Sermon Tone Analysis

The circumstances that led us to Christ have been different for each of us.

The fact that we are baptized believers, all serving the same Lord – that is our commonality.

Nothing else really matters

 

We are neither educated or not educated, farmer nor engineer, home schooled or public schooled, black or white, owners of a large home or renter of an apartment, country boy or city slicker, preppie or ??? – but we are all one in Christ.

* *

* *

*2.*

The Roman province of Galatia.

In 64 bc Galatia became a client of the Romans and, after the death of Amyntas, its last king, was given full status as a Roman province (25 bc).

The new province of Galatia included not only the old ethnic territory but also parts of Pontus, Phrygia, Lycaonia, Pisidia, Paphlagonia and Isauria.

Within the provincial Galatia were the towns which the apostle Paul evangelized on his first missionary journey, /viz./

Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe (Acts 13–14).

The latter two cities were Roman colonies, and the former two had been Romanized by the emperor Claudius.

Large numbers of Romans, Greeks and Jews were attracted to these population centres because of their strategic geographical location.[1]

The gospel probably reached the district while Paul was living at Ephesus (Acts 19:10), perhaps through Epaphras, who was a Colossian (Col.

1:7; 4:12–13).

Paul had apparently not visited Colossae when he wrote his letter (Col.

2:1), though his desire to do so (Phm.

22) may have been met at a later date.

Philemon (Phm. 1) and his slave Onesimus (Col.

4:9; Phm.

10) were members of the early Colossian church.

The mixture of Jewish, Greek and Phrygian elements in the population of the city was probably found also in the church: it would have been fertile ground for the type of speculative heresy which Paul’s letter was designed to counter.

The neighbourhood was devastated by an earthquake, dated by Tacitus (/Ann./

14. 27) to ad 60.

There is no hint of this in the Epistle, which we must suppose was written before news of the disaster had reached Rome.

e.m.b.g.

c.j.h.

The location of Colossae.[2]

Galatians 3:26-29

 

26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

[3]

 

 

Colossians 3:9-11

 

9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.[4]

Romans 2:9-11

 

9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

11 For God does not show favoritism.[5]

 

 

 

1 Peter 2:17

 

17 Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.[6]

Colossians 3:12-14

 

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.

Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

[7]

 

\\ ----

bc before Christ

[1]Wood, D. R. W., & Marshall, I. H. (1996).

/New Bible dictionary/ (3rd ed.

~/).

Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.

Ann.

Tacitus, /Annales/

ad anno Domini

e.m.b.g.

E. M. B. Green, M.A., B.D., Rector of St Aldate’s Church, Oxford; Canon of Coventry Cathedral.

Formerly Principal, St John’s College, Nottingham

c.j.h.

C. J. Hemer, M.A., Ph.D., Librarian, Tyndale House, Cambridge

[2]Wood, D. R. W., & Marshall, I. H. (1996).

/New Bible dictionary/ (3rd ed.

~/).

Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.

[3]/The Holy Bible : New International Version/.

1996, c1984 (Ga 3:26).

Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

[4]/The Holy Bible : New International Version/.

1996, c1984 (Col 3:9).

Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

[5]/The Holy Bible : New International Version/.

1996, c1984 (Ro 2:9).

Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

[6]/The Holy Bible : New International Version/.

1996, c1984 (1 Pe 2:17).

Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

[7]/The Holy Bible : New International Version/.

1996, c1984 (Col 3:12).

Grand Rapids: Zondervan.