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The Incredible Story of the Letter to the Colossians Like You_ve Never Seen Before · truthunedited

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  Speaker 1: Welcome to our channel of biblical stories. Today we will
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  Speaker 1: dive into one of the literary gems of the New Testament,
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  Speaker 1: the Epistle to the Colossians. Before exploring its fascinating content,
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  Speaker 1: we must first understand its author and the extraordinary context
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  Speaker 1: in which it was written. Paul, originally named Saul, was
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  Speaker 1: born in the city of Tarsus modern day Turkey around
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  Speaker 1: the year five A, d into a Jewish family from
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  Speaker 1: the tribe of Benjamin. Unlike the other Apostles, Paul never
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  Speaker 1: met Jesus during his earthly ministry. In fact, he began
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  Speaker 1: as a fierce persecutor of the early Christians. Educated at
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  Speaker 1: the feet of Gamaliel, one of the most respected Jewish teachers,
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  Speaker 1: Paul was a zealous Pharisee devoted to the Mosaic Law.
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  Speaker 1: His dramatic transformation occurred on the road to Damascus, where
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  Speaker 1: he had a supernatural encounter with the risen Christ that
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  Speaker 1: completely changed his life. From an implacable persecutor, he became
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  Speaker 1: the most ardent defender of the Gospel among the gentiles.
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  Speaker 1: Paul undertook three great missionary journeys throughout the Mediterranean world,
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  Speaker 1: establishing churches in various cities across Asia Minor, Macedonia, and Greece.
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  Speaker 1: His theology centered on justification by faith and the inclusion
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  Speaker 1: of gentiles in God's divine plan, reshaped early Christianity, expanding
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  Speaker 1: it beyond the boundaries of Judaism. The Epistle to the
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  Speaker 1: Colossians was written between approximately sixty sixty two a d.
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  Speaker 1: During Paul's first imprisonment in Rome. Though confined, likely under
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  Speaker 1: house arrest, Paul maintained contact with his churches through collaborators
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  Speaker 1: who traveled between Rome and the Christian communities in Asia Minor. Interestingly,
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  Speaker 1: Paul never personally visited the city of Colosse. The church
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  Speaker 1: there was founded by Apathras, a convert during Paul's ministry
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  Speaker 1: in Ephesus, who carried the Gospel back to his hometown.
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  Speaker 1: Epaphrus later traveled to Rome to visit Paul in prison
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  Speaker 1: and share his concerns about doctrinal issues threatening the young community.
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  Speaker 1: Colossee was located in the Lycus River valley in the
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  Speaker 1: region of Phrygia in what is now Turkey. During the
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  Speaker 1: Persian period and the early Hellenistic era, it was a
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  Speaker 1: prosperous and strategically positioned city along the main trade route
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  Speaker 1: between Ephesus and the East. Known for its deep, purple
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  Speaker 1: dyed wool called Colosina, the city was home to a
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  Speaker 1: diverse population, including native Phrygians, Greeks, Romans, and a significant
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  Speaker 1: Jewish community that had settled there since the time of
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  Speaker 1: Antiochus the third. However, by the time Paul wrote his letter,
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  Speaker 1: Colossi had already lost much of its former splendor. A
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  Speaker 1: devastating earthquake in sixty sixty one a d further contributed
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  Speaker 1: to its decline, while the neighboring cities of Laodicea and
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  Speaker 1: High Arapolis grew in importance. This reality of a city
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  Speaker 1: in economic and cultural decline created fertile ground for the
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  Speaker 1: emergence of new ideas and religious syncretism. The primary reason
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  Speaker 1: for Paul's letter was to address a doctrinal threat known
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  Speaker 1: as the Colossian heresy. This was not a single systematic doctrine,
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  Speaker 1: but rather a complex mixture of various elements. Judaizing influences
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  Speaker 1: that emphasized rituals such as circumcision, dietary laws, and the
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  Speaker 1: observance of special days, proto gnostic tendencies that promoted secret
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  Speaker 1: knowledge as the path to salvation. Greek philosophies that despised
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  Speaker 1: the material world in favor of the spiritual, the worship
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  Speaker 1: of angels and intermediary beings, diminishing the centrality of Christ,
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  Speaker 1: strict ascetic practices aimed at subduing bodily desires. This syncretic
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  Speaker 1: blend promised form of spiritual fullness beyond what was found
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  Speaker 1: in Christ through mystical experiences, secret knowledge, and rigorous ascetic practices.
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  Speaker 1: Paul saw these tendencies as a fundamental threat to the
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  Speaker 1: truth of the Gospel, particularly to the supremacy and sufficiency
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  Speaker 1: of Christ. Faced with this reality, Paul wrote a theologically
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  Speaker 1: rich and powerful letter. His goal was not only to
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  Speaker 1: refute false ideas, but also to present in a positive
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  Speaker 1: light the incomparable greatness of Christ and the fullness of
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  Speaker 1: life in him. Paul knew that the best defense against
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  Speaker 1: error was a deep understanding of the truth. The Epistle
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  Speaker 1: to the Colossians, though relatively short, contains some of the
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  Speaker 1: most profound declarations about the person and work of Christ
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  Speaker 1: found in the New Testament. The famous Christological hymn in
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  Speaker 1: the first chapter stands as one of the pillars of
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  Speaker 1: Christian Christology, affirming the divinity and cosmic supremacy of Jesus
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  Speaker 1: in majestic and poetic language. Now armed with this historical
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  Speaker 1: and theological context, we can delve into the text of
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  Speaker 1: this fascinating letter and discover why its message remains revolutionarily relevant.
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  Speaker 1: Nearly two thousand years after it was written, the scroll
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  Speaker 1: was ready. Paul picked up the quill with his calloused hands.
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  Speaker 1: Even though he was imprisoned in Rome, his spirit remained
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  Speaker 1: free to serve the churches he loved so dearly. Beside him,
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  Speaker 1: the young Timothy watched attentively as the apostle began to
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  Speaker 1: dictate the opening words of his letter. In Colossians one
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  Speaker 1: one to two, Paul introduces himself and greets the church.
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  Speaker 1: Paul an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
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  Speaker 1: and Timothy, our brother to the Saints and faithful brothers
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  Speaker 1: in Christ. At coloss A grace to you and peace
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  Speaker 1: from God our Father. This was how letters in that
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  Speaker 1: era typically began the sender's name, the recipient's name, and
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  Speaker 1: a greeting, But Paul was not merely following a formality.
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  Speaker 1: Every word carried purpose. He identified himself as an apostle
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  Speaker 1: of Christ Jesus by the will of God, a reminder
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  Speaker 1: that his authority came not from men, but from God himself.
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  Speaker 1: And he included Timothy not out of obligation, but to
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  Speaker 1: show that the message had the support of others. The
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  Speaker 1: recipients were not strangers to Paul, even though he had
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  Speaker 1: never personally visited colosse They were saints, people set apart
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  Speaker 1: for God, and faithful brothers in Christ. This was not
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  Speaker 1: just an ordinary letter, but a message from a spiritual
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  Speaker 1: father to his children in the faith. Immediately after the
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  Speaker 1: greeting in Colossians one three to five, Paul reveals his heart.
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  Speaker 1: He gives thanks to God for the Colossians. We always
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  Speaker 1: thank God, the father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, when
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  Speaker 1: we pray for you, since we heard of your faith
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  Speaker 1: in Christ, Jesus, and of the love that you have
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  Speaker 1: for all the saints, because of the hope laid up
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  Speaker 1: for you in heaven. Paul had heard good news about
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  Speaker 1: the Colossians through Apaphraus, his fellow worker, who had founded
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  Speaker 1: the church in that city. Three things in particular caught
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  Speaker 1: his attention. The Colossians faith in Jesus, the love they
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  Speaker 1: showed for one another, and their firm hope in the
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  Speaker 1: future that God had prepared. These three virtues, faith, love,
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  Speaker 1: and hope were the marks of a healthy church. In
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  Speaker 1: Colossians one five to six, Paul explains that this faith
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  Speaker 1: was not something the Colossians had invented. It came from
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  Speaker 1: the Gospel, the Word of truth that had come to them,
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  Speaker 1: just as it was bearing fruit and growing throughout the
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  Speaker 1: whole world. The same message that had transformed lives in Jerusalem, Antioch, Ephesus,
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  Speaker 1: and Rome was now transforming lives in Colossi. The Gospel
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  Speaker 1: was not a secret kept for a select few, but
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  Speaker 1: good news that spread rapidly and bore fruit wherever it went.
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  Speaker 1: In Colossians one seven eight, Paul affectionately mentions Epaphrus, calling
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  Speaker 1: him our beloved, fellow servant and a faithful minister of Christ.
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  Speaker 1: It was through him that the Colossians had come to
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  Speaker 1: know the Gospel, and it was also he who informed
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  Speaker 1: Paul about your love in the spirit. For this reason,
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  Speaker 1: from the day Paul heard about the church in colosse
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  Speaker 1: he had not stopped praying for them. In Colossians one
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  Speaker 1: nine to twelve, we see that his prayer was not
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  Speaker 1: vague or generic, but specific and profound. We have not
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  Speaker 1: ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be
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  Speaker 1: filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom
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  Speaker 1: and spiritual understanding, so that you may walk in a
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  Speaker 1: manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing
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  Speaker 1: fruit in every good work, and growing in the knowledge
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  Speaker 1: of God, being strengthened with all all power according to
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  Speaker 1: His glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy,
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  Speaker 1: giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to
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  Speaker 1: share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.
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  Speaker 1: Paul wanted the Colossians to deeply know God's will, not
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  Speaker 1: just as information, but as wisdom for living. The goal
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  Speaker 1: was clear, a life that pleased the Lord, full of
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  Speaker 1: good works, knowledge of God, and strength through his power
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  Speaker 1: even in difficulties. Paul desired that they would have endurance, patience,
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  Speaker 1: and surprisingly joy. In Colossians one to thirteen fourteen, Paul
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  Speaker 1: explains the reason for this joy. God has rescued us
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  Speaker 1: from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the
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  Speaker 1: kingdom of the Sun he loves. The change was not small.
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  Speaker 1: It was like leaving a country ruled by a cruel
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  Speaker 1: tyrant to enter a kingdom governed by a loving prince.
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  Speaker 1: And in this new Kingdom, through the beloved Son, we
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  Speaker 1: have redemned the forgiveness of sins. When mentioning God's beloved Son,
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  Speaker 1: Paul was overtaken by inspiration, leading to one of the
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  Speaker 1: most beautiful hymns about Jesus in the New Testament, in
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  Speaker 1: Colossians one fifteen to seventeen. His words flowed like poetry,
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  Speaker 1: revealing Christ's greatness like never before. He is the image
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  Speaker 1: of the invisible God, the first born over all creation.
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  Speaker 1: For in him all things were created, things in heaven
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  Speaker 1: and on earth, visible and invisible, where the thrones, dominions, rulers,
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  Speaker 1: or authorities, All things have been created Through him and
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  Speaker 1: for him. He is before all things, and in him
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  Speaker 1: all things hold together. Paul painted a majestic portrait of Jesus.
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  Speaker 1: He is not just a great teacher or a special prophet.
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  Speaker 1: He is the image of the invisible God, the perfect
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  Speaker 1: representation of God in human form. The term firstborn did
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  Speaker 1: not mean that Jesus was created. Rather, it indicated his
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  Speaker 1: position of honor and supremacy over all creation. In fact,
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  Speaker 1: Jesus is the creator of all things. In him, all
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  Speaker 1: things were created, not just the physical world. We can
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  Speaker 1: see but also the invisible spiritual realm, including all authorities
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  Speaker 1: and powers. Christ is not part of creation. He is
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  Speaker 1: the creator, and He did not create just for the
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  Speaker 1: sake of creating. Everything was made through him and for him.
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  Speaker 1: The entire universe finds its purpose in Christ. Beyond that,
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  Speaker 1: Christ holds all things together in him, all things hold together.
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  Speaker 1: Without him, the cosmos would disintegrate. He existed before all things,
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  Speaker 1: indicating his eternity. This Jesus, whom the Colossians worshiped, was
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  Speaker 1: not a lesser God or an intermediary being, as some
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  Speaker 1: false teachers suggested. He is the supreme God. In Colossians
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  Speaker 1: one eighteen twenty, Paul continues now highlighting the relationship between
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  Speaker 1: Christ and the Church. He is the head of the
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  Speaker 1: body the Church. He is the beginning, the first born
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  Speaker 1: from the dead, so that in all things he might
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  Speaker 1: have the supremacy. For it pleased God to have all
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  Speaker 1: his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile
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  Speaker 1: to himself all things, whether things on earth or things
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  Speaker 1: in heaven, by making peace through his blood shed on
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  Speaker 1: the cross. Jesus is not only the Lord of the universe,
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  Speaker 1: but also the head of the body the church. Just
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  Speaker 1: as the head directs the body, Christ leads his church.
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  Speaker 1: He is the beginning, the source of new life, and
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  Speaker 1: the first born from the dead, the first to rise
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  Speaker 1: from the dead, never to die again, paving the way
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  Speaker 1: for others to follow. In everything, Christ has the supremacy,
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  Speaker 1: the first place, the highest position. And this was not
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  Speaker 1: by chance. It was because it pleased God to have
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  Speaker 1: all his fullness dwell in him. The word fullness was
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  Speaker 1: significant in that context. Some false teachers in Colossae spoke
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  Speaker 1: of a spiritual fullness that could only be attained through
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  Speaker 1: secret knowledge or special practices. Paul corrected this error. All
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  Speaker 1: fullness is already in Christ, nothing needs to be added.
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  Speaker 1: This fullness includes the power to reconcile all things to God.
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  Speaker 1: And how did this happen? Not through esoteric knowledge or
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  Speaker 1: complicated rituals, but through His blood shed on the cross,
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  Speaker 1: the Roman instrument of execution, a symbol of shame and curse,
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  Speaker 1: became the means by which God made peace. The cross
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  Speaker 1: was not a tragic accident in God's plan, It was
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  Speaker 1: the chosen method to transform enemies into friends, alienated people
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  Speaker 1: into adopted children. In Colossians one twenty one, twenty two,
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  Speaker 1: Paul reminds the Colossians that they themselves were proof of
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  Speaker 1: this reconciling power. Once you were alienated from God and
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  Speaker 1: were enemies in your minds because of your evil behaviour.
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  Speaker 1: But now He has reconciled you by Christ's physical body
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  Speaker 1: through death, to present you wholly in His sight, without
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  Speaker 1: blemish and free from accusation. The Colossians were not naturally
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  Speaker 1: friends of God. They were alienated and enemies because of
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  Speaker 1: their evil deeds. Their separation was not merely cultural or religious,
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  Speaker 1: but moral. Their actions distanced them from God. But something
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  Speaker 1: incredible happened. Christ reconciled them in the body of his
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  Speaker 1: flesh through his death. The incarnation and crucifixion were not
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  Speaker 1: abstract ideas, but real historical events that changed everything. The
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  Speaker 1: purpose of this reconciliation was to present them as wholly,
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  Speaker 1: blameless and irreproachable before God, not stained by sin, not
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  Speaker 1: under accusation nor subject to reproach, but perfectly accepted. However,
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  Speaker 1: this new position required a continuous response. In Colossians one
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  Speaker 1: twenty three, Paul warns, if indeed you continue in the faith,
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  Speaker 1: grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the
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  Speaker 1: hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached
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  Speaker 1: to every creature under heaven, of which I Paul became
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  Speaker 1: a minister. Perseverance in the faith was essential. The Colossians
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  Speaker 1: needed to remain grounded and steadfast, like a building constructed
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  Speaker 1: on a solid foundation. They could not allow themselves to
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  Speaker 1: be moved away from the hope of the gospel they
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  Speaker 1: had heard. This same gospel was not a local or
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  Speaker 1: ethnic message, but a universal one preached to every creature
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  Speaker 1: under heaven, and Paul had the privilege of being its minister,
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  Speaker 1: a servant appointed to bring this good news to all.
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  Speaker 1: After describing the greatness of Christ, Paul turned his attention
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  Speaker 1: to explaining his own ministry. In Colossians one twenty four,
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  Speaker 1: he makes a surprising statement, I now rejoice in my
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  Speaker 1: sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh. What
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  Speaker 1: is lacking in the afflictions of Christ for the sake
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  Speaker 1: of his body, which is the Church. Paul rejoiced in
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  Speaker 1: his sufferings for the Colossians. How could someone rejoice in suffering?
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  Speaker 1: The answer lay in his purpose. He suffered for the
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  Speaker 1: sake of the body, which is the Church. His imprisonment, hardships,
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  Speaker 1: and persecutions all served to strengthen believers. Paul said he
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  Speaker 1: was filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of
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  Speaker 1: Christ in his own flesh. He was not suggesting that
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  Speaker 1: Jesus' sacrifice on the cross was incomplete for salvation. On
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  Speaker 1: the contrary, he was acknowledging that Christ's followers would continue
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  Speaker 1: to face suffering as they spread the gospel to the world.
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  Speaker 1: Paul's sufferings were part of this ongoing process, an extension
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  Speaker 1: of jesus mission through his disciples. In Collosians one twenty
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  Speaker 1: five to twenty seven, Paul continues explaining his mission, of
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  Speaker 1: which I became a minister according to the stewardship from
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  Speaker 1: God which was given to me for you to fulfill
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  Speaker 1: the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden
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  Speaker 1: from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed
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  Speaker 1: to his saints. To them God willed to make known
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  Speaker 1: what are the riches of the glory of this mystery
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  Speaker 1: among the gentiles, which is Christ in you the hope
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  Speaker 1: of glory. Paul saw himself as a steward, someone entrusted
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  Speaker 1: with a special responsibility to fulfill the word of God.
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  Speaker 1: This word included a mystery not something incomprehensible, but a
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  Speaker 1: truth previously hidden that was now revealed. This mystery had
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  Speaker 1: been concealed from ages and generations, but was now made
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  Speaker 1: known to his saints. What was this great mystery? Christ?
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  Speaker 1: In you the hope of glory. The gentiles, who had
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  Speaker 1: once been excluded from God's promises to Israel, could now
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  Speaker 1: experience the presence of Christ himself within them. This was
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  Speaker 1: an incalculable spiritual richness, a glory that transformed lives and
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  Speaker 1: gave hope for the future. In Colossians one twenty eight
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  Speaker 1: twenty nine, Paul explains why he worked tirelessly. Him we preach,
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  Speaker 1: warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom,
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  Speaker 1: that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
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  Speaker 1: To this end, I also labor, striving according to his working,
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  Speaker 1: which works in me. Mightily noticed the repetition of every
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  Speaker 1: man three times in a single verse. Paul's ministry was
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  Speaker 1: not exclusive or elitist. He preached, warned, and took taught
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  Speaker 1: everyone without distinction in all wisdom. His goal was to
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  Speaker 1: present every man perfect in Christ, not just converts but
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  Speaker 1: mature disciples. This work required great effort. Paul labored struggled
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  Speaker 1: and gave his all. But he did not rely solely
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  Speaker 1: on his own strength. He depended on his working, which
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  Speaker 1: works in me mightily. The power came from God, not
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  Speaker 1: from Paul. In Colossians two one to three, Paul continues
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  Speaker 1: sharing his heart for the Colossians. For I want you
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  Speaker 1: to know what a great conflict I have for you
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  Speaker 1: and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have
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  Speaker 1: not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts
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  Speaker 1: may be encouraged, being knit together in love and attaining
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  Speaker 1: to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to
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  Speaker 1: the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the
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  Speaker 1: Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the
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  Speaker 1: treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Paul had never visited Colossa
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  Speaker 1: or Laodicea in person, yet he had a great conflict
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  Speaker 1: for them, a spiritual battle of prayer, concern, and apostolic effort.
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  Speaker 1: He wanted their hearts to be encouraged and knit together
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  Speaker 1: in love, united, not divided by false doctrines. More than that,
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  Speaker 1: Paul desired that they have all the riches of the
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  Speaker 1: full assurance of understanding. The Christian faith is not blind
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  Speaker 1: or irrational. It involves conviction and comprehension. And what is
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  Speaker 1: the object of this understanding the mystery of God, both
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  Speaker 1: of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden
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  Speaker 1: all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. This was a
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  Speaker 1: direct response to false teachers who promised special wisdom and
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  Speaker 1: knowledge through their doctrines. Paul declared that everything we need
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  Speaker 1: is already in Christ, all the treasures. There is no
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  Speaker 1: need to seek alternative sources of wisdom or hidden knowledge.
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  Speaker 1: In Colossians Too four to five, Paul reveals his practical concern.
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  Speaker 1: Now this I say, lest any one should deceive you
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  Speaker 1: with persuasive words, For though I am absent in the flesh,
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  Speaker 1: yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see
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  Speaker 1: your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.
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  Speaker 1: Paul's concern was clear, Let no one deceive you with
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  Speaker 1: specious reasoning. The false teachers were persuasive, using arguments that
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  Speaker 1: seemed solid but were actually deceptive. Paul, though physically absent,
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  Speaker 1: was present in spirit, not in a mystical sense, but
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  Speaker 1: in thought and concern, and what he saw brought him joy.
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  Speaker 1: Your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.
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  Speaker 1: Paul compared faith to a well organized d battle, with
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  Speaker 1: soldiers in formation, good order, and a solid defensive stance firmness.
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  Speaker 1: The Colossians were resisting the attacks, but the battle was
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  Speaker 1: not over. In Colossians two six seven, Paul gives a
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: fundamental exhortation, Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord,
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: so walk in him, rooted and built up in him,
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: and established in the faith, just as you were taught
• 22:15
  Speaker 1: abounding in thanksgiving. Here lies the heart of Paul's advice.
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: The Christian life is not just about beginning with Christ,
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: but continuing in him. As you received Christ Jesus the Lord,
• 22:27
  Speaker 1: so walk in him. The same faith that save them
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: should guide their daily walk. Paul used three powerful images.
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: Rooted like a tree with deep roots, built up like
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: a building under construction on a solid foundation, and established
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: in the faith as something firmly set beyond doubt. All
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: of this should result in gratitude abounding in thanksgiving. A
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: grateful heart is the best antidote against false doctrines. Having
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: established Christ's supremacy and exc explained his ministry, Paul now
• 23:02
  Speaker 1: directly confronted the false doctrines that threatened the church in Colossi.
• 23:07
  Speaker 1: In Colossian's two point eight. He warns, see to it
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit.
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: According to human tradition, according to the elemental principles of
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: the world, and not according to Christ. The danger was real.
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: Someone could take them captive, just as a hunter captures
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: his prey. The method would be philosophy and empty deceit,
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: not an honest pursuit of truth, but empty speculations disguised
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: as deep wisdom. This philosophy had two sources, human tradition
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: and the elemental principles of the world. It did not
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: come from God, nor was it according to Christ. The
• 23:50
  Speaker 1: elemental principles of the world could refer either to basic
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: principles or to spiritual beings or forces that were thought
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: to govern nature. In case, Paul contrasted them with something
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: infinitely greater. In Colossians two nine ten, Paul makes one
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: of the clearest declarations of Christ's divinity. For in him
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: been filled in Him, who is the head of all
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: rule and authority. In him dwells the whole fullness of deity,
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: not just a portion, not temporarily but permanently and in
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: its entirety, and not in an abstract way, but bodily
• 24:31
  Speaker 1: in his physical body. Because they were in Him, the
• 24:35
  Speaker 1: Colossians were already filled complete, lacking nothing essential. They did
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: not need additional practices or secret knowledge to attain spiritual fullness.
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: Christ was already the head of all rule and authority,
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: superior to any spiritual power that false teachers might revere
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: or fear. In Colossians two eleven twelve, Paul address this
• 25:00
  Speaker 1: is the issue of circumcision, a Jewish ritual that some
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: false teachers were demanding from gentile Christians. In Him, also
• 25:09
  Speaker 1: you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: which you were also raised with him through faith in
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: the powerful working of God who raised him from the dead.
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: Christians had already received a spiritual circumcision in Christ, not
• 25:32
  Speaker 1: made with hands, unlike the physical ritual, but by putting
• 25:36
  Speaker 1: off the body of the flesh. This spiritual circumcision represented
• 25:40
  Speaker 1: the removal of the sinful nature, something far deeper than
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: an external ritual. Baptism in turn, symbolized both burial and
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: resurrection with Christ. Believers were buried with him in baptism
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: signifying death to sin, and raised with him through faith
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: in the powerful working of God, signifying new life. The
• 26:04
  Speaker 1: same divine power that raised Jesus now operated in those
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: who believed in Him. In Colossians two thirteen fifteen, Paul
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: applies this truth directly to the Colossians, and you, who
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: our trespasses by canceling the record of debt that stood
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: against us with its legal demands. This he set aside,
• 26:36
  Speaker 1: nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and
• 26:39
  Speaker 1: authorities and put them to open shame by triumphing over
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: them in Him. Before knowing Christ, the Colossians were dead,
• 26:48
  Speaker 1: not physically, but spiritually, separated from the life of God.
• 26:52
  Speaker 1: This spiritual death was evident in two ways, in your trespasses,
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: sinful actions, and in the uncircumcision of your blesh the
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: natural state of separation from God. But God made you
• 27:07
  Speaker 1: alive together with him. The same resurrected life of Christ
• 27:12
  Speaker 1: now flowed in them. And along with this new life
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: came forgiveness, Having forgiven us all our trespasses. The forgiveness
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: was not partial, but complete all trespasses. Paul used a
• 27:26
  Speaker 1: powerful legal image. God canceled the record of debt. In
• 27:32
  Speaker 1: ancient times, when someone had a debt, they would sign
• 27:36
  Speaker 1: a document acknowledging their obligation. God's law was like this document,
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: revealing our moral debt before him. But Christ set it aside,
• 27:45
  Speaker 1: nailing it to the cross, as if the debt had
• 27:48
  Speaker 1: been nailed there and paid in full with his blood.
• 27:51
  Speaker 1: Beyond that, Christ triumphed over hostile spiritual powers. He disarmed
• 27:58
  Speaker 1: the rulers and authorities like a victorious general, stripping his
• 28:03
  Speaker 1: enemies of their weapons and insignias. He put them to
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: open shame, a victory parade where the captives were displayed.
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: And he did all this on the cross. What seemed
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: to be his moment of greatest weakness was in fact
• 28:18
  Speaker 1: his greatest triumph. After establishing Christ's complete victory, Paul addresses
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: specific practices that false teachers were imposing on the Colossians
• 28:29
  Speaker 1: in Colossians two, sixteen seventeen He says, therefore, let no
• 28:34
  Speaker 1: one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink,
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: or with regard to a festival, or a new moon
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: or a sabbath. These are a shadow of the things
• 28:44
  Speaker 1: to come, But the substance belongs to Christ. Some were
• 28:49
  Speaker 1: judging the Christians for not following Jewish dietary laws food
• 28:53
  Speaker 1: and drink, or not observing special days in the Jewish
• 28:57
  Speaker 1: calendar festival, new moon, sabbaths. Paul is not saying that
• 29:01
  Speaker 1: these practices were wrong in themselves, but rather that they
• 29:04
  Speaker 1: were merely a shadow of the things to come. They
• 29:08
  Speaker 1: pointed to Christ, who is the reality. When you have
• 29:11
  Speaker 1: the real person by your side, you no longer need
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: to settle for their shadow. The body, the substance, the
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: reality to which the shadow pointed is Christ. He is
• 29:23
  Speaker 1: the fulfillment of everything the law and Jewish rituals symbolized
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: in Collotionans two eighteen to nineteen. Paul addresses another problematic practice,
• 29:35
  Speaker 1: Let no one pass judgment on you in questions of
• 29:38
  Speaker 1: food and drink, or with regard to a festival or
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: a new moon or sabbaths. These are a shadow of
• 29:44
  Speaker 1: the things to come, But the body is Christ's let
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels,
• 29:52
  Speaker 1: going on in detail about visions puffed up without reason
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head,
• 30:00
  Speaker 1: from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through
• 30:03
  Speaker 1: its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is
• 30:07
  Speaker 1: from God. Some false teachers promoted the worship of angels,
• 30:12
  Speaker 1: possibly venerating angels as intermediaries between God and humans. They
• 30:18
  Speaker 1: boasted about special visions and practiced a false humility, likely
• 30:23
  Speaker 1: engaging in severe ascetic practices that appeared spiritual but were
• 30:27
  Speaker 1: actually expressions of pride. Their fundamental error not holding fast
• 30:33
  Speaker 1: to the head, they were not connected to Christ, who
• 30:37
  Speaker 1: is the head of the body. Without this vital connection,
• 30:40
  Speaker 1: they could not experience the true growth that comes from God.
• 30:45
  Speaker 1: As members of the body, believers need to remain connected
• 30:49
  Speaker 1: to the head to receive nourishment and direction. In Collosians
• 30:55
  Speaker 1: two twenty twenty three, Paul concludes his refutation with a
• 30:59
  Speaker 1: provocative question. If with Christ you died to the elemental
• 31:03
  Speaker 1: spirits of the world, why, as if you were still
• 31:07
  Speaker 1: alive in the world, do you submit to regulations? Do
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: not handle, do not taste, do not touch, referring to
• 31:14
  Speaker 1: things that all perish as they are used according to
• 31:17
  Speaker 1: human precepts and teachings. These have indeed an appearance of
• 31:22
  Speaker 1: wisdom in promoting self made religion and asceticism and severity
• 31:27
  Speaker 1: to the body, but they are of no value in
• 31:30
  Speaker 1: stopping the indulgence of the flesh. Paul reminded the Colossians
• 31:34
  Speaker 1: that they had died with Christ to the elemental spirits
• 31:38
  Speaker 1: of the world. They had been set free from the
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: basic principles and forces that once enslaved them. So why
• 31:45
  Speaker 1: were they subjecting themselves again to legalistic rules do not handle,
• 31:50
  Speaker 1: do not taste, do not touch. These rules had an
• 31:53
  Speaker 1: appearance of wisdom. They seemed pious and disciplined. They involved
• 31:58
  Speaker 1: self made religion, volunt terry, devotion, false humility, self denial practices,
• 32:04
  Speaker 1: and severe asceticism harsh treatment of the body. But Paul
• 32:09
  Speaker 1: dismantled all these practices with one devastating observation, they are
• 32:14
  Speaker 1: of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
• 32:18
  Speaker 1: All that legalism and asceticism, all those rules and restrictions,
• 32:22
  Speaker 1: had no real power to transform the human heart or
• 32:26
  Speaker 1: control sinful desires. At most, they could temporarily modify external behaviour.
• 32:32
  Speaker 1: True transformation comes only through union with Christ in his
• 32:36
  Speaker 1: death and resurrection, something Paul would explore more deeply in
• 32:40
  Speaker 1: the next chapter. After refuting the false doctrines threatening the church,
• 32:46
  Speaker 1: Paul shifts the tone of his letter. It was not
• 32:49
  Speaker 1: enough to simply know what not to do. The Colossians
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: needed to understand how to positively live out their faith.
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: The apostle now turns his attention to the practical side
• 33:00
  Speaker 1: the Christian life, beginning with a fundamental change in perspective.
• 33:05
  Speaker 1: In Colossians three one four, Paul writes, if then you
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above,
• 33:13
  Speaker 1: where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
• 33:17
  Speaker 1: Set your minds on things that are above, not on
• 33:20
  Speaker 1: things that are on earth. For you have died and
• 33:23
  Speaker 1: your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ,
• 33:26
  Speaker 1: who is your life, appears, then you also will appear
• 33:30
  Speaker 1: with him in glory. These words were not just beautiful theory.
• 33:35
  Speaker 1: Paul was reminding the Colosss of a profound spiritual reality
• 33:39
  Speaker 1: that had already taken place. They had been raised with Christ.
• 33:44
  Speaker 1: This was not something that would happen in the future,
• 33:47
  Speaker 1: but a transformation that had already occurred when they believed
• 33:51
  Speaker 1: the Gospel. This new reality required a new bochus seek
• 33:56
  Speaker 1: the things that are above. The word seek implies an
• 34:00
  Speaker 1: ongoing and intentional effort. It is not automatic. It requires
• 34:05
  Speaker 1: decision and persistence. Where should this pursuit be directed. Where
• 34:11
  Speaker 1: Christ is seated at the right hand of God, the
• 34:15
  Speaker 1: place of honor and authority in the universe. Paul goes further,
• 34:19
  Speaker 1: set your minds on things that are above, not on
• 34:23
  Speaker 1: things that are on earth. It's not just about seeking,
• 34:26
  Speaker 1: but about thinking, meditating, letting the mind be occupied with
• 34:30
  Speaker 1: heavenly realities. The contrast is clear, the things above versus
• 34:36
  Speaker 1: the things on earth. Earthly things are not necessarily evil,
• 34:41
  Speaker 1: but they must not be the Christian's primary focus. The
• 34:44
  Speaker 1: reason for this shift in focus for you have died,
• 34:48
  Speaker 1: and your life is hidden with Christ in God. The
• 34:52
  Speaker 1: old self, with its purely earthly desires and ambitions, is dead.
• 34:56
  Speaker 1: The believer's true life is now hidden with Christ, unseen
• 35:01
  Speaker 1: by the world, which cannot understand or appreciate it, but
• 35:05
  Speaker 1: perfectly secure in God. This hidden life has a glorious
• 35:10
  Speaker 1: future when Christ, who is your life, appears then you
• 35:15
  Speaker 1: also will appear with him in glory. When Jesus returns
• 35:19
  Speaker 1: in his glory, believers will be revealed for who they
• 35:23
  Speaker 1: truly are, transformed into His likeness, sharing in his victory
• 35:28
  Speaker 1: heirs of his kingdom. What is now hidden will one
• 35:31
  Speaker 1: day be openly displayed for the entire universe too. See,
• 35:36
  Speaker 1: Paul is not just painting a beautiful picture of the future.
• 35:39
  Speaker 1: He is urging the Colossians to live now in light
• 35:42
  Speaker 1: of this coming reality. The hope of future glory should
• 35:46
  Speaker 1: shape present behavior. But what does it mean in practice
• 35:51
  Speaker 1: to live as someone who has died and risen with Christ?
• 35:55
  Speaker 1: Or moves from the general principle to specific applications. If
• 35:59
  Speaker 1: the you life is hidden with Christ, then the old
• 36:02
  Speaker 1: way of life must be completely abandoned. In Collosians three
• 36:07
  Speaker 1: five to seven, Paul commands put to death. Therefore whatever
• 36:12
  Speaker 1: belongs to your earthly nature, sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil, desires,
• 36:18
  Speaker 1: and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath
• 36:23
  Speaker 1: of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. You
• 36:26
  Speaker 1: also walked in these ways in the past when you
• 36:29
  Speaker 1: lived in them. Put to death a sharp and decisive command.
• 36:34
  Speaker 1: This is not a gentle request, but an imperative order.
• 36:38
  Speaker 1: The original word suggests an execution, a deliberate act of
• 36:42
  Speaker 1: completely eliminating something. And what is the object of this execution?
• 36:49
  Speaker 1: Your earthly nature, literally the members which are on earth,
• 36:54
  Speaker 1: referring to the parts of the body that serve as
• 36:56
  Speaker 1: instruments of sin. Paul then lists five specific sins that
• 37:01
  Speaker 1: must be eradicated. The first for a sexual in nature,
• 37:05
  Speaker 1: sexual immorality any sexual relationship outside of marriage, impurity, all
• 37:11
  Speaker 1: forms of moral filth, lust, uncontrolled sexual desires, and evil
• 37:18
  Speaker 1: desires sexual cravings for forbidden people. The fifth is greed,
• 37:24
  Speaker 1: which is idolatry, the insatiable desire for more, placing material
• 37:29
  Speaker 1: things in the position that belongs only to God. Why
• 37:33
  Speaker 1: are these sins so serious? Because because of these the
• 37:39
  Speaker 1: wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience.
• 37:42
  Speaker 1: God is not indifferent to evil. His holy indignation is
• 37:46
  Speaker 1: aroused against those who persist in rebellion against His will.
• 37:51
  Speaker 1: Paul gently reminds the Colossians, you also walked in these
• 37:55
  Speaker 1: ways in the past when you lived in them. He's
• 37:58
  Speaker 1: not speaking as someone say, superior, who has never faced temptation.
• 38:03
  Speaker 1: He acknowledges that the Colossians had a sinful past. Walked
• 38:08
  Speaker 1: indicates a way of life, not just occasional lapses. But
• 38:12
  Speaker 1: that was in the past before they knew Christ. Now
• 38:16
  Speaker 1: they were called to a completely different life. In Colossians
• 38:21
  Speaker 1: three eight to nine, Paul continues his list of things
• 38:24
  Speaker 1: to abandon, But now you must also rid yourselves of
• 38:27
  Speaker 1: all such things as these anger, rage, malice, slander, and
• 38:33
  Speaker 1: filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other.
• 38:36
  Speaker 1: Since you have taken off the old self with its practices,
• 38:40
  Speaker 1: rid yourselves like someone removing filthy clothes. These sins do
• 38:45
  Speaker 1: not match the new identity in Christ. This new list
• 38:49
  Speaker 1: includes social sins that harm relationships, anger, explosive rage, rage,
• 38:55
  Speaker 1: long standing hostility, malice, desire to harm others, slander, speaking
• 39:01
  Speaker 1: ill of others, and filthy language vulgar and offensive words.
• 39:07
  Speaker 1: Paul and Dads do not lie to each other. Lying
• 39:11
  Speaker 1: destroys the trust that is essential to the Christian community.
• 39:15
  Speaker 1: The reason for abandoning all these behaviors, since you have
• 39:19
  Speaker 1: taken off the old self with its practices. The old
• 39:23
  Speaker 1: self represents the sinful nature, the human being, dominated by
• 39:28
  Speaker 1: selfish and rebellious desires. The Colossians had already taken off
• 39:33
  Speaker 1: this old identity when they accepted Christ. In Colossians three
• 39:37
  Speaker 1: are ten eleven. Paul completes his thought and have put
• 39:41
  Speaker 1: on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge,
• 39:44
  Speaker 1: in the image of its creator. Here there is no
• 39:46
  Speaker 1: gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, Barbarian, Scythian, slave or free.
• 39:53
  Speaker 1: But Christ is all and is in all. The Colossians
• 39:57
  Speaker 1: had not only taken off the old, but all also
• 40:00
  Speaker 1: put on the new, the new nature in Christ. This
• 40:04
  Speaker 1: new self is not static but dynamic, being renewed in knowledge.
• 40:10
  Speaker 1: It is a continuous process of renewal in which the
• 40:13
  Speaker 1: believer grows in their knowledge of God and becomes more
• 40:17
  Speaker 1: like the one who created him. In this new humanity
• 40:22
  Speaker 1: in Christ, the distinctions that divided people in the ancient
• 40:25
  Speaker 1: world lose their significance. No gentile or Jew racial religious distinction,
• 40:32
  Speaker 1: circumcised or uncircumcised ritual distinction, Barbarian Scythian cultural distinction the
• 40:40
  Speaker 1: Scythians were considered the most savage among the Barbarians, or
• 40:44
  Speaker 1: slave or free socioeconomic distinction. All these categories that humans
• 40:51
  Speaker 1: use to divide and discriminate against each other are irrelevant
• 40:55
  Speaker 1: in the Church. Because Christ is all and is in all,
• 41:00
  Speaker 1: He transcends and removes human barriers, uniting people from all
• 41:04
  Speaker 1: backgrounds into a new people who find their primary identity
• 41:09
  Speaker 1: in Him. It is not enough to simply abandon evil.
• 41:13
  Speaker 1: The Christian must also actively embrace good. After listing what
• 41:17
  Speaker 1: must be taken off, Paul now describes what must be
• 41:20
  Speaker 1: put on, the virtues that characterize life in Christ. In
• 41:26
  Speaker 1: Colosians three twelve fourteen, he writes, Therefore, as God's chosen people,
• 41:32
  Speaker 1: holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness,
• 41:39
  Speaker 1: and patience. Bear with each other, and forgive one another.
• 41:43
  Speaker 1: If any of you has a grievance against some one,
• 41:46
  Speaker 1: forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these
• 41:50
  Speaker 1: virtues put on love, which binds them altogether in perfect unity.
• 41:56
  Speaker 1: Paul begins by reminding the Colossians who they are, God's
• 42:00
  Speaker 1: chosen people, Holy and dearly loved. These three words capture
• 42:04
  Speaker 1: the Christian identity, chosen selected by God before the foundation
• 42:10
  Speaker 1: of the world. Holy, set apart for God and his service,
• 42:15
  Speaker 1: and dearly loved. The objects of God's unconditional love. From
• 42:19
  Speaker 1: this identity flows Christian behavior. They must clothe themselves as
• 42:24
  Speaker 1: one puts on clean new garments, with five specific virtues. Compassion,
• 42:30
  Speaker 1: tenderness of heart, kindness, generosity in action, humility, a correct
• 42:36
  Speaker 1: assessment of oneself, gentleness, strength under control, patience, endurance in
• 42:43
  Speaker 1: difficult circumstances. These virtues manifest in community life. Bear with
• 42:49
  Speaker 1: each other and forgive one another. Living alongside other imperfect
• 42:54
  Speaker 1: people requires patience, bear with each other, and forgiveness. And
• 42:59
  Speaker 1: what is the standard for this forgiveness? Forgive as the
• 43:04
  Speaker 1: Lord forgave you. The forgiveness we receive from Christ is
• 43:09
  Speaker 1: the model for the forgiveness we must extend to others, Complete, free,
• 43:14
  Speaker 1: and unconditional. Above all these things, however, put on love
• 43:19
  Speaker 1: like an outer garment that completes the outfit. Love is
• 43:22
  Speaker 1: not just another virtue on the list. It is the
• 43:25
  Speaker 1: supreme virtue that binds all the others together. It is
• 43:30
  Speaker 1: the bond of perfection, the force that holds everything in
• 43:34
  Speaker 1: perfect harmony, like a belt that secures all the other
• 43:37
  Speaker 1: pieces of clothing. In Colossians three fifteen to seventeen, Paul
• 43:43
  Speaker 1: continues with three fundamental exhortations for Christian life. Let the
• 43:48
  Speaker 1: peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed
• 43:52
  Speaker 1: you were called in one body, and be thankful. Let
• 43:55
  Speaker 1: the Word of Christ dwell in you, richly, teaching and
• 43:58
  Speaker 1: admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns
• 44:03
  Speaker 1: and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
• 44:07
  Speaker 1: And whatever you do in word or deed, do everything
• 44:12
  Speaker 1: in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to
• 44:15
  Speaker 1: God the Father through him. First, let the Peace of
• 44:18
  Speaker 1: Christ rule in your hearts. The word rule comes from
• 44:22
  Speaker 1: the world of sports. It refers to someone who makes
• 44:26
  Speaker 1: decisions in competitions. Paul is saying that the peace of
• 44:30
  Speaker 1: Christ should be the ultimate judge in life's decisions. When
• 44:34
  Speaker 1: faced with choices, Christians should ask, will this choice promote
• 44:39
  Speaker 1: the peace of Christ in my life and in the community.
• 44:43
  Speaker 1: This peace is not an individualistic experience, for we have
• 44:47
  Speaker 1: been called in one body. Peace must govern not only
• 44:51
  Speaker 1: within each believer, but also among believers as a community.
• 44:56
  Speaker 1: And what should be the response to this calling to peace?
• 44:59
  Speaker 1: Be thankful. Gratitude prevents bitterness and resentment, which can destroy peace. Second,
• 45:06
  Speaker 1: let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. The
• 45:11
  Speaker 1: message of Jesus must reside abundantly within believers, not as
• 45:15
  Speaker 1: an occasional visitor, but as a permanent resident, occupying every
• 45:19
  Speaker 1: corner of the house. This in dwelling of the Word
• 45:22
  Speaker 1: produces teaching, counseling and praise, teaching and admonishing one another
• 45:28
  Speaker 1: in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.
• 45:33
  Speaker 1: Notice the communal aspect teaching and admonishing one another. The
• 45:38
  Speaker 1: Word is not just for individual study, but for mutual sharing,
• 45:42
  Speaker 1: and teaching is not separate from worship. Both naturally flow
• 45:46
  Speaker 1: when the Word dwells richly within the community. This worship
• 45:50
  Speaker 1: must be offered with thankfulness in your hearts to God,
• 45:54
  Speaker 1: not just with lips, but from the depths of one's being. Third,
• 46:00
  Speaker 1: and whatever you do in word or deed, do everything
• 46:04
  Speaker 1: in the name of the Lord Jesus. This is one
• 46:06
  Speaker 1: of the most comprehensive instructions in the Bible. Whatever you do,
• 46:11
  Speaker 1: no area of life is excluded. To do something in
• 46:15
  Speaker 1: the name of Jesus means to do it as his representative,
• 46:19
  Speaker 1: in accordance with his character, seeking his glory and once again,
• 46:24
  Speaker 1: gratitude appears giving thanks to God the Father. Through him,
• 46:30
  Speaker 1: the Christian life is fundamentally a life of gratitude. After
• 46:34
  Speaker 1: establishing the general principles of Christian living, Paul now applies
• 46:38
  Speaker 1: them to family relationships. The new life in Christ is
• 46:42
  Speaker 1: not lived in isolation, but in daily relationships with those
• 46:46
  Speaker 1: closest to us. The Gospel transforms the family from the
• 46:51
  Speaker 1: inside out. In Colossians three, eighteen nineteen, Paul addresses the
• 46:57
  Speaker 1: marriage relationship. Why submit to your husbands as is fitting
• 47:03
  Speaker 1: in the Lord husbands, Love your wives, and do not
• 47:06
  Speaker 1: be harsh with them. In just two sentences, Paul revolutionizes
• 47:11
  Speaker 1: marriage in the Greco Roman culture. To wives, he says,
• 47:15
  Speaker 1: submit to your husbands. This submission is not civility or inferiority,
• 47:20
  Speaker 1: but a voluntary choice to respect the husband's leadership in
• 47:24
  Speaker 1: the family. Paul qualifies this submission as is fitting in
• 47:28
  Speaker 1: the Lord, within the boundaries of God's will. If the
• 47:32
  Speaker 1: husband demands something contrary to scripture, obedience to the Lord
• 47:36
  Speaker 1: takes precedence to husbands. Paul says, love your wives. In
• 47:43
  Speaker 1: a culture where women were often seen as property, this
• 47:46
  Speaker 1: command was revolutionary. The love required here is the sacrificial
• 47:51
  Speaker 1: love of Christ for the church, a love willing to
• 47:54
  Speaker 1: lay down one's life for the beloved, and not only that,
• 47:58
  Speaker 1: do not be harsh with them. Husbands must not be harsh, critical,
• 48:02
  Speaker 1: or insensitive, but gentle and understanding. In Colossians three twenty
• 48:07
  Speaker 1: twenty one, Paul addresses children and parents. Children, obey your
• 48:12
  Speaker 1: parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers. Do
• 48:16
  Speaker 1: not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. To children,
• 48:20
  Speaker 1: the command is clear, obey your parents in everything. Obedience
• 48:24
  Speaker 1: must be complete, not selective. The motivation is spiritual, for
• 48:29
  Speaker 1: this pleases the Lord. Children please the Lord when they
• 48:33
  Speaker 1: obey their parents. To parents, Paul warns, do not provoke
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  Speaker 1: your children. They must not use their authority to unnecessarily
• 48:42
  Speaker 1: frustrate or provoke their children. The goal is clear, lest
• 48:47
  Speaker 1: they become discouraged. Excessively harsh discipline or unrealistic expectations can
• 48:54
  Speaker 1: crush a child's spirit, making them give up trying to please.
• 48:59
  Speaker 1: In Colossians three twenty two four one, Paul addresses the
• 49:03
  Speaker 1: relationship between servants and masters, the equivalent of modern day
• 49:07
  Speaker 1: employer employee relationships. Servants obey in everything those who are
• 49:13
  Speaker 1: your earthly masters, not by way of eye service as
• 49:17
  Speaker 1: people pleases, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.
• 49:22
  Speaker 1: Whatever you do, work heartily as for the Lord and
• 49:26
  Speaker 1: not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will
• 49:29
  Speaker 1: receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the
• 49:33
  Speaker 1: Lord Christ for the wrong doer will be paid back
• 49:36
  Speaker 1: for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality. Masters,
• 49:41
  Speaker 1: treat your servants justly and fairly, knowing that you also
• 49:45
  Speaker 1: have a master in heaven. To servants, Paul exhorts obey
• 49:50
  Speaker 1: in everything. Those who are your earthly masters. Their obedience
• 49:55
  Speaker 1: must be comprehensive. But there is an important qualification. They
• 49:59
  Speaker 1: must not serve by way of eye service as people pleases.
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  Speaker 1: Their work should not be done only when the boss
• 50:07
  Speaker 1: is watching, but always with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.
• 50:12
  Speaker 1: Work must be done heartily as for the Lord, and
• 50:15
  Speaker 1: not for men. The Christian ultimately works for God, not
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  Speaker 1: for an earthly employer. This perspective transforms even the most
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  Speaker 1: mundane work into sacred service. The motivation knowing that from
• 50:28
  Speaker 1: the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.
• 50:33
  Speaker 1: God will reward faithfulness in work, even if the earthly
• 50:38
  Speaker 1: employer does not Paul emphasizes, it is the Lord Christ
• 50:43
  Speaker 1: you are serving. The true master of the Christian is Jesus,
• 50:47
  Speaker 1: and there is a warning for those who commit injustice.
• 50:51
  Speaker 1: Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs,
• 50:55
  Speaker 1: and there is no favoritism. God will judge both servants
• 50:59
  Speaker 1: and masters. Impartially to the masters, Paul warns, treat your
• 51:04
  Speaker 1: servants with justice and fairness. They must be just, giving
• 51:08
  Speaker 1: servants what is legally due and fair, treating them with
• 51:12
  Speaker 1: kindness beyond legal requirements. The reason knowing that you also
• 51:17
  Speaker 1: have a master in heaven. Earthly masters are also servants
• 51:21
  Speaker 1: of the heavenly Lord and will be accountable to him
• 51:24
  Speaker 1: for how they treat their subordinates. Paul now concludes his
• 51:29
  Speaker 1: letter with practical instructions and personal greetings. After addressing major
• 51:34
  Speaker 1: theological themes and family life, he turns to practical matters
• 51:39
  Speaker 1: of Christian living and community. In Collosians four two to four,
• 51:43
  Speaker 1: he emphasizes the importance of prayer. Devote yourselves to prayer,
• 51:49
  Speaker 1: being watchful and thankful, and pray for us too, that
• 51:53
  Speaker 1: God may open a door for our message, so that
• 51:56
  Speaker 1: we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I
• 51:59
  Speaker 1: am ins pray that I may declare it clearly as
• 52:03
  Speaker 1: I should. Devote yourselves to prayer. Prayer should not be
• 52:09
  Speaker 1: occasional or sporadic, but constant and persistent. Being watchful implies attentiveness,
• 52:16
  Speaker 1: staying alert against spiritual drowsiness, and once again, gratitude appears
• 52:22
  Speaker 1: with thanksgiving. True prayer is not just about asking, but
• 52:26
  Speaker 1: also about giving thanks Paul asks for prayers for himself
• 52:30
  Speaker 1: and his team, and pray for us too. His request
• 52:34
  Speaker 1: is not for physical deliverance or personal comfort, but that
• 52:38
  Speaker 1: God may open a door for our message opportunities to
• 52:42
  Speaker 1: preach the Gospel. The content of this preaching the mystery
• 52:46
  Speaker 1: of Christ for which I am in chains. Paul was
• 52:50
  Speaker 1: imprisoned precisely for proclaiming this mystery, the inclusion of the
• 52:54
  Speaker 1: gentiles in God's salvation plan through Christ. His desire that
• 52:59
  Speaker 1: I may declare it clearly as I should. He wants
• 53:02
  Speaker 1: to proclaim the Gospel with clarity and boldness, as his
• 53:06
  Speaker 1: apostolic responsibility demands. Even in Chains, Paul saw his situation
• 53:12
  Speaker 1: as an opportunity, not an obstacle, for the gospel. In
• 53:15
  Speaker 1: Colossians four five to six, Paul gives advice on relationships
• 53:20
  Speaker 1: with non believers. Be wise in the way you act
• 53:24
  Speaker 1: toward outsiders. Make the most of every opportunity. Let your
• 53:28
  Speaker 1: conversation always be full of grace, seasoned with salt, so
• 53:32
  Speaker 1: that you may know how to answer everyone. Christians should
• 53:36
  Speaker 1: be wise in the way they act toward outsiders, those
• 53:39
  Speaker 1: who are not part of the Christian community. They must
• 53:42
  Speaker 1: make the most of every opportunity, literally redeeming the time,
• 53:47
  Speaker 1: seeing every encounter as a precious chance to witness. Christian
• 53:52
  Speaker 1: conversation should always be full of grace, gracious, attractive, not
• 53:56
  Speaker 1: harsh or repulsive. It should be seasoned with so salt
• 54:01
  Speaker 1: preserves preventing corruption in speech and adds flavor, making conversation interesting.
• 54:07
  Speaker 1: The goal so that you may know how to answer
• 54:10
  Speaker 1: everyone personalized responses, not mechanical formulas, tailored to the specific
• 54:17
  Speaker 1: needs of each individual. In Colossians four seventy nine, Paul
• 54:21
  Speaker 1: introduces the bearers of the letter Tychicus will tell you
• 54:25
  Speaker 1: all the news about me. He's a dear brother, a
• 54:28
  Speaker 1: faithful minister, and a fellow servant in the Lord. I
• 54:31
  Speaker 1: am sending him to you for this very purpose, that
• 54:35
  Speaker 1: you may know about our circumstances, and that he may
• 54:37
  Speaker 1: encourage your hearts. He is coming with Onesimus, are faithful
• 54:42
  Speaker 1: and dear brother who is one of you. They will
• 54:45
  Speaker 1: tell you everything that is happening here. Tychicus was a
• 54:48
  Speaker 1: trustworthy collaborator, described as a dear brother, a faithful minister,
• 54:54
  Speaker 1: and a fellow servant in the Lord. His mission to
• 54:58
  Speaker 1: inform the Colossians about paul situation and encourage your hearts,
• 55:03
  Speaker 1: reassuring them about the apostles well being in prison with
• 55:07
  Speaker 1: him was Onismus, our faithful and dear brother, who is
• 55:12
  Speaker 1: one of you. Anesimus was from Colossi, but had fled
• 55:17
  Speaker 1: as a slave from Philimmon, as we learn from the
• 55:20
  Speaker 1: letter to Philimmon written at the same time, now converted
• 55:24
  Speaker 1: through Paul's prison ministry, he was returning as a brother
• 55:28
  Speaker 1: in Christ. Together, Tichikus and Onisimus would tell you everything
• 55:33
  Speaker 1: that is happening here, details Paul did not include in
• 55:37
  Speaker 1: the letter. In Collosians four ten fourteen, Paul conveys greetings
• 55:42
  Speaker 1: from his co workers. My fellow prisoner, Aristachus sends you
• 55:47
  Speaker 1: his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas you
• 55:51
  Speaker 1: have received instructions about him. If he comes to you,
• 55:54
  Speaker 1: welcome him. Jesus, who is called Eustace, also sends greetings.
• 55:59
  Speaker 1: These are the only Jews among my coworkers for the
• 56:02
  Speaker 1: Kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me. Epaphras,
• 56:07
  Speaker 1: who is one of you and a servant of Christ.
• 56:09
  Speaker 1: Jesus sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you,
• 56:15
  Speaker 1: that you may stand firm in all the will of God,
• 56:18
  Speaker 1: mature and fully assured. I vouch for him that he
• 56:22
  Speaker 1: is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea
• 56:25
  Speaker 1: and Hierapolis. Our dear friend, Luke the Doctor, and Demas
• 56:29
  Speaker 1: send greetings. Paul mentions six co workers who send greetings. Aristarchus,
• 56:35
  Speaker 1: his fellow prisoner, possibly a literal prisoner or someone who
• 56:40
  Speaker 1: voluntarily shared his confinement, Mark, the cousin of Barnabas, the
• 56:45
  Speaker 1: same one who had once abandoned Paul Acts thirteen thirteen,
• 56:50
  Speaker 1: but was now restored to trust. Jesus called Justus, a
• 56:54
  Speaker 1: Jewish co worker with a common name. Paul notes that
• 56:57
  Speaker 1: these three Aristarchus, Mark, and Jesus Justus, were the only
• 57:02
  Speaker 1: Jews among my co workers for the Kingdom of God.
• 57:05
  Speaker 1: They were a comfort to me, likely because many Jewish
• 57:09
  Speaker 1: Christians were suspicious of his ministry to the Gentiles. Epaphraus
• 57:14
  Speaker 1: received special mention as one of you from Colossi and
• 57:19
  Speaker 1: a servant of Christ Jesus ibdas always wrestling in prayer
• 57:23
  Speaker 1: for you. The word wrestling suggests intense effort, like in
• 57:27
  Speaker 1: an athletic competition. His goal that you may stand firm
• 57:31
  Speaker 1: in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.
• 57:36
  Speaker 1: Epaphraus did not only pray for the Colossians, but also
• 57:41
  Speaker 1: for those that Laodyssa and Hierapolis, two neighboring cities in
• 57:45
  Speaker 1: the Lycus River valley. Lucas, the beloved physician author of
• 57:51
  Speaker 1: the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles,
• 57:54
  Speaker 1: was an educated gentile who accompanied Pall on many journeys.
• 57:59
  Speaker 1: And finally, Demus mentioned without any qualification, possibly because Paul
• 58:04
  Speaker 1: was already noticing signs of the desertion that would happen
• 58:08
  Speaker 1: later two Timothy four ten. In Colossians four fifteen to sixteen,
• 58:14
  Speaker 1: Paul expands the circle of his greetings, greet the brothers
• 58:19
  Speaker 1: in Laodicea and Nympha, and the church that meets in
• 58:22
  Speaker 1: her house. And when this letter has been read among
• 58:25
  Speaker 1: you make sure that it is also read in the
• 58:28
  Speaker 1: Church of the Laodiceans, and that you also read the
• 58:32
  Speaker 1: one from Laodicea. Paul sends greetings to the Christians in Laodicea,
• 58:38
  Speaker 1: a city near Colossie. He specifically mentions Nympha and the
• 58:44
  Speaker 1: church that meets in her house, a woman who hosted
• 58:47
  Speaker 1: a congregation in her home, a common practice before Christians
• 58:51
  Speaker 1: had dedicated church buildings. He gives instructions about the exchange
• 58:56
  Speaker 1: of letters. When this letter has been read among you,
• 59:00
  Speaker 1: make sure that it is also read in the Church
• 59:02
  Speaker 1: of the Laodoceans. His letters were not private property, but
• 59:06
  Speaker 1: were meant to circulate among the churches. Interestingly, he refers
• 59:11
  Speaker 1: to the letter from Laodicea, possibly another letter from Paul
• 59:17
  Speaker 1: that was not preserved in the New Testament, or perhaps
• 59:20
  Speaker 1: the letter we know as Ephesians, which some scholars believe
• 59:24
  Speaker 1: was a circular letter. In Colossians four seventeen eighteen. Paul
• 59:28
  Speaker 1: concludes the letter, tell Archippus, pay attention to the ministry
• 59:33
  Speaker 1: you have received in the Lord, so that you may
• 59:35
  Speaker 1: fulfill it. This greeting is in my own handwriting, Paul,
• 59:39
  Speaker 1: remember my chains. Grace be with you. Paul sends a
• 59:45
  Speaker 1: specific message to Archippus, pay attention to the ministry you
• 59:49
  Speaker 1: have received in the Lord, so that you may fulfill it.
• 59:53
  Speaker 1: We do not know exactly what this ministry was, but
• 59:56
  Speaker 1: apparently Archippus needed encouragement to persevere in it. The ministry
• 1:00:01
  Speaker 1: was a gift received in the Lord, and he was
• 1:00:04
  Speaker 1: to fulfill it completely. Up to this point, Paul had
• 1:00:09
  Speaker 1: dictated the letter to ascribe. Now he takes the pen
• 1:00:13
  Speaker 1: and writes in his own handwriting. This greeting is in
• 1:00:18
  Speaker 1: my own handwriting, Paul. This was his usual practice to
• 1:00:23
  Speaker 1: authenticate his letters against forgeries. His final request, remember my chains.
• 1:00:30
  Speaker 1: This was not a plea for sympathy, but a reminder
• 1:00:33
  Speaker 1: of the reality of suffering for Christ. If Paul the
• 1:00:36
  Speaker 1: Great Apostle was willing to suffer for the Gospel, the
• 1:00:40
  Speaker 1: Colossians should also be prepared to face hardships. And he
• 1:00:43
  Speaker 1: ends as he began, with grace. Grace be with you. Grace,
• 1:00:49
  Speaker 1: the unmerited favor of God is the beginning, the middle,
• 1:00:52
  Speaker 1: and the end of the Christian life. Paul had started
• 1:00:56
  Speaker 1: by speaking of grace and peace one two, and uses
• 1:01:00
  Speaker 1: by wishing that this same grace would remain with the Colossians.
• 1:01:04
  Speaker 1: Thus concludes this powerful letter, which, in just four chapters,
• 1:01:09
  Speaker 1: presents some of the most profound declarations about the person
• 1:01:13
  Speaker 1: of Christ and the most practical applications for daily life,
• 1:01:17
  Speaker 1: from cosmic matters concerning the creation of the universe to
• 1:01:21
  Speaker 1: instructions on how to speak with non believers. Paul shows
• 1:01:25
  Speaker 1: that the Gospel encompasses every aspect of human existence. Christ
• 1:01:30
  Speaker 1: is supreme over all things, and his sovereignty should be
• 1:01:34
  Speaker 1: reflected in every detail of our lives. And so we
• 1:01:37
  Speaker 1: reach the end of this journey through the incredible Letter
• 1:01:40
  Speaker 1: to the Colossians, a letter that, though written nearly two
• 1:01:44
  Speaker 1: thousand years ago, still speaks directly to our hearts today.
• 1:01:49
  Speaker 1: Paul has shown us a supreme Christ, lord of all creation,
• 1:01:53
  Speaker 1: who reconciled us to God through his death on the cross.
• 1:01:57
  Speaker 1: But this is not just a theological message. It is
• 1:02:00
  Speaker 1: an invitation to a transformed life, a life where the
• 1:02:04
  Speaker 1: old self is left behind and the new self, created
• 1:02:08
  Speaker 1: in the image of Christ, is manifested through love, peace
• 1:02:12
  Speaker 1: and gratitude. If this message has touched your heart today,
• 1:02:17
  Speaker 1: don't keep it to yourself. The word of Christ, as
• 1:02:21
  Speaker 1: Paul taught us, should dwell richly among us. So share
• 1:02:25
  Speaker 1: this video with someone who needs to hear about the
• 1:02:27
  Speaker 1: supremacy of Christ and the transformative power of the Gospel.
• 1:02:31
  Speaker 1: And if you haven't yet subscribed to the channel, click
• 1:02:34
  Speaker 1: the subscribe button now to receive more Bible studies like
• 1:02:37
  Speaker 1: this one. Also activate the notification bell so you won't
• 1:02:42
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• 1:02:47
  Speaker 1: colloss to be grateful in all things, your support through likes, subscriptions,
• 1:02:52
  Speaker 1: and shares is a great reason for gratitude for us
• 1:02:57
  Speaker 1: until the next video. And may the piece of Christ,
• 1:03:00
  Speaker 1: which surpasses all understanding, guard your heart.