I. Paul’s Desire For These Christians

A. Paul Felt An Internal Conflict For Them V. 1

1. Paul had a great concern for these people whom he had never met. See also 4:16

a. Conflict– agon, from agōnizomai. We get the word agonize.

b. Paul agonized over their spiritual well being.

c. If they looked to other practices or philosophies, they would be cheated.

d. His conflict was fought through prayer, and by this letter, warning & instructing

2. Parents, friends, and loved ones know this feeling for the people they love.

B. Paul’s Encouragement To Them V. 5

1. “Paul’s sense of being spiritually present with his absent friends could be extraordinarily strong and vivid. Perhaps the most remarkable example is found in 1 Corinthians 5:3-5, where he speaks of himself as present in spirit at a church meeting in Corinth (at a time when he was resident in Ephesus).” (Bruce)

2. Paul was careful to encourage them about what was good among them

3. He was careful to let them know that he rejoiced over the good things.

4. Good order and steadfastness– in order (arrayed like soldiers, and made solid)

5. Guzik– Paul did not see a Colossian church that was given over to heresy. They were in danger, but they were still in good order and displayed the steadfastness of their faith.

C. Paul’s Hope For Them V. 2

1. Hearts may be encouraged-parakaleo– to come alongside and speak into someone’s life with the result being that their heart is comforted

2. Knit together in love– false teaching creates wrong thinking, divides people

a. Divorce, destroyed friendships. Wrong thinking leads to wrong actions

b. Instead of being “knit together” people are torn apart.

c. Paul’s exhortation re. Jesus will move them towards being knit together.

3. Attaining to all the riches-The knowledge and wisdom if Jesus are riches for the soul

4. Full assurance of understanding– understanding, when believed, brings assurance

5. Knowledge of the mystery…of the Father and of Christ

a. Knowledge– full and accurate knowledge of what God wanted to reveal to them.

b. Debbie I recently had a mystery uncovered, and we are blessed

i. We have Dish Network. We initially didn’t know that we could record programs

ii. Dish wasn’t trying to hide that info. They wanted us to know.

iii. We overlooked it, but so glad to have that mystery uncovered.

iv. We looked for it, eagerly listened to our niece, & discovered it.

6. That deeper, fuller knowledge & understanding of God would result in full assurance

a. That God loves them

b. That they are fully forgiven by faith in Jesus, and his death for their sins.

c. Assurance of salvation

d. That brings rest for the mind, heart, soul.

e. Not like…the astronaut who was informed that his spacecraft was built by the lowest bidder. Not much assurance there. No comfort, but insecurity.

II. Paul’s Warning To These Christians

A. A Warning Against False Teaching Was Needed V. 4

1. There seemed to have been false teachings on two levels.

a. The gospel isn’t enough; you need deeper, secret knowledge.

b. The death of Christ isn’t enough to save you; you must add good works to be saved.

2. Deceive– to deceive by false (faulty) reasoning

3. Persuasive words– specially chosen words designed to convince

a. Example- Mormon faith declares that they “are Christians too”.

b. But if they are Christians, does that make you a Mormon? (It doesn’t)

c. They have a different gospel. (Counterfeit gospel) (Galatians 1:6-9)

d. The Colossian heresy was marked by this sort of philosophy and empty deceit; most of all, it had the stamp of man on it, not God. The question we should ask about things in the church shouldn’t be… “Is it good or bad?”, but rather, “…is it from man or from God?”

B. They Were In Danger Of Being Cheated V. 8

1. None of us likes to be cheated. Yet, if we are not careful to follow Jesus, and trust in God’s Word, we are cheated on a spiritual level, leading to loss in other areas of life.

2. Beware – Constantly looking out. Spiritual lifestyle. (Deception doesn’t vacation)

3. Cheat – Carry off as a captive or slave. Lead you away as prey.

4. Philosophy – “love of wisdom”. In this case, human wisdom, not Godly wisdom

5. Empty deceit – devoid of truth, futile, fruitless, w/o effect. Won’t succeed.

6. Tradition of men – Religious teachings invented by men, & passed on generationally

7. Basic principles of world – belonging to a rudimentary moral stage. “Natural”.

8. These ideas had the stamp of man on them, and not the stamp of God.

III. The Exhortations And Encouragement

A. The Sufficiency Of Christ V. 3

1. Knowledge – the understanding of truth.  Wisdom– the right application of knowledge

2. One of the heresies was the so called “secret wisdom” that the privileged had

3. Paul says all wisdom/knowledge is in Christ, not someone or something else

4. Jesus is the Source and Origin of the wisdom and knowledge that we need.

5. Like a gold mine with unimaginable riches, the riches are there to be found, but searching is required. If your Christian faith seems boring or confusing, search out Jesus.

B. How They Ought To Follow Christ Vs. 6, 7

1. Living the Christian life according to what they had been taught from the beginning.

2. They were to be rooted in Christ. (continued abiding, established, well rooted)

3. Built up in Christ. (being constantly built up) Present tense, continuous action.

4. Established – (to constantly make firm, solid, established) Opposite of 2 Peter 1:9

5. In the faith – by means of faith; through the instrumentality of their faith.

a. Faith was the thing used by which they would be rooted, etc.

6. Abounding in it. “It” speaks of their faith. As they pressed on, they would abound in faith. As they pursued Jesus, their faith would be abundant.

7. Thanksgiving is the result of an abundant faith. It is the evidence of it.

C. Completeness Found In Christ Vs. 9, 10

1. Jesus had/has the fullness of God. Not a part of God, but the fullness of God

a. Contradicts teaching of Christian Science, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons

2. Complete in Him – to make full, to fill up, i.e. to fill to the full, fill to the top, no lack

3. NOTE – completeness is not something to be achieved or earned, but enjoyed

4. Albert Barnes – There is no necessity, therefore, that we should look to the aid of philosophy, as if there was a defect in the teachings of the Savior; or to human strength, as if he were unable to save us; or to the merits of the saints, as if those of the Redeemer were not sufficient to meet all our wants.