Colossians

The book of Colossians was written by the Apostle Paul to the church at Colosse, in approximately AD 60, during Paul's first imprisonment. The city of Colosse overlooked the Lychus River in Asia Minor. This letter was hand delivered by Onesimus, the renegade slave whom Paul addresses to his master, Philemon, in the book of the same name. Paul's letters were delivered by friends and colleagues as the postal system of the time was only available to the elite.

The book of Colossians addresses the heretical, or unorthodox, teachings that were being accepted as truth there. The Judaizers were a group of traditional Jews who sought to confuse matters and cause dissent by teaching legalism. Paul addresses this situation in Galatians 2:4, "And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage” (KJV). Another heresy that Paul refutes in Colossians is asceticism, which is the thought that spirituality can be attained by self-denial. This doctrine leads to pride and self reliance.  Asceticism is, in effect, a denial of the gift of salvation by faith in Christ alone. In Colossians 2:20-22 Paul asks, “Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not) Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?” Yet another heresy that Paul refutes in Colossians, is that of angel worship. This practice seems humble; in that, the worshiper feels unworthy to address the Almighty God personally, and so uses an angel as an intermediary. In truth, this practice is idolatry. The open avenue to God to was bought for us at the Cross, by the Blood of Christ and He is our only intermediary. In Colossians 2:8 Paul address this issue, “Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind.”

The heresy of Gnosticism, or the belief that one can gain spiritual freedom by knowledge, was embraced by the Greek Gnostic school of thought. This heresy is refuted in Colossians 3:16,17, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” This heresy denies Christ's preeminence, or superiority. Colossians 1:13-18 declares Christ as the One,“Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence”(KJV).

I pray that God speaks these truths to your heart as you read His Word. There are many false teachings and thoughts about Christianity in the world today, as there were in the First Century. Reading and becoming familiar with the Bible will guard your heart against believing the lies and misconceptions that abound. It is God's desire that you know Him for Who He truly is and not be in the bondage of falsehood. As was true of the Judaizers, the untruth may not be very easy to discern, as it may sound plausible. The Holy Spirit will guide you in all truth as you allow Him. I pray for your relationship with God and the freedom of your walk in Him. God bless you!

Patti

Philippians

The city of Philippi, housed the believers to which the Apostle Paul penned the epistle of Philippians during his Roman captivity. Philippi boasted a long history, as the city was founded in 359 BC by Callistratus as a Greek colony named Krenides. Subsequently, it was seized by Philip II of Macedon, Alexander the Great's father; thus, the name Philippi. Alexander used the city as a base of operations for his conquests, until the second century BC when the area was conquered by Rome. The wealth of the city was fostered by the gold and silver mines that it contained. Philippi became a city populated by Roman veterans and it enjoyed the benefits of Roman heritage, including immunity from imperial taxation. Latin was the predominate language spoken and traditional Grecian dress was worn. The city was nestled between Asia and Europe which made it excellent for trade. There is some Theological debate as to when this epistle was written; although most scholars agree that its dating is sometime in the vicinity of AD 60-63. The evangelization of Europe began in Philippi (Acts 16:14-15).

Philippi contained no synagogue, which suggests that the Jewish population was small, as the building of a synagogue required that ten Jewish male head of households live in a city. This epistle was a personal and heartfelt correspondence which reveals much about Christ's nature and Paul's relationship with Him. In Philippians 1:21, Paul speaks of his devotion to Jesus, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain”(NIV). In his commentary on the book of Philippians, Matthew Henry speaks of this scripture, “Death is a great loss to a carnal, worldly man, for he loses all his earthly comforts and all his hopes; but to a true believer it is gain, for it is the end of all his weakness and misery. It delivers him from all the evils of life, and brings him to possess the chief good”(Henry 1997, 1157). This hope is what makes the hardship of sacrifice possible for a believer. In Philippians 2:9-11, Paul proclaims Christ's Glory, “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”(NIV). Paul further explains his position in Christ, “What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith”(Phil. 3:8,9 NIV). Verse 9, as it pertains to righteousness from the law, is a refutation of the Judaizers, who were a group of Jews who legalistically contended that in order to become a good Christian, one must first become a good Jew, including circumcision. Paul contrasts worldly thought to Christian truth in Philippians 3:19-21, “Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body”(NIV).

The book of Philippians is an encouragement to Christians as they navigate in this fallen world. We must set our eyes only on Jesus in order to not drown in its darkness. I pray that you read the book of Philippians and ask God to show you how to live your own life in the safe haven of His will. As Paul closes the book, I bid you the same, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen”(Phil. 4:23 NIV).

Patti