INTRODUCTION TO COLOSSIANS
AUTHOR- All early Church testimony credit Paul with the authorship of Colossians...Some of the vocabulary is unusual for Paul because he is combating first-century Gnosticism using its own terminology-deepening his own understanding of Christ:
DATE- Colossians was written at the same time as Ephesians and Philemon...These letters with Philippians were likely composed during Paul's captivity in Rome, somewhere about AD 61-63- (see Colossians 4:3, 10, 18- & Ephesians 3:1; 4:1; & 6:20; and along with Philemon, vv. 9, 10, 13):
MAJOR THEME- Living by the will of God versus dying by false human schemes.. The primary purpose of this epistle was to take on and combat a form of Gnosticism that was taking hold in the Colossian church: Paul preaches the true gospel to the Colossians and once more, emphasizing those aspects the prevalent heresy disputed...
BACKGROUND- The Colossians heresy was a local blend of Jewish -(perhaps Essene) and Oriental ideas...The heretics thought they were supplementing apostolic Christianity, which they saw as primitive, with greater knowledge and better access to spiritual things: They imagined that (a) THE HIERARCHY OF CHRIST; (b) CHRIST WAS NOT UNIQUE IN HIS DIVINE NATURE NOR IN HIS ACTIONS, FOR HE WAS GOD BUT ONE OF SERVEAL MEDIATORS; (c): SIN RESULTED FROM LACK OF KNOWLEDGE- (Greek- gnosis), a particular sort of knowledge in which heretics were specialists, and (d): SALVATION CONSISTED IN HAVING THIS GNOSIS IMPARED BY A SERIES OF RITUALS AND ASCETIC PRACTICES- (among which Jewish rites were prized, but Christian baptism was considered a mere low-level initiation):
COLOSSIANS 1 STUDY & BREAKDOWN
GREETING-THANKSGIVING FOR ABUNDANT GROWTH
COLOSSIANS 1:1-8
1:3-8: Paul giving THANKS to the Church in Colosse, Paul is commending them with his FAITH, HOPE, LOVE trilogy- (vv. 4, 5): The gospel is the same in Colosse AS IN ALL THE WORLD- (v. 6), indicating the catholic- (universal) nature of the faith in the first century: Elements of this gospel include: (1): FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS, alone, no other- (v. 4); (2): LOVE FOR ALL THE SAINTS- (v. 4); (3): HOPE IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN- (v. 5); (4): TRUE PREACHING- (v. 6); and (5): GODLY MINISTRY, as established by EPAPHRAS- (vv. 7, 8):
PETITION FOR CONTINUED GROWTH
COLOSSIANS 1:9-14
1:9-14: This is a progress report for a life of spirituality: from discernment of GOD'S WILL- (v. 9) to doing God's will- (v. 10) with divine energy and virtue- (v. 11), within the Church, the baptized and eucharist assembly: In the apostolic tradition, this life is open to all the saints, not just to a few:
1:12-13: Being a Christian is more than just changing our masters from Satan to the Lord our God, but its a change of kingdoms as well- We are to change from the DARKNESS to the KINGDOM OF THE SON OF GOD... (Inverted Cross- rise up from the pit today-join Christ do good shun evil)...
APOSTOLIC CHRISTOLOGY: A HYMN
COLOSSIANS 1:15-20
1:15-20: This passage is an ancient Christological hymn, perhaps expanded upon by Paul, in two stanzas; (1): CHRIST THE HEAD OF CREATION- (vv. 15-17) and (2): CHRIST THE HEAD OF THE NEW CREATION- (vv. 18-20): This hymn may have been part of an early baptismal liturgy, if so, Paul could be using it to bring the Colossians back to their original profession...
1:15: No clear distinction is made between Christ as God and Christ as Man, but the verse here is obvious: As God, Christ is eternally and consubstantially - (ONE ESSENCE) THE IMAGE- (Greek- eikon, "icon") of the Father: As Man, Christ is the image in which man was made and toward which man is moving: In both natures, He fully represents and manifests the Father: As God, Christ is THE FIRSTBORN OVER ALL CREATION in that the Father created everything through Him, as the Only Begotten Son of God: As Man, Christ is firstborn over all creation in that He has authority over creation: Either way creation is fully subject to Him: Contrary to the Colossian heresy, in which He was considered one of the created mediators, Christ is the only Mediator and Lord of all...
1:16: THRONES, DOMINIONS, PRINCIPALITIES, AND POWERS are ranks of angels- Christ is not only the source- (through Him) of creation-of all things, on earth and in heaven-but also its goal -(for Him; see also Ephesians 1:10):
1:18: THE HEAD and THE BODY have one and the same nature: Here, the body comes from submits to, and continues to exist in the head, so the one nature is the glorified humanity of Christ: As Christ has supreme and life-giving authority- (THE FIRSTBORN) over the original creation, where life is temporary. so He has supreme and life-giving authority over the new creation, where life is eternal: But now he is Head through the body, THE CHURCH: The Church, then, is the source of the restoration and fulfillment of creation in Christ:
1:19-20: THE FULLNESS was term used by the gnostic heretics to describe all spiritual beings and forces they saw as intervening between man and God: Of these, Jesus was seen as but one mediator in one level of existence with one force: Paul differs, saying Christ is Himself the fullness: Jesus is everything, God is fullness; and in His human nature, resurrected and ascended, he is created and glorified Head of all creation: Jesus Christ ends the alienation between God and creation, bringing creation as a sacrament into a living union with God:
SALVATION WITH PRESEVERANCE
COLOSSIANS 1:21-23
1:22: THE BODY OF HIS FLESH is the mortal -(capable of dying) humanity of Christ before His Resurrection: The heretics' angels cannot save us, because they aren't one of us: We cannot be saved unless we become One in Christ being united with Him in His death: Through His death, we die with Him:
PAUL'S SACRIFICIAL SERVICE
COLOSSIANS 1:24-29
1:24: CHRIST AND THE CHURCH are so intimately united that, as we suffer and die with Him- (beginning at baptism), so Christ suffers with us in our work of reconciliation- (see- Matthew 25:40; Luke 10:16; John 15:18-21; Acts 9: 1, 4. 5; Romans 8;17; 2 Corinthians 1:5; and 2 Corinthians 4:10; and Philippians 1:20; and Philippians 3:10):
1:25: THE COLOSSIAN CHURCH is bound not only to its confession of faith - (vv. 15-20) but also to its divinely appointed apostle:
1:26: MYSTERY: (see Ephesians 1:9, 10 and my notes; I will read something from study Bible please see my video): MYSTERY: The ways of God, especially God's plan for salvation, cannot be known with the rational, finite human mind: It can only be experienced by the revelation of God: The Orthodox Church also uses the term MYSTERY for the sacraments of the Church- (see, Mark 4:11; 1 Corinthians 2:7-8; and Ephesians 5:32):
PSALM 41 (42) STUDY GUIDE & BREAKDOWN
PSALM 41 (42): SPEAKS OF CHRIST- (The End) and of His Baptism in the Jordan -(FROM THE LAND OF THE JORDAN AND HERMON, v. 7): His baptism is celebrated in the Church as the Feast of Theophany: IT IS CELEBRATED AS A FESTIVAL WITH GREAT JOY AND PRAISE- (v. 5): His Baptism in the Jordan is our salvation- (vv. 6, 12), which produces- (1): A LONGING and thirst for union and communion with God- (vv. 2, 3); (2): TEARS OF JOY in the midst of suffering- (vv. 4-6, 10-12; and (3): ENLIGHTMENT- (UNDERSTANDING, v. 1) concerning the unsearchable riches of Christ- (vv. 8, 9; see Romans 11:33; Ephesians 3:8):
REVELATION 17:12-18
12 “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”
15 Then he said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. 16 And the ten horns which you [a]saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. 18 And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.”
REVELATION 16: 13
And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
"The mysteries of our Lord are sometimes just that mysteries of somethings that we aren't suppose to figure out...The Most important thing with the times we find ourselves in, its preparing ourselves for what's really ahead...Use your eyes and open them and see exactly the works of God are at hand, and Bible prophecy is jumping off the pages...This message came to me late last night and for somehow there is a reason I'm sharing these two verses, I believe in divine appointments that lead to divine messages!!!
END WITH THE LORD'S PRAYER
WE DEPART IN PEACE IN THE NAME OF THE LORD
JPCE SPIRITUAL TALK
NEVER HOLD BACK
MAY THE LORD FORGIVE THOSE WHO HATE US AND THOSE WHO LOVE US
PEACE BE WITH YOU ALL!!!
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