Sermon Tone Analysis

(Welcome)

Welcome to Central.

If this is your first time, I want to say, “Welcome Home!”

As an expository church, we prioritize preaching and teaching that focuses on a Christ-centered, holistic, and sequential approach to Scripture.

We enjoy preaching through books of the Bible and tackling each passage with a high view of Jesus Christ and an intent to be led into worship and transformation by what we find therein.

(Opening Prayer)

Heavenly Father, be glorified this morning as we open your Word.

Open our ears to hear it.

Open our minds to understand it.

Open our hearts to believe it.

Open our mouths to confess it.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You today.

In Jesus' Name, Amen.

(Series Introduction)

Today we continue our Colossians series.

(Opening Context)

Paul is writing to a church he has never visited.

He doesn’t know these people.

Paul wrote Colossians between 60-62 AD during his first imprisonment in Rome (Acts 28).

Paul also wrote Ephesians, Philippians, and Philemon during this time.

Pastor Epaphras planted the Colossian church and came to Paul because they had problems that needed to be addressed.

Paul writes this letter in the midst of their many heresies with one solution in mind - Correct Christology.

A low view of Christ was the problem, Paul gave us a high view of Christ.

The

Colossians 2:1–7 (ESV)

1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face,

2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ,

3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.

5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,

7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

(Colossian Context)

The false teaching among the Colossians involved pursuit of the “hidden and secret” knowledge and wisdom.

This pursuit led them to believe that to attain true wisdom and knowledge you had to do all these things, enter into a “spiritual transcendence” of sorts.

They believed all true wisdom and knowledge had to be “earned” so to speak.

Paul has been helping the Colossians to understand that Christ is all-sufficient, all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present, supreme, and ultimate in every way!

1. Christ Is True Treasure

Colossians 2:2–3 (ESV)

2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ,

3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Paul desires the Colossians to know both “the riches of full assurance of understanding” and “the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ.”

The stark apposition of “mystery” and “Christ” implies that the mystery is Christ.

This is similar in tone to Colossians 1:27 (“Christ in you, the hope of glory”).

Paul repeatedly indicates that everything that is significant is Christological; indeed, everything significant is of Christ.

This verse is the “christological high point of the letter.”

It begins with a relative phrase, as does 1:14.

This time, however, “in whom” indicates the character of Christ, in whom “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

The phrase “wisdom and knowledge” echoes Paul’s earlier comments in 1:9, although the language is not identical.

All that a seeker of these things could possibly desire may be found in Christ.

Moo draws attention to the linguistic similarities between this verse and Proverbs 2:1–8.

He notes that the (for Paul) rare term thēsauros (“treasure”) may be a particular echo of this and other wisdom texts.

(Mystery/Wisdom/Knowledge/Arguments Context)

In mystery cults, a mystery was a secret ritual that supposedly established a relationship with a god and resulted in perceived benefits such as immortality.

The Colossians likely knew of such teachings from their culture.

Paul uses the term “mystery” to refer to Christ, who reveals and fulfills God’s plan of salvation.

Jewish traditions prized wisdom, and mystery cults valued knowledge.

Paul affirms Christ as the true source of both.

Since the believers of Colossae have Christ (1:27), they have no need for the wisdom and knowledge offered by false teachers.

Ancient philosophers used lofty arguments to persuade their audiences.

Paul warns the Colossians that such teachings may appear logical, but their conclusions are false.

United in love suggests that as love binds them all together so they would attain to full understanding and knowledge.

But the verb could mean ‘instructed’ as in the LXX.

Since the context emphasizes knowledge and wisdom, and Paul was less concerned about the need for the Colossians’ unity than their instruction in the faith over against false teaching, ‘taught’ or ‘instructed’ is better.

Love, in all its breadth, then refers to the foundation of the Christian life.

The full riches of complete understanding: the same word for ‘riches’ is used in 1:27 for spiritual wealth, but here the wealth consists of an informed conviction which results from insight, i.e. the ability to distinguish the true from the false.

Thus they will come to a deeper personal knowledge of Christ.

Probably with a side-glance at the false teaching Paul encourages the readers to look to Christ as the only ‘place’ where these treasures of wisdom are available.

Hidden does not mean ‘concealed’ but ‘deposited’ or ‘stored up’ (cf.

1:26).

To search for other sources of knowledge apart from Christ is useless.

The false teachers had their fascinating philosophies, but in Christ we have “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (v.

3).

We are rich in Him; why lower ourselves to follow man-made doctrines?

Let religious teachers come along with their “hidden doctrines”; we have all wisdom hidden in Christ, and we are “hid with Christ in God” (3:3).

The Treasure is Christ Not What Christ Gives Us

(Without Christ, Salvation is meaningless.

Salvation is priceless because of Who we gain not what we gain.)

The soul prospers when we have clear knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus.

When we not only believe with the heart, but are ready, when called, to make confession with the mouth.

Knowledge and faith make a soul rich.

The stronger our faith, and the warmer our love, the more will our comfort be.

The treasures of wisdom are hid, not from us, but for us, in Christ.

2. Christ Is True Foundation

Colossians 2:5 (ESV)

5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

Only this full knowledge and wisdom of Christ can keep a believer from being deceived by fine-sounding arguments (pithanologia, occurring only here in the NT, is lit., “persuasive speech” that uses plausible but false arguments).

Truth and persuasion do not always correlate.

Error can persuade, and truth can be compelling at times.

It all depends on whether one has the full truth and a complete commitment to it.

Hence even though Paul was absent from the Colossians, he delighted in how orderly (cf. 1 Cor.

14:40) and how firm (steadfast, solid) their faith in Christ was.

Proverbs 2:1–7 (ESV)

1 My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you,

2 making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding;

3 yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding,

4 if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures,

5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,

In Christ all true wisdom and understanding is found.

We Stand Firm With Christ And Never Without Him.