Weekly Study
Raiders for Christ
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Raiders for Christ Set Your Hearts Priorities and Values That is not to say that all earthly things are evil - some of them are, and some become bad because of misuse. Even things harmless in themselves become harmful if they are permitted to take the place that should be reserved for the things above. Some examples of earthly things would include: wealth, worldly honor, power and pleasures such as sex. To make these things the goal of your life, the subject of your preoccupation, and your full focus, is to give them the wrong place in the life of someone who has been raised with Christ. Our values and goals should change and when these are changed then our daily thoughts and actions will gradually come under the control of Christ. Safe in Christ Free Will and Choices If we aren’t having victory in our life, we need to go back to the first item: The more we love God the more we will obey. It is a maturing process so don’t be discouraged. The Holy Spirit that Jesus promised to send is the power within us that gives us the strength to do what seems impossible. Just like a straw that is too weak to be driven into a board, when that straw is yielded to the wind of a tornado, it is possible for it to be driven through a four-inch beam. His power supplies what we need for holy living: The power to obey God’s will. How a Christian Should Act Now he goes on with more things that might hit a little closer to home - things that we are to rid our lives of. “But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator” (Colossians 3:8-10). It is interesting how the Bible often connects clothing with righteousness and nakedness with depravity. It talks about being clothed with Christ’s righteousness. When you have finished a hard day of dirty work digging ditches, you don’t just put clean clothes on over the filthy ones you have worked in all day. Likewise, we can’t put a new life on over an old one. We have to take off the “old self” before we can have the “new self.” Have you ever tried to put new wallpaper on over old wallpaper? Sooner or later the old grease and grime will soak through and spoil the new. Many try to put on the outside appearance of a new self, but their old self keeps asserting itself. Some people may be convinced and deceived, but God isn’t. He tells them that before they came to know Christ, when they still had on their old clothes, they used to live one way but now they are to get rid of that way of responding - the way that came from their old self. Anger, Rage and Malice Never Stop Learning and Obeying Created in His Image
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Raiders for Christ In Paul’s time there was the problem that many of the Christian Jews still thought that Gentile converts had to become Jews if they were to be counted as Christians - that is, they had to follow the Jewish laws because it was a commandment to Abraham and his descendants. This ceremony showed that they belonged to the chosen race. They had a special relationship to God. Here in Colossians, the rite of circumcision is used as an illustration of spiritual truth. In Abraham’s time, it was a physical operation that was performed with human hands. Here it is salvation that is an operation of God on hearts of believers. It takes a heart that has repented and cuts away the old life that does things on their own strength. In Him, in union with Christ, believers have true circumcision - that is, they have found in Him the reality symbolized by Mosaic circumcision. Again, the Old Testament symbolizes things that would be explained in the New Testament. “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:4). just as circumcision was symbolized in the Old Testament, so was water baptism.“...God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also - not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God” (1 Peter 3:20-21). This was during a time when the world was so corrupt that God was sorry He created man. He sent a flood to destroy everyone but Noah and his family. This “going through water” was a symbol of leaving the old life and starting a new life. Cancel the Written Code: Colossians 2:14 goes on: “…having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.” This written code was the legal demands of the Old Testament law. “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather through the law we become conscious of sin” (Romans 1:20). In the Old Testament, the people knew that they could not keep all the laws that God had set out; because of the laws, they just knew where they had failed. That is why God had the provision of the Day of Atonement where once a year the people would offer a special sacrifice for their own sins and also the high priest would offer a sacrifice for the sins of the people and the nation. In New Testament time, when a person was crucified, they would nail a plaque to the cross that said what that person was accused of. Christ’s plaque said, “King of the Jews”; the ones over the two others probably said, “thief” or whatever else they were accused of. This written code with its regulations was like a certificate of debt or a bill of indebtedness that we all have. As we read on a lot of billboards, “The wages of sin is death.” (spiritual death) There is no way we can buy or work our way out of this indebtedness. So Christ took this bill of indebtedness and nailed it to his cross. So instead of, “King of the Jews,” His plaque should have read, “Sins of the whole world.” He was saying that all of our sins were now His sins and He would die for them. Now the debt was paid. Selfish Desires: When I talk of the sins of mankind, or our sins, I am referring to our self-centerdness; our wanting to run our lives our way and not God’s way; our having our backs turned from God; not loving Him with all our heart, soul and mind. Christ’s death completely satisfies God’s demand that spiritual death is the result of sin. When God forgives our sins, our record is wiped clean. This is also talked about in Romans 3:21-25: “But now a righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.” Romans 3:19-20 says: “Now we know that everything in the Law applies to those who live under the Law, in order to stop all human excuses and bring the whole world under God’s judgment. For no one is put right in God’s sight by doing what the Law requires….” Colossians 2:13-14: Let’s look at the Living Bible for a translation that is a little easier to understand: “You were dead in sins, and your sinful desires were not yet cut away. Then he gave you a share in the very life of Christ, for he forgave all your sins, and blotted out the charges proved against you, the list of his commandments which you had not obeyed. He took this list of sins and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ’s cross.” “So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law” (Galatians 3:24-25). Colossians 2:15: “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” By fulfilling the demands of the Law, Christ disarmed the demonic powers and authorities that He mentioned in Colossians 2:10 that says:“and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.” Power of the Resurrection Christ’s death was a public happening and because of His death and resurrection, He has conquered the power of Satan. Similar to the conquerors in olden times, who chained their prisoners to the chariot and made them run alongside in a public parade, so too Christ has doomed Satan publicly. Legal Demands: Verse 16: Now Paul is saying believers are delivered from these evil powers that are behind the following legalistic rules about foods and festivals. “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ” (Colossians 2:16). There were some in the church at Colossae, even as there are some today who attempted to set themselves up as judge over those who did not follow certain laws that dealt with food and observance of certain religious days. Paul says Christ, by His death, has done away with these legal demands; to look to them is to prefer the shadow to the real thing - that is Christ. The false teachers were even saying that salvation was gained by keeping laws and rituals and that the Old Testament laws are for true Christians. Food Sacrificed to Idols: In 1 Timothy, Paul is talking about those who say we need to abstain from certain foods: “For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving” (1 Timothy 4:4). However, there are times when we might give up eating or drinking something. In the New Testament time, there was a problem of eating meat that had been offered to idols. The would offer meat to an idol in one of their ceremonies and then would offer it for sale in the market. Believers were having a hard time knowing whether they should buy this meat or not. In Romans and Corinthians Paul talks about the fact that there is freedom in Christ; however, Romans 14:13-21 says: “Make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way. As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. If your bother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.” 1 Corinthians 10:23-33; “Everything is permissible - but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible - but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for, the earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. New Moon Festivals and the Sabbath: “What about Sunday?” Does that mean I don’t have to go to church? The Jewish Sabbath was given to the Jews as an obligation; it was one of the laws that set them apart from the nations. The Sabbath command is the only one of the l0 commandments not repeated in the New Testament. However, Christians celebrate Sunday as a time of worship because it is the day Christ arose from the dead. The early believers met on Sunday, the first day of the week. Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit indwelt believers, was on the first day of the week. Offerings for the Lord’s work were to be gathered on the first day. We need one day to worship God and to build up our faith and Hebrews 10:25 says: “Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing. Instead, let us encourage on another….”The local church is where we are discipled. Observing Sunday is not a way to salvation, it is a way of growing as a Christian. Pride and False Humility: Then he goes on in verses 18-19: “Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow” (Colossians 2:18-19). The false teachers were claiming that God was far away and could only be approached through various levels of angels. They were proud of their humility. This false humility brought attention and praise to themselves rather than to God. These people had a self-made religion. At that time in Colossae, the false teachers were trying to deny the significance, or reality of the body, by saying that it was evil, but their desire for attention from others showed that, in reality, they were quite obsessed with their physical self. If certain individuals - whether pastor, priest, author or lay person – set themselves up as spiritually elite by claiming to have a special access to God because of visions, revelations, prophecies etc, they are putting themselves above others who cannot make such claims. At Colossae, as sometimes happens now, this took the form of judgment or condemnation. Paul says don’t allow yourselves to be condemned by these people. If you hear someone who seems to delight in or be proud of their humility, you can be sure they are all puffed up by their own human way of thinking. Have you heard of the fellow who wrote the book, Humility and How I Obtained It ? If you truly have it, you don’t realize it. He says that these people are relying on their own human way of thinking and have stopped holding on to Christ. True humility means seeing ourselves as we really are from God’s perspective and then acting accordingly. As in verse 19, this type of person has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. Man-Made Rules: These false teachers were not connected to Christ, the head of the body of believers. Christ is the true head of the church - and us - we are the ligaments and sinews - and under His control the entire body is nourished and held together - in unity - and that is the way God wants it to grow. “Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: ‘Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!’? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence” (Colossians 2:20-24). Since you have died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, again the depiction of death to the old way of life or to the supernatural powers of evil in the world, why are you still being guided by man-made rules and ideas? These rules were man-made - sometimes they are based on God’s laws but taken out of context. We cannot reach up to God by following rules of self-denial, by observing rituals or even by “practicing religion.” Paul isn’t saying that all rules are bad – God’s rules are fair and just - but not even keeping God’s rules and laws will earn us salvation. Man-made religions focus on human effort, but Christianity focuses on Christ’s work. Verse 23: “Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.” To the Colossians, the discipline demanded by the false teachers seemed good, and legalism still attracts many people today. Following a long list of religious rules requires strong self-discipline and can make a person feel and appear moral. But religious rules can’t change a person’s heart. Apparently many in Colossae were putting up a good front of being spiritual by self-imposed worship, their false humility, and harsh treatment of the body but it didn’t keep them from giving in to their sensual desires. We can see that still happening today. Christ also talked to the Pharisees about this same thing: “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men” (Matthew 15:7-9). Christian freedom doesn’t come from restraining desires by rules and regulations but from the death of wrong desires and bringing to life good desires by means of Christ being in you and you being in Christ. Christianity is not attained by what we do, but by what Christ has done. Pastor Mando |
Raiders for Christ Paul goes on in chapter 2 to speak of his work. Read verses 1-3: “I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” So he tells them how happy he is to see how their faith in and reliance on Christ is unshaken. Again, the idea that has been taught before - the fact that something is offered and has to be received - they at one time made a decision to accept Christ as Lord. How do you answer when people ask, “How do you know that Christ is in you?” Christ enters the life of a person who invites Him, but there is no physical awareness of the fact. You can’t see Him come in; however, sometimes there is an emotional reaction: tears, a sense of relief, joy, peace. If there is no physical or emotional awareness, we can know for sure that it really happened because the Bible says so. We can’t base it on feelings alone. This is where faith enters the picture. Since you have accepted Him, continue to live in union with him. Stay rooted in Him, build your lives on Him and become stronger in your faith, by allowing the reconciliation process to take place 2Cor. 5:18; And be filled with thanksgiving. That is Quite a Job Description As we are more rooted in Him, we are more overflowing with thankfulness. If we are full of gratefulness and thanksgiving we will be less vulnerable to doubt and also less open to the false philosophies. Then comes a warning as he goes on to condemn the Colossian heresy that was diverting them from Christ. Verse 8: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” The Phillips translations puts it in modern terms when it says: “Be careful that nobody spoils your faith through intellectualism or high sounding nonsense. Such stuff is at best founded on men's ideas of the nature of the world and disregards Christ” (Colossians 2:8). He is not condemning philosophy as such, he was a gifted philosopher and could debate with the best of them. He is condemning teaching that credits humanity, not Christ, with being the answer to life’s problems. This starts back in verse 4 where, after talking about how hard he has worked to tell them that Christ is the key that opens all of God’s wisdom and knowledge, he says:“Don’t let anyone fool them with false arguments – no matter how good they seem” (Colossians 2:4). Learn to be Discerning “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.” Humanism and Tolerance Tolerance is another - many try to say that tolerance is all the Bible really teaches: love thy neighbor. They want us to believe that the only parts of the Bible that are inspired or meant for us are the ones that teach love, forgiveness and acceptance of all people and all they do. They go on to say that morals are only relative to the customs and environments that a particular society sanctions. In other words, if the majority of society says it is okay for this day and age, it is okay. What the Bible said, was just for that day and age. So they are only keeping the Bible relevant for today. Paul says this teaching is worthless because it does not contain the truth and it is deceitful because it captivates people and prevents them from seeing the truth. Paul is preaching that all theology should begin with Christ - not man. The Word of God, rather than man’s own reason, should be the final bases of truth. Know What You Believe and Why If someone asks what verse 9 really says and means, we can say that Christ is God in bodily form. Both Christ’s deity and humanity were challenged by the early Gnostic-like heresy. They diminished Christ to an angel whose “body” was only apparent, not real. Paul is affirming here that Christ is both fully God and truly man. This correlates with the gospel of John that says: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John l:1). and John 1:14: “The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Being Made Full in Christ Morally Complete In other words, in union with Christ, all of our spiritual needs will be fully met. We no longer have to search for “the meaning of life” or ask “Why are we here?” We are spiritually complete. Since the Colossians had Christ, there was no need for them to turn to the “philosophy” of the false teachers. He is head or sovereign Lord over all.
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Raiders for Christ Paul was very wise and seemed to plant the Gospel at places where it would flow down the main arteries of trade and communication. Paul apparently never visited Colossae but since he spent a long time in Ephesus during his third missionary journey, we can assume that the Gospel was taken to Colossae from Ephesus. There were several people that are mentioned in the New Testament that were from Colossae. We can assume that a good strong Gospel teaching had come to Colossae during this time but now, several years, later Paul is in prison (Acts 28:30) and a fellow believer named Epaphras, from Colossae, brings him a report about conditions in the church and Paul writes them this letter. Let’s see what might have happened to the Gospel message in the intervening years by looking at the cross section of population to better understand some of the ideas that had an influence on the people. There was the Jewish element. They resettled there after the fall of the northern kingdom when they were defeated by the Assyrians. We learn from the Gospels that some of the complaints Jesus had against the Jews were: legalism, ritualism and the strict observance of holy days. There were the Romans who worshipped the Caesars as gods and had their other gods and goddesses that they believed in. Then the other elements - there seemed to be an element that tried to combine the oriental ideas, the Greek philosophy and other various religious ideas that different people brought in. All of these things seemed to lead to some false teaching. Some of these false teachings seemed to be the beginning of what later developed into Gnosticism. This false teaching contained several characteristics: It was Jewish - stressing the need for observing Old Testament laws and ceremonies. It was philosophical (Greek) and emphasized some special or deeper knowledge. It involved the worship of angels as mediators to God. It was exclusive and it stressed the special privilege and “perfection” of those select few who belonged to this philosophical elite. It denied the deity of Christ. They were trying to adjust Christianity to fit their old beliefs. They didn’t deny Christ but they didn’t accept Him as God. They gave Christ a place but not the supreme place. Salvation was obtained by means of knowledge that was only available through special teaching, rituals, self-discovery or sacraments. And of course it was only available to a special few. What does all of this remind you of in our day and age? Do you think they also had to pay to go to seminars to get this “knowledge?” This Christian facade made the Colossian error all the more dangerous. Just like the cults that use Christian words but don’t have the same meaning. Here are five things we can look for when we read through: It professed to be a philosophy. Paul said it was a hollow and deceptive philosophy - some say it was dabbling in truth. It placed emphasis on ritual: circumcision, dietary laws and observance of holy days. It affirmed the mediation of various supernatural powers in the creation of the world and the whole process of salvation and insisted that these mysterious powers be placated and worshipped. Some of the practicers were ascetic and taught that the body is evil and must be treated as an enemy. And perhaps the worst and hardest to combat was the fact that the advocates of this system claimed to be Christian teachers.
What title did Paul use to introduce himself? What does the word mean? Who gave Paul this title? What does this verse tell you about where Paul got his orders? Apostle: “someone sent an emissary, a delegated official entrusted with a mission - not simply a person who propagates a doctrine or devotes himself to a cause. He was an Apostle “by the will of God.” Do you think the people were able to accept this? What impact would it have? What could be another word for faithful? Believing or loyal to Christ? How do you feel when a friend tells you the specific things he or she notices and appreciates about you? It encourages you and makes you try harder. Let’s read Colossians 1:3-8: “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints - the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is producing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth. 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.” |
Raiders for Christ The Pharisees expected a Messiah who would deliver them from foreign oppression and rule with justice; however, this Jesus of Nazareth had angered the Pharisees by interpreting the Law differently than they did and by claiming a special relationship with God. Therefore, when some Jews began to proclaim Jesus as Messiah and Lord - this was a term usually reserved for God - the strict Pharisees opposed them. Saul was one of these Pharisees and he was active in the fight against those in Jerusalem who proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah. There was one man in particular that we read about in Acts 6:8. The believers in Jesus began to be called “The Way.” The persecution became so great that many were driven out and went to Damascus (now in Lebanon). Saul Begins to See the Light From then on, Saul’s understanding of God and the Torah, the five books of Moses, began to change dramatically. He joined those Jews who were urging other Jews to believe in Jesus. Read 9:20- 31. On this trip he returned to Ephesus and spent over two years there. Acts l9:8-20 tells of what he did in Ephesus. After going on to Corinth, a short distance from Athens, he returned to Jerusalem. In Jerusalem he was accused falsely of bringing a Gentile into the temple area and was arrested. He was taken to Caesarea and was imprisoned there for a few years before he appealed to Caesar for justice. This meant he had to appear in Rome. |
Raiders for Christ If love is the fruit of faith and we define love is genuine concern, care, courtesy and consideration for others and it is the delight in and desire for the well being of the one loved, then let’s think, is there anyone that you have trouble liking, let alone loving? |
Raiders for Christ Do you think this power is only given out according to our needs? It is not given but His abundant supply is there for the taking. How great is the power that is available? Power of His glorious might - literally the might of his glory, as much power as it took to raise Christ from the dead is available to us. “By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also” (1 Corinthians 6:14). What is Patience? Knowing God’s Will The decision has been made to follow the Lord and to do His will. The Holy Spirit will now make the wisdom of the Bible available to us. The Holy Spirit gives us the ability to have spiritual understanding. This gives us the desire to live the way God wants us to and to do what pleases Him. It pleases Him for us to do the good works that He has planned for us and as we do this, we grow in knowledge of Him. Tap Into His Resources So knowledge promotes service, service is repaid by strength and all is crowned with thanksgiving. |
| Raiders for Christ Weekly Study The Book of Colossians 5th of Several Messages Darkness and Light: In verse 13, who is responsible for rescuing people from one kingdom to another? Can we make the change ourselves? Why or why not? Proof that God has qualified us is that he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. The use of the metaphor of darkness and light could be Paul hitting at the Colossian heresy because in Ephesians 6:12 the principalities and powers to which the false teachers urged Christians to pay homage are designated by him “the powers of this dark world.” But, isn’t it a great thought that it doesn’t stop with the deliverance from the authority of darkness but he has brought us into the kingdom of the Son? It is like removing us from one country, where there is a lot of corruption and bad leadership, and resettling or re-establishing us in another country where Christ is the sovereign ruler. It is a believer’s position and possession now. Our Canaan, or promised land, is now. Redemption and the Forgiveness of Sins: Verse 14 goes on, “…in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Isn’t it a great thought that we are delivered from the authority of darkness - which is the authority of sin - and have been brought into the kingdom of the Son. Okay, this is a great thought but how do we know this is true? Why is Christ the one that can do this? What gives Him the authority? After all, don’t we hear people say: “All roads lead to God.” “Everyone is trying to get to the same place.” “That belief is fine for you, but I don’t buy it for myself.” “The Muslims and the Buddhists also believe in God and think they know how to get to heaven.” “Only narrow minded people and bigots label belief true or false and think they have the only way to God.” How would you answer people who say these things? As we learned in the beginning of our study, the Colossians were also hearing, “You can worship Jesus, but not exclusively. Jesus is just one spirit among many to be worshipped.” Let’s see how Paul handles these assertions…. “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:15-17). He is the image of the invisible God. Invisible means something can’t be seen with the natural eye. In the New Testament, God revealed Himself through Christ. Christ isn’t a substitute but a visible likeness of God in order to reveal what God is like and how we can know Him. The Bible is talking of the character and “person image” of God - the identical mirror image of the attributes and identity of God - for Christ is Himself God. His Thoughts are MUCH Higher: We might as well be honest and admit that our finite minds can’t explain of comprehend the doctrine of the Trinity any more than we can understand eternity or infinity or the sovereignty of God. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways higher than our ways. Here are a few other verses that might help. There are also others – explore the Scriptures on your own. “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word” (Hebrews 1:3). John says in different places, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). “For no one has ever seen God, but God the only Son has made Him known” (John 1:18). “The Father and I are one” (John 10:30). The result of the incarnation is that the invisible God has become visible in the God-man, Jesus Christ. Christ Created First or Above All Created Things? Verse 15 goes on, “…the firstborn over all creation.” This is taken by some to mean that Christ was the first one to be created and because of this, belongs to the created order. Apparently the false teachers at Colossae thought of Christ as a created being and this teaching also popped up again in the 4th century. It is also prevalent today in the teaching of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. The Jewish culture would have understood that it meant more than born first but it rather signified position and Christ’s position was superior to all created things. He was not a created being, for he existed from the beginning as verse l6 says: “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.” Here are more Scripture references to back that up: “Yet there is for us only one God, the Father, who is the Creator of all things and for whom we live; and there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created and through whom we live” (l Corinthians 8:6). “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:3). “But in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe” (Hebrews 1:2). In what realms are the “thrones, powers, rulers or authorities in verse 16 heavenly? He also created spiritual powers so can we ask, “Why did the Lord create Satan when He knew he would be such a problem?” Maybe we should also ask, “Why did He create me, when He knew I would be such a problem?” When we get to heaven, we’ll understand. “He is before all things and in him all things hold together” (1 Colossians 1:17). What does this mean to you? What would the universe be like without Jesus’ power? What about the physical laws of nature: gravity, light, ice (perhaps the only substance that when frozen becomes lighter - if it didn’t what would happen to the world?) How do discoveries through microscopes and telescopes add to your appreciation of Jesus’ supremacy over nature? Let’s look at verses 15-17 again and then find the reasons why Christ is supreme: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Why is He supreme? He is the image of the Creator - likeness of God. Firstborn over all creation - superior to all creation. Agent of creation of visible world of invisible world. Existed before all things. He is the means of cohesion/unity - all things have their proper place because of Him. Remember, we are answering the question of why Christ is the only way to salvation. Back in the first part of the chapter it talked of the gospel they had heard. Paul has established Christ’s lordship over the world in his pre-incarnate past - before his birth - now he goes on to the incarnate His Son and establishes Christ’s lordship over the church - His mission on earth. Pastor Mando "keep the faith" |
| Raiders for Christ Weekly Study The Book of Colossians 6th of Several Messages Direction and Guidance Just as man’s physical body needs direction and guidance from the head, so does the church. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” (Colossians 1:18-20). The Church What would you say the church is? The church is a people and not a place, a body of believers and not a building. It is the invisible or universal church into which all believers are baptized by the Holy Spirit the moment they believe in Christ. “Christ is like a single body, which has many parts; it is still one body, even though it is made up of different parts. In the same way, all of us, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether slaves or free have been baptized into the one body by the same Spirit” (l Corinthians 12:12-13). “And God has put all things under his feet and made him supreme Head of the church, which is his body...” (Ephesians 1:22-23). The church wasn’t known in the Old Testament. It didn’t start until Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came to indwell the believers. Pentecost was a feast celebrated by the Jews 50 days after the Passover feast. If you have read Acts, you might remember that from chapter 1: “During the forty days after his crucifixion he appeared to the apostles from time to time. In one of these meetings he told them not to leave Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came upon them in fulfillment of the Father’s promise…. John baptized you with water, he reminded them, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit in just a few days.” Then in Acts 2:1, seven weeks (50 days) had gone by since Jesus’ death and resurrection and the Day of Pentecost had now arrived. “As the believers met together that day, suddenly there was a sound like the roaring of a mighty windstorm in the skies above them and it filled the house where they were meeting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on their heads. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit.” Colossians 1:18 goes on to say: “He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.” Christ was in the beginning and was also the first one to rise in an immortal body. It marked His triumph over death. First Place This is the place that Christ has in heaven now and will have in eternity and that is the place He should have here on earth. This is a question you can ask others if you are talking about spiritual things: “Do you think you are going to heaven or do you want to go to heaven?” Then in a kind way, explain to them that in heaven Christ will have first place in everything and if He does not have first place in their life for the 90 or so years here on earth, why would they want to go to heaven where he would have first place for eternity. Colossians 1:19: “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him.” Another verse that stresses the deity of Christ, that he is God is verse 20: “…and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth of things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” Reconciliation Reconciliation means making friends with an enemy. God is not man’s enemy so he is not reconciled to man. People are reconciled to God; man is the one who is hostile and needs to accept the free gift that is offered. Even the earth needs reconciling. “For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the . We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in pains of childbirth right up to the present time” (Romans 8:20-22). There are some you might talk to that have a problem with Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” They will say, “I don’t see why I’m a sinner. I’m as good as anybody else.” We can agree and say, “Yes, you probably are, but everybody else is a sinner too.” There ARE Absolutes For God there are absolutes. It is like you can’t be just a little bit pregnant. For God there is no “just a little bit of sin/wrongdoing.” If you have ever done anything that you are sorry about or feel guilty about, you have sinned. God is holy and can’t abide sin so that would bar you from heaven. Let’s look at it this way: God looked out and saw a bunch of rebellious people. His holiness and justice had to say, “Punish the sinner.” But then his love said, “Pardon the sinner.” These two opposing ideas had only one solution. God passed the maximum sentence that was consistent with his righteous character - death and eternal separation from Him. Then, to satisfy the demands of His love, God said, “I’ll die in their place and they can go free.” Then, all people will have to do is come to me and say, “Thank you, I'll let you take my punishment.” Then God says to the person, “From now on, I look at you through that blood that was shed and I will see you as holy. Now you are worthy to enter my kingdom forever.” Then you have to tell that person you are talking to that God doesn’t keep anyone out of heaven - which means spending eternity separated from God and that is what the Bible calls hell - people choose not to go to heaven. The peace that is made through his blood shed on the cross is salvation. This verse is again what we have talked about before. As the Old Testament says, “Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin.” When we accept the fact that Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for OUR sin and our desire to run our own lives, then we have peace with God and eternal life. Pastor Mando "keep the faith" |
| Raiders for Christ The Book of Colossians Weekly Study / 7th of Several Messages Why Did God Send His Son for Us? Paul has established Christ’s supremacy in heaven and then on earth and now in verse 21 and 22 he expands on why and how God did it. Read Colossians 1:21-23 “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-” In verse 21 Paul is telling the Colossians that they too had sinned and had fallen short of God’s glory but that now they had accepted what he did for them and they were now holy in God’s sight. Blameless; Without Blemish When Paul wrote to the Ephesians he told them also in 1:4:“He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.”It says without blemish. Blemish was a sacrificial term used of animals that were without flaws and therefore worthy of being offered to God. Why should they be without blemish? It is a foreshadow of what is necessary for us. Do you think Paul was thinking of our personal conduct when he said we would be presented without blemish? When he says, “without blemish” he wasn’t talking about our personal conduct but about our position in Christ. There has never been, nor will there ever be, a life that is without blemish in actual conduct. God didn’t die for us to make us happy; He died to make us holy. What we do is not as important as why we do it. Why do we go to church? Why do we do good works? Are we God concerned or are we self concerned? So Paul goes on in verse 23, after saying that they are presented holy in his sight: “…if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.” Since God was willing to do all of this in love, they should be so grateful that they should respond to that love. They should stand fast in the faith and never abandon the hope of the gospel. The prospect of someday being presented holy shouldn’t lull them into complacency or slackness. Paul assumes that they will continue in the course in which they have begun. What is this saying to us? In a Nutshell Here is a condensed version of Colossians 1:21-23: In the beginning man was created to have fellowship with God. He was created without sin. There is no sin unless there is a choice. Adam chose to be disobedient to God. Adam’s disobedience brought sin upon all mankind. Even the earth was cursed because of his sin. Because of Adam’s fall, all are born with a tendency to sin. This separates God and man. This sinful nature makes us enemies of God because we want our own way, to do our own thing, to live our life as we choose. God still wanted fellowship with man so verse 20 it says He decided to bring the whole universe back to himself. Here is the heart of the Good News or Gospel message: Christ, by offering Himself through death, accepted the curse that was due to us. His death was the basis for the return of sinful men to a position of fellowship with God. Taking a Closer Look Verse 21: “At one time you...” - means us too - were God’s enemies because of things we did and thought. As we think, so do we do. Our thoughts - thinking we are in charge of our lives and wanting to do our own thing - this is rebellion against God." Granted, sometimes this “wanting to do our own thing” leads to horrible things in some peoples lives. Gross things like murder and child abuse are just a manifestation of that rebellion that we all have. This is hard to see and accept, isn’t it? But, because of rebellion, we all deserved death - as the sign boards tell us, “The wages of sin is death.” Verse 22: But by means of the physical death of His Son, we are now God’s friends. The ultimate aim of this reconciliation is that we will be presented before Him in holiness. This is the final purpose - not the present attainment. This is the beginning, but the perfecting lies ahead. Because of our accepting what Christ did for us, we will be able to stand in the holy presence of God. Verse 23: God has also provided the means for this perfecting; it is continued faithfulness. This firm and sure foundation is, of course, Christ the rock. This can and has been twisted to “If God loves me, I can do what I want and He will still love me.” Suffering for the Gospel The fact that we are loved, God wants fellowship with us, and has provided a way, does not give us the freedom to do as we like - it gives us the obligation to be worthy of that love. That can be hard too and leads to guilt. With God, what we do is not as important as why we do it. Time, thoughts, talents and treasure - are we God concerned or self centered? Have you ever had a goal in your life, besides losing weight, which has been compelling enough to make you willing to suffer to reach it? Now we will learn about Paul’s struggle for a goal that had been put before him. “Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness - the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. 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” (Colossians 1:24-29). Remember back in verse 11 when Paul prayed that the Colossians might endure all things with joyfulness? He is now saying that this is his own experience. Paul was suffering because he was preaching Christ. In verses 21-23 he said they were once far away from God but they heard the gospel and, because of Christ’s death, they were now holy and pure in the sight of God. Paul became a servant of this gospel and he was being persecuted for it. Paul didn’t rejoice in suffering for suffering’s sake. This wasn’t a self-inflicted penance or pain to gain acceptance with God. This was the suffering that came because of his stand for Christ. He was suffering so that others might be saved. Paul’s sufferings are the reason for his joy. The sufferings Paul endured for the gospel never seem to have been a problem or a sorrow to him. Verse 24: Have we ever suffered or been persecuted for following or preaching Christ? In many countries, people have. We hear about it all the time, especially in Muslim countries. Suffering, either personal or religious persecution, produces bitterness, sorrow and self pity in many people. What reasons can you think of for Paul’s radically different reaction to suffering verse 24? (See also Romans 5:3-5; 2 Corinthians 1:4-5; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.) Perspective From the Book of Romans Let’s see what Paul has to say about it in his letter to the Romans. In Romans chapter 5 he starts out by saying since he is a believer and has hope – the hope of God that comes through assurance of eternal life - he can also deal with suffering. Read Romans 5:1-5: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” There is also another result of suffering. We find this in 2 Corinthians 1:3-5: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.” Have you found this true in your life? Paul was suffering physically because he was preaching the Gospel. We can suffer pain, sorrow, or through our emotions and find that these promises are also true. Colossians 1:24 goes on: “…for by means of my physical sufferings I am helping to complete what still remains of Christ’s sufferings on behalf of his body, the church.” There is some modern day preaching that says Christ’s suffering wasn’t sufficient for our salvation - there has to be more than just accepting what He did. Paul is saying he realized he lacked in suffering compared to Christ, and that he could never catch up, no matter how much he endured or worked. He was willing to suffer, if need be, to show his gratitude to Christ as well as to be a witness to others. Verses 25-26: “I have become its (the church) servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness. The message which is the secret he hid though all past ages from all mankind but has now revealed to his people” (Colossians 1:25-26). Hidden Word The message was hidden in the complex rituals of the tabernacle and temple worship, which were types of the coming Lamb of God. Why do you think it was hidden? Could it have been that God had to work with a group of people to show His power before He could/would be accepted? Jews were chosen so God would have a people through whom the Messiah would come, through whom the Word would come, and a people through whom He could show what and how He could work – if they would obey and follow Him. The church was unknown in the Old Testament. It was hidden. Since the church is Christ’s body - which resulted from His death on the cross - it couldn’t have existed in the Old Testament, it was only foreshadowed by things in the Old Testament. Pastor Mando "keep the faith" |
| Raiders for Christ Weekly Study / 8th of Several Messages The Mystery In the city of Colossae (verse 25, 26), the Colossian heresy boasted of a ‘fullness’ of knowledge possible only through their al experience. But Paul declared that the fullness of the mystery is found only in Christ. In verse 26 he is saying the Christian mystery is not secret knowledge for a few. It is a revelation of divine truths - once hidden but now openly proclaimed. This contrasted with the Colossian heretics’ notion that a mystery was a secret teaching known only to an exclusive group and unknown to the masses. The ‘mystery’ of the church, however, does not mean that Gentile salvation and blessing was unforeseen before Christ. (Isaiah 49:6; Luke 2:29-32) In Isaiah 49:6 God is talking to the pre human (pre incarnate) Messiah and says “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” In other words, God was not concerned just for the Jews but for the whole world, which included the Gentiles. Then in the New Testament, there was a man in Jerusalem that received a promise from God that he would not die before he had seen the Messiah. This was fulfilled when Jesus was presented in the temple when he was eight days old. Read Luke 2:29-32: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” The mystery was not that Gentiles would be saved but how they could be fellow heirs on the same level as Jews. “This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 3:6). Revelation of Blessing While the Old Testament revealed something of God’s coming blessing for Gentiles as well as Israelites, the method by which they would be accomplished was a mystery first revealed to Paul. This special union in which there “is neither Jew nor Greek” was nonexistent before Christ died and the Spirit descended to baptize all believers into this new body. Verse 27 says: “God’s plan is to make known his secret to his people, this rich and glorious secret which he has for all peoples. And the secret is that Christ is in you, which means that you will share in the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 3:16 says: “Surely you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you.” Taking those two together - would you say then that the essential feature of a Christian is to have Christ and the Spirit in them? Born Again The Jews have always been called the but then in John 1:11-13 it says: “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become . Children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” Again, this is the idea of “being born again.” God isn’t in a persons’ life until He is asked to enter and He also doesn’t force His way into your life - it is a free choice. That is why you are on firm ground and not being judgmental if someone says they are a Christian and you ask them if or when they have asked Christ into their life and they say, “No but they are a good person they don’t have to,” or some of the other things they say. You can be sure they don’t have eternal life. What is the first thing you want to do when you move into a new home? Clean and change things around, right? When you asked Christ and His Spirit into your life, don’t you think that is what Christ wanted to do too? Did you let Him? It is easy to say, “Come in but let me lead my own life because I don’t want to change this or that.” A person like this is often called a carnal Christian. There is no happy disobedient Christian. When Christ enters the life of a person, it both solves problems and creates problems because we have more of a conscience and others expect more of us. The nature of Christ’s Spirit and our own spirit are opposites. They have different appetites. One has a hunger for God and desires to please Him. The other has a hunger for worldly things and wants to please self. Because these two natures are different there is conflict. Does this help to explain why it is so hard to lead a “holy life”? How can you help a new Christian realize that neither does life suddenly become a bed of roses, nor do we automatically become Christ-like. He lives in us, but His Spirit will not override our own spirit. We must choose moment by moment which spirit we will obey. As long as we live, we will possess these two natures and will have to make choices. The satisfaction and joy we get out of life depends on our choices day by day. Admonishing and Teaching Verse 28: Now back to Paul…so because Christ is in him, what does he do in verse 28,? “We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone.” Everywhere Paul and Timothy went, they brought the Good News to all who would listen. He is saying that an effective presentation of the gospel or the Good News, includes admonishing or warning and teaching. The warning is that without Christ, people are doomed to eternal separation from God. The teaching is that salvation is available through faith in Christ. “With all possible wisdom” (Colossians 1:28b) This isn’t just knowledge about Christ, but wisdom that comes from above. This wisdom is the practical application of divinely given knowledge. Remember we talked earlier when Paul prayed for the Colossians that they might have knowledge of His will, with all the wisdom and understanding that his Spirit gives. The goal of this is to “present everyone perfect in Christ.” As I have mentioned, the word “perfect” here means mature or complete, not flawless or sinless, because we know that Christ is the only one that is sinless. Paul wanted to see each believer mature spiritually. He wanted them mature individuals - not still babes - as he told the Corinthians: “I had to feed you with milk, not solid food, because you were not ready for it…because you still live as the people of this world live” (Corinthians 3:2). We all struggle with maturity - it doesn’t come overnight. Even a new Christian can be a spiritual Christian - this doesn’t take maturity - only willingness! The real battle we have is with self and often indifference or procrastination. Motivated to Learn and Grow We can learn and grow daily but we must be motivated by love, not fear. We also have to know that God gives us the energy and power to do it. In verse 29 he says:“To get this done I toil and struggle, using the mighty strength which Christ supplies and which is at work in me.” Getting a job done takes hard, persistent work. Notice though, that he did not do it on his own power and God doesn’t expect us, or want us to try to do it that way either. The power came from the mighty strength that Christ provides. The Lord does not call us to do anything that He is not willing and able to provide the ability to do the task. Pastor Mando "keep the faith" |
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