Sun 091017 pm Isa 41-43

Isaiah 41
41.4 the first and with the last... The wording here "with" the last is curious.
41.29 they are all a delusion... And we are so prone to love delusions. Promises with no subtsance.

Isaiah 42
42.6-7 a light for the nations
to oen the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
A great description of Christ.
42.19 my dedicated one... Presumably another way to say holy.
42.25 it burned him up, but he did not take it to heart... Burned refers to God's anger which was followed by a foolish response.

Isaiah 43
43.8 blind, yet have eyes... the state of the lost.
43.10 You are my witnesses... Sometimes this seems like a poor plan. :o)
43.21 people who I formed for myself...
43.24 you have wearied me with your iniquites...
43.25 for my own sake... God saves us for his benefit, not our. It's all about him.

Fri 091016 pm Heb 1-2 Jonah

Hebrews 1

1.3 exact imprint of His nature... in the fullest sense, not just moral.

1.4 having become... This seems to refer to His works on earth distinguishing Him, since he had already inherited a more excellent name.

1.5 2 Samuel 7.14 Sometime I will check the Commentary on the NT use of the OT and a couple others and look at the context of these two seeming fairly unrelated passages.

Six mentions of angels in one chapter is rare.

Hebrews 2

2.3 if we neglect... Christ is the only salvation available. We should be diligent.

2.6 It has been testified somewhere... I wonder why he didn't specify a book or something. Psalm 8.4-6

2.18 suffered when tempted... I don't know that I have ever explicitly thought of temptation as being a form of or situation for suffering. There are a number of reasons it could be suffering. For Christ it was definitely an affront to His righteousness. The struggle to remain strong and not give in would cause us to suffer. Hmmmm, a lot to think about.

Jonah 1

1.1 The Word of the Lord came... This phrase almost always captures my imagination. How cool! And what was it like?

1.3 away from the presence of the Lord... While we can never be from the presence of the Lord in an absolute sense, it seems that we could flee His "blessing presence." This seems to be an escape from God's influence and demands. Not a good place to be.

1.4 Perhaps the god will give a thought to us... The mindset of this pagan sailor is fascinating for someone who grew up with the uniform belief in one God.

1.16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly... They offered a sacrifice and made vows. I wonder what the vows were and if any were actually kept. At that point they were arguably closer to God than Jonah.

Jonah 2
2.4 yet I shall again look upon your holy temple... This longing for the temple is common in the OT and shows the desire and confidence in God's faithfulness. Even after disobeying God's direct command and in what must have been very discouraging circumstances, he expresses confidence that he will return to God's blessing.
2.8 forsake their own hope... This reminds me of the verse in Jeremiah about leaving the living waters for cisterns. Hopelessness can be what causes us to forsake. Patience and faithfulness are key.

Jonah 3

3.1 the second time... Oh, how persistent the Lord is.
3.10 saw how they returned... The translation is a little fuzzy here about whether it is that they turned or the manner in which they turned. But, thinking about the possibility of it being the manner that they turned is good food for thought.

Jonah 4
4.2 for I new that... This is a humorous, in this context, list of God's attributes: gracious, merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, relenting. This is not the stereotype of God in the OT.
4.6 to save him from his discomfort... Primary concern with out comfort is a symptom of spiritual problems.
4.7 God appointed a worm... God can use anybody.
4.11 should I not pity... It is good and right to have pity on the undeserving.

Wed 091014 Isa 40

Isaiah 40

40.1 Handle's Messiah

40.3 John the Baptist

40.7 when the breath of the Lord blows... We are so finite, and He is so amazing.

40.11 tend his flock ... gently lead those that are with young... Reminds me of the tenderness of the Lord.

40.28 does not faint or grow weary... God is always vigilant and on the job. Thanks be...

Tues 091013 pm Isa 35-37

Isaiah 35

35.4 those who have an anxious heart ... be strong. Two things. First, some people have anxious hearts. Second, the solution sounds obvious and unhelpful untill we reflect on the nature and aquisition of spiritual strength.

35.8 the Way of Holiness... Holy in the sense it is free from the unclean.

Isaiah 36

36.17 until I come and take you away... What a sorry consolation the enemy offers.

Isaiah 37

37.4 It may be that the Lord your God will hear... I am curious about the expression "your" God when King Hezekiah obviously trusted in God too.

37.4 It is also instructive with the way he appeals to God's sense of honor and jealousy for His reputation.

37.I planned what I now bring to pass... God's soveriegnty and fulfilled prophecy are evidences God gives for himself. God is the God of history.

37.32 zeal of the Lord of hosts...

DELETE

Isaiah 35
35.4 an anxious heart...

Mon 091012 am Tit 1-3 Isa 34

Titus 1

1.3 at the proper time... God's timing is always right, I struggle to get my watch synchronized.

1.11 & 13 they must be silenced...rebuke them sharply...

1.16 They profess to know God, but they deny Him by their works... Ouch!

Titus 2

2.2 older men

2.3 older women

2.4 younger women

2.6 younger men

2.10 that in everything they many adorn the doctrine of God our Savior... This is a really cool expression, great for meditating on. It stands in contrast to 1.16.

Titus 3

3.1 Remind them... Repetition is the key to retention.

3.8 careful to devote themselves to good works... Give and doing for others is a big theme in the Christian way of life.

Isaiah 34

34.8 A day of vengeance is paralleled with a year of recompense.

34.16 from the book of the Lord... I wonder what this book would be in the context of Isaiah 34.

sat 091010 pm Isa 31-33

Isaiah 31

31.1 do not look to ... do not consult the Lord! It is so easy to get my eyes off the Lord and begin to consult my own good opinion or the "world's" way of looking at things.

31.2 He is wise and brings disaster... In this context against evildoers, but something to think about anyway.

Isaiah 32

32.2 each [prince] will be like a hiding place ... a shelter from the storm... A noble calling for a leader.

32.4 The heart of the hasty... I guess that haste does make waste.

32.7 the poor... The lying is aggravated by its purpose against the poor.

Isaiah 33

33.6 abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge... The abundance of wisdom and knowledge makes sense, but what about salvation. It seems you are either saved or not. This is an interesting one to think on.

33.6 The fear of the Lord is a treasure.

33.15 What does the righteous despise, etc..? gain of opression, a bribe, hearing of bloodshed, looking on evil (which I suspect carries the implication of condoning it).

Sat 0906-0910 am Isa 23-30 1Th 4-5

Isaiah 23

23.9 to defile the pompous pride... The language of defiling pride has a intriguing imagery.

23.17 Her [Tyre] merchandise and her wages will be holy to the Lord... This is a very interesting and instructive use of the word "holy."

Isaiah 24

24.5 The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants... A couple interesting thoughts. First, this is phrased like the inhabitants belong to the earth rather than the other way around. I don't see a new doctrine to get started here, but it is an interesting thought. Also, the verse speaks of the transgression of laws and breaking the everlasting covenant and causing the earth itself to be defiled. It reminds me of the blood of Able crying up from the ground.

24.20 the transgression lies heavy upon it [the earth]... and cause the earth to stagger. This is an interesting description of something I have usually thought of as morally inert and neutral.

24.21 that day... So far I have noticed almost 20 references to "that day." It is a theme that would be expected in Isaiah, but I just haven't noticed it's prominence before.

Isaiah 25

25.4 a stronghold for the poor... another frequent theme in Psalms and the OT.

25.4 a shelter from the storm... This reminds me of an old, but great, hymn ("A Shelter in the Time of Storm) that did not make the cut for the newer hymnals.

25.8 and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces... Bring it on! Lots of people ready for this one.

Isaiah 26

26.3 Great verse and good reminder.

26.10 A solemn and sober warning along the lines of Romans 2.4-5

26.21 the earth will disclose the blood shed on it... when the Lord comes out from His place to punish. Again the intriguing imagery of the earth holding the blood of the slain for the right time. That will be better than DNA evidence. I am wondering what that will look like.

Isaiah 27

27.11 a people without discernment; therefore He who made them will not have compassion on them... Maybe discernment is underrated. It is like God has little patience for those who have no spiritual sense.

Isaiah 28

28.11 Refer to 1 Corinthians 14 for this one.

28.12-13 This is rest ... this is repose ... but they would not hear it so the Word will be a snare to them. Do the weary really even want rest? They won't take God's Word to heart. This is often the case with the weary.

28.23-29 A useful parable for young people from a using good sense angle and a loving reminder that God has and uses that same kind of good sense in dealing with His people.

Isaiah 29

29.13 There is a lot of this going around. And is it a good reminder for me not to leave off before the most important part.

29.16 Boy! We sure are mouthy pots sometimes.

29.23 they will sanctify the Holy One of Israel... "because they now hallow the name of the LORD, and respect the holiness of the LORD." --Guzik http://www.studylight.org/com/guz/view.cgi?book=isa&chapter=029

"The Lord would halt the downward course of the history of Jacob's family, and transform them. The Israelites would at last confess their God as holy and acknowledge His holiness as central in their lives. They would be fruitful rather than barren. 356The text gives no basis for interpreting the people in view as the spiritual seed of Jacob, the church, as Young, 2:332, did." --Dr. Constable's Expository (Bible Study) Notes http://www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/pdf/isaiah.pdf

Isaiah 30

30.7 Rahab who sits still... According to Unger's Commentary on the OT, "Rahab was the 'sea dragon,' which became a symbol for Egypt, threatening in appearance but laggard in action."

1 Thessalonians 4

4.2 your sanctification... Practical advise on what it means to be set apart for the Lord.

4.6 the Lord is an avenger... A raw fear of God's judgement invoked here.

4.9 brotherly love... alone would be an improvement for many.

1 Thessalonians 5

5.6&8 be sober... associated with the light and day.

5.14 admonish, encourage, help, be patient with all... Different responses for different problems and situations.

Mon 091004 pm Isa 20-22

Isaiah 20

20.3 walked barefooted and naked for three years... Okay, this is just a little extreme. I am thinking he would not be invited to speak in most churches when word of that god around. :o)

Isaiah 21

21.17 for the Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken... Each day is a battle for that kind of faith in God's word.

Isaiah 22

22.

22.15 Shebna “treasurer” over the house in the reign of Hezekiah, i.e., comptroller or governor of the palace

On account of his pride he was ejected from his office, and Eliakim was promoted to it (Isa. 22:15-25). He appears to have been the leader of the party who favored an Alliance with Egypt against Assyria. It is conjectured that “Shebna the scribe,” who was one of those whom the king sent to confer with the Assyrian ambassador (2 Kings 18:18, 26, 37; 19:2; Isa. 36:3, 11, 22; 37:2), was a different person.

http://christiananswers.net/dictionary/shebna.html?zoom_highlight=shebna

Mon 091005 am Isa 18-19

Isaiah 18

18.2 & 7 repeated description of "Cush people."

Isaiah 19

19.11 Zoan (Old Egyptian: Sant= “stronghold,” the modern San). A city on the Tanitic branch of the Nile, called by the Greeks Tanis. It was built seven years after Hebron in Palestine (Num. 13:22). This great and important city was the capital of the Hyksos, or Shepherd kings, who ruled Egypt for more than 500 years. It was the frontier town of Goshen. Here Pharaoh was holding his court at the time of his various interviews with Moses and Aaron. "No trace of Zoan exists; Tanis was built over it, and city after city has been built over the ruins of that" (Harper, Bible and Modern Discovery). Extensive mounds of ruins, the wreck of the ancient city, now mark its site (Isa. 19:11, 13; 30:4; Ezek. 30:14). "The whole constitutes one of the grandest and oldest ruins in the world."

This city was also called “the Field of Zoan” (Ps. 78:12, 43) and “the Town of Rameses” (q.v.), because the oppressor rebuilt and embellished it, probably by the forced labor of the Hebrews, and made it his northern capital. http://christiananswers.net/dictionary/zoan.html?zoom_highlight=zoan

19.4, 12, 16, 17, 20, & 25 Lord of Hosts.

A name or title of God frequently used in the Old Testament, always translated "Yahweh of Hosts" (Yahweh tsebha'oth) in the American Standard Revised Version, since Yahweh, never 'Adhonay, is used in this phrase. Evidently the meaning of the title is that all created agencies and forces are under the leadership or dominion of Yahweh, who made and maintains them (Gen 2:1; Isa 45:12). It is used to express Yahweh's great power.

Bibliography Information Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Definition for 'LORD OF HOSTS'". "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". bible-history.com - ISBE; 1915.

Joshua 5:14 will tell us that this man came as the “captain of the hosts of the Lord,” the commander of the Lord’s army. Joshua’s response in verse 14b and the statement of the captain in verse 15 show this was a theophany, or better, based on the truth of John 1:1-18, it was a Christophany. A Christophany is a manifestation of the preincarnate Christ, who, as the Logos, is the one who reveals God. If only a man or an angel, he would certainly have repelled Joshua’s worshipful response (vs. 14). Compare the response of Paul in Acts 14:8-20 to those who wanted to make them into gods and the response of the angel to John in Revelation 19:10.

Here then, the preincarnate Christ appears to Joshua to teach, guard, and reinforce certain vital truths for God’s people and especially for those in positions of leadership, which really includes all believers to some degree. J. Hampton Keathley III on Bible.org

19.16, 18, & 9 "that day"

Sat 091003 pm Isa 14-15

Isaiah 14

14.10 You have become weak as we! Death is the great equalizer. I have never thought of the "great cloud of witnesses" for the damned who cheer at their fall and bitterly and gleefully anticipate their demise.

14.11 Maggots as a bed and worms as covers. What a happy thought!

14.24 Good verse on God's decrees.

Isaiah 15

15.2 Dibon (di' bahn) or DIBON-GAD (di' bahn-gad) Place name possibly meaning, “pining away” or “fence of tubes.” 1. Capital city of Moab captured by Moses (Numbers 21:21-31). Gad and Reuben asked for it as their tribal territory (Numbers 32:3). Gad took control and fortified Dibon (Numbers 32:34). It thus became known as Dibon-gad and was one of Israel's camping spots east of the Jordan (Numbers 33:45-46). Joshua reported that Moses gave Dibon to the tribe of Reuben (Joshua 13:9,Joshua 13:17). In pronouncing judgment on Moab, Isaiah described the religious mourning at the worship place in Dibon (Isaiah 15:2), showing that Moab had gained control of Dibon by about 730 B.C. The Moabite stone of King Mesha, discovered in Dibon, shows that Moab controlled Dibon about 850 B.C. About 700 B.C. Jeremiah again announced destruction for Moab and Dibon (Jeremiah 48:18-22).

Dibon stood on the northern hill across the valley from modern Dhiban. It is about 40 miles south of Amman, Jordan, and three miles north of the Arnon River. Occupation of the site apparently goes back to about 2500 B.C., but the main occupation period began after 1200 B.C., climaxing about 850 with Mesha. Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the city in 582 B.C.

Nabateans built a temple there during Jesus' childhood. It was apparently abandoned about A.D. 100.

2. In Nehemiah's day (about 445 B.C.) Jews lived in a Dibon in Judah. This may be the same as Dimonah. See Dimonah.

Bibliography Information: Fausset, Andrew Robert M.A., D.D., "Definition for 'Dibon' Fausset's Bible Dictionary". --bible-history.com - Fausset's; 1878.

15.4
Heshbon Meaning: intelligence / a city ruled over by Sihon, king of the Amorites (Josh. 3:10; 13:17) / It was taken by Moses (Num. 21:23-26), and became afterwards a Levitical city (Josh. 21:39) in the tribe of Reuben (Num. 32:37). After the Exile it was taken possession of by the Moabites (Isa. 15:4; Jer. 48:2, 34, 45). The ruins of this town are still seen about 20 miles east of Jordan from the north end of the Dead Sea. There are reservoirs in this district, which are probably the “fishpools” referred to in Song of Songs 7:4.
Elealeh God has ascended, a place in the pastoral country east of Jordan, in the tribe of Reuben (Num. 32:3, 37). It is not again mentioned till the time of Isaiah (15:4;16:9) and Jeremiah (48:34). It is now an extensive ruin called el-A'al, about one mile northeast of Heshbon.
Jahaz Meaning: trodden down / Jahaz was also called Jahaza (Josh. 13:18), Jahazah (21:36), amd Jahzah (1 Chr. It was a town where Sihon was defeated, in the borders of Moab and in the land of the Ammonites beyond Jordan, and north of the river Arnon (Num. 21:23; Deut. 2:32)
It was situated in the tribe of Reuben, and was assigned to the Merarite Levites (Josh. 13:18; 21:36). Here was fought the decisive battle in which Sihon (q.v.) was completely routed, and his territory (the modern Belka) came into the possession of Israel. This town is mentioned in the denunciations of the prophets against Moab (Isa. 15:4; Jer. 48:34).

Fri 091002 pm !sa 1-3 & Col 3-4

Isaiah 12

12.1 ...in that day, I will give thanks to you, O Lord. that day is a day of hope for some.

Isaiah 13

13.6 & 9 the day of the Lord...

13.18 their eyes will not pity children... It seems that the lack of pity for children is a sign of a heartened and cruel heart.

Colossians 3

Outline

3.1-4 Our position with Christ.

3.5-7 Mortify the earthly

3.8-9 Put off the old man

3.10--11 The nature of the new man

3.12-14 Characteristics of the new man

3.15-17 The heart of the new man

3.18-19 Husbands and wives

3.20-21 Fathers and children

3.22-25 Servants

4.1 Masters

3.18-4.1 Overview of submission and authority

Colossians 4

Outline

4.2-6 Praying and walking

4.7-9 Tychicus & Onesimus

4.10-13 Aristarchus, Mark, Jesus, & Epaphras

4.14-18 Luke, Demas, Nymphia, Archippus, & Paul

Fri 091002 an 1Th 1-3

1 Thessalonians 1

1.3 work of faith, labor of love, steadfastness of hope... Parallel with Col. 1.4. This is a good one to chew on for a while.

1.6 imitators... In thinking what imitationn means, I am reflecting on what we can imitate about Christ. Nothing on physical appearance, little on specific mannerisms etc., very little if anything on hobbies, etc. Hmmm...

1 Thessalonians 2

2.4 to please God who tests our hearts... The fear of the Lord should be on the radar screen at all times.

2.8 but also our own selves, because you had become dear to us... A minister's aspiration.

1 Thessalonians 3

3.5 our labor would not be in vain... It seems that Paul kept score by finished well and not well begun (conversions).

3.6-10 I see the three themes of 1.3 in these verses two: faith in 6 & 7, standing fast reminds me of steadfast of hope, and the affection described is everywhere.

Thurs 091001 pm Isa 11

Isaiah 11

11.2 Lots of names or descriptions of the Holy Spirit.

11.3 and His [Christ's] delight shall be in the fear of the Lord... This is a thought provoking statement about Christ. In what sense does He fear the Lord and how to we fear God in the same way.

11.4-9 The lion and lamb passage.

11.9 the earth shall be full... A far cry from today when many of us in the Church don't have much of a "knowledge of the Lord." It would be instructive to investigate the word "knowledge."

Wed 090930 pm Isa 7-10

Isaiah 7

7.9 If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all. This is an interesting verse in this context.

7.14 a virgin... A classic prophecy.

7.18, 20, or 23 that day...

Isaiah 8

8.13 fear and dread... A strong wording and double mention.

Isaiah 9

9.6-7 another classic prophecy

9.12, 17, 21, & 10.4 For all his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out.

Isaiah 10

10.15 Shall the ax boast over him who hews with it... Lots of talking axes these days.

10.22 only a remnant of them will return... Sad when things are not what they once were.

10.22 Destruction ... overflowing with righteousness... God's judgment is without apology and a right thing for Him to do.

tues 090929 pm Isa 4-6

Isaiah 4

4.4 A Spirit of judgement and by a spirit of burning (or purging)

Isaiah 5

Woe to those

5.5 who join house to house

5.11 those who rise early ... that they may run after strong drink

5.12 they do not regard the deeds of the Lord...

5.18 those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood...

5.20 who call evil good and good evil...

5.21 who are wise in their own eyes...

5.22 who are heroes at drinking wine, (23) who acquit the guilty for a bribe...

Isaiah 6

6.3 Holy, holy, holy

6.8 Her am I...

Mon 090928 pm Isa 1-3

Isaiah 1

1.3 knows its owner... Why we don't even think we have owners, do we? We do what we think we want.

1.4 the Holy One of Israel

1.17 What is good?

• seek justice,
• correct oppression,
• bring justice to the fatherless
• plead the widow's cause

1.18-19 Come now let us reason ... for the mouth of the Lord has spoken... Hmmm...to reason through what God has said.

1.27 those in her who repent... will be redeemed by righteousness. Righteousness, is that a what or who question?

Isaiah 2

2.4 swords into plowshares... In the latter days not these days.

2.11, 17, &20 that day... 2.12 a day...

2.11 & 17 the Lord alone will be exalted in that day...

Isaiah 3

3.9 they proclaim their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it... That sounds too familiar.

Sat 090926 pm Col Background and Overview

TBC Carpenter Flock - Sunday 090927

Background and Overview

A. Church at Colossae ...

• Colossae was once a populous center of commerce, but had been eclipsed by neighboring cities, Laodicea and Hieropolis.
• Likely a “church plant” by Epaphras during or after Paul’s three year ministry in nearby Ephesus.
• A mostly gentile church (1.21).

B. Occasion:

• …the bulk of the evidence indicates that Paul wrote all four Prison epistles during his first Roman imporsonment. If so, Paul wrote it in a.d. 60 or 61 and sent it with Tycicus and the converted Onesimus to Colossae (4.7-9; see Eph. 6:21; Philem. 10-12) --Bruce Wilkinson in Talk Thru the New Testament
• One of the prison epistles written about the same time as Colossians, Philemon, and Ephesians.
• Close relation to Philemon is demonstrated by the mention of many of the same people. (Timothy1.1---Archippus 4.17--- Onesimus 4.9, Aristarchus & Mark 4.10, Epaphrus 4.12, Luke & Demas 4.14)
• Epaphroditus’ visit and report about the conditions in Colossae (1.7-8) prompted this letter.
• Written to affirm Apostolic teachings about Christ, salvation, and the church and to refute the beginnings of the Gnostic heresy and Judaism’s legalism.
1. Gnostics assert that matter is inherently evil and spirit is good.
2. Gnostics claim to possess an elevated knowledge, a “higher truth” known only to a certain few. Gnosticism comes from the Greek word gnosis which means “to know.”
3. Judaism place emphasis on the keeping of the physical aspects of the Law while missing the Truth that they ponted to.
4. Probably a combination of Judiaism and the precursers of Gnosticism, which would become a formal school of thought in the second century. / "When the gospel was introduced to the area, a Jewish-Hellenistic syncretism would find not great difficulty in expanding and modifying itself sufficiently to take some Christian elements into its system, and the result would be something like the Colossian heresy as we may reconstruct it from Paul's treatment of it.?" —FF Bruce in NICNT

• “A proper view of Christ is the antidote for heresy.” —Walk Thru the NT by B. Wilkinson & K. Boa

C. Theme:

Preeminence of Christ (Christ the Commander and Chief )

D. Outline:

I. Doctrine: Who Christ is and what He did for us (Supremacy of)

1-Doctrine of Christ

2-Defense of Christ

II. Practice: What Christ does through us (Submission to)

3–4 Demands of Christ

4– Final Exhortations and Greetings

E. Theme in each chapter

1.18 ...that in all things He [Christ] might have the preeminence

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. 19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,

2.9-10a For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him…

8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

3.11 Christ is all and in all…

you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

4.12 ...a bondservant for Christ, greets you...

12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. 13 For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you, and those who are in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis.

Introduction vrs. 1-2

A. General Observations

The opening follows the standard form of ancient epistolary prescripts (name of sender, name of recipients, and greeting.) –IVPBBC

Colossians 1

¹ Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,

and Timothy our brother,

---------------------------

² To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse:

---------------------------

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.*

* Some versions omit “and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Minor and unimportant in this context and reflects preferences in textual criticism.

Philippians 1 servants to describe both and adds bishops and deacons

¹ Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ,

---------------------------

To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

---------------------------

² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philemon 1:1-7 Leaves out Timothy and idsentifies himself as a prisoner. Primarily to an individual, Philemon.

1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus,

and Timothy our brother,

---------------------------

To Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer,

2 to the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier,

and to the church in your house:

---------------------------

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1 Leaves out Timothy, but otherwise closest in form to Colossians.

¹ Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,

---------------------------

To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:

---------------------------

² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

B. From

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ

Paul, as in 2Cor. 1:1, reserves the designation “apostle” for himself; he does not accord it to Timothy. Nor does he accord it to Epaphras in v. 7, although it was Epaphras who first brought the gospel to Colossae. … Where as in 1 Thess. 2:6, he links Timothy and Silvanus with himself as “apostles of Christ”, he is using the term in a wider sense, in which apostleship, instead of being based on an immediate commissioning by Christ, is “grounded in the preaching of the gospel… --F.F. Bruce in NICNT

by the will of God,

This is an indication of Paul’s

• independence (not of men, but of God Gal. 1.10-12; 1 Cor. 4.1-3),
• Authority (He spoke with authority for God. Gal. 1.8-9; 2 Thess. 3.14-15)
• humility (It was God’s choosing, not his merit. 1 Cor. 15.9-10)

and Timothy our brother,

C. To:

In his earlier letters (1 & 2 Thess., 1 & 2 Cor., Gal.) he writes "the church(s)." The change begins with the Epistle to the Romans, and from that time forward the Apostle always uses "saints" in various combinations in addressing churches (Rom., Phil., Col., Eph.). The word "saints" must be treated as substantive in accordance with its usage in parallel passages, and not as an adjective connected with "faithful." —JB Lightfoot

1. Our Position: Separated to Christ

>>>2 To the saints

• The word "saints" must be treated as subsantive in accordance with its usage in parallel passages, and not as an adjective connected with "faithful." —JB Lightfoot
• In the OT, holiness ascribed not only to person, buts also to places and things. This suggests that the root idea in "holy" is not excellence of character but dedication, the state of being set apart for the work and worship of God. —Curtis Vaughness in EBC
• Agios (hafios, “holy”), though not primarily an ethical term, does (in the NT) imply a relationship with God and demands conduct that expresses and corresponds to that relationship. Persons consecrated to a God of absolute Moral purity must of necessity take on something of his character. —Curtis Vaughness in EBC
• 1 Peter 1.15-17

13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;

15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy." 17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear;

18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

2. Our Practice: Faithful followers of Christ

>>>and faithful brethren

• The epithet pistos cannot mean simply 'believing'; for then it would add nothing which is not already contained in agiois and adelfois. —JB Lightfoot
• Acts 16.15

¹⁴ Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. ¹⁵ And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.

• “Saints” speaks of position and relationship, whereas, “faithful brethren” speaks of behavior. … So Paul is not only addressing those who were born again but also those who were honoring God in their daily lives as trustworthy, responsible believers. –Theodore H. Epp in All-Sufficient Christ: Studies in Colossians
• 1 Cor. 4.1-4

1 Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.

3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I know nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord.

3. Our Priorities: "in Christ"

>>>in Christ

• “In Christ,” a phrase used by Paul more than 160 times in various forms (“in the Lord,” “in him,” “in who,” etc.), emphasizes the spiritual position of believers. They are “in Christ: in the sense they are united with Christ, joined with him as closely as limbs are joined to the body of which they are a part. --Curtis Vaughan in EBC
• In barest terms it means that the Colossians, and indeed all authentic believers, partook of all that Christ had done, all that he was (and is), and all that he ever would be. —K. Hughes in Preach the Word series
• Note the literal sense that Paul give to this in Colossians 3.1-2. 1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

in Christ, who are in Colosse:

"He writes to the Christian who are in Colosse and who are in Christ. Christians always move in two spheres." —W Barclay

D. The Greeting

• “As is customary in Paul, “greetings” (Greek charein) becomes “grace” (Greek charis); “peace” was a standard Jewish greeting, sometimes combined with “greetings in Jewish letters.” –IVPBBC
• The fact that Paul changed the standard greeting to better suit his meaning indicates that it was more than a platitude.

Grace to you and peace

• Grace is the source and peace is the result. It is like cause and effect; the one who has experienced the grace of God is able also to experience the peace of God. –Theodore H. Epp in All-Sufficient Christ: Studies in Colossians

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• Grace is much more than “God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense.”
• The meaning of grace goes beyond the idea that salvation is free. It refers to the desire and ability that God gives to do His will.
• 2 Peter 3.18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

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• Peace, in this context, doesn't mean peace as specifically opposed to fighting, but is a state of contentment and quietness of the heart, a sense of well-being as in Phil’p 4.6-7.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

from God our Father

“God” emphasizes His position and “Father” his relationship with his children.

and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Some versions leave this phrase out. It is not really important to the context and reflects a preference in textual criticism issues.

Lord speaks of His deity.

Jesus speaks of His humanity.

Christ speaks of His saving work.

Applications:

• Are you a saint (salvation)?
• Are you faithful to the Lord? How are you teaching your children to be faithful to the Lord?
• Are your desires and priorities “in Christ”? How do your children see that in your lives? What about you or your family’s values or practice is inconsistent with being “in Christ” like described in Col. 3.1-2?

Segway to next week:

An authentic Christian is characterized by faith in Christ and a love for others that is anchored in the hope of eternal life.

Next week is Colossians 1.3-6

³ We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, ⁴ since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; ⁵ because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, ⁶ which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth

Next week Howard will answer the questions…

• What does it mean to have faith in Christ as a believer?
• What does it mean to have having a love for others?
• What does it mean to have our hoped anchored in Christ?

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http://www.answers.com/topic/colossae

A city of Phrygia c. 10 miles (16 km) east of the modern town of Denzili in Turkey. Situated on the banks of the river in the unusually fertile but earthquake-prone Lycus valley, it has never been excavated. In the 1st century A.D. its former glory had begun to wane under competition from the growing political power of Laodicea and the rising religious popularity of Hierapolis, the two other cities in the valley. It had degenerated to the status of a minor town on the trade-route from Ephesus to the interior of Asia Minor. Its chief source of prosperity was the production of dyed woollen goods.

The majority of the population was Phrygian, but the Epistle to the Colossians supposes the presence of a Jewish colony. In 62 B.C. there were at least 11,000 adult male Jews in the district of which Laodicea was the capital. These were the descendants of the 2,000 families transported from Babylon by Antiochus III in about 213 B.C.

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http://www.pilgrimtours.com/greece/info/colossae.htm

COLOSSAE

COLOS'SAE, or Colos'se (ko-lo-se). A city of mercantile importance on the Lycus, in Phrygia, about twelve miles above Laodicea. The most competent commentators think that the Christian church there was founded by Epaphras (Col 1:2,7; 4:12) and believe 2:1 proves that Paul had not been there previous to writing the epistle. The city was destroyed by an earthquake in the ninth year of Nero and was then rebuilt. The modern town Chonas is near the ruins. See Sherman E. Johnson, "Laodicea and Its Neighbors," Biblical Archaeologist 13, no. 1 (1950): 5-7.

(From The New Unger's Bible Dictionary. Originally published by Moody Press of Chicago, Illinois. Copyright (c) 1988.)

COLOSSE properly Colossae. A city on the Lycus, an affluent of the Maeander. To the Christians there was addressed Paul's epistle, before he had seen their face (Col 2:1; 1:4,7-8). Epaphras probably founded the Colossian church (Col 1:7; 4:12). Colosse was ethnologically in Phrygia, but politically then in the province of Asia. On the site of the modern Chonos. The foundation of the church must have been subsequent to Paul's visitation, "strengthening in order" all the churches of Galatia and Phrygia (Acts 18:24), for otherwise he must have visited the Colossians, which Col 2:1 implies he had not. Hence, as in the epistle to the Romans, so in the epistle to Colosse there are no allusions to his being their father in the faith, such as there are in 1 Cor 3:6,10; 4:15; 1 Thess 1:5; 2:1. Probably during Paul's "two years" stay at Ephesus, when "all which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 19:10,26), Epaphras, Philemon (Philem 2,13,19), Archippus, Apphia, and other natives of Colosse (which was on the high road from Ephesus to the Euphrates), becoming converted at Ephesus, were subsequently the first preachers in their own city. This accounts for their personal acquaintance with, and attachment to, Paul and his fellow ministers, and their salutations to him. So as to "them at Laodicea" (Col 2:1). He hoped to visit Colosse when he should be delivered from his Roman prison (Philem 22; compare Phil 2:24).

The angel worship noticed in Col 2:18 is mentioned by Theodoret as existing in his days. A legend connected with an inundation was the ground of erecting a church to the archangel Michael near a chasm, probably the one noticed by Herodotus. "The river Lycus, sinking into a chasm in the town, disappears under ground, and, emerging at five stadia distance, flows into the Maeander" (7:30). Two streams, one from the N. the other from the S., pour into the Lycus, both possessing the power of petrifying. The calcareous deposits on the plants, and obstructions which the stream met with, gradually formed a natural arch, beneath which the current flowed as Herodotus describes; the soft crust was probably broken up by an earthquake. In the 4th century the council of Laodicea (in the same region) in its 35th canon prohibited calling upon angels.

EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS: written by Paul during his first captivity at Rome (Acts 28:16), in that part of it when as yet it had not become so severe as it did when the epistle to the Philippians (Phil 1:20-21,30) was written (probably after the death of Burrhus, A.D. 62, to whom Tigellinus succeeded as praetorian prefect). Its genuineness is attested by Justin Martyr (contra Tryphon, p. 311 b.), Theophilus of Antioch (Autol., 2:100), Irenaeus (3:14, section 1), Clement of Alexandria (Stromata, 1:325), Tertullian (Praescr. Haeret., 7), Origen (c. Celsus, 5:8).

Object: to counteract the Jewish false teaching there, of which Paul had heard from Epaphras (