851. Understanding the Book of Colossians

Welcome to The Daily Platform, sponsored by Bob Jones University. Today, BJU President Steve Pettit begins a ten-part series entitled, Seeking Things Above, from the Book of Colossians. And I heard two wonderful sermons yesterday by two different men, and I'm just so grateful that there are so many wonderful choices and opportunities for good churches in Greenville, where not only you can attend, but get involved and be a servant and serve in the local church.

And so, as you are making those decisions, make your decisions wisely and well, and thankful for the ministry that we have and the partnership that we have with so many churches in the greater Greenville area. Well, we begin this morning our series on Seeking Things Above, which is actually the third chapter of the Book of Colossians that we will be spending our Mondays together in studying throughout this semester. This morning, what I'd like to do is begin today and next week with two foundational messages about the Book of Colossians.

Because to jump to chapter three without any kind of grasp on the big picture of the book and chapters one and two really does not help us to really feel the sense of what Paul is expressing in the third chapter. This morning, my desire is to talk to you about the Book of Colossians and simply understanding it. And so this morning I'm going to give you some information. I'm going to ask a number of questions trying to work through why it is that Paul wrote this letter and why it is this book is so important. So I hope you'll take good notes as you listen well to the theme of understanding the Book of Colossians. When we begin this morning, we need to first of all consider why is it that we should study Colossians.

And if you think about it, it was written by a man who was in prison to a group of people that he had never met to a city today that no longer exists. So what is the practical value of studying such a short book that's only 95 verses long? Well, within the inspired contents of the Book of Colossians, it addresses the two greatest needs in the Christian life. And the first need is the need for a clearer vision of the person of Jesus Christ. It's a vision of Christ, seeing Christ throughout all of our lives, seeing Him who is invisible. The second great need of the Christian life is to know how to live our Christian life in a victorious manner. A conquering Christian, an overcoming Christian, a Christian that is not living a defeated life, but a victorious life.

So the two great needs are the need of vision and the need of victory. And in the New Testament, I think it's important for us to understand that the apostles were overwhelmed with the greatness of Christ in His Gospel, because they had seen Him, they had lived with Him, and they saw Him in His death and His resurrection. And they understood that Christ was more than enough for them to live their life, because in Christ they had everything. But unfortunately today, now 2,000 years later, we are often underwhelmed with the greatness of Christ.

We seem to need some kind of spiritual add-ons or some kind of additives, something more. We need to find some kind of secret to living this Christian life. So Colossians was written in order that we might experience this vision and this victory and the fulfillment of the prayer of the old saint, who prayed this, that we may see Christ more clearly, we may love Christ more dearly, and we may follow Christ more nearly. That's what Colossians is all about.

So let's begin with some basic facts about Colossians. Who is the author? Well, we pretty much know who the author is, because he uses the first century template for letter writing. When he introduces himself, he says, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ. So when Paul wrote this letter, where was he? And actually, in the end of the book, chapter 4 and verse 3, he tells us that he was in prison. So we call this a prison epistle written by Paul in the city of Rome somewhere between 60 and 62 AD. And just a little timeline, Paul was converted somewhere between 30 and 33 AD, and he was probably killed somewhere between 65 and 66 AD. So this is towards the end of his life in ministry. Why was the letter written?

What were the circumstances or the settings surrounding the letter? And basically, it was built on a visitor who came to see Paul in prison. And this visitor's name is Epaphras. And he made the 1200 mile journey from Colossae, which is in central Turkey, all the way to the city of Rome to see Paul.

Obviously, it was a big deal for him to do that. Now, who was Epaphras? Well, we know he was a convert of Paul's early ministry when he was preaching in the city of Ephesus. Ephesus was the fourth largest city in the world in that day. It was located along the Aegean sea coast in what we know as modern Turkey. And in his hometown, Colossae was about 110 miles inland.

So it's sort of the distance, you know, give or take a few miles between Greenville and Columbia, South Carolina. That area where Colossae was located also had two other main cities called Laodicea and Hierapolis. Now, what is important to know is that Paul the Apostle had never been to the city of Colossae. He was riding a church people he had never met. Apparently, Epaphras had gone back to his home area after he was converted through Paul's preaching in Ephesus, and there a church was formed as a fruit of the evangelistic ministry of Epaphras. So Epaphras was like an evangelist. And he preached, people got saved, and a church was started. And so in the letter to the Colossians, Paul confirms in chapter 1, we will not read that, to the congregation that Epaphras was a legitimate minister of the gospel, and he preached the legitimate message that God was blessing throughout the whole world.

And that's important. He confirmed Epaphras as a legit minister and a legit message because that's the problem that was starting to arise within the church. So, why did Epaphras travel to Rome to see Paul? Well, it was based on the need for help in order to deal with a very perplexing problem in the church. And it was an issue in the church that was doctrinal in manner.

That is what you believe. And what had risen up in the church was a form of false teaching that Epaphras did not know how to handle. You know, sometimes church problems arise and they are very complicated. And you could say this problem was a bit slippery because when you heard the logic, it made sense, but it didn't quite sound right spiritually. And Epaphras felt like he was out of his league.

He was trying to handle it, but it wasn't working. And so he came to Rome seeking the wisdom of the great apostle. By the way, let me just say this, that most of the New Testament letters were written to deal with various internal church problems. And most churches, if they have problems, have one of three kinds of problems. Either a doctrinal problem, a Christian living problem, or a leadership issue.

So what was the specific doctrinal problem in the Colossian church? And if I could say it this way, that's a part of the problem. The problem isn't explaining it. Because when you read Colossians, Paul doesn't come out and directly tell you what the problem is. Have you ever talked to somebody and they were talking about the problem but not really telling you what the problem is and you're trying to figure it out?

Okay. Someone has suggested that it's a bit like listening to a phone conversation of a friend or maybe a person you know or a parent and you know that there's a problem but you can only hear one side of the conversation. And so in Colossians you hear the answers that Paul gives but you really don't quite hear the problem. But as we read the book and as we look at what Paul says we can deduce enough of the problem to be able to discern and perceive the erroneous teaching. So really the issue is the false teaching and learning what that is.

One person said it this way. We can apply Paul's teaching in the letter to a wide variety of historical and contemporary movements that share the general contours of the false teaching. Our inability to pin down the false teaching does not mean that we cannot describe some of its basic tenets. In other words, the problem that Epaphras faced in his day may be a little different than the day but the issues are the same and that's what is important.

So here's what we know about the problem. It was a doctrinal error that had arisen internally within the church. You could say it was homegrown. It was a Christian teaching that had been influenced by the spirit of the age so that the message was sort of a mixture.

An add-on. Truth amalgamated with the spirit of the age. You could say it was a kind of a doctrinal accommodation to what was going on in the culture of the day and that's always one of the great problems in the church, the clash between culture and doctrine. And the main idea of the errant teaching was affecting the general way that believers were living out the Christian life.

It was affecting their lifestyle. You could say it was sort of a new kind of spirituality. It was creating a new mood that was different from the mood and the attitude that came through the preaching of Epaphras.

It was similar in words but different in feel. And the problem is it was creating tension and divide in the church. So the purpose of the letter is to provide the resources that the Colossian believers needed to recognize and deal with false teaching. And I do want to say as we go through this passage of scripture this semester that we do have this kind of false teaching abounding today in our world.

It's in the United States of America. And as a Christian you need to be wise in understanding that. So what were the major traits of the teaching of these false teachers? And there were two things and I'm going to emphasize this throughout the semester.

Here's the first thing. The false teachers offered a spiritual fullness not previously experienced in the gospel preached to them by Epaphras. Let me say it again. They offered a spiritual fulfillment or a spiritual fullness that was not coming in their mind through the preaching of Epaphras.

They were saying something like this. What you have right now as a believer is alright. It's a good foundation for faith.

Epaphras taught you the basics. It's a good start. Hey, you got saved, but it's not enough. There's something more.

Oh, so much more. And we can help you experience the Christian life you've always wanted. You can be completely fulfilled.

Total satisfaction guaranteed. And they made the claim that they could perfect the simple and elementary faith of the Colossians. They offered a deeper knowledge of God and a greater experience of the power of God. Now let me just stop here and ask you a question. How does that sound to you?

And let's be honest. Would you not want a better experience in your Christian life? Would you not? Are you satisfied with your present knowledge of God or do you want to know God in a greater way? How many of you would like to know God in a greater way?

Raise your hand. Sure, that's a part of our heart's desire. Do you not feel that you need more power? How many of you need more power to overcome?

Overcome your emotions, overcome your struggles, overcome your thoughts. How many of you need more power? Raise your hand. It is a message that appeals to everyone. And the Colossians were being taught that they needed something more and that's true. We all need and want something more in our Christian life. So what's the problem? The problem is the source of that fullness.

Where do you go to get that? Here's the question. When a believer is saved, is he given everything he needs at the moment of salvation in order to live the Christian life? When you got the Lord, did you get everything you needed? Or is there something that you need subsequent to your salvation? That's the question.

And here's the error. What they received in Christ at salvation that had been taught to them by Epaphras, they were saying is not enough. They basically needed some additions to Christ, something they didn't have. They needed something to happen to them beyond their salvation that would elevate them to another or a higher spiritual level. The gospel preached by Paul and Epaphras teaches that in Christ and through the gospel you already have everything you need.

You got it all. Christ is more than enough. Christ is sufficient. We are complete in him.

We have all in him. That's the message of Colossians. Christian living therefore is growing in that knowledge and understanding. It's understanding your Bible and understanding the work of God in a greater way. It's living out an experience what God has worked in our hearts through the power of God at the moment you're saved. That is the ethical and moral life of a believer comes out of the inner life of Christ. But the Colossians were subtly learning a wrong view of the sufficiency of the gospel. Whatever these additions were, they were actually becoming subtractions.

Because whenever you try to add to Jesus, you take away from Jesus. So, what was being taught was a new spiritual, if you could say this, a fullness. But then secondly, the false teachers spoke of a new spiritual freedom for those who followed them. The teachers appeared to offer a deliverance, a deliverance over sin, a deliverance over the flesh, a deliverance over Satan. But it was a deliverance that was different from what the Colossians experienced as salvation. For example, the teachers appear, we can read it in chapter 2.

I'm going to encourage you to do it yourself. The teachers appear to have claimed a particular insight into the powers of evil. And the ability to give the believers a special protection from demons that was in contrast to Christ's defeat of all the demonic powers on the cross. So, it didn't focus on what Christ did, it focused on something different. These false teachers also taught that by following Jewish legal codes, and you read that in chapter 2, touch not, taste not, handle not, that by doing that they would experience a more complete spiritual life. And we're not talking here about the moral and ethical standards of the believer that we read in Colossians 3 that deal with overcoming the flesh by the grace of God. But these are certain codes that if we follow these, our life will be complete. The teachers also had a strong emphasis on living in victory over temptation through severe self-discipline of the body.

They would deprive themselves. And in reality, when you have strong discipline over your body, it makes you look strong. But the problem is, it doesn't empower you to combat the strength of your own lust, because the one thing you cannot escape is the sin of your own heart.

And in reality, oftentimes it could lead to vanity and pride and self-confidence and judgment of others. That leads to a potential failure in the realm of your flesh. Only Christ in his power through the cross can give you victory over sin. So throughout Colossians, Paul reminds us that deliverance is always, always ours in Christ. And following these teachers will not lead you to liberty, but it will lead you to slavery.

So, let's try to sum it up. In the false teaching, there is a form of Christian perfectionism that can be reached outside of Christ. All of us want to be perfect. Don't you want to be perfect? I'd like to be perfect. I woke up this morning and I was reminded on various occasions, I'm not perfect.

I would like to be perfect. But how do you reach that state of maturity and perfection? Well, it's in Christ. It's what Christ has provided for us. And we have to grow in that. That's called sanctification. It's progressive.

It's over process of time. But these false teachers were teaching a form of Christian perfectionism that can be reached outside of Christ, either through legalistic observances or elite knowledge or mystical experiences or severe discipline. Their focus was on gaining some kind of knowledge outside of the word of Christ. Doing some kind of action that's not based on the work of Christ. Or going through some kind of experience that is outside of the presence of Christ. One person said it this way. Any teaching that questions the sufficiency of Christ, not only for initial salvation, but also for the spiritual growth and ultimate salvation from judgment falls under the massive critique of Colossians.

What is Colossians all about? It's not a man-centered message. A man-centered message will fall into two parts. Either works-oriented, where it's what do I do to obtain the blessing with a primary focus on steps or rules. Or two, a higher level tiered spirituality that seeks for blessing outside of seeking Christ.

If you want to seek blessing, seek Christ. And what happens is that this false teaching can lead believers to find their ultimate sense of security and identity in something other than Christ. That other thing becomes the focus and it's no longer Christ. And Paul considered this to be false teaching. A philosophy that moved people away from the hope of the gospel.

Moving people away from Christ who is the source of all spiritual knowledge and power. So what did Paul emphasize? What is Colossians all about? Well, it's very, very clear when you read it because it just jumps out at you.

Especially in chapter 1. And what we discover is that Colossians is all about the two words that you find in the book more than any other words. The first word is the word Christ. The name of Christ is mentioned 25 times and referred to in 65 verses.

Obviously, he's the center of it all. Christ is the image of God. Christ is the head of the church. Christ is the creator of the world. Christ is preeminent. Christ is our life.

Let's be honest. When you go to church and you hear somebody lift up Christ. Exalt him for who he is, what he has done, all of his glory and his manifestations unfolding to us.

What he has accomplished for us by his life and death. What does that do for your faith? Does that not motivate you? Does that not strengthen you? Does that not encourage you, for example, to moral integrity and living a pure life? You can't have preaching on Christ and want to go out and live a dirty life.

It doesn't work that way. The church is stabilized, strengthened, sustained, and satisfied through the preaching of Jesus Christ. But then there's a second word that is mentioned 30 times is the word all. All speaks to the fullness and the completeness that we have as Christians in Christ. He is our all in all. Everything is in him.

So, as we finish this morning, what's the answer here? And let me just say that this error is very, very subtle because it's an error that is among Christians. Now I want to be careful when I use an illustration because I know that you're going to think about it and some of you are going to do it.

But let me just kind of give you a picture. Go into a local Christian bookstore. And what do you find is the primary emphasis of the books? Now, I'm not saying that every book that is written is false teaching. Please don't please don't get that.

But think of the emphasis. If you were to walk in the bookstore and look at the top 10 books, I wonder how many of the books would be speaking about your best life now. Your purpose driven life. The secrets of living a victorious life. The steps to greater fullness. How to have the power of God in your life. But if you were to ask the person that runs the bookstore, show me your section on Christ.

What would they say? Well, we've got a little section in the back with a couple of books. And then you kind of go, wait a minute. I thought Christ was everything. And my point I'm making is it is the tendency of all of us, and it's the point of Colossians, that it's easy to drift away from that, especially in contemporary society. This era was slippery.

It's like trying to climb a greased pole. The era is not denying basic doctrine. It is presenting a philosophy that appeals to your spiritual desires, but it gives you the wrong answers. It's not something that Christians can always see because it takes discernment. That's why Epaphras had to travel to Rome to get help from the Apostle Paul. And the answer goes back to what Paul is saying over and over and over. Christ is the heart of the message. He is the source of Christian growth. In Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. All the fullness of God is in Christ, and we are in him. And 20 centuries have passed since Paul wrote this letter, but the necessity of focusing on Christ as he is revealed in the book of Colossians has not passed. And that's why next week's message is entitled Christ is All in All. So that it is very clear that in Christ alone we have all the sufficiency we need to live the Christian life. Father, thank you for your sufficient word and your sufficient and perfect son. And thank you, Lord, that in knowing him and seeking him that our life grows and changes. Bless this semester as we seek things above in Jesus' name. Amen. You've been listening to The Daily Platform. Bob Jones University President Steve Pettit invites you to visit our campus in Greenville, South Carolina, and see how God is working in the lives of our students. For more information about Bob Jones University, visit www.bju.edu or call 800-252-6363.