What must I do to be saved?

The title of this week’s article is an idiomatic phrase used to describe well-known court cases, especially of the 19th and 20th centuries. It is sometimes used to attach a certain degree of importance to a particular trial. I suppose to some degree the importance of any trial depends upon the perspective of the one who might view the trial itself. The person who is on trial would most certainly view the trial as important more so than the person prosecuting the case. Baby Boomers have experienced the trial of the century more than one time over the past six or seven decades. I surmise that if we are blessed to live another couple of decades that we will hear of more such trials. F. Lee Bailey is credited with having said, “Every time I turn around, there’s a new trial of the century. It’s a kind of hype. It’s a way of saying, ‘This is really fabulous. It’s really sensational.’ But it doesn’t really mean anything.”

There are countless trials that have been designated as the trial of the century. In 1893 it was the trial of Lizzie Borden for the double homicide of her father and stepmother. The trial of Leon Czolgosz for the assassination of President William McKinley in 1901 was also considered the trial of the century. No doubt the Scopes Monkey trial in 1926 was very significant. More recently there are the trials of Ted Bundy (1979), Rodney King (1992-1993), O. J. Simpson (1995), the impeachment of Bill Clinton (1999), and the impeachment trial and on-going indictments of Donald Trump. As you can see, there is no such thing as the trial of the century, for there are no doubt many well-known and significant trials in every century.

Of all the trials that have ever been convened, however, there is one that stands out far and above all the others. This trial was conducted long before someone had coined the phrase trial of the century. I speak, of course, of the trial of our Lord. The trial of Jesus was unique in many ways, not the least of which was its aberrant illegality. No legitimate charge was ever brought against our Lord. He never committed a civil crime, nor did He break a single Jewish law. Witnesses? There were none, at least truthful ones. No conviction was possible without evidence on which two witnesses must agree. But then, how is it possible to present evidence of a crime when there was no crime? In violation of Jewish law, His trial was held at night and not available to the public. When the case was brought before Pilate, that weak governor tried in vain to release Jesus and eventually bowed to the pressure of the mob rather than exercise proper juris prudence. Yes, our Lord’s trial was the trial of the century – any century and every century. Consider the following.

First, Jesus was wrongfully arrested. The proper time to seize an offender is when the offence is committed, or as soon afterwards as possible. Jesus taught daily in the Temple. He was always open, engaging scholars and sinners alike. Yet His enemies never arrested Him. They had no legal right to arrest Him in the Garden. When the soldiers came toward Him, He surrendered Himself willingly; and it was wrong, therefore, to bind Him as if He were a thief. By binding Him the Jewish authorities immediately introduced prejudice into the case, suggesting that He must be guilty merely because He was in custody.

Second, there were the suborned witnesses. Was there evidence of any wrongdoing? No one ever suggested that Jesus or His disciples had injured someone. Eager as His accusers were to make a case, not one witness could be found that could confidently affirm any wrongdoing on the part of Jesus with regard to the Law of Moses or the Law of Rome. For months, spies had attempted to entangle Jesus in His speech. The Jewish authorities presumed guilt rather than innocence and were determined to do what they could to prove Jesus to be a fraud. At the trial witnesses were sought, but none found. Truth suffered and lies were accepted as evidence for guilt.

Third, there were the warders; those whose responsibility it was to guard the accused from injury and mistreatment during the judicial proceedings. But these so-called guardians of justice sinned against our Lord, shamed themselves, and made a mockery of the entire proceedings. Though Jesus never once committed contempt of court or showed disrespect to those in position of authority, one of them struck Jesus on the mouth. Another blindfolded Him and mocked Him, calling Him a prophet and demanding that He tell those taunting Him who it was that struck Him. Throughout the long night and into the early morning hours, our Lord demonstrated love and patience far beyond that of ordinary men. He did not curse them. He did not smite them. He did not call for the legion of angels that were there at His beckon call had He so desired their assistance.

There was as well the illegality of conducting and completing the trial in one day, of the failure to consider any merits of defense, of the very indictment brought against our Savior, and that of the private examination before Annas prior to the trial itself. In every respect, the trial of Jesus ignored every aspect of proper juris prudence.

There remains yet one more trial that will be convened at some point in time unknown to mortal men. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that which he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10). On that occasion there will be no need for witnesses for your life will bear testimony to where you stand before the Judge of all mankind. There will be no appeal and no second chance. All things will be “naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do” (Heb. 4:13). The verdict will be handed down from the righteous Judge. Those not washed in the blood of Jesus will stand condemned. Those washed in the precious blood of the Lamb will be declared “innocent,” and allowed entrance into that everlasting kingdom. Because Jesus endured the unjust trial of the century, God’s elect will enjoy the blessings of that final trial that all men will face.

By Tom Wacaster

Here is the last of our introduction to Colossians. I hope you find something in it helpful!

COMMENDATIONS PAUL GAVE THE COLOSSIANS

In light of the danger already noted, while Paul warns the church at Colossae, they are worthy of commendation for…

• Their faith, love and hope (1:4-5).
• Bearing fruit (1:6).

PEOPLE MENTIONED

• Paul – author of the book.
• Timothy – coworker who was with Paul.
• Epaphras – preacher, established church at Colossae.
• Tychicus – messenger.
• Onesimus – a faithful brother.
• Aristarchus – A fellow prisoner with Paul.
• Mark – John Mark (writer of the second Gospel), cousin of Barnabas.
• Barnabas – Coworker with Paul.
• Jesus (called Justus) – of the circumcision (along with Mark, Barnabas and Justus).
• Luke – the beloved physician.
• Demas – the one who left the Lord’s work for the world (2 Tim. 4:10).
• Nympha – the church met in her house.
• Archippus – told to fulfill his ministry.

SIMILARITIES BETWEEN COLOSSIANS AND EPHESIANS

• Both churches were commended for their faith, hope and love (Col. 1:4, 8; Eph.  1:15).

• Paul prayed for both concerning their knowledge (Col. 1:9-10; Eph. 1:17).
• Both letters emphasize redemption through the blood of Christ (Col. 1:14; Eph. 1:7).
• Both set forth Jesus as the head of the body, the church (Col. 1:18, 24; Eph. 1:22-23).
• Both teach that Christ reigns above all powers and dominions (Col. 1:16-17; Eph.  1:21).
• Both speak of deliverance from darkness into the kingdom (Col. 1:13; Eph. 2:2, 4-6).
• Both speak of the termination of the Law of Moses, and thus the barrier being broken between Jew and Gentile (Col. 2:14-16; Eph. 2:14-15).
• Both teach the putting off of darkness and giving oneself to holiness (Col. 3:1-17; Eph. 4:17-5:13).
• Both teach that God’s people ought to forgive others as Christ forgave (Col. 3:13; Eph. 4:32).
• Both speak of submission within various roles (Col. 3:18-4:1).
• Tychicus was the messenger of both letters (Col. 4:7; Eph. 6:21).
• Paul ends both with a prayer request related to his preaching (Col. 4:3; Eph. 6:19).

PHILEMON WAS FROM COLOSSAE

Philemon was a resident of Colossae, seen through the common names within the two books.

THE LETTER TO THE LAODICEANS

• Paul mentions the letter to the Laodiceans that the Colossians were to read; and they were also to have the Laodiceans read the letter Paul wrote them.

The only other mention of the Laodiceans is found in Revelation 3, being the “luke-warm” church (see 3:16).

UNIQUENESS OF COLOSSIANS

• Colossians is the most Christ-centered letter in the New Testament (31 references to Christ!). Again, see 1:15-20.
• It contains a number of play on words. (Some may be difficult to decipher whether they are by design.) Here are a few possibilities from chapter 1:

– “heard it” (v. 6) – “we heard” (v. 9).

– “filled”(v. 9) – “fully” (v. 10).

– “Spirit” (v. 8) – “spiritual” (v. 9).

MAIN DOCTRINAL MATTER

• The preeminence of Christ. When the nature of Christ is rightly understood and honored, He will reign supreme in the Christian’s heart, life and in the church. Some of the practical matters listed below will to some degree demonstrate how His nature is translated into life.

PRACTICAL MATTERS

• The role of prayer (give thanks, make requests, be watchful).
• Growing in knowledge (reading, hearing, learning, understanding).
• Fruitful Christian living.
• Teaching the word of God (Christians and non-Christians).
• Remaining firm in the faith (not being deceived).
• Putting on Christian graces, above all, love.
• Putting away things of the flesh (matters of impurity, corrupt speech).
• Setting the mind on things above (God’s will).
• Letting peace rule in the heart.
• Choosing God’s way for given roles (in the home and in society).
• Conduct toward non-Christians.

Daren Schroeder

Within the past year our country seems to have been struck by numerous catastrophic events from one coast to the other. There have been terrible hurricanes, devastating fires, and recently flooding and mudslides in California. We feel for those who have gone through such tragedies. But, the question that I want to ask is this, “Has our nation learned anything from these calamities?”  Have we learned anything about the weakness and inabilities of man to control natural disasters?  Have we learned anything about God and His power from such events?

In Revelation chapters 8, 9, and 16 Jesus reveals that there are trumpets of warning and then bowls of wrath. In biblical times trumpets were used to warn. Symbolically, in the book of Revelation they carry the same message. He then goes on to tell of natural calamities which befall the earth and its inhabitants. He speaks of fire and hail (8:7). He speaks about the springs of water and the ocean (8:8, 10). In chapter 16 when He speaks of the bowls of wrath, He mentions, the earth and sea (16:1, 3). He mentions fresh water (16:4). He mentions fire (16:8). Symbolically, Christ was conveying a message that men and women should repent. They first received warnings by tragic events that took place on the earth. Later, in chapter 16 He notes that God not only warns, but that He also has bowls of wrath He will pour out on the inhabitants of the earth.

I’m not saying that God has sent the hurricanes that devastated parts of the U.S. and the Caribbean. Nor am I saying that God has started the destructive fires we have seen, nor the devastating floods and mudslides. But, should not those horrific acts of “nature” cause us to recognize there is a Higher Power? Should they not cause all of us to examine his or her life and say, “I need to repent and draw near to God?”

God is patient toward us, “Not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” 2 Peter 3:9. Sad as it may be, both with regard to the trumpets of warning and the bowls of wrath, the text says, “they did not repent” (Revelation 9:21; 16:9, 11). Have the calamities this nation suffered the past few years caused us to repent? Maybe some? Hopefully many! But, personally, I fear the one who would write the text of our lives would have to repeat what the Revelation writer wrote, “They did not repent.” 

What will it take to turn our nation back to God? What more can God do? He has sent the sacrifice for our sin, given us the Book of Instruction, and allowed the tragedies of nature to get our attention. Let’s remember the powerful prayer from the Old Testament, “And My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land,” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Wayne Burger

Fort Knox is one of the most heavily guarded places on the planet. There are lookout towers at each corner of the building. Supposedly there are land mines, electric fences, and machine guns that are activated when invisible lasers are tripped.

They use radar and satellite imaging to keep a close eye on any suspicious activity.

At any given time there are up to 40,000 guards on standby ready to respond.

Now, let’s say you make it past all of this, there’s still the vault itself to deal with.

The door to the vault is made of steel and concrete, and weighs in at over 41,000 pounds. There’s not a single person that knows the combination to get in. Instead, certain staff members only know one combination each.

Why the need for such extensive security? Because Fort Knox is home to over 4,582 tons of gold worth 6.2 billion dollars. Back in 1974 it contained 11.4 billion dollars.

All the security makes sense; that’s a lot of money! But what if there wasn’t any gold? It would be a complete waste of time and money to build a fort like this and leave it empty.

God has instructed Christians to guard our hearts, but the first step is to fill it with the word of God. Proverbs 4:13 says, “Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life.” Verses 20-22 say, “My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.”

Leading up to Proverbs 4:23, the instruction to us is not just to guard our hearts but to guard the godly instructions within our hearts. Not only that, but we are told that God’s instruction “is your life” and “they are life to those who find them.” A heart filled with sin and worldliness is a dead heart. There is no life flowing from it. It is only when we put Gods word in our hearts that we will have life flowing forth from it.

Guarding our hearts, according to scripture, is the action of protecting the biblical truths and instructions that God has given us. If we aren’t guarding God’s Word in our hearts, then what are we protecting? If we fail to put Proverbs 4:23 in the context of chapter four and the rest of scripture, we will guard our hearts from receiving what we need from God. If we guard our heart before letting truth in and we don’t guard our heart to keep the truth in, we will be opening the door to sin and selfish desires.

Carl Pollard

Judging is a natural human response. There are things we have to judge. We are called to “test the spirits” (1 John 4:1). We are required to “examine everything and hold fast to that which is good” (1 Thess. 5:21). But too often, we judge on superficial matters, matters of opinion, or what we prefer or like, etc. The text we are going to look at is focused more on judging based on matters of opinion than matters of faith.

Point #1 in this text from verse 1: “Let a man regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.” In this context, “mysteries of God” is a synonym for the gospel of Christ – the salvation of man through Jesus Christ to the glory of God.

The idea of “stewardship” includes four components:

1) An owner;

2) A steward;

3) Something to be guarded or managed;

4) A day of accounting or reckoning.

When it comes to spiritual matters, God is the owner; you and I are the stewards; what is to be guarded or managed is the gospel message and our response to it in attitude, words, and actions. And, of course, as we studied this morning, there will be a day of reckoning, a day of accounting. We will give an account to God whether we have used our stewardship wisely. Or, faithfully, notice verse 2…

Point #2 in this text is from verse 2: Stewards must be found faithful. NASV translates the word as “trustworthy.” The word is used 67 times and is related to the word “faith.” It is also translated as “believer,” and would denote one who is a Christian for if one is faithful to the word of God, then he or she will become a Christian. God wants to be able to trust us…

Point #3 in this text, from verse 3: We do not judge each other. Isn’t that great news? We will not stand before anyone else, any Christian (or non-Christian for that matter) on the day of judgment. That’s good news from the perspective that some people are harder on us than is fair. It’s bad news from the perspective that most people would be easier on us than God will be. Nobody expects to go to hell. Everyone thinks they are going to heaven and everybody thinks most everyone else is going to heaven. Only a few people, like Adolph Hitler, deserve hell. That’s the mentality of most people.

In this text, I suspect that Paul is drawing a contrast between himself (see 2:1, 3-4) and Apollos (Acts 18:25). The problem in our text is not between Paul and Apollos, but between Corinthian Christians who were “lining themselves up” behind either Paul or Apollos. They were suffering from “preacher-itis.” But when it comes to his Christian service, Paul says it is insignificant to be “examined” by the Corinthian Christians. In fact, it would be insignificant for him to be “examined” by any human court. Paul writes that he isn’t even his own judge!

Point #4 in this text (4:4): The Lord Jesus is the one who examines. Paul writes that he doesn’t know of anything significant against himself. Paul is open to critiquing himself (2:1, 3-4; 15:9). But in whatever way the Corinthians were wanting to critique Paul, he says he doesn’t know anything against himself. But that doesn’t mean he is “acquitted.”

Jesus Christ is our only judge. He is the one who will decide our eternal fate. That’s why it is important for us to study His word and be consistent with His word. That will be what our “final exam” is over: John 12:48.

Point #5 in this text (4:5): “Therefore” shows that Paul is drawing a conclusion. Don’t judge people – especially fellow-Christians – before the time. Jesus Christ is coming and He will bring to light the things hidden in darkness. That is something that none of us can do. Jesus is coming and He will disclose the motives of men’s hearts. That is something that none of us can do. When Jesus comes again, those who have been faithful to Jesus Christ, who have been faithful to His word, they will receive their praise from God. Now, to paraphrase my mom, “Nobody died and left me (or you) in charge.”

We are stewards of the gospel and our response to it. We must be faithful in that stewardship. We cannot judge each other; Jesus is the one who judges. So let’s not judge one another.

Paul Holland

One of the most serious and growing threats in the world today comes from those who practice the religion of Islam.  As this false religion – based upon the teaching and examples of Mohammed – increases in power and influence Christians will inevitably be called upon to defend the truth about Jesus as the only begotten Son of God and Savior of the world.  One method of doing so is to contrast Jesus with Mohammed.

Sinless Life

Concerning Jesus, we know that He lived a sinless life.  He claimed this (John 8:29), and His disciples confirmed it: “Ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin” (1 John 3:5).  In fact, even His enemies could not bring just charges against Him (Mark 14:55-59)

However, Mohammed never claimed sinlessness, and actually admitted he was guilty of sin.1  As an example of his sinful conduct, an episode is noted during his time as the ruler of Medina.  He made a treaty in which he promised not to attack Mecca for 10 years, but he attacked them the very next year.2

Miracles

We have ample evidence that Jesus worked true and observable miracles.  He said that the miracles He performed were intended to reveal and confirm His identity as God’s Son (Matthew 11:3-5).  As one might expect, His disciples reported these miracles (John 20:30,31).  But, it is very significant to note that even His enemies had to admit that He worked miracles:  “Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.  If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation” (John 11:47-48).

Of course, the most noteworthy of all the miracles is the resurrection of Jesus (Romans 1:4).  There is even confirmation from secular history concerning this matter: “Now, there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works – a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure.  He was [the] Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.” ³

In the case of Mohammed, there are no serious claims that he ever did miracles and therefore there is no confirmation that his message was from God.  There are no eyewitness accounts of any miracles he supposedly did.  Specifically, Muslims do not even claim that Mohammed arose from the dead. The closest that one might come to a reported miracle is a claim that one night Mohammed was carried to Jerusalem from whence he ascended into heaven and saw wonderful visions.  However, no one saw it this happen, and his wife said he never left the bed.4

Fulfilled Prophecy

There are many examples of ancient prophecies that Jesus fulfilled.  For example:
· His birth (Matthew 1:22,23; Isaiah 7:14)
· The place of His birth (Matthew 2:4-6; Micah 5:2)
· The time of His coming (Galatians 4:4,5; Daniel 2:44; 9:24-26)
· His betrayal (Matthew 27:7-10; Zechariah 11:12,13)
· His trial and crucifixion (Matthew 27:12-14; Isaiah 53:7; Luke 23:32; Isaiah 53:12; John 20:27; Psalm 22:16)
· His burial (Matthew 27:57-60; Isaiah 53:9)

While there are hundreds of Old Testament prophecies about Jesus, there are no such prophecies about Mohammed.  Muslims can only claim that prophecies about    Mohammed originally were in the Bible, but were removed by Jews and Christians.  Of course, manuscript evidence completely disproves this claim.

Conclusion

Jesus taught that there is no way to approach God the Father other than through Him: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).  He said that a denial of His role as the Messiah would lead to eternal destruction: “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins” (John 8:24).  The apostle Peter proclaimed that “neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

The religion of Islam is false.  It is based upon the failed claims of Mohammed.  It will not lead one to heaven in eternity.

1 William Miller, A Christian’s Response To Islam, Wheaton, Illinois, Tyndale House Pub., 1981, p. 26,50
2 Ibid., p. 33
³ Josephus, Antiquities Of The Jews, XIII, 3
4 Miller., p. 24

– by Greg Gwin

We’re all familiar with the name Henry Ford.  He was the mastermind behind the Ford Motor Company and a big contributor the advancement of our automobiles today.  Perhaps one of the keys to his great success is found in his analysis of how people work: “A weakness of all human beings, ” Henry Ford said, “is trying to do too many things at once. That scatters effort and destroys direction. It makes for haste, and haste makes waste. So we do things all the wrong ways possible before we come to the right one…”

Henry Ford hit the nail on the head.  As people, we often don’t know which direction to go or what things are most important. We lose sight on what deserves our focus.  The result is, we focus on a bunch of things, too many things, and never truly give our focus on the things that matter.

The question is, what really matters in this life?  We know the answer, don’t we? It’s not a secret to Christians.  If we broke down everything in this life, we know what the answer is: Obeying God.  Then why are we focused on so many other things? We spread our time and attention so thin, often God and His Word rarely ever get the focus they deserve.

Like us, Martha had her focus on too many things.  As a result, she lost sight of what was truly important; the very thing her sister was doing, listening to Jesus.  Do we remember Christ’s reply to her? “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42).

King Solomon also went through a time in his life where he spread himself out too thin.  Do we remember his conclusion regarding the things that truly matter in this life? “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

Maybe you’ve lost focus. Maybe you’re in a place right now where it’s hard to keep your eyes on Jesus because of everything in the way.  Let’s get things cleared up.  Let’s start seeing what’s truly important.  It may be time for a spiritual vision check up.  Let’s do what it takes to start seeing clearly so we can reach the prize (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Brett Petrillo

According to the 2020 US Census, there are 31,358 people who live in the same zip code as the Karns church of Christ. Only 167 of them, including children, are members at Karns. That means around 0.5% (including children) of our community is regularly hearing the Gospel. Of course, some may attend other faithful congregations in our area, but this is the general lay of the land.

After Jesus concluded his conversation with the Samaritan woman, the disciples returned to bring him food. Jesus refused their offer and instead mysteriously declared, “I have food to eat you do not know about” (John 4:32). Like many other times, the disciples take Jesus literally and miss the spiritual meaning. What Jesus means is what satisfies him is to do the will of God and accomplish his work (4:34).

As the Samaritans approached Jesus and the disciples from the village of Sychar, Jesus declared, “Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest” (4:35). The harvest was not some “four months” away as people might say, the harvest was before them and made up of an unexpected group of people: the Samaritans.

A field lays before the church of Karns. Some need to be planted, others are ready for harvest, but whatever the circumstance: workers are needed. I suspect that wherever you are the situation is the same. Our communities are largely composed of lost people. We will not be able to save them all, as Jesus himself suggested in the Parable of the Sower (Matt 13). What we can do is (1) look up and recognize that there is a harvest, (2) do the will of God, and (3) accomplish his work in this world.

The fields are white for harvest. Are you ready to go into the harvest and reap souls for the Lord?

By Spencer Clark

John F. Kennedy said in his presidential acceptance speech on January 20, 1961, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”  American history is replete with examples of men and women who did just this.  The American Revolutionary War hero Nathan Hale personified this statement when he said prior to his execution at the hands of the British, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”  This attitude of selflessness is a main reason why these men are respected so long after their deaths.

How wonderful it would be if Christians adopted the same attitude toward the church as John Kennedy and Nathan Hale did toward America.  Many in the church look for a congregation based on what that congregation can give them.  Whether it is programs, activities, a great youth group, a dynamic preacher, etc., many base their choice on what they will “get” out of being a part of a particular congregation.  Yet, the Bible tells us to adopt a different approach.  The core of Christianity is being a servant, not in being served.  Jesus said in Matthew 23:11, “The greatest among you shall be your servant.”  Christianity is based on what we can give, not on what we get.  Nowhere is this better illustrated than in Luke 21:1-4, where the widow gave all she had in the temple treasury.  When Christians look for a place to worship, they need to look for a place where they can best serve God and his church, instead of a place that will serve them.  Instead of letting others work hard for the betterment of this congregation, let each one of us search for ways in which we, as individuals, can help our church grow.
By Will Hanstein

AUTHORSHIP

• The apostle Paul (1:1). Apostle – “one sent” by Christ (see Acts 9:15).
• He wrote “by the will of God” (1:1; see also v. 25; see also 1 Cor. 14:37; 2 Pt. 1:20-21)
• Timothy was with him (1:1).

• Paul most likely wrote this book during his first Roman imprisonment (around A.D. 60-62 – see Acts 28:16-31).

• The letter was sent via Tychicus and Onesimus (4:7-9; compare Eph. 6:21; Phil. 10-12).

RECIPIENTS

• The church at Colossae (1:2), referred to as: “the saints and faithful brothers” (v. 2).
• Saint – One who is set apart by God through the means of His word (see Jn. 17:17).

• The church consists of brothers (and sisters) who are joined together spiritually in Christ, having a common spiritual Father (1:2; see Gal. 3:26-28).

• This letter was to be read in the assembly of the church (4:16).

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CHURCH AT COLOSSAE

• Epaphras was involved in teaching the Colossians and establishing the church (see 1:7).

• Paul had never met with the church at Colossae (2:1).
• There is nothing recorded about the establishment of the church in Acts.

THE CITY OF COLOSSAE

• Location and land features: Laodicea, Hierapolis and Colossae were in close proximity to one another. Ephesus was over a hundred miles to the east of Colossae in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). Colossae was located at the Lycus Valley, where two streams united. It was also near Mount Cadmus (with an elevation of over 8000 feet). This area was (and continues to be) plagued with earthquakes.

Size: Colossae was a smaller town by the time of Paul’s writing. This may have been why Paul did not work there. (The twelve had to be very strategic with their time and work.)

• Residents and religion: The residents (as well as the church), were a mix of Jews and Gentiles. Colossae was known as having a conglomeration of religious thought.

KEY TEXT

1:15-20 – He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

• Compare with Phil. 2:5-11 and John 1:1-14.

THEME OF THE BOOK: The Preeminence of Christ (His fullness of deity leads to us being filled in Him).

OUTLINE OF COLOSSIANS (From Nelson’s Complete Book of Bible Maps & Charts, pp. 398-399)

PART ONE: THE SUPREMACY OF CHRIST AND THE CHURCH (1:1-2:23)

1. INTRODUCTION 1:1-14

1. Paul’s Greeting to the Colossians 1:1-2
2. Paul’s Thanksgiving for the Colossians 1:3-8
3. Paul’s Prayer for the Colossians 1:9-14
4.   THE PREEMINENCE OF CHRIST 1:15-2:3
5. Christ is Preeminent in Creation 1:15-18
6. Christ is Preeminent in Redemption 1:19-23
7. Christ is Preeminent in the Church 1:24-2:3

III.   THE FREEDOM IN CHRIST 2:4-23

1. Freedom from Enticing Words 2:4-7
2. Freedom from Vain Philosophy 2:8-10
3. Freedom from the Judgement of Men 2:11-17
4. Freedom from Improper Worship 2:18-19
5. Freedom from the Doctrine of Men 2:20-23

PART TWO: THE SUBMISSION TO CHRIST IN THE CHURCH (3:1-4:18)

1. THE POSITION OF THE BELIEVER 3:1-4

1.   THE PRACTICE OF THE BELIEVER 3:5-4:6
2. Put off the Old Man 3:5-11
3. Put on the New Man 3:12-17
4. Personal Commands for Holiness 3:18-4:6

III.   CONCLUSION 4:7-18

1. Commendations of Tychicus 4:7-9
2. Greetings from Paul’s Friends 4:10-14
3. Introduction Regarding this Letter 4:15-18

• Following Paul’s typical model, the book begins with doctrine and gives way to practical Christian living based on that doctrine.

Daren Schroeder