CCLCSSlAnS 1 114

Message by Lmmanuel uecker

24/10/2010
lnLroducLlon
AuLhor
uaLe of WrlLlng
8eclplenLs
Colossae (map)
urpose of WrlLlng
8ackground Lo Lhe Colosslan roblem
lmpllcaLlon for our day

v114 dlvlded lnLo
AfLer Lhe saluLaLlon ln v12 aul goes Lo ldenLlfy 2 Lhlngs from v114
1 Where Lhey were aL now ln Lhelr walk wlLh Lhe Lord (he wlll laLer address ln chapLers 3 and 4
Lhlngs Lhey need Lo pay aLLenLlon Lo presenLly)
2 Where Lhey should be headed

Where Lhey were aL now ln Lhelr walk wlLh Lhe Lord aul Lhanks Cod for LhaL
lalLh hope and love Lhe Lrlad 1 Cor 13 8om 3 eLc
lalLh ln ChrlsL evldenced by Lhelr love for Lhe salnLs boLh sprlnglng from Lhelr hope sLored ln
heaven for Lhem
All Lhrough Lhls eplsLle Lwo Lhlngs are evldenL 1hey go hand ln hand 8lghL bellef resulLs ln
rlghL behavlour 1he opposlLe ls also Lrue 1helr falLh and hope ln ChrlsL was genulne
Lvldenced by genulne love for Cod's people LaLer aul would furLher expand on Lhe fullness
and sufflclency of ChrlsL and how havlng Lhls correcL docLrlne should also resulL ln an approprlaLe
llfesLyle Wrong docLrlne resulLs ln wrong llfesLyle

Cne of Lhe maln problems Lhey were faclng ln Lhls church was an early form of Lhe heresy known
as CnosLlclsm (Ck CnosLlc knowledge) Lxplaln splrlL good maLLer evll Cod was splrlL so
good 8uL maLLer was evll 1wo ways Lo LreaL Lhe body asceLlsm and lndulgence (c/f 223)
8oLh wrong llfesLyles resulLlng from wrong bellefs

WhaL ls your docLrlne Loday? Pow ls lL affecLlng your llfesLyle declslon pursulLs? 8ellef
affecLs behavlour behavlour deLermlnes characLer and characLer deLermlnes desLlny

aul glves Lhanks for Lhe Colosslans because Lhe falLh Lhey profess ln ChrlsL ls genulnely affecLlng
Lhelr llfesLyle (Lhe gospel had been growlng and bearlng frulL among Lhem) alLhough false
Leachers were now beglnnlng Lo creep ln whlch ls whaL aul wroLe Lhls leLLer malnly Lo correcL
LaLer afLer aul had clearly seL forLh ChrlsL furLher Lo Lhem he wlll also glve furLher lnsLrucLlon as
Lo how Lhey should llve ln Lhe presenL ln llghL of Lhls lL was good LhaL Lhey had aLLalned falLh
hope and love buL LhaL was noL all More was ln sLore and LhaL ls where Lhey should be
headed


Where Lhey should be headed
(aul polnLs Lhls ouL by praylng for Lhem Lo grow lnLo maLurlLy) ln prayer aul lays ouL Lhe blue
prlnL for Lhelr maLurlLywhere Lhey should be headed
2 prayer requesLs
1 know Pls wlll (l)knowledge of
knowledge eplgnosls" full knowledge More preclse knowledge of Pls
wlll LhaL resLs on knowledge of Cod and ChrlsL c/f Lhe CnosLlc Leachers
1he hereLlcs were clalmlng Lhey had Lhe real secreL knowledge abouL Cod
!esus was flne buL noL enough aul was saylng Lhe knowledge Lhey
needed was noL Lhe knowledge of Lhe hereLlc CnosLlc Leachers buL more
preclse knowledge of ChrlsL 1haL when Lhey come Lo know ChrlsL ln Pls
fullness Lhey wlll flnd ouL LhaL Pe was sufflclenL
(ll)splrlLual wlsdom ablllLy Lo apply LhaL knowledge Lo everyday llfe
(lll)undersLandlng (c/f Lpheslans 3)
1here ls a loL LhaL can be sald abouL knowlng undersLandlng Cod's wlll 1haL lndeed ls whaL llfe ls
all abouL lf llfe ls Lo have any meanlng and purpose 8uL [usL Lo know Cod's wlll ls noL enough
We have Lo llve ouL hls wlll 1haL leads us lnLo Lhe nexL requesL aul prays for Lhe nexL blue prlnL
he lays ouL concernlng Lhelr desLlnaLlon

3 Llve worLhy llves (walk meLaphor for llfesLyle acLlon commlLmenL) menLal knowledge
wlsdom and undersLandlng golng hand and hand wlLh behavlour and llfesLyle
lour Lhlngs wlll characLerlse Lhe worLhy llves Lhey should llve
(l)8ear frulL CalaLlans 3 v2223 frulL of SplrlL ChrlsLllkeness
8eproduclng more ChrlsLlans
ln every good work
(ll)SLeady growLh ln Lhe knowledge of Cod lnLlmaLe knowledge of Cod noL [usL
knowledge abouL Cod WhaL raln and sunshlne are Lo Lhe nurLure
of planLs Lhe knowledge of Cod ls Lo Lhe growLh and maLurlng of Lhe
splrlLual llfe" 1hls knowledge of Cod lf accuraLe should and wlll
lmpacL every area of Lhe bellever's llfe for Cod 8uL problems arlse
lf we have a false concepL or wrong knowledge abouL Cod
(lll)SLrengLhened wlLh all power Lhe power comes from Cod noL from Lhemselves
CharacLerlsed by endurance and paLlence (slmllar buL noL Lhe same)
Lndurance (sLeadfasLness) under Lrlal 1he capaclLy Lo see Lhlngs Lhough resLralnL
aLlence (longsufferlng) ablllLy Lo reLallaLe or revenge buL noL do so for !esus' sake
!oy
(lv)1hankful Lo Cod quallfled us glven us share ln lnherlLance
1hls ls where aul prays Lhe Colosslans should be headlng MaLurlLy characLerlzed by Lhese
quallLles 1hls ls where Cod wanLs us here aL S?lCl Lo also be headed
Lnds ln someLhlng llke a song recapLurlng whaL Cod has done for Lhe Colosslans and has done for
us 8elocaLed us from SaLan's klngdom (darkness) lnLo Lhe klngdom of Lhe Son (llghL) ln Whom
we have redempLlon Lhe forglveness of slns

Where Lhey are aL now
Where Lhey should be headlng
8lghL docLrlne (knowledge)
8lghL behavlour (llfesLyle)
Pow abouL us here aL S?lClwhere are we aL now Where can you say we have aLLalned as a
bodyuo we have genulne falLh uoes love characLerlze us

Pow abouL maklng Lhe quesLlons more personal
Where are you aL Loday?
Where are you headed? uo you agree wlLh Cod's blue prlnL for maLurlLy for your llfePls wlll and
Llvlng ouL LhaL wlll ln worLhy llves?

Pow abouL Lhe klnd of bellef abouL Cod you harbor uo you have Lhe rlghL bellef abouL Cod Pls
sufflclency Plm and noLhlng else?
ls your bellef abouL Cod affecLlng your behavlour approprlaLely?