Christ Church

Set Your Mind on Things Above (Colossians 3)

Christ Church on

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

1-4 Union with Christ

Remember that the “mystery” that Paul has been unpacking for us is that the body of Christ is both the incarnate reality of the God-man Jesus Christ, and also the picture of the church with Christ as its head. But if we, the church, are Christ’s body, then that means that wherever the head has gone, he takes us with him. And so when Christ sits down on his throne in heaven, he sits there with all his body with him. As the body of Christ we share in the events of Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, ascension into heaven, and enthronement at the right hand of the Father. And if that is the case, then that is where our attention ought to be.

5-11 Put to Death

“Now, it being our duty to mortify, to be killing of sin whilst it is in us, we must be at work. He that is appointed to kill an enemy, if he leave striking before the other ceases living, does but half his work,” John Owen, The Mortification of Sin. If you are in this new man, with Christ as your head, then you are therefore called to a life of putting sin to death. This is the ongoing work of persevering faith. And at the root of mortifying your sin, is the question of where are your eyes.

Your heart follows your eyes. Where do you put your eyes? We lift up our heart to the Lord because we lift up our eyes to the Lord. So where are your eyes? Paul calls covetousness idolatry (v. 5, cf. Eph. 5:5) because your heart follows your eyes as your prayer will follow your longing. The mortification of a sin starts with your eyes.

A Dilemma

But here is the problem. I am telling you that the mortification of your sin depends on you looking to Christ and not looking at the enticements of the flesh. But the problem is that Christ, currently seated in heaven, cannot currently be seen. He inhabits what is still a future glory for us, a glory that “eye has not seen, nor ear heard . . .” (1 Cor. 2:9, cf. 1 Tim. 1:17). And, on the other hand, those things that you are not to be looking at are all quite visible.

12-17 Put on Love

But you do have Christ before you because you have the body of Christ, the church that surrounds you now. Love is what holds the body together (v. 14, cf. 2:19). Love makes visible to us what is currently removed from our senses – Christ (1 John 4:20). The difficulty is that you must remember that God defines this love, not you.

Read Full Article

So Walk in Him (Colossians 2)

Christ Church on

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Paul’s Concern

Last week, Paul told the Colossians that they have Christ in them, the hope of a future glory (1:27). And because of this future glory, Paul is laboring to exhort the Colossians to live a life growing in faithfulness. But he is concerned because their long-term perseverance in the faith seems to be threatened.  He hinted at that in the previous chapter (1:23). But now he gets more explicit about his concerns. He has “a great conflict” for them (v. 1). He is concerned about the people that they are talking to, who threaten to deceive them with persuasive word (v. 4) and cheat them through philosophy and empty deceit (v. 8).

The Root of the Problem

Paul unpacked for us in the previous chapter the redemptive work of Christ. Now he identifies the real root of this error as a challenge to the sufficiency of Christ (v. 8). This is the error of “Christ plus something else.” The saints at Colossae have mixed their faith in Christ with

  • A fascination with extra-biblical teaching (v. 8 and 22)
  • A commitment to the law that was the shadow of Christ rather than the reality of the Christ who has come (v. 11, 14, 16)
  • A fixation with a power structure that has passed away (15 and 18)
  • An asceticism born of prideful human wisdom rather than humble submission to God (21 and 23)

Paul has two fundamental answers to the erring Colossians.

Complete in Christ

A right understanding of who Christ is should eliminate the need to add anything to Christ. Paul returns to the image of a body with Christ as its head (v. 19), which he actually introduced previously (1:18). Our union with Christ means that we are complete in him (v. 9-10) because we share in all his victorious work (v. 11-15).

So Walk in Him

The difficulty we have is that we forget. We grow cold (Rev. 3:15). We begin in the Spirit and then shift to the flesh (Gal. 3:3). We think that the work of salvation was merely a first step that we can somehow then improve upon with our own accessorizing. But Paul says that we must continue to walk in Christ, in the same way that we began in Christ – through the simplicity of faith in the complete and total sufficiency of the work of Christ (v. 6-7). This is the only foundation on which we can build (1 Cor. 3:11-15). And the clear indicator that Paul has given us to demonstrate whether or not we are building on that foundation is gratitude (v. 7).

Read Full Article

Christ in You, the Hope of Glory (Colossians 1)

Christ Church on

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

1:1-2 Greetings

Colossae was an ancient Phrygian city in the southwest of modern day Turkey. It sat on the banks of the Lycus River, just upstream for Laodicea and Hierapolis.

1:3-8 A fruit-bearing Gospel

Paul is thankful because the Gospel came to the Colossians and brought forth fruit. Real faith is a hope that bears fruit. And the Colossians had begun to live out this hope in such a way that Paul could hear about it from prison in Rome.

1:9-12 The Power of a Message

Now note something about how this fruitful hope comes about. It comes from hearing and believing the Gospel. We have a promise from God, delivered to us in the Bible, that creates this kind of faith in us. This is why it behooves us to spend time unpacking this word. The more we do so, the more it creates in us this fruitful hope that Paul describes.

1:13-23 Who Immanuel Is and What He Has Done

This is a very straightforward declaration of the doctrine of the incarnation, that in Jesus, God became man. In Jesus we have Immanuel. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

He has created all things in heaven and earth, delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into his kingdom, redeemed us with his blood, forgiven our sins, reconciled all things to himself, and presented you holy, blameless, and above reproach.

1:24-29 The Mystery

This Christ is the one that is in you. And he is the hope of glory. And just as the whole world waited for 4000 years for the coming of the second Adam, waiting for that mystery to be revealed, now you wait for the glory that is to come. You wait in hope for the glory that Paul just described that is still to come. You have seen the beginning, but you haven’t seen the end. Hope is what reaches out to that end while you are still sitting here. But you have Christ in you. And that is the hope of a great glory, a glory still unimaginable.

Read Full Article

Colossians as Cornerstone #6

Christ Church on

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Introduction

We conclude this letter by noting the emphasis that this section places on both words and names. Paul is concerned with the prayers of the Colossians, and their speech toward others outside, and for those who minister there in that region. He always wants them to pray for him, that his speech would be unfettered and plain. In addition to this, Paul concludes with a number of greetings to individuals, each of whom had a life, face, and story.

The Text

“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man . . .” (Col. 4:2-18).

Summary of the Text

As Paul wraps up this short letter to the Colossians, he does so in characteristic fashion. He tells them to continue in prayer, and tells them to be watchful in that prayer with thanksgiving (v. 2). He asks to be included in their prayers, that God would open opportunities to preach about the mystery of Christ (v. 3). He wants to make this mystery manifest, as he ought to do (v. 4). He then tells the Colossians to walk in wisdom with regard to outsiders, making the most of the time (v. 5). And he tells them to have their speech be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that they can make adjustments as they answer all kinds of men (v. 6).

The beloved and faithful Tychicus, who is delivering the letter, will bring them up to date (v. 7). He was sent to encourage the Colossians, and find out for Paul how they were doing (v. 8). Onesimus is with Tychicus, and he will fill in the gaps (v. 9). Aristarchus is in prison with Paul, and he sends his regards. Mark, the nephew of Barnabas, should be received by them if he comes (v. 10). This indicates that the quarrel between Paul and Barnabas has been repaired, and it perhaps shows us why Barnabas wanted to stick with Mark after the Jerusalem council (v. 10). Jesus (called Justus) belonged to the circumcision party, but despite this was in fellowship with Paul and was a fellow worker with him (v. 11). This indicates that the circumcision party had a liberal wing. Epaphras, remember, was the likely founder of the church at Colossae, and Paul commends him highly (v. 12). In addition, we see that he was also ministering with great zeal in the nearby towns of Hierapolos and Laodicea (v. 13). Luke, beloved physician, sent his greetings, as did Demas, before his falling away (v. 14). The church in Colossae was in close communication with the church in Laodicea, and their church was of a size that it was able to meet in the house of Nymphas (v. 15). They were instructed to swap letters with the church in Laodicea (v. 16). Paul wants Archippus to be encouraged by them—he was perhaps laboring in Laodicea also (v. 17). And with that, Paul signs off (v. 18).

Continue in Prayer

When the gospel is preached efficaciously in the world, the entire body of Christ is involved in it. Note that Paul does not say that he is “an apostle,” and that he therefore has it well in hand. He wants believers to lift him up so that he might be able to lift up Christ in the message he preaches. This involves propositional content, certainly, but Paul didn’t need prayer in order to learn that propositional content. He knew that already, but still required the prayers of the saints. There was a time when Spurgeon was asked about the secret of his power, and his answer was “my people pray for me.”

Think of it this way. When the gospel is preached, the church should be swinging for the fence. The preacher might be the hands holding the bat, but the reason the ball goes over the fence has to do with the placement of the feet, and how the hips rotate.

Seasoned With Salt

We can determine in part what Paul intends by “seasoned with salt” by looking at the result he believes it will obtain. There are three parts to the exhortation. The first is “let your speech be always with grace.” That is the baseline. That is what you are communicating. Your words are to be rooted and grounded in grace, and the fruit that your words bear are to be equally gracious. And what is grace but undeserved favor? Our message is grace, proceeding from grace and heading toward more grace. All of it is grace upon grace. The second part to the exhortation is “seasoned with salt.” Whatever your gracious words are, put some salt on it. Grace needs salt. Like eggs, which are wonderful, grace still needs salt. You would have to be a raccoon to eat eggs without salt. And salt is the kind of thing that seasons different things differently—what does salt do to corn, and to watermelon, and to prime rib? These are all types of variegated grace, and salt is an additional grace. What kind of grace do you offer to outsiders, and how much salt do you put on it? That depends, and we see the third part—“that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” In the verse prior, Paul told them to walk in wisdom, and wisdom understands the mystery of timing.

The Mystery of Christ

The mystery of Christ is something that was hidden for long ages past, but the responsibility now is for the emissaries of the church to make this mystery plain. The word rendered in verse 4 as manifes tmeans to reveal, or make clear. It comes from a root word which means shine.

All through the Old Testament, the Christ was the promised one. When He came, He lived a perfect sinless life, so that it could be imputed to us. He died on the cross, so that the penalty for our iniquity might be fully paid. He went into the grave so that we might come out of the grave. He was raised to life for our justification, and when He ascended into the heavens, it was so that we might not know Him after the flesh any longer. We worship the Christ of the cosmos, the one in whom all things are transfigured.

And as we worship Him, here today, as we worship, we are declaring to the world His manifest Deity, and the glories of His mediatorial reign. Nothing will ever be the same.

Read Full Article

Colossians as Cornerstone #5

Christ Church on

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Introduction

After someone has called upon the Lord, and has been baptized, he blinks and looks around, and one of the things he sees is all the same people. He is forgiven, which is exhilarating, and he is in fellowship with God, which is a novelty to him, but when he goes back to work, he runs into all the same people. What are we supposed to do? We have to make particular decisions.

The Text

“Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons. Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven” (Col. 3:18–4:1).

Summary of the Text

So remember that the entire congregation has been exhorted to put sins to death, whether sins of the flesh or sins of the mouth. All the congregation has been urged to take off the old man, and to put on their Jesus coat. When the apostle comes to particular social relations, he is assuming that everyone he is talking to is behaving as a Christian already. This means a godly Christian can do what Paul tells husbands to do, the same with wives, and so on.

Wives are told to be submissive to their husbands, which is proper in the Lord (v. 18). Husbands are told to love their wives, and not to be bitter or resentful against them (v. 19). Children (meaning dependent children) are to be obedient to their parents in everything, which pleases the Lord (v. 20). Fathers are told not to be provocative (v. 21), and Paul warns against discouraging the kids. Slaves are commanded to do the same thing, obeying their masters in the fear of God (v. 22). Whatever task you are given, act as though the Lord Himself gave it to you, and do it heartily (v. 23). You can do this because you know that the Lord is your actual master, and His rewards will be a just inheritance (v. 24). But if a slave misbehaves in some way, then he will have to suffer the consequences (v. 25). And men in the congregation who owned slaves are commanded to remember that they too are under authority, they also have a master (4:1), and they are told to render to their slaves what is “just and equal.”

Let Onesimus Help Us Out

It is quite striking that slave owners are told to render equity to their slaves here, and Paul does not appear to intend immediate manumission by this. But liberty is very much in view, as we will see. But what Paul is doing is liberating slaves by means of the logic of the gospel, and not by means of fiery revolution.

Remember that Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon were all written at the same time, and were delivered by Tychicus (Eph. 6:21; Col. 4:7) and Onesimus (Col. 4:9). Onesimus also (presumably) delivered the letter of Philemon to his master Philemon, which means that Philemon lived in the area of Colossae, and was part of that church. The general instructions to all were particularly applicable to him, and the particular exhortations.

So remember that Paul has just finished saying that in Christ there is neither slave nor free (Col. 3:11). Here he tells the masters, Philemon included, to treat his slaves with justice and equity (Col. 4:1). At the end of the letter Paul commends Onesimus as a “faithful and beloved brother” (Col. 4:9), and he does the same thing to Philemon in that letter, urging Philemon to receive him as more than a slave, but also as a beloved brother (Phil. 9). He as much as asks for the freedom of Onesimus (Phil 13), but makes a point of saying that it is up to Philemon. In addition, if Onesimus pilfered anything, Paul said he would pay it back.

Christ and Hierarchical Relationships

In the first chapter of Colossians, we learned that Christ has been given the place of all preeminence. Recall that there are three governments among men, all of them supported and sustained by the reality of self-government. They are civil government, the Ministry of Justice, the family government, the Ministry of Health, Education and Welfare, and church government, the Ministry of Word and Sacrament. The enthronement of Christ over all principalities and powers is transformative and necessarily means a qualitative change. When Christ takes precedence over Caesar, Caesar isn’t really Caesar anymore.

In the same way, the coming of Christ transformed the role of the paterfamilias, the head of the Roman household, into that of a Christian husband. This did not eliminate the lines of authority, but it certainly altered how that authority was exercised.

Remember that everyone was to put on the Jesus coat. This meant that you would see Christ in your parents, in your husband, in your wife, in your children, in your slaves, and in your master. And the slaves are explicitly told to consider their work as being done for the Lord (3:24). The principle can and must be extended.

When it comes to our current debates over all this, we have different names for our positions. There is egalitarianism, there is soft complementarianism, there is hard complementarianism, there is soft patriarchy, and hard patriarchy, and with some areas of overlap.

The Font of All True Authority

The world is hierarchical, but the world is also busted. This means that men maintain their positions of authority through a straight right-handed authority.

“And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant” (Mark 10:42–43, ESV).

This is not servant leadership. It is like Christ—which makes it servant lordship.

Read Full Article