Month: November 2019

 Disciple Up Show Notes
The Supremacy of Christ, Colossians Pt. 2
Thank God For the Gospel!
By Louie Marsh, 11-20-2019

THANK GOD FOR THE GOSPEL!
Col. 1: 1: 1-8

Intro. Paul wrote this book around 62-63 AD probably from Rome. Colossae was in Phrygia on the Lycus river – nearby were the larger cities of Hierapolis & Laodicea. In Paul’s day Colossae was in decline – today the site is uninhabited.

This letter was written to clear up a heresy which was being taught in the church. The false teaching had not made as strong of inroads in the Colossian church that another heresy did in Galatia. We don’t know the exact form of this heresy but it appears to be some sort of cross between Judaism & the Mystery religions. It seems to be a forerunner of Gnosticism, a heresy which would nearly destroy the church in the 2nd century.

I) PAUL’S GREETING – vs. 1-2

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. Colossians 1:1-2 (ESV)

A) Form and Substance
1, Paul follows the typical Greek form of a letter opening.
2, However, while his form is Greek the content is uniquely Christian.
a, Putting Christian content into cultural forms is part of God’s plan for reaching the world.
3, Example of typical letter – Fred, Roman Centurion to Harvey Tax preparer – “What do you mean I’m being audited??”

B) His Authority
1, Paul was an Apostle of Christ.
a, Apostle = “one clothed with the authority and endued with the power of the sender.”
b, This means that what follows isn’t just the opinion of a missionary – it’s the Word of the Almighty God – & is to be obeyed!

2, An Apostle by God’s Will
a, he didn’t get this job on the basis of his resume – it was God’s sovereign choice.
b, Since he’s never been there Paul wants them to clearly understand this.
c, None of us serve God because of our knowledge, goodness etc. We serve by His Choice which is an extension of His Grace!

C) Who His Readers Are
1, Saints.
a, ALL Christians are saints! Not just long dead nice guys!
B, How? We have been set apart by God by His Grace!
2, Faithful Brethren
a, a word of encouragement to this small and troubled church.
3, Grace and Peace
a, Grace encapsulates what salvation is all about – a free gift!
b, Peace, this word in Greek was used to translate the Hebrew Shalom, which means “wholeness.” That’s the goal of grace in our lives.
c, This comes from a God Who is our Father – not a distant god.

II) PAUL’S THANKSGIVING vs. 3-4

3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, Colossians 1:3-4 (ESV)

A) Thank God! vs. 3
1, Paul is sincere in writing this letter
a, note that he didn’t write a thanksgiving in Galatians & 2 Cor.
2, Paul praises God – not men – something the church today could learn from!
a, He recognizes work well done, as we’ll see, but true praise he reserves for God.
3, Paul, who is always bugging us to pray, practices what he preaches.

B) Faith and Love vs. 4

1, “faith in Christ” doesn’t mean that the object of their faith is Christ (though of course He is!) but the Greek refers to Christ as the sphere in which their faith works.
a, They are in Christ (vs. 2) we draw our spiritual life from Him, all that we are and can hope to become must come from HIM. We really are IN HIM!
b, to be “In Christ” is to be under His Lordship
2, Love for our brothers & sisters – the mark of the true Christian.

C) Hope, Faith & Love vs. 5

5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, Colossians 1:5 (ESV)

1, Hope gives birth to this Love and Faith that we have.
a, These 3 qualities are often linked in Scripture, this is an indication of their importance. ALL 3 are needed to live a truly Christ-like life.
2, What Hope? The Greek indicates an objective hope – the 2nd coming, the resurrection, eternal life.
a, it’s objective because it’s secured for us by our Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus, & because it’s promised to us in the Word of God

D) Thank God for the Gospel vs. 6

6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, Colossians 1:6 (ESV)

1, The Gospel = the word of truth, as opposed to the false religions around them.
2, The Gospel’s two vital characteristics:
a, Growing
1, Colossae was on the Lycus Riv., a tributary of the Meander Riv. which was famous for it’s many curves – hence the English word.
2, The Gospel doesn’t meander – it grows – if not much where you are right now, we know it is in other places & it will grow here if we’re faithful.
b, Producing Fruit:
1, Because it’s the living (Word) logos of God it bears fruit
2, Two Fruits – reconciliation to God – and a changed life!

III) HOW THE GOSPEL CAME TO THEM vs. 7-8

7 just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf 8 and has made known to us your love in the Spirit. Colossians 1:7-8 (ESV)

A) Epaphras
1, short for Epaphraoditus – a very common name in those days – there’s no evidence that he’s the guy as Phil. 2:25, but he could be.

25 I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, Philippians 2:25 (ESV)

2, Servant = deacon
a, who preached the Gospel, started churches, and helped Paul
b, a deacon brought them the Gospel!

B) Learning the Gospel
1, Learned is an unusual word for Paul to use in this context
2, it means Epaphras gave them a systematic instruction in the Gospel
a, perhaps like the Bereans, they too studied diligently.
3, Many people have to come to Christ this way.
a, they need more than a sermon or two, they must study it out
b, If you are dealing with someone like this, or ARE someone like this, don’t give up! Keep giving them reasons for faith. (Acts 18: 4)

4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks. Acts 18:4 (ESV)

News Article: What Baptism Tells Us About the “Seal” of Believer’s Baptism

https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2019/november/research-believers-baptism-teens-faith-affiliation-jssr.html

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Disciple Up #134 Show Notes
Colossians: The Supremacy of Christ
Introduction: Examine Our Relationship to the Truth
By Louie Marsh, 11-13-2019

 Colossae. Colossae was in Phrygia, where religion was practiced with intensity and sometimes frenzy (e.g., the famous mother-goddess cult of Cybele). There is evidence for a Jewish presence in Phrygia as early as the sixth century b.c.; this Phrygian Judaism seems to have mirrored its culture to a significant extent. Christianity likewise exhibited unorthodox tendencies in this region in subsequent centuries. Colossae was a small and socially unimportant city by this period; it is probably only one of many cities in which Paul’s students had founded churches (Acts 19:10). The city was severely damaged or destroyed by an earthquake in a.d. 61, hence many scholars think that Paul wrote before that date.

Situation. Col. 2 may indicate that Christians were attracted to mystical or apocalyptic elements in a Judaism thoroughly influenced by Phrygian culture. (A great number of backgrounds have been proposed for the error at Colossae: mystery cults, broader Hellenistic mysticism, Hellenistic Judaism, Qumran-type Judaism and so on. The merit of considering these sources is that they all reflect some broader cultural ideas that played into the problems Paul confronted in Colossae; even Qumran parallels, while limited to Palestine, provide evidence for some more widespread Jewish beliefs in this period. The one suggestion with little merit to sustain it is Gnosticism, since full Gnostic systems cannot be dated this early. But that the Colossian error reflects one synthesis of different streams of thought that later developed toward Gnosticism is quite possible.)

That some Jewish Sibylline oracles may issue from that region and the activity of later Christian Montanists there both suggest the possibility of ecstatic elements in local Judaism (Col. 2:18). Acts testifies that Paul was preaching Christ to philosophically minded audiences in this period (see comment on Acts 19:9), and letters like Ephesians and Colossians give us an indication of Paul’s grasp of Greek philosophy and also some of the popular philosophical ideas that permeated both Gentile and Jewish thought in mid-first-century Asia Minor. – Bible Background Commentary – The IVP Bible Background Commentary – New Testament.

Colossians was written from Rome during Paul’s (first) imprisonment there, as recorded in Acts 28:30. At the same time Paul wrote Ephesians and Philemon (ca. a.d. 60-62). In Philemon 1, 9 Paul referred to himself as “a prisoner of Christ Jesus.” Ephesians also contains references to Paul being a “prisoner” (Eph. 3:1; 4:1). And Ephesians refers to Tychicus carrying the epistles from Paul to their destinations (Eph. 6:21; cf. Col. 4:7). Since the record of Acts ends around a.d. 60-62, Colossians was probably written during this two-year imprisonment. And since neither Colossians, Ephesians, nor Philemon mention the outcome of Paul’s trial, anticipated in Philippians 1:19-21, it can be assumed that Colossians was written before Philippians.

Colosse was in the Lycus Valley, about 100 miles east of Ephesus in Asia Minor. Its name is possibly derived from Colossus, a large statue, which in turn may have been named for the unusual shape of stony deposits there. Colosse is about 12 miles from Hierapolis and Laodicea, the other two cities of that valley (see the location of these three on the map between Acts and Rom.). The area was rich in mineral deposits and was also subject to frequent earthquakes. Rich pasturelands were nearby. Several references in Colossians indicate that Paul had not visited the city (Col. 1:7; 2:1; 4:12).

Purposes

Three purposes seem to have been in Paul’s mind as he wrote Colossians. First, he sought to show the deity and supremacy of Christ in the face of the Colossian heresy (1:18; 2:9). Second, he wanted to lead believers into spiritual maturity (1:28; 2:6-7). Third, he wanted to inform them about his state of affairs and elicited their prayers on his behalf (4:2-8).

The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty.

Americans & The Truth

Christians vs non-Christians

• 50% of Christians vs. 25% of non-Christians said that there are moral truths which are unchanging, that truth is not relative to the circumstances. (1997)
• Robert Wuthnow has documented this dis­turbing trend in modern spirituality:
  Spirituality is no longer true or good because it meets absolute stan­dards of truth or goodness, but because it helps me get along. I am the judge of its worth. If it helps me find a vacant parking place, I know I am on the right track. If it leads me into the wilderness calling me to face dangers I would rather not deal with at all, then it is a form of spir­ituality I am unlikely to choose.
• Wade Clark Roof confirms these findings. He notes that people do not approach truth objectively but want to know what it can do for them and how it can do it more efficiently. A consumerist mentality allows each person to choose his or her particular brand of truth just as he or she might choose a certain make of automobile or toothpaste, according to preferences and perceived needs.

The Barna survey asked questions about God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, Satan, and demons.

All 1,871 self-described Christians were asked about their perception of God. In total, three-quarters (78%) said he is the “all-powerful, all-knowing Creator of the universe who rules the world today.” The remaining one-quarter chose other descriptions of God – depictions that are not consistent with biblical teaching (e.g., everyone is god, god refers to the realization of human potential, etc.).

For the other survey items a four-point opinion scale was used to measure people’s reactions to statements about each spiritual entity.

Four out of ten Christians (40%) strongly agreed that Satan “is not a living being but is a symbol of evil.” An additional two out of ten Christians (19%) said they “agree somewhat” with that perspective. A minority of Christians indicated that they believe Satan is real by disagreeing with the statement: one-quarter (26%) disagreed strongly and about one-tenth (9%) disagreed somewhat. The remaining 8% were not sure what they believe about the existence of Satan.

Although a core teaching of the Christian faith is the divinity and perfection of Jesus Christ, tens of millions of Christians do not accept that teaching. More than one-fifth (22%) strongly agreed that Jesus Christ sinned when He lived on earth, with an additional 17% agreeing somewhat. Holding the opposing view were 9% who disagreed somewhat and 46% who disagreed strongly. Six percent did not have an opinion on this matter.

As with Satan, most Christians do not believe that the Holy Spirit is a living force, either. Overall, 38% strongly agreed and 20% agreed somewhat that the Holy Spirit is “a symbol of God’s power or presence but is not a living entity.” Just one-third of Christians disagreed that the Holy Spirit is not a living force (9% disagreed somewhat, 25% disagreed strongly) while 9% were not sure.

Influence of Faith

Most self-described Christians contend that their religious faith has significantly impacted their life. Almost six out of ten adults (59%) said their faith had “greatly transformed” their life, while 29% said their faith “has been helpful but has not greatly transformed” their life and 9% stated that their religious faith “has not made much of a difference” in who they are and how they live.

Christians were asked if they believed that a person must either side with God or with the devil – that there is no in-between position. A large majority strongly agreed with the notion (61%) while an additional 15% agreed somewhat. Just one out of ten adults disagreed somewhat (10%) and a similar proportion (11%) disagreed strongly. Surprisingly few adults (3%) did not have an opinion on this matter.

Thoughts on Other Faiths

Among self-identified Christians, few held a positive opinion of Wicca. Overall, just 5% had a positive opinion while 55% had a negative opinion of Wicca. However, a huge segment (40%) did not know enough about Wicca to have formed an opinion of it.

Survey respondents were asked whether they believed that Mormons are Christians. Mormons themselves claim to be Christian, but most evangelical leaders say that they are not. There was no clear-cut perspective among the self-described Christians: four out of ten felt Mormons were Christian (18% strongly agreed, 21% somewhat agreed), three out of ten disagreed (17% strongly, 12% somewhat), and three out of ten were not sure what to think.

Views on the Bible

A slight majority of Christians (55%) strongly agree that the Bible is accurate in all of the principles it teaches, with another 18% agreeing somewhat. About one out of five either disagree strongly (9%) or somewhat (13%) with this statement, and 5% aren’t sure what to believe.

When faced with the statement that “the Bible, the Koran and the Book of Mormon are all different expressions of the same spiritual truths,” the group was evenly split between those who accepted the idea (19% agreed strongly, 22% agreed somewhat) and those who rejected it (28% disagreed strongly, 12% disagreed somewhat), while leaving a sizeable portion (20%) undecided.

How Born Agains Differ

• Born again adults are at least twice as likely as notionals to strongly agree that the Bible is accurate in all the principles it teaches; that their life has been greatly transformed by their faith..
• Born again adults are more than twice as likely as notionals to strongly disagree that Satan is just a symbol of evil, and that Jesus sinned while He lived on earth.
• Born again adults are more than three times as likely as notionals to strongly disagree that the Holy Spirit is merely a symbol of God’s power or presence; that Mormons are Christians; and that the Bible, Koran and Book of Mormon teach the same truths.
• Born again adults are one-third more likely than notionals to possess a definition of God as the omniscient, omnipotent creator and ruler of the world; nearly 60% more likely to believe that you either side with God or Satan because there is no in-between

If you’re going to live right in a warped world – then you have to start with the truth – at Jesus’ trial Pilate asked Christ, “What is truth?”  A very modern question – and one that must be answered if we are get though life the way we ought too.

• “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.” – Sir Winston Churchill
• “The truth is the most valuable thing we have.” – Mark Twain
• How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four; calling a tail a leg doesn’t make it a leg. – Abraham Lincoln
• Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts. – Daniel Patrick Moyniham
• Nothing is easier than self-deceit. For what each man wishes, that he also believes to be true. – Demosthenes
• It takes two to speak truth — one to speak and another to hear. – Henry David Thoreau

Please Get In Touch!

Email – louie@discipleup.org

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