AM Bible Study Group; January 2, 2013
Colossians
Theme: An introduction to Paul’s letter to the Colossians.
(Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version; copyright 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc.)
Paul’s New Testament letter to the Colossians is a good one to get to know well—and for several good reasons. One reason is its great theme—the complete sufficiency of Jesus Christ for our every need. This letter teaches us that if we are in Christ, and if Christ is in us, we truly have it all (see 2 Peter 1:3).
Another reason is because the truths that are expressed in this letter will help protect us from the spiritual errors Christians often become subject to whenever they are made to believe that they’re not really ‘complete’ before God in Christ. When they believe that they need something more than what they have already in Him, they become easy prey to phony philosophies, and the rules and regulations that others place on them, or even to the dreams and fantasies of false teachers. They become distracted from the simplicity of faith in Christ, and are thus rendered frustrated and ineffective in their Christian walk.
A third reason is because it’s a very practical portion of Scripture. The first half of this letter deals with doctrine regarding our sufficiency in Christ; but in the second half of this letter, Paul brings this truth to bear in one practical area after another—bringing the sufficiency of Christ into every area and relationship of life.
BACKGROUND TO THIS LETTER.
This letter was written by Paul to the city of Colossae. That city was located about 550 miles northwest of Jerusalem, in the Phrygian region of Asia Minor—an area that is now known to us as modern Turkey. It was a city in the midst of a cultural and religious mixing-bowl. It was located in a Roman province, and was characterized by the paganistic values and beliefs of its day. And yet, it also had a large Jewish population. Sometimes these cultures blended together in some strange ways.
The story behind Paul’s letter begins with his teaching ministry in Ephesus. Acts 19:10 tells us that Paul taught daily in the ‘school of Tyrannus’ in Ephesus "for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks." Paul had never been to Colossea; but the point of contact seems to have been a man named Epaphras (Colossians 1:7); who may have had some business that led him into contact with Paul. As a result, he came into contact with the gospel and believed. Paul appears to have developed a warm and nurturing relationship with Epaphras. He eventually saw the ministry potential in Epaphras; and so, Paul sent him back to his own home town to proclaim the good news of the gospel to his own people in the region of Colossae (see 4:12-13). It may be that he also later became a prisoner with Paul for the cause of the gospel (see Philemon 23).
It had been five years or so since Epaphras first brought the good news to Colossae, when, apparently, a problem began to develop. A subtle false teaching had crept into the church and was leading some people astray. Epaphras felt that he ought to go to Paul—who was in prison at the time—and talk it over with him. Paul and Timothy—under the influence of the Holy Spirit—wrote them this letter. Then Paul asked his friend Tychicus (4:7) to take this letter to the Colossians and minister its instructions to them.
By the way; since Tychicus was going to be heading that way, Paul asked him to also deliver another letter at the same time to some other believers near Colossae. You can easily read that letter too if you’d like. It’s in your Bible as the Book of Ephesians (Eph. 6:21).
THE PROBLEM THE LETTER SEEKS TO SOLVE.
Paul eluded to this problem in his letter, when he wrote to the Colossians. You can see something of the nature of this problem Paul was writing about by looking at what he asserts in opposition to it. He told the Colossians that in Christ "dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him". Paul insisted that all that is to be had of God is to be found in the Man Christ Jesus. If we have Him, then we have "all the fullness of the Godhead bodily" (see also John 14:8-9; Hebrews 1:3). Paul told the Colossians to be on their guard, lest anyone should cheat them out of what they had in Christ through persuading them to live in accordance with the basic principles of the world (see 2:8).
Apparently, some elements of the Jewish community were a part of this error. The Colossian Christians were being made to feel that, even though they had trusted Christ—they weren’t complete before God unless they were also following the Old Testament dietary laws and observing the Jewish ceremonies—practices which "are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ" (2:16-17). Such religious ‘rules and regulations’ may look good on the outside, but they have no value against the indulgence of the flesh (2:18-23).
THE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM.
Paul’s tone in this letter is gentle and encouraging. He isn’t so much writing to cure a terrible spiritual illness, as writing to prevent it from spreading. He affirms the truth about Christ, and about their complete sufficiency in Him; and so long as they clung to Him in simple faith for their complete acceptance in the sight of a holy God, they would be safe. That’s why it’s good to study this letter. If we study the solution that Paul proposes in this book, we will do much to keep ourselves from trouble in the future.
Jesus is "the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation" (1:15-18). It pleased the Father that all fullness would dwell in Him (v. 19). There was no need for anyone to pass on to them ‘secret knowledge’, because in Christ "are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (2:3). There was no need for any "religious rituals" because they were already fully reconciled to God in Christ (1:21-23).
Therefore, Paul told the Colossians not to let anyone take take them captive from their simple faith in Christ, because, "you are complete in Him" (2:10). Nor were they to let anyone judge them according to external religious rules and regulations, "because the substance is of Christ" (2:17). They weren’t to let anyone cheat them out of their reward through dreams, and visions that men had created out of their own imaginations—"not not holding fast to the Head"—that is, to Christ" (2:19). If they were in Jesus Christ, then they were already made perfect in Him. Nothing more could be added to what they already were in Him. Nothing more could be given to them than what they already had in Him. "Christ in you" is "the hope of glory" (1:27).
Paul summed it up in what may well be taken as the key verse of this letter; that "Christ is all and in all" (3:11). And it was the burden of Paul’s heart that he "may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus" (1:28).
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Paul and Timothy prayed that the Colossian believers would have complete confidence in the fact that, as far as God is concerned, they’re already made complete in His eyes through their relationship with Christ—and that they would rise up and live accordingly. We also need to be gripped by the truth of our complete sufficiency in the Savior.
Let that truth get hold of our hearts as it should, and we’ll never be tempted to chase after the phony philosophies, burdensome rituals, and deceitful fantasies of this world.