Colossians Book Summary: Introduction

please turn to Colossians as Jeremy mentioned we're going to begin a kind of like a unit of study it will be probably five lessons okay tonight is going to be introductory in nature that's it and I thought about it for a while I wanted to try to dig into the verses this is gonna be pretty unique too to try to get through the book itself and not bogged down it's gonna be a challenge so if you recall the Ephesians study does anybody know how many lessons that was 37 lessons and we're going to get through Colossians which is two chapters shorter but the pace is gonna be a little bit faster so again about five lessons that will do that so this will be introductory and I gave you a few resources if you didn't have a chance to take a look at the Pew that's there in the back there are three Maps okay three you might have looked at them and thought they were all the same they're not there are three maps and they're progressive in nature the idea is not to spend the time on the maps during the lesson today but this is just for your benefit you can have these and use them and it might be important just to identify where colos is on the map so I'll point that out here in a second all right so there's that and then also the outline so hopefully you have that before we begin I'll say a prayer and then we'll get into it bow thank you for your grace today today is a day of opportunity and we as the church are to be the pillar and ground of the truth and it's important for us to give attendance to reading exhortation and Doctrine we thank you for what you accomplished for us on the cross and we know and should be reminded that in ourselves well as no good thing but in Christ we have the opportunity to live a life that is acceptable being accepted in the beloved and so as we appeal to Colossians and thank you Lord for preserving it that we may study it and grow thereby I pray that others would be edified by the lessons and that we would grow in the knowledge of the truth in unto your glory amen okay please take a look at the outline there I gave you a similar breakdown that Justin typically gives and I'll be honest that's how I learned how to put together an outline it's taking a look at his seeing how he breaks it down before he appeals to the book and that's exactly what I did so you're gonna see if you were to compare this with other ones that he's used that's where I got my pattern it's pretty helpful to do that as we go through these lessons I will call attention to things like that because I think you can use it as a teaching tool okay putting outlines together is challenging and if you haven't attempted to do that it is an important task to kind of go through that exercise try to read a chapter summarize it and that's exactly what I'll be doing through the lesson so I might take some time to just pull off to the side and explain maybe how I did that and you might find that to be helpful please give me some feedback at the end if you think that it does but here at the top why this series and we know a little bit why I'm typically not standing up here I just got here a little bit ago and have the opportunity to teach so part of that is you see in the first section there is circumstance we're not circumstance driven we operate despite the circumstances but that is circumstantial in the second point this compliments also the mid acts study that Justin's going through as we've taken a break from so while we've bogged down there for a little bit we're gonna shoot way forward past acts 28 and talk a little bit about a prison epistle so this is a good complement to what's going on in the acts or the mid acts study number three interest I was actually thinking about Colossians at the time and so going through it is pretty easy so that's somewhat selfish on my part but it fits I think nicely in the time frame so hopefully we'll get something out of that in the notification study to show thyself approved unto God we also have 2nd Timothy 3:16 right all Scripture is given by inspiration of God so it's important that we give attendance to those things that we study ourselves and that would be edified by it and so that's again the function that we serve as a church so that's the purpose behind this study what to expect I'd like you to look there at Colossians 1 the audience that we have here is stated right away in the first two verses I'll read the first two Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God and timotheus our brother to the Saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at cloths grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ can you pick a spot in Acts where Paul went to colossi and you think of it I didn't find one right you might be hard-pressed to find one we see him trafficking through the area we see him going to various places that are in Asia which Colossus please take a look at I don't have the order for you you're gonna have to take a look at the black box on any of the pages and you're gonna see yeah take a look at the second church establishment journey and I chose my words carefully there if you look on the actual map itself it calls it Paul's missionary journeys that's incorrect Paul was not a missionary he was establishing churches okay and that's important to note so remember that maps and your Bible are not inspired but now there are my notes the second one you have here Paul's second church establishment journey take a look at number 11 it's a blue shape that's right in the center of the page now you find yourself in Asia you can see that yellow in color if you were to look down just below it you'll see Laodicea and then if you were run east or right from there you're going to see cloths you see that okay that's Kailash it's it's right there in Asia and so what I'd like to do is just spend a little bit of time talking a little bit about why in the world do we have a letter to the Colossians and how did that come about we don't see in acts Paul stopping off there we see him trafficking around so I want you to look over at Acts chapter 16 we'll spend a little bit of time just briefly looking at the verses of Paul's traffic in through and around Asia in acts 16 look at verse 6 & 7 verse 6 now when they had gone throughout freesia and the region of Galatia and were forbidden of the holy ghost to preach the word in Asia after they were come to Misa theyes aid to go into bathin iya but the spirit suffered them not all right if you recall and Justin will get there eventually when he gets back to it in acts 13 the Holy Ghost separates Paul Barnabas they prophets there at the time and they began to go out and they had been traveling around before and we've covered that so far in the act study but they continue to travel which I gave you here in the maps their various trips but you see that there is the spirits intervention on where he will go when at that time that's important because where does he not go in verse six doesn't go to Asia all right but Colossus is in Asia so we can say in acts 16 we don't really see a whole lot happening in Asia look at chapter 18 chapter 18 verse 18 and Paul after this tarried there yet a good while and then took his leave of the Brethren and sailed thence to Syria into Syria and with him priscilla and aquila having shorn his head in cenchrea for he had a vow and he came to Ephesus and left left them there but he himself entered into the synagogue and reason with the Jews when they desired him to tarry longer time with them he consented not but bade them farewell saying I must by all means keep the feasts that cometh in Jerusalem but I will return again unto you if God will and he sailed from Ephesus now Ephesus sits in Asia so we find two chapters later that Paul goes to Asia okay so that is an early visit that we find there and that puts him somewhat close to cos all right take a look at chapter 19 flipping right over maybe even on the same page and it came to pass that while Apollo's was at Corinth Paul having passed through the upper coast came to Ephesus and certain disciples I'm sorry finding certain disciples I'm not going to go through the passage all I mean to say is Paul finds himself in and around Ephesus again ok these are his wanderings verse 8 and he went into the synagogue and spake boldly for the space of three months disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God so now we've got a time element three months there look at verse 10 and this continued by the space of two years what continued verse nine at the school of Tyrannus he taught so we got three years I'm sorry three months two years at some point Paul's bogging down just a little bit in Asia whereas the Spirit suffered him not before to go there okay so we see some developments to take place all I'm doing is trafficking through the verses and Paul's touches and time with Asia verse 22 so he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto Him timotheus and Erastus but he himself stayed in Asia for a season look at verse 26 moreover you see in here that not alone had Ephesus but almost all a through I'm sorry throughout all Asia this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people saying that they be no gods which are made with hands so that not only this our craft is endangered to be set at nought but also that the temple of the Great Goddess Diana should be despised and he and her magnificence should be destroyed whom all Asia in the world worship a--the okay so the point is Paul has done a lot of work in Asia that's got a lot of people spun up and the references are Paul Asha and he's getting around quite a bit in affecting a lot of people with the doctrine that he taught okay so that's just something to keep in mind I'm looking at progressively Paul's involvement in Asia look at verse or rather chapter 20 chapter 20 you're gonna find Paul meeting with the elders of the church at Ephesus and he's going to bid them farewell all rights pretty touching passage and there's a lot of things that are important in the passage but what I'm after is it actually quantifies the a time and I'm just using this as kind of a launchpad look at verse 18 to describe his influence before we get into discussing Colossians verse 18 and when they were come to him he said unto them you know from the first day that I came into Asia after what manner I've been among you at all seasons okay so he's thinking back and responding about how he started out there move over if you would to verse 31 therefore watch and remember that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn everyone night and day with tears and now brethren I commend you to God and to the word of His grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all which all them which are sanctified okay so just moving through the verses all I mean to point out again is just Paul in Asia moving around Asia but we don't see any mention really of Colossus you see that it's in there now if you took a look at the map and you say work through the verses yourself you're gonna see him work through the southern portion of Galatia right you've got Lystra Derby Iconium all these areas and in some cases he moves from the southern portion of Galatia over to Ephesus later in his journeys and I apologize I don't actually have the the next one maybe I'll work that map out and give it to you on one of the later lessons but I would encourage you to take a look at that but again you don't see him touching down there so that's important to note before we get into Colossians is that we don't have any account a pulse it and foot down there all right go back to if you would Oh chapter 19 verse 10 as I gave you in your outline Roman numeral two under audience it's just calling attention to some things that you can see Paul referencing about Asian and we looked at chapter 19 verse 10 but I want to read that again and kind of string these together and this continued by the space of two years that all they which dwell in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus both Jews and Greeks yes we taught there for two years and apparently had quite influenced look at first Corinthians chapter 16 first Corinthians 16 verse 19 interesting statement that's made here now priscilla and aquila he left in ephesus and if you recall with that they were able to listen to Apollo's and show him the way of the Lord more perfectly that was something that occurred in Ephesus you see here in 1st Corinthians 16 verse 19 the churches of Asia salute you Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord with the church that is in their house ok so churches in Asia that are being referenced in what I would call Paul's early ministry first corinthians there you can probably track that around to acts 19 when he's showing up moving around that area so you got churches in asia that seems to check out with Paul's three-year ministry that took place there right he was establishing churches if you would look at 2nd Timothy though you get to the end of Paul's ministry and he makes a statement about Asia I don't mean to say a ton about this all I mean to do is just point out his reference to occurrences throughout his ministry in Asia 2nd Timothy chapter 1 verse 15 this thou knowest that they which are in Asia be turned away from me of whom are by jealous and her Majin 'yes so something has occurred in Asia over the course of his ministry where he says all turned away so I gave you in the outline they're all in Asia heard they saluted and turned away all right well cos is involved in that group they are in Asia and so could we surmise from that that the Colossians later on in their ministry maybe weren't faithful we don't know that for sure but we do see what Paul says at the end and we know that there were challenges to his ministry throughout that certainly doesn't say that he failed it means that we're to uphold the doctrine so you can see something that happens very fast with ministries and don't we know that to be the truth with those that appeal to say the Bible rightly divided okay it's very important that a person holds the doctrine with purity okay we'll move passes go to Colossians now so little time spent in acts just to see Paul moving around now what a curse here is they have report from a gentleman that is from the area and he reports to Paul and Timothy and anybody else that's within this group in Calais take a look at verse 7 as he also learned of a Paris our dear fellow servant who is for you a faithful minister of Christ who also declared unto us your love in the spirit so what we have here is a Paris reporting something about the Colossians to Paul and Paul is urged to send them a letter all right and this letter that we have that's been preserved for us contains some of the the most fundamental elements of the church the body of Christ in this dispensation according to the mystery we have a lot in Colossians that links to Ephesians and so thanks be to Paul for writing the letter that we can actually read this and study it so that was because of the Packers take a look at chapter 4 in verse let's see here verse 12 a Patras who is one of you a servant of Christ saluteth you always laboring fervently for you in prayers that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God so again you see there a Patras being mentioned at the beginning and then also at the end and he is one of them now something that you'll see if you would turn to Philemon is that a pathos is mentioned again and he's mentioned in relation to Paul in bonds and so this is something that is interesting to consider when you're looking at Paul's ministry pre prison and in in prison is you've got a pass here being mentioned look at verse 23 of Philemon their salute the apophis my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus and he mentioned some other names that we'll see we get around to chapter four in Colossians so Patras is from colossus but you see these a fellow prisoner as well and we know that Paul when he gets to Rome meets with the Jews he is in Chains and he says be it known unto you the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles and they will hear it so we know Paul being in Chains after that point and also he is in Chains before that point okay so if you would take a look at the outline there in Roman numeral three under audience you've also got the region of South Galatia that is close to where Colossus and one thing that we're gonna see is we traffic through the book itself is you're gonna see some wall influence take a look at Colossians chapter 2 I think Colossians is interesting by comparison to the other epistles because you certainly don't see him tie in to the Colossians like he does the Galatians and yet you're going to see him reference holy days and other things like this so this apparently was an issue in the area and I would submit to you that's pretty close in proximity to Galatia and some of the other things that were going on around there Colossians chapter 2 in verse 16 let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of an holyday or of the new moon or of sabbath days which are a shadow of things to come but the body is of Christ so you see there's some kind of an issue there with Holy Days some other things that you'll see when we get through chapter 2 is the fleshly mind that's puffed up by doing things that are vein right there are a lot of things ordinances rudiments that pop up that apparently they were esteeming or people in the region were and could affect them so Paul is trying really to guard against this but we don't see him responding the same way to them as he does say those in Corinth or those in Galatia and their issues so Colossians I think is unique in that regard I take a look at sub-point be in the outline the dispensational context okay we talked a little bit about it being a prison epistle please look at chapter four and verse three skipped over this I mentioned a Patras but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention verse three and Fort or 18 of Paul he says in verse three with all praying also for us that God would open unto us a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ for which I am also in bonds ok so Paul confirming that verse 18 the salutation by the hand of me Paul remember my bonds grace be with you amen so again Paul referencing that he is actually in Chains and he is linked to a papist there in Philemon as a fellow prisoner ok so just some connections I wanted to point out there some things that are mentioned about Colossians is that it is very similar to Ephesians ok and there if you've read through it many times you'll see there are a lot of things that are very very similar but there are different orientations one thing that is glaringly different this is not an error a problem it's just a major difference between the two is the spirits mentioned one time in Colossians and is mentioned 12 times in Ephesians so I think that's just interesting to know nothing more than that but there are differences between the books themselves you will see the dispensation of God being mentioned you will see the mystery being mentioned and expounded in both of them you're gonna see the putting on and putting off that takes place putting on the new man putting off of the old man there are a lot of similarities but there are many differences that pop up in Colossians I gave you there in your outline under sub-point be an order that you could consider with Paul's epistles and I would encourage and people move around some of these books but I would encourage you if you're trying to find out where the Epistle falls date setting is something that people try to do with the books and there are typically agendas that are driven with that so what I would encourage you to do is find Paul's epistles as he traffics through acts and so I gave that in a consideration for you if you look at pre prison I gave you Galatians acts 16 some people move that later to acts 20 it is in early ministry 1st and 2nd thessalonians you can find him trafficking around there in chapter 17 you've got chapter 19 1st and 2nd corinthians romans around 20 okay and these are considerations you can make when you go through be persuaded in your mind what you think about that the next one there is early prison epistles all right this would be after he's in Chains now there is a time in Acts 24 were two years it's almost a passing comment two years Paul's in Chains before he ever gets to Rome so some people consider that Justin also made a point about that in his first Timothy study there are some issues that come up from it I'm not saying an issue with his position I'm just saying people try to put books in certain places and there can be agendas take a look it's Colossians Ephesians Philippians first Timothy and Philemon you've got the liberty epistle typically referred for Titus and that he is making a comment about where he determines to winter in chapter 3 verse 12 and so the assumption is these free to choose where he goes so they call that a Liberty epistle and then second Timothy you have there at the end of his ministry as he talks about his death so those are an order and order that you can consider as far as themes in the book itself the theme I put down there the worthy walk complete in Christ the progression that you're going to see in the chapters as we go through it is that Paul begins to lay the groundwork of the prayer for the worthy walk in Chapter 1 he moves on to talk about Christ's creation his deity and also his preeminence from resurrection of the Dead he finishes out the chapter talking about the mystery in the dispensation of God which fulfills the Word of God and that's kind of his progression as he goes once he establishes that he continues to press forward take a look at the end of chapter 1 he continues to press forward in the believers presentation unto perfection in Christ Colossians chapter 1 right at the tail end in verse 27 whom we preached that is Christ warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus we're in - I also labor striving according to his working which worketh in me mightily okay so that is a theme once he establishes the preeminence of Christ he doesn't stray from that chapter - he's going to say as you Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him and so that's why I say the worthy walk this is how he starts and he continues to progress how we walk in the preeminent one okay it's never apart from Christ as always in Christ themes that I gave you there in Roman numeral one Christ preeminence take a look at chapter 1 verse 18 verse 18 and he is the head of the body of the church who is the beginning the firstborn from the dead that in all things he might have the preeminence alright so that is a theme that we'll find we'll find his fullness verse 19 for it pleased the father that in him that his Christ should all fullness dwell in his sufficiency look at chapter 2 and verse 10 and ye are complete in him which is the head of all principality and power he's just gonna drive that point over and over and over again establish the preeminence of Christ and you being accepted in the beloved and this will strengthen the position of the believer not by their works but by Christ being completing him so Paul does this over and again in chapter 1 and 2 other themes that you'll find the believers completion which we just talked about in chapter 2 in verse 10 also chapter 3 in verse 2 the believers affection okay once you establish where Christ is and you in him your affections our affections should be set on him so look at chapter 3 verse 2 set your affections on things above not on things on the earth for ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God so that is another one your completion your affection and your perfection chapter 1 and verse 28 perfection is certainly not sinless Ness you're accepted in the beloved Christ was sinless but we are not sinless and so our perfection would be our completion you could link that together with chapter 2 and verse 10 being complete in Christ of the verse 28 whom we preach warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus okay so that point over and over again and then the third Roman numeral warning take a look at chapter 2 in verse 8 Paul does not get away from warning here but you don't really see him tying into them as if he knows exactly what it is that are their issues I think he knows what is surrounding them issues that they will deal with and so he much like he speaks in Corinthians cares about them like children he makes comments like this in Colossians but you don't see him using a case point like he does in first Corinthians about what occurred in their response to this and so it's very protective about what he knows about the area and this response you see come across in Chapter two take a look in verse five actually verse four and this I say lest any man should be guile you with enticing words for though I be absent in the flesh yet I am am i with you in the spirit joying and beholding your order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ as you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him look down at verse eight beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ and he'll touch on this again and again and again in chapter two as he progresses there are warnings that are there and so that is a theme that takes place philosophy and also law tradition as we looked at there's language that is distinct to Colossians as well it gave you that in sub-point D this is interesting when you compare Paul's epistles and how he deals with people just as an example let's take a look at Galatians chapter 3 real fast can you think any of the words that Paul uses that are distinct to Galatians and talking about them chapter 3 in verse 1 is one of them o foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth look down at verse 2 this only would I learn of you received either spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith are you so foolish having begun in the spirit are you now made perfect by the flesh all right so does perfection come from the flesh absolutely not it comes in Christ alone but notice he references in verse 3 beginning in the spirit flip back to Colossians in Colossians in chapter 1 look at verse 8 if you recall we talked about this a little bit before in what a Patras had declared unto them verse 8 though is declared unto us your love in the spirit all right so Paul exhorts them he encourages them in the spirit he's not I'm not trying to say that he's not saying that to the Galatians but he is just extremely Stern with the Galatians and so you see he's encouraging them along the Colossians and how they walk in Christ unto perfection all right being complete in him the language that you have here I gave you lofty we looked at the word preeminence take a look at chapter 2 in verse 15 the language is so very lofty and this should make a lot of sense by the time he gets around to chapter 3 he's gonna tell you to set your affections on things above so the loftiness is important chapter 2 in verse 15 and having spoiled principalities and powers he made a show of them openly triumphing over them in it so you see the word triumph pop up there again over them Christ seated at the right hand of the Father is above all things and by all things consistent so the language about Christ is that he is the preeminent one he is the lofty one also glory look at chapter 1 verse 27 linking to the lofty language that we find verse 27 to whom god would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the gentiles which is christ in you the hope of glory lofty language the next one here stability look at chapter 1 verse 23 if you continue in the faith grounded and settled and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel which he have heard and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven where of I Paul and made a minister being grounded and settled being stabbed this is stability language that he utilizes when he first establishes who you are in Christ he continues to reinforce that stable position that you have in him and what he's going to do eventually is speak of something that's kind of like mobility walking in Christ and the walk is not necessarily a left foot right foot oftentimes it's putting on the new man and putting off the old man this is the worthy walk so he's going to use terms like this that get him to kind of like a mobile state and how he references the walk also look at chapter 2 verse 7 you see the language again of stability rooted and built up in him and established in the faith as you have been taught abounding therein with Thanksgiving so again language here that we find is that of stability you also have identity chapter 3 verse 10 and have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him so we've got the pudding on look at verse 2 or seria verse 12 continues to say put on therefore as the elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercies kindness humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering verse 14 and above all these things put on charity which is the bond of perfectness all right continues to link our identity to our stable position in Christ maturity also you saw there perfectness that was mentioned there was something that I found kind of interesting is perfect in some form shows up once in every chapter let's take a look at that real quick look at verse 28 as we've referenced for the third time now the goal is to present every man perfect in Christ Jesus as chapter 1 verse 28 take a look now at chapter actually I think I left one out no there we go my mistake I mentioned perfectness I got ahead of myself let me finish up the point that I was going to make before the maturity the perfectness and the nourishment take a look at chapter three inverse or chapter 2 in verse 19 as you talks about the complete position they have in Christ and those things that would spoil them that they should avoid one of the things that he references in verse 19 is the notion of holding the head and this would be like the purity of doctrine the holding the head verse 19 and not holding the head from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered and knit together increases with the increase of God so the language is lofty it is that of stability it's that of identity is that of maturity those are the things we've covered so far but also mobility and this is the reference I want to make that you see in every chapter one time the word walk in chapter 1 in verse 10 we'll get back to this in our first lesson when we talk about this prayer of pulse but in verse 10 the function is that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitful and every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God so our first reference of walk and it's pretty early on in the chapter it's linked right to prayer take a look at chapter 2 and verse 6 we looked at this before as she have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so what y'all walky in him so again the reference of walking chapter 3 verse 7 now it's referencing the old man or the dead position you had in trespasses and sins if we were to reference Ephesians chapter 2 that's how we all walk he's referencing this in contrast to your position verse 7 in the which he also walked some time when he lived in them he goes on to talk about putting that off it's not who you are anymore and then the last reference in chapter 4 to walk his verse 5 and I'll read through on this verse 3 with all praying also for us that God would open unto us a door veterans to speak the mystery of Christ for which I am also in bonds that I make my get manifest as I ought to speak walk in wisdom toward them that are without redeeming the time all right so there's the worthy walk chapter one which he links to increasing in the knowledge of God being filled with his will and all wisdom and spiritual understanding that's the worthy walk of the believer in Christ he continues to encourage that in Chapter two as you received Christ Jesus the Lord which would be by grace through faith so walky in him the contrast in Chapter three don't walk as you used to that's not who you are anymore and then he uses in Chapter four you walking towards them that are without okay links that right to redeeming the time so we we can walk with that K I mean that's that's a good application that we have in various circumstances or rather various places we'd find ourselves praying interacting with other people or just in and of ourselves so I thought that was a neat connection to make also seeking in chapter three and verse one again these are terms that are kind of like mobile terms walking seeking and yet you might not take a single step all right so it's the thought process that we have according to the doctrine verse one if you then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God and he goes on to talk about the affection so terms of mobility and then finally terms of Liberty alright Chapter two we looked at before verse 16 let no man all right you can find that numerous times that phrase those words let no man let no man and so we know that Paul's ministry is to every man right there's no distinction and yet he says let no man judge you let no man spoil you let no man but as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in him Galatians what does it say in Chapter five that you're at liberty in Christ stand fast in that Liberty okay so terms of Liberty that we find so he is defensive and what he tells them to beware of but he also liberates them all right the terms that he uses let no man okay so he empowers the individual in Christ and their liberty in him so that's the language popular passages that we're going to find as we go through here I'm trying to give prominence if people don't to verses 9 through 11 the worthy walk so if take a look at that we'll get back to it but I have found this personally so helpful to think through because the answers are there we know that when we've studied Paul's epistles we get clear statements of what God's will is and that's helpful when a person thinks that they can't know what it is you can and it's been stated explicitly and so if you can link that to prayer would that be a great thing to take two things that are typically ambiguous the denomination and actually link them together so you've got here in verse nine for this cause we also since the day we heard it do not cease to pray for you and to desire that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will and all wisdom and spiritual understanding that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing he goes on and on and on all right so you can find their formula of sorts and I'm not trying to make math how did I think we had a math lesson last night so but you can piece that together in a prayer pattern and that's the right thing and it's simple and so I want to spend some time on that when we get back to in the first lesson so I'm gonna call that a popular passage even if people don't I brought this book does anybody seen this before anybody know who Bandys about town with these the Jehovah's Witnesses take a look at Colossians chapter 1 verse 16 we were talking about the deity of Christ I forget when it was it was pretty recent and the comment was made about a word that's placed in addition in their New World Translation I just looked before I came here the 2013 version still has it the word other take a look at Colossians 1 I'm gonna read verse 15 and 16 verse 15 who is the image speaking of Christ of the invisible God the firstborn of every creature for by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or dominions or principalities or powers all things were created by him and for him and he is before all things and by him all things consist so if you would just take the word other and shove it right in front of all every time that's exactly what they do so let's read that for by him were all other things created that are in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or dominions or principalities or powers all other things were created by him and for him and he is before all other things and by him all other things consist all right one word that goes in repetitively which allows them to teach that Christ was created i forgot to mention verse 15 which is right here and i think they mentioned colossians 1:15 in their appendix here page 202 talking about the word was god that's where they deal with john 1 and how king james bible so clear and speaking about Christ being the word Christ being God the Word was God and also the creative events all being by Christ all right and that's linked to Colossians 1 also but at the end they use Colossians 1:15 and I checked before I came here who is the image of the invisible God the firstborn of every or rather all creation I think it was okay so we'll spend maybe just a passing moment on that when we get back to the first one or our first lesson but I wanted to make the comment because that's a popular passage for Jehovah's Witnesses to add one word to relinquish the deity of Christ or to strip him of it and we won't do that in our lessons Christ is God and he created all things in the two or one or rather the three or one the next one their deity upholders look at chapter 2 verse 9 that's a good segue if you don't have this verse memorize please do it is a fascinating verse and should be mentioned quite a bit verse nine for in him that's in Christ well all the fullness of the Godhead bodily all right very important to DD upholders how about security declares in chapter 2 in verse 10 personally these passages I found to be really helpful in talking with people that doubt the complete position they have in Christ as if verse 9 and 10 of chapter 2 were not enough then you've got the remaining verses 10 through 15 which teach you that you are saved rather forgiven for all trespasses that's great you can use that in comparison to Matthew chapter 6 tells that you need to ask for forgiveness alright so take a look at that real quick were you through those verses verse 11 in whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands and putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ buried with him in Baptism wherein you're also risen with him through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead and you being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh hath he quickened together with him having forgiven you all trespasses again popular passives to show that you are securing client in Christ you're forgiven all trespasses and that's an important word this shouldn't be passed over you also have the baptism controversy which we may dip into just a little bit no pun intended there in verse 12 you've got the statement there which is also very similar to Romans chapter 6 okay and that's often used along with Galatians 3 to teach as you know water baptism so we'll spend a little bit of time showing that there's not a drop in it in sub-point F you've got legalism it is a shackled in Liberty as proclaimed alright so in chapter 2 Paul over and again does what he does in Galatians all right so it's interesting to note that in Colossians they seemingly were in a region that had the same issue law pops up even though philosophy is there also and music ministry in chapter 3 in verse 16 popular passage there let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord and so one of the great ministries here would be the hymnal all right so if you haven't spent time looking at the changes to the words it's an important ministry and as you see in verse 16 the function of music is to teach and admonish which is something that I never learned but I learned here and so I was admonished when I sang today hopefully you were as well that's the function of it in a popular passage and then I would be remiss if I didn't mention also that this is fertile territory for the acts 28 error all right say error because it is an error to take the position of Acts 28 is to teach that only in Paul's prison epistles as they might define them and what they are that you find mystery doctrine and you do not find that outside of there and this is not true and so what we'll do in our lessons from time to time is I'll show you how you link what Paul mentions in Colossians or what he mentions in Ephesians and let's just tie that right to what you find in his early epistles pre prison epistles Romans would be a very easy one first Corinthians also and you can find things in 1st and 2nd Thessalonians so we'll do that make some comments on that and show you that is important and profitable profitable to be able to show because maybe you haven't maybe you haven't made those connections before and you should be aware of that unfortunately all right the outline that I gave you there it's kind of like two parts first chapter ii chapter is doctrine and then you find practical application that takes place as Paul often does in chapter 3 in chapter 4 it seems like in chapter 4 a lot of people are mentioned the most people that are mentioned is in chapter 16 of Romans so Colossians is not close but there's something like 10 or 11 people that are mentioned so I thought that was kind of interesting and all the people that are mentioned there at the end of the book quite a bit that helped pull out in his ministry and then I gave you the schedule which is how you keep me accountable also alright just put it out there full disclosure lesson 1 we just took care of lesson 2 next time we're going to get us through verse 23 we're then going to take it through chapter 2 verse 15 on the nineteenth then we're going to get through Chapter three to verse four on the 26th and then in July the first two weeks or the first two Tuesday's that we get we'll do our final two lessons and close the book out okay a verse by verse study is you kind of getting in if I could use the analogy of say working on a car or something like that you pop the hood you deconstruct and you rebuild that would be Justin's verse by verse we are going to pop the hood and kind of point at things and we might put a hand on it but then we're going to move to other things and so this really is just kind of a drive-by it's a cursory look and hopefully I'll point out some things that will be helpful to you I certainly plan on learning a lot doing it are there any questions that you have on Colossians in the intro okay well say a prayer bow thank you for your word again for preserving it that we might have to grow thereby all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and we know it to be profitable we know in second or rather in Thessalonians that your word works effectually and those that believe it and Lord we know that the communication of our faith becomes effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing that is in us that is in you and so help us to understand better that we're completing you and that we're accepted in you and then in our flesh dwells no good thing and to you be the glory for what you've done for us and that your grace abounds over all our sin amen

Channel: Grace Ambassadors

Views: 2,697

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords: graceambassadors, rightly-divide, mid-acts, pauline, dispensational, grace, bible, study

Id: 7xf66c11ovs

Length: 48min 22sec (2902 seconds)

Published: Wed Jun 06 2018