Colossians 1:1-14 - Homiletics

Introduction.

I. THE SALUTATION .

1. Paul and Timothy.

2. Saints and faithful brethren.

3. Grace and peace.

II. THE THANKSGIVING .

1. The essentials of the Christian life. ( Colossians 1:3-5 .) "Fides, amor, spes: summa Christianismi" (Bengel). Compare the order and relation of the three graces here and in 1 Thessalonians 1:3 ; Ephesians 1:15-18 ; with 1 Corinthians 13:13 ; also Hebrews 10:22-25 , Revised Version.

2. The progress of the gospel. ( Hebrews 10:6-8 .)

III. THE OPENING PRAYER .

1. Christian knowledge. (Verses 9, 10.)

2. Christian conduct. ( Philippians 1:10-12 .)

3. The nature of salvation. ( Philippians 1:12-14 , Philippians 1:21 , Philippians 1:22 .) For that inheritance for which the Christian praises God he was "made meet," and he is grateful for the means, as well as for the end, of his salvation. He holds the title deeds of his heritage in certain acts and transactions on the part of God which make him meet for it, and make it meet for the Divine Father to invest him with it.

He is "a just God and a Saviour." His power works on the lines laid down by his righteousness. He would have destroyed rather than saved us, would have violated the human conscience, had he (conceivably) saved us without forgiveness; or without a forgiveness rationally grounded on some act of propitiation that should make amends for the guilty past. This propitiation, as it frees us kern the power of Satan and of death, is our ransom. The Son of God's love, if he would redeem us, must pay the price. What that price should be, Divine justice determines, while Divine love provides it. He bought us with "his own blood" ( Galatians 3:13 ; Acts 20:28 ; 1 Peter 1:18 , 1 Peter 1:19 ); "gave his life a ransom" ( Matthew 20:28 ; Titus 2:14 ).

Colossians 1:15-23 .—Sect. 2

The redeeming Son and his kingdom.

I. CHRIST THE LORD OF UNIVERSAL NATURE . ( Colossians 1:15-17 .) Colossian error was undermining the Christian system by introducing into it a false, dualistic theory of nature, then widely prevalent in other quarters. And the leaders of Christian thought can never afford to be indifferent to the current philosophic views of their day. Indeed, in the contact of Christian teaching with philosophy, and in the reflection of thoughtful men at all times, the question was sure to arise and must constantly recur in new forms, "What is the relation of Christ to the universe? At what point does he enter the scheme of things? He who died on Calvary, who claims to save the souls of men, what has he to do with nature and the common world?" If this question could not be answered, or if any inferior and limited position in the world of being must be assigned to him, then, as the Colossian heresy shows, his spiritual authority and the efficacy of his redemption become, in the same degree, limited and uncertain. Hence the teaching of the Epistles of this group (Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians) respecting the Person of Christ is the logical and theological sequel of that of the second (Galatians, Romans, I and 2 Corinthians), respecting our salvation through him. We gather from the apostle's teaching hero:

1. That in Christ God becomes visible, and nature becomes intelligible. To earnest philosophic thought, as to sound religious instinct, it has always been evident that "what is seen hath not been made out of things which do appear" ( Hebrews 11:3 ). An "everlasting power and divinity are clearly seen from the creation of the world"—but as "invisible things" ( Romans 1:20 ). Our latest Agnosticism is but a despairing echo of the cry of Job: "I go towards the east, but he is not there; and westward, but I cannot perceive him; toward the north, where he is working, but I cannot see him; where he veileth himself in the south, but I cannot find him" ( Job 28:8 , Job 28:9 ). God effectually hides himself behind his works. All visible point to invisible causes, all finite things lead up to the Infinite, all phenomena to the noumenal; but whither they point we cannot follow. Some of the most profound and minute of modern scientific inquirers testify most strongly to this. From that invisible. Christ comes forth to testify of him whom "no man hath seen nor can see" ( John 1:14 , John 1:18 ; John 14:9 ). We know now what the Maker of the universe is like. The world is no longer orphaned. The unknown God proves to be its Father, and his Son its older Brother. Human thought has a visible centre around which to move, a sun which sheds light and warmth over all its speculations. The incarnation and resurrection of Christ, with the whole course of his miracles (his signs ) , assure us that natural law is, and must prove itself ultimately to be, subservient to spiritual law, the lower to the higher order, the material world to the moral being of man. His miracles and parables and his general teaching furnish many fruitful hints, some that lie on the surface, others that await our deeper searching or future need, respecting the meaning and use of the natural world. He is, after all, its chief Interpreter, the Master of poets and philosophers of nature who often owe most to him when they are least aware of it, as well as of religious thinkers and social reformers. While we hold fast this faith in the "Image of God the invisible," the "Firstborn of all creation," we may witness science and philosophy pursuing their inquiries without misgiving, and we may follow them, warily indeed, but without mistrust; for they can discover no truth which will not in the end support the "truth as it is in Jesus," and they labour, though they know it not, only to add their own to the "many crowns" that are preparing for the head of our Immanuel.

2. All the relations which nature holds to God centre in Christ.

II. CHRIST THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH . (Verses 18-23.)

1. Into the world created to be "the kingdom of the Son of God's love," "sin entered, and death through sin;" and death became king, sin in death ( Romans 5:12 , Romans 5:13 , Romans 5:21 ), instead of "the Prince of life." Hatred was planted in the human breast, and with it came a darkness that "apprehended not the light of life" (verses 13, 21; John 1:4 , John 1:5 ; 1 John 3:8 , 1 John 3:11 , 1 John 3:12 ); and men fell under "the dominion of Satan" ( Acts 26:18 ; Ephesians 2:2 , Ephesians 2:3 ; Luke 4:6 ; 1 John 5:19 ), the "murderer," the "father of lies;" till it came to pass that, though Christ ever "was in the world, the world knew him not" ( John 1:10 ). Men were everywhere "cut off from Christ," "alienated,' "children of wrath" (verse 21; Ephesians 2:3 , Ephesians 2:12 ); how rebellious against him, his advent proved. Then, in their "wicked works," they not only denied the Son his pre-eminence, but even said, "Come, let us kill him" ( Matthew 21:38 ; Luke 19:14 ; Psalms 2:1-12 .).

2. And he submits to die, that he may "put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." The Firstborn of all creation becomes Firstborn out of the dead. So high he was in his Divine, eternal birth, so low he steeped—to the Virgin's womb, to "a servant's form," and "unto death, yea, the death of the cross" (verses 18, 20; Philippians 2:7 , Philippians 2:8 ; Romans 1:3 ; Romans 9:5 ; 2 Corinthians 8:9 ; Galatians 4:4 ; Hebrews 2:5-18 ), to restore his human brethren, to recover his alienated kingdom, "to reconcile all things unto himself" (verses 18, 20; Romans 14:9 ; Philippians 2:10 , Philippians 2:11 ; Revelation 1:5 , Revelation 1:6 , Revised Text).

3. So dying, he lives again that he may give its life ( Romans 6:4-11 ); descending, in turn he ascends and lifts us with him ( Ephesians 4:8-10 ; Ephesians 2:5 , Ephesians 2:6 ; John 12:32 ); emptying himself, he gains a new sovereign fulness (verse 19; Philippians 2:8 ; Ephesians 4:10 ; Ephesians 1:20-23 ) of all that the dark, exiled, broken, miserable world needs to restore it and build it up again ( Colossians 2:9 , Colossians 2:10 ; Philippians 4:19 ).

4. Round himself as the living Centre, he gathers a new humanity and forms a new world, which is his body, the Church (verses 18, 24; Colossians 2:19 ; Ephesians 4:16 ; Ephesians 5:23 ; John 15:1-8 )—a body wider, and yet narrower, than the visible ( Matthew 13:24-30 ; John 10:16 ); "a spiritual house," built of those united as "living stones" to the "living Stone" ( 1 Peter 2:4 , 1 Peter 2:5 ), which "groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord" ( Ephesians 2:21 ). So he is the Beginning (verse 18) of an agelong, world wide process of resurrection and reconstruction. The life that is in him is an organic, formative, spiritual enemy, with a "mighty working" in it that is "able to subdue all things unto itself" ( Philippians 3:21 ; Romans 8:2-11 ); a leaven destined to leaven the whole lump ( Matthew 13:31-33 ). "The kingdom of this world" must "become the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ" ( Revelation 11:15 ; 1 Corinthians 15:25 ; Daniel 2:34 , Daniel 2:35 ; Daniel 7:13 , Daniel 7:14 ); "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" must penetrate, transform, and dominate every sphere of human thought and activity; "the works of the devil" everywhere, and in every form and shape, must be "destroyed" ( 1 John 3:8 ). Then only will he have "reconciled all things on the earth to himself."

5. For ourselves, as individuals, the design of Christ's reconciliation is the perfection of our personal character as approved by himself at the day of judgment (verses 22, 28). This is true also of the Church collectively ( Ephesians 5:27 ). He is Judge as well as Saviour; and his justice is as inflexible as his mercy is compassionate. "The King," for as King he will then appear, desires to be able to say to each of us, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you;" "sit with me in my throne" ( Matthew 25:34 ; Revelation 3:21 ); but he will only say it to those who are worthy ( Revelation 3:4 , Revelation 3:5 ). To this end he redeemed us by his blood, bestowed on us Ms Spirit, brought us into his kingdom, subjects us to its discipline, employs us in its service, instructs us in its wisdom, enriches us with all its spiritual blessings—"to present us (on that day) holy and without blemish and unreprovable before him" (Jud 1:24, 25; 1 Thessalonians 3:12 , 1 Thessalonians 3:13 ; 1 Thessalonians 5:23 , 1 Thessalonians 5:24 ).

6. How far the influence of this reconciliation extends beyond the things upon the earth; and, if it does so extend, in what direction; whether or how it touches "the principalities and powers in heavenly places,"—we cannot tell, and dare not attempt to guess. Origen, on the warrant of this passage (verse 20), fondly thought that even Satan himself would be ultimately reconciled to God. At any rate, when he "through whom and unto whom all things have been created" is the sacrifice, and when the evil of this world is but a part of the realm of evil above and around us, we may not deny the possibility of others sharing with us, somehow, in the atoning virtue of his death.

7. But all this is so far stated from the Divine side, as matter of God's general purpose and plain in Christ ( Ephesians 1:10 ; 1 Timothy 2:4 ; 2 Timothy 1:9 ; Acts 3:21 ); and this plan will certainly be carried out; "all things," as a whole, will certainly be reconciled. But there is nothing here to contradict the possibility of a self-exclusion of individuals, belonging to this world or to other worlds, from the benefits of the Divine amnesty, and of their expulsion from a reconciled universe ( 2 Thessalonians 1:9 ; Matthew 25:41 ; Luke 13:25 ; John 15:6 ; Revelation 22:15 ). Verse 23 intimates as much as this. "All this is yours," the ,apostle virtually says, "if ye continue in the faith, not being moved away from the hope of the gospel;" but if not, what then? Contrast 2 Corinthians 5:19 and 2 Corinthians 5:20 ; John 10:10 and John 5:40 . Still the distressing question, "Lord, are there few that be saved?" presses on us, and our Lord's reply speaks in the same tones of stern and solemn warning ( Luke 13:23-30 ). For us to whom the message of reconciliation is now addressed, it is clear that " now is the day of salvation" ( 2 Corinthians 6:2 ). To be a minister of this reconciliation, and so a minister of the Church, a builder of the house of God, the Body of Christ, how high and responsible the office ( John 5:23-26 ; 1 Corinthians 4:1 , 1 Corinthians 4:2 ; 2Co 5:11-6:10)!

Colossians 1:24-29 .—Sect. 3

The apostle and his mission.

I. PAUL A MINISTER OF CHRIST . ( Colossians 1:24 , Colossians 1:25 , Colossians 1:28 , Colossians 1:29 .) In this passage the apostle draws a picture of himself which, taken with the delineations furnished by him elsewhere, stands before the Church for all time as the ideal portrait of the "faithful minister" and the "good soldier of Christ Jesus," The account he gives of himself here concerns his calling, his aim, his work, and his experience.

1. The apostle styles himself

2. The aim of his ministry is twofold.

3. His work is

4. In this work:

II. CHRIST THE MYSTERY OF GOD . ( Colossians 1:26 , Colossians 1:27 .) This is the glorious theme of St. Paul's ministry.

1. It is the burden of the old revelation, the secret of ancient history. The great heroes of the Old Testament—patriarchs, lawgivers, prophets, kings—were fragmentary types of him, in their character, achievements, or sufferings ( Hebrews 5:10 ; Acts 7:37 , etc.). The highest aspirations and anticipations of "holy men of old, moved by the Holy Ghost," were directed mysteriously all along to him, to his birth, teaching, sufferings, resurrection, to "the glory that should follow," to "the preaching of repentance and remission of sins to all nations in his name" ( Luke 24:26 , Luke 24:27 , Luke 24:44-47 ). The Jewish system of worship and discipline, in its construction and design, prefigured and prepared for his advent, who was himself meanwhile secretly acting in it and speaking through it to his people ( John 1:10 , John 1:11 ; 1 Corinthians 10:4 , 1 Corinthians 10:9 ; Hebrews 2:10-12 ; Hebrews 11:26 ). The whole history of Israel and the development of the Old Testament system unerringly pointed to this goal, where it met the blindly groping, half articulate desire of all nations. In Christ the lines of promise and of preparation, converging from the most distant ages and widely separated peoples, meet and are focussed, in this "fulness of the times."

2. But the goal was hidden, from the ages and from the generations, who stood with straining sight seeking to pierce the darkness of the future ( 1 Peter 1:10-12 ; Matthew 13:17 ). Seeing but a part of the promise, "afar off," and "at sundry times and in divers manners," they could not forecast its issue, nor piece together its scattered intimations. The Gentiles knew that they needed a Divine Saviour, and their need had become consciously extreme and desperate ( 1 Corinthians 1:19-21 ; Ephesians 2:12 ; 1 Thessalonians 4:13 ; Acts 17:23 , Acts 17:27 ). The Jews knew that he would come, but little suspected in what guise. They knew not how great and inward was their own need of him. Least of all did they expect or wish that he should be for "a light of the Gentiles, and for salvation unto the ends of the earth" ( Acts 13:47 ). those who knew most of his coming were least prepared to believe this. It is, alas! still a mystery to them ( Ephesians 3:4-6 ; Romans 11:1-36 .; 2 Corinthians 3:12-16 ).

3. This mystery brings to God's saints, not only a Christ revealed to them, the open secret of the Old Testament, but a Christ manifested in them ( Colossians 1:27 ; Galatians 1:16 ), Gentiles and Jews alike ( Acts 11:17 ), which is a deeper secret still. How "rich" is the Divine "glory" displayed in this! With what "might" do our weak hearts need to be "strengthened that Christ may dwell through faith" therein, that so we may be "filled with all this fulness of God" ( Ephesians 3:16-19 )!

4. And therefore this mystery of God is not finished yet. ( Revelation 10:7 ; Revelation 21:1-8 .) "Christ in you is the hope of glory" ( Colossians 1:27 ). Every saint of God is a new mystery to the world, and even to himself ( Colossians 3:3 ; 1 John 3:1 , 1 John 3:2 ). "The manifestation of the sons of God "( Romans 8:19 ) has still to come, when their hidden life will be made visible. The soul united to Christ and like to him will be mated with "a spiritual body" ( 1 Corinthians 15:44 ), a "body of glory" ( Philippians 3:21 ). Then at last the inward and the outward, character and condition, will harmonize and be fitly matched, and "we shall be manifested with him in glory" ( Colossians 3:3 , Colossians 3:4 ). This is the Christian hope, of which "Christ in you" is the abiding pledge ( Colossians 3:15 , note; Ephesians 1:13 , Ephesians 1:14 ; Romans 8:11 ).