Colossians: Gnosticism

• Colosse, Hierapolis, and Laodicea were a trio of cities near Ephesus, known for mineral wealth and merchandising, with a diverse population.
• The church at Colosse was founded by Epaphras, a convert of Paul's from Ephesus, and may have met in Philemon's home.
• Paul was a prisoner in Rome when Epaphras reported that a new teaching was invading the church and causing trouble.
• The heresy was known as "gnosticism," from the Gk. word gnosis which means "to know."
• Gnosticism was a mix of Christian truth, Jewish legalism, Greek philosophy, and Eastern mysticism.
• Gnostics believed matter was evil, denying God's contact with it and proposing "emanations" from God to explain creation.
• Gnostics viewed Christ as one of these "emanations," denying His true divinity and preeminence.
• They advocated legalistic practices and strict asceticism, with rules like "Touch not, taste not, handle not!"
• Gnostic system gave semblance of spirituality but was of no real spiritual value.
• Paul likely sent Onesimus, Epaphras, and Tychicus to Colosse with letters, including the one to the Colossians.
• Colossians emphasizes Christ's preeminence, highlighting "all" and "fullness," stating "Christ is all and in all."
• Believers are made full in Christ, negating the need for legalism and man-made philosophies.
• Colossians pleads for spiritual maturity, cautioning against substituting man-made rules for true spirituality.

Colossians 1

• The chapter emphasizes that Christ holds the place of preeminence in all things.
• False teachers' message lacked the power to transform lives.
• Paul had not visited this church personally but had heard from Epaphras the good news of their salvation
• Epaphras shared the Gospel of Christ and he had heard from Paul at Ephesus.
• Epaphras gave them the word of the truth of the Gospel in contrast to the lies of the false teachers.
• These believers demonstrated faith, hope, and love.
• The Word brought forth fruit in their lives; fruit is the evidence of true salvation..
• Believers can experience daily growth and development through a personal experience with Jesus Christ.
• Paul prayed that the believers might experience fullness in their daily lives.
• The requests that Paul makes are that they might know His will, that they would walk so as to please God, that they would work to bear fruit, that they would understand the Word better, and that they would know His glorious power.

Preeminent in the Cross (1:13-14)

• It is His cross that causes Jesus Christ to stand out head and shoulders above any other person in history.
• Religious leaders have died, but only Christ, God's Son, died on the cross for the sins of the world.
• The picture in these verses is that of a great general setting a nation free from bondage and moving the people into a new land of blessing.
• The cross lifts Jesus Christ high above all.

Preeminent in Creation (1:15-17)

• Paul asserts that Christ is not an emanation from God, but God Himself!
• "Image" means "the exact reproduction."
• Christ is not one of God's creatures, but the highest (firstborn) of all creation.
• The term "firstborn" does not refer to time (as though Christ were the first thing God created) but to position.
• All things were created by Him and for Him; He holds all things together! ("Consist" means "to hold together.")

Preeminent in the Church (1:18-23)

• The church is His body, and He is the Head.
• The church is the new creation, and He is "the Beginning," that is, the Originator of the new creation.
• His resurrection gives Him title to the throne of preeminence, for He is "firstborn" from the dead, that is, first to rise from the dead, never to die again.
• Christ made peace between Jews and Gentiles and reconciled both in one body, the church.
• Christ has completely changed their lives and reconciled them to God.
• False teachers spin spider webs of doctrine about angels and "emanations," but Christ still has preeminence as the Head of the church!
• He is "the firstborn" of creation (v. 15) and of the dead (v. 18), signifying His priority and sovereignty.

Preeminent in Paul's Ministry (1:24-29)

• The lordship of Christ—His preeminence over all things—was the heartbeat of Paul's life and ministry.
• He looked upon his personal sufferings as suffering for Christ's sake.
• Paul is saying that as Christ suffered for others, so he suffers for others, and his suffering is on behalf of the body, the church.
• Paul next described "the mystery"—that truth about Christ and the church that had been hidden in times past but was now revealed
• Paul speaks of a threefold mystery: (1) the mystery of the church, vv. 24-26; (2) of the indwelling Christ, v. 27, and (3) of the Person of Christ, the fullness of God, 2:2-3.
• Paul sought to take the truth to all people, not just a few; and his goal was to present each believer mature (perfect) in Christ.
• Christian perfection is not sinlessness, but maturity—growing up unto Christ in all things
• The theme of Colossians is "Christ is all you need."
• God worked in Paul, and then he worked for God.