Epistle To The Colossians
Colossians was an epistle of Paul, written even before he had the chance to see them – a circumstance similar to that experienced with the church in Rome. Nevertheless, Colossians extends rather than departs from the other of his epistles. There is still the apostle’s keen sense in urging a response of exultation and reverence for Christ, substantiating again and again His supremacy and divinity. A small town in the province of Asia, Colosse was about a hundred miles east of Ephesus where Paul’s ministry was strongly felt. It is very likely that the Colosse church was the by-fruit of Paul’s three-year ministry there. One of Colosse’s natives, Epaphras, was believed to be the likely founder of the church.
One of the reasons why Paul wrote to the Colossians was so as to address the issue of false teaching that the congregation had been receiving which threatened the spiritual foundation of the church. There were at that moment, two predominant teachings that prevailed which was plainly off in Paul’s comprehension of the Christian doctrine: one, that the Lord Jesus was neither fully God nor fully man (this made people perceive Him to be semi-divine), and therefore conceived to be lacking in both authority and ability to meet the needs of the Colossians. Then two, it was taught to believe that enlightened believers could on sole devices of self-discipline in the pursuit of knowledge or understanding (apart from the divine grace of God), arrive at the stage of spiritual fullness and sufficiency.
In accommodating such beliefs, the Colossians church was running the risk of departing from grace and enslaving themselves back to the old system of law again. Paul’s letter was therefore written in defence of the supremacy & sufficiency of Christ and at the same time, bring down arguments and thoughts that persuade exaltation of any man or attribute above the lordship of Christ. “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power”(2:9-10)
Doctrine of Supremacy & Sufficiency of Christ (chap. 1 & 2)
a) Christ the Fullness of God in Creation (1:15-18)
Here, Paul tried to prove the distinction of Christ from all of creation and indeed of all things conceivable. “Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father…” (John 14:9) Here, the words meant that a physical encounter with the Lord Jesus come to one experienced with Father God Himself. Therefore, having seen the Lord, it is equivalent to having seen Father God. Such was the closeness of the Son and the Father that a distinction between knowing them could not be explicitly drawn. In such making such a bold claim, it must have taken the person either insanity or certainty of mind: an insanity so uncontrollable that it would drive a person to compare Himself with the supreme authority of the universe (Father God) and make unequivocal claims as to equality; or certainty of conviction such that the person would unreservedly make confident statements about them in public. So, it could be either, but because what we know of the Lord’s sound conduct throughout His ministry among men reveals Him to be far from the slightest hint of insanity, we know that statement He made must have evolved from nothing short of that . That being so – Jesus being in essence God Himself – is infinitely more worthy of any praise or honour that we can ever give Him. We have complete justification in worshipping Him with the highest honour and with the greatest glory.
Then Paul reminds us that the universe was created through the Lord Jesus, and not just that, but that it was also created for Him. “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers (Col. 1:16). Beyond doubt, this verse tells us that all things perceived or unperceived by the human eye and mind, were created by the Lord Jesus. There is absolutely nothing that exists which was not created by Him. This is an awe-inspiring thought for contemplation for it has the ability to humble every mind that gives time to it. For it is when people reflect on the greatness of the Lord that we come to see Him as who He really is. “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?” (Psa. 8:3-4). When we come to appreciate what it meant for Jesus to have made everything that can be seen or imagined and yes, even those things not known to us, we would certainly give endorsement to His name being hallowed and honoured. But more importantly, beyond that, we would at the same time grow to fear the Lord in holiness and revere Him even more than we ever did before. With powers such as able to create an exciting universe under His control and administration, the Lord is certainly worthy of the highest praise and worship we can offer Him.
He is also the supreme power beyond all contention, for it is by His power that the world God has made is being sustained, until today. “And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” (Col. 1:17). The Lord Jesus is the hinge on which all things depend and rely: “Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power..”(Heb. 1:3). What comfort this truth brings to those who are able to correlate that if as it is written all things are upheld by the power of the Lord, then that same power of the Lord will also be able to bear us through all of life’s turbulence and trials.
There is this beautiful song that sings of how the Lord Jesus is able to carry us through. As you now read the lyrics of the song, it is our prayer that every word will be like a healing balm to hurting hearts and refreshing oil to weary souls.
He Will Carry You
There is no problem too big God cannot solve it
There is no mountain too tall He cannot move it
There is no storm too dark God cannot calm it
There is no sorrow too deep He cannot soothe it
If He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders
I know, my brother, that He will carry you
If He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders
I know, my sister, that He will carry you
He said, “Come unto Me, all who are weary
And I will give you rest”
Truly, in the name of our Lord Jesus, we find refuge and rest, for times of refreshing come in His presence, and in His presence is fullness of joy!
b) Christ the Fullness of God in Redemption (1:19-23, 12-14)
After defending the supremacy of Christ in relation to the world and environment we exist in, Paul started to exalt the name of the Lord in relation to the redemption of mankind from the fall in the Garden.
“For it pleased the Father that in Him all fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in our mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight…” (Col. 1:19-22)
It was the divine intention of God that all fullness of His glory should dwell in the Lord Jesus. It was also the divine arrangement of God that the Lord should be the sole and absolute way to salvation: “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12). Here, not only was our existence on account of the Lord’s power, but when the world was still in a condemned state of sin and unrighteousness, the reconciliation to God and justification came through the name of the Lord. Through the Lord Jesus, restoration of the harmony and fellowship between God and Man was established. Without the Lord Jesus, there would be no salvation to merit and no redemption to look forward to. Dishonouring His name is as to taking credits from the foundation of our redemption. Therefore, it does us good to meditate on how precious the name of the Lord is, and appreciate how it has overturned the curse of death upon us and brought us to an inheritance of eternal blessings. In order not to let the Lord’s work go in vain, we ought to pursue the faith and not make light His grace. For it is said, “if (we) continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard…” (Col. 1:23)
c) Christ the Fullness of God in the Church (1:18; 2:1-7)
Now having established that the Lord is the power that heads and holds the world, and that He also is the power that the world relies on for redemption from its fallen state, there is another credit as to the supremacy of the Lord Jesus:
He is the one who is head of the Church, of the body of believers that exist today. Being the first fruit of resurrection, the Lord Jesus lives forever to bring resurrection life to us and yes, by His power, He is the supreme authority of the Church today. “For no foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 3:11). Christ is the head of the Church, and to Him, we all submit.
“For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are…” (Heb. 3:4-6)
Three things for thought here: first, the Church is the house for all believers and the author of Hebrews in his later writings again stresses that God is the one who builds the house and we are to wait for it and not do the building on our own accord. Abraham by faith dwelt in the land of promise, “for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Heb. 11:9-10). Second, Moses was faithful as a “servant” (not as master). Lastly, Christ is “over” this house of believers, the Church.
Therefore, as God promised, He will do the building. We, as people who the house is being built for, should remain faithful as Moses did while the Lord builds and not repeat the mistake of the builders of the tower of Babel who said, “Let us build ourselves a city” (Gen. 11:4) and who thus incurred the wrath of God. For “unless the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain who build it.” (Ps. 127:1). Almost always, people are inclined to take charge. Unconsciously, they often end up being the builder and later master, instead of servant of the house. In recognising Christ as head of the Church, however, it is important for us to respect the Lord’s authority and observe caution not to rule over that respect. Notwithstanding endeavours made with all diligence, with the noblest intentions, attempts to build the Church will not endure unless the Lord takes over the building.
Like how Moses was said to be a faithful servant, we should also take after that trait of devotion and serve within our capacity in the body of Christ, and not traverse beyond that. “Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labour, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.” (Col. 1:28-29). Paul was considerably more concerned over nurturing and developing the spirit man of the believers than most other people would have been. A lack of such attitude today has raised a spiritual problem in the Church. People are getting saved everyday, but the work of nurturing and discipleship is not taking place at a momentum corresponding to that of the successful evangelism. As a result, like how the social problem of latch-key kids come about from lack of parental nurturing, so we have many Christians today who are still babes in the faith because of the lack of spiritual parenting and mentorship.
Therefore, to keep at bay such a problem, sufficient attention should be given to discipleship and nurturing in churches, especially to new believers so that we might indeed “present every man perfect in Christ Jesus”.
d) Christ the Fullness of God above all forms of false worship (2:8-23)
Instead of submitting to the Lordship of Christ as was meant to be, the Colossians were so otherwise absorbed into the false teachings of the doctrine that they were even advocating the worship of angels. This was on the ground that they were not able to perceive the glory of the Lord and so it was thought the worship of a lower spirituality would be an equally satisfying alternative. Rather than pursue the presence of the Lord, the Colossians were almost giving that up to settling down to angelic worship after having accepted that God was simply too great for human endeavours to reach. Yet, Paul warned that that was but a delusion from true worship: “Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by His fleshly mind.” (Col. 2:18).
God has not left the object of worship and devotion to our choice. When the Israelites made the golden calf and tried to appropriate it as an emblem of worship, they suffered the fierce judgment of God. Likewise, if we were to come up with an object of devotion, we would be no less guilty than the people who worshipped the golden calf. To avoid coming to such a state, regular and consistent meditation on the person of God and His goodness is one of the best defences we can put up.
The Believers’ duty to the Supremacy of Christ (Chaps. 3 and 4)
a) The Believer’s New Life (Col. 3:1-17)
Having established the supremacy of Christ it is now necessary to arrive at a common appreciation of our response towards that sovereignty over us. According to the word of God, there is no way any one can live under the Lordship of Christ and still maintain the same manner of living as before. Instead, there is the command to put away the old man and put on the new (Col. 3:9-10). “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Col. 3:3). That is in fact the state of reckoning that every Christian should come to – realising that our life after entering into salvation is really found in no other but Christ alone. It is by His life that we have life in God’s realm of eternity. The life we now live in the body is but a pathway that we will in time to come depart from and enter into the world of eternity. Likewise the world we are now in is a temporary place of situation for us until such time as we are brought into our eternal dwelling places. Therefore the more things we cling on to in this world, the more we will have to give up before we enter eternity. And the more we have to give, the more likely it becomes difficult to do so. Yet if we do not, then we end up cleaving to the temporal just to later realise that we have forfeited the eternal in the process.
In the new life of a born again person, there is no place for independence from God. This is because our life we live is one given by the Lord Jesus – one of the fruits of the divine exchange that took place on the cross when He died for us. Now, the very reason why the Lord Jesus chose to die for us was because He (in all His infinite wisdom) had given up on us ever being able to redeem ourselves independent of divine intervention. He knew that on our own, men would never attain salvation, much less redemption from our fallen state. So that is why He died, for us; and which is the reason our life now is owing to Him and indeed His. Taking possession of this reckoning is vital for a victorious Christian walk. For we would cease all activities pertaining to self-righteousness when we realise that, it is not by power nor by might but by the spirit of God alone that we now stand acceptable before Him.
b) Christian Conduct (Col. 3:18; 4:1)
There is then the concern of Christian conduct in our day-to-day contacts – both towards ourselves with God and with people around us. There are the two basic relationships that Paul addressed: domestic relationship and employment relationships.
Principles and guidelines can be laid here, but the key thing to note is obedience and submission to the delegated authorities above us. For we know that all authority given is from God, so therefore when we submit to the authorities over us, we are exercising submission towards God.
Submission to the persons whom God has put over us is a requirement and that must not be compromised. Yet, submission is an attitude after all; for it only requires one party to acknowledge and accept the authority has put over him/her. To do the things such submission entails is another thing, and that is obedience. In our dealings with people, it helps to note the distinction between the two. Submission is all about attitude, while obedience is about conduct. While submission is required to be absolute, obedience is not so. Because of human imperfection and frailty, obedience cannot always be absolute between two parties.
A submissive attitude is a gentle spirit that does not force itself on people. Take for instance, the occasion when an order was given in all of Egypt for male children to be killed. Moses was at the age when the authorities would not let him pass, but the midwives and Moses’ mother were not keen to have baby. Also, his friends must be enjoying a birthday celebration so I don’t think it’s appropriate. Moses was an adorable baby and an intelligent child (Ex. 2:1-4). Daniel and his three friends also gave total submission to king Nebuchanezzar about did not go further.
In present circumstances where the Lord Jesus is not physically manifested in our midst, the conduct of Christians is as close a reflection can get to the way the Lord Jesus would handle such relationships in His capacity. Therefore, it is important for us to keep apposite conduct in these respects so that there would not be any poor reflection as to the Lord’s will in them. For what the world sees us doing will inevitably form their impressions of what the Lord Jesus is like.
To be able to correctly reflect the Lord’s heart and mind, it is first necessary to know the heartbeat of God - how He would manage and cope in various situations and how He would respond under various circumstances. The relationship between a believer and his God is likened to one between a wife and her husband. Like how an excellent wife would endeavour to know the tastes and likes of her husband, so we should also do the same in our relationship with our spiritual husband, the Lord. Take for example, Rebekah’s example with Isaac and her son, Jacob. When Isaac was lying on his deathbed and ready to bless his son, he asked of the eldest son Esau to prepare a savoury dish from some hunt. Isaac specifically asked for the food to be prepared in the way he liked them (Gen. 27:4). Privy to this instruction, his wife Rebekah asked her son Jacob to hunt some game so she could prepare a savoury dish for her husband “such as he loves” (Gen. 27:9). This was done, and sure enough, Jacob received the blessings from his father Isaac, because his mother knew her husband well enough to present offerings she knew he would find pleasing. Similarly, if we were to know our Husband (the Lord) well enough, not only will we be able to be a delight to Him, but we could also be a vessel to lead others to make pleasing offerings unto Him.
c) The Believer’s speech and prayer (4:2-6)
Paul never tires of exhorting the people of God to be diligent and vigilant in their prayer life. Doubtless one of the regrets we all will have when we get to heaven will be that we did not spend more time in prayer, especially when we will realise the extent to which our prayers were answered. There is a great deal of mystery in connection with the whole subject of prayer, many questions which cannot be answered. But the best attitude for us is not to seek to analyse, dissect, or understand prayer’s mysteries but to keep praying in simple faith, leaving aside our intellectual doubts.
While people do not always come close to reading our thoughts, they do however, in more ways than one, note the things we say. They either do that through paying close attention to what we say, or they make observances of our lives. If we love God in the way most of us say we do, then the last thing anyone of us wants to be doing is disgracing the holy name of God through the words of our mouth and our action. This brings us the need to observe our speech and to engage in persevering prayer so that we might grow in the Christlikeness and conform to His image from day to day.
There are primarily two steps we can visualise as per our daily prayers. One is the communion prayer that enriches and enhances our relationship with the Lord, and the other is prayer for the fulfilment of God’s will in our lives. The latter prayer determines our arrival at the Lord’s destiny for us.
Communion prayer consists of waiting upon the Lord and devoting our meditations and reflections to Him. It deepens the quality of our belief in Him and through such times spent in His presence, we develop and strengthen faith till we become inseparable from Him – the ultimate object of our devotion. If God’s covenant love for us – steadfast though they are – are nevertheless renewed every morning (Lam. 3:23), then all the more reason for us to seek Him day by day to discover the new mercies, love and compassion every new beginning brings. Then our relationship with Him would arrive at the level of intimacy where with all our heart and mind (“soul”) we can decidedly declare Him to be our “portion”. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul”(Lam. 3:24).
That settled, we must also not forget to pray for ourselves so that God’s will for our lives will unfold and take precedence over our own ambitions and desires. For the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Therefore, though God pre-destines, it is for us to bear the part of the responsibility to pray and yield ourselves towards His divine purpose so that we might not miss the call. The Lord Jesus Himself prayed that we might not be distracted from our destiny and stray into the path of the evil one: “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one” (John. 17:6). Likewise, we should join with the Lord and pray that same prayer for us.
In his final greeting, Paul encouraged Archippus to take heed to the ministry which he had received in the Lord and to fulfil it. Each one of us has been given some service by the Lord, and we will some day be required to give an account of what we have done with it. We all have to ask ourselves this question: What are we going to say, when we finally stand before the Lord Jesus Christ and hear Him ask, “Have you completed the mission, plans and purposes that I have commanded you on earth ?” Let us take heed of the exaltation of the apostle Peter “brethren, be even more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ”(2Pet.1:10-11) and enter into eternity with abundant reward.
Colossians was an epistle of Paul, written even before he had the chance to see them – a circumstance similar to that experienced with the church in Rome. Nevertheless, Colossians extends rather than departs from the other of his epistles. There is still the apostle’s keen sense in urging a response of exultation and reverence for Christ, substantiating again and again His supremacy and divinity. A small town in the province of Asia, Colosse was about a hundred miles east of Ephesus where Paul’s ministry was strongly felt. It is very likely that the Colosse church was the by-fruit of Paul’s three-year ministry there. One of Colosse’s natives, Epaphras, was believed to be the likely founder of the church.
One of the reasons why Paul wrote to the Colossians was so as to address the issue of false teaching that the congregation had been receiving which threatened the spiritual foundation of the church. There were at that moment, two predominant teachings that prevailed which was plainly off in Paul’s comprehension of the Christian doctrine: one, that the Lord Jesus was neither fully God nor fully man (this made people perceive Him to be semi-divine), and therefore conceived to be lacking in both authority and ability to meet the needs of the Colossians. Then two, it was taught to believe that enlightened believers could on sole devices of self-discipline in the pursuit of knowledge or understanding (apart from the divine grace of God), arrive at the stage of spiritual fullness and sufficiency.
In accommodating such beliefs, the Colossians church was running the risk of departing from grace and enslaving themselves back to the old system of law again. Paul’s letter was therefore written in defence of the supremacy & sufficiency of Christ and at the same time, bring down arguments and thoughts that persuade exaltation of any man or attribute above the lordship of Christ. “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power”(2:9-10)
Doctrine of Supremacy & Sufficiency of Christ (chap. 1 & 2)
a) Christ the Fullness of God in Creation (1:15-18)
Here, Paul tried to prove the distinction of Christ from all of creation and indeed of all things conceivable. “Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father…” (John 14:9) Here, the words meant that a physical encounter with the Lord Jesus come to one experienced with Father God Himself. Therefore, having seen the Lord, it is equivalent to having seen Father God. Such was the closeness of the Son and the Father that a distinction between knowing them could not be explicitly drawn. In such making such a bold claim, it must have taken the person either insanity or certainty of mind: an insanity so uncontrollable that it would drive a person to compare Himself with the supreme authority of the universe (Father God) and make unequivocal claims as to equality; or certainty of conviction such that the person would unreservedly make confident statements about them in public. So, it could be either, but because what we know of the Lord’s sound conduct throughout His ministry among men reveals Him to be far from the slightest hint of insanity, we know that statement He made must have evolved from nothing short of that . That being so – Jesus being in essence God Himself – is infinitely more worthy of any praise or honour that we can ever give Him. We have complete justification in worshipping Him with the highest honour and with the greatest glory.
Then Paul reminds us that the universe was created through the Lord Jesus, and not just that, but that it was also created for Him. “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers (Col. 1:16). Beyond doubt, this verse tells us that all things perceived or unperceived by the human eye and mind, were created by the Lord Jesus. There is absolutely nothing that exists which was not created by Him. This is an awe-inspiring thought for contemplation for it has the ability to humble every mind that gives time to it. For it is when people reflect on the greatness of the Lord that we come to see Him as who He really is. “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?” (Psa. 8:3-4). When we come to appreciate what it meant for Jesus to have made everything that can be seen or imagined and yes, even those things not known to us, we would certainly give endorsement to His name being hallowed and honoured. But more importantly, beyond that, we would at the same time grow to fear the Lord in holiness and revere Him even more than we ever did before. With powers such as able to create an exciting universe under His control and administration, the Lord is certainly worthy of the highest praise and worship we can offer Him.
He is also the supreme power beyond all contention, for it is by His power that the world God has made is being sustained, until today. “And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” (Col. 1:17). The Lord Jesus is the hinge on which all things depend and rely: “Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power..”(Heb. 1:3). What comfort this truth brings to those who are able to correlate that if as it is written all things are upheld by the power of the Lord, then that same power of the Lord will also be able to bear us through all of life’s turbulence and trials.
There is this beautiful song that sings of how the Lord Jesus is able to carry us through. As you now read the lyrics of the song, it is our prayer that every word will be like a healing balm to hurting hearts and refreshing oil to weary souls.
He Will Carry You
There is no problem too big God cannot solve it
There is no mountain too tall He cannot move it
There is no storm too dark God cannot calm it
There is no sorrow too deep He cannot soothe it
If He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders
I know, my brother, that He will carry you
If He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders
I know, my sister, that He will carry you
He said, “Come unto Me, all who are weary
And I will give you rest”
Truly, in the name of our Lord Jesus, we find refuge and rest, for times of refreshing come in His presence, and in His presence is fullness of joy!
b) Christ the Fullness of God in Redemption (1:19-23, 12-14)
After defending the supremacy of Christ in relation to the world and environment we exist in, Paul started to exalt the name of the Lord in relation to the redemption of mankind from the fall in the Garden.
“For it pleased the Father that in Him all fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in our mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight…” (Col. 1:19-22)
It was the divine intention of God that all fullness of His glory should dwell in the Lord Jesus. It was also the divine arrangement of God that the Lord should be the sole and absolute way to salvation: “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12). Here, not only was our existence on account of the Lord’s power, but when the world was still in a condemned state of sin and unrighteousness, the reconciliation to God and justification came through the name of the Lord. Through the Lord Jesus, restoration of the harmony and fellowship between God and Man was established. Without the Lord Jesus, there would be no salvation to merit and no redemption to look forward to. Dishonouring His name is as to taking credits from the foundation of our redemption. Therefore, it does us good to meditate on how precious the name of the Lord is, and appreciate how it has overturned the curse of death upon us and brought us to an inheritance of eternal blessings. In order not to let the Lord’s work go in vain, we ought to pursue the faith and not make light His grace. For it is said, “if (we) continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard…” (Col. 1:23)
c) Christ the Fullness of God in the Church (1:18; 2:1-7)
Now having established that the Lord is the power that heads and holds the world, and that He also is the power that the world relies on for redemption from its fallen state, there is another credit as to the supremacy of the Lord Jesus:
He is the one who is head of the Church, of the body of believers that exist today. Being the first fruit of resurrection, the Lord Jesus lives forever to bring resurrection life to us and yes, by His power, He is the supreme authority of the Church today. “For no foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 3:11). Christ is the head of the Church, and to Him, we all submit.
“For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are…” (Heb. 3:4-6)
Three things for thought here: first, the Church is the house for all believers and the author of Hebrews in his later writings again stresses that God is the one who builds the house and we are to wait for it and not do the building on our own accord. Abraham by faith dwelt in the land of promise, “for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Heb. 11:9-10). Second, Moses was faithful as a “servant” (not as master). Lastly, Christ is “over” this house of believers, the Church.
Therefore, as God promised, He will do the building. We, as people who the house is being built for, should remain faithful as Moses did while the Lord builds and not repeat the mistake of the builders of the tower of Babel who said, “Let us build ourselves a city” (Gen. 11:4) and who thus incurred the wrath of God. For “unless the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain who build it.” (Ps. 127:1). Almost always, people are inclined to take charge. Unconsciously, they often end up being the builder and later master, instead of servant of the house. In recognising Christ as head of the Church, however, it is important for us to respect the Lord’s authority and observe caution not to rule over that respect. Notwithstanding endeavours made with all diligence, with the noblest intentions, attempts to build the Church will not endure unless the Lord takes over the building.
Like how Moses was said to be a faithful servant, we should also take after that trait of devotion and serve within our capacity in the body of Christ, and not traverse beyond that. “Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labour, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.” (Col. 1:28-29). Paul was considerably more concerned over nurturing and developing the spirit man of the believers than most other people would have been. A lack of such attitude today has raised a spiritual problem in the Church. People are getting saved everyday, but the work of nurturing and discipleship is not taking place at a momentum corresponding to that of the successful evangelism. As a result, like how the social problem of latch-key kids come about from lack of parental nurturing, so we have many Christians today who are still babes in the faith because of the lack of spiritual parenting and mentorship.
Therefore, to keep at bay such a problem, sufficient attention should be given to discipleship and nurturing in churches, especially to new believers so that we might indeed “present every man perfect in Christ Jesus”.
d) Christ the Fullness of God above all forms of false worship (2:8-23)
Instead of submitting to the Lordship of Christ as was meant to be, the Colossians were so otherwise absorbed into the false teachings of the doctrine that they were even advocating the worship of angels. This was on the ground that they were not able to perceive the glory of the Lord and so it was thought the worship of a lower spirituality would be an equally satisfying alternative. Rather than pursue the presence of the Lord, the Colossians were almost giving that up to settling down to angelic worship after having accepted that God was simply too great for human endeavours to reach. Yet, Paul warned that that was but a delusion from true worship: “Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by His fleshly mind.” (Col. 2:18).
God has not left the object of worship and devotion to our choice. When the Israelites made the golden calf and tried to appropriate it as an emblem of worship, they suffered the fierce judgment of God. Likewise, if we were to come up with an object of devotion, we would be no less guilty than the people who worshipped the golden calf. To avoid coming to such a state, regular and consistent meditation on the person of God and His goodness is one of the best defences we can put up.
The Believers’ duty to the Supremacy of Christ (Chaps. 3 and 4)
a) The Believer’s New Life (Col. 3:1-17)
Having established the supremacy of Christ it is now necessary to arrive at a common appreciation of our response towards that sovereignty over us. According to the word of God, there is no way any one can live under the Lordship of Christ and still maintain the same manner of living as before. Instead, there is the command to put away the old man and put on the new (Col. 3:9-10). “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Col. 3:3). That is in fact the state of reckoning that every Christian should come to – realising that our life after entering into salvation is really found in no other but Christ alone. It is by His life that we have life in God’s realm of eternity. The life we now live in the body is but a pathway that we will in time to come depart from and enter into the world of eternity. Likewise the world we are now in is a temporary place of situation for us until such time as we are brought into our eternal dwelling places. Therefore the more things we cling on to in this world, the more we will have to give up before we enter eternity. And the more we have to give, the more likely it becomes difficult to do so. Yet if we do not, then we end up cleaving to the temporal just to later realise that we have forfeited the eternal in the process.
In the new life of a born again person, there is no place for independence from God. This is because our life we live is one given by the Lord Jesus – one of the fruits of the divine exchange that took place on the cross when He died for us. Now, the very reason why the Lord Jesus chose to die for us was because He (in all His infinite wisdom) had given up on us ever being able to redeem ourselves independent of divine intervention. He knew that on our own, men would never attain salvation, much less redemption from our fallen state. So that is why He died, for us; and which is the reason our life now is owing to Him and indeed His. Taking possession of this reckoning is vital for a victorious Christian walk. For we would cease all activities pertaining to self-righteousness when we realise that, it is not by power nor by might but by the spirit of God alone that we now stand acceptable before Him.
b) Christian Conduct (Col. 3:18; 4:1)
There is then the concern of Christian conduct in our day-to-day contacts – both towards ourselves with God and with people around us. There are the two basic relationships that Paul addressed: domestic relationship and employment relationships.
Principles and guidelines can be laid here, but the key thing to note is obedience and submission to the delegated authorities above us. For we know that all authority given is from God, so therefore when we submit to the authorities over us, we are exercising submission towards God.
Submission to the persons whom God has put over us is a requirement and that must not be compromised. Yet, submission is an attitude after all; for it only requires one party to acknowledge and accept the authority has put over him/her. To do the things such submission entails is another thing, and that is obedience. In our dealings with people, it helps to note the distinction between the two. Submission is all about attitude, while obedience is about conduct. While submission is required to be absolute, obedience is not so. Because of human imperfection and frailty, obedience cannot always be absolute between two parties.
A submissive attitude is a gentle spirit that does not force itself on people. Take for instance, the occasion when an order was given in all of Egypt for male children to be killed. Moses was at the age when the authorities would not let him pass, but the midwives and Moses’ mother were not keen to have baby. Also, his friends must be enjoying a birthday celebration so I don’t think it’s appropriate. Moses was an adorable baby and an intelligent child (Ex. 2:1-4). Daniel and his three friends also gave total submission to king Nebuchanezzar about did not go further.
In present circumstances where the Lord Jesus is not physically manifested in our midst, the conduct of Christians is as close a reflection can get to the way the Lord Jesus would handle such relationships in His capacity. Therefore, it is important for us to keep apposite conduct in these respects so that there would not be any poor reflection as to the Lord’s will in them. For what the world sees us doing will inevitably form their impressions of what the Lord Jesus is like.
To be able to correctly reflect the Lord’s heart and mind, it is first necessary to know the heartbeat of God - how He would manage and cope in various situations and how He would respond under various circumstances. The relationship between a believer and his God is likened to one between a wife and her husband. Like how an excellent wife would endeavour to know the tastes and likes of her husband, so we should also do the same in our relationship with our spiritual husband, the Lord. Take for example, Rebekah’s example with Isaac and her son, Jacob. When Isaac was lying on his deathbed and ready to bless his son, he asked of the eldest son Esau to prepare a savoury dish from some hunt. Isaac specifically asked for the food to be prepared in the way he liked them (Gen. 27:4). Privy to this instruction, his wife Rebekah asked her son Jacob to hunt some game so she could prepare a savoury dish for her husband “such as he loves” (Gen. 27:9). This was done, and sure enough, Jacob received the blessings from his father Isaac, because his mother knew her husband well enough to present offerings she knew he would find pleasing. Similarly, if we were to know our Husband (the Lord) well enough, not only will we be able to be a delight to Him, but we could also be a vessel to lead others to make pleasing offerings unto Him.
c) The Believer’s speech and prayer (4:2-6)
Paul never tires of exhorting the people of God to be diligent and vigilant in their prayer life. Doubtless one of the regrets we all will have when we get to heaven will be that we did not spend more time in prayer, especially when we will realise the extent to which our prayers were answered. There is a great deal of mystery in connection with the whole subject of prayer, many questions which cannot be answered. But the best attitude for us is not to seek to analyse, dissect, or understand prayer’s mysteries but to keep praying in simple faith, leaving aside our intellectual doubts.
While people do not always come close to reading our thoughts, they do however, in more ways than one, note the things we say. They either do that through paying close attention to what we say, or they make observances of our lives. If we love God in the way most of us say we do, then the last thing anyone of us wants to be doing is disgracing the holy name of God through the words of our mouth and our action. This brings us the need to observe our speech and to engage in persevering prayer so that we might grow in the Christlikeness and conform to His image from day to day.
There are primarily two steps we can visualise as per our daily prayers. One is the communion prayer that enriches and enhances our relationship with the Lord, and the other is prayer for the fulfilment of God’s will in our lives. The latter prayer determines our arrival at the Lord’s destiny for us.
Communion prayer consists of waiting upon the Lord and devoting our meditations and reflections to Him. It deepens the quality of our belief in Him and through such times spent in His presence, we develop and strengthen faith till we become inseparable from Him – the ultimate object of our devotion. If God’s covenant love for us – steadfast though they are – are nevertheless renewed every morning (Lam. 3:23), then all the more reason for us to seek Him day by day to discover the new mercies, love and compassion every new beginning brings. Then our relationship with Him would arrive at the level of intimacy where with all our heart and mind (“soul”) we can decidedly declare Him to be our “portion”. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul”(Lam. 3:24).
That settled, we must also not forget to pray for ourselves so that God’s will for our lives will unfold and take precedence over our own ambitions and desires. For the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Therefore, though God pre-destines, it is for us to bear the part of the responsibility to pray and yield ourselves towards His divine purpose so that we might not miss the call. The Lord Jesus Himself prayed that we might not be distracted from our destiny and stray into the path of the evil one: “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one” (John. 17:6). Likewise, we should join with the Lord and pray that same prayer for us.
In his final greeting, Paul encouraged Archippus to take heed to the ministry which he had received in the Lord and to fulfil it. Each one of us has been given some service by the Lord, and we will some day be required to give an account of what we have done with it. We all have to ask ourselves this question: What are we going to say, when we finally stand before the Lord Jesus Christ and hear Him ask, “Have you completed the mission, plans and purposes that I have commanded you on earth ?” Let us take heed of the exaltation of the apostle Peter “brethren, be even more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ”(2Pet.1:10-11) and enter into eternity with abundant reward.