Colossians

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Colossians Christ And The ChurchLesson 3
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• Col. 119-23
• 19 For it was the Fathers good pleasure for all
  the fullness to dwell in Him,
• 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to
  Himself, having made peace through the blood of
  His cross through Him, I say, whether things on
  earth or things in heaven.
• 21 And although you were formerly alienated and
  hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,

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• Col. 119-23
• 22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly
  body through death, in order to present you
  before Him holy and blameless and beyond
  reproach
• 23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly
  established and steadfast, and not moved away
  from the hope of the gospel that you have heard,
  which was proclaimed in all creation under
  heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a
  minister.

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Colossians Christ And The ChurchLesson 3

• Verses 119-23
• The Godhead had one great purpose in mind in the
  formulation of the mystery plan which called
  for the Word to become flesh and dwell among us
  (John 114).
• The Colossian Heresy troubling the church
  probably promoted a multiplicity of
  inter-mediaries between man and the True God.

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Colossians Christ And The ChurchLesson 3

• Verses 119-23
• These aoens had the elements of mans salvation
  distributed among them and were jointly
  responsible for whatever progress seekers might
  make toward heaven.
• The pre-eminent Christ offered a simple and
  effective route to the throne of God because He
  was God in the fullest.

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Colossians Christ And The ChurchLesson 3

• Verses 119-23
• The total nature of Divinity was the nature that
  dwelt permanently in the body of Jesus as He
  worked on earth to save man from his sin.
• All things in heaven and on earth, whoever and
  wherever they might be, can be reconciled to God
  by Christ.
• Jesus can make peace between God and man because
  He alone was able to atone for the crimes man had
  committed against God.

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Colossians Christ And The ChurchLesson 3

• Verses 119-23
• All things is a rather generic category of
  persons and powers that were reconciled by Jesus.
• You were enemies in your mind.
• You were also guilty of doing unspeakably wicked
  works, and such actions often drove the apostle
  to insist that Gentiles put off the old man and
  his deeds and put on the new man in
  righteousness and true holiness.

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Colossians Christ And The ChurchLesson 3

• Verses 119-23
• You, nevertheless, have been reconciled despite
  your unworthiness of forgiveness for what you
  thought and for what you did.
• You can now expect to be presented as holy,
  blameless, and irreproachable.

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Colossians Christ And The ChurchLesson 3

• Verses 119-23
• There were some ifs that stood between them and
  the happy ending they anticipated
• If they continued in the faith of the gospel
• If they remained grounded and steadfast in the
  truths about Jesus that were vital to salvation
• If they didnt move from their convictions about
  the pre-eminent Christ that had first given them
  the hope of heaven (15).

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Colossians Christ And The ChurchLesson 3

• Verses 119-23
• Surely, the Colossians knew that the gospel of
  Christ had been taught in places other than in
  their own city.
• Paul had worked hard to spread the good news into
  as many places and to as many lost souls as
  possible.

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• Col. 124-29
• 24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake,
  and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His
  body, which is the church, in filling up what is
  lacking in Christs afflictions.
• 25 Of this church I was made a minister
  according to the stewardship from God bestowed on
  me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry
  out the preaching of the word of God,

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• Col. 124-29
• 26 that is, the mystery which has been hidden
  from the past ages and generations, but has now
  been manifested to His saints,
• 27 to whom God willed to make known what is the
  riches of the glory of this mystery among the
  Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of
  glory.

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• Col. 124-29
• 28 We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and
  teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we
  may present every man complete in Christ.
• 29 For this purpose also I labor, striving
  according to His power, which mightily works
  within me.

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Colossians Christ And The ChurchLesson 3

• Verses 124-29
• Paul was concerned that his imprisonment might
  become a hindrance to the faith of other
  Christians.
• Paul maintained a very optimistic outlook on his
  imprisonment.
• Pauls sufferings for the sake of...the church
  were a continuation of the trials endured by the
  Lord at the hands of oppressive men.

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Colossians Christ And The ChurchLesson 3

• Verses 124-29
• Pauls conversion and apostleship were to be
  attended by many things to be suffered for the
  name of Christ (Acts 916), so imprisonment was
  not unexpected.
• Paul called the gospel a mystery several times
  in the book of Ephesians.
• The mystery preached to the Gentiles was rich
  in spiritual blessings that they might enjoy if
  they chose.

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Colossians Christ And The ChurchLesson 3

• Verses 124-29
• The pre-eminent Christ was real wisdom, the
  wisdom of God.
• Paul had worked hard for the salvation of many.

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Colossians Christ And The ChurchLesson 3

• Verses 124-29
• The working of Christ in Paul assumed two roles
• Christ worked in him through motivating him to
  satisfy his Lords expectations for him as a
  preacher and as an apostle (Acts 2616-18)
• Christ also worked in him through the support of
  signs and wonders given to him to assist in his
  effectiveness as an evangelist (e.g., Acts 143).

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