ONE MAN'S MINISTRY (Colossians 1:21-2:3)

You received a letter from a man you had never met, a man who was a prisoner, accused of being a troublemaker, how would you respond? The Colossian believers faced that exact problem. They knew that Paul had been instrumental in leading their pastor, Epaphras, to saving Nth in Christ. They also knew that Epaphras had gone to Rome to consult with Paul and had not yet returned. The church members had received Paul's letter, brought to them by Tychicus and Onesimus. But the false teachers in Colossae had been discrediting Paul and causing doubts in the people's minds. "WHY listen to a man who is a political prisoner?" they asked. "Can you trust him?" Paul no doubt realized that this would be the situation, so he paused in the first part of this letter to give some words of explanation. He had been so wrapped up in exalting Jesus Christ that he had not shown any interest in writing about himself In this section, Paul explained his three ministries.

Sharing the Gospel (Col. 1:21-23)

Even though Paul had not personally evangelized Colossae, it was his ministry in Ephesus that led to the founding of the Colossian church. Paul was "made a minister" (Col 1:25). A large part of his ministry consisted in preaching the Good News of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. His was a ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:17-21). Paul reviewed for his readers their own spiritual experience. Their past alienation (v. 21 a). The word translated alienated means "estranged." These Gentiles in Colossae were estranged from God and separated from the spiritual blessings of Israel (Eph 2:11 ff). The gods that they worshiped were false gods, and their religious rituals could not take care of their sin or guilt. But this estrangement was not only a matter of Gentile position; it was also a matter of sinful practices and attitudes. The Gentiles were enemies, which means they were "actively hostile to God." Even though they had not received a divine law, such as God gave to Israel, these Gentiles knew the truth about God through creation and conscience (Rom 1:18 ff). They could not plead ignorance before the bar of God's justice.
The enmity of their minds led to wicked works. Both in attitude and action, they were at war with God. "Because the carnal mind [the mind of the unbeliever] is enmity against God" (Rom 8:7). This explains why the unbeliever must repent - change His mind - before he can be saved. Their present reconciliation (vv. 21 b-22). They did not reconcile themselves to God; it was God who took the initiative in His love and grace. The Father sent the Son to die on a cross that sinners might be reconciled to God. Jesus died for us when we were "without strength" (Rom 5:6) and could do nothing for ourselves. He died for us "while we were yet sinners" and "when we were enemies" (Rom 5:8,10). Paul emphasized the physical body of Jesus Christ that was nailed to the cross. The false teachers denied the Incarnation and taught that Jesus Christ did not have a real human body. Their philosophy that all matter was evil made it necessary for them to draw this false conclusion. But the New Testament makes it clear that Jesus did have a fully human body, and that He bore our sins on that body on the cross (1 Peter 2:24). The purpose of this reconciliation is personal holiness. God does not make peace (Col 1:20) so that we can continue to be rebels! He has reconciled us to Himself so that we may share His life and His holiness. We are presented to God "holy and unblameable and unreproveable" (Col 1:22).

The word holy is closely related to the word saint. Both of these words express the idea of "being set apart, being devoted to God." In the New Testament, saints are not dead people who during their lives performed miracles and never sinned. New Testament saints were living people who had trusted Jesus Christ. Paul wrote this letter to living saints (Col 1:2). Unblameable means "without blemish." The word was applied to the temple sacrifices which had to be without blemish It is amazing that God looks at His children and sees no blemish on them! God chose us to be "holy and without blame" (Eph 1:4). Unreproveable means "free from accusation." Once we have been reconciled to God, no charges can be brought against us (Rom 8:31-34). Satan, the accuser of the brethren (Rev 12:1-12), would like to hurl charges at us; but God will not accept them (see Zech 3). People may have accusations to bring against us, but they cannot change our relationship with God. The most important thing in our Christian lives is not how we look in our own sight, or in the sight of others (1 Cor 4:1-4)-but how we look in God's sight. I recall counseling a Christian who was in the habit of reminding herself of her past sins and failures. She seemed to enjoy having other people criticize her. I kept reminding her of what she was in Gods sight. Her constant emphasis on her failures denied the work that Jesus Christ had done for her on the cross. It took time, but eventually she accepted her wonderful new position in Christ and began to get victory over criticism and depression.
Paul's emphasis on our holy standing before God was certainly an attack on the false teachers, for they promised their followers a kind of "perfection" that nothing else could give. "You already have a perfect standing in Christ," Paul wrote, "so why seek for it anywhere else?" Their future glorification (v. 23). "The hope of the Gospel" means that blessed hope of our Lord's return (Titus 2:13). Paul had already mentioned this hope: "The hope which is laid up for you in heaven" (Col 1:5). Later in the chapter, he called it "the hope of glory" (Col 1:27). There was a time when these Gentile Colossians were without hope (Eph 2:12). The reason? They were without God. But when they were reconciled to God, they were given a wonderful hope of glory. All of God's children will one day be with Christ in heaven (John 17:24). In fact, so secure is our future that Paul stated that we have already been glorified! (Rom 8:30) All we are waiting for is the revelation of this glory when Jesus Christ returns (Rom 8:17-19). Paul's statement to the Colossians seems to cast a shadow on the assurance of our future glory (see Col 1:23). Is it possible for a believer to lose his salvation? No, the if clause does not suggest doubt or lay down a condition by which we "keep up our salvation."

Paul used an architectural image in this verses - a house, firmly set on the foundation. The town of Colossae was located in a region known for earthquakes, and the word translated "moved away" can mean "earthquake stricken." Paul was saying, "If you are truly saved, and built on the solid foundation, Jesus Christ, then you will continue in the faith and nothing will move you. You have heard the Gospel and trusted Jesus Christ, and He has saved you." In other words, we are not saved by continuing in the faith. But we continue in the faith and thus prove that we are saved. It behooves each professing Christian to test His own faith and examine his own heart to be sure he is a child of God (2 Cor 13:5; 2 Peter 1:10 ff). Suffering for the Gentiles (Col 1:24-27) Paul's enemies made much of the fact that the great apostle was a prisoner of Rome. The false teachers in Colossae probably ridiculed Paul and used this as a weapon to fight the truth of the Gospel. But Paul turned this weapon around and used it to defeat his enemies and to build a closer relationship with the church in Colossae. Paul's rejoicing (v. 24). "Instead of being ashamed of my suffering, I am rejoicing in it!" How could anyone rejoice in suffering? To begin with, Paul was suffering because of Jesus Christ. It was "the fellowship of His sufferings" (Phil 3:10). Like the early Apostles, Paul rejoiced that he was "counted worthy to suffer shame for His name" (Acts 5:41). A Christian should never suffer "as a thief or as an evildoer"; but it is an honor to "suffer as a Christian" (1 Peter 4:15-16). There is a special blessing and reward reserved for the faithful believer who suffers for the sake of Christ (Matt 5:10-12).
Paul had a second cause for rejoicing in his suffering: he was suffering because of the Gentiles. Paul was the chosen apostle to the Gentiles (Eph 3:1-13). In fact, he was a prisoner in Rome because of his love for the Gentiles. He was arrested in Jerusalem on false charges, and the Jews listened to his defense until he used the word Gentiles (see Acts 22:21 ff). It was that word that infuriated them and drove them to ask for his execution. (The full account is given in Acts 21-28, and an exciting account it is.) So the Gentile believers in Colossae had every reason to love Paul and be thankful for his special ministry to them. But there was a third cause for Paul's rejoicing: he was suffering for the sake of Christ's body, the church. There was a time when Paul had persecuted the church and caused it to suffer. But now Paul devoted his life to the care of the church. Paul did not ask, as do some believers. "What will I get out of it?" Instead he asked, "How much will God let me put into it?" The fact that Paul was a prisoner did not stop him from ministering to the church. It is important to note, however, that these sufferings had nothing to do with the sacrificial sufferings of Christ on the cross. Only the sinless Lamb of God could die for the sins of the world (John 1:29). Paul was "filling up in his turn the leftover parts of Christ's sufferings" (Col 1:24, literal translation). The word afflictions refers to the "pressures" of life, the persecutions Paul endured. This word is never used in the New Testament for the sacrificial sufferings of Jesus Christ.

The sacrificial sufferings of Christ are over, but His body, the church, experiences suffering because of its stand for the faith. The Head of the church in heaven feels the sufferings that His people endure. ("Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?" [Acts 9:41) Paul was taking his turn in sharing these afflictions, and others would follow in his train. But Paul did not complain. "For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds by Christ" (2 Cor 1:5). Paul's responsibility (vv. 25-27). Had Paul compromised with the Jews and stopped ministering to the Gentiles, he could have been spared a great deal of suffering. But he could not abandon His calling just for personal safety and comfort. He had been made a minister by God; he had been given a "stewardship" (dispensation) and he had to be faithful to his calling (1 Cor 4:2). It was not a matter of choice: he was called to fulfill the Word of God. This can mean, "I must preach the Word fully and not compromise any truth." It can also mean, "I am commissioned by God's Word and I must be faithful to discharge my office." Paul's special message regarding the Gentiles had to do with what he called the mystery. To us today, a mystery is something eerie and perhaps frightening but this was not the way the word was defined in Paul's day. The false teachers used this word to describe the inner secrets of their religions. A mystery is a "sacred secret," hidden in the past and now revealed by the Holy Spirit (see Eph 3:1-13).
God called the nation of Israel to be His people, He gave them His Law (including the priesthood and sacrifices), and He gave them a wonderful land. He promised them a King who would one day establish a glorious kingdom and fulfill the many promises made to Abraham and David. The Old Testament prophets wrote about a Messiah who would suffer, and a Messiah who would reign. They could not explain the seeming contradiction (see 1 Peter 1:9-12). They did not understand that the Messiah first had to suffer before He could enter into glory (Luke 24:13-27). Jesus Christ came to earth, was rejected by His people, and was crucified. He arose again and returned to heaven. Did this mean that God's promised kingdom for Israel was now abandoned? No, because God had initiated a new program - His mystery that was not explained by the Old Testament prophets. The mystery is that today God is uniting Jews and Gentiles in the church (Eph 2:11-22). When the church is completed, then Jesus Christ will return and take His people to heaven (1 Thess 4:13-18). Then He will again deal with Israel as a nation and establish the promised kingdom (Acts 15:12-18). Imagine what this message meant to the Gentiles. They were no longer excluded from the glory and riches of God's grace! During the Old Testament dispensation, a Gentile had to become a Jewish proselyte in order to share in the blessings of Israel. But in the new dispensation, Jews and Gentiles alike are saved by faith in Jesus Christ (Rom 10:12-13). No wonder the Jewish false teachers opposed Paul. He dared to say, "There is no difference! "

We who have grown up in somewhat Christian surroundings have a tendency to take all of this for granted. But think of the excitement this message must have generated in a church composed of new believers who had no background in the church. Once they were outside the covenants of God, but now they were members of His family. Once they were living in spiritual ignorance and death, but now they were alive and sharing in the riches of God's wisdom in Christ. Once they had no hope, but now they had a glorious hope because Christ now lived within! It would be good for us today to recapture some of that "first love" excitement. I was privileged to minister in Africa for three weeks, and there I was introduced to some of the finest Christians I have ever met. I taught the Word to over 500 national pastors in Kenya for almost a week, and each service was a challenge and blessing to me. Many of the pastors still had the marks of paganism and idolatry on their bodies; yet their faces were aglow with the joy of the Lord. I went to Africa to minister to them, but they ministered to me! They reminded me not to take for granted the glorious riches I have in Jesus Christ.