Colossians 1:1-9 - Chris Osburn

We have finished the book of Philippians and that will we be

moving into Colossians in our studies on Wednesday evenings.

This is another book that was written by the Apostle Paul.

and, This was written in about 8061 28064 while Paul was in

prison in Rome and he wrote this letter along with Ephesians

Philemon and Philippians all at the same time.

The church at colossae, the city of colossally sits about 90

miles west of Ephesus, which is in modern-day turkey.

Today, it's located on the light, it was located on the

like, ash River and city has not been excavated today.

In fact, if you look at maps of where colossi is, there's just a

mound, there's nothing there and it's pretty amazing to it to

think about that. Because being as such an old

Play some there's a book in the Bible about it has not been

excavated like some of the larger cities in that era.

There's a few things that Paul deals with, in this book of

Colossians, he writes us directly to the members of the

church there in colossi. Some of those things that he

dealt with teaching the Colossians about was worshipping

of angelic beings. You know, there was a there's a

local Legend back in those days that the Colossians believe that

the Archangel Michael actually saved them from some of the

floods that happened in that lycus river near the city.

So being that they felt that way.

They worship, their tend to worship Angelic beings, in that

time, in that City, there was also a false teachers that that

the Paul warned them about, they taught that not all knowledge is

necessary to Salvation is found in the gospels.

That's what the false teachers were teaching.

In Colossians, they taught that as humans could have higher

Thinking by meditation, to know everything there was to know

about God. Human philosophy was also

thought up to make them more more mature Christians, but

Paul, refutes that in the second chapter of Colossians and verse

state where he says we are complete in Christ The false

teachers also denied the Divinity of Christ, James Orton

kind of sums. These these thoughts up of what

Paul was teaching about, he called it.

This is the basic basic false teachings of gnosticism.

Basically, gnosticism is thinking that that are human

knowledge. Will gain us a better

understanding of God and that is a false Doctrine.

Everything that we have to know about God is in the Bible's in

the scriptures here that we can read.

Gnosticism is defined as a love of or Devotion to knowledge.

It's an age-old problem that has been dealt with even since the

beginning of time. You know, Eve was tempted by

this in the Garden of Eating, you know, Satan told her, you

will have knowledge of everything if you eat of this

fruit, by more knowledge of knowing of everything.

Major problem. It's also a major problem with

those who teach theology today. You know, theology is the study

of God's nature and there's some of those who obsess over, trying

to figure out God's nature by our by their own human mind in

understanding, we can never study enough to understand God's

full knowledge or nature, why he does the things he does or why.

He has given us why he has given us the Bible the way he's giving

it to us. We'll never know exactly why all

we know is what's in the scriptures You know, if we're

not careful, we can, if we tried to study God's nature to the

fullest extent that some people try to, and theology teaching,

you know, we can be categorized right with the Colossians as

well. So we need to be careful with

that. All we need to know what is

written in the scriptures. We either Believe It Or we don't

So that's kind of a little bit of a background of the city or

the church and colossi. So, we'll start getting into our

study here. We're going to be dealing with

the first nine verses of Colossians, and the first

question that has been prepared forced is, what does the word

Apostle mean? And who was Timothy?

And before we get into that, I want to read the first nine

verses of Colossians. It says there Paul an apostle of

Jesus Christ by the will of God and Timothy our brother to the

Saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in colossi grace

to you and peace from God, our Father and the Lord Jesus

Christ. We give thanks to the God and

father of our Lord. Jesus Christ.

Praying. Always for you since we heard of

your faith in Christ Jesus and your, and your love.

And for all the saints because of the Hope, which is laid up

for Are you in heaven of which you heard before in word of the

truth of the Gospel, which has come to you as it is also in all

the world and is bringing forth fruit as it is among you, since

the day, you heard and knew the grace of God in truth as you

also learn from the pathless, our dear fellow servant who is a

faithful minister of Christ on your behalf who is also declared

to us your love in the spirit for this.

Reason we also since the day, we heard it, do not cease to pray

for you. And to ask that you may be

filled with the knowledge of his will and all wisdom and

spiritual understanding. so going back to verse 1, our

question is, what does the word Apostle mean and who is Timothy

The word Apostle here. Is a noun.

An apostle is a messenger or one sent on a mission.

With specific orders sent by God, or sent by Jesus.

In a broader sense and Apostle is is the name identified with

other Christian teachers as well.

Through the Bible will see like an even Barnabas was called an

apostle in Acts 14 and 14. Paul was not one of the original

Twelve but he was also referred to as an apostle.

In 2nd Corinthians, 11 and 5. It says for I consider that I am

not at all inferior to the most eminent Apostles and he was

talking about the first Twelve, Apostles Paul compared himself

equal to them but Paul, you know, Paul was sent by Jesus as

well. You know, on the road adjustment

Damascus and also in Hebrews 3 and verse 1.

It says therefore, holy Brethren partakers of the Heavenly

calling. Consider the Apostle and high

priest of our confession Christ. Jesus who was faithful, To him

who appointed him and Moses also was faithful in all his house.

So an apostle is one who is appointed to go on a mission to

send a message with specific orders by either Jesus or God

himself. We are not apostles today, there

are no apostles today because we have not been directly given

first-hand information or divinely inspired from God or

Jesus. That is the difference.

Apostles, only occurred occurred during the Biblical times of

Jesus. When the last Apostle John died,

that was the end of the Apostle age, those who claim to be

Apostles. Now have abused the title in a

way that God and Jesus had never intended it to be used.

So Paul that is the definition of apostle and that's why Paul

calls himself an apostle as well.

Timothy course, we know who we're all familiar with who

Timothy is. You know, the book of Timothy

were familiar worth. This is the same Timothy that

Paul wrote the book to Paul met Timothy on his second missionary

journey, Timothy work and travel with Paul on some of the

missionary Journeys that he went on, and it's believed that

Timothy was with Paul in Rome while this letter was written to

the church. You colossi as well.

Timothy was a faithful member and evangelist at Ephesus and he

was the son of a Jewish mother and a Greek father.

That brings us to our second question.

Which is who were the Saints and who were the faithful, are they

different people? And what do the words, Grace,

and peace mean, and this deals with verse 2 and it says there

to the Saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in

colossi grace to you and peace from God, our Father and the

Lord Jesus Christ. So we'll Define what Saints is

Saints. Here is the Greek word.

Hagios and that means to be set apart by God to be holy or

sacred and faithful. Here is the the Greek word piss

toys, which means trustworthy faithful and believing those are

definitions from Strong's in the Old Testament, you know, the

Jewish Nation felt like they were set apart from God as well.

They felt like they were saying it's because they were set

apart. They were chosen by God in the

New Testament. Writings you authors considered

all Choose to be Saints. So we have since we have obeyed,

the gospel of Christ, We Are All Saints.

You know, there's large religious organizations to that,

do not see it that way. They see it as a specific few

number of men that are too big to be called Saints because they

considered those people to be more holy than everybody else.

You know, that that is not found in the Bible anywhere.

So that is a false teaching as well.

The Saints and the faithful are the same people here.

Those who have chosen to follow Christ or which were set apart

and they were faithful members of the church at colossae.

See, Paul certainly could have given the church here in

Bakersfield. I think the same description.

You know, we are all Saints because we were set apart by

God. We have chosen to follow God.

And we're faithful members by the life that we live by by how

we how we live a Godly life every day.

So I think that's great encouragement.

What do the words Grace and peace.

Mean grace means to be partakers of the Divine favor, the source.

Once every blessing is derived, this word indicates a general

favor, that the early Christians had and a general favor that we

have from the Divine Source. The same word is used in.

Luke chapter 1 verse 30 where it says fear not Mary thou Hast

Luke 1:30

found favour with God. Also in Luke 22 verse 40, it

Luke 22:40

says and the child grew and the grace of God.

God, the favor of God was upon him.

Also, Luke 1 verse 52 and Jesus increased in favor Grace with

Luke 1:52

God. And man, also in Acts 2:47

Acts 2:47

having favor Grace with all the people also an axe for 33 it

says in and great grace favor was upon them all.

So we have a favor with God. It is a Grace that we have the

word piece here. This is a word that is is

meaning to spiritual peace that we have when we are saved by the

blood of Jesus. We have a piece in our heart,

that surpasses all other things, a piece and knowing that we are

saved people. When we follow Christ, we are

content with the state that we are in, no matter how bad it may

be, or how bad it may seem. We have a Use that.

Our soul is in good favor with God and Jesus.

Paul was giving the Christians here at colossi the confidence.

That the piece of having Hope Of Heaven was with him.

That brings us to our next question here.

Question. Number 3, which deals with

verses 3 through 6 and it says there, we give thanks to the God

and father of our Lord. Jesus Christ.

Praying. Always for you, since we heard

of your faith in Christ Jesus, and you have your love for all

the saints because of the Hope, which is laid up for you in

heaven of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the

Gospel which is come to you, as it has also been all the world

and is bringing forth fruit as it.

Is also among you since the day, you heard it and knew the grace

of God in truth. So, the question here is, why

did Paul pray with Thanksgiving for the church at colossae?

Well, there's there's multiple reasons here and it kind of

lists them here in these in these few verses.

Paul heard of their faithfulness through other means you know

Paul himself along with timidly Timothy had most likely never

been to colossi from what some of the scholars say and some of

the verbiage that's in the chapters here.

So Paul heard from a third-party, their faithfulness

there in colossi. So Paul was thankful for that.

The church in colossae was not established by Paul.

So he was thankful that the gospel was spreading and that

they were faithful Christians where he had not even been.

Also the love they had for all the saints in verse 4.

This is a direct commandment from Jesus in John 13 and 35.

It says by this all will know that you are my disciples.

If you have love for one another and we are commanded to love.

So that was another reason why Paul was praying Thanksgiving.

So, because of the hope that they had, that is laid up in

heaven, worst, five. This is, of course, a speaking

about the end goal that we all have.

This is why we are Christians. The hope that we have laid up in

heaven, that's what motivates us.

That's what should provoke us to spread the gospel and to try to

take it to everybody that we can.

This hope that is spoke of is. Produced it produces the love

that they had for the Saints. You know, they had a hope for

heaven, and they love the brothers and sisters and, and

they encouraged each other to get to the end goal of Heaven.

so you know I was thinking about this and you know what are we if

we do not have love for one for another If we don't have love

for another do we are we are we living a Christian Life?

You know, if we do not have one for another regardless of what,

who that one another is, we do not have the full faith of Jesus

God and their promise to us in heaven.

So we need to be careful on who we, you know, we think we can

love this person more than the other person or show favor to

this person or the other person because they tend to be more

likeable. We need to be extremely careful

about that. We are to love everybody.

D. That is what Jesus taught us.

And also, Another reason why he was thankful is because the

gospel was producing fruit in Colossians which what verse six

refers to. So those are, those are why he

was so thankful and giving prayers of thanks to the church

and colossi. From what, from, what Paul hears

from the pathless, which we'll get to the papers reported to

Paul the things that we're going on in colossi.

Paul was thankful that the church in colossae was

benefiting from the gospel of Christ.

But, you know, as we continue in this study in the next few weeks

will also find that there was problems in colossi as well that

Paul had to deal with. We touched on a few of those

earlier kind of in our introduction, that brings us to

question number 4, who was epaphras, which deal with versus

An 8 it says there as you also learn from the patras our dear

fellow servant who is a faithful minister of Christ on your

behalf who also declared to us your love in the spirit.

Epaphras here is also mentioned in a couple other verses in the

New Testament is mentioned here in verse 7.

And he's also mentioned in Colossians 4 verse 12, where it

Colossians 4:12

says epaphras, who is one of you a bond servant of Christ greets.

You always laboring fervently for you and prayers that you may

stand, perfect, and complete and all the will of God also in

Philemon 23, epaphras my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus.

Greets you. So from these just few verses we

can find out that epaphras was was quite possibly a member of

the Church of colossi. And he was also with Paul

traveled from colossi to Paul to Paul in Rome when he was in

prison and was with Paul there at the same time he was also

imprisoned with Paul at the same time.

So another thing you know epaphras Top the members and

colossi, the gospel, you know, teaching helps, one to learn,

you know, tell just saying the gospel.

Telling that some of there is somebody called Jesus but not

teaching is not is not teaching simple as that.

So, Patrick was there and he taught the people and the

members in colossi, and they grew in faith.

That takes us to our next question, which is question 5

deals with verse number 9. Number 69 says for this reason,

we also since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for

you. And to ask that you may be

filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual

understanding. And the question is, how is one

filled with the knowledge of God's Will?

And what is meant by the phrase in all wisdom and spiritual

understanding? You know, there's this is just

so simple for us to understand, we are filled with the

knowledge. By simply reading God's word,

and praying about it and meditating on it and studying

it. And that is only found By

reading the biblical scriptures. That's the only way we can

really understand and know more about what God's will is for us.

The verse here says that Paul Timothy and epaphras were

praying for the congregation colossi that they may gain

further. Knowledge of God's Will and

Ephesians 3 verses 3 and 4. It says how that by Revelation

Ephesians 3:3

he made known to me. The mystery as I have briefly

written already by which when you read, you may understand my

knowledge in the mystery of Christ.

I don't think you can get any clearer than that.

So, Paul, and the other apostles were divinely inspired by God to

teach and write about all the things that God wants us to know

about him and about Jesus and how to follow him and how to get

to heaven, all those things are here for us to read those things

were inspired to the apostles and to the writers of the Old

and New Testament. So by today, I'm back, then

that's how those people knew about it.

They were inspired by God. That's how they were growing in

knowledge of Christ. That is the apostles and those

who wrote the Bible and, and they pass that on or taught the

other members. Other Christians, in that first

century by that Reason by that means.

Now, B, now today, the only way we can do that is by reading

God's word. That's the only way that we can

read how to gain a knowledge of God and his will in all wisdom

and spiritual understanding This simply means that when we read

and pray about the scriptures, we can rightly divide them,

understand the spiritual implications of them and apply

them wisely or with wisdom practically in our life.

So we have a wisdom that we can gain from the Bible.

Not just spiritual things but there are practical living

things that we all run into today that we can learn from

from God's word and we can learn the spiritual things.

And when we run into conflicts between friends or at home or

find herself in Temptation, we can go to the god work, God's

word and understand the spiritual implications and apply

those to our lives and work out the problems that we might have.

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