Christ Preeminent (Part One): Introduction

Transcript

JRNT 23
06/04/2023
Preeminent Christ: Part One “Introduction”
Colossians 1:1-2
Jesse Randolph

Well, here we are. We’re about to start a new book of the bible. The book of Colossians. After spending more than eight months in the book of James. You may remember a year ago, when I started in this role. I shared with you some advice I received from John Mac Arthur. I had the privilege of a real brief meeting with him, right before we moved here to Nebraska. In that brief meeting, I did ask Dr. MacArthur for some of his recommendations about what books of the bible he thinks I should start with in my new ministry here at Indian Hills. When I asked Dr. MacArthur that question, he demurred and he deflected, and he gave me this simple, three-word answer. He didn’t answer my question. He instead said, “give them Christ.” Give them Christ. That’s why the first series I took you through last summer, as we got things off the ground, was to go through those first three chapters of the book of Revelation. Where we saw the risen and the victorious and the ascended Jesus Christ. In all of His glory. Giving His divine assessment of those seven ancient churches, there in Asia Minor. Giving His divine words of exhortation and words of rebuke even to those churches, and by extension, to our church here today. He was exhorting and rebuking them about the various ways they had fallen short of His standards of holiness and purity and devotion and commitment and love for Him, and for one another. Dr. MacArthur’s advice, to “give them Christ”, was wrapped in with that study. Dr. MacArthur’s advice to “give them Christ” is also tied into what I shared with you on a Sunday evening, not too many months ago, about my plan, Lord willing, next year in 2024, to launch into a study, a multi-year study of the Gospel of Luke. Before that, though, we’re going to work our way through another book. The book of Colossians. Which certainly is going to “give us Christ.”

There are four chapters in Colossians. There are ninety-five verses in Colossians. This morning, we’re going to cover just the first two of those ninety-five verses. Here’s our text for this morning, Colossians 1:1-2 God’s word reads “Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.” These are introductory words to this magnificent letter are loaded with exegetical and theological gold, that I’m excited to unpack this morning. This morning, our message, with two verses, has eight points. You heard that right, eight points. I won’t lay them all out for you right now. I’m going to lay them out, one by one here. We’ll get into it right away, with our first point, which is: The Perspective.

The letter to the Colossians starts with these words: “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God.”
Now, in our days, we sign our names at the end of a letter. You know, “Sincerely, Joe.” “Warm regards, Jack.” “Blessings, Karen.” But it all comes at the end of the letter. So, sometimes we have to read three paragraphs, sometimes we have to read thirty pages before we figure out who the letter is from. It was not the case in the New Testament era. In the days that the New Testament was being written, the writer of the letter, rightly and logically, I would say, would state their identity at the beginning of the letter. So you knew right away who what writing to you. That’s what we see here in Colossians. The letter to the Colossians begins with the name of its author, “Paul.”

Now, as is common in a sin-cursed world, that’s marked by its disregard for God. And its disregard for His word. A disregard, by the way, that’s spilled into various institutions of higher theological learning, there are many liberal scholars and deconstructionists today, who are trying to disprove the Pauline authorship of the book of Colossians. I’m not going to bog us down with all of the details about their arguments. I’m just going to say, right up front, that those arguments are totally uncompelling. Exegetically, theologically and historically. Contrary to those arguments, the arguments of those liberal critical scholars, what we see, over and over in the book of Colossians itself, and other biblical and historical sources, is that this book was written, in human terms, by Paul, just as the text says. Now, we can start, right away, with what Colossians itself says about its authorship. There are three references in this book, to Paul being the author of this book. We have our first one here in verse 1. Colossians 1:1, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God.” We have another one down in verse 23 of chapter 1. You’re welcome to turn there with me.
Colossians 1:23, where it says, “if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul was made a minister.” And third, we see Paul mentioned all the way in the last verse of this book. Colossians 4:18, where he says, “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my imprisonment. Grace be with you.”

Now, those three internal references to Paul ought to be enough for us. They ought to seal the deal on this question of Pauline authorship. But because we do live in an age. And we do live in a day, which the scriptures are constantly being assailed and attacked and undermined. I’m going to take it a step further this morning. By showing us that not only the internal testimony of Colossians. But the external testimony of other books of the bible, certify that Paul, at least from that human vantage point, did in fact, write Colossians.

Those two other books that confirm this are Ephesians and Philemon. Now, Ephesians and Philemon are both widely embraced, more widely embraced as having been written by Paul. The connections between those two books, Ephesians and Philemon and our book, Colossians, are undeniable. So, if Paul is recognized out there, as having authored Ephesians and authored Philemon, there should be no reason that he’s not affirmed also as the author of Colossians.

Now, regarding this connection between Colossians and its authorship and Ephesians and its authorship. We just must look at the overall flow of both books. They are both so similar. They have much of the same content. They share much of the same structure. They are both unmistakably Pauline in their flow and their thought and their argumentation. They both have that distinguishing mark of having these theological indicatives at the front end of the book, followed by these practical imperatival statements at the back end of the book. But even then, you can drill down even further and note other common links. For instance, the link of “Tychicus.” “Tychicus” was a cherished assistant to Paul, much like Timothy and Titus were. And Tychicus, we know from scripture itself, carried both the letters to the Colossians and the letter to the Ephesians, to their respective recipients. We see in Colossians 4:7, Paul says, “As to all my affairs, Tychicus, our beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bondservant in the Lord, will bring you information.” Then there’s another reference to Tychicus over in Ephesians 6:21 where he says, “But that you also may know about my circumstances, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved and faithful minister in the Lord, will make everything known to you.” I bring all that up, because that link between Tychicus to Ephesians and Colossians, points to the common authorship of the two books.

There are also several connections between Colossians and Philemon. In fact, if you’re up for it, let’s sort of toggle back and forth, and flip back and forth between the two books. I would say, keep your finger in both of these books, because we’re going to see even more similarities between these two. The similarities largely hinge on the common names mentioned in both books. First, both books mention Timothy in the opening greeting. In Colossians 1:1 here, we see the reference to “. . .Timothy our brother.”
Philemon 1, it says the same thing “. . . Timothy our brother.” In both books, greetings are sent to the same five individuals listed out – Aristarchus, Mark, Epaphras, Like, and Demas.

Look over at Colossians 4:10, this is sort of the closing comments of the Epistle, where he says, “Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also, Barnabas’ cousin Mark (about whom you received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him).” Then jump down to verse 12, he mentions “Epaphras, who is one of you number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings.” And then down to verse 14, “Luke the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also Demas,” Well, over in Philemon 23 and 24, he says, “Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers.” Five for five. Then, Archippus is another person mentioned in both books. Look at Colossians 4:17, he says, “Say to Archippus, ‘Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it’.”

In Philemon 2, it says, “To Philemon our beloved brother and fellow worker, and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house.” Here’s the last one, Onesimus the slave, is mentioned in both books. Look at Colossians 4:8-9, he says, “For I have sent him [referring to Tychicus] to you for this very purpose, that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts; and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of your number.”
And then, over in Philemon 10, it says, “I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment.” There are simply too many similarities and places of overlap. All of this to say, Paul is the same Paul that the Holy Spirit moved to write Ephesians and Philemon, is the same Paul who the Holy Spirit moved to write our book, our subject of study, Colossians.

Now, there have been, I know, countless biographies and studies and treatises and dissertations that have been written about Paul. No doubt many of you have heard what I’m about to say before, but I do think it’s important to give you just a brief review of some of the biographical data on this man, Paul. Paul was his Greek name. In Hebrew, his name was “Saul”, like the name of Israel’s first king. Acts 9:11 tells us that Paul was from Tarsus. Which was an important city in the Roman province of Cilicia, in Asia Minor. Philippians 3:5 tells us that Paul was from the tribe of Benjamin. But we would also see in places like Acts 22:25 that he was a Roman citizen, which came handy for him later in life.

We know from Acts 23 and Philippians 3 that Paul was a Pharisee, the strictest of the Jewish sects. We know from Acts 22 that he studied and was educated under the much-revered rabbi Gamaliel. We know from Acts 7 that Paul was a witness to the stoning of the first Christian martyr, Stephen. We know from Acts 8:1 that Paul was “in hearty agreement with putting [Stephen] to death.” And we know from Acts 9 that Paul, then Saul, was knocked off his horse as he was charging to Damascus to arrest and persecute Christians there. We know that it was then, in that Damascus Road experience, that he was directly spoken to by the ascended Lord Jesus Christ. It was then that he gave his life to Christ. And “immediately”, it says in Acts 9:20, “he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, ‘He is the Son of God’.” We know from Galatians 1:17-18 that Paul spent three years in Arabia. It was during that time that he received much of his doctrine that would become Christian doctrine that he received from the Lord directly.

From there, Paul was shot out like a canon to minister the gospel to the Roman Empire. He had three missionary journeys, through much of the Mediterranean world, on which he tirelessly preached and proclaimed the very gospel he had once sought to stamp out. And then he returned to Jerusalem to bring an offering for the needy in the church there and he was falsely accused by some Jews. He was savagely beaten by an angry mob. And then he was arrested by the Romans. There were two Roman governors that he had to take appeals to, Festus and Felix, as well as Herod Agrippa, but none of them found any cause for him to be found guilty. He was not found guilty of any crime. But then there was pressure from the Jewish leaders of the day, to keep Paul in that Roman prison, or Roman custody. After two years, he exercised his right, as that Roman citizen, to take his case on appeal up to Caesar. Then after a dangerous trip to Rome to visit Caesar, which included a violent two-week storm that culminated in a shipwreck, Paul reached Rome. Still a prisoner of the Roman Empire. It was there, while Paul was imprisoned in Rome, sometime between the years 60-62 A.D., a period that’s described at the very end of the book of Acts, in Acts 28, that Paul wrote each of what are now known as “the Prison Letters, or the Prison Epistles” – Ephesians, and Philippians, and Philemon, and our book, Colossians. Ephesians 3:1 references his imprisonment. He says, “for this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles. .”
The other prison letters also mention his imprisonment, Philippians 1:12, “Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else.” Or Philemon 1, he says, “Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus.”

Now, one more detail about Paul and who he was. For one more detail, let’s go back to Colossians 1, to our text. Paul here, not only identifies himself by his proper name, “Paul”, note what he also says here. He was “an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God.” Paul, in other words, identifies himself here as having apostolic authority. He is “an apostle of Jesus Christ.” Now, note, Paul doesn’t always play the “apostle” card in his writing. He didn’t call himself an “apostle” in each of his addresses to each of the other churches to whom he wrote. For instance, he did not use this apostolic address in his letter to the Philippians or in either of his two letters to the Thessalonians. So, why the change-up here? Why would Paul call himself and “apostle” to the Colossians, but not to those other churches? The answer is fairly simple. Paul had ministered directly already to the church at Philippi and Thessalonica. They knew him. He knew them. There was already this bond of friendship and familiarity between them. That wasn’t the case at Colossae. As we’re about to see later in the message, Paul hadn’t been to Colossae. He hadn’t laid eyes on those people, and they hadn’t laid eyes on him. They hadn’t heard his voice before. There was no personal connection there. And because of that. Because they didn’t know him personally, the church at Colossae needed to know that Paul was addressing them by the command of Christ. As one of His “apostles.”

Now, by the way, when I say “apostles”, I don’t mean one of those goofy, self-promoting counterfeits who appear on public-access TV. You know, I don’t mean one of those people who run ads on social media, and trade on the name “apostle”. Well, I’m the Apostle Kevin, or I’m the Apostle Karen. I’m not talking about that. Those folks that try to feign credibility, and to gain followers and frankly to line their pockets on the name “apostle.” No, what we’re talking about here is a true apostle, Paul. Though he wasn’t one of the original 12 apostles who was with Christ from the beginning of the Lord’s earthly ministry. Paul definitely had valid apostolic credentials.

First, he was directly appointed by Christ, as we see from his road to Damascus experience in Acts 9.
Second, he did see the risen Christ. He wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:1 “Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?” And he did, Paul did, possess special miraculous powers, which were given to authenticate the message of the apostles. 2 Corinthians 12:12 says, “The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles.” So, as he addresses the Colossians here, Paul is saying what he is about to share with them is an authoritative utterance of a divinely appointed mouthpiece of Christ. When the Colossians received this word from Paul. They were to receive these words, not as Paul the man, but instead, from Paul the apostle. They were to treat what they received from him. Not as the mere words of men. But instead, what it says in I Thessalonians 2:13, as “the word[s] of God.”

Now, note, there is no arrogance or high-handedness in what Paul was saying here. Not at all. After identifying himself, look at the text here in Colossians 1:1, as “an apostle of Jesus Christ.” Look at what comes next. He says is an apostle “by the will of God.” That’s really important. Paul here was recognizing and certifying that his apostolic calling was not due to any innate ability in him. Or on account of his own sterling intellectual achievements, which he certainly had! Rather, his apostolic call came directly from the God who had chosen him. It was by the will of God that he was an apostle of Christ Jesus.

We see similar expressions, similar formulations elsewhere in scripture. Which highlight the fact that Paul was not, like what we see today, one of those self-appointed apostles. He was not put into this role by the votes of men. Instead, he was an apostle, and became an apostle by the will of God. A few cross-references would be Romans 1:1 where he says, “Paul, a bondservant of Christ Jesus called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God.” 1 Timothy 1:1 says, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope.” Galatians 1:1 says, “Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead).” Of course, elsewhere in his writings, Paul recognized, directly, that all that he had, and all that he was, including his status as an apostle, was on account of the grace and mercy of God.
I Corinthians 15:10, he says, “By the grace of God I am what I am.”

That’s our first point for this morning, The Perspective. The Perspective, as we’ve just seen, being Paul’s, as an apostle. Here’s our next heading, our next point, The Partnership. Paul continues in verse 1. After identifying himself as the sender of this letter. Referring to himself as “an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God.” He now adds these words: “. . . and Timothy our brother.” Now, Timothy, we know, was Paul’s co-laborer and beloved son in the faith. Timothy was originally from Lystra, which was a city in the province of Galatia, also in that general region. That place, Lystra, was a place that Paul had ministered on two of his missionary journeys. Timothy’s name meant “one who honors God.” Timothy was the blessed recipient of multi-generational instruction in the truth. We know that from II Timothy 1:5 where it says, “For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, [Paul is addressing Timothy here] which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well.” These women, we learn from II Timothy 3:15, taught Timothy the Old Testament scriptures from his childhood.

II Timothy 3:15 says, “. . . and from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” Paul led Timothy to Christ, perhaps on the first missionary journey he took through Lystra. Which is why we se him addressing Timothy in I Timothy 1:2, as “my true child in the faith.” and “my beloved son”. Why we see him calling Timothy in I Corinthians 4:17, “my beloved and faithful child in the Lord.” When Paul revisited Lystra, on his second missionary journey. Paul chose Timothy to accompany him. We see that account given in Acts 16:1, it says, “Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, and he was well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.” From there, in Lystra, Timothy would go on to be Paul’s disciple, and his friend, and his co-laborer for the rest of the apostle’s life. Timothy ministered with Paul in Berea, and Athens and Corinth. He accompanied Paul on his trip to Jerusalem. He was with Paul in his first Roman imprisonment. And he went to Philippi after Paul’s release there. In fact, here’s what Paul had to say of Timothy in his letter to the Philippians. Philippians 2:19, it says, “But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition. For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare . . . you know of his prove worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father. Therefore I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me . . .” But it wasn’t just in Philippians that Paul mentions Timothy. He mentions Timothy frequently in his other letters. I’ll just mention a couple. Romans 16:21 says, “Timothy my fellow worker greets you.”
I Corinthians 16:10 says, “Now if Timothy comes, see that he is with you without cause to be afraid, for he is doing the Lord’s word, as I also am.” And last, I Thessalonians 3:2, he says, “we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith . .”

By the time Paul wrote his first inspired letter directly to Timothy, that letter being I Timothy, near the end of the apostle Paul’s life. Timothy, by that point, was now serving as a pastor in Ephesus. We see that mentioned in I Timothy 1:3, where Paul exhorts Timothy directly as follows: he says, “. . . remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines.” Timothy had gone from being Paul’s true child in the faith, to being useful to Paul, to now being a shepherd of Christ’s flock there in Ephesus.

Now, bringing it back to the book we’re studying, Colossians, there’s no evidence that Timothy took any part in the actual writing of this book. Rather, when Paul, here brings Timothy in, in verse 1, and says, “Timothy our brother.” This appears to be a courtesy reference. Timothy apparently was with Paul at the time this epistle was written. He was apparently known in some ways by the Colossian Christians. So Paul thought it appropriate to include his name here in this opening greeting. His inclusion of Timothy’s name here is a way of saying, “Timothy is here with me.” “Timothy says hello, church at Colossae.” That’s the idea.

We’ve seen The Perspective, that being the perspective of Paul. We’ve seen The Partnership, that being a reference to Timothy. Next, we’re going to encounter The People. That’s our third heading this morning, as we move on to verse 2. We move on from who was writing. To who was receiving this writing. And they are addressed here in verse 2 with these words “To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ . . .” Note initially that they are “the saints and faithful brethren.” When he says that there’s just one article, meaning there’s only one use of the word “the” there. “the saints and faithful brethren.” Grammatically all that means, is that Paul here, is not referring to two different groups, “the saints” and “the faithful brethren.” They are all one group that he’s describing with this language. They are this one group, “the saints and faithful brethren.” Each of those words has great richness and texture. So, we’re going to go through it with more of a fine-toothed comb here. First, the word “saints.” Meaning, “set apart”. Saints are “those who have been set apart.” Those specifically who have been set apart to God Himself. The word could be fairly translated “holy ones.” Which speaks to a person’s status. Not necessarily the actual degree of holiness they’ve attained. What that means is, if you have put your trust in Jesus Christ, here this morning. You are a “saint.” You are one of God’s “holy ones.” Now, that doesn’t mean you always act with perfectly saintly or holy character. Not with a perfect score or a perfect batting average. But that is to be, with the Spirit’s help, your aim. To be an increasingly holy vessel in the hands of the God who has called you to be one of His “holy ones.” What a great reminder for all of us today. That we are called, like the Colossians were called, to be faithful, holy people of God. That we are called, amidst the various temptations that are thrown our way to compromise or to stagnate, to walk a saintly walk. As those who have been set apart by the grace of God, to God, for His service.

Paul here not only though refers to the Colossians as “saints”, he says they are the “faithful brethren” there in verse 2. By calling them “saints”, he was highlighting their position and their relationship to God. By calling them “faithful” here, Paul is highlighting their behavior. They were trustworthy. They were steadfast. They were unswerving in their devotion to the Lord. And they were also, it says, “brethren”, they were Paul’s “brethren”. They were “brethren” with one another. As “brethren”, they had been begotten by, and brought to spiritual life by, a common Father. God the Father. As “brethren”, they were bound together through their common identity in Christ. Which made them part of one spiritual family. What Paul is doing here, by assigning these labels to the Christians here at Colossae. Is he’s calling on them and spurring them on to remain faithful to their high calling. He’s encouraging them by reminding them that they are not alone. As saints unto God. As brethren to all true people of God, that is, as those who have been alive together in Christ. But as encouraging as Paul’s words to the Colossians would have already been . . . the reference to them being “saints”, the reference to them being “faithful”. The reference to them being “brethren”, those would have all paled in comparison to what he is about to say in these opening words of address. The words that would have given the Colossian church the greatest spiritual boost, are the next couple of words, where Paul reminds them that they are “in Christ.” That they are “faithful brethren in Christ.”

Throughout his divinely inspired writings, Paul used some form of those words . . . “In the Lord.” “In Whom.” “In Him.” “In Christ”, 164 times. Each time he did so, he was reminding his audience of their spiritual position as those who had trusted in God the Son and had placed their faith in Jesus Christ. Those persons, such persons, are “in Christ” in the sense that they are united with Christ. They are joined to Him, as a limb is joined to the body of which it is a part. As he identifies his Colossian audience here, at the head of this letter, as those who are now “in Christ.” Paul’s about to take them throughout this letter, all four chapters of Colossians, down the path of reminding them of what being “in Christ” means and what being “in Christ” entails.

In fact, let’s go on a little survey journey together here. We’re going to kind of float through the pages of Colossians, and be reminded now, of what it means to be “in Christ.” To be “in Christ”, as it says in Colossians 1:21, is to acknowledge, that “you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds.” To be “in Christ” is to acknowledge, as it says in Colossians 2:13 that “you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh.” Which is a reference to your old heathen, godless ways. To be “in Christ” is to acknowledge, as it says back in Colossians 1:22, that God “has now reconciled you in His [meaning Christ’s] fleshly body through death.” Which is a reference, of course, to Christ’s atoning death on the cross. To be “in Christ” is to acknowledge, as it says in Colossians 1:13, that “He rescued [you] from the domain of darkness and transferred [you] to the kingdom of His beloved Son.” To be “in Christ” is to acknowledge, as it says in Colossians 1:14, that through Christ we “have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” To be “in Christ” is to acknowledge, as it says over in Colossians 2:13-14, that you have received forgiveness not only for some sins, but for all your sins, past, present, and future. “He made you alive together [it says] with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” To be “in Christ” is to acknowledge, as it says in Colossians 3:1, that you have been spiritually “raised up with Christ.” To be “in Christ” is to acknowledge what it says in Colossians 3:3, that you “have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” As it says in Colossians 3:4, that “when Christ, who is our life, is revealed, they you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” All of this, and frankly, so much more, is wrapped in with those two little words here in Colossians 1:2, “in Christ.” and what it means to be “in Christ.”

So, we’ve looked at The Perspective. We’ve looked at The Partnership. We’ve looked at The People. Next, we’re going to explore The Place. As we continue to work through these introductory verses, we see that these “saints and faithful brethren in Christ” who are “at Colossae.” This one worried me this week. I called three Greek professors this week. No joke. To say, ‘how do you pronounce it? Is it Col-li-say? Is it Col-li-see? Is it something else?’ You want to know the answers I got? I got one answer from one Greek professor that said, ‘It’s Col-oi-say.’ I got one answer from another Greek professor who said, ‘it’s Col-li-see.’ I got another answer from another Greek professor who said, ‘I don’t know, just be consistent.’ So, as I look at the text, the original Greek, I’m going with Colossae. And I’m going to take that professor’s advice and be consistent throughout the series. Call me out on it, if I’m not, ok? Colossae. Alright.

So, what do we know about Colossae? Well, it was a city in Phrygia. Which was in the Roman province of Asia. Modern-day Turkey. Colossae sat about 100 miles east of Ephesus. Along with Laodicea and Hierapolis, it made up somewhat of a tri-city area, with Colossae being the least significant of those three cities. The city sat near the Lycus River. It sat in the shadow of Mt. Cadmus, about 8,000 feet in elevation. It was rich with mineral deposits and pasture lands nearby. Now, in earlier days, this city had been much more economically prosperous. In fact, several centuries before Paul wrote this letter, this city, Colossae, enjoyed much prominence and wealth and success. The reason it did, it sat on this major trade route. There are these ancient Greek historians that speak of Colossae hundreds of years before the days of Christ, as being in this populous city. Wealthy, large prosperous. But those days had passed by Paul’s writing. In fact, Colossae experienced what would be the worst-case scenario and fear of any city that sits on a major trade route. So, all those cities out in western Nebraska that sit on I-80 . . . I’m going to try and do this, and you call me out if I get these wrong, Ok? I’m not saying they’ll be in order, but like Ogallala, and Lexington and Cozad and North Platte and York. Like if any of those cities, if they moved I-80, like 40 miles south of any of those cities. What would happen? Totally dry up, right? Economically. That’s exactly what happened in Colossae in the hundreds of years leading up to Paul’s ministry. It had become, because of the moving of the trade route, this forgotten and forgettable little town.

But what Colossae did have was a church. We don’t know much about this church, as of Paul’s time, other than what Paul says about the church here in his letter. The old commentator, J.B. Lightfoot says, this “was the least important church to which any epistle of Paul is addressed. This was not a church that Paul had personally planted. It wasn’t even a church that Paul had personally been to. In fact, look over to Colossians 2:1. We get a hint about Paul’s lack of familiarity with them here. Personal familiarity at least. He says, “For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face.” He hadn’t been there. So how did the gospel, if Paul hadn’t been there, get to Colossae? How is the church at Colossae started? Well, piecing all the biblical data together, and studying the history of the region. Here’s the most reasonable conclusion I think we can come up with. Turn over with me, if you would, to Acts 19. What appears to have happened, is that the Colossians church of Paul’s day, was the product of this natural spilling over of the gospel being proclaimed at Ephesus, 100 miles to the west. Look at Acts 19:1 it says, “It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus and found some Disciples.”
We’re going to drop all the way down to verse 8, and it says, “And he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people, he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. This took place for two years . . .” And then, look at these last few words of verse 10, “. . .so that all who lived in Asia heard the words of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.” In other words, Paul’s proclamation of the gospel, in this school of Tyrannus there in Ephesus, for those multiple years, was so effective, that here in Acts, that the human author of this book, Luke, could say, that all who lived in Asia, heard the word of the Lord.” Well guess what city was in Asia? Colossae. Colossae was in Asia. The gospel had penetrated the city. There had been true conversions in this city. And now, as of the time of this letter, which was written about 10 years after the events of Acts 19. There’s now a church in Colossae.

So, who started the church? If Paul had never been there? Who got this church started? The most likely candidate is Epaphras. He’s mentioned just a few verses beneath ours for today. Look at Colossians 1: 5. We’ll pick it up sort of mid-thought here. It says: “. . . because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth; just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who id a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf.” There’s a reference to Epaphras.
Then you go over to Colossians 4:12, and Paul there refers to Epaphras as “being one of your number.”
Meaning, “one of you.” A “fellow Colossian.” So, what appears to have happened is that Epaphras visited Ephesus some years prior. While Paul was ministering there in the Hall of Tyrannus. Epaphras heard the gospel from the lips of Paul. He got saved there in Ephesus. Then he returned home, a hundred miles east to Colossae where he started this church. This church to whom Paul is now writing this letter to the Colossians. Now, fast forward to the time of the writing of Colossians, 60-62 A.D. Epaphras, apparently, has now made this 1,300-mile journey from Colossae, all the way west to Rome, to visit with Paul. Now, he didn’t make that journey to visit Paul in prison in Rome, to finally give him that handshake he meant to give him ten years prior . . . that holy kiss . . . he meant to give him 10 years prior. He didn’t go all the way from Colossae to Rome to bring some Colossian delicacies from the homeland. No. What appears to have happened is that Epaphras came all that way to Rome, to advise Paul of some troubling developments that were happening on the homestead there in Colossae at that church. He came to Rome to tell Paul, to advise Paul about a dangerous heresy that was making headway in his church. Epaphras’ journey over to Rome had some real consequences for Epaphras. Because according to Philemon 23, Epaphras himself was then imprisoned alongside Paul, in Rome. Because of his imprisonment, Epaphras was actually not the one who was able to deliver the Colossian letter back to his home church in Colossae. Instead, we see from Colossians 4:7-8, Tychicus would be the guy who would have to do that.

Again, though . . . what brought Epaphras all the way from Colossae to Rome, was to report on this dangerous doctrine that was now creeping into the Colossian church. And what was this doctrine? What was this heretical teaching? That brings us to our fifth point for this morning. We’ve seen The Perspective, The Partnership, The People, The Place. Now, we’re going to see The Problem. By the time Epaphras visited Paul in Rome . . . doctrinal error had not only knocked on the door of the church at Colossae . . . outright heresy had now infiltrated this church. That’s what spurred Epaphras on to make this journey. This heresy we’re about to see, was multi-faceted. It was multi-dimensional. It had various different dimensions to it that sort of bled into each other. Which is why you could call it a kaleidoscopic heresy. We’re going to study this heresy in detail when we get to Colossians 2. We’ll spend many weeks there. But I think it’s important to at least review it here. As we get a sense for Paul’s motivation in writing the book of Colossians.

First, if you’ll come over with me to Colossians 2, we’re going to kind of go through this piece by piece. This Colossian heresy was rooted in “philosophy”, as it says in Colossians 2:8: “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy.” Now, “philosophy” can refer to a wide range of belief systems that existed in the ancient world in Paul’s time. So, this word doesn’t tell us everything about the origin and the nature of the false teaching here. But what it does indicate for us is that this was a system of thought. It was a philosophical system. It wasn’t just one-man promoting heresy, there was a whole group that were teaching this, and were bewitched by this.

Second, it was causing “empty deception” as we see here in verse 8 of chapter 2. “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception.” It was taking people away, in other words, from the truth and the purity and the simplicity and the exclusivity of the gospel.

Third, this heresy was dependent upon “the traditions of men”, also here in verse 8. It says, “according to the tradition of men.” Jesus, we know from Mark 7, openly denounced “the tradition of men” as He rebuked the Pharisees. Well, the Colossian heresy was now wrongly elevating tradition of men once again.

Fourth, this heresy was advocating regulations, we see in verse 16 of chapter 2, about “food [and] drink [and] festival[s] [and] new moon[s] [and] Sabbath day[s]” In other words, the proponents of the Colossian heresy were now attempting to bring in these early Gentile believers . . . under the old Mosaic standards of food and festivals that applied to Old Testament Israel.

Fifth, this heresy was committed to certain ascetic practices involving self-deprivation and self-abasement and self-harm. We see that in verse 18 of chapter 2, “Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement.” and more of that is mentioned down in verse 23.

Sixth, this heresy was focused “on the worship of angels.” We see in Colossians 2:18. He mentions “Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels.” Mere created beings, angels being worshiped by other mere created beings, humans. Was not the way God, the only One who’s worthy of any praise or worship, designed things to go.

Seventh, the heresy was heavily focused on receiving visions. Which we see in verse 18, “taking his stand on visions he has seen” it says. Visions, of course, are the bread and butter of many false religious practices even in our day.

Eighth, the Colossian heresy was Christological. Specifically, it undermined the deity of Christ. Which led Paul to say things like he does in Colossians 2:9 “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.”

Ninth, the Colossian heresy, as is true of any false teaching, any heresy, let its followers to lose connection with the “head” of all things. As Christ is referred to in verse 19 of chapter 2. “Not holding fast to the head.”

I’ve only got thirteen more of these, ok? I’m kidding, this is the last one.
Tenth, the Colossian heresy, in the place of a singular and simple and pure devotion to Christ, yoked up its adherents to this restrictive, man-made, legalistic system of rules. Colossians 2:21 – “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” Which demeaned and denigrated the sufficiency, the completeness of the work of Christ on the cross.

It was into this heretical soup that was being served up at Colossae that all these ingredients were being mixed in. Philosophy and mysticism and ascetism and tradition and legalism. When they were all mixed together, they were deadly. Which is again, why Epaphras goes all those miles, goes all that way to get to Rome, to see Paul in prison, to warn him of what was happening here. Now, that’s Epaphras’ motivation to get to Rome, to warn Paul of all of this. Now we’ve got to consider what was Paul’s purpose in writing Colossians to begin with in the first place. That brings us to our sixth point this morning. The sixth point, The Purpose. Now, did Paul want the recipients of his letter to reject the error that Epaphras was warning him of? Of course, he did. But his overall aim was much greater. His overall aim here in the letter of Colossians was to present to them the glory of Christ. The sufficiency of Christ. The supremacy of Christ. The preeminence of Christ in all things.

As we work through this amazing book over the next many months, we’re going to see, just as Paul designed for his immediate audience to see, that Jesus Christ our Lord is Preeminent. That is the theme of the entire book of Colossians. Let’s do another one of those surveys as we get ready to land the plane this morning. Of just how Christological this letter is. Again, feel free to turn pages with me as we go through this. Look at Colossians 1:3, God in Colossians 1:3, we’ll do this next week, is described as “the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The Colossians’ faith, in verse 4 is described as being “in Christ Jesus.” Christ is called God’s “beloved Son” in Colossians 1:13. Colossians 1:27, Paul says “Christ is in you.” Colossians 1:28, he says, “We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.” Colossians 2:2, the “mystery” of God is defined as “Christ Himself.” In Colossians 2:3, Christ is the one in whom are “hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Colossians 2:5, Paul rejoices to see the Colossians’ “good discipline and the stability of [their] faith in Christ.” Contrary to the heresy that was infiltrating their church, the believers in Christ, in Colossae, Colossians 2:6, were to “walk in Him.” To continue to be[ing] built up in Him.” Since it was through God’s power that God raised Christ from the dead, they were “made . . . alive,” as it says in Colossians 2:13. In Colossians 2:19, they’re told that it is by holding on to Christ, the “head”, that God provides growth to the body. Christ is currently “seated at the right hand of God,” it says in Colossians 3:1. Our lives, Colossians 3:3 are “hidden with Christ in God.” “Christ is all, and in all,” it says in Colossians 3:11. And so the “peace of Christ”, Colossians 3:15 is to rule in our hearts. The “word of Christ” Colossians 3:16 is to dwell richly within us. Now whatever we do, Colossians 3:17, “in word or deed,” we do all “in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thinks through Him to God the Father.” That includes how we function in our marriages, and in our homes, and in our workplaces. As we are reminded in Colossians 3:24, that in each of these spheres, “it is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” Then Paul prayed in Colossians 4:3 that God would “open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ.”

I appreciate what Doug Moo said in his commentary on Colossians. He said: “Christology is the theological heart of Colossians, and, like the spokes of a wheel, all the other themes of the letter radiate from it.”
Indeed. That’s another way of saying Christ is Preeminent. Paul did want to combat the Colossian heresy in this letter. He did want to establish and affirm the deity of Christ in this letter. He did want to lay out the various doctrines which are central to the Christian faith, like: Reconciliation, and Redemption, and Forgiveness, and Election. He did want to lead the Christian audience there at Colossae to live a more spiritually mature life in Christ. He did want to advise them about his own state of affairs here in Rome and seek prayers on their behalf. But the main theme. The overarching theme of this whole letter. Paul’s purpose in writing the Colossians, was to proclaim the preeminence of Christ.

With that, we turn to our seventh point this morning, The Pairing. Our seventh point this morning is The Pairing. That takes us to the final words here of verse 2, where we see Paul give this familiar greeting: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father.” Now, Paul used a form of that greeting in all 13 of his divinely inspired letters. “Grace and peace.” Here in Colossians 1:2, he couples a familiar Greek greeting – “Grace”, Charein, with a familiar Hebrew greeting for – “Peace”, Shalom. “Grace and peace.” We’ll take the two terms one by one.

Starting with “grace.” As one commentator put it, grace is “the well-spring of mercies to all sinners.” And grace, we know, is foundational to all that we have and all that we are in Christ. Ephesians 2:8 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith . . .” Now, what about “peace”? The Greek term there is eirene. Which comes from the Hebrew term, shalom. That concept of “peace”, wellbeing, well meaning. Now, peace in the bible means much more than what we tend to think of peace. Which is the absence of conflict and quietness. But in scripture, peace is a much much broader and much more rich term. As one commentator put it, “peace” refers to “the calm tranquility of a soul that looks to the Lord with confidence.” That calm tranquility of the soul is, of course, rooted in what Paul would say in Romans 5:1, that “. . . we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Grace is the gift of God. Peace is the result of that gift. It’s like cause and effect. The one who has experienced the grace of God can also experience the peace of God. Paul joins those terms together here, to say “grace and peace” as a form of greeting.

This greeting is not a mere “hello” or “hi, there,” from Paul. This is actually him stating his desire for them. Really, you could say it’s a prayer for them. That they would experience this type of “grace” and “peace”, as he pairs those two words together. That takes us to our eighth and final point for this morning, The Pertinence. That refers to the pertinence of the book that we’re going to be studying over the next many months, the book of Colossians, to where we are in life today, in the era in which we live. Going back to what Dr. MacArthur said to me many months ago, a year ago now, to “give them Christ.” There is no more timely book for all of us to consider and study for the next many months, than the book of Colossians. I mean, you’ve got to think about it, the church of our day, is continually agitated by, and plagued with, various sources of distraction, and worse, false teaching. Those distractions and sources of false teaching tend to take our eyes off Christ. They take our eyes away from the work of Christ. The word or Christ and the demand of Christ in our lives. I mean, think about it, we live in this post-Enlightenment era, in which Darwinian evolutionary theory is held up as being essential as to how we can even understand anything about where we are and how everything came to be. And you have to consult a chemistry book or a physics book, or a biology text, to know how things hold together today. To which God says, through the pen of the apostle Paul, in Colossians, Colossians 1:16 “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth . . . all things have been created through Him and for Him . . . and in Him all things hold together.”

We live in an era of religious plurality and ecumenicism. In which Mormons say they are Christians. And Catholics say they are Christians. A whole lot of unsaved do-gooders who attend church from time to time say they are Christians. Though the bible teaches that the way is narrow that leads unto salvation, we live in a time in which the wider that you present that road, the more popular and accepted you’ll be. In fact, the safest thing you can say in our day, is to say, “all roads lead to God.” “There are multiple paths to heaven.” In response, God has told us, through Paul, through Colossians, that Jesus Christ “. . . is the head of the body, the church.” The church. That is, those who have been truly redeemed. Those who have been truly saved. Those who have put their trust in Him, and Him alone, for salvation. For forgiveness, and for eternal life. All roads do not lead to heaven. There’s only one road to heaven. And it is exceedingly narrow. We live in an era in which the biblical conception of a family, a husband, a wife, until death do us part, raising children in the fear and admonition of the Lord, is absolutely rejected, and ridiculed, and mocked. We are reaping the fruit of it now, are we not?

Feminism is on its third wave. Divorce rates continue to be high. Cohabitation, premarital sex are now the norm. I just gave many minutes of talking on homosexuality and transgenderism being our new cultural idols. Down is up, and up is down. That’s all we see all around us today. To which Paul, through Colossians says “Wives, be subject to your husbands, as it is fitting in the Lord. Colossians 3:18 “Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them.” Colossians 3:19 “Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord.” Colossians 3:20.

We live in an era in which so many people are worried, and frantic, and desperate, and losing hope. I mean, just think about the response to a certain virus over the last three or so years, culturally. And the fear that’s undergirding that response. Just consider the number of prescriptions that are being written for depression and anxiety so quickly. Just think of the staggering suicide rates that exist in our world today. In response, God has told us, as followers of Christ, through Colossians; that He “has qualified us” Colossians 1:12 “to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.” That He has “rescued us” Colossians 1:13 “from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.” And that we are not” Colossians 3:2 “to set our minds on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” Why? Because [Colossians 3:3 says] “you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:4 says, “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”

Is that reason to press on? Is that reason to persevere? No question. God wants us through the book of Colossians, to come back to the centrality of the Lord Jesus Christ. Who He is. What He does. What He did for us on the cross. How we are to live for Him. John Wesley once said: Thou, O Christ, art all I want, more than all in Thee I find.” He was saying what Paul said many years before that, in Colossians 3:11 “Christ is all, and in all.” Indeed, He is preeminent. He is worthy of all praise.

Let’s praise Him now. Lord Jesus, thank You so much for this chance we have to learn of Your preeminence, through the pen of Paul, over the many months ahead. Thank You, God, for giving us Your word. Thank You for its power, its clarity, its effect. Its truth, its sufficiency. Thank You for the patience of everybody here, in a warm room, and a long message, to sit through this and learn from Your word, what You have declared timelessly and perfectly about the supremacy and the preeminence of Christ. May we go from this place, renewed and charged up, to give Christ our all, because He is all. It’s in Jesus name we pray. Amen