The Profound Truth: Christ is the Answer
Notes
Transcript
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Scripture Reading
Opening Prayer
Introduction
Hook
We exist in a place and system where context is a key to living...
Suppose with me, for a moment, that you had an accident which gave you a kind of amnesia that cause you to forget certain core facts of life.
Flashing read and blue lights
Police
Law
Government...
Introductory Background
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
Author - Paul with Timothy -
Paul
Apostle
Office - a person called by Christ himself to represent Christ and proclaim Christ and thereby serve as the “foundation” of the new people of God (Eph. 2:20)
20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,
Provenance and date -
Prison
Paul says that he was frequently in prison (2 Corinthians 11:23)
Bible records 3 - Overnight in Philippi, 2 years in Ceasarea, 2 years in Rome
Implied - during Paul’s 3 year stay in Ephasus
No certainty
Evidence leans toward Rome (60-62 AD)
Colossae - was formerly prominent city, now declining because of a major highway that had been moved.
2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
Church had been started by Epaphras
Paul had never visited
Apparently, Epaphras sought out Paul to help address some false teaching that had arisen among the church
“Brothers in Christ”
False Teaching
Gnosticism? (Gnosis = Knowledge)
More likely if written from Rome
Angel cult?
At least somewhat true (2:18 refers to Angel worship)
Compatible with Gnosticim
Judaeizers?
Contained a Jewish Element (2:16-17)
Jewish Mysticism
Mixture?
Phrygian folk belief, local folk Judaism, and Christianity
Magic or ritual power
Conclusion - We don’t know - in summary, as 2:8 says, their teaching was “not according to Christ”
What we do know is that they were questioning the sufficiency of Christ
This leads us to look at Theological Themes in the letter
Theological Themes
Centrality of Christ
Sufficiency of Christ - Christ meets every Spiritual need
The unique relationship between God the Son and God the Father
The equating of The Word of God with The Word of Christ
Christ is the head of the body
The Church - Christ’s new creation
The Gospel
Eschatology
Christian living (Old self vs. New Self)
Exposition
Aspects of thankfulness
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints,
Paul thanks God for the Colossian Christians
Paul’s letter is strongly focused in Christ
This particular expression draws attention to the Father through Christ
Since Paul heard about them
What did he hear about them
v. 4
I. Jesus, whom we follow, leads us to the Father who receives our thanks (3-4)
I. Jesus, whom we follow, leads us to the Father who receives our thanks (3-4)
4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel,
II. Love one another because of the Gospel (4-5)
II. Love one another because of the Gospel (4-5)
Paul thanks God for this love that they exhibit
Faith, Love, and Hope
Notice, Faith in Christ leads to love for the saints because of the hope in the Gospel.
Love here is central
How does faith lead to love?
Faith and Hope are tied together in the Gospel
Jesus loved us, of that we have faith and hope
Jesus’ love is exemplified in the Gospel
Gospel
Hope laid up in heaven
Because we grasp Christ’s love and grace, we love those whom Christ has also loved
What does Loving the saints look like?
Husbands/ wives
Church members
Fellow belivers
Possible believers?
Every Christian that comes accross your path
At work
At school
At home
When gathered
6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf 8 and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
III. The Good News of Jesus Christ is the most profound and impactful truth that exists (6-8)
III. The Good News of Jesus Christ is the most profound and impactful truth that exists (6-8)
We are consistently tempted to make our faith about things other than what it is
We spend more time defending the existence of God than the Bible does
Gen 1:1
With your children
With your church
With the lost