Every modern erroneous cult is some ancient Satanic heresy revived. Every "new" heresy has been anticipated by the Holy Spirit. Satan has nothing new to offer.

     We live in a day when religious toleration is interpreted to mean "one religion is as good as another". Many people try to take the best from various religions and fabricate their own. To them Christ is only one of several great religious teachers, with no more authority than they have. He may be prominent, but certainly not preeminent.

     This letter was written about the same time as the letter to the Ephesians. The Book of Ephesians was written about the church, the body of Christ. Colossians was written about Jesus Christ, the Head of the body.

                     Ephesians: Prophet
                                       Hebrews: Priest
                                                      Colossians: King

     Paul has much to say about angels and spirit powers. There is no need for us to worry about angelic mediators or spiritual emanations. God has sent His Son to die for us! Every person who believes on Jesus Christ and His total payment for all their sins is saved and is part of His body and the church (Colossians 1:18). Jesus Christ is the head of that body, that church, and He is the beginning of all things. Furthermore, nothing need be added to our relationship with Him. Each believer is complete in Him. He is totally sufficient.

Vs. 1 – "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,"
     "Paul"; 13 New Testament epistles begin with this name. A 14th, the epistle of Hebrews, which has much controversy surrounding its authorship, is considered as also from Paul. Paul was not the apostle to the Hebrews, but to the Gentiles, so he didn't magnify his office and it was appropriate to keep his name hidden.
     Christ alone was the Apostle and Prophet of the new covenant, as Moses and Aaron had been of the old. The opening word of Hebrews is simply "God", but God speaking in His Son.
     Paul tells us that He is an Apostle by the will of God. Not his will but God’s. If you remember, God places the believers and their gifts and calling in the Church. 1 Corinthians 12:11 –
"But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills."
1 Corinthians 12:18 -
"But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired."
     This does not mean you will function in the body with your gift, or your calling. It depends on your willingness to serve and obey the Word.
Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews are a trilogy of Habakkuk 2:4;
"Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith."
Romans 1:17b -
"But the righteous man shall live by faith."
Galatians 3:11b –
"The righteous man shall live by faith."
Hebrews 10:38 –
"But My righteous one shall live by faith;"
     In First and Second Timothy, as in the Philippians letter, Paul associated Timothy with him in the salutation. On Paul's 2nd missionary journey, Paul picked up Timothy at Lystra where the brothers spoke well of him.
Acts 16:2 –
"And he came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, and he was well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek."

Vs. 2 – "to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father."
     Notice here the words "Saints" vs. "faithful brethren"? Are they different? Yes, they are: "Saint" or divine call; you must be spiritually born into it where as "Faithful brethren" is our response to His Word; our personal walk.
      Are you one, or both?
John 8:31-32 –
"Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

Vs. 3 – "We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,"
     Here Paul is thanking God for people he probably had never met, giving thanks for their salvation and prayer for their growth.

Vs. 4 – "since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints;"
     I want you to see something here that is paramount: Faith in a Person, not a system, not a doctrine, not a philosophy. Not faith in "faith" or even in the amount of "faith" (as an abstract).
     Faith is totally relying on something or someone else. What is the object of your faith? In other words, what or who is your faith in? The object of your faith is the key.

Vs. 5 – "because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel,"
     See here that faith, hope, and love are intimately linked. Our hope is "laid up" (reserved, set aside) for us. The tense of the verb indicates that this hope has once and for all been reserved so that nothing can take it from us. We are being guarded for glory. Peter tells us in 1 Peter 1:3-6 –
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,"
     Which hope? "Hope" meaning "confident expectation". Well, I can think of several; Salvation, Eternal security, Rapture, and Christ's 2^nd coming just to name a few. But I believe Paul is referring to the blessed hope, "Jesus Christ", as the good news of salvation.
     Faith is the soul looking upward toward God. Love looks outward to others. Hope looks forward to the future. Faith rests on the past work of Christ, love works in the present, and hope anticipates the future. Even though "without faith it is impossible to please Him" (Hebrews 11:6), and "hope does not disappoint" (Romans 5:5), nevertheless "the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:13).

Vs. 6 – "which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth;"
     What Paul is saying here is that the "gospel" which had come to them, and the gospel which they believed, was bearing fruit and increasing in all the world, just as it had done in them. (One could use this verse to establish that even in Paul’s day, the gospel had been carried to the ends of the earth.) Colossians 1:23 –
". …which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven,…"
     However, from the rest of Scripture, we know that was not what Paul meant. (We will study more on that later.)
     If you were to give a gift that would be suitable for the whole world, what would you give? Books, food, clothing, or money?
John 3:16 –
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life."
      Grace. It's getting what you don’t deserve. Mercy. It's not getting what you do.

Vs. 7 – "just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf,"
     Learned it from, meaning 'were discipled from' Ephphras. You remember from Acts 19:10, Paul also discipled believers for two years.
"And this took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks."
     Jesus told the Apostles to go and make disciples in Matthew 28:19-20 - "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
     Discipleship is learning by living. That is what the fellowship of the local church is all about. Jesus gave us the greatest example by being the best example, John 13:15 –
"For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you."
     Paul says in Philippians 3:17 –
"Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us."
     Go to 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7 –
"You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia."
2 Thessalonians 3:7-9 – "For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you, nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we might not be a burden to any of you; not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, that you might follow our example."
     Paul told Timothy to show himself as an example in 1 Timothy 4:12 –
"Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe."
     Paul told Titus as well in Titus 2:7-8 –
"in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, in order that the opponent may be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us."
     Finally Paul warns of following the example in Hebrews 4:11 –
"Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall through following the same example of disobedience."

Vs. 8 – "and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit." Doctrinal correctness will never atone for lack of love. We're all growing in doctrine, but love should be present at all times.

Vs. 9 – 13: It is unlikely that any other writer has given us as helpful an insight for our prayer life as is contained in these following verses.

Vs. 9-11 sets forth certain blessings for which Paul prays.
Vs. 12-14 lists those for which he gives thanks. They are each different.
     Some are non-forfeitable while some are blessings for which we need to pray daily.

Vs. 9 – "For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,"
     "Knowledge", (Greek word 'epignosis' meaning 'knowing the Word). Paul was not content to know that they were saved, justified and safe for eternity. He prayed for their continued growth in understanding, etc.
     "Spiritual wisdom" which is 'practical know-how that comes from God'. Remember, James told us the same thing in James 1:5 –
"But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him."
James 3:15 –
"Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom."
     Paul also says "understanding". This speaks of clear analysis and decision-making in applying this knowledge to various problems. By contrast, the false teachers offered only "an appearance of wisdom".
Colossians 2:23 –
"These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence."
     It captivated their minds and lives through legalistic regulations. We know from the Bible that true wisdom is both stabilizing and liberating. Ephesians 4:14 –
"As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;"
     Truth is not learned from the intellect alone.

Vs. 10 – "so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;"
     Walk worthy of our vocation wearing the name of "Christian" honorably.
Ephesians 4:1 –
"I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,"
     Walk worthy of the gospel.
Philippians 1:27 –
"Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ; so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;"
     Walk worthy of God.
1 Thessalonians 2:12 –
"so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory."

Vs. 11 – "strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously"
     The same spiritual dynamic that raised Christ from the dead operates in us Whom is the Holy Spirit. WOW!
     Patience, but not with stoic tolerance. With joyfulness.
James 1:2 –
"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,"

Vs. 12 – "giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light."
     Do you see at the end of verse 11? It uses the word "joyously", meaning "giving thanks". Why do you think people are not doing this? We compare God to people. They let us down so we think God is the same. We think we can’t trust anyone, including God. That is a lie of Satan.
     Look at 2 Peter 1:10-11 –
"Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you."

Vs. 13 – "For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,"
     The Father has delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son. What a statement!!! What a security!!

Vs. 14 – "in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."
     Redemption, bought back, ransom paid with Blood of deity, as a result the forgiveness of Sins. Say those words to yourself a few times, "forgiveness of sins" very special is it not?
      The circumstance which prompted the writing of Colossians seemed to be the special heresies that arose there. This false teaching seemed to be in the beginning of what later, in the second century, developed into Gnosticism.
     This comes from the word "know". These false teachers claimed to be 'in the know' when it came to the deeper things of God. They felt they were the "spiritual aristocracy" in the church, a pretension to knowledge. These pretensions were similar to the ones we know today as the "New Agers".
     Gnosticism contained several characteristics. It was Jewish, stressing the need for observing Old Testament laws and ceremonies. It was philosophical, laying emphasis on some special or deeper knowledge. It involved the worship of angels as mediators to God.
Colossians 2:18 -
"Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind,"
     It was exclusive, stressing the special privilege and "perfection" of those select few who belonged to this philosophical elite. It also denied the Deity of Christ, as we still see today in our society.

Vs. 15 – "And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation."
     In contrast to the Gnostic, and Muslim, who maintain that God can never be known or understood, we have One who has made God known to us. Notice it says the 'image of the invisible God'; "image", meaning "the image of God," i.e., essentially and absolutely the perfect expression and representation.
     As God in Hebrews 1:1-3 –
"God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high;"
     And, as Jesus said in John 6:46 –
"Not that any man has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father."
     Jesus also told Philip in John 14:9 -
"Jesus said to him, "Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, `Show us the Father'?"
     In Colossians 1:15, the phrase 'first-born' means 'His relationship to the Father, expressing His priority to, and preeminence over creation', but not in the sense of being the "first" to be born, but rather prior to all creation. Revelation 3:14 –
"And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:"
     There are other examples of the preeminent one, not necessarily the one first born: Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob, Reuben and Joseph, the first Adam vs. the Last Adam.
     'Preexistent' in Micah 5:2 –
"But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity."

Vs. 16 – "For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities all things have been created by Him and for Him."
     All things, including Satan (vs. Mormon view), thrones, dominions, principalities, powers; all these refer in the Greek to hierarchy of angelic beings. He is the heir of all things. We are the 'house guests' in Someone else’s universe.
     History is headed somewhere, and we all have an accountability in it. Disbelief or denial is no refuge. Like it or not, believe it or not, we all have an appointment with destiny. Jesus make this very clear.
John 5:22-29 -
"For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, in order that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life."

"Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear shall live. "For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment."
     All things are held together by Him.

Vs. 17 – "And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."
     Is there any question about who's REALLY in charge?
Hebrews 1:2-3 also speaks of this.
"in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power."
     Here are some things to consider.
     God is the Sustainer of the Universe. He is not uninvolved, remote, detached and impersonal, leaving things to run themselves. He energizes all things according to the counsel of His will.
Ephesians 1:11 –
"…who works all things after the counsel of His will,"
     He cares about the sparrow that falls to the ground, the widow, the orphan, the homeless, and YOU.
     God does not lose track of His children but watches over them with infinite, patient, intimate, precise, Fatherly care. He also intervenes from time to time to alter the status quo in response to prayer, and even alters the course of entire nations. Most recently, consider Iraq.

Vs. 18 – "He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything."
     Beginning = originator. The Alpha and the Omega. Preeminence which is used no where else in the New Testament.

Vs. 19 – "For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him,"
     "Fullness" (Greek word "pleroma" which means the 'sum total of all the divine power and attributes'). Compare this to Colossians 2:9 –
"For in Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form,"
     WOW!!! What does this really mean? It means God is fully manifested in Christ. Now compare this to Philippians 2:5-11;
"Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Vs. 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."
     Three main truths here.... Jesus has taken care of all things; Jesus is sufficient; all that we need is in Him.
     God is pleased when Jesus is honored and given preeminence.

Vs. 21 – "And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,"
     Man is never called upon in Scripture to make his own peace with God. Romans 5:1 –
"Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,"

Vs. 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"
     Notice the reason He died. It was to present you and I "holy and blameless" in regard to sin. As it says, "beyond reproach".
     This salvation is so complete that Paul say’s He has "reconciled". It is what God has accomplished, exercising His grace towards sinful man on the ground of the death of Christ in propitiatory sacrifice under the judgment due to sin.
2 Corinthians 5:19 –
"namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation."

Vs. 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."
     False teachers attempted to move them away from the hope of the gospel. Those who knew the good news and believed it were eternally secure. Some however, were influenced by these false teachers, as
Colossians 2:8 tells us.
"See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ."

Vs. 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 that which is lacking in Christ's afflictions."
     Paul’s pain ... their gain. Christ’s pain … our gain. Paul showed them about sacrificial giving of one's self. There is a verse in Acts 5:10 that gives us the attitude of the early believers.
"So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name."
     There is a story in Acts 21:13 about a prophet named Agabus, who told Paul that the man that owned the belt that the prophet had, would suffer at the hands of the Gentiles. They were afraid and wept for Paul. Now listen to Paul's response.
"What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."
     What are you and I ready to do for the Lord? A better question might be, "What are WE willing to do for the Lord"? If Paul had compromised with the Jews and stopped ministering to the Gentiles, he could have saved himself a great deal of suffering.

Vs. 25 – "Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,"
     Stewardship: The KJV uses the word "dispensation", meaning 'period of time that God would use Paul', not only to preach to the Gentiles, but also to write 14 books of the New Testament and all in a period of about 40 years.

Vs. 26 – "that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations; but has now been manifested to His saints,"
     This word "mystery" is not the same word as our English. In the New Testament, it denotes, not the mysterious (as with the English word), but that which, being outside the range of unassisted natural apprehension, can be made known only by divine revelation. It is also made known in a manner and at a time appointed by God, and only to those who are illumined by His Spirit. In the ordinary sense, a "mystery" implies knowledge withheld; its Scriptural significance is truth revealed. Hence the terms especially associated with the subject are: "made known", "manifested", "revealed", "preached", "understand", and "dispensation".

Vs. 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."
     Now, pay attention here. It says "to whom God willed to make it known." THE GOSPEL WAS FOR THE GENTILE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, BUT IT WAS HIDDEN FROM PAST GENERATIONS. Let me give you a few verses.
Romans 15:9-12 –
"and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written, 'Therefore I will give praise to Thee among the Gentiles', And again he says, 'Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people'. And again, 'Praise the Lord all you Gentiles', And again Isaiah says, 'There shall come the root of Jesse,'"
     It was there all the time, but hidden. You and I see it because of the Holy Spirit that has given us the understanding as a result of being saved. If you remember in Acts 22:21 –
"And He said to me, `Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'"
     When Paul was arrested in Jerusalem on false charges, the Jews listened to his defense until he used the word "Gentiles". It was that word that infuriated them and drove them to ask for his execution.

Vs. 28 – "And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ."
     "We proclaim Him..." Christianity is about a Person, not a system. Paul uses the words "complete in Christ", and the same word again in
Colossians 2:10.
"and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;"
     This verse has to do with salvation, while 2 Corinthians 13:11 teaches about a Christians 'walk'.
"Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be likeminded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you."

Vs. 29 – "And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me."
     Again, Paul states, "for this purpose I labor", to save men. Then, AFTER salvation comes discipleship, through the power of God that was working in him (Paul).

In this chapter, we will deal with 4 Primary Heresies.
1. Worldly Philosophy - Text: literally "loving wisdom" (Greek word: "philos", loving; "sophia", wisdom). Occurs in Acts 17:18 -
"And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him..."
2. Jewish Legalism - Righteousness through the law; which can’t happen....
Romans 3:20 –
"because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin."
Romans 3:28 –
"For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law."
Galatians 2:16 -
"nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus,"
3. Oriental Mysticism - fleshly thinking
2 Peter 2:18 -
For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality
4. Stoical Asceticism - severe treatment of the body
Colossians 2:23 –
"These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence."

Vs. 1 – "For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf, and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face,"
     For this was a great struggle, both for the believers in Colossae, and believers in Laodicea. They were to exchange the letter, as was the order of the day.
Colossians 4:16 –
"And when this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea."
     Geographically, the two cities were only a mile apart. Laodicea stood midway between the hot springs of Hierapolis and the cold waters of Colossae. An aqueduct fed it from Hierapolis, the water being lukewarm when it arrived in Colossae.
     Prophetically, Laodicea, meaning the "people rule", was a 'self satisfying' church. It is the church of today. The letter to the Colossians specifically addresses even the doctrinal deficiencies of today.

Vs. 2 – "that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself,"
     Look at the intensity for prayer that Paul had for people he had never even met. What an example for us to follow! Also, truth unites; error divides. Paul then says that true wealth comes from assurance of understanding as a result of true knowledge. And the truth, no longer a mystery, was and is Jesus Christ.

Vs. 3 – "in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."
     Look at this verse. It is not necessary to go elsewhere, investigating human systems and philosophies, for an explanation of the mystery of the universe and the relations of the Creator to His creatures. (We will look more closely at vs. 8 shortly.)
     The Person is the key; in Him are all the answers. Wisdom is personified. Please read all of Proverbs, Chapter 8.

Vs. 4 – "I say this in order that no one may delude you with persuasive argument."
     The key used in snaring the unsuspecting into false teaching is how the false teacher packages their system. They use the most attractive phrases, and they appeal to the emotions and feelings to entrap the unwary. Paul calls it "smooth and flattery speech", as he told the Roman believers in Romans 16:18 –
"For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting."

Vs. 5 – "For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ."
     "Discipline", meaning 'an admonishing or calling to soundness of mind, or to exercise self-control,' is used in 2 Timothy 1:7 -
"For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline."
     In the King James Version (KJV), it's having "a sound mind" or "to be healthy, sound in health". (English is the word "hygiene," etc.) It's translated "safe and sound" in Luke 15:27 –
"And he said to him, `Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound."
     It's also used metaphorically in doctrine of words in the following verses:
1 Timothy 1:10 –
"and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching,"
2 Timothy 4:3 –
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires;"
Titus 1:9 & 2:1 –
"holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict … But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine."
     Paul also uses the word "stability", meaning 'to keep from changing, steadfastness and purpose or resolution'.

Vs. 6 – "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,"
     Because He is the LORD, "walk" in Him, why because of what we just saw in verse 3.

Vs. 7 – "having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude."
     Firmly rooted has the idea of being 'immoveable'. Not pulled out as a result of the storms of life; anchored down. Then Paul says, "being built up", having to do with continued adding to the structure of your faith. Then he says, "instructed" as schooled and taught in the Word. Then finally, as a result of knowing Him, "over flowing with gratitude".

Vs. 8 – "See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ."
     Beware of the traditions of men. See to it because it's our personal responsibility. We will never have an excuse before God as to why we don't know.
     So the question is, "How can we avoid being caught in the trap of deception?" The Christian should never put human wisdom in the place of divine revelation. The first element of the armor of God is to "gird oneself with truth" in Ephesians 6:14.
"Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth…"
John 14:6 –
"Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth..."
2 Timothy 2:15 –
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth."
     There is so much empty deception in this world. The list is almost endless having human reasoning opposed to God’s word: Psychiatry, Psychology, electro-shock therapy, mind altering drugs, A.A., N.A., astrology, and humanistic support groups that never use the Word of God for correcting problems. We all know that Adam and Eve came from a dysfunctional family. Was that Satan’s problem, too? Isn't it tragic that Paul didn't have the insights of modern Psychology when he counseled Timothy?

Vs. 9 – "For in Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form,"
     Wow! Look at the word "fullness", "pleroma", the Greek word meaning 'the sum of the qualities of deity'. John 14:7-9 –
"He that has seen Me has seen the Father."
     What a phenomenal statement!

Vs. 10 – "and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;"
     Complete. Filled full. Why? 2 Corinthians 5:17 –
"Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."
     If that is true and it is, why does it not show through our attitude and our actions? If we have the love of God in us, why do we act the way we do? They're all faith choices.

Vs. 11 – "and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ;"
     God never separates the Person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Circumcision was a sign of the Covenant to the Jews. It was a physical emblem with spiritual significance.
Genesis 17:9-14 –
"God said further to Abraham, "Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you. And every male among you who is eight days old shall be circumcised throughout your generations, a servant who is born in the house or who is bought with money from any foreigner, who is not of your descendants. A servant who is born in your house or who is bought with your money shall surely be circumcised; thus shall My covenant be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. But an uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant."
     As so often happens, the physical sign tended to replace the actuality.
Romans 2:25-29 –
"For indeed circumcision is of value, if you practice the Law; but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. If therefore the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? And will not he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a transgressor of the Law? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God."
     God warned them in Deuteronomy 10:16 –
"Circumcise then your heart, and stiffen your neck no more."
Deuteronomy 30:6 –
"Moreover the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, in order that you may live."
Also see Jeremiah 4:4 –
"Circumcise yourselves to the Lord And remove the foreskins of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Lest My wrath go forth like fire And burn with none to quench it, Because of the evil of your deeds."
Deuteronomy 6:10 –
"To whom shall I speak and give warning, That they may hear? Behold, their ears are closed, And they cannot listen. Behold, the word of the Lord has become a reproach to them; They have no delight in it."
     Lets look at one more verse.
Ezekiel 44:7 –
"when you brought in foreigners, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My sanctuary to profane it, even My house, when you offered My food, the fat and the blood; for they made My covenant void this in addition to all your abominations."
      People make the same mistake today when they rely on any ritual to save them.

Vs. 12 – "having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead."
     We must see and understand that the baptism here is of the Spirit. Paul himself emphasizes the death of Jesus Christ as an essential part of the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4;
"Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,"
     "Baptize", meaning to 'identify with', as the Jewish nation was "baptized into Moses" when they went through the Red Sea.
1 Corinthians 10:1&2 -
"For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea;"
     When ever a person is saved, he is immediately baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 –
"For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit."
     Whatever happened to Christ is imputed to us through faith in the operation of God.

Vs. 13 – "And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,"
     What else do we need? What did you personally contribute to the 'process' of salvation? You and I are helpless. Galatians 2:16 -
"nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus,…"
Romans 3:20 –
"because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin."
     God is making no attempt to improve our flesh.
Look at Romans 8:7&8 –
"because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God."
     There is no Scripture found that encourages merit by man for salvation.

Vs. 14 – "having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross."
     Our certificate of death; the debt that we owed to God and could never pay, was PAID IN FULL by Christ, on the cross, to the Father. John 19:30 –
"When Jesus therefore had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head, and gave up His spirit."
     "It is finished!" were Christ's last words to mankind. Full payment to the Father had been made. Paul made it very clear in Romans 5:9-10 –
"Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life."

Vs. 15 – "When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him."
     "When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities...". Compare this to Hebrews 2:14-15 –
"Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil; and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives."
     They are forever disarmed. Ephesians 6:12 tells us,
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."
     The key is faith in the facts that this is true. Why? Because God said it. That alone makes it true. There is no need to place one’s self under any man-made legalism to attain righteousness. It’s already been done for you through Christ. Yes, we are called to be holy and obedient. Nevertheless, this is not legalism. It is our thanksgiving offering for what He has already done for us. It is done out of gratitude for being saved from hell.
     Some Issues: Should we worship on Saturday or Sunday? Can we eat shrimp and pork? Can we drink a glass of beer or wine? Can we dance?

Vs. 16 – "Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day"
     I want us all to understand that the word 'holiday' means any that was ordered under Jewish Law, not the manmade pagan holiday invented by denominational religions, which is false Christianity. All of these Jewish days and Laws pointed to Christ and were given to the Jew because he was to be different from the world. It was God's choice. Now under grace, all foods are 'ok' to those who know the truth. 1 Timothy 4:3-4 –
"men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods, which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it is received with gratitude"
Mark 7:19 –
"because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?" (Thus He declared all foods clean.)"

There is no commandment in the New Testament establishing the sacredness of the first day of the week. The Sabbath was of course, a memorial of the creation. Genesis 2:3 –
"Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made."
     Also see Exodus 20:11 –
"For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."
     Also their deliverance from Egypt in Deuteronomy 5:15 –
"`And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to observe the Sabbath day."
     Yes. Under the Law, if you were Jewish, you kept the Sabbath. Under grace, it does not matter which day you worship on, as long as you have one day. See Romans 14:5-6 –
"One man regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Let each man be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God."
     This Colossians passage explicitly condemns those who command Sabbath obedience.

Vs. 17 – "things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ."
     Things which are a "mere" shadow of what is to come. Here's a question for you. Which came first, Christ or the Law?
     Trick question? When referring to the Law, the Law was first because it pointed to Christ. It was a foreshadowing of the good things to come. Compare Hebrews 10:1 –
"For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never by the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near."
     Jesus Christ is the substance. Jesus is the object that the Law shadowed, or pointed to. Everything about the temple pointed to Christ. All the holy days and festivals pointed to Christ. Exodus 12:13 –
"`And the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt."
     Passover; "…when I see the blood... ", pointed to the cross. They were merely shadows, not the main event. Once one finds Christ, he no longer needs to follow the old shadow.

Vs. 18 – "Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind,"
     The prize here is "freedom" from the Law and its regulations, its requirements and its death sentence. Legalism. Binding terms. See Galatians 3:10-11 –
"For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them. Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, "The righteous man shall live by faith."
     If you look at self-abasement, they are the restrictions that people put on themselves thinking that somehow it will make them more spiritual and acceptable to God. Seeing visions, which are merely caused by a fleshly mind and extra-Biblical, they try to make themselves look and sound like they have a better connection to God than others.

Vs. 19 – "and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God."
     The mystic, while believing that he is in touch with a higher reality, has, in fact, lost connection with the Head. John 15:1-5 –
"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing."

Vs. 20 – "If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as," "
     "Elementary"; ABCs, meaning principles of the world. The wisdom of man worships planets and stars where as, the wisdom of God tells us to worship the One who created the planets and stars. Big difference!

Vs. 21 – "Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!"
     Paul is speaking here of manmade restrictions that man submits to, believing it produces spirituality or that brings him closer to God in some way. We know it as legalism which comes from the word Law.

Vs. 22 – "(which all refer to things destined to perish with the using) in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men?"
     Man puts upon himself asceticism, any pseudo-spiritual rituals that revel in rules of physical self-denial. Circumcision was a covenant sign only.
Not a condition of grace. Today, mainline false churches teach rituals as a means of grace, thus proving to be in great error themselves in regard to true salvation.

Vs. 23 – "These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence."
     From man's perception it would seem spiritual, but it is useless. It has the appearance of wisdom, (like it says, "self abasement", "denial"), but notice it has "no value". WHY? Its manmade and not of God. Monasticism is not the answer. Untold thousands of monks, hermits, and ascetics of all descriptions have proved that these things are useless against the indulgences of the flesh.

Vs. 1 – "If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God."
     "If"... or the word could be 'since' "you have been raised up"… "keep seeking". We are to be kingdom seekers. Why, because that is where Christ is. The only way to do this is to really understand verse 2.

Vs. 2 – "Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth."
     "Set your mind". In other words, think heaven. We often hear people say, "Boy! When he sets his mind to something there is no changing it." That is exactly it!! Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-21 -
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
     Notice the last half of this verse in Colossians 3:1. Do not set your mind on the things of the earth. The word "do" is not in the text, but the word "not" is, so 'do not' is inferred here. Grammatically it is correct. KJV uses the words 'set your affections'. We need to remember that in Adam we are all fallen. "In Christ" we have received a new life from God and we are not to think of ourselves as being on probation in any sense.
2 Corinthians 5:17 –
"Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; ..."
     We do not stand before God on the ground of responsibility. The "responsible man" utterly failed to keep his obligations. There was nothing for him but condemnation, but the Lord Jesus Christ has borne that condemnation. Romans 8:1 says, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
     Actually then, when we think about it, anything on earth that we hold dear, anything that takes our mind set off of Christ is considered by God to be an idol. Any alternative is an obsession. Ouch. Don’t expect the world to understand this or us. Cain hated Abel because his own works were unacceptable. Even the Lord, while on the earth, said,
John 15:25 -
"They hated me without a cause."

Vs. 3 – "For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God."
     This is past tense 'in Christ', or 'as a result of'.
Romans, Chapters 6-8 speak clearly to this. He (Christ) died for us = SUBSTITUTION. We have died with Him = IDENTIFICATION. He not only died for sin, bearing its penalty, but He died unto sin, breaking its power. Think about this!! Our link that has bound us to the world, and all its purposes, has been severed, and we are freed from all necessity to being subject to sin in the flesh.
Romans 5:1 –
"Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,"
     Another point Paul makes here is hidden in Christ. Our life is in His safe-keeping.

Vs. 4 – When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
     This is a key point to a pre-tribulation rapture. We can’t appear with Him except for a pre-tribulation rapture. Look at 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
"But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words."

Vs. 5 – "Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry."
     This verse is saying, because of what has been said in the previous verse, this is pure doctrine and based on our relationship to Christ. By faith, we need to reckon, or as it says here "consider", the members of our earthly body as dead to the deeds of the flesh. We are to deal unsparingly with the sins of the flesh. The KJV says "mortify"...put to death, the flesh.
     Paul then goes on to name five of the most prominent sins that befall believers:
1. Immorality, including all sexual sins such as fornication, adultery, homosexuality, incest, and all sins of the body.
2. Impurity, lustful impurity connected with loose living.
3. Passion, inappropriate and excessive affection, appetites seeking opportunities to satisfy themselves.
4. Evil desires, unlawful desires, desires leading to ungodly deeds. To purify our actions we must purify our minds.
5. Greed, "covetousness", putting things in the place of God; worship of self, which is idolatry.

Vs. 6 – "For it is on account of these things that the wrath of God will come,"
     This is a certainty!! There are three "for sures": taxes, death, and judgment.

Vs. 7 – "and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them."
     Paul reminds the believers that they also, at one time, walked in the sins mentioned here, but I want you to take note of the words "once walked". They are in past tense. They chose not to remain in that way of life. They were no longer doing those things.

Vs. 8 – "But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth."
     Paul now deals with the social sins: "anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech". That’s our pollution problem".
Ephesians 4:26 – "Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,"
     "Do not let the sun go down on your anger", meaning - deal with problems and get forgiveness as soon as possible, before day's end. The Bible has much to say about anger and malice. They are sisters, or I could say brothers, as well. They just hang together.
     There is a 3^rd party here and that is "abusive speech". When people communicate to you in anger, more often than not, they use abusive and unwholesome words. Slander is the sister to abusive speech. It means 'to speak evil of' or 'blaspheme'. Even as believers, we do it all the time towards the unsaved and even toward believers. THAT is really sad.

Vs. 9 – "Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,"
     Lying is one of the very first evidences of the carnal nature;
Psalm 58:3 - "The wicked are estranged from the womb;"
     They go astray as soon as they are born. A lie is a misrepresentation of truth, even if the words are accurate. It is intended to deceive. When a Christian lies, he is cooperating with Satan, the father of lies. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth.
John 14:17 –
"He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth,"
John 15:26 –
"When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth,"
     Notice it says to "lay aside". In the Greek, the idea is like changing a garment. It’s a once and for all action.

Vs. 10 – "and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him"
     Being renewed, present participle, 'constantly renewed'. In other words as Paul told the Roman believers in Romans 12:2 –
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..."
     It’s changing your thinking each and every day through the Word of God.

Vs. 11 – "a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all."
     It does not matter who you are, where you're from, or what you have done. In Christ there is no distinction. The word can and will change and correct anyone if you will allow it to.
     The Greeks thought that anyone who was not a Greek was a barbarian. We have all kinds of racial problems in the church. People are always making distinctions on race, color, and social standing, etc. This is not Biblical. The key is being in Christ. See Galatians 6:15-16 –
"For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God."

Vs. 12 – "And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;"
     This verse is about Practical Holiness in relation to others.
     "Chosen of God" ("the elect" as others passages state) means those whom God foreknew from outside of time (eternity) and who are manifested in time as believers in His Son. There is a basic principle here that I must touch on before going any further. It is very important that you pay attention to the order of events. God has not "chosen" some to be in heaven with Him and some to go to hell. That is certainly unbiblical and a false teaching that is being propagated today. God clearly states that He wants ALL to be saved. John 3:15-16 -
"that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life."
1 Timothy 2:3-4 –
"This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."
     Firstly rather, God, being all knowing, foreknew who would choose Him. Then secondly, because of their individual choice, He chose them. His choice is based on what He already knew they would choose. It is NOT the reverse. He simply knows who will choose Him first. It is vital that you understand and accept, from the Bible, the concept of our free will choice. If you do not, you will be inhibited and deterred from understanding many other basic Biblical doctrines in the Word of God. (The omniscience, all-knowingness, of God, is a Bible study in itself and will be added to this website in it's entirety at a later time.) Let us continue.
     "Holy and beloved" means 'set apart in Christ', sanctified by the blood of the everlasting covenant, dear to God because they are His own children, and partakers of the Divine Nature. Mercy and kindness are to be ours in abundance towards each other. A wonderful example of this is in 2 Samuel 9 with Mephibosheth, the crippled prince of Saul’s family.
     The next characteristic Paul says we should be practicing as Christians is "humility". It is the cap for the head. Pride is a stench in God’s nostrils and it was through pride that sin was introduced through Lucifer.
     Next is "meekness". It is not weakness but rather power under control. Humbleness of mind is not thinking poorly of oneself. It is having the proper estimate of oneself in the will of God. Romans 12:1-3 –
"I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith."
     Next, "gentleness and patience", or long suffering, (Literally: 'long tempered' or 'readiness to endure grief' or 'suffering wrongfully'.) It is natural for us, when falsely accused, to feel we must defend ourselves, or to resent such treatment. Jesus said in Matthew 5:44 –
"But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you." God promises to vindicate. 2 Thessalonians 1:6 –
"For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted..."

Vs. 13 – "bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you."
     'Bearing with one another' means to hold up and not give up. Not quitting.
     Then we have "forgiving". I believe this is one of the most difficult characteristics to practice. However, God will not tell us to do something we are not able to do. He does not require anything of us that He will not give us the strength to do within His will, and forgiving is certainly within His will.
Ephesians 4:32 –
"And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you."
Matthew 6:14-15 –
"For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions."
     The fullness of the love of God is forgiveness.
     Here's a question for you. How much and how frequently has He forgiven you? (Remember the Christian’s "bar of soap".) 1 John 1:9 –
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
     Don’t say you're sorry. You may be very sorry, but that doesn't repair what you've done or what you're sorry for. If you have hurt or offended someone, you need to ask them for forgiveness! It needs to be a two party transaction; you ask, and the other forgives.
     However, just going through the motions or saying the words means nothing to God. He knows your heart and the attitude with which you are asking for forgiveness. If you are just 'faking it', He knows, and your fellowship with Him will not be restored nor will you be blessed because of your deceitful heart. God will discipline you in His own way and time. If on the other hand, you are sincere, He knows that, too. Then if they do not forgive you, the burden is on their own heart before God and He will then deal with them.

Vs. 14 – "And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity."
     The biggest shortage in the body of Christ is Love. Love is the first fruit of the Spirit, the rest follow. Mahatma Ghandi was asked, "What is the biggest obstacle in India". The answer given was "Christians".
1 Corinthians 13:13 –
"But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."
1 John 4:11 –
"Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."

Vs. 15 – "And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful."
     The one and only way to have peace is to: (1) have salvation,
Romans 5:1 –
"Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,"
and (2) be walking with the Lord in obedience.
Philippians 4:7 –
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
     If you have no walk, you will never have peace. Your walking with the Lord keeps your heart and conscience tender to Him. Guilt is always at the forefront of your mind. If you say, "I don’t have any guilt", it may be that your conscience is seared. 1 Timothy 4:2 –
"…seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron,"
     Satan also blinds the eyes of the unsuspecting. 2 Corinthians 4:4 –
"in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving,…"
     A believer can also be blind to his position in Christ. 2 Peter 1:9 –
"For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins."
     Next in this verse we see thankfulness. One of our most common sins is ingratitude. Ephesians 5:20 –
"always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;"

Vs. 16 – "Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God."
     Here's a thought question for you. Does His word dwell in you? Honestly? Dwell means what? It means to live together. It's the same meaning as in 1 Corinthians 7:12-13 ('to live with') –
"But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is a unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, let him not send her away. And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, let her not send her husband away."
     "Admonishing" = encouraging.
     It says with songs: psalms, Old Testament hymns, the old classics, and spiritual songs. These are songs that uplift a person. Some of the 'Christian music' that is passed off today simply because the words "God" or "Jesus" are included in the lyrics, are not the spiritual songs God speaks of in the Bible. Many are of the dark side and not of the Spirit. The only Christian "rock" the Bible speaks of was Peter's faith in Matthew 16:18.
"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it."
     We need to be very careful.
     Notice again it says, "singing with thankfulness". It comes from the heart. In other words, is it real? God knows.

Vs. 17 – "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father."
     Look at Ephesians 5:18-21.
"And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ." cWe are to be "filled with the Spirit" as well as filled with His word. Look at the phrase "giving thanks". Paul tells us throughout Scripture that we should be giving thanks in all things. Remember, Paul was in a Roman prison when he wrote this.

     The first institution God founded on earth was ministry. God placed the man in the garden to cultivate it.
Genesis 2:8 & 15 -
"And the Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed… Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it."
     Next it was family. He gave to the man a woman, a helper.
Genesis 2:18 –
"Then the Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him."

     Let's take just a moment to look at some facts. At the end of WWII, considered to be the post-war generation, 80% of children grew up in a family with two biological parents who were married to each other. In 1980, only 50% expected to spend there entire childhood in an intact family.
     An increasing number of children will experience family breakup two or even three times during their childhood. Scientific evidence demonstrates that children in disrupted families do worse than those of intact families. They are 6 times more likely to be poor. The study also found that 22% of one-parent families will experience poverty during childhood for 7 years or more vs. 2% of children in two-parent families.
     In a 1988 study done by the National Center for Health Statistics, it was found that children of single parent families:
1. are 3 times more likely to have emotional and behavioral problems;
2. are more likely to drop out of high school;
3. are more likely to get pregnant as teenagers;
4. are more likely to abuse drugs;
5. are more likely to get in trouble with the law;
6. are at a higher risk for physical or sexual abuse;
7. have a harder time achieving intimacy in a relationship;
8. have a harder time forming a stable marriage;
9. have a harder time even holding a steady job.
     Teen suicide rate has tripled, juvenile crime has increased and become more violent; school performance has continued to decline and divorce rate has skyrocketed and is the public acknowledgment of failure.
     Since the 1960s, after removing God out of schools, divorce has increased from 10/1000 to 23/1000. It has DOUBLED. In 1990, 1 out of 4 women had a child while unmarried. Hollywood now celebrates divorce and unwed motherhood, both on the big screen and in real life.
     Each divorce is the death of a small civilization. It inflicts wounds that never heal. Survey after survey shows that Americans are less inclined than they were a generation ago to value sexual fidelity, lifelong marriage, and parenthood as worthwhile personal goals. Society has become the "Me" Generation.

     The Bible says the love of many will grow cold. The most basic form of love should be in the family. The family serves as the seedbed for virtues. This is the first generation in our nation’s history to do worse socially, psychologically, and economically than its parents. Most of our homes are battlegrounds instead of refuges.

     Now, here is a place where we must spend a little time. Not to 'pick on' wives, but rather, to correct and encourage a correct understanding of this verse and the following ones in this passage. Don't jump ship now. Please stay with me here with an open heart and mind to learn what God is really teaching.

Vs. 18 – "Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord."
     In today's thinking, this is not a popular passage. Many women believe that the role of husbands and wives are equal and that they can be interchangeable. This is a false understanding of Scripture. Yes, God does love both equally, and yes, both roles are absolutely necessary for a family to function as God has intended, especially where there are children involved. However, God has specifically designed and given particular gifts to each gender so as to perform their individual roles in a way that will be most beneficial to that particular family. The principle is the same, no matter what culture, what time in history, or what background each brings to the relationship.
     Have you ever heard the statement, "Too many chiefs and not enough Indians"? The idea here is that the gender of women was created to be a "helpmate" to men.
Genesis 2:18 –
"Then the Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him."
     Keep in mind that God said "helper", NOT leader.
Genesis 3:16b –
"…Yet your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you."
     From the beginning, from the Garden of Eden, God has said that men should rule over women. However, God has given clear instructions to men as to how they are to do that and it does not include husbands belittling their wives nor ruling with an 'iron fist'. It is to be done with gentleness and understanding. If they do not, it does not give the woman the justified 'right' to disobey God by taking the lead. God is the one who will deal with the husband's disobedience, not the wife. (This is covered more completely in the following verses.)
     There are those who misunderstand or just plain don't accept this fact by believing that this is an attack on women's gifts and productivity, or that females are lesser persons in abilities and talents. In fact, the opposite is true. For example, both a husband and wife may have been given the gift of teaching. Used within the confines of God's created roles, they will be incredibly effective; the husband teaching his family (wife and children) or other men in the fellowship, and the wife teaching her children, other people's children, or other women. When either the wife or the husband, violate God's intentions and principles, God's order is then disrupted. When the roles overlap or replace each other, both the husband and the wife are out of God's will and neither can be blessed with all that God has for them. They may seem to be doing very well by the world's standards, but God's perfect plan can't be propagated in their lives and consequently, the entire family and possibly God's very ministry is lacking. They will never be or have all that God intends for them.
Titus 2:3-5 –
"Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips, nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be dishonored."
Ephesians 5:22-24 -
"Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything."
1 Peter 3:1-2 -
"In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior."
     Not only has God not designed women to teach men, but He is clear in forbidding it.
1 Timothy 2:11-12 -
"Let a woman quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet."

Vs. 19 – "Husbands love your wives, and do not be embittered against them."
     As mentioned earlier, God gives men some very clear directives concerning their treatment of women, mostly in the context of a marriage.
Ephesians 5:25-28 –
"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her; that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself;"
Ephesians 5:33 -
"Nevertheless let each individual among you also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see to it that she respect her husband."
1 Peter 3:7 -
"You husbands likewise, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman; and grant her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered."
     The point God repeatedly makes is that women are to be thought of and treated by men as fragile, highly valued, treasured, and cherished. He tells men, particularly husbands, that if they are not esteemed as the precious gift from God that He intended, the husband will not only suffer the consequences, his very prayers will be hindered.
     As a final thought before we continue: Often times the husband will become lazy spiritually, emotionally, and even physically. The wife, waiting for his change of mind, attitude, or demeanor, will become impatient and simply decide, "I'll do it myself!" As time goes by, it becomes an entrenched habit where the man will delay long enough knowing the woman will then do what needs doing or make an important decision on her own. Eventually, the woman just acts on her own telling herself that she's actually "helping" her husband by doing it for him.
     God foretold about this very thing while reprimanding Eve in Genesis 3:16b, as stated earlier.
"…Yet your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you."
     God tells the woman that her "desire" would be for her husband. In context, this is NOT speaking about the sexual aspect of marriage. It's speaking about authority. She would "desire" to rule her husband. Instead, he would now rule over her.

Vs. 20 – "Children be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord."
     Today in our society, godly disciplining to make obedient children is all but lost. We are reaping the worst time in the history of the world where kids are out of control and parents are afraid to discipline. As a result of not doing things God's way, there is anarchy in our schools and homes with children even divorcing their parents. What a mess. If only parents would discipline their children as God has told them to (spanking). If that were faithfully followed, children would be raised to fear the Lord.
     Godly discipline is two-fold. First to the parents …
Proverbs 15:10 –
"Stern discipline is for him who forsakes the way; He who hates reproof will die."
Proverbs 19:18 –
"Discipline your son while there is hope, And do not desire his death."
Proverbs 22:15 –
"Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of discipline will remove it far from him."
Proverbs 23:13 –
"Do not hold back discipline from the child, Although you beat him with the rod, he will not die."
Proverbs 13:24 –
"He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently."
     … and secondly to the children.
Proverbs 13:1 –
"A wise son accepts his father's discipline, But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke."
Exodus 20:12 –
"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you."
     Not only are there promises of blessings in the life to come for our children, but God tells them that their days on earth may be prolonged for their obedience to their parents.

Vs. 21 – "Fathers do not exasperate your children, that they may not lose heart."
     We are to imitate Him who is our Father: God. His faithfulness to His promises, to His Word, and to us is our example. We are to strive to be as He is. If we are not, we are depriving ourselves and our family.
     We are to encourage and support our children, emotionally and physically, but we are NOT to ‘go along with’ our children’s tendency to rebel or to sin. Just as God is with us; His children; we must be firm, consistent, and stand our ground, not allowing them to go against what God requires. Just as God disciplines us for bad behavior, and rewards us for good behavior, we must also be solid as a rock with our children, without wavering in God’s standards.
     God and His Word should be the perfect standard we follow in obedience to the Father, just as we expect our children to follow in obedience to us. Through our clear guidance of right and wrong, our following through on Biblical discipline, and our encouragement of doing right, our children will not lose heart, but will actually enjoy wanting to obey.

     When Desert Storm General, Norman Schwartzkopf, was asked, "What is the biggest lack in America," he replied, "Lack of integrity". We have lost the concept of the "sanctity of commitment" in our marriages and in our businesses. We have a society that has completely severed any ostensible connection between character and destiny.
     Even in the Christian body, we have so focused on grace that we have abandoned any practical call to obedience and holiness. Our conduct is to be our primary form of witness to what God has done in our lives.

Vs. 22 – "Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord."
     Slavery is gone from America, but the principle remains. This also applies to our obedience to those who are in authority over us. The verse says "in all things" and "with sincerity of heart" meaning with a willing spirit and correct motives, knowing the Lord will reward you.
     Think about this. If this applies to slaves, how much more to us who have freedom in our choices of employment and our employers? It says, "fearing the Lord", or as some translations say, "as to the Lord Himself."

Vs. 23 – "Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men;"
     Who is your real supervisor? God loves you so much He can’t take His eyes off you!

Vs. 24 – "knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve."
     You and I are the 'fiduciary' or 'trustee' for the estate that we will inherit in heaven for our obedience while here on the earth.

Vs. 25 – "For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality."
     Give this some serious thought. Everything will be brought to light at the Judgment Seat. In the case of the unsaved; it will be the White Throne Judgment seat.

     The theme of the Book of Ephesians is the church, the body of Christ.
     The theme of Colossians is the Christ, the Head of the body.
     Chapter 1: Christ’s Preeminence Declared
     Chapter 2: Christ’s Preeminence Defended
     Chapter 3: Christ’s Preeminence Demonstrated
     Our moment-by-moment existence depends upon His gracious sustenance of every electron, every atom, every molecule, and every spiritual entity, as well. We are safe when we place our trust in Him and put our whole life in His hands. In Christ, we have received freedom from holidays, holy days, dietary laws, and a hundreds of other laws from before the time of Christ.

Vs. 1 – "Masters, grant to your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven."
     In the last verse of Chapter 3, Paul speaks specifically to those UNDER authority. Here, he continues by speaking to those IN authority.

Chapter 3 of James tells us about the tongue. Paul compares it to a bridle, a rudder, a fire, a poisonous animal, a fruitful tree, and a fountain. In each of these, the tongue has the power to direct, to destroy, or to delight. The power of speech is a gift from God. Paul now follows this thought through focusing on ministries using our speech.

Vs. 2 – "Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving;"
     The King James Version of the Bible says, "to continue". The New American Standard says, "devote yourselves". The greatest lack in the Christian walk is prayer. It's not a casual luxury to be used for convenience but rather it is essential to our 'walk'. Prayer is the Christian’s vital breath and the heavy artillery of the armor of God. Ephesians 6:10-17 –
"Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
     Prayer should be faithful. In Luke 18:1, Jesus said, "… they ought to pray and not to lose heart,"
1 Thessalonians 5:17 - "Pray without ceasing".
     Pray 'in the Spirit'. In other words, pray only after you are sin confessed.
     Our walk will directly reflect the time we spend with Him. The soul flourishes in an atmosphere of prayer. Jesus said prayer should be watchful..."Watch and pray." they are never separated. Be alert. Be aware of spiritual drowsiness by attention to the world. Matthew 24:42; "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. Paul tells the Elders at the Church in Ephesus. "Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. 1 Corinthians 16:13;. Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.
<>Christ was our example; again and again, retreating into the solitude of a garden, a desert, or a mountainside. It was an essential part of preparation for His mightiest works and to bear witness to the truth. We are bidden to bring everything to God in prayer, God delights in answering prayers. God's delays are not always denials.
     Prayer is not overcoming Gods reluctance; it is laying hold of His willingness". Prayer is the effective antidote to anxiety. Philippians 4:6; Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Paul was never shy in requesting prayer. "Neither should we be."

Vs. 3 – "praying at the same time for us as well, that God may open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned;"
     Paul was in prison. Paul did not ask for the prison doors to be opened, but that the doors of ministry be opened. 1 Corinthians 16:9; for a wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. Acts 14:27; And when they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to report all things that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. Yet it was from prison that we have the four great "prison epistles".

Vs. 4 – "in order that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak."
     Paul was praying for boldness and to say it clearly, no flowery words that mean nothing. Not words that confuse, or take away from decision-making.

Vs. 5 – "Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity."
     Toward unbelievers. Careless behavior when among those of the world will only convince them that we do not ourselves really believe the tremendous truths which we would press upon them.

Vs. 6 – "Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person."
     Peter also says to make sure our conversation is wholesome around the unsaved, 3:15; but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; words can preserve or rot a situation.