted, people would not see value in the truth, for the gospel
is similar to gold and silver; it is expensive and often difficult to acquire.
When people saw the Church being persecuted, it opened their eyes to the fact
that the gospel Paul preached was the truth from God and therefore very
valuable. They must have figured that if so many people had strong feelings
against it, then maybe there are others who have strong feelings for it. To be
part of something that people tenaciously believe is very appealing, as
opposed to believing something that matters to no one.
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Col 4-7
(13m)
Servant >>
Serve God faithfully –
Some of these names should sound familiar to us, who were associated with
Colossae. It seems that this city acted as a hub of Christian activity,
though the Church as a whole was regulated from Jerusalem with Peter as the
lead apostle. If there were any major issues of the Church, it would be
taken to Jerusalem and resolved. Onesimus was the young man who ministered
to Paul in his imprisonment in the book of Philemon, and of course Luke is
the writer of the gospel of Luke. Paul spoke very highly of Onesimus; he
spoke highly of everyone who was an excellent servant of the Church. He
valued the ministry of servants, because some day we will be servants in God’s heavenly kingdom. Jesus taught that the greater the servant, the
greater the authority God will bestow on us. In this world people are paid
for their services, but their wage does not reflect their level of service.
There are some who do grunt work that nobody else wants to do and are paid a
minimum wage or even less, and then there are others who get paid big bucks
but are no servants at all; instead, they have waiters attending to their
every whim, and so we cannot say that the system of this world is anything
like the Kingdom of God. In heaven, the one who does the grunt gets the most
honor. Jesus will be exalted above everyone, because here on earth he was
the greatest servant, and even in heaven He will continue to be our example
by extending His hospitality to us as the servant of all.
8-11 For I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts; 9 and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of your number. They will inform you about the whole situation here. 10
Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also Barnabas's cousin Mark (about whom you received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him); 11 and also Jesus who is called Justus; these are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be an encouragement to me.
Col 4-8
(74a) Thy kingdom come
>>
The heart >> God wants you to bless your brother
from the heart
(91d) Thy kingdom come
>>
The called >> His purpose answers "Why"
(139b) Temple
>>
Building the temple (with hands) >>
Encouragement >> The adversity of our brothers
encourages us –
Nobody got paid for their services to the Church; not even the pastor was
paid, and he took the biggest risk of all. When it came to pastors, the
offenders would take their skullduggery directly to the Church, often throwing
the pastor in prison, or else torturing him first before martyring him. People
knew the risks, and they were happy to live in service to God, knowing what
could happen, and as a result the Church grew (Act 16-5). This verse
referenced the first few weeks after Pentecost, but it also happened
throughout the first and second century. The Church blossomed at its onset;
Jesus was correct in His assessment of the people being prepared to receive
the gospel when it arrived at their doorstep, “Behold, I say to you, lift up
your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest” (Jn
4-35). He was saying that about his own time, but when we lift up our eyes these
days, we don’t see hordes of people getting saved.
Col 4-10
(102e) Thy kingdom come
>>
Faithfulness (Loyalty) >> Faithfulness is
dependable >> Loyalty is dependable –
Paul had a fellow Christian cellmate in prison when he wrote the book of
Colossians. Apparently this man, Aristarchus, was committed to the cause of
Christ enough to earn a prison cell next to the apostle Paul; that’s what
the world thinks of people who love and serve God.
(130k) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Unity >>
Accept one another >> Love tears down social
differences in the Church –
It is interesting that Paul had to tell the Colossians to welcome Mark.
Apparently Paul had told the Colossians something different in the past,
referring to the time Mark abandoned them on the mission field (Act 15,36-41).
There was such a sharp disagreement between he and Barnabas that they actually
split-up. Paul and Barnabas were good friends until this happened, and Paul
blamed Mark for the rift between them. Eventually they straightened out their
differences; forgiveness replaced division; he and Barnabas became friends
again and went on other missionary journeys together. Paul had to change his
mind and convey to everybody that Mark regained his status among the brethren
as an indispensable servant of the Lord, and that he deserved full acceptance
from everyone. Had Paul not told them, the Church may have shunned Mark
because of the things Paul had previously told them. Paul must have been
fuming; he didn’t like anybody abandoning him in the middle of the work that
needed to be done. His focus in establishing the Kingdom of God on this planet
was singular; it meant so much to him that it unfortunately went beyond human
relationships. Paul was not ready to immediately forgive anybody who would
threaten the success of his mission: to evangelize the entire known world; the
last thing he needed was his own comrades to add further challenges to his
mountain of difficulties. He wanted to make sure it didn’t happen again, so
Paul explained to the Church that if anybody abandons him on the mission
field, he would get the same treatment. Mark’s name wasn’t worth a plug
nickel until he was able to dig himself out of the hole through faithful
obedience, proving himself an indispensable servant of the Lord. Later he went
with Paul again on other missionary journeys and helped him proclaim the
gospel in other regions of the world. These are the ways of God: He believes
in us. He also gave Mark the privilege of writing a gospel after enduring this
terrible shame. The lesson we should take from this is that the sins committed
are not what matters but reconciliation. The same is true with Peter, he was
one of the leaders of the Church, yet he denied the Lord three times.
(216f) Sovereignty
>>
God overrides the will of man >> God’s will
over man >> Compelled by the Spirit >>
God forces His bond-servants to do His will -- This verse goes with
verse 18
Col 4-11
(88b) Thy kingdom come
>>
Faith produces works >> Relationship between
faith and works >> The work of faith
(139a) Temple
>>
Building the temple (with hands) >>
Encouragement >> Our brothers encourage us in
our adversity
(190h) Die to self (Process of substitution)
>>
Separation from the old man >> Circumcision >>
Circumcision is a sign of obedience >>
Circumcision is a sign of believing –
'The circumcision' means that they were Jews, but the rest of the servants
mentioned in this passage were gentiles. The gospel of Christ, when if first
came to the Jews made a big splash, and then something happened to turn off
the Jews. Satan managed to get a message across to the Jewish people that the
gentiles were holding them in contempt, calling them "Jesus killers"
as though they were more evil than any other race of people because they
crucified their own Messiah. However, what the gentiles failed to understand
was that had the Jews not crucified Him, nobody could have been saved, not
even from the gentiles. So to judge the Jews for martyring Jesus is like
cutting off your nose to spite your face. This infuriated the Jews who wanted
nothing to do with the Church after that. This contempt for the Jewish people
was a slow process that originated with the Catholic Church, starting around
300 A.D. Three hundred years and these sentiments had already surfaced and
only became more entrenched as time passed, and now the Jewish heart is mostly
closed, but there are some Jewish people who are coming to the realization
that Jesus was in fact their Messiah, and eventually in the last days the
Jewish people as a whole will return to their faith, resulting in a global
revival that will incorporate many millions of souls.
(236e) Kingdom of God
>>
Pursuing the kingdom >> Invest in the kingdom >>
Invest your strength into the kingdom >> Invest
your labors
KJV
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12-14 Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodicea and
Hierapolis. 14 Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also Demas.
Col 4-12,13
(83c) Thy kingdom come
>>
Results of prayer >> Prayer unites the body
(100d) Thy kingdom come
>>
Diligence >> Diligence in your service to others
(100k) Thy kingdom come
>>
Devotion >> In your ministry to God >>
Devoted to prayer -- This verse goes with verse 2.
Epaphras
was a prayer warrior; and anytime a prayer warrior is concerned about
somebody, it is usually not a good sign, but it was good that he prayed. He
had a deep concern for the Colossians and those who were at Laodicea, which
was a church referenced in the book of Revelation that had a poor reputation
for being the most carnal and faithless church of its time, even worse than
the Corinthians. Colossae and Laodicea were close in proximity but not in
spirit; had Colossae had the maturity level of Laodicea, Paul would have
written them a scathing letter resembling his Corinthian epistles that were
his longest in which he severely rebuked them in certain chapters. The concern
that Epaphras had for Laodicea was for their souls. He prayed earnestly day
and night for them because of their blatant disobedience and rebellion against
God and against His plan and purpose, refusing to mature in the faith.
Epaphras must have toiled over them asking for God’s mercy that they might
receive His grace to rise above their sinful passions and desires.
Col 4-12
(43l) Judgment
>>
Satan destroyed in the absence of sin >>
Perfecting the will of God –
Paul endorsed a man named Epaphras as a man of prayer. The passion and theme
of his prayers for the Church was that the people of God might stand perfected
and fully assured in all the will of God. That is a great prayer, first of all
that we might stand; that is, we might get off the floor after we have fallen
on our faces, brush off ourselves and perfect the will of God in full
assurance of faith. Having full assurance is a big thing. In fact, some
translations define the word "faith" as, “The
assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb 11-1;
NASB). How important is assurance? Our faith rests on it, being the very basis of our
salvation! In their assurance Epaphras prayed that we would perfect their walk
in the fruits of the Spirit, which will in turn give them a fuller assurance
of faith, these two together: bearing fruit in assurance, will allow
us to march to the mountain top of transfiguration, where we will see Jesus in
His glory.
(98d) Thy kingdom come
>>
Endurance (Thorn in the flesh) >> Rooted deeply >>
Be steadfast in the work of the Lord
(101k) Thy kingdom come
>>
Ambitious to promote the Kingdom of God >>
Building up the body of Christ
(116b) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >> Working the grace of God >> Through worship >>
In prayer
(122b) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Confidence in God >>
Through prayer
(216d) Sovereignty
>>
God overrides the will of man >> God’s will
over man >> Compelled by the Spirit >>
God takes advantage of your love for Him >>
Being addicted to the Holy Spirit –
Epaphras
didn’t have to do anything great to be honored in the Bible, except to be a
man of prayer. Neither do we have to do anything else; being committed to
prayer in itself is a great and an honorable ministry among the saints. Paul
made sure that people recognized prayer as a tremendous ministry and vital to
the health and growth of the body of Christ, calling Epaphras a bondslave of
Jesus. This was not just something Epaphras decided to do one day as a hobby;
it was even more than a commitment. God apprehended Epaphras and put chains
around his spirit and compelled him in his ministry of prayer so that he
became literally addicted to it. We know that slaves have lost their freedoms,
and so have drug addicts, for example. They are no longer in control of
whether they get high; their body tells them what to do; they have no choice;
they are addicted, and have become enslaved to their addictions, and that is
what happened to Epaphras. He lost his freedom; he became addicted to prayer.
It was a deep passion of his. He wanted to see the people of God mature,
suggesting that he was a mature Christian, that he ministered to God in his
prayer through the maturity that he achieved from prayer. He used his maturity
in his prayers to appeal to God that he might see with his own eyes the result
of his prayers in the perfection of God’s will among the saints.
(248a) Priorities
>>
God’s priorities >> The will of God >>
We play our part in the will of God >> Knowing
the will of God – It is important to have that assurance in the
will of God. There are many who are seeking assurance for their salvation, but
Paul is talking about assurance in the will of God, meaning the Colossians
already had assurance for their salvation; now they wanted to know they were
walking in the will of God. In many respects knowing the will of God is just
as important as knowing we are saved and going to heaven. A person who is
seeking assurance for his salvation doesn’t understand how little faith it
takes to be saved. All it takes is to simply believe that God is a good
person; if we believe that, we are about 90% there. He is so good that He sent
His Son to make propitiation for our sins, and that believing in His sacrifice
on the cross makes us holy and acceptable to God. We don’t add anything to
the blood of Jesus, including our good works, and we don’t take anything
from it. His blood stands alone as our salvation before the Father. Our good
works are the way we say “thank you” to God for His love and provision.
Without good works it is like being ungrateful, and ingratitude is a sign that
we really don’t believe in His goodness.
Col 4-13
(155i) Witness
>>
Validity of the believer >> Witness of the
believer >> The Church bears witness of the
believer –
Epaphras had a deep concern for the Colossians and for the Church in Laodicea.
We certainly understand his concern for Laodicea, because later in the book of
Revelation we discover that they were essentially apostate; Christ had nothing
good to say about them at all. They were steeped in licentiousness, and they
had the philosophy that they could just sit back and take in the grace of God.
Epaphras had reason to be concerned, for Laodicea didn’t understand the
grace of God that it is not God or man but both working together to accomplish
the will of God. The Laodiceans came to the same conclusion we have in America
that grace is defined as the work of God and that all our works are like
filthy rags, and so there is no point in trying to do anything, since God
doesn’t respect or value any of our works. This is such an affront to God
and to His grace and to His word. The statement made in Isaiah 64-6, “For
all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are
like a filthy garment,” applies to the unbeliever before he gets saved, but
once we get saved, God has things for us to do. The Bible says we are a new
creation and that now our works are sanctified. Combined with His grace, He
can produce works from us that are acceptable to Him. If Epaphras was
concerned about Laodicea, then he was concerned about the Colossians and
Hierapolis in the same way. Paul even made a comment like this, “I fear for
you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain” (Gal 4-11). Jesus said it
too, asking “Where is your faith?” (Lk 8-25).
(247e) Priorities
>>
God’s priorities >> God’s interests >>
Concern >> Concerned about your well being
KJV
NAS
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15-18 Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house. 16 When this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea. 17 Say to
Archippus, "Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it." 18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my imprisonment. Grace be with you.
Col 4-15,16
( 29bb)
Gift of God >> God delivers us from our enemies >>
Church assembles in people's houses (underground) – Did the early church hold their services
exclusively in people’s houses or did they have churches too? The answer to
that depended on how much persecution they suffered. The early church was
largely underground and it was one of the only times in its history when it
performed the will of God. They would assemble together and enjoy one
another’s hospitality, love, joy, faith and spirit. To the degree that they
were persecuted was the degree that they worshipped God in people’s homes,
which happened a lot. Persecution of this pervasion will return to the world again.
Worship at people’s homes is an inexpensive way to have church; there is almost no
expense involved. "Overhead" describes the building that tends to
become the main focus of the Church, especially when they have trouble paying
the mortgage and the light bill, and it tends to weigh on the ministry. When persecution comes, we will actually benefit from it, because then we will be
liberated from all the expenses that go along with worshipping God in a church
building.
(143c) Witness
>>
Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >>
The public >> The disciples ministered publicly
(143f) Witness
>>
Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >>
Public reading of Scripture
Col 4-16
(80j) Thy kingdom come
>>
Know the word to minister to people >> To edify
one another –
The Colossians were to exchange letters with Laodicea. This meant more than
simply reading Paul’s letters; they copied them. Every church had a copy of
all his letters and frequently referred to them, just like we do in the Bible.
They didn’t have the availability of God’s word to the degree that we do,
yet all our studies don’t seem to do us much good. The Church is a total
mess, compared to the first century Church. What did they have going for them
that we don’t have going for us? They had vision! Jesus had been sacrificed
less than a hundred years earlier; the word of God was fresh and new, and
everyone was in agreement with the truth; everyone believed the same thing,
and there weren’t any denominations yet. Another thing they had going for
them that we don’t is that they knew and understood that if we don’t obey
the word of God, there is no point in reading it either. They saw the value of
obedience far more than we do in our lackadaisical and licentious age of
apostasy. We have heard a million times: ‘We are saved by grace through
faith, so all we have to do is believe a set of doctrines and we’re in like
flint, truncating the necessity of obedience.’ This is based on the
implications of the contemporary Church’s teachings, though they don’t put
it in those words per se, yet this is what they mean. The Church today
considers obedience to be optional, as though if they don’t obey the Lord
that’s okay, and if they do obey Him that’s better, but this is not what
the Bible teaches at all. It teaches that if we don’t obey Him, then neither
do we know Him (1Jn 3-6).
Col 4-17
(44h) Fulfill Your
Ministry
(Key verse)
(44i) Judgment
>>
Transformed >> Fulfill your ministry >>
Calling from God >> Complete it – It is important to not only begin our
ministry, but also to finish it, especially when it comes to spiritual things.
Jesus had very little good to say about those who started in their faith and
wasn’t able to finish. He didn’t say they had nice intensions, but that
their intensions were meaningless, because he didn’t fulfill his ministry. It
matters if we start, but it matters just as much that we complete our ministry,
just as we have been called to believe to the end. If we don’t finish what we
are doing for the Lord, it is as meaningless as if we never started.
(71g) Authority >>
Ordained by God >>
Ordained by His sovereign will >> God
chooses you
(87a) Thy kingdom come
>>
Obedience >> Be doers of the word from the heart >>
God blesses us for doing His word, not for knowing it
(115c) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >> Working the grace of God >> Through your ministry >>
Through your calling >> To build up the body of
Christ
Col 4-18
(216f) Sovereignty
>>
God overrides the will of man >> God’s will
over man >> Compelled by the Spirit >>
God forces His bond-servants to do His will -- This verse goes with
verse 3. This is an authoritative statement, confirming
that it came directly from the hand of Paul. This is definitely a letter that
Paul wrote, which is important to know, though he always started his letters
confirming that his hand wrote it. The significance of this being a letter of
Paul is that he went the distance; he paid the price. He sacrificed his life
in a way that few of us would be willing to do, and for this reason we can
trust his dogma, his theology and his judgment.
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