Colossians

Well, this morning as we come to the Word of God, we're going to do something a little different than usual.

We're going to take a Sunday off from the Gospel of John, and we're going to hear from another place in God's Word.

The Apostle Paul, in his letter to Timothy, said this to Timothy.

He said,

Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture.

So not just a little bit of reading Scripture out loud from time to time in public, but devote yourself to it.

Give yourself wholly to it.

And so I want you to imagine this morning that we are living back in time in the first century.

It's not too long ago that Jesus was there in Israel.

Not too long ago that he was crucified, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven.

And here we are a good ways away in the city of Colossae.

We live in Asia Minor, which is now modern-day Turkey.

Since Jesus came, news has been spreading like wildfire about him.

And bringing the news are these men called apostles of Jesus.

Literally, in the common tongue, sent messengers of Jesus.

And they're doing the same kinds of signs and wonders that we heard Jesus did while he was there among the Jewish people.

Things which no mere man can do.

Things which even the best of our world's magicians and healers can't do.

Many of you know the story of how the early churches were established.

The apostle Paul's missionary adventures are written out for us in the book of Acts.

He went from place to place, traveling all around the Mediterranean world, spreading the news of Jesus, and speaking on behalf of the Lord.

And in many cities and towns all around the Mediterranean, fellowships, churches, began to form.

They began to grow as they heard the word about Christ and believed in him.

And the apostles, from time to time, came back to visit these churches.

And from time to time, they wrote letters to the churches.

And as the churches would gather week after week, they would read aloud together these letters of the apostles.

Just like Paul wrote at the end of his first letter to the Thessalonians.

He charged them before the Lord to read this letter aloud to all the believers there.

So what we're about to do is a lot like how they did it back then in the days of the early church.

And so I want you to imagine this morning that you belong to the church of Colossae.

You never had the privilege of seeing or meeting any of these apostles like Paul in person.

But you heard about Jesus secondhand through a good friend named Epaphras.

He himself saw Paul and met with him in person.

And ever since Epaphras came back to Colossae with news of that encounter,

all of us here who believe in Jesus, we've been steadily growing in our faith.

And now imagine that someone has just arrived, a messenger carrying with him a letter from the apostle Paul himself,

addressed to us, to our little church here in Colossae.

From the miracle-working, good news-telling, apostle Paul himself.

And now imagine that we are all gathered for the first time to hear what Paul would say to us on behalf of the Lord Jesus.

Let me read you Paul's letter to the Colossians in full.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother.

To God's holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ,

grace and peace to you from God our Father.

Father, 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 God's people.

The faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven,

and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel that has come to you.

In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world,

just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God's grace.

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.

For this reason, since the day we heard about you,

we have not stopped praying for you.

We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will,

through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,

so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord,

and please him in every way,

bearing fruit in every good work,

growing in the knowledge of God,

being strengthened with all power,

according to his glorious might,

so that you may have great endurance and patience,

and giving joyful thanks to the Father,

who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people

in the kingdom of light.

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness

and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,

in whom we have redemption,

the forgiveness of sins,

the Son is the image of the invisible God,

the firstborn over all creation,

for in him all things were created,

things in heaven and on earth,

visible and invisible,

whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities,

all things have been created through him and for him.

He is before all things,

and in him all things hold together.

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.

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,

if you continue in your faith,

established and firm,

and do not move 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, became a servant.

Now, I rejoice in what I am suffering 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 Lord's people.

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.

He is the one we proclaim,

admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom

so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.

To this end,

I strenuously contend with all the energy

Christ so powerfully works in me.

I want you to know how hard I'm contending for you

and for those at Laodicea

and for all who have not met me personally.

My goal 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.

I tell you this

so that no one may deceive you

by fine-sounding arguments.

For though I am absent from you in body,

I am present with you in spirit

and delight to see how disciplined

you are

and how firm

your faith in Christ is.

So then,

just as you received Christ Jesus

as Lord,

continue to live your lives in Him,

rooted

and built up in Him,

strengthened in the faith

as you were taught

and overflowing with thankfulness.

See to it that no one takes you captive

through hollow

and deceptive philosophy

which depends on human tradition

and the elemental spiritual forces

of this world

rather than on Christ.

For in Christ,

all the fullness of deity

dwells

in bodily form.

And in Christ,

you have been brought to fullness.

He is the head

over every power

and authority.

in Him,

you were also circumcised

with a circumcision

not performed by human hands.

Your whole self,

ruled by the flesh,

was put off

when you were circumcised

by Christ.

Having been buried

with Him

in baptism,

in which you were also

raised with Him

through your faith

in the working of God

who raised Him

from the dead,

when you were dead

in your sins

and in the uncircumcision

of your flesh,

God made you

alive

with Christ.

He forgave us

all our sins

having canceled

the charge

of our legal indebtedness

which stood against us

and condemned us.

He has taken it away,

nailing it to the cross.

And having disarmed

the powers and authorities,

He made a public spectacle

of them,

triumphing over them

by the cross.

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.

Do not let anyone

who delights

in false humility

and the worship

of angels

disqualify you.

Such a person

also goes into

great detail

about what they have seen.

They are puffed up

with idle notions

by their unspiritual mind.

They have 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.

Since you died

with Christ

to the elemental

spiritual forces

of this world,

why,

as though you still

belong to the world,

do you submit

to its rules?

Do not handle,

do not taste,

do not touch.

These rules,

which have to do

with things

that are all

destined to perish

with use,

are based on

merely 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.

since then,

you have been

raised with Christ.

Set your hearts

on things above,

where Christ is,

seated at the right

hand of God.

Set your minds

on things above,

not on earthly things.

For you died,

and your life

is now hidden

with Christ

in God.

when Christ,

who is

your life,

appears,

you also

will appear

with him

in glory.

Put to death,

therefore,

whatever belongs

to your earthly nature,

sexual immorality,

impurity,

lust,

evil desires,

and greed,

which is

idolatry.

Because of these,

the wrath of God

is coming.

You used to walk

in these ways,

in the life

you once lived,

but now you must

also 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.

Here there is

no Gentile

or Jew,

circumcised

or uncircumcised,

barbarian,

Scythian,

slave,

or free,

but Christ

is all

and is in all.

Therefore,

as God's

chosen people,

holy

and dearly

loved,

clothe yourselves

with compassion,

kindness,

humility,

gentleness,

and patience.

Bear with each other

and forgive

one another.

if any of you

has a grievance

against someone,

forgive as the Lord

forgave you.

And over

all these virtues,

put on love,

which binds them

all together

in perfect unity.

Let the peace

of Christ

rule

in your hearts,

since as members

of one body,

you were called

to peace.

and be thankful.

Let the message

of Christ

dwell among you

richly

as you teach

and admonish

one another

with all wisdom

through psalms,

hymns,

and songs

from the Spirit,

singing to God

with gratitude

in your hearts.

and whatever you do,

whether in word

or deed,

do it all

in the name

of the Lord Jesus,

giving thanks

to God

the Father

through him.

Wives,

submit

yourselves

to your husbands

as is fitting

in the Lord.

husbands,

love your wives

and do not

be harsh

with them.

Children,

obey

your parents

in everything

for this

pleases

the Lord.

Fathers,

do not

embitter

your children

or they

will become

discouraged.

Slaves,

obey

your earthly

masters

in everything

and do it

not only

when their

eye is on you

and to curry

their favor

but with

sincerity

of heart

and reverence

for the Lord.

Whatever you do,

work at it

with all your

heart

as working

for the Lord,

not for human

masters

since you know

that you will

receive

an inheritance

from the Lord

as your reward.

It is the

Lord Christ

you are

serving.

Anyone who

does wrong

will be repaid

for their

wrongs

and there

is no

favoritism.

Masters,

provide your

slaves with

what is right

and fair

because you

know that

you also

have a

master

in heaven.

Devote

yourselves

to prayer,

being watchful

and thankful

and pray

for us

too

that God

may open

a door

for our

message

so that

we may

proclaim

the mystery

of Christ

for which

I am

in chains.

Pray that

I may

proclaim it

clearly

as I

should.

Be wise

in the way

you act

toward

outsiders.

Make the

most of

every

opportunity.

let your

conversation

be always

full of

grace,

seasoned

with salt

so that

you may

know how

to answer

everyone.

Tychicus

will tell

you all

the news

about me.

He is a

dear brother,

a faithful

minister and

fellow servant

in the Lord.

I'm sending

him to you

for the

express purpose

that you

may know

about our

circumstances

and that he

may encourage

your hearts.

He's coming

with Onesimus,

our faithful

and dear

brother who

is one

of you.

They will

tell you

everything that

is happening

here.

My fellow

prisoner,

Aristarchus,

sends you

his greetings,

as does

Mark,

the cousin

of Barnabas.

You have

received

instructions

about him.

If he

comes to

you,

welcome him.

Jesus,

who is

called

Justice,

also sends

greetings.

These are

the only

Jews among

my co-workers

for the

kingdom of

God,

and they

have proved

a comfort

to me.

Epaphras,

who is

one of

you,

and a

servant of

Christ Jesus,

sends greetings.

He is

always wrestling

in prayer for

you,

that you may

stand firm

in all the

will of

God,

mature,

and fully

assured.

I vouch for

him that he

is working

hard for you

and for those

at Laodicea

and Hierapolis.

Our dear

friend Luke,

the doctor,

and Demas,

send greetings.

Give my

greetings to

the brothers

and sisters

at Laodicea

and to

Nympha and

the church

in her

house.

After this

letter has

been read

to you,

see that it

is also

read in

the church

of the

Laodiceans

and that

you in

turn read

the letter

from Laodicea.

Tell

Archippus,

see to it

that you

complete the

ministry you

have received

in the

Lord.

I,

Paul,

write this

greeting in

my own

hand.

Remember

my chains.

Grace

be with

you.