From the Shepherd's Heart - July 30, 2015

Dear Church Family:

Our first six Sunday morning sermons are based on the theme "Setting the Pace" from Colossians 1: 28-29.

Since I don't have time on Sunday morning to share this, let me introduce Colossians to you.

Paul wrote Colossians, but he did not found the church at Colosse and actually never visited (2:1).  It seems Epaphras was the founder.  He met Paul in Ephesus (Acts 19:9-10) possibly having been converted under his preaching, but certainly having been taught by him.

Epaphras:
*  was a  Colossian - 4:12
*  was a servant of Christ - 4:12; dear fellow servant - 1:7; faithful minister - 1:7
*  was an envoy from the other churches in the Lycus River valley - 4:13
*  most likely founded the church at Colosse as they "learned from" him - 1:7
*  carried the message of Christ back from Ephesus to his home town and founded a church

It seems Epaphras was troubled by some teachings in the church and went back to his teacher and mentor, Paul, to get advise. Thus, Paul wrote the letter.

Colosse was a small town in the Lycus River Valley that might have been severely damaged in an earthquake around AD 60.  Due to several factors, it once was a great city, but by the time of Paul's writing it had lost its glory. It was about 100 miles from Ephesus.

There are three possibilities of where Paul was when he wrote the letter.  We know he was in prison (4:10), but was he in Rome? Ephesus? Caesarea?  We know Onesimus (4:9) was with him and the book of Philemon was written concerning him.  Furthermore, most likely Philemon was a member of the church at Colosse and the letter bearing his name was written first and then Colossians was written second; both delivered at the same time.

We are not sure of the exact "heresy" Paul was addressing, but from the letter it seems the false teachers were "attacking the total adequacy and the unique supremacy of Christ" (William Barclay).  This letter is the single greatest writing in the New Testament of the Centrality of Christ.  No other book is more Christ-centered.

R.C. Lucas suggest due to references to "fullness" (2:10), "deliverance" (1:13, 2:15) and evil powers (1:13, 2:10, 2:15) there seems to have been teachers coming in suggesting the church had not experienced all that is possible and offered a "spiritual fullness," "a new freedom," "more authority," and more.  As one said, they were teaching a "spiritual elitism."

Paul writes to remind them of what they already have in Christ.  We are "complete in Him" (2:10), "He has delievered us" (1:13), and Christ is "the head of all principality and power" (2:10) "having disarmed" them making a "public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it" (2:15).

This Sunday I will be sharing message two "The Presentation" based on 1:28 "Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom..."

Sunday night will be part two of "The Kingdom of God" from the "First Base as a Church" Series.

Can't wait....