Monthly Archive for June, 1996

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Colossians 1:28d

Published on June 20, 1996 in Colossians. 0 Comments
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“Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.”
 
“that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus”
 
“Perfect” is a term of maturity (Heb. 5:11-14). The word “perfect” means someone who has reached the end God intends for them. It does not lack the end for which it was intended. This believer is spiritually fully grown (I Cor. 2:6; 14:20; Eph. 4:13; Phil. 3:15; 4:12; Heb. 5:14).
 
New Christians and believers who grow very little are spiritual babes (I Pet. 2:2; I Cor. 3:1-2). Paul’s interest is in believers not remaining spiritual babies (cf. 1 Cor. 3:1-2) but in their becoming spiritually mature (cf. Heb. 5:11-14).
The word “present” means to stand before God. Paul wanted to present people under his charge to figuratively stand before God mature in their daily walk. He consecrated them to God to become mature. A person reaches spiritual maturity when they can independently apply the truth of God’s Word to meet any spiritual battle they might face.
Principle:
Spiritual maturity is the ability to independently apply truth to experience.
Application:
A spiritually mature believer can discern whether something is from the Lord or from the flesh. He can detect the working of the flesh and judges it immediately. He refuses to allow it to get a grip on him. An immature Christian will not recognize the flesh when it presents itself. He is not aware of the spiritual equipment God provides to combat the flesh. As he grows in grace he will be able to identify the dangers that lurk in his life and know the principles which will deal with them. If he does not know the dangers he is in serious trouble. If he does not know God’s principles for dealing with them he is in trouble.
Have you reached the end for which God intended you?
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Colossians 1:28c

Published on June 19, 1996 in Colossians. 0 Comments
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“Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.”
 
“in all wisdom”
 
It takes “wisdom” to handle false teaching. Some people emotionally attach themselves to false doctrine. Each person views truth from their individual grid. Paul did not propel them into the opposite camp by unnecessarily violating their viewpoints. However, on the other hand, it also does not mean that we sacrifice truth for feelings. Spiritual surgery requires delicate precision.
 
“Wisdom” is the ability to apply what we know to our personal experience. It is the application of knowledge. It is one thing to preach, warn and teach; it is another thing to do it with “wisdom.”
Principle:
Wisdom is the ability to apply divine truth to a situation.
Application:
How do you handle delicate doctrinal situations? Do you attack it with a sledge hammer? God does not want us to polarize those Christians to fall into error. He wants us to help them out of it by using wisdom.
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Colossians 1:28b

Published on June 18, 1996 in Colossians. 0 Comments
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“Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.”
 
Three modes of communication are important for the advancement of Christianity: preaching, warning and teaching. Now we come to “teaching.”
 
“and teaching every man”
“Warning” is the negative side; “teaching” is the positive side. Preaching, warning and teaching must go together. It is not enough to tell people that they should reject certain teaching without teaching them what will strengthen their lives. We preach the gospel to those without Christ and teach the Bible to those who do know him. We should not to mix the two. We cannot teach the Bible to those without Christ (I Cor. 2:14).
The word “teach” means to systematically present truth so that people can understand it coherently (2:6,7; Acts 5:41,42; Mt. 28:18-20). Any pastor worthy of his title will teach as well as preach. Teaching will help individuals grow at a normal spiritual pace. If they grow, they will not come down with a case of arrested spiritual development. God’s people need not remain spiritual pygmies all their lives. It is a gratifying thing to watch Christians grow and develop. To make progress in the things of God makes the individual believer and the entire Christian community stronger.
Principle:
Spiritual growth comes from systematic presentation of the truth of God’s Word.
Application:
The threefold ministry of preaching, warning and teaching keeps the church from becoming sidetracked. When the church stops these three functions she gets off track. No other organization will give the gospel other than the church and her paramission ministries. Public schools, universities, political institutions, fraternities or lodges will not do it. God does not want us to duplicate what other institutions can do better.
A preacher is not to become a psychiatrist or psychologist. His role is to preach, warn and teach. He should not trade in his pulpit for a couch. The trend in our day is for preachers to become amateur psychologists. God’s primary commission for them is to preach Christ. Their first call is not to fight the social ills of society. We expose error by preaching the truth. The church loses its message by dabbling in politics. The greatest hope for society is a maximum number of people turning to Jesus Christ.
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Colossians 1:28

Published on June 17, 1996 in Colossians. 0 Comments
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“Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.”
 
Paul now describes the purpose of his ministry.
 
“Him we preach”
Every thing centers on the Lord Jesus Christ. Christianity is person oriented (Acts 8:5, 35; 9:20; Gal. 1:16; I Cor. 1:23,24; 2:2; II Cor. 1:19; 4:5). It is far more than dead doctrine. It is living doctrine because it revolves around a person.
The word “preach” here is not the ordinary word for “preach.” It means to announce or declare publicly a message under a given standard. The standard is the Word of God. If it lines up with the Word we preach it. If it is contrary to the Word we expose it.
“warning every man”
A warning is necessary because of the heresy in the Lycus Valley. “Every man” is every Christian person. Paul wanted to correct by warning. The word “warning” means to put something in the mind, admonish. It is an unpleasant task to flag people down. Many do not know that they are in danger but they run pell-mell toward a steep precipice. Many preachers today are reluctant to warn others of dangerous doctrine lest others view them as narrow minded or bigoted.
The doctor must both diagnose and cure. This is the diagnosis side of his task. If the church does not diagnose the sickness that pervades her, she may have contracted a very serious illness which will ultimately destroy her.
Principle:
If Christianity does not expose false teaching it will disappear in the mush of pluralism and relativism.
Application:
Josh MacDowell’s book “Right From Wrong” warns both young people and their parents that 57% of evangelical youth no longer affirm that an objective standard for right and wrong even exists. A national survey of evangelical youth uncovered some appalling trends:
· 66 % lied to their parents within the past three months
· 36 % cheated within the past three months
· 23% tried to hurt someone within the same period
· 55 % engaged in sexual activity by age 18
Evangelical Christianity has declined so far that it devalues those who warn against such decline. We view those who hold such standards as bigoted and narrow. Tolerance is the central truth about which everything else revolves. Today the average Christian would impeach Paul for violating their belief of tolerance. They would indict Luke for saying,
“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
They would have to do the same with the Lord Jesus Christ because he said that he was the “only way” (John 14:6).
If we buy into tolerance we will become indifferent to share the gospel with others. We will no longer love and care for people for that places us above them. The Bible does not place tolerance as the central value of God’s thinking. It places the truth of Christ central.
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Colossians 1:27

Published on June 16, 1996 in Colossians. 0 Comments
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“To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
 
Paul here introduces the idea Jesus comes to indwell each person who places their faith in the death of Christ for the forgiveness of their sin.
“To them”
The antecedent here is the “saints” of verse 26.
“God willed to make known”
God chose to make known the mystery (v.26) to the saints. From eternity God determined to make known this mystery.
“what are the riches of the glory of this mystery”
God’s glory is the shining forth of his attributes and character. The disclosure of this mystery comes out of the glory of God. It must have been a shock to these Gentiles that they would possess these prerogatives. The word “riches” means the abundance of God’s wealth that he gives to his people.
“among the Gentiles:”
Previously God made his revelation to a theocracy, the nation Israel. Now God brings the Gentiles into his program by the blood of Christ (Eph. 2:13).
“which is Christ in you”
Christ now indwells both Gentiles and Jews. They are “in Christ” and Christ is in them (Rom. 8:10; II Cor 13:5). The “you” here is the Gentiles.
“the hope of glory”
Those without Christ are “without hope and without God” (Eph. 2:12). Now believers anticipate a share in the glory of Christ (Col. 3:4; Gal. 5:5; I Pet. 5:10). This hope is the guarantee that we will be in glory and glorified. It is as good as done.
Principle:
Jesus has come to live inside us as a Divine Guest.
Application:
We cannot live the Christian life until we have the Christian life to live it. We cannot live the Christian life without Christ. Until we receive Christ by trust in his death to forgive our sins Christ is not in us (John 1:12). Have you come to the place in your life where you have done that?
The Christian has Christ living in him. He or she has a Heavenly Guest inside. If we invite company to our house we are on our best behavior. The more important the company the more we are sure to have clean towels in the bathroom. We warn the kids to wash down in the basement! We caution the children, “Don’t wear your food on your clothes! The boss is coming for dinner.” When the company arrives, the children do not know what to make of it! Daddy is so polite! He is so considerate of everyone. Mother puts out cloth napkins instead of paper napkins. The children say, “What are these, Mom?” The kids are six and eight years of age and they have never seen them before!! When we have Christ living inside us as a Divine Guest, we should be on our best behavior.
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Colossians 1:26

Published on June 15, 1996 in Colossians. 0 Comments
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“The mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.”
 
This verse demonstrates that the believer has a new standing before God with privileges.
“The mystery “
“Mystery” in the Bible is not something spooky as it is in the English. It is not mysterious or abstruse. Mystery is something formerly concealed and then later revealed (Eph. 3:8,9). It is a sacred secret. Paul contrasts this with the Colossian heresy that a mystery was a secret known only to the initiated.
“which has been hidden from ages and from generations”
The church was not disclosed in the Old Testament. Abraham or Moses did not know of the church. God revealed it initially in a doctrinal sense to Paul (Ephesians 3). Jesus said the church was still a future institution in Matthew 16:16-18.
“but now has been revealed to His saints”
The birth of the church took place when the followers of Christ were placed into the body of Christ (Acts 1:5; chapter 2; I Cor. 12:13). The mystery was not that Gentiles would become Christians. It was that the Gentiles would be placed at the same status quo with Jews into one body (Eph. 3:1ff). There would be no middle wall of partition between them (Gal. 3:28; Eph. 2:12-14).
The Old Testament believers knew about the first coming of Christ and his second arrival. They knew that he was going to be crucified (Psalms 22:1-31; see also Isa. 53). However, they knew nothing about the church. The church was not revealed until the Apostle Paul.
Principle:
The New Testament believer has a status quo equivalent to Jesus Christ’s status quo before God.
Application:
You would think that we would be better Christians than the Old Testament believers because we have so much more revelation than they. Also, our prerogatives are much greater than Old Testament believers. You would think that we would live up to them.
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Colossians 1:25d

Published on June 14, 1996 in Colossians. 0 Comments
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“Of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God.“
 
God entrusted Paul with the truth. His responsibility was to be faithful in delivering it to others.
 
“which was given to me for you”
Paul clearly understood his ministry was from God. It was a ministry from God for the Colossians.
“to fulfill the word of God”
The Colossian heresy crowed about their special “fullness” that was possible exclusively through their secret rituals. Paul says that he is a God-ordained servant of the fullness of the Word of God (1:9; 2:9). God wants Paul to give full scope to fulfill the Word of God. God wants him to give as wide an audience as possible to his Word.
God put Paul in a special place of ministry. Paul wrote half of the New Testament. Matthew wrote one book; Mark wrote one; Luke wrote the gospel of Luke and Acts; John wrote five books; Peter wrote two; James wrote one; Jude wrote one; the Hebrews author is unknown but it could have been Paul; Paul wrote thirteen books, possibly fourteen of the 27 books of the New Testament. Only Matthew, Peter and John were of the original twelve apostles. There are subjects in the writings of Paul that are found nowhere else in the Bible. God gave him a great ministry.
Principle:
God has a special place for each of us in his service.
Application:
Have you taken time to find out what special place God has for you in his service? Are you fully discharging your responsibility for getting the gospel out?
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Colossians 1:25c

Published on June 13, 1996 in Colossians. 0 Comments
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“Of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God.”
 
“according to the stewardship from God”
 
The word “stewardship” means dispensation. Paul became a minister by the dispensation of God.
 
“But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts” (I Thes 2:4).
 
God had a stake in him and made a deposit with him. I Corinthians 2 says the same thing,
 
“1Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.”
 
   We need not be famous, simply faithful.
 
“For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship” (I Cor. 9:16,17).
 
God entrusts the gospel with human beings. He will reward us in eternity for faithful service.
Principle:
God has a stake in our ministry.
Application:
Are you faithful to the “stewardship” God has given you? God has never asked us to become great. He only asks that we be faithful with the ministry he has given us.
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Colossians 1:25b

Published on June 12, 1996 in Colossians. 0 Comments
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“Of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God.”
 
“I became a minister”
The New Testament often translates the word “minister” as “servant.” Sometimes it translates the word “deacon.” Before he became a Christian Paul was the head of a goon squad on their way to Damascus to murder Christians (Acts 9:1). At the entrance of the city he met the Lord Jesus Christ face to face and became a Christian. Jesus made him a “minister” (I Tim. 1:12,13). God found the worst sinner he could find and revealed his Son in him (Gal. 1:15,16; I Tim. 1:15,16). He made him a minister of the gospel and a minister of the church.
 
The church here is not the local church. It is the universal church, the mystical body of Christ, made up of anyone who has come to trust in the cross to save them from sin. His ministry was not to a local church but to the entire body of Christ.
 
Paul’s ministry was not to a local church. The longest he spent in any one place was Ephesus (3 years). He was a pioneer missionary. Missionaries are ministers. A missionary is no second rate minister who could not make the grade at home. We do not learn that from the Bible! This intrepid minister was the primary minister of the first century. He had a wider ministry than even Peter.
Principle:
Jesus can use anyone to preach the gospel, even a murderer.
Application:
Has God called you into the ministry? What are your ambitions? Would you like to be a minister? You may feel that you are not qualified to serve Jesus Christ. Neither was the mighty missionary Paul. If God could use him he can use you.
If you say, “There is not much future in it; there is not much security in it; there is not much money in it” then the ministry is not for you. But there is no work on earth that is more gratifying. Why not at least open yourself to the possibility that God may want you in the ministry? Have you ever given one moment’s consideration of the ministry? God only knows what he might do with your life.
You may say, “I don’t feel that I have the ability.” That feeling is not justified unless a person has examined his giftedness and tested those gifts. I never felt that I had the gifts to become a minister when I first became a Christian. That comes after a test.
May God give you a vision for serving him. Has God spoken to you about serving him? Have you turned a deaf ear? If God calls you he will equip you. God will dispatch you and use you.
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Colossians 1:25

Published on June 11, 1996 in Colossians. 0 Comments
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“Of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God.”
 
From 1:24 to the end of the chapter, Paul presents his ministry. After stating his two conflicting emotions of “suffering” and “rejoicing,” he gives his purpose of ministry.
 
“Of which”
This phrase points back to the church in verse 24. Paul became a minister to care for the church. The “of which” of verse 23 refers to the gospel. First he was a minister of the gospel. Now he is a minister of the church.
Some people simply minister the gospel but not minister to the church. To minister the gospel is indispensable but that is only a start. Paul was an expert in the gospel (Rom. 1:1; 15:16). He would never step down from preaching the gospel to some secondary issue. He never postponed the preaching of the gospel to deal with secondary, incidental issues. He understood the difference between the good and the best. Not only was Paul a minister of the gospel but he was a minister to the church. This dual ministry will separate the men from the boys.
Principle:
Ministry has a double barrel shotgun: to the lost and to the Christian.
Application:
A church that ministers to those without Christ exclusively has only half a ministry. A balanced ministry ministers to both.
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