Friday Night Apologetics - 2/09/2007

Colossians Introduction Study

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Welcome to FNA and our first of many going through the book of Colossians.  Paul had a desire to for the Christians in Colossae to know true doctrine and in his epistle to them he encourages them to grow in the faith, to know truth from falsehood, and to live for God daily.  During the time of this writing and the early church there were false teachers misleading people in the name of Jesus, much like today!  During that time there were Gnostics, Ebionites, Judaizers, and various philosophers.  Check out our first study in Colossians and as always we had good discussions.  If you have any comments or questions you are welcome to visit our blog at www.afcministry.blogspot.com or email us.

• Introduction Notes from Believers Bible Commentary

We do not know exactly how the gospel first reached Colosse. At the time Paul wrote this Letter, he had never met the believers there (2:1). It is generally believed that Epaphras was the one who first brought the good news of salvation to this city (1:7). Many believe that he was converted through Paul when the apostle spent the three years at Ephesus. Phrygia is a part of Proconsular Asia, and Paul was in Phrygia (Acts 16:6; 18:23), but not Colosse (2:1).

We do know from the Letter that a false teaching which in its full-blown form became known as Gnosticism was beginning to threaten the church at Colosse. The Gnostics prided themselves on their knowledge (Gk., gnoµsis). They claimed to have information superior to that of the apostles and tried to create the impression that a person could not be truly happy unless he had been initiated into the deepest secrets of their cult.

Some of the Gnostics denied the true humanity of Christ. They taught that “the Christ” was a divine influence that came out from God and rested on the Man, Jesus, at His baptism. They further taught that the Christ left Jesus just before His crucifixion. The result, according to them, was that Jesus died, but the Christ did not.

Certain branches of Gnosticism taught that between God and matter there are various levels or grades of spirit beings. They adopted this view in an effort to explain the origin of evil. A. T. Robertson explains:

The Gnostic speculation concerned itself primarily with the origin of the universe and the existence of evil. They assumed that God is good and yet there is evil in existence. Their theory was that evil is inherent in matter. And yet the good God could not create evil matter. So they postulated a series of emanations, aeons, spirits, angels that came in between God and matter. The idea was that one aeon came from God, another aeon from this aeon, and so on till there was one far enough away from God for God not to be contaminated by the creation of evil matter and yet close enough to have power to do the work.

Some Gnostics, believing that the body was inherently sinful, practiced asceticism, a system of self-denial or even self-torture, in an effort to attain a higher spiritual state. Others went to the opposite extreme, living in carnal indulgence, saying that the body didn’t matter or have any affect on a person’s spiritual life!

It seems that traces of two other errors were found in Colosse. These were antinomianism and Judaism. Antinomianism is the teaching that under grace a person does not need to practice self-control but may give full vent to his bodily appetites and passions. Old Testament Judaism had degenerated into a system of ceremonial observances by which a man hoped to achieve righteousness before God.

The errors which existed in Colosse are still with us today. Gnosticism has reappeared in Christian Science, Theosophy, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Unity, and other systems. Antinomianism is characteristic of all who say that because we are under grace, we can live as we please. Judaism was originally a God-given revelation, whose forms and ceremonies were intended to teach spiritual truths in a typical way, as the Epistle to the Hebrews and other parts of the nt show. This lapsed into a system in which the forms themselves were considered to be meritorious, and so the spiritual meaning was often largely ignored. It has its counterpart today in the many religious systems which teach that a person can gain merit and favor with God by his own works, ignoring or denying his sinful state and need of salvation from God alone. (Believers Bible Commentary, Colossians introduction)

• Scripture Overview

3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,   4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints;   5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel   6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth;   7 just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf,   8 and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit. (Colossians 1:3-8 NASB)

 

1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face,   2 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself,   3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.   4 I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument.   5 For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.   6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,   7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.   8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. (Colossians 2:1-8)

 

5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.   6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience,   7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.   8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.   9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,   10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him--   11 a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.   12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;   13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. (Colossians 3:5-12 NASB)

 

2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving;   3 praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned;   4 that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.   5 Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.   6 Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. (Colossians 4:2-6 NASB)