Colossians: An Introduction
Colossians: It's All About Jesus • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction to the Introduction
Introduction to the Introduction
The Bible is made of up of 66 books that were written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit by over 40 different authors. Each one of these books in some way points to Jesus. As Christians we are called to serve Jesus and to develop a relationship with Him. One of the ways we can grow in our relationship with Him is by studying what the Bible says about Him. Colossians is no different. It is a beautiful book written by Paul that reminds us that it’s all about Jesus.
In fact, that is what I am calling this series, “It’s All About Jesus.”
As we began to look at this book, we need to understand why it was written, to whom it was written, what was it written about, and how this book written almost 2000 years ago can be pertinent in our lives today.
What
What
Colossians was one of four prison books written by Paul. This means that it was written when Paul was in a jail cell, most likely in Rome, being persecuted for preaching and teaching the Gospel of Christ. I love the fact that Paul was bold enough to go to jail for his beliefs and had the ability to use that time to strengthen others’ beliefs in the form of a written letter. If believing in Jesus was a crime today, would you go to jail for it? Would you encourage others with your faith from a jail cell?
Paul mentions
Who
Who
Paul was writing to the people of Colosse. This was a city in Phrygia in Asia Minor. It is in part of what we know today at Turkey. Colosse was on the upper part of the of the basin of the Meander River. The closest towns were Hierapolis and Laodicea. If you study these towns in Scripture, you will find them mentioned several times.
How
How
So how did Colosse know about Jesus? We learn in , especially verse 9, at the time of Pentecost people were gathered in Jerusalem. When the Holy Spirit came upon them, the Bible tells us that they began speaking in there native language. Phyrgia, where Colosse was located.
People came under the influence of Christ and some how took the Gospel, the Good News, back to their homes. Paul speaks in
While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples
The “interior” refers to areas that would include Colosse. If you look at your map in the back of your Bible, you will see that Paul’s 3rd missionary journey took him right through there. In fact, we learn from Acts that Paul spent some time in that area making disciples and teaching others about the ways of Christ.
This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.
Why
Why
The recipients of this letter were Christians that had found Christ under the leadership of Epaphras. He is mentioned a couple of times in this letter.
You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.
Colossians 4:12
We learn from that Epaphras was in prison with Paul.
Paul was invested in the people of Colosse. They are his “grandchildren of the faith” so to speak. Paul is writing to people that had converted from a life without Christ to a life with Christ.
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.
Colossians
To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.
Colossians
You can see from these verses that Paul reminds these new Christians that there was a time in their lives that was dark and when you have Christ in your life, the dark things are gone and the light has come.
The people of Colosse would have influenced by stories of the gods of classical Greek culture as well as many mystery religions which promised entry to a select higher world if you did the right things. Over time and with cultures mixing together, many of the practices were mixed together.
Ac the same time, according to , there were synagogues in almost every city. It has been calculated that the adult male Jewish population in the area of Colosse was about 11,000. As Christianity grew and these cultures were mixed, new converts believed they had to jump through hoops of tradition and a mixed bag of religious practices to have a relationship with Jesus. As you can imagine, false teachings and false doctrines demoted Christ from His position of authority and encouraged practices that were contrary to the Truth of God.
Today, more than ever, we hear of and see people saying that there is more than one way to get to God and there are plenty of ways to get to heaven.
When Epaphras informed Paul of these false teaching that existed during that day, Paul wrote this letter as an antidote to the poison that was spreading. Today, there is much poison being spread and this antidote is still what we need.
The importance of studying a book like Colossians is that every section and subsection of the main body of this letter is accurately summed up with reference to Christ Himself. In other words, it’s all about Jesus. This brief letter shows one of the Bible’s fullest expression of the deity of Christ and the Supremacy of Christ. Colossians shows us that Jesus Christ is the invisible God and all treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in Him. As a result, our salvation and conduct should be impacted.
We should give thanks to God because of Jesus. If we do this with the knowledge and understanding about who He is and what He has achieved, everything else will fall into place!
Having shown you all this, let’s look closely at .
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
Letters today typically have the sender’s name at the end. In the day which this was written, the sender’s name was listed at the beginning. We have already established that Paul wrote this letter.
Paul identifies himself as an apostle. By definition, an apostle is an envoy, an ambassador, or a missionary. In the New Testament, it is one that carries the message of the gospel. Part of the New Testament requirements of an apostle was have been a witness of the resurrection. We learn in the other passages that Paul identified himself as one that had seen the resurrected Lord.
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
1 Corinthians 1
But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man,
Paul took this role seriously. He calls himself an “apostle to the Gentiles.”
Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 1:
I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry
Romans 11:
We see in other letters that Paul calls himself an apostle:
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—
Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,
Paul believed wholeheartedly that he existed because of meeting the Risen Christ on the Road to Damascus.
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
Galatians
since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him to serve you.
2 Corinthians
1 Corinthians
Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord?
since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him to serve you.
2 Corinthians
He reminds his readers that as an apostle, he is appointed by the Risen Christ.
Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—
Hew as an apostle personally representing Christ on earth. Paul, as an apostle, calls us to be an example as well:
Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.
Philippians
One of the reasons Paul points this out is to show his readers ways to identify true teaching from false teaching.
In this study we are undertaking, we will see furthermore how to do this, but the first test of true teaching is does it come from the AUTHORITY OF THE RISEN CHRIST?
Paul announces here that is is an apostle. He distinguishes further that this is the will of God.
He is not attributing to this by his own merit, his own strength, or his own sufficiency, Paul is showing utmost as an apostle, is being and doing the will of God.
This reminds me that God does have great plans for each of our lives. He set apart Isaiah:
Listen to me, you islands;
hear this, you distant nations:
Before I was born the Lord called me;
from my birth he has made mention of my name.
Isaiah 4
He set apart Jeremiah:
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
Jeremiah
And He set apart Paul:
But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased
Goa
God has plans for you and me!
It is God’s will that you have a relationship with Jesus Christ, Whom God gave to us and for us in order that we might be able to access His holiness!
Paul also lets us know that Timothy is with him and also helping him with this letter and ministry.
In , Paul calls Timothy his son. Here in , Paul calls Timothy his brother. This is a beautiful example of how important it is to invest our lives into the lives of other believers to disciple them, train them up, and give them a ministry alongside of us.
Who is a Timothy in your life? Who are you investing your life in? Your relationship with Jesus ought to be so beautiful and lovely that you can’t help but share it with someone else!
This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
By investing your life into others, you are making this verse a reality!
By the way, Paul’s use of this phrase “Timothy our brother” indicates to me that there are others involved in this. Paul is not alone. What a powerful reminder that we called to not be a Lone Ranger Christian. We are not alone in our walk - that is the whole purpose of the church: to build and strengthen and support each other.
Verse 2 shows us directly to who this letter was written. It is not to just “that group in Colosse.” It is to the group that is HOLY AND FAITHFUL. If a letter was addressed to this church as only the HOLY and FAITHFUL, would a copy come to you?
The word HOLY is translated as SAINT. It we belong to Christ, we are SAINTS and we have been set apart.
‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”
So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak. The people all responded together, “We will do everything the Lord has said.” So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord.
This is not what they are going to be, it is a reminder of what they are! As Christians, we are set apart from the world. We are HOLY because Christ has made us Holy through the cleansing of His blood shed on the cross.
Not only are they called HOLY, they are called FAITHFUL. HOLY is what Christ has for us and FAITHFUL is what we do for Him!
Faithful means that as Christians, we are full of faith. We are trustful, but we are more than trustworthy. We are the ones that are relied on to follow through. In this context, it means that we are convinced that Jesus has been raised fro the dead, that Jesus is the Messiah, and that Jesus is the Author of salvation!
Being HOLY and FAITHFUL in Christ means that you and I find our identity in Christ and we do not need to look anywhere else for that identity.
Notice what you get for being HOLY and FAITHFUL, we get GRACE AND PEACE. This is a common phrase in Paul’s letters that is applicable to you and I. Paul desired for his reader’s to experience grace and peace. Grace is the undeserved full favor of God. Peace is more than the absence of conflict. Peace is a phenomenal way of life. Such grace and peace can only come from God the Father, through Jesus Christ.
Are you receiving it?
Do you have it?