My thoughts about the Book of Collosians ( LET OTHERS LEARNED FROM YOU)

  

^{EXPOSITION OF COLOSSIANS 1:7-9}

^{By: Bishop Albert Gran}

^{This is a continuation message of yesterday’s exposition in the 1st chapter of Colossians}

⁷ As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;

Paul had set Epaphras a true ministerial pattern when he worked with the Colossians. He primarily set his life for the work of the ministry so that he could be learned by them. One thing they thought him about was his being a faithful minister of Christ. How interesting to consider you can be a faithful minister of Christ when believers learned from you about Christ. This is all believed that everything is in effect of the gospel. In this scenario wherein Paul is writing the epistle, Epaphras was with him and that Paul knew his affairs and the believers' spiritual establishment through him (Epaphras).   

    

⁸ Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.

When Epaphras was with Paul he declared to Paul and Timothy about the Colossians love in the Spirit. It’s interesting to discuss “love in the Spirit” as many spiritualized and had sort of gimmicks in loving the Spirit. Many thought to love the Spirit connotes deep emotional and passionate feeling which characterized physical manners and action. Many thought it leads to speak tongues or utter words hard to understand. 

As the bottom line where Paul made sense the importance of the gospel which results fruit corresponding action in their respective service for Christ and through the commitments of God’s faithful minister Epaphras, Timothy and Paul, the Colossians' love in the Spirit can be made sense for their wholehearted acceptance of the truth of the gospel which they heard about by which it’s something made significant for them to obtain wisdom and enable them to be established in Christ for maturity.    

To love in the Spirit is to be affectionated by the things in the Spirit which is available in the tool of the Spirit which is the Word of God, and as fully equipped, it will produce fruits of the Spirit which make possible to a kind of sweet smelling service pleasing to God (Eph. 6:17; Eph.5:2,9)

⁹ For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

This kind of godly edifying report from Epaphras caused much Paul’s affectionate response so we might know his intents for the saints at Colossae. First thing he did is that he mind them through his prayer.And, his prayer corresponds to an intent, petition or request what believers opted to have for themselves as supposed they have to continuously acted upon. This is not something what he asked God to do for them but something what they must do to have known God’s will in their lives.Let me quote:  

“…. and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding”.

The question is whose desire is to be filled with God’s will, wisdom, and spiritual understanding? Obviously, it’s in US (believers). God gave already knowledge of His will, wisdom, and understanding considering the fact that we had his WORD, THE WRITTEN WORD (2 Tim. 3:16, 2 Tim. 2:15). But what man had lacked is the DESIRE TO KNOW HIS WORD AND HIS WILL.

To besought the Lord and ask for His will for HIS WORD without knowing the fact he already provided us His WORD is something ridiculous, senseless, and ignoring His will of giving us His complete WORD.

The written WORD IS ENOUGH for us to understand about the spiritual blessings of God and what condition the Body of believers had in this devastated society with the natural physical tendencies of the current worldly affairs brought by sin, and how we could live godly in it.

Many believers today besought the Lord to do something not in His mind or out of His will like PRAYING WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING (as the fact they supposed to pray IN THE SPIRIT in line with what it says in His word),and SINGING WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING.

More inspiring thoughts next….

Thanks for reading folks!  

My thoughts about the Book of Collosians (SAINTS AND FAITHFUL IN CHRIST)

SHORT EXPOSITORY MESSAGE

By: Bishop Albert Gran

Colossians 1

King James Version (KJV)

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,

Paul’s apostleship in matters of divine revelation cannot be disputed just to be an ordinary designation.

However, it’s a special privilege given to him as one born out of due time to dispense the truth of the gospel of God’s grace in this dispensation of grace. He was with a trusted co-worker Timotheus who’s Paul’s son in the faith when he wrote this book. 

         

² To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

This epistle was deliberately addressed to  believers at Colosse by whom Paul called them as “saints” and “faithful brethren”. These descriptions are worthy to glimpse who we are and how we could achieve it on the basis of the gospel of Jesus Christ. His knowledge caused spiritual maturity and edification so that we can be cheered by Paul in accordance to the will of God like the saints and faithful believers at Collose.

Another interesting feature as described in this verse is the inner might which God allow to produce within us to govern our heavenly position as saints and faithful believers in Christ, His "GRACE and PEACE". There’s no amount of physical things in this world which could overflow such tremendous blessing of God endowed to each believer in this dispensation of grace. “Grace” is something which God favorably offered to us as a privilege gift which we can’t do by and among ourselves while “peace” corresponds settlement of issues pertinent to our inadequacies through which God made in Christ on our behalf, and thereby it satiates God’s divine standard and His moral attribute being a righteous and magnificent creator.

It’s enhancing to consider that “grace and peace” were God’s supernatural intervention causing us to be always triumphant in every affair of our life as we walked with God as His dear sons in all His will.     

            

³ We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

Paul and Timotheus had their lives set as thankful servants of Christ. Thanking God for what He has done for us (that which we can’t) motivates among ourselves to passionately examine the noteworthy blessedness He gave us. Correspond to the purpose God set to Paul and Timothy pertinent to the truth of the gospel, they set their longings and consciousness by praying for the saints especially the faithful believers at Colosse. Paul and Timotheus’ prayers had much to say about the purpose of God in effect of the truth of the gospel opposite to what others prayed for them to be materially and physically equipped.

        

⁴ Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,

Paul and Timothy’s prayers are colored with these senses having intents always in result of the truth of the gospel ever since they heard it. They heard the Colossians “FAITH IN CHRIST”. Faith motivated by the truth and the purpose of which God actively involved in the lives of believers today, intervening their inner man to produce quality characteristics as ultimate adult sons of God. Their love which they have to all the saints were expressions of how they have known Christ in light with what they heard with Paul and Timothy regarding God’s revelation in the mystery of His will.   

⁵ For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;

This is the real purpose as being saints and faithful believers in Christ producing qualities in effect of the gospel set forth by Paul in view of direct revelation from Christ. Our victory through Christ in effect of “Grace and Peace” or the settlement motto Christ afforded to us today is something that leads to heavenly hope. Our prayers should be akin to the heavenly purpose through which the gospel preached by Paul, producing grace and peace in all areas of our life so that as we see and realize the heavenly calling of God it would produce COMFORT and JOY. And, we’re all the more rejoicing. How could it be made possible? It’s through the word of the truth of the gospel.      

⁶ Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:

It’s really significant that the truth of the gospel was appeared to all men. However, there’s much more blessings in effect of this gospel. Paul made it plain that such “bringeth forth fruit”. Believer’s lives must be colored in effect of the gospel through which Paul had received for the truth of this dispensation of grace and not based on the past administration of God revealed to Peter and the twelve for the earthly kingdom with its purpose. Colossians had this kind of life founded upon the truth which they heard with Paul and Timothy.

Another interesting feature is the description in bulk of truth which they heard about. Paul plainly emphasized with the phrase “KNEW GRACE OF GOD IN TRUTH”. It’s not about the grace brought in response to asking material blessings, prosperity, jobs, etc. This is about the grace of God which we have to know from Apostle Paul. The knowledge we received from Paul and his epistles were able to produce FRUITS in us. Why as though there were many doctrines in TIME PAST in the account of God’s previous administration leads and governed by many believers today directing towards EARTHLY HOPE AND CONDITIONS? Did we really know the grace of God in truth?

Thanks for reading folks!