Colossians 1:1-8 Wow! A LOT Of Commentary For Eight Verses!

Yesterday, I checked my commentary to make sure I'd have time to read whatever it had on the first chapter, only to find it had 8 pages of deep stuff for the first 8 verses!  And by the time I'd read, highlighted, and absorbed what was there, I'd still not had time to journal what God was showing me!  So today I finish spending two quiet times on eight verses!

"Paul wrote this letter to the church in Colosse because a crisis had occurred that was about to destroy the ministry of the church."  Father, I'm amazed at how You've sovereignly directed me to another book about another church having problems.  Help us to learn from each of them so that our church can once again be a beacon of ministry for You!

"Some new doctrines were being taught in Colosse and were invading the church and creating problems.  So Paul wrote this letter to the Colosians in order to refute these heretical teachings and establish the truth of the the gospel ... It was a combination of Eastern philosophy and Jewish legalism with elements of gnosticism.  The gnostics were the people who were in the know when it came to the deep things of God [not!]  They were the spiritual aristocracy in the church."

"In His work on the cross, Jesus Christ settled the sin question and completely defeated all satanic forces.  He put an end to the legal demands of the law.  In fact, Jesus Christ alone in the Preeminent One.  All that the believer needs is Jesus! ... When we make Jesus Christ and the Christian revelation only part of a total religious system or philosophy, we cease to give Him the preeminence."

"Paul traced the stages in the spiritual experience of the Colossian believers:

They Heard The Gospel:  "It centers in a Person -- Jesus Christ.  It is the Word of truth.  It is the message of God's grace.  It is for the whole world."

They Believed In Jesus Christ:  "We are not saved by faith in faith ... the modern attitude is, 'If you believe, you are safe."  But the obvious question is, 'Believe in what?'  Their answer:  'Just believe!'  Nor are we saved by faith in a set of doctrines.  Saving faith involves the mind, the emotions, and the will.  With the mind we understand the truth of the gospel, and with the heart we feel conviction and the need to be saved.  But it is only when we exercise the will and commit ourselves to Christ that the process is complete ... Faith is commitment to Jesus Christ."

They Were Discipled:  "New Christians must be discipled.  In the Great Commission, Jesus commanded us to teach converts the Word as well...  The New Testament does not teach the kind of individual Christianity that is so prevalent today -- people who ignore the local church and who find all their spiritual food in books, radio, TV, or recordings ... But we who disciple other believers must be careful not to get in the way.  We are not to make disciples for ourselves, but for Jesus Christ."

They Became Faithful in Christ:  "Faith comes through the hearing of God's Word ... We learn to walk by faith and work by faith ... Love is another evidence of true salvation, for the unsaved person is wrapped up mainly in himself... Hope is also a characteristic of the believer.  Unsaved people are without hope because they are without God ... As we come to know God better, we trust Him more and we love him more.  Love and faith encourage each other."

Father, please revel to us where in this process things have gone awry.  Put us back on track and in Your will.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford