Colossians 1:3-8 - Homilies By T. Croskery.

The apostle's thanksgiving for the spiritual progress of the Colossians.

Notwithstanding the dangerous speculations of a Judaeo-Gnostic philosophy which had sprung up at Colossi, threatening the integrity of their faith, the apostle is yet able to express his thankfulness for the faith and love which animated the Christian brotherhood in the valley of Lycus. He is thankful for their continued allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ, who was the one satisfaction of all their yearnings, the one solution both of their speculative questionings and of their religious wants.

I. THANKSGIVING IS A CONSTANT EXERCISE OF THE CHRISTIAN HEART , AS IT IS ALSO A TRUE PART OF PRAYER . "We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you."

1. It ought to mingle with every prayer. We never pray but we have cause for thankfulness, and we never give thanks but we have cause to pray. And whatever may be the subject of our rejoicing ought to be matter for thanksgiving. Prayer with thanksgiving was the apostle's constant recommendation ( Philippians 4:6 ).

2. It is to be addressed to God the Father in Christ.

3. Reasons for thanksgiving.

4. We ought to be thankful as well as prayerful for others as well as ourselves. ( Ephesians 6:18 ; 1 Timothy 2:1 .) What a treasury of prayers belongs to the saints!

II. THE SUBJECTS OF THE APOSTLE 'S THANKSGIVING — THE FAITH AND LOVE OF THE COLOSSIANS . "Having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which ye have toward all the saints." It is interesting to remark that the apostle, in the two Epistles written at the same time as this to Colossae, expresses thankfulness for similar blessings ( Ephesians 1:15 ; Philemon 1:5 ).

1. Their faith in Christ Jesus.

2. . Their love to all the sabots.

(a) "Doing good to all, especially to those of the household of faith" ( Galatians 6:10 ), and "distributing to the necessity of saints" ( Romans 12:13 ).

(b) Loving fellowship ( Acts 2:42 ). "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together" ( Hebrews 10:25 ).

(c) Bearing with their infirmities. "Love covereth the multitude of sins" ( 1 Peter 4:8 ). We are not to grieve our brother with our meat, else "we walk not charitably" ( Romans 14:15 ).

(d) Cherishing a forgiving spirit ( Ephesians 4:31 ).

(a) It is to be brotherly. We are "to love the brotherhood" ( 1 Peter 2:22 ).

(b) It is to be sincere. "Without dissimulation" ( Romans 12:9 ); "Not in word and in tongue, but in deed and in truth" ( 1 John 3:18 ).

(c) It is to be from "a pure heart" ( 1 Timothy 1:5 ).

(d) It is to be fervent. "Have fervent charity among yourselves" ( 1 Peter 4:8 ).

(e) It is to be full of labours ( 1 Thessalonians 1:3 ).

(f) It is above all to be catholic. "All the saints," without distinction.

(a) Christ's example and command ( John 13:34 ).

(b) It is a sign of grace. It is a token that "we are translated from death to life" ( 1 John 3:14 ). David's delight was "in the saints" ( Psalms 16:3 ).

(c) It is the "fulfilling of the Law" ( Romans 13:10 ).

(d) There is comfort in it ( Philippians 2:1 ).

(e) It commends the gospel to the world. We ought, therefore, to be "sound in love" ( Titus 2:2 ), and "to provoke one another to love and good works" ( Hebrews 10:24 ).

3. The relation between faith and love. They are necessarily joined together; for:

4. The graces of the saints are easily known and heard of. The apostle heard of the faith and love of the Colossians. "Since the day we heard of them." They ought, therefore, to be bright in their heavenly lustre.

III. THE MOTIVE OR IMPULSIVE CAUSE OF THESE GRACES . "Because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens."

1. The nature of this hope.

2. The security of this hope. "Which is laid up for you in the heavens." It is secure because:

3. The quickening power of this hope. It has great influence upon our faith and love. God makes one grace cause another. "It is hope that plucks up the heart of man to a constant desire of union with God by faith, and of communion with man by love." Moses had respect to the recompense of the reward ( Hebrews 11:25 , Hebrews 11:26 ). The saints will find that it is not in vain to serve the Almighty. They ought, therefore, to remember

4. How is this hope to be increased? Though it cannot be made more secure, it may be more fully realized. To this end, we need

IV. THE SOURCE OF OUR DIVINE HOPE . "Whereof ye heard before in the Word of the truth of the gospel, which is come unto you."

1. It is by the hearing of the Word we learn of our hope. There is no other way of learning it. The Lord has sent us the news of salvation. Nature tells us nothing of a Divine hope. The importance of this hearing is manifest, because:

2. The preciousness of the Word. It is "the Word of the truth of the gospel." As if to signify the contrast between the simple truth taught them by Epaphras and the errors of the false teachers. Its preciousness lies in its truth.

(a) the power of God to salvation ( Romans 1:16 ).

(b) It brings life and immortality to light ( 2 Timothy 1:10 ).

(c) It brings abundance of blessings ( Romans 15:14 ).

(d) It is a witness to all nations ( Matthew 24:14 ).

3. The accessibility of the Word. It is "come unto you." It came without their seeking it or sending for it. The Colossians sat in darkness and the shadow of death, estranged "from the life of God through ignorance," till God caused the light to shine into their hearts. We ought, therefore,

V. THE FRUIT BEARING POWER AND EXPANSIVENESS OF THE GOSPEL . "Even as it is also in all the world, bearing fruit and increasing." These words set forth at once the efficacy and the rapid growth of the gospel, its inner working and its outward expansion.

1. . Its fruit bearing power.

2. Its expansiveness. Its rapid progress in the days of the apostles is one of the wonders of history; for "the Word of God grew and multiplied" in the face of the opposition of magistrates, the persecution of Jewish zealots, the perversions of false teachers, and the inconsistencies of Christian professors themselves. Though the Word was not yet announced to all nations, the whole world was the area of its increasing power.

VI. THE EFFECTS OF THE GOSPEL , PARTICULARLY AT COLOSSAE . "As it doth in you also, since the day ye heard and knew the grace of God in truth."

1. The hearing is necessary to the knowledge of the grace of God, yet there is a hearing that is resultless of all good. To hear with profit, we must

2. The true knowledge of the grace of God is fruitful in all the growths of righteousness.

(a) not to receive the grace of God in vain ( 2 Corinthians 6:1 );

(b) to appreciate "the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, though he was rich, yet for your sakes became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich" ( 2 Corinthians 8:9 );

(c) to avoid those who would "make void the grace of God" ( Galatians 2:21 );

(d) to find our constant standing in this grace ( 1 Peter 5:2 ).

(a) This love is a chief gift of the Spirit ( Galatians 5:22 ; Romans 15:30 ).

(b) It is of necessity sincere ( Romans 12:13 ), the outcome of a pure heart ( 1 Timothy 1:5 ), and practical in its scope ( 1 John 3:18 ).

(c) It is inconsistent with the idea of working evil to a neighbour ( Romans 13:10 ) or of offending a brother in a thing indifferent ( Romans 14:15 ).

3. The early and continuous experience of this grace is a good sign of spiritual growth. "Since the day ye heard and knew the grace of God in truth." This language implies that the work of God wrought speedily upon the Colossians, and that it continued to work. Their goodness was not as the morning dew.

VII. THE FOUNDER OF COLOSSIAN CHRISTIANITY — EPAPHRAS . "As ye learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit."

1. His character and position as a minister.

(a) To the apostle himself,

( α ) as "our beloved fellow servant," working in the service of the same Master and in loving relationship to all his servants;

( β ) as the representative particularly of the apostle himself, being "a minister of Christ on our behalf," preaching at Colossae instead of the apostle, and, therefore, not to be displaced by the new school of Judaeo-Gnostic sectaries;

( γ ) perhaps, also, as "a fellow prisoner," for Epaphras appears in this light in the contemporary Epistle ( Philemon 1:23 ).

(b) To the Colossian Church. "Who is a faithful minister of Christ."

( α ) He was called a minister of the Colossians; for Christ is our true Master, and Epaphras is his minister. It is by his authority ministers act in the people's service.

( β ) His faithfulness is to be specially noted, he was faithful to Christ, to the truth, to the souls of men. It is "faithful men" who will be "able to teach others also" ( 2 Timothy 2:2 ). It is necessary for "a steward of the mysteries" to be "found" faithful.

2. His continued interest in their welfare.