Colossians - An Expositional Study
KIND REGARDS
Scripture Reading: Colossians 4:15-16 (KJV)
It is common practice to finish our letters with some something like, "My love to so and so," or "Kind remembrances to the family," or "Kindest regards." Paul does the same thing in our present text. There are certain people in the Colossian area, known to him, to whom he sends kind regards. Below are three different sets of three words each which summarizing the conclusion of Colossians.
"brethren"
The first three words: Deficiency is possible. The church of the Laoiceans – Paul calls them "brethren". Too often, we use the term in merely a formal manner, with little meaning attached. But, in the first century it was a reality. The special relationship between Christians is illustrated in Galatians 6:10, "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." A mutual care for members of the family of God was noteworthy in those early days – "See how these Christians love one another" was the observation of unbelievers. Occasionally, the same words are used about Christians today, usually with a cynical twist. It is easy to see how deficiency is possible within a congregation of the church of our lord, wherein "the members should have the same care one for another" (1 Cor. 12:25). However, for the mutual relationships of all members, their characters, gifts, and functions different, it would be profitable to study the entire 12th chapter of 1 Corinthians. The harmony of the whole is not to be disturbed by the wrongful attitude of any one member toward another. Perhaps, in the body, the eye is the most delicate and important. Perhaps the hand is the most homely. But there is no reason for the former to look down disparagingly on its hard working neighbor. "The eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee" (1 Cor. 12:21). Neither is there to be any envy or self-pity, "If the eye shall say, Because I am not the eye I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?" (1 Cor. 12:16). No fancied superiority; no feelings of envy; no individual squabbles, like the Christians experienced at Philippi – "I beseech Euodias, and bessech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord" (Phil. 4:2). Nothing should mare the peace of the body in Christ. No congregation of the Lord's church can know spiritual peace, blessing, or fruit, unless it is built on the Word of God.
"the church which is in his house"
We do not know who he was; but we do know what he was; a Christian, or he would not have thrown open his house for the assembly of God's people. Even in our age, when a congregation of the Lord's church is small and cannot afford either to rent a place or build, it is not uncommon for someone to offer their home for worship. And why not? After all, the church is not the building, but the people. "Ye...are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices" (1 Pet. 1:5).
"church of the Laoiceans"
Naturally, one would assume that as the church grew and developed it became more organized, but not necessarily more healthy. Consider the Laodicean church later on. We can see from them how gravely deterioration can set in; apparent deficiency. The sad record is recorded in Revelation 3:14-22. There was no spirit of enthusiasm – "neither cold, nor hot": tepid! There was no sense of need – "I have need of nothing": blatant self-sufficiency. There were many who had no spiritual relationship to Christ – "if any man open the door, I will come in": they had entered in the door of the visible church, but the door to Jesus Christ was closed in their heart. What a sad situation. It emphasizes how watchful members of the church should be, lest "the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful: (Mark 4:19).
Scripture Reading: Colossians 4:17 (KJV)
"Archippus...take heed to the ministry"
The second three words: Efficiency is required. This is a special, personal message to Archippus. Wonder who he was? Perhaps he was taking the place of Epaphras while he was away in Rome consulting with Paul. If so, certainly Paul would want him to be careful to fulfill the obligation and responsibilities, which would now, in the absence of Epaphras, perhaps fall on him. Has any kind of ministry been laid on us? If our presumption is correct, Archippus would have acted and spoken in Epaphras' place. Paul refers to this when he says, "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us" (2 Cor. 5:20). A ministry of song; a ministry of visitation; a ministry of comfort; a ministry of prayer; a ministry of testimony; a ministry of preaching; a ministry of teaching; a ministry of serving; a ministry of example; a ministry of faithfulness; a ministry of kindness and love; a ministry of holy living. What is your appointed ministry? Let us "take heed" and see that by God's grace we use our ministry to help others, to the glory of God. How wonderful if we could say, "And they glorified God in me" (Gal. 1:24).
"which thou hast received"
"Come now, therefore, and I will send thee" (Ex. 3:10). To the reluctant Moses He gives the twofold assurance, "I will be with thee" (Ex. 3:12); and "I will be with thy mouth"
(Ex. 4:12). Again, "Go in this thy might...have not I sent thee?" (Judg. 6:14), and the hesitant Gideon goes forth in reliance on God's provision. God gives to us what we need.
We do not follow Him under our initiative alone. God sends us forth and He will take care of all our needs.
"in the Lord"
We must first be "in" Him before we can work "for" Him; by His mercy, every true Christian in Him. Are we then working for Him? Paul uses the word "with" – "we are labourers together with God" (1 Cor. 3:9). What a difference that little word makes. How much better we work at anything if our leader works with us. Let the servant of Christ covet to have the Master working alongside, providing incentive, encouragement, and wherewithal.
Scripture Reading: Colossians 4:18 (KJV)
"Grace be with you."
The third three words summarizing the conclusion of Colossians: Sufficiency is guaranteed. The apostle Paul has now signed the letter. One word remains, rounding off his kind regards, a word that holds the secret spring of all spiritual hope. "Grace be with you." Almost all of Paul's letters begin and end with it; Romans just ends with it. Hebrews may not have been written by Paul, but it bears his ending – "grace."
God's grace, which signifies His attitude and aid, is a constant wonder and theme of Paul. Both aspects of it are vividly presented in this verse, "By the grace of God I am what I am; and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain, but I laboured more abundantly than they all. Yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me" (1 Cor. 15:10).
Peter joins Paul in magnifying the grace of God. There is an interesting Greek word, poikdos, which occurs several times in the New Testament. Used twice by Peter, the
A.V. translates it, "manifold"; "Ye are in heaviness, through manifold temptations" (1 Pet. 1:6); "Good stewards of the manifold grace of God" (1 Pet. 4:10). Put these two together. On one of your hands, let your five fingers stand for "manifold" trials and testings of life. On your other hand, let your five fingers stand for "manifold" grace. Put your right hand over the left. Observe how the fingers of the "grace" hand exactly correspond to those of the "temptations" hand. This illustrates a beautiful fact, that whatever may be the need, for the Christian there is at hand all the grace needed to meet it. These two grand apostles, both acquainted with the hazards of life, join together in bearing testimony from their own wide and deep experience, to the all-sufficiency of this marvelous blessing of God, available for all emergencies. As God Himself said to Paul, at a time when Paul was in distress because of his "thorn in the flesh" – "My grace is sufficient for thee" (2 Cor. 12:9). Paul's letter to the Colossian Christians suggests several situations in which God's provision for our "manifold" can be tested. In conclusion, consider five:
1. Making progress in the Christian life – "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him" (Col. 2:6). We all recognize that this is essential to the healthiness, happiness, and helpfulness of the Christian life. No doubt, we all desire to grow, in greater or less degree. Our problem is not what, but how. The answer is grace, God's supply for man's salvation. Let us keep the pipe-line to God clear and clean so that the oil of grace may flow into our need uninterrupted. "Grow in grace" (2 Pet. 3:18).
2. Standing up successfully to false teachings – "Beware lest any man spoil you...Let no man beguile you" (Col. 2:8, 28). Paul's age was just like ours, in that "the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3) is constantly assailed with intellectual problems and moral perils. We should not be afraid to think out our theological and spiritual position, but we should be assiduously on our guard against the "vain" vapourings of untruth. In other words, we should be wise to seek the grace of diligence in the study of the Word – "Study to shew [show] ourselves approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15). Through the Word of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit will "guide you into all truth" (John 16:13). Also we will receive the grace of smell. Surprised? When Paul illustrates the various gifts of the Body of Christ's Church, he indicated the necessity of this function of spiritual quality – "where were the smelling?" (1 Cor. 12:17). In view of the prevalence of false teaching, it is a good thing to have a spiritual sense of smell, to be so instructed in the Word of God so that instinctively we can detect the false. "And shall make him of quick understanding" (Is. 11:3); the Hebrew word translated "understanding" means scent or smell. In other words, the one referred to shall be made by the Spirit a person of keen scent, quickly discerning between false and true. This is also a gift of grace.
3. Being the best in home relationships – "Wives, husbands; children, fathers; servants, masters" (Col. 3:18-4:1). Happy the household where there is mutual understanding and cooperation, each for all, all for each. "Whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it" (1 Cor. 12:26). Because the family knows us well and because among the family we are usually off guard, home is often the hardest place to witness and shine for the Lord. But here again grace comes to our assistance; God's aid for the godly. Is it fair to say that the Savior spent thirty years at home training for three years in the ministry? It was the observation and experience of His time at home that enabled Mary to say with confidence to others in their problem, "Whatever He saith unto you, do it" (John 2:5). Yes, home is a fine training ground; a great testing place – passing the test and profiting from the training calls for the grace of God.
4. Giving Him first place in everything – "That in all things He might have the pre-eminence" (Col. 1:18). What a picture and promise of life as a Christian. With Him all else will fall into its right place. The story is told about the old days, when ladies wore long gloves at parties. A small girl was struggling with the problem of where to put the unending series of buttons, when her mother explained, "It's really simple. Get the top one in the top button-hole and all the others will follow right to the last one." That truly is the case in the spiritual life; give Him the first place and all will follow right. But of course, trouble is that wretched thing called self. How subtly it enters into our spiritual service. Why are we busy in the work? Is it with a single eye to God's glory or is there any vestige of unworthy motive, any seeking after our own glory? Let us constantly be reminded of "the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes" (Song of Solomon 2:15). Self-control is of great importance, if Christ is to have the pre-eminence. Even this control is a gift of grace; we are not left to exercise it by our strong will and determination, for "the fruit of the Spirit is...self-control" (Gal. 5:23, NIV). In other words, He does it, not us; if we only look to Him for it. Let it be "Not I, but Christ" (Gal. 2:20). This is the essence of grace's accomplishment in us.
5. Continuing true, without backsliding. Consider again the figure of Demas from our study regarding Paul's group photograph. Viewing a prisoner handcuffed to a policeman, one was heard to say, "There but for the grace of God go I." God will, if we will. Thus we have all the power of God Himself to keep us on the right road. We close our brief study with a poem by Philip Doddridge:
"Twas grace that wrote my name
In life's eternal book;
Twas grace that gave me to the Lamb,
Who all my sorrows took.
Grace taught my wandering feet
To tread the heavenly road;
And new supplies each hour I meet
While pressing on to God.
Grace taught my soul to pray,
And made my eyes o'erflow;
'Tis grace has kept me to this day,
And will not let me go.
Grace all the work shall crown
Through everlasting days;
It lays in heaven the topmost stone,
And well deserves the praise.
Oh, let that grace inspire
My soul with strength divine!
May all my powers to Thee aspire
And all my days be Thine."
