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Now, here's today's message from Pastor Skip Heitzig. As Paul put it, I have no one like-minded. who will naturally care for your state like Timothy.
So he's our brother, but he's also my son in the faith.
Now, why is he mentioned here?
Well, no doubt he is with Paul in Rome. As an associate. For a period of time, Paul would send him out to various places. But for the time being, he's with Paul.
Now, It could be That Paul including Timothy in the introduction indicates That Timothy was the ammanuensis of Paul. Emanuensis is somebody who actually writes the letter. Paul would often dictate the letter to somebody. Maybe he would sign a few sentences at the end and then his name. But he would dictate a letter.
And to dictate a letter, you need somebody to take dictation, called an amanuensis, a scribe.
So it could have been that Timothy was the scribe, the ammanuensis, the guy who took down the thoughts of Paul as he dictated them. Uh, in this letter, you should also know that. And I've told you this before, but just for Repetition so you because you may have forgotten. Paul wrote four letters. at this imprisonment in Rome.
Ephesians Philippians. Colossians Philemon, all four letters were penned by Paul when he was in that two-year house arrest in Rome. It is believed since Ephesus is only 80 to 100 miles away. That The letters to the Ephesians and the Colossians were carried by the same. Group of people.
At the same time. And that's probably true. Around sixty to sixty-two AD. when the letter was written and then sent.
So, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother. To the saints, Now If you have a Catholic background like I have, When you read that, you go to the saints. Is he writing to people who are dead? And in heaven? and who have been officially canonized by the Roman Church.
Because that is how I believed. Saints to be. I was taught that nobody can attain to sainthood unless they've done special miracles or they have had special blessing conferred upon them over a period of time. Their history has been examined, their life has been examined, and after that examination, the church officially canonizes them as a saint.
So to me, a saint was a dead holy person. But Paul is writing to saints. He's obviously not writing to dead people, is he? He's writing to people who are alive. Hagios Is the word for holy or saint?
or set apart ones. A saint is simply a believer in Christ set apart by God for his purpose. You are a saint. We are his saints.
So Um Tell your wife that. Honey, I'd like you to just call me by my, just call, you know, call me Saint Skip. I don't know if it'll go over well. She probably won't fall for it, but it would be true for that to happen. Y'all are saints.
To the saints. And faithful brethren.
Now, notice this, notice that he does this a lot. There are two addresses. The Colossians have two addresses. Spiritual address? In Christ.
Physical address. in Colossi. You have two addresses. You are in Christ. You are in Albuquerque.
Or if you're watching online, you are wherever you are in. But you have Two addresses.
Now, I would even say you have three addresses. You have a physical address, a spiritual address, and an eventual address. Because Paul said to the Philippians, our citizenship. is in heaven. Our citizenship is in heaven.
Your name's already there. Place is already there. It's been prepared for you already. You're going to check it out one day.
So you have a physical, a spiritual, and an eventual address. Here he mentions these two. You are In Colossi? You are in Christ. Now this This is very Pauline.
This is very, this is very much the personality of Paul. Paul, Uses the term in Christ like he uses here. Eighty Seven. Times in the New Testament. It's one of his favorite descriptions.
of a Christian. You are in Christ. What does he mean when he says you are in Christ? He means that you are. Sharing, you are united with Christ, sharing relationship, sonship.
Adoption. Resources. God sees you as his own special people.
Now this is unique to Christianity. Paul refers 87 times to Christians being as saints in Christ. Other religions never use this term. You never Ever read of Buddhists saying I'm in Buddha? I have never met a Muslim who says, I am in Muhammad or in Allah.
Or, I've never met a Mormon who would say, I'm in Joseph Smith. But if you're a Christian, you are in Christ. You are in the world. But you are in Christ. And Because we have two addresses, this is always the tension we live with.
We always struggle with How do I Live responsibly. In this kingdom, My temporary address in Albuquerque. In America, Yeah. And how do I live responsibly as a believer in Christ? And it seems that we are always.
Dealing with that tension, trying to balance our responsibility of being a good representative of Jesus Christ and a citizen of heaven and maintain relationship and devotion to him. And at the same time, Living responsibly as citizens of earth, of this city, of our state. getting involved in the things that matter. politically, morally, etc. It's a tension you probably feel, and if you do, good.
It means you're thinking. You should feel that tension and you should work to get that balance just so.
So He says, Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, really quickly before we jump in, I know I'm going slow, but. I mentioned that Colossians, you never would have heard of Colossi, right? Unless Paul wrote a letter. It's because it was sort of a nothing town. And It was overshadowed.
It had once been a notable town, but by the time of Paul, it had become so diminished. In its importance. Because it was overshadowed by two neighboring towns. Laodicea and Hierapolis. Those were the big dogs.
Those were the ones that commanded the attention also on those. Trade routes. But Colossi was still there, and A church had developed. And so, because a church, a group of saints were there. Uh It it We know about it.
So verse 3, we give thanks. to God And the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ praying always for you. Paul. Paul did this in every letter, didn't he? Just about.
He mentions that he prays for them. He even mentions what he prays for them about. But Paul was a man of prayer, and he prayed for. people he knew and met and People he never Matt. He had never met these people.
He had never been to this city before. But so he says, We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus. and of your love for all the saints, because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you have heard before in the word of the truth Of the gospel. Notice those three characteristics. Faith?
Hope? Love, or faith, love, and hope, as it's placed here. Remember when Paul wrote to the Corinthians and he said, Now abide these three: faith, hope, and love. The greatest of these is love? I think this is a good balance for any believer and a good balance for any church.
Faith, I have faith in Jesus Christ. That's what makes me a child of God. I live with the hope of heaven. But in the meantime, I have love for all of God's people. And by this shall all men know that you are my disciples, by the love that you have one for another.
So he mentions these three characteristics here: faith. And then love and then hope. which is laid up for you in heaven.
Now I want you to notice something. In verse four, Since we heard of your faith, now what is there faith in? Faith in Christ Jesus. I just want you to mark that. And the reason I'm slowing down.
And having you mark that. is because There is no value. intrinsically in faith. None at all. Faith is only as good as Its object.
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Now here's more from Pastor Skiff. I bring that up because so many people say you just gotta have faith. You just got to keep the faith. You just got to believe. I hear this all the time in a very generic way.
People who don't believe in God just got to keep the faith. I want to say, what faith? Faith in what? Faith in the universe. The universe is speaking to me, man.
Faith in fate. No, there is no Intrinsic value in faith. A lot of people have faith in faith. That's useless. Faith is only as good as its object.
Faith is only as good as your faith in Christ. He's the only one that can fix your mess.
So it's very important to note that it's faith, and the object is faith in. Christ Jesus. And of your love for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you. As it has also in all the world. And is bringing forth fruit.
As it is also among you since the day. You heard and knew the grace. of God In truth.
Now, you remember that Jesus gave a commission to his. Apostles He said to them before he ascended, Go. Into All the world. and preach this gospel. That was thirty years before this letter is written.
And Perhaps he's speaking hyperbolically. Perhaps he's speaking very literally. Maybe he's just seeing what is happening in terms of the movement. But don't you find it interesting? That he says Which has come to you as it.
has also in all the world and is bringing forth fruit?
Now we have in the New Testament the record of Paul, right? The missionary journeys that Paul took. But while Paul was bringing the gospel to Asia Minor, Galatia, Phrygia, all the way to Rome. Thomas was taking it all the way to India. I've been to the place where Thomas's ship landed in India.
And there's a church that still exists where he started a church called Mar Tomas, the Church of Thomas, that is the whole denomination in India that hails back. To Thomas the Apostle bringing the gospel to their shore. Andrew. It is believed went to the steppes of Russia. And you can look at so many of the apostles while Paul was doing this, and we have the record in the New Testament.
The other apostles were going in different places, all the way, some say to Spain and England and Egypt and down in Africa, etc.
So, this movement is after 30 years gaining great ground. It's in all the world. It's bringing forth fruit as it is also among you since the day you heard about it and knew the grace of God. in truth. Verse seven.
As you also learned from, here's his name. Pastor Epaphras. As you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, who also declared to us. Your love in the spirit.
Now here's what you need to understand about this church. Paul didn't start this church. Paul had never been to Colossi. And there's no evidence that he ever went to Colossi.
So How did a church get started? In Colossians. If Paul didn't start it. It's an easy answer.
Somebody else started it. I know it's pretty obvious.
Somebody else did start it. His name was Zepaphras. While Paul was in Ephesus, he spent three years. Do you remember that in the book of Acts? Three years.
Teaching and preaching every day in the household or in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. And it was a very fruitful ministry. It says in the book of Acts chapter 19: so all those who were in Asia, both Jew and Greek, heard the word of the gospel. No doubt. Epaphras heard there are rumblings going on in Ephesus, so he took the eighty to a hundred mile journey.
Inland or to the coast where Ephesus was, where Paul was, heard Paul preaching, received Christ. Paul discipled him. And he said, go back home, go back and start something. Went back and started a fellowship, started a Bible study. That became this church at Colossi.
So Paul didn't start it. Epaphras started it. Paul only heard. What was going on there? As he says in verse 4, since the day we heard of your faith in Christ.
Notice in verse 9: for this reason, we also, since the day we heard it. Go to chapter two for just a moment. Verse 1. I want you to know what great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea. That's that bigger sister city.
And for as many as have not seen my face. In the flesh, I've never met you guys. I've never been to your town. I didn't start that church. Epaphras did.
I've never seen your face. but I have something for you in my heart.
So he's writing a letter. To a church that he didn't start, that Epaphras started, but he has heard about from Epaphras. Which takes us to verse 9. For this reason, And this is typical Paul in his letters. 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, that you may have a walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with all might according to his glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy. Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us. From the power of darkness. and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love.
in whom we have redemption through his blood, The forgiveness. Ascends. Typical Paul in many of his letters. Says, I'm praying for you guys. And then he says, This is what I'm praying for you guys.
So he says I Verse 3. We pray always for you.
Now, when somebody tells me they're praying for me, I always want to know what they're praying for me for.
Well, I've been praying for really What? And so To appease their curiosity, but more than that, to really inform them. specifically what he's praying for, verse nine. All the way down to 14 is Paul's prayer. For this reason, we also, verse 9, since the day we heard, do not cease to pray for you and ask.
That you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.
Okay. I want you to notice these terms because they're intentional. Look at the word knowledge. In verse 9, The word wisdom, also in verse 9. And then also the two words spiritual understanding.
Remember I told you about the Colossian heresy? And that kind of mixture of Jewish legalism and asceticism and mysticism, which would become known as. Gnosticism. These were key words in their vocabulary. These were buzzwords.
If you want real knowledge and true wisdom and real spiritual understanding, you have to follow this stuff. That was the Colossian heresy. It became known as it became formalized by about the second century AD. Called Gnosticism. And there were two branches of that.
I'm not going to bore you with information you don't need to know about the different branches of it. It became known as Gnosticism.
Now, Gnostic or Gnosis is the Greek word for knowledge. You've heard of the word agnostic. My brother claimed to be an agnostic. He was raised in faith. But then he declared to the family one day, I am an agnostic.
An agnostic is simply means, I don't know. There may be a God, there may not be a God. I'm not. I'm not sure. I'm uncertain.
An atheist says there is no God. An agnostic says, maybe, may not be. I'm going to live my life. Doing my deal. I'm agnostic.
I don't know. I don't have the knowledge for sure. A Gnostic is the exact opposite of an agnostic. A Gnostic says, I know. And if you want to really know God.
You have to practice this Jewish legalism and Greek mysticism and. Radical asceticism, all these things that I talked about of the Colossian heresy, they use these terms a lot. True spiritual knowledge will give you the true path to God. Jesus is a good start. But is not all you need.
You need more. That's why Paul wrote the letter because they were saying you need more.
So, this is what they believed. This is what they said.
Now, let me tell you: Gnosticism began with a legitimate. Philosophical question.
Okay, listen to the question, and you'll see, well, it's legitimate because that's what people ask today. Here's the question. How can a world so filled with evil have been created by A good God. How can a world that is evil be created by a good God? And so This belief system came into view.
Which said The material world is evil. And because the material world is evil, it could not have been created by God.
So what happened? Is An emanation, a spiritual entity or being went out. From The true Good God, and then another emanation, and another emanation, thousands of them. And eventually, it was so far from That original good, powerful God, that it was evil. And that entity created the evil universe.
That's all part of this Gnosticism. Moreover, they said, Jesus. Was one of those emanations. He's not God, he's just an emanation. He's a good start.
He's a stepping stone to get to have true knowledge and spiritual understanding and true wisdom.
So that became known as Gnosticism. That is what Epaphras is bothered about.
So he uses their terminology. I'm praying for you that you'll be filled with the knowledge of his will. You'll know what God's will is for your life. It's amazing how many People have gone to church their whole life. And they have no idea what God's will is for their life.
Paul says, I want you to discover that.
Now, the way you discover it is you seek it, you pursue it, you make that your pursuit. I want to find out what God has me here on earth to do. We're so glad you joined us today on Connect with Skiff Heitzig. Before you go, remember that when you give $50 or more this month, we'll send you Expound Colossians as our thanks. This encouraging verse-by-verse study will help you discover why Christ is enough, how to stand firm in God's truth, and how to live each day with confidence in Him.
Your support helps keep this Bible teaching ministry reaching people around the world with the life-changing truth of God's Word. Give today at connectwithgift.com slash offer or call 800-922-1888. See you next time. Make a connection! Make a connection never for Of the crossing.
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