1 00:00:04,500 --> 00:00:09,000 We have finished the book of Philippians and that will we be 2 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:13,100 moving into Colossians in our studies on Wednesday evenings. 3 00:00:16,100 --> 00:00:19,700 This is another book that was written by the Apostle Paul. 4 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:30,300 and, This was written in about 8061 28064 while Paul was in 5 00:00:30,300 --> 00:00:37,100 prison in Rome and he wrote this letter along with Ephesians 6 00:00:37,100 --> 00:00:40,200 Philemon and Philippians all at the same time. 7 00:00:42,100 --> 00:00:47,100 The church at colossae, the city of colossally sits about 90 8 00:00:47,100 --> 00:00:51,000 miles west of Ephesus, which is in modern-day turkey. 9 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:54,500 Today, it's located on the light, it was located on the 10 00:00:54,508 --> 00:01:00,200 like, ash River and city has not been excavated today. 11 00:01:00,500 --> 00:01:04,800 In fact, if you look at maps of where colossi is, there's just a 12 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:09,000 mound, there's nothing there and it's pretty amazing to it to 13 00:01:09,500 --> 00:01:11,800 think about that. Because being as such an old 14 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:16,400 Play some there's a book in the Bible about it has not been 15 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:19,800 excavated like some of the larger cities in that era. 16 00:01:22,300 --> 00:01:26,700 There's a few things that Paul deals with, in this book of 17 00:01:26,700 --> 00:01:31,200 Colossians, he writes us directly to the members of the 18 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:34,900 church there in colossi. Some of those things that he 19 00:01:34,900 --> 00:01:40,900 dealt with teaching the Colossians about was worshipping 20 00:01:40,900 --> 00:01:44,100 of angelic beings. You know, there was a there's a 21 00:01:44,100 --> 00:01:50,000 local Legend back in those days that the Colossians believe that 22 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:56,900 the Archangel Michael actually saved them from some of the 23 00:01:56,900 --> 00:01:59,700 floods that happened in that lycus river near the city. 24 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:01,800 So being that they felt that way. 25 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:05,800 They worship, their tend to worship Angelic beings, in that 26 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:09,900 time, in that City, there was also a false teachers that that 27 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:16,600 the Paul warned them about, they taught that not all knowledge is 28 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:19,900 necessary to Salvation is found in the gospels. 29 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:21,900 That's what the false teachers were teaching. 30 00:02:22,300 --> 00:02:25,300 In Colossians, they taught that as humans could have higher 31 00:02:25,300 --> 00:02:29,300 Thinking by meditation, to know everything there was to know 32 00:02:29,300 --> 00:02:32,800 about God. Human philosophy was also 33 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:36,400 thought up to make them more more mature Christians, but 34 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:40,500 Paul, refutes that in the second chapter of Colossians and verse 35 00:02:40,500 --> 00:02:45,700 state where he says we are complete in Christ The false 36 00:02:45,700 --> 00:02:51,200 teachers also denied the Divinity of Christ, James Orton 37 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:54,500 kind of sums. These these thoughts up of what 38 00:02:54,500 --> 00:02:57,000 Paul was teaching about, he called it. 39 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:02,600 This is the basic basic false teachings of gnosticism. 40 00:03:03,500 --> 00:03:07,700 Basically, gnosticism is thinking that that are human 41 00:03:07,700 --> 00:03:10,800 knowledge. Will gain us a better 42 00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:14,100 understanding of God and that is a false Doctrine. 43 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:18,800 Everything that we have to know about God is in the Bible's in 44 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:20,500 the scriptures here that we can read. 45 00:03:22,300 --> 00:03:26,900 Gnosticism is defined as a love of or Devotion to knowledge. 46 00:03:27,700 --> 00:03:30,700 It's an age-old problem that has been dealt with even since the 47 00:03:30,700 --> 00:03:36,200 beginning of time. You know, Eve was tempted by 48 00:03:36,900 --> 00:03:39,800 this in the Garden of Eating, you know, Satan told her, you 49 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:41,700 will have knowledge of everything if you eat of this 50 00:03:41,700 --> 00:03:46,700 fruit, by more knowledge of knowing of everything. 51 00:03:48,300 --> 00:03:52,200 Major problem. It's also a major problem with 52 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:56,300 those who teach theology today. You know, theology is the study 53 00:03:56,300 --> 00:04:02,100 of God's nature and there's some of those who obsess over, trying 54 00:04:02,100 --> 00:04:06,900 to figure out God's nature by our by their own human mind in 55 00:04:06,900 --> 00:04:10,400 understanding, we can never study enough to understand God's 56 00:04:10,500 --> 00:04:16,200 full knowledge or nature, why he does the things he does or why. 57 00:04:17,300 --> 00:04:20,800 He has given us why he has given us the Bible the way he's giving 58 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:23,500 it to us. We'll never know exactly why all 59 00:04:23,500 --> 00:04:29,900 we know is what's in the scriptures You know, if we're 60 00:04:29,900 --> 00:04:34,900 not careful, we can, if we tried to study God's nature to the 61 00:04:34,900 --> 00:04:37,800 fullest extent that some people try to, and theology teaching, 62 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:40,300 you know, we can be categorized right with the Colossians as 63 00:04:40,300 --> 00:04:42,300 well. So we need to be careful with 64 00:04:42,300 --> 00:04:45,300 that. All we need to know what is 65 00:04:45,300 --> 00:04:48,300 written in the scriptures. We either Believe It Or we don't 66 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:52,500 So that's kind of a little bit of a background of the city or 67 00:04:52,500 --> 00:04:55,500 the church and colossi. So, we'll start getting into our 68 00:04:55,500 --> 00:04:56,800 study here. We're going to be dealing with 69 00:04:56,800 --> 00:05:02,700 the first nine verses of Colossians, and the first 70 00:05:02,700 --> 00:05:07,100 question that has been prepared forced is, what does the word 71 00:05:07,100 --> 00:05:09,700 Apostle mean? And who was Timothy? 72 00:05:09,700 --> 00:05:12,100 And before we get into that, I want to read the first nine 73 00:05:12,100 --> 00:05:18,200 verses of Colossians. It says there Paul an apostle of 74 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:22,400 Jesus Christ by the will of God and Timothy our brother to the 75 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:26,900 Saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in colossi grace 76 00:05:26,900 --> 00:05:30,600 to you and peace from God, our Father and the Lord Jesus 77 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:34,100 Christ. We give thanks to the God and 78 00:05:34,100 --> 00:05:35,800 father of our Lord. Jesus Christ. 79 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:38,000 Praying. Always for you since we heard of 80 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:41,500 your faith in Christ Jesus and your, and your love. 81 00:05:41,500 --> 00:05:45,300 And for all the saints because of the Hope, which is laid up 82 00:05:45,300 --> 00:05:49,700 for Are you in heaven of which you heard before in word of the 83 00:05:49,700 --> 00:05:55,000 truth of the Gospel, which has come to you as it is also in all 84 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:59,600 the world and is bringing forth fruit as it is among you, since 85 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:04,200 the day, you heard and knew the grace of God in truth as you 86 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:08,000 also learn from the pathless, our dear fellow servant who is a 87 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:12,300 faithful minister of Christ on your behalf who is also declared 88 00:06:12,300 --> 00:06:15,400 to us your love in the spirit for this. 89 00:06:15,500 --> 00:06:19,000 Reason we also since the day, we heard it, do not cease to pray 90 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:21,100 for you. And to ask that you may be 91 00:06:21,100 --> 00:06:25,700 filled with the knowledge of his will and all wisdom and 92 00:06:25,700 --> 00:06:33,100 spiritual understanding. so going back to verse 1, our 93 00:06:33,100 --> 00:06:37,000 question is, what does the word Apostle mean and who is Timothy 94 00:06:38,700 --> 00:06:42,800 The word Apostle here. Is a noun. 95 00:06:43,100 --> 00:06:47,800 An apostle is a messenger or one sent on a mission. 96 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:53,100 With specific orders sent by God, or sent by Jesus. 97 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:58,400 In a broader sense and Apostle is is the name identified with 98 00:06:58,400 --> 00:06:59,900 other Christian teachers as well. 99 00:06:59,900 --> 00:07:02,200 Through the Bible will see like an even Barnabas was called an 100 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:07,500 apostle in Acts 14 and 14. Paul was not one of the original 101 00:07:07,500 --> 00:07:10,900 Twelve but he was also referred to as an apostle. 102 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:16,000 In 2nd Corinthians, 11 and 5. It says for I consider that I am 103 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:19,700 not at all inferior to the most eminent Apostles and he was 104 00:07:19,700 --> 00:07:23,100 talking about the first Twelve, Apostles Paul compared himself 105 00:07:23,100 --> 00:07:28,400 equal to them but Paul, you know, Paul was sent by Jesus as 106 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:30,000 well. You know, on the road adjustment 107 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:32,700 Damascus and also in Hebrews 3 and verse 1. 108 00:07:32,700 --> 00:07:35,900 It says therefore, holy Brethren partakers of the Heavenly 109 00:07:35,900 --> 00:07:38,200 calling. Consider the Apostle and high 110 00:07:38,200 --> 00:07:42,900 priest of our confession Christ. Jesus who was faithful, To him 111 00:07:42,900 --> 00:07:46,900 who appointed him and Moses also was faithful in all his house. 112 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:51,400 So an apostle is one who is appointed to go on a mission to 113 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:55,100 send a message with specific orders by either Jesus or God 114 00:07:55,100 --> 00:07:59,400 himself. We are not apostles today, there 115 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:03,400 are no apostles today because we have not been directly given 116 00:08:03,700 --> 00:08:07,600 first-hand information or divinely inspired from God or 117 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:09,800 Jesus. That is the difference. 118 00:08:10,900 --> 00:08:13,700 Apostles, only occurred occurred during the Biblical times of 119 00:08:13,700 --> 00:08:16,800 Jesus. When the last Apostle John died, 120 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:19,700 that was the end of the Apostle age, those who claim to be 121 00:08:19,700 --> 00:08:22,900 Apostles. Now have abused the title in a 122 00:08:22,907 --> 00:08:26,500 way that God and Jesus had never intended it to be used. 123 00:08:28,300 --> 00:08:32,000 So Paul that is the definition of apostle and that's why Paul 124 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:34,000 calls himself an apostle as well. 125 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:37,400 Timothy course, we know who we're all familiar with who 126 00:08:37,400 --> 00:08:39,799 Timothy is. You know, the book of Timothy 127 00:08:41,299 --> 00:08:44,100 were familiar worth. This is the same Timothy that 128 00:08:44,300 --> 00:08:48,200 Paul wrote the book to Paul met Timothy on his second missionary 129 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:51,800 journey, Timothy work and travel with Paul on some of the 130 00:08:51,808 --> 00:08:54,300 missionary Journeys that he went on, and it's believed that 131 00:08:54,300 --> 00:08:57,800 Timothy was with Paul in Rome while this letter was written to 132 00:08:57,800 --> 00:08:59,300 the church. You colossi as well. 133 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:05,300 Timothy was a faithful member and evangelist at Ephesus and he 134 00:09:05,300 --> 00:09:08,500 was the son of a Jewish mother and a Greek father. 135 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:13,000 That brings us to our second question. 136 00:09:14,300 --> 00:09:18,900 Which is who were the Saints and who were the faithful, are they 137 00:09:18,900 --> 00:09:21,700 different people? And what do the words, Grace, 138 00:09:21,700 --> 00:09:25,300 and peace mean, and this deals with verse 2 and it says there 139 00:09:25,500 --> 00:09:28,200 to the Saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in 140 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:32,400 colossi grace to you and peace from God, our Father and the 141 00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:38,800 Lord Jesus Christ. So we'll Define what Saints is 142 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:44,800 Saints. Here is the Greek word. 143 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:51,900 Hagios and that means to be set apart by God to be holy or 144 00:09:51,900 --> 00:09:56,800 sacred and faithful. Here is the the Greek word piss 145 00:09:56,800 --> 00:10:01,200 toys, which means trustworthy faithful and believing those are 146 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:05,000 definitions from Strong's in the Old Testament, you know, the 147 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:08,200 Jewish Nation felt like they were set apart from God as well. 148 00:10:08,200 --> 00:10:09,900 They felt like they were saying it's because they were set 149 00:10:09,900 --> 00:10:13,100 apart. They were chosen by God in the 150 00:10:13,100 --> 00:10:15,300 New Testament. Writings you authors considered 151 00:10:15,300 --> 00:10:18,700 all Choose to be Saints. So we have since we have obeyed, 152 00:10:18,700 --> 00:10:21,400 the gospel of Christ, We Are All Saints. 153 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:25,600 You know, there's large religious organizations to that, 154 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:30,300 do not see it that way. They see it as a specific few 155 00:10:30,600 --> 00:10:34,700 number of men that are too big to be called Saints because they 156 00:10:34,700 --> 00:10:39,200 considered those people to be more holy than everybody else. 157 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:42,800 You know, that that is not found in the Bible anywhere. 158 00:10:43,700 --> 00:10:45,500 So that is a false teaching as well. 159 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:48,300 The Saints and the faithful are the same people here. 160 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:52,600 Those who have chosen to follow Christ or which were set apart 161 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:56,700 and they were faithful members of the church at colossae. 162 00:10:56,700 --> 00:11:03,200 See, Paul certainly could have given the church here in 163 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:05,300 Bakersfield. I think the same description. 164 00:11:05,700 --> 00:11:08,200 You know, we are all Saints because we were set apart by 165 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:10,000 God. We have chosen to follow God. 166 00:11:10,500 --> 00:11:14,500 And we're faithful members by the life that we live by by how 167 00:11:14,500 --> 00:11:17,300 we how we live a Godly life every day. 168 00:11:17,500 --> 00:11:19,300 So I think that's great encouragement. 169 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:23,500 What do the words Grace and peace. 170 00:11:23,500 --> 00:11:28,700 Mean grace means to be partakers of the Divine favor, the source. 171 00:11:28,800 --> 00:11:32,700 Once every blessing is derived, this word indicates a general 172 00:11:32,700 --> 00:11:35,800 favor, that the early Christians had and a general favor that we 173 00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:39,200 have from the Divine Source. The same word is used in. 174 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:43,400 Luke chapter 1 verse 30 where it says fear not Mary thou Hast 175 00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:47,400 found favour with God. Also in Luke 22 verse 40, it 176 00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:50,500 says and the child grew and the grace of God. 177 00:11:50,600 --> 00:11:52,800 God, the favor of God was upon him. 178 00:11:52,800 --> 00:11:59,600 Also, Luke 1 verse 52 and Jesus increased in favor Grace with 179 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:02,900 God. And man, also in Acts 2:47 180 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:09,600 having favor Grace with all the people also an axe for 33 it 181 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:14,000 says in and great grace favor was upon them all. 182 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:20,600 So we have a favor with God. It is a Grace that we have the 183 00:12:20,600 --> 00:12:23,100 word piece here. This is a word that is is 184 00:12:23,100 --> 00:12:27,100 meaning to spiritual peace that we have when we are saved by the 185 00:12:27,100 --> 00:12:29,500 blood of Jesus. We have a piece in our heart, 186 00:12:29,500 --> 00:12:34,000 that surpasses all other things, a piece and knowing that we are 187 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:36,600 saved people. When we follow Christ, we are 188 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:41,500 content with the state that we are in, no matter how bad it may 189 00:12:41,500 --> 00:12:44,800 be, or how bad it may seem. We have a Use that. 190 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:48,400 Our soul is in good favor with God and Jesus. 191 00:12:49,100 --> 00:12:52,000 Paul was giving the Christians here at colossi the confidence. 192 00:12:53,100 --> 00:12:55,800 That the piece of having Hope Of Heaven was with him. 193 00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:00,300 That brings us to our next question here. 194 00:13:00,500 --> 00:13:02,000 Question. Number 3, which deals with 195 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:07,100 verses 3 through 6 and it says there, we give thanks to the God 196 00:13:07,100 --> 00:13:08,800 and father of our Lord. Jesus Christ. 197 00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:11,000 Praying. Always for you, since we heard 198 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:13,600 of your faith in Christ Jesus, and you have your love for all 199 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:17,200 the saints because of the Hope, which is laid up for you in 200 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:21,600 heaven of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the 201 00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:26,000 Gospel which is come to you, as it has also been all the world 202 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:28,100 and is bringing forth fruit as it. 203 00:13:28,200 --> 00:13:32,400 Is also among you since the day, you heard it and knew the grace 204 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:36,600 of God in truth. So, the question here is, why 205 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:39,900 did Paul pray with Thanksgiving for the church at colossae? 206 00:13:39,900 --> 00:13:43,000 Well, there's there's multiple reasons here and it kind of 207 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:45,500 lists them here in these in these few verses. 208 00:13:47,100 --> 00:13:52,400 Paul heard of their faithfulness through other means you know 209 00:13:52,400 --> 00:13:57,300 Paul himself along with timidly Timothy had most likely never 210 00:13:57,300 --> 00:14:01,900 been to colossi from what some of the scholars say and some of 211 00:14:01,900 --> 00:14:03,900 the verbiage that's in the chapters here. 212 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:08,700 So Paul heard from a third-party, their faithfulness 213 00:14:08,700 --> 00:14:12,000 there in colossi. So Paul was thankful for that. 214 00:14:13,100 --> 00:14:16,000 The church in colossae was not established by Paul. 215 00:14:16,900 --> 00:14:20,900 So he was thankful that the gospel was spreading and that 216 00:14:20,900 --> 00:14:23,100 they were faithful Christians where he had not even been. 217 00:14:23,900 --> 00:14:26,500 Also the love they had for all the saints in verse 4. 218 00:14:27,300 --> 00:14:30,500 This is a direct commandment from Jesus in John 13 and 35. 219 00:14:30,500 --> 00:14:34,000 It says by this all will know that you are my disciples. 220 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:37,900 If you have love for one another and we are commanded to love. 221 00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:41,500 So that was another reason why Paul was praying Thanksgiving. 222 00:14:42,500 --> 00:14:45,000 So, because of the hope that they had, that is laid up in 223 00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:47,500 heaven, worst, five. This is, of course, a speaking 224 00:14:47,500 --> 00:14:50,100 about the end goal that we all have. 225 00:14:50,100 --> 00:14:55,700 This is why we are Christians. The hope that we have laid up in 226 00:14:55,700 --> 00:14:57,400 heaven, that's what motivates us. 227 00:14:57,400 --> 00:15:00,300 That's what should provoke us to spread the gospel and to try to 228 00:15:00,300 --> 00:15:02,100 take it to everybody that we can. 229 00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:10,200 This hope that is spoke of is. Produced it produces the love 230 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:13,700 that they had for the Saints. You know, they had a hope for 231 00:15:13,700 --> 00:15:17,300 heaven, and they love the brothers and sisters and, and 232 00:15:17,300 --> 00:15:21,000 they encouraged each other to get to the end goal of Heaven. 233 00:15:22,700 --> 00:15:26,900 so you know I was thinking about this and you know what are we if 234 00:15:26,900 --> 00:15:31,000 we do not have love for one for another If we don't have love 235 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:33,900 for another do we are we are we living a Christian Life? 236 00:15:34,900 --> 00:15:39,300 You know, if we do not have one for another regardless of what, 237 00:15:39,300 --> 00:15:43,700 who that one another is, we do not have the full faith of Jesus 238 00:15:43,700 --> 00:15:46,400 God and their promise to us in heaven. 239 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:50,900 So we need to be careful on who we, you know, we think we can 240 00:15:50,900 --> 00:15:54,900 love this person more than the other person or show favor to 241 00:15:54,900 --> 00:15:59,800 this person or the other person because they tend to be more 242 00:15:59,800 --> 00:16:01,700 likeable. We need to be extremely careful 243 00:16:01,700 --> 00:16:04,800 about that. We are to love everybody. 244 00:16:04,900 --> 00:16:06,600 D. That is what Jesus taught us. 245 00:16:08,500 --> 00:16:12,700 And also, Another reason why he was thankful is because the 246 00:16:12,700 --> 00:16:17,500 gospel was producing fruit in Colossians which what verse six 247 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:21,800 refers to. So those are, those are why he 248 00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:24,900 was so thankful and giving prayers of thanks to the church 249 00:16:24,900 --> 00:16:30,800 and colossi. From what, from, what Paul hears 250 00:16:30,800 --> 00:16:34,800 from the pathless, which we'll get to the papers reported to 251 00:16:34,800 --> 00:16:36,900 Paul the things that we're going on in colossi. 252 00:16:37,100 --> 00:16:39,000 Paul was thankful that the church in colossae was 253 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:40,900 benefiting from the gospel of Christ. 254 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:44,800 But, you know, as we continue in this study in the next few weeks 255 00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:47,600 will also find that there was problems in colossi as well that 256 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:49,500 Paul had to deal with. We touched on a few of those 257 00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:52,600 earlier kind of in our introduction, that brings us to 258 00:16:52,600 --> 00:16:56,300 question number 4, who was epaphras, which deal with versus 259 00:16:56,600 --> 00:17:01,000 An 8 it says there as you also learn from the patras our dear 260 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:04,000 fellow servant who is a faithful minister of Christ on your 261 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:09,000 behalf who also declared to us your love in the spirit. 262 00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:17,200 Epaphras here is also mentioned in a couple other verses in the 263 00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:20,099 New Testament is mentioned here in verse 7. 264 00:17:20,099 --> 00:17:23,400 And he's also mentioned in Colossians 4 verse 12, where it 265 00:17:23,400 --> 00:17:27,800 says epaphras, who is one of you a bond servant of Christ greets. 266 00:17:27,800 --> 00:17:31,300 You always laboring fervently for you and prayers that you may 267 00:17:31,300 --> 00:17:36,100 stand, perfect, and complete and all the will of God also in 268 00:17:36,100 --> 00:17:39,900 Philemon 23, epaphras my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus. 269 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:43,000 Greets you. So from these just few verses we 270 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:47,300 can find out that epaphras was was quite possibly a member of 271 00:17:47,300 --> 00:17:51,700 the Church of colossi. And he was also with Paul 272 00:17:51,900 --> 00:17:54,900 traveled from colossi to Paul to Paul in Rome when he was in 273 00:17:54,900 --> 00:17:58,300 prison and was with Paul there at the same time he was also 274 00:17:58,300 --> 00:18:00,300 imprisoned with Paul at the same time. 275 00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:08,200 So another thing you know epaphras Top the members and 276 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:14,400 colossi, the gospel, you know, teaching helps, one to learn, 277 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:16,500 you know, tell just saying the gospel. 278 00:18:16,500 --> 00:18:19,400 Telling that some of there is somebody called Jesus but not 279 00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:22,800 teaching is not is not teaching simple as that. 280 00:18:22,900 --> 00:18:25,400 So, Patrick was there and he taught the people and the 281 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:27,500 members in colossi, and they grew in faith. 282 00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:34,600 That takes us to our next question, which is question 5 283 00:18:34,600 --> 00:18:39,200 deals with verse number 9. Number 69 says for this reason, 284 00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:42,600 we also since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for 285 00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:44,900 you. And to ask that you may be 286 00:18:44,900 --> 00:18:48,200 filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual 287 00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:50,700 understanding. And the question is, how is one 288 00:18:50,700 --> 00:18:52,300 filled with the knowledge of God's Will? 289 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:56,800 And what is meant by the phrase in all wisdom and spiritual 290 00:18:56,800 --> 00:19:01,000 understanding? You know, there's this is just 291 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:05,700 so simple for us to understand, we are filled with the 292 00:19:05,700 --> 00:19:09,500 knowledge. By simply reading God's word, 293 00:19:09,500 --> 00:19:13,000 and praying about it and meditating on it and studying 294 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:17,700 it. And that is only found By 295 00:19:17,700 --> 00:19:20,700 reading the biblical scriptures. That's the only way we can 296 00:19:20,700 --> 00:19:23,800 really understand and know more about what God's will is for us. 297 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:28,100 The verse here says that Paul Timothy and epaphras were 298 00:19:28,100 --> 00:19:30,700 praying for the congregation colossi that they may gain 299 00:19:30,700 --> 00:19:32,100 further. Knowledge of God's Will and 300 00:19:32,100 --> 00:19:36,900 Ephesians 3 verses 3 and 4. It says how that by Revelation 301 00:19:36,900 --> 00:19:40,500 he made known to me. The mystery as I have briefly 302 00:19:40,500 --> 00:19:44,500 written already by which when you read, you may understand my 303 00:19:44,500 --> 00:19:47,700 knowledge in the mystery of Christ. 304 00:19:48,900 --> 00:19:50,900 I don't think you can get any clearer than that. 305 00:19:51,900 --> 00:19:54,900 So, Paul, and the other apostles were divinely inspired by God to 306 00:19:54,900 --> 00:19:57,500 teach and write about all the things that God wants us to know 307 00:19:57,500 --> 00:20:00,900 about him and about Jesus and how to follow him and how to get 308 00:20:00,900 --> 00:20:04,400 to heaven, all those things are here for us to read those things 309 00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:09,300 were inspired to the apostles and to the writers of the Old 310 00:20:09,300 --> 00:20:13,500 and New Testament. So by today, I'm back, then 311 00:20:13,500 --> 00:20:16,400 that's how those people knew about it. 312 00:20:17,100 --> 00:20:20,400 They were inspired by God. That's how they were growing in 313 00:20:20,400 --> 00:20:23,100 knowledge of Christ. That is the apostles and those 314 00:20:23,100 --> 00:20:27,500 who wrote the Bible and, and they pass that on or taught the 315 00:20:27,500 --> 00:20:30,200 other members. Other Christians, in that first 316 00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:33,000 century by that Reason by that means. 317 00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:36,100 Now, B, now today, the only way we can do that is by reading 318 00:20:36,100 --> 00:20:39,900 God's word. That's the only way that we can 319 00:20:39,900 --> 00:20:45,100 read how to gain a knowledge of God and his will in all wisdom 320 00:20:45,100 --> 00:20:50,600 and spiritual understanding This simply means that when we read 321 00:20:50,700 --> 00:20:54,100 and pray about the scriptures, we can rightly divide them, 322 00:20:54,400 --> 00:20:57,300 understand the spiritual implications of them and apply 323 00:20:57,300 --> 00:21:02,400 them wisely or with wisdom practically in our life. 324 00:21:04,100 --> 00:21:07,700 So we have a wisdom that we can gain from the Bible. 325 00:21:07,700 --> 00:21:11,800 Not just spiritual things but there are practical living 326 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:16,000 things that we all run into today that we can learn from 327 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:19,900 from God's word and we can learn the spiritual things. 328 00:21:19,900 --> 00:21:25,700 And when we run into conflicts between friends or at home or 329 00:21:25,700 --> 00:21:30,700 find herself in Temptation, we can go to the god work, God's 330 00:21:30,700 --> 00:21:33,500 word and understand the spiritual implications and apply 331 00:21:33,500 --> 00:21:38,200 those to our lives and work out the problems that we might have. 332 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:44,600 We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the 333 00:21:44,600 --> 00:21:50,400 Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you 334 00:21:50,400 --> 00:21:53,600 would like any additional information or you would like to 335 00:21:53,600 --> 00:21:56,600 receive a free Bible correspondence, course by mail. 336 00:21:57,300 --> 00:22:01,100 Please email us at info at True Church of Christ 337 00:22:01,100 --> 00:22:05,100 Bakersfield.com. Our service times are on Sundays 338 00:22:05,100 --> 00:22:10,500 at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. 339 00:22:11,300 --> 00:22:14,800 Please make plans to join us. We would love for you to be our 340 00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:15,700 honored guest.