THE PRE-EMINENCE OF CHRIST
(Message
given at Emmanuel BPC)
Introduction
The City
Colosse was one of 3 cities (Hierapolis and Laodicea
being the other two) located about 125 miles southeast of Ephesus. It was rich
in minerals as well as merchandising with a large population both Jewish and
Gentiles.
Although the Apostle Paul never visited Colosse, the
Colossians heard the Gospel through one of Paul’s converts at Ephesus, a man
who is probably the pastor or elder by the name of Epaphras whose home was in
Colosse. He had taken the message of the Gospel back home and through his
ministry the church in Colosse was founded.
The Colossians were being attacked by false teachers
who had come to persuade them that Christ is not God, that He is not the one
and only Saviour and that they need not bow before His authority. This heresy
today is generally called “gnosticism” from the Greek word ‘gnosis’, which
means, “to know”. The Gnostics were “in the know” i.e. they professed to have a
superior or secret knowledge of spiritual things. Their doctrine was a strange
mixture of some Christian truth, Jewish legalism, Greek philosophy and Eastern
mysticism. According to them, this is the “superior” or full knowledge they
claimed to possess in terms of a person being right with God. The Gnostics
loved to use the word “fullness” and so you find Paul using it many times in
this letter to refute them. Their doctrine called for legalistic practices
(2:16) and strict discipline of the flesh (asceticism) (2:18-13). They taught
that certain days were holy and certain foods sinful. The Gnostic system had a
semblance of outward spirituality but not true saving religion and is actually
the revived New Age movement today.
Therefore, faced with the issue of false teaching at
Colossi, Paul counteracted it with truth. He begins with doctrine – the person
and work of Jesus Christ. This epistle emphasise the pre-eminence of Christ. As
we read it, please note the words “all” and “fullness” or “filled” repeated
several times. Paul’s theme is that “Christ is all and in all” (3:11) and that
we are “made full in Him (2:10). Since believers are made full in Christ,
Christ is all we need. Legalism, human philosophies, strict diets, compulsory
observance of holy days, discipline of the flesh – have no place when Christ is
given His place of pre-eminence.
This is a letter pleading for spiritual maturity (note
the prayer in Chapter 1:9-12). I trust that as we study this Epistle together,
our minds and hearts will be increasingly saturated with Biblical truth, so
that we will know when errors creep into our church. We will be prepared when
Satan subtly brings it our way through some cult or liberal members who comes
and knocks on the door of our house.
1. Christ’s
Pre-Eminence in the Gospel Message (1:1-12)
Paul in
this epistle states his authority. Instead of calling himself “a servant” as he
did in many other Epistles, here Paul calls himself “an Apostle”. He writes
this inerrant and infallible Word, to minister Jesus Christ to the Colossians
who are subject to false teaching. He reminded them of the pre-eminence of our
Lord Jesus Christ and His all-sufficiency. He exhorted the saints at Colosse to
stand fast. Notice here that Paul says he is an Apostle “by the will of God”.
It is essential that today we do things in “that good and acceptable and
perfect will of God” (Rom 12:2). In verse 2, Paul wanted the saints at Colosse
to know that the overflowing grace of God was available to them. He wanted them
to experience the peace of God that passeth all understanding (Phil 4:7) by
appropriating that grace through faith.
Thanksgiving
Paul gives thanks to God first before praying for the
saints at Colosse. Notice the characteristics of Christian maturity – faith,
love and hope. Only Jesus Christ can give faith, change a selfish heart into a
heart of love and then give a blessed hope for the future. The Word brought
forth fruit in their lives (v 6), as fruit in the evidence of salvation. The
Christians at Colosse not only had faith in Christ and love for God’s people
and their confidence in that blessed hope, but also they were continuously
bearing fruit. Epaphras was probably the missionary-evangelist who came from
Ephesus to evangelise and to plant the church in Colosse. Having heard about
the burden of the Colossian heresy, Paul wrote this letter and sent it to Colosse
through Epaphras.
Paul is saying, “Lord, fill them full of
the Word”. That is where God’s will is found – in the Word.” We should
continually pray for our brethren who have faith in Christ and who love all the
saints and enjoy that blessed hope that they will be increasingly filled with
the Word of God. “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing …”
How do I find out what is worthy of my Lord? By reading and studying His Word
and meditating on it and “…fruitful in every good work”. We are to be
fruit-bearing Christians. And according to John 15:5. Those who abide in Him
bring forth much fruit. We are to be fruitful at work bearing testimony for
Christ or sharing the Gospel with our loved ones including our friends,
neighbours and who are still outside the Kingdom of God. In Maranatha BPC, we
do evangelism and tracting at Pasir Ris, Tampines and Sengkang/Ponggol 21 one
month before Gospel Sunday (which is held on a quarterly basis). We at
Maranatha are grateful and thankful to Emmanuel for their monthly support for
our missionaries, Robert & Chadarat in Chiangmai. This is an example of
being fruitful. Not everyone is called to be a missionary, but those who cannot
go support those who can go, so that the Gospel can reach far and wide even to
the uttermost part of the world. Still on verse 10 “…and increasing in the
knowledge of God.” How do I get to know God better? By spending time with Him.
He speaks to us through His Word and through our quiet time and prayer.
Finally, we are to walk worthy of the Lord by ever
“giving thanks unto the Father”. Why? What has He done? “He hath made us meet
(fit) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light”. Take note of
this wonderful truth. If we are saved by God’s marvellous grace, in Christ we
are fit for the inheritance God has for us. As we continue to grow in the grace
and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are assured of our position in
heaven for eternity.
2. Pre-Eminent
in the Cross (1:13-14)
Before we were saved, we were children
of the devil (1 John 3:10). We were on the road to hell, bound for eternal
destruction, to eternal separation from God. That is what the Bible describes
a sinner and what his or her destiny is before coming to Christ and being
saved. But thank God when we became Christians, He saved us from all that!
Once a child of the devil, now a child of God. Once headed for hell, now headed
for heaven. Once loving sin, now hating sin. Once ignoring the Lord, now loving
Him and walking with Him in precious fellowship. So when we are filled with
the Word and therefore walking worthy of the Lord, we are ever giving thanks
to the Father. We have a heart filled with thanksgiving to God for Who He
is and What He has done for us and for all that is before us in glory. We
will be with Him. We will be like Him.
3. Pre-Eminent
in Creation (1:15-17)
The
Bible tells us that God is a Spirit and those that worship Him must worship Him
in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). According to Paul, Jesus is the image, the
derived likeness of God Himself. This sounds like John 1:1, “In the beginning
was the Word (Jesus Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
So, John’s Gospel also declares that Jesus Christ is God. In John 10:30 our
Lord says, John 1:30 “I and my Father are one.” This affirms the deity of
our Lord Jesus Christ. And in John 14:9 “…he that hath seen me hath seen the
Father…” So if we take these out of our Bible, we tear our Bible to shreds
for if Christ is not God, then He is not true. Christianity is not the true
religion. Salvation is not available through the precious shed blood of Christ.
He never rose from the dead. He is not coming again. He is a mere man. That is
what those false teachers were teaching. The Gnostic teachers claimed that God
made the worlds through a series of “emanations” from Himself and that Christ
was one of these emanations. But Paul rebutted them and asserts that Christ is
God Himself! Christ is not one of God’s creatures, but the highest (firstborn)
of all creation. The term “firstborn” does not refer to time (as through Christ
were the first thing God created) but to position. All things were created by
Him and for Him. He holds all things together! (‘Consist’ means ”to hold
together”). We do not believe in theistic evolution, which is unbiblical.
4. Pre-Eminent
in Church (1:18-23)
The Church is His body and He is the
Head. The Church is the new creation and He is “the Beginning” – the Alpha and
Omega – the Beginning and the End. His resurrection gives Him title to the
throne of pre-eminence for He is “firstborn” from the dead, ie first to rise
from the dead, never to die again. Please note the repetition of the word “all”
in this chapter, which shows the universal rule of Jesus Christ over everything
that exists. Notice in verse 21 that Paul describes his readers before they
were saved. They were aliens from God; ie estranged from God, separated,
enemies and hostile in mind by wicked works. Jesus says in Matt 12:30, “He
that is not with me is against me.”
5. Pre-Eminent
in Paul’s Ministry (1:24-29)
If
Christ were only an “emanation”, how foolish it would have been for Paul to
suffer for Him! However, Paul’s first words, when Christ appeared to him on the
road to Damascus were, “Who are You, Lord?” The Lordship of Christ – His
pre-eminence over all things – was at the heart of Paul’s life and ministry. He
looked upon his own sufferings as suffering for Christ’s sake. Paul next
described “the mystery” – that truth about Christ and the Church that had been
hidden in times past but was now revealed. Paul says it is the message
regarding Christ for the Christian. The mystery Paul speaks of is a three-fold
mystery: (1) the mystery of the Church (v 24-26); (2) of the indwelling Christ
(v 27) and (3) of the Person of Christ, the fullness of God (2:2-3).
So the message to the unsaved person is that Christ
died for him/her. The message to the saved, the believer, is that the Holy
Spirit indwells within him/her (John 14:17). The message is still Christ. The
emphasis is still Christ. Paul puts it this way in Gal 2:20, “I am crucified
with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the
life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of (ie by faith in) the
Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” When we live by
the faith in Christ, says Paul, Christ lives in us, through us. He is
regulating our minds, our thought process throughout the day; regulating our
emotions, what we love and what we hate; regulating our wills when decisions are
made all through the day, how to spend our time, energy, money etc. Christ
living within regulates and controls us. And through overflow divine love, joy,
peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control (Gal
5:22,23).
Paul says in Phil
1:21, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Victorious
Christian living is Christ living in us and enabling us to do His will daily.
In verse 28 Paul proclaimed Christ by “warning every man…” We proclaim Christ
by warning people, of the dangers of false teachings, by means of the Word. We
proclaim Christ by “… teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present
every man (ie every believer) perfect/full, grown and mature) in Christ Jesus.
By the way, this is the motto of Maranatha BPC. Christian perfection is not
sinlessness, but maturity – growing up unto Christ in all things (Eph 4:15). So
we proclaim Christ by means of the Word, by warning, by teaching everyone, to
present every believer full-grown in Christ Jesus. Col 1:28 says,
“Whom we preach, warning every man, and
teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in
Christ Jesus” which is the
motto of MBPC.
What lessons can we draw in this letter? Consider the
following:-
1. Jesus Christ is to be first – not one among
many, but supreme in our lives. Our All in All.
2. That infiltration of heresy is subtle, not
blatant and we have to be on guard at all times.
3. The way we live our lives is important:
E The way we treat others, with the love of
Christ;
E The way we handle success and failure,
relying on Christ alone; and
E Our attitude and behaviour at home, at
church, at work, at school etc. People are watching how we live and talk and
walk. Ultimately, we will have to answer to our Maker and Redeemer.
4. People are eternal souls made
in the image of God. We are created to be in relationship with God and we need
to be reminded that God calls us to relate to each other. Our lives are a call
to worship and serve the only Living and True God, even our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ (vertical relationship) and to our brothers and sisters in Christ
whom He has placed in our lives (horizontal relationship). May the Lord help us
to trust Him for His grace to lead us and to enable us to live and serve Him
faithfully in the days ahead for His glory. Amen.
Elder Thomas Liaw
Q & A
Q. How
should a Christian conduct himself or herself while attending a non-Christian
funeral? What are the Dos and Don’ts (if any) so to speak? Do give us your
advice.
A. That is a pertinent question. Almost
invariably, most if not all of us live in the midst of an unbelieving community
with relatives, friends and colleagues that are probably outside the kingdom of
God. Times of bereavement are seasonal occasions for the Christian to show
genuine love and concern even for our unbelieving relatives and friends. It is
alright for the Christian to attend a non-Christian funeral or wake to express
our condolences and share the grief but in so doing, there are also certain
useful guidelines to assist us to be a good testimony for Christ.
Firstly, I believe a monetary condolence gift is
helpful to express our loving concern in a tangible way. A funeral or wake
incurs expenses for the family and a practical expression is appreciated.
Secondly, our very physical presence at the funeral or wake is also a positive
encouragement and comfort to the bereaved family. It is alright to move forward
to view the body and spend a moment of silence (without bowing to the dead body
or putting up joss sticks).
Thirdly, if there are religious rites conducted (ie
chanting, ceremonies that are spiritual in nature), do not participate in them,
but one may sit at the table away from those religious activities to be with
the family for a while. Fourthly, you may eat of the food provided by the
family for refreshment and it is a good testimony to give thanks to God
together and pray for the family’s salvation and spiritual comfort in the
process. Fifthly, regarding the red thread that is normally put on the table
for visitors to take home to ward off evil, there is no necessity for
Christians to take it home with them. Christ is our Protection, not a piece of
thread. Sixthly, throwing earth into the burial site before they lower the coffin
is allowable although not compulsory. It is just a gesture to show our part in
the burying of a loved one (but if it is cremation and one has to go into a
temple, stay outside until it is over).
Finally, make every effort to say a few words for
Christ or leave a gospel tract with the family (place it in your condolence
card). You never know what the Lord would do with the gospel tract or some
encouraging words. Hope this helps - Pastor Jack.