COLOSSIANS – Part Three

By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.

© God’s Breath Publications

www.godsbreathpublications.com

 

Colossians was written by the Apostle Paul while he was under house arrest in Rome. Epaphras, the pastor of the church in Colossae, came to Paul to share how well the Christians were growing in faith, but also to ask for help to address the issue of false teaching that was threatening the church. Paul responded by writing this letter of encouragement that is packed full of basic doctrine concerning Christ and the Gospel. It is unclear what the exact heresy was that was attempting to creep into the church at Colossae, but it had elements of Jewish observances of the Law as well as paganism and Gnostic beliefs. It is very relevant for us today, for we are surrounded by pagan beliefs and ascetic religious concepts, while at the same time dealing with a new resurgence of Gnostic conceptual influences. Paul in the following passage covers the doctrine of the persona and work of Jesus Christ. The best way to confront false teachings and twisted doctrine is to proclaim scriptural truth.

 

Colossians 1: 15-23

“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. 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, 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.”

 

Here Paul shares 9 marks of identification that makes Jesus Christ unique and 4 significant relationships of Christ. First, Paul states that Christ “is the image of the invisible God.” This is the first mark of Jesus’ uniqueness, that He was God in the flesh. This also illustrates Jesus’ relationship with His Heavenly Father and verifies that He was and is and always has been God. Jesus verifies this claim, that He is God and has always existed, when He responds to the Pharisees and claims the name of God in John 8:58, “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I Am!’” Philippians 2:6-8 also establishes this doctrine of truth concerning Jesus’ deity, when it says, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross!” Jesus has always been divine, even when He took on human form and came to earth to die for our sins. While Jesus gave up His glory when He came to earth, He did not give up His deity. He now sits at the right hand of God as our Advocate (Ephesians 1:20, 1 John 2:1). Also in verse 15, the word image “eikon,” means “perfect manifestation.” Jesus was not a partial representation of God or possessed a likeness of God; He was absolutely and completely God in the flesh!

 

Paul now moves in verse 15 to the second relationship Jesus has, His relationship to all of creation. Paul states that Christ was, “the firstborn over all creation.” This is the second mark of uniqueness concerning Christ. This does not mean that Jesus was a “created being.” The words “first born” come from the Greek word “prototokos.” This means that Jesus holds a “place of honor.” “Prototokos” here is used to signify the glory and honor Christ has as God in the flesh, as well as the authority He has over creation. We see this truth substantiated in verse 16 where it says, “by Him all things were created” and “all things were created by Him and for Him.” These statements of Paul are the third and fourth marks of Christ’s uniqueness. Paul is stating that Christ participated in the creation of the entire universe because the triune God; Father, Son and Spirit together created all things that exist (Genesis 1:1). But one of the significant facts here is that creation came into existence for Jesus Christ, to bring glory and honor to Him. Verse 17 communicates two truths to us. Christ existed as God before anything in the universe existed “He is before all things,” which is the fifth mark of His uniqueness. All matter and forces in nature are controlled, sustained and maintained by His sovereign power “in Him all things hold together,” which is the sixth mark of Christ’s uniqueness. An example for His sustaining power is the atom. Scientists know that an atom is made up of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom and electrons which revolve around the nucleus. They know that electrical charges of the protons (+) and the electrons (-) cause attraction between these components. But the nucleus is made up of neutrons (neutral) and protons (+). The protons in the nucleus should explode away from each other because of their same charge but they don’t. Scientists state there is a mysterious force which holds the nucleus together so that all matter does not explode into microscopic particles. Physicists call this mysterious force the “Strong Force.” We as followers of Christ know this as Jesus Christ, not a force, but our personal Lord and Savior expressing His dominion and preeminence over creation. We must remember that the scientific laws of the universe are divine and come from the mind of God.

 

Next Paul shares about Jesus’ third relationship, His relationship to the Body of Christ, the church, which reveals the seventh and eighth marks of Christ’s uniqueness. He tells us that Christ is the Head of 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.” The church is a living organism made up of the followers of Christ; it is not just an organization of people. Christ is the head of the church and has authority over the church. This is due to the fact that He was the beginning of the church because of His life, ministry and most substantially His sacrifice on the cross for the sins of mankind. Jesus is the source of all spiritual life for the church. He was the first to be resurrected under the new covenant which established the church, and the first to receive a glorified body. Therefore He has preeminence over the church as its Head. He also has preeminence over creation and the church because the fullness of God dwells within Him and always has, “For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him.” This is the ninth and final mark of Christ’s uniqueness that Paul mentions here in Colossians. Jesus was and has always been divine because the fullness of God dwells in Him. “Fullness” is the Greek word “pleroma” and tells us that Jesus was fully God, not partially God, nor divine only for a brief time period. Jesus was and has always been divine completely and fully. The word “dwells” comes from the Greek word “katoikesai” and means to dwell permanently. Jehovah’s Witnesses wrongly believe Christ is a created being and Christian Science followers believe the lie that Jesus was divine only temporarily. These are false beliefs and are not supported by scripture in any shape or fashion.

 

Finally Paul shares about Christ’s relationship to the cross when he says, “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.” Jesus’ death on the cross provided salvation for those accepting His sacrifice. It was sufficient to save all men and women, but only effective for those wishing to accept His payment for the debt of their sins. In other words, Christ’s death on the cross is able to save everyone, but it is only applicable to those who wish to accept the sacrifice of Jesus as payment for their sins. Those who refuse to accept Christ’s work on the cross are not saved because of their rebellion and rejection of Christ as Lord and Savior. Christ’s death on the cross fully and completely paid the debt for each and every sin of those who accept Him as their Savior. His death also demonstrated His authority over the Heavenly realm as well including angels. Even Satan and his demonic army must come under His authority because Jesus Christ is Savior and Lord, and has preeminence over all of creation and everything in existence. Paul continues in this passage by reminding the Christians at Colossae, and us as well, that before we accepted Christ as our Savior and Lord we were alienated from God. He says, “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.” Not only were we born with sin, we also continued to think wrong in our heart and mind and therefore evil behavior resulted. This caused us to be enemies of God because God is holy and pure. In our state of sin and rebellion we were unacceptable to God and unable to have a relationship with Him. But Paul shares the good news of the Gospel, that because of Christ’s shedding of blood on the cross for our sins we can be reconciled to God, our sins can be forgiven and we can begin, and continue in, a relationship with our Heavenly Father. “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.” We are justified and declared righteous in the eyes of God because of Christ’s death on the cross. But proof of our conversion and new life in Christ is how we walk. Anyone can talk the talk of a Christian, but only a true believer can also walk the walk of the Christian. That is why Paul states, “if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.” Paul is stating the way we think in our heart and mind affects how we live for Christ and the way we live illustrates if we have truly been saved and have committed our lives to Christ. Several scripture passages communicate this same truth to us. Philippians 2:12-13 states, “continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” This tells us we must work out our salvation in our behavior which is motivated by how we think with a new mindset and understanding of God’s truth in the Word. It does not mean we work for our salvation, it means we live what we believe. 1 John 2:3-6, also verifies the same spiritual truth when it says, “We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” The witness of our obedience to the Lord’s commands is evidence that we are a true follower of Christ. Obedience comes from knowing the Word, of allowing it to sink in and become wisdom so that we can apply the wisdom to our lives and obey God’s commands. This in turn gives us assurance we are saved because what we know as God’s truth turns into wisdom as we respond to the teaching of the Holy Spirit. Then as we apply this wisdom to situations in life we see Christ live through us in how we act, behave and think.

 

Paul ends with a statement that identifies all he has spoken in verse 23, “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.” This gospel of Christ concerning the salvation of man, that was made possible by and through Christ, has been proclaimed everywhere and to everyone. It is also an intense passion of Paul because when he serves Jesus Christ, he is also serving the gospel Christ proclaimed.

 

We have seen in this portion of Colossians Paul write inspired by the Holy Spirit, about the person and work of Jesus Christ, of His relationships with God, creation, the church and the cross and the nine unique marks that describe who Christ was and is, God in the flesh!

 

“He is the Author of the new creation; the Way, the Truth, and the Life; the Prophet, Priest, and King of regenerate humanity. He is Immanuel, God with us; the Eternal Word become flesh; very God and very man in one undivided person, the Saviour of the world.”

Philip Schaff

 

In the next part we will see Paul reveal how and why he ministered. He will tell us the source, spirit, suffering, scope, subject, style, sum and strength of this ministry. This is also our ministry as well. We will learn how to serve Christ and minister more effectively as we learn how Paul ministered and what motivated him as a believer.