1 00:00:00,900 --> 00:00:02,300 It's good to see everyone tonight. 2 00:00:02,300 --> 00:00:06,100 We have a wonderful crowd, a large crowd for us, on a 3 00:00:06,108 --> 00:00:09,400 Wednesday evening and we're so thankful that you're here and 4 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:10,900 look forward to having a good study. 5 00:00:10,900 --> 00:00:15,100 In the book of Colossians chapter 2, we're going to begin 6 00:00:15,100 --> 00:00:17,900 reading there in verse number 1, and the questions that are 7 00:00:17,900 --> 00:00:21,300 before us for consideration, if you don't have them there on the 8 00:00:21,300 --> 00:00:26,300 back table, but the questions will cover verses 1 through 6. 9 00:00:26,300 --> 00:00:28,300 So that's really all we're going to read for an introductory. 10 00:00:28,300 --> 00:00:32,299 Text is will read Has one through six of Colossians 11 00:00:32,299 --> 00:00:34,400 chapter 2 and then go into the questions. 12 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:39,900 Paul begins therefore by saying for, I want you to know what a 13 00:00:39,900 --> 00:00:42,900 great conflict. I have for you and those and 14 00:00:42,900 --> 00:00:47,100 laodicea. And for as many as have not seen 15 00:00:47,100 --> 00:00:51,200 my face in the flesh that their hearts may be encouraged being 16 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:54,900 knit together in love and attaining to all Riches of the 17 00:00:54,900 --> 00:00:58,700 full Assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery 18 00:00:58,700 --> 00:01:04,500 of God, both of the father and of Christ in whom are hidden all 19 00:01:04,500 --> 00:01:06,700 Treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 20 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:10,800 Now, this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuade 21 00:01:10,900 --> 00:01:15,800 persuasive words for for though, I am Absent in the flesh. 22 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:20,000 Yet, I am with you in spirit rejoicing to see your good order 23 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:24,300 and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ as you have, 24 00:01:24,300 --> 00:01:26,800 therefore received Christ, Jesus, the Lord. 25 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:30,900 So walk in him correctly, read and barring any mistakes on my 26 00:01:30,900 --> 00:01:34,600 part reads, the passages that are before us for a little while 27 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:38,600 this evening and question, number one says, what does the 28 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:41,100 word conflict mean in this verse? 29 00:01:41,700 --> 00:01:44,400 And why did Paul have a great Conflict for those? 30 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:48,600 in laodicea, first of all, the word conflict is really 31 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:52,700 virtually the same word that is mentioned in the latter part of 32 00:01:52,700 --> 00:01:55,900 chapter one, with the word striving it really is very 33 00:01:55,900 --> 00:02:02,200 similar in definition and it refers to a person of great care 34 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:06,300 and anxiety and we're talking about the Apostle Paul, he felt 35 00:02:06,300 --> 00:02:10,699 great care and he felt great anxiety for those in colossi and 36 00:02:10,699 --> 00:02:16,500 also for those in laodicea In fact laodicea was the chief city 37 00:02:16,500 --> 00:02:21,200 of phrygia in the province of Asia located just south of 38 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:24,200 hieropolis in the lycus river valley. 39 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:28,300 In fact, it was very close to colossi and Paul had great 40 00:02:28,300 --> 00:02:32,600 concerns for both the colossian church and also for those in 41 00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:36,900 laodicea it. And if you notice in in verse 42 00:02:36,900 --> 00:02:42,600 number 1, He says and for as many as have not seen my face in 43 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:45,300 the flesh, Chris pointed this out. 44 00:02:45,300 --> 00:02:48,700 I think last time I remember him saying something about this that 45 00:02:48,700 --> 00:02:53,700 the Apostle Paul did not was not there as the founding preacher 46 00:02:53,700 --> 00:02:56,800 or the founding Apostle when the church was established in 47 00:02:56,800 --> 00:02:59,900 Colossus in colossi. In fact that's exactly what he's 48 00:02:59,900 --> 00:03:02,100 saying. And I think really by the using 49 00:03:02,100 --> 00:03:06,100 the phraseology here those that have not seen my face in the 50 00:03:06,100 --> 00:03:10,100 flesh, prove that Paul All did not start the congregation in 51 00:03:10,100 --> 00:03:13,100 colossi and it also proves that he did not start the 52 00:03:13,100 --> 00:03:15,700 congregation. That is in laodicea. 53 00:03:16,500 --> 00:03:21,200 Now, obviously, there's word got back to Paul and Paul was deeply 54 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:25,100 concerned for the church in these areas and what we're going 55 00:03:25,100 --> 00:03:28,400 to find throughout the course of these six verses is we're going 56 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:31,900 to notice if there was a line that needed to be drawn between 57 00:03:31,900 --> 00:03:35,200 false Doctrine, false teaching and the truth. 58 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:38,100 And this was a congregation that was doing that. 59 00:03:38,300 --> 00:03:40,000 Just right. They had not drifted from the 60 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:43,500 truth but there was great opposition that had entered in 61 00:03:43,500 --> 00:03:47,100 among them and they needed to be encouraged and Paul was greatly 62 00:03:47,100 --> 00:03:51,600 concerned and that's why he said I have great Conflict for you 63 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:57,300 Colossians and also for those in laodicea because of what was 64 00:03:57,300 --> 00:04:03,900 going on around that time. So now the main warning was this 65 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:07,900 and this is really the main object of this epistle. 66 00:04:08,300 --> 00:04:11,500 It's to warn the Colossians against false teachings of 67 00:04:11,500 --> 00:04:14,900 judaizers and against modern philosophy. 68 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:19,600 You know, I think about modern philosophy, I don't know 69 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:22,400 everything there is to know about modern philosophy in those 70 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:25,100 days. I know about modern philosophy 71 00:04:25,100 --> 00:04:28,700 and our day and really, what people often times do is they 72 00:04:28,700 --> 00:04:33,400 try to base beliefs on the philosophical reasonings of 73 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:35,900 today. And really that's why there's 74 00:04:35,900 --> 00:04:38,500 people that don't recognize absolute truth. 75 00:04:38,500 --> 00:04:41,200 They basically say that it is something that's for you and 76 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:43,100 something that's for me and they can be different, that's just 77 00:04:43,100 --> 00:04:46,000 fine and sometimes it's based upon the model. 78 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:50,900 Philosophies of the day, the two great opposition's to the truth 79 00:04:50,900 --> 00:04:54,600 in this area were those judaizers that had entered in 80 00:04:54,700 --> 00:04:59,200 bringing aspects of the Old Law to bind on Gentile converts? 81 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:01,300 In fact, that's what we know about this place. 82 00:05:01,900 --> 00:05:04,200 We don't know a whole lot about it, but we do know this. 83 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:10,200 They were Gentiles primarily but entering in among them were Judy 84 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:13,800 izing teachers that had brought in various aspects of the Old 85 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:15,000 Law. Now, I want to make a point 86 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:20,000 about answers for just a minute. Do you remember when we studied 87 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:24,700 Galatians and the church is a multiple congregations in 88 00:05:24,700 --> 00:05:29,100 galatia, the Judy Isaac teachers that had brought in various 89 00:05:29,100 --> 00:05:31,600 aspects of the Old Law like circumcision. 90 00:05:32,100 --> 00:05:34,800 Wanted to bind on Gentile converts. 91 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:38,200 What God had not bound. In fact, I want to make this 92 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:40,900 point though. The Judy izing teachers were 93 00:05:40,900 --> 00:05:44,200 among the Church of Christ. They were members of the church, 94 00:05:44,900 --> 00:05:47,300 but what they have done is they basically said this. 95 00:05:47,300 --> 00:05:49,900 Oh yes. You have to be baptized for the 96 00:05:49,907 --> 00:05:53,400 remission of sins in order to be saved, but you have to be 97 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:59,000 circumcised Gentiles if you want to remain saved and therefore, 98 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:03,000 all the opposition of Judaism teachers brought those pressures 99 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:07,700 in on Gentile converts. So, in this area though what do 100 00:06:07,707 --> 00:06:10,800 we have? There is a mixture of Judaism 101 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:16,600 philosophy and idolatry and all three of these were things that 102 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:20,700 Paul had to deal with. When writing this letter and 103 00:06:20,700 --> 00:06:25,700 that brings us to verse number 2 and I'll read the question after 104 00:06:25,700 --> 00:06:29,300 I read the verse. So he said that their hearts may 105 00:06:29,300 --> 00:06:33,300 be encouraged being knit together in love and attaining 106 00:06:33,300 --> 00:06:37,600 to all Riches of the fullness of the full Assurance of 107 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:41,400 understanding to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of 108 00:06:41,407 --> 00:06:46,100 the father and of Christ. The question reads, what is 109 00:06:46,100 --> 00:06:50,200 meant by the phrase? To the knowledge of the mystery 110 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:52,700 of God. Well, first of all, I'm going to 111 00:06:52,707 --> 00:06:54,700 answer that question. You just a second, but I want to 112 00:06:54,700 --> 00:06:58,700 make a point here. Look at the connection that Paul 113 00:06:58,700 --> 00:07:03,700 gives as he talks about their comfort, and he links it 114 00:07:03,700 --> 00:07:06,000 together with being knit together in love. 115 00:07:07,500 --> 00:07:09,700 And you know, I think that is so powerful and I think that is 116 00:07:09,900 --> 00:07:13,900 something that really applies today to if congregations are 117 00:07:13,900 --> 00:07:17,800 knit together in love and members of the body of Christ 118 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:22,000 are truly knit together and they have dealings with one, another 119 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:26,100 personally and socially and we have tight-knit, relationships 120 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:28,200 and congregations are knit together. 121 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:31,800 In love, don't you think that it'll help each and every one of 122 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:35,400 us through the trials of Life? Great comfort comes. 123 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:39,600 When we are able to handle the The trials of life and sometimes 124 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:42,400 that is with needing one another and helping each other through 125 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:44,200 that. And that's what Paul was talking 126 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:46,500 about. One of the aspects of bearing 127 00:07:46,500 --> 00:07:49,800 one another's burdens. You know, we bear one another's 128 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:53,100 burdens in a general sense and we bear one another's. 129 00:07:53,100 --> 00:07:57,100 Burdens according to Galatians 6, in a specific sense which 130 00:07:57,100 --> 00:08:01,800 helps our brother Through The Temptations that would cause 131 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:05,200 them to stumble. So, being knit together in love, 132 00:08:05,200 --> 00:08:07,800 he puts that together and such a state. 133 00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:11,900 One scholar said is a great source of satisfaction because 134 00:08:11,900 --> 00:08:16,100 if Disciples of Christ are bound together, they will be mutual 135 00:08:16,100 --> 00:08:19,400 help to each other to meet the Trials of life. 136 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:23,300 I thought that was a very powerful point that Paul makes 137 00:08:23,300 --> 00:08:26,400 that connection. And so, let's talk about mystery 138 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:30,100 now. The word Mystery by definition 139 00:08:30,100 --> 00:08:33,500 is something that has always existed, but was not yet 140 00:08:33,500 --> 00:08:36,600 revealed. Chris did an excellent job 141 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:38,799 pointing out various things, that could fall into the 142 00:08:38,799 --> 00:08:43,799 category of a mystery or things that had in was in the mind of 143 00:08:43,799 --> 00:08:47,300 God, but was not made evident or reveal. 144 00:08:47,300 --> 00:08:50,600 And there's many things that we could plug in in a specific 145 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:53,800 sense, though, it's talking about something that deals with 146 00:08:53,800 --> 00:08:56,800 the salvation of Gentiles In this passage. 147 00:08:57,400 --> 00:08:59,800 And so while it could fall into many categories about the 148 00:08:59,800 --> 00:09:03,000 mystery or something, that is existed in the mind of God, but 149 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:06,600 was not yet revealed. In here, it's in reference to 150 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:09,700 verses 26 and 27 of the previous chapter. 151 00:09:09,700 --> 00:09:13,900 Let's read that for the mystery which has been hidden from ages 152 00:09:13,900 --> 00:09:19,000 and from Generations but now has been revealed to his Saints to 153 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:21,800 them. God willed to make known what 154 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:24,000 are the riches of the glory of his. 155 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:27,900 This Minister, this mystery among the Gentiles which is 156 00:09:27,900 --> 00:09:32,300 Christ in you the hope of glory. Now let's just flip back to the 157 00:09:32,300 --> 00:09:36,400 book of Ephesians rather quickly and look at Chapter 3. 158 00:09:36,700 --> 00:09:39,500 And we want to read verses three through six because this is the 159 00:09:39,500 --> 00:09:42,800 mystery that Paul was dealing with in Colossians. 160 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:45,600 It's the same thing that's he dealt with in Ephesians. 161 00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:48,900 So in Ephesians chapter 3, beginning in verse 3. 162 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:53,300 Paul said there how that by Revelation he made known to me 163 00:09:53,300 --> 00:09:59,000 the mystery as I wrote before in few words by which when you read 164 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:02,200 you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ. 165 00:10:02,800 --> 00:10:05,200 Just incidentally, before we read the next verse. 166 00:10:05,700 --> 00:10:08,300 I think this is so powerful because this proves that a 167 00:10:08,308 --> 00:10:11,400 person can understand the word of God. 168 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:16,800 In fact, Paul said this, it was revealed to him by the spirit in 169 00:10:16,800 --> 00:10:21,200 such a way that he was able to write it in such a way that when 170 00:10:21,200 --> 00:10:25,300 you those an emphasis read it, they would understand Paul's 171 00:10:25,300 --> 00:10:28,900 knowledge in the mystery of Christ and then he says what it 172 00:10:28,900 --> 00:10:31,800 is. Which is another Ages was not 173 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:36,100 made known to the sons of men as it has now been revealed by the 174 00:10:36,100 --> 00:10:39,600 spirit To His Holy Apostles and Prophets here. 175 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:42,400 It is. That the Gentiles should be 176 00:10:42,400 --> 00:10:47,300 fellow Heirs of the same body and partakers of his promise in 177 00:10:47,300 --> 00:10:51,900 Christ through the gospel. It had always been the case and 178 00:10:51,900 --> 00:10:55,900 it always been God's plan that there would be jew and Gentile 179 00:10:55,900 --> 00:11:00,400 alike in one body, the church and that mystery that Paul was 180 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:04,100 talking about was evident in the mind of God, but not yet 181 00:11:04,100 --> 00:11:07,600 revealed. But is now revealed in the 182 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:10,600 church and through the church, the body of Christ. 183 00:11:11,300 --> 00:11:14,800 And so, that is the mystery that has been revealed. 184 00:11:15,300 --> 00:11:19,700 So, now we come to verse 3, In verse 3, says, in whom are 185 00:11:19,700 --> 00:11:23,100 hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 186 00:11:24,700 --> 00:11:27,500 The question is, what is meant by the phrase, the treasures of 187 00:11:27,500 --> 00:11:32,200 wisdom and knowledge? Well, obviously as this was a 188 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:36,500 continuous letter. And it wasn't broken down into 189 00:11:36,500 --> 00:11:39,000 book chapter and verse When It Was Written, it was done by the 190 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:43,000 translators later on. So when we look at verse 3, we 191 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:47,800 find it to be a continuation of verse 2 and verse one ends, with 192 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:50,700 the words both of the father and of Christ. 193 00:11:50,700 --> 00:11:52,800 The previous, the previous verse. 194 00:11:53,500 --> 00:11:59,200 Now, Paul includes both the name father and Christ because 195 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:01,800 they're both included in the subject. 196 00:12:01,900 --> 00:12:05,200 Now first of all there's there's the mystery And they in the 197 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:09,600 subject, is the mystery, the mystery existed in the mind of 198 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:14,800 God, it was fulfilled when Jesus shed his blood on the cross and 199 00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:18,200 died for the sins of the world and on the day of Pentecost when 200 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:22,700 the church was established, then it was fulfilled and therefore 201 00:12:22,700 --> 00:12:24,900 that Mysteries made known through the church. 202 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:30,400 So the subject in verse 3 does refer to the mystery, obviously, 203 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:35,300 but it also refers to Jesus. In fact, if you look at Verse 3, 204 00:12:35,500 --> 00:12:40,500 it says in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and 205 00:12:40,500 --> 00:12:45,000 knowledge. Some translations Say by whom 206 00:12:45,500 --> 00:12:49,500 and obviously it's not only referring to the mystery, but 207 00:12:49,500 --> 00:12:54,300 it's also referring to Jesus because all of those things of 208 00:12:54,400 --> 00:12:58,800 all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in Jesus are in 209 00:12:58,800 --> 00:13:04,000 Christ. And he becomes that that Source. 210 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:07,300 In fact, one scholar said, Paul asserts that all Treasures 211 00:13:07,500 --> 00:13:12,200 stored for safekeeping in Christ in is in Christ himself. 212 00:13:12,300 --> 00:13:15,500 All right. Wisdom and knowledge are 213 00:13:15,500 --> 00:13:19,300 specifically mentioned. These words our concept are 214 00:13:19,300 --> 00:13:22,500 similar but they're different in fact the word knowledge 215 00:13:22,500 --> 00:13:26,400 according to fair means intelligence or understanding, 216 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:31,600 wisdom is the application of that knowledge and practice and 217 00:13:31,600 --> 00:13:34,800 so they are very important. Both of them are very important. 218 00:13:34,800 --> 00:13:37,400 In fact, you can have all the knowledge in the world. 219 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:40,900 You can have correct inside of the word of God. 220 00:13:40,900 --> 00:13:44,600 You can have all the knowledge of the world and have no wisdom 221 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:46,700 at all to apply it and it's meaningless. 222 00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:52,300 So both of them run hand-in-hand and by the way, we get knowledge 223 00:13:52,300 --> 00:13:57,100 when we study the word of God, And we get wisdom, when we asked 224 00:13:57,100 --> 00:14:00,000 it of God and God gives it liberally. 225 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:03,900 Now there's also other ways that we can get wisdom and from a 226 00:14:03,908 --> 00:14:06,900 worldly standpoint that is when we learn from the experience of 227 00:14:06,900 --> 00:14:11,300 others and we learn from our own failings and shortcomings and 228 00:14:11,300 --> 00:14:15,900 when we mess up and we recover and we survived the mess up, we 229 00:14:15,900 --> 00:14:18,300 learn wisdom and we learn from that mistake and we move 230 00:14:18,300 --> 00:14:19,300 forward. That's true. 231 00:14:19,900 --> 00:14:22,500 But what we're talking about is we're talking about things that 232 00:14:22,500 --> 00:14:27,000 pertain to Salvation all of that is found in Jesus Christ. 233 00:14:27,400 --> 00:14:30,000 So we're talking about from a specific sense, knowledge and 234 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:33,600 wisdom. Is dealing with salvation and 235 00:14:33,600 --> 00:14:38,800 all of that is in him or in whom the beginning part of the verse 236 00:14:39,100 --> 00:14:44,100 that is Jesus Christ in Jesus, there's all the knowledge and 237 00:14:44,100 --> 00:14:48,200 there's all the wisdom in Salvation it comes from Jesus 238 00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:52,800 Christ. Okay, Verses 4 and 5. 239 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:58,200 Now this this I say lest anyone should deceive you with 240 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:02,000 persuasive words for though, I am absent in the flesh. 241 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:06,600 Yet, I am with you in spirit rejoicing to see your good order 242 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:09,500 and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. 243 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:13,200 Okay, so the question says this, first of all, what was Paul's 244 00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:16,800 great concern for them and I'll just answer that question first. 245 00:15:17,700 --> 00:15:19,800 Obviously has great concern for them. 246 00:15:19,800 --> 00:15:23,400 Is that they remain faithful. Anytime you have great 247 00:15:23,400 --> 00:15:27,000 opposition from a spiritual perspective and it's pulling on 248 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:29,400 people that are trying to do that, which is right. 249 00:15:29,700 --> 00:15:33,300 It obviously generates great concern that those that are 250 00:15:33,308 --> 00:15:35,900 members of the body of Christ will remain faithful. 251 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:40,700 So, first and foremost, that's in the mind of Paul his concern 252 00:15:40,700 --> 00:15:44,000 for them was that they remain faithful. 253 00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:48,500 So he warns them against false teachers, these false teachers 254 00:15:48,500 --> 00:15:53,700 used a mixture of philosophy and Judaism In such a way as to 255 00:15:53,700 --> 00:15:58,300 mislead unsuspecting disciples away from the Simplicity of the 256 00:15:58,300 --> 00:16:02,000 gospel of Christ. Have you ever heard somebody 257 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:06,800 say? That the gospel is so simple or 258 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:10,500 the word of God is so simple or there's something, so plane in 259 00:16:10,500 --> 00:16:12,600 the word of God. And so understandable in the 260 00:16:12,608 --> 00:16:16,900 word of God, it takes a preacher to mess it up and I think that's 261 00:16:16,900 --> 00:16:20,900 really true in the world. The gospel is simple, it's the 262 00:16:20,900 --> 00:16:23,300 simple gospel. It's easy to understand. 263 00:16:23,300 --> 00:16:26,100 And if you have a good and honest heart, the seed of the 264 00:16:26,108 --> 00:16:29,500 Gospel is planted in that good and honest heart and you may not 265 00:16:29,500 --> 00:16:31,700 know anything else, but you know, how to be saved. 266 00:16:31,700 --> 00:16:34,400 And then once you start studying the word of God, God. 267 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:37,500 It is the simple gospel, it's the truth and it's easy to 268 00:16:37,500 --> 00:16:40,400 understand. But when you have people that 269 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:44,400 are I don't know of renowned or you have people that are or 270 00:16:44,500 --> 00:16:47,200 great orators or maybe just people with strong 271 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:51,000 personalities, it can weigh down people that are trying to do 272 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:54,800 what's right and can distort the simple gospel. 273 00:16:56,800 --> 00:17:00,200 And that's what was happening. They were doing so in such a 274 00:17:00,208 --> 00:17:04,700 way, with a mixture of philosophy and Judaism to 275 00:17:04,700 --> 00:17:09,300 mislead unsuspecting disciples away from the Simplicity of the 276 00:17:09,300 --> 00:17:14,400 gospel of Christ. Now, I think there's something 277 00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:19,900 that is very sad to me. And that is the unsuspecting 278 00:17:19,900 --> 00:17:22,400 part. What about this? 279 00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:25,800 What about a man that decides that he's going to be a heretic? 280 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:29,600 And he may not just say, I'm going to be a heretic, but he 281 00:17:29,600 --> 00:17:33,700 may come with an erroneous position and start leading other 282 00:17:33,700 --> 00:17:38,400 people astray by an erroneous position in lieu of or instead 283 00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:40,800 of the truth. And by the way, that is the 284 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:44,000 definition of a heretic. It's not somebody that just 285 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:46,900 misunderstood the word of God and taught it wrong by accident, 286 00:17:46,900 --> 00:17:51,400 it's talking about somebody that willfully decided to choose 287 00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:56,900 Choose an erroneous position teach the erroneous position and 288 00:17:56,900 --> 00:17:59,800 draw a party or sect unto himself. 289 00:17:59,900 --> 00:18:01,600 That is the definition of a heretic. 290 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:05,900 Excuse me. And you know what happens when 291 00:18:05,900 --> 00:18:09,900 the heretic does what he does, there's always an innocent 292 00:18:09,900 --> 00:18:14,100 person or innocent people. Unsuspecting people that don't 293 00:18:14,100 --> 00:18:15,800 know the difference that get LED astray. 294 00:18:16,800 --> 00:18:18,600 Maybe somebody could say well you know, based on the 295 00:18:18,600 --> 00:18:22,900 philosophy of modern philosophy and our own modern thinking you 296 00:18:22,900 --> 00:18:24,900 can make it sound. Oh and yeah. 297 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:27,400 How could that have? That's got to be okay. 298 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:29,800 I mean, look at all the good that it's doing. 299 00:18:30,300 --> 00:18:32,600 I don't think God's really going to make you stick to that, 300 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:34,000 right? I mean, look at all the 301 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:36,900 wonderful people that are there that are following such a 302 00:18:36,908 --> 00:18:39,900 Doctrine or such a false teaching, whatever it might be. 303 00:18:41,200 --> 00:18:45,000 That's what happens when a heretic decides to bring in an 304 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:48,700 erroneous position with the purpose of distorting. 305 00:18:48,700 --> 00:18:52,200 The truth and preaching the error instead of the truth 306 00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:55,200 drawing a party or a sect and to himself, that's exactly what 307 00:18:55,200 --> 00:18:58,200 they were doing a mixture of philosophy and a mixture of 308 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:01,200 Judaism and the unsuspecting members. 309 00:19:02,300 --> 00:19:05,200 What Paul was concerned about, okay? 310 00:19:06,500 --> 00:19:12,800 so in verse 5, In verse 5. Paul says for though, I am 311 00:19:12,800 --> 00:19:15,500 absent in the flesh. Now obviously that meant this 312 00:19:15,500 --> 00:19:21,000 Paul was in prison so Paul could not be with them presently In 313 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:24,900 the Flesh. He said yet, I am with you in 314 00:19:24,900 --> 00:19:29,000 spirit and that word Spirit, simply means in mind, I'm with 315 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:33,800 you in mind and then he says rejoicing to see your good order 316 00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:37,500 and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ and that comes 317 00:19:37,500 --> 00:19:40,900 back to the question. What is meant by the phrase? 318 00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:46,100 Rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your 319 00:19:46,100 --> 00:19:50,900 faith in Christ. Well, obviously the colossian 320 00:19:50,900 --> 00:19:54,800 church had not departed from the faith yet, but they were in 321 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:58,200 danger and Paul gave the warning because of that. 322 00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:01,200 But for the present time, he was very pleased with their 323 00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:05,100 excellent Devotion to Christ and he wishes to have them continue 324 00:20:05,100 --> 00:20:09,000 in the same status. Obviously, he couldn't be with 325 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:13,000 them bodily, but he was obviously with them in spirit or 326 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:16,800 in mind. And obviously, also he had 327 00:20:16,900 --> 00:20:20,200 remembered some of the things that were said about the church. 328 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:23,900 There, look at chapter 1 Colossians chapter 1, and verse 329 00:20:23,900 --> 00:20:26,500 4. So obviously, epaphras could 330 00:20:26,500 --> 00:20:30,000 have brought back some great news about what was going on 331 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:33,100 about the colossian church. Even though Paul was not there 332 00:20:33,100 --> 00:20:37,300 presently because he was in prison Colossians 1 and verse 4, 333 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:41,100 since we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of 334 00:20:41,100 --> 00:20:45,600 your love for all the saints. So, Paul could rejoice in those 335 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:49,200 good things because he had heard that from epaphras who brought 336 00:20:49,200 --> 00:20:52,500 back word of the status of the congregation. 337 00:20:53,300 --> 00:20:58,000 So the phrase rejoicing to see your good order and the 338 00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:00,400 steadfastness of your faith in Christ. 339 00:21:01,900 --> 00:21:06,300 Two words order and steadfastness. 340 00:21:07,700 --> 00:21:10,500 In fact, in the original origins of these words, they are 341 00:21:10,500 --> 00:21:15,100 military, it's a military phraseology and the word order, 342 00:21:15,100 --> 00:21:20,600 by the way. The word order comes from a word 343 00:21:20,600 --> 00:21:24,700 that literally means orderly condition and it doesn't mean 344 00:21:24,700 --> 00:21:28,400 some set routine to be followed. It's not that he was saying that 345 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:32,900 I've heard of your mechanical progression of things and your 346 00:21:32,900 --> 00:21:34,600 routine. That's not what he was saying. 347 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:37,600 It implies that the church in colossae see though had some 348 00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:41,500 system in its procedure. The same thought as expressed in 349 00:21:41,500 --> 00:21:43,900 1st Corinthians chapter 14 and verse 40. 350 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:47,500 Remember what Paul said there? He said let all All things be 351 00:21:47,500 --> 00:21:54,200 done decently and in order. Just a little side note about 352 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:58,000 that phrase. And in order years ago, there 353 00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:02,000 was some folks among our people that believed in a set order of 354 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:03,700 worship. In fact, where we came from over 355 00:22:03,700 --> 00:22:07,000 in minors Oaks there were folks that believed in a set order of 356 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:09,100 worship. And what they had done is, they 357 00:22:09,100 --> 00:22:12,500 had taken this passage, which says in First Corinthians 14 and 358 00:22:12,500 --> 00:22:16,400 40, let all things be done decently and in order, meaning 359 00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:20,100 and order an agenda, an order of worship. 360 00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:22,000 But that's not what this word means. 361 00:22:22,200 --> 00:22:25,800 Went back is the same word in our passage as found in 1st 362 00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:29,900 Corinthians, 14 and 40 and it means it's a military term and 363 00:22:29,900 --> 00:22:33,000 it means an orderly array or fashion. 364 00:22:33,400 --> 00:22:36,500 So when we come together and worship, for example, there's no 365 00:22:36,500 --> 00:22:41,000 chaos we worship together in an orderly fashion. 366 00:22:41,300 --> 00:22:43,800 Paul was saying, one of the great things that he had heard 367 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:47,800 about them, was their order and their steadfast. 368 00:22:48,100 --> 00:22:51,500 So the orderly array of or fashion that they were doing 369 00:22:51,500 --> 00:22:53,000 something. Okay, but then the word 370 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:59,200 steadfast also a military term and it means to make firm or 371 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:04,800 firmness, according to Thayer, steadfast in a military sense. 372 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:07,800 It means to present a solid front to the enemy. 373 00:23:08,500 --> 00:23:11,300 Now, obviously, the enemy is the devil. 374 00:23:12,800 --> 00:23:16,900 The enemy is the devil and all of its evil influences. 375 00:23:18,100 --> 00:23:21,900 And so somebody that is steadfast is somebody that is 376 00:23:21,900 --> 00:23:26,200 remaining steadfast remaining faithful and they are presenting 377 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:30,500 a solid front to the enemy which is the devil and all the evil 378 00:23:30,500 --> 00:23:35,700 influences that he brings. So the colossian church is, 379 00:23:35,700 --> 00:23:39,400 Faith had remained firm in Christ, but false teachers had 380 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:43,000 attacked, the very Foundation of their faith and because of the 381 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:47,100 unrelenting Persistence of these Paul wants to reinforce the 382 00:23:47,100 --> 00:23:50,700 solid. Line between sound Doctrine and 383 00:23:50,700 --> 00:23:53,000 false Doctrine. And we have to do that too. 384 00:23:54,300 --> 00:23:58,900 We have to draw the line and make bold the line between sound 385 00:23:58,900 --> 00:24:02,800 Doctrine and false Doctrine. And that's what Paul's great 386 00:24:02,800 --> 00:24:08,500 concern was and then it comes to verse 6, which covers question 387 00:24:08,500 --> 00:24:13,100 number 5, He said and you have therefore received Christ, 388 00:24:13,100 --> 00:24:19,700 Jesus, the Lord, so walk in him. The question is, how does one 389 00:24:19,700 --> 00:24:23,700 walk in Christ Jesus the Lord? Well first of all, the idea and 390 00:24:23,700 --> 00:24:28,300 the phrase to walk means this It means the same type of 391 00:24:28,300 --> 00:24:34,200 phraseology that Jesus said, when Jesus said ask, and you 392 00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:37,400 shall receive seek and you shall find knock and it shall be 393 00:24:37,400 --> 00:24:41,200 opened unto you. Now, what Jesus meant back then 394 00:24:41,300 --> 00:24:46,400 when he preached that sermon was keep on seeking, keep on asking, 395 00:24:46,500 --> 00:24:49,000 and so forth. Keep on longing, for keep on 396 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:51,900 looking. It's a habitual thing. 397 00:24:51,900 --> 00:24:55,500 Continuation in your life continue to do that. 398 00:24:55,600 --> 00:24:59,000 That's the same phraseology here walking in Christ. 399 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:07,000 The lord means Keep On Walking. I think sometimes people the 400 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:12,300 people of God need encouragement, They know what's 401 00:25:12,300 --> 00:25:16,200 right? They know what the truth is, the 402 00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:20,100 colossian Brethren knew what the truth was, those in laodicea 403 00:25:20,100 --> 00:25:24,700 knew what the truth was. But in the midst of all of the 404 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:29,700 false teachers coming in and pulling them aside, they had to 405 00:25:29,700 --> 00:25:33,900 do what they had to be steadfast and put up the front against the 406 00:25:33,900 --> 00:25:37,500 enemy. The formidable foe of the devil, 407 00:25:37,900 --> 00:25:41,300 they had to do that and they had to keep on walking. 408 00:25:42,100 --> 00:25:44,500 I think sometimes we need to just encourage each other to 409 00:25:44,500 --> 00:25:48,100 keep on walking. Keep On Walking. 410 00:25:48,100 --> 00:25:52,000 Keep on remaining steadfast and encourage one another to do 411 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:53,700 that. That's exactly what he's saying. 412 00:25:53,700 --> 00:25:58,300 Here, the idea means continue to keep on walking, it means to 413 00:25:58,300 --> 00:26:03,100 continue to conduct one's daily life in a manner that is fitting 414 00:26:03,200 --> 00:26:07,400 for a Christian. So, So to walk in Christ, is to 415 00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:10,300 live a life that is patterned after him. 416 00:26:11,900 --> 00:26:16,600 That's what it means to walk in Christ and that is only by doing 417 00:26:16,600 --> 00:26:19,400 God's will. Jesus said, if you love me, keep 418 00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:22,100 my Commandments. He also said if you love me, 419 00:26:22,100 --> 00:26:25,200 keep my words and if you keep my Commandments if you keep my 420 00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:28,900 words you shall abide in my love as I kept the father's 421 00:26:28,900 --> 00:26:31,400 Commandments and abide in his love. 422 00:26:31,500 --> 00:26:34,000 So what is he telling these Brethren? 423 00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:37,000 I know that you've got all this opposition. 424 00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:40,200 I know you got all this stuff going on but I've heard about 425 00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:43,400 your good order and I've heard About your steadfastness and I'm 426 00:26:43,400 --> 00:26:47,500 encouraging you to keep on walking and keep on keeping the 427 00:26:47,500 --> 00:26:50,700 faith. To receive Jesus Christ, the 428 00:26:50,700 --> 00:26:54,500 lord means to obey the gospel. And what he's saying is, since 429 00:26:54,500 --> 00:26:57,100 you are a Christian and you have obeyed the gospel. 430 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:00,800 In other words, you didn't just receive Jesus in the blessings 431 00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:02,400 of Jesus. And there's nothing more for you 432 00:27:02,400 --> 00:27:05,400 to do. What he was saying is in that 433 00:27:05,400 --> 00:27:09,100 passage as you therefore, have received Christ the Lord, in 434 00:27:09,100 --> 00:27:10,700 other words, you've obeyed the gospel. 435 00:27:11,000 --> 00:27:12,900 And he is your Lord and Savior, by the way. 436 00:27:12,900 --> 00:27:16,500 Sure, but you do that by obedience to the gospel you've 437 00:27:16,500 --> 00:27:19,300 been baptized for the remission of sins and Works. 438 00:27:19,300 --> 00:27:20,800 He could have been saying this to. 439 00:27:20,900 --> 00:27:24,300 He could have just said this phraseology, since you became a 440 00:27:24,308 --> 00:27:28,500 Christian and you're a child of God and even washed in the blood 441 00:27:28,500 --> 00:27:35,700 of Jesus. Then walk as you walk in him or 442 00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:39,500 a life that is conducive to that relationship since a person 443 00:27:39,500 --> 00:27:41,600 obeys the gospel and has their sins washed away. 444 00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:44,200 They also have the spiritual blessings in Christ. 445 00:27:45,500 --> 00:27:48,500 So also, in addition to that connected to this, if you 446 00:27:48,500 --> 00:27:53,300 receive the spiritual blessings in Christ, walk as he walked in 447 00:27:53,300 --> 00:27:57,600 other words, spiritual blessings come from obedience, it's all 448 00:27:57,600 --> 00:28:00,000 connected. So, once you obey the gospel, 449 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:01,500 you have the spiritual blessings in Christ. 450 00:28:01,500 --> 00:28:06,200 Walk as he walked walk, as he walked, and it's all connected. 451 00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:12,000 I want to disclose one verse. If you look back at chapter 1, 452 00:28:13,700 --> 00:28:20,200 And verse 10. That you may have a walk worthy 453 00:28:20,200 --> 00:28:24,000 of the Lord. Fully pleasing him being 454 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:27,800 fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of 455 00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:31,200 God. That is a perfect pattern for 456 00:28:31,500 --> 00:28:35,000 the walk that we have. And by the way, there's nothing 457 00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:39,000 that we could do to be worthy of Jesus, but we can be worthy 458 00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:43,400 living a life that is worthy or conducive of being a servant and 459 00:28:43,400 --> 00:28:45,400 that's what we are. As a Christian, we are a 460 00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:47,600 servant. So our walk is that, which is 461 00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:51,100 worthy of a serpent servant of Jesus Christ, growing in the 462 00:28:51,100 --> 00:28:54,400 knowledge of God. We thank you for listening to 463 00:28:54,400 --> 00:28:59,200 our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. 464 00:28:59,200 --> 00:29:02,800 Road in Bakersfield, if you would like any additional 465 00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:06,000 information, or you would like to receive a free Bible 466 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:11,500 correspondence, course by mail. Please email us at info at her 467 00:29:11,500 --> 00:29:13,900 Church of Christ Bakersfield.com. 468 00:29:14,600 --> 00:29:19,800 Our service times are on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and 469 00:29:19,800 --> 00:29:24,300 Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Please make plans to join us. 470 00:29:24,800 --> 00:29:27,000 We would love for you to be our honored guest.