To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father (Colossians 1:2).
The Apostle Paul wrote the Epistle to the Colossians in response to the report he received from Epaphras. Throughout the Epistle, he emphasizes the preeminence of Christ. In other words, Jesus Christ is Lord of Creation and the Lord of the Church. But, in this Epistle, there were influences in Colossae which had the potential of drawing people away from Christ. There were at least three negative influences:
- Legalism – a religious set of rules or regulations to obtain salvation or spiritual growth.
- Asceticism – denying one’s self of worldly pleasures in pursuit of a holy life.
- Gnosticism – a belief that all matter is bad and the spirit is good. Gnostics believe that “higher knowledge” is given to only a few people.
With this in mind, it is crucial to see that Paul addresses this letter to the “saints and faithful brothers.” “Saints” recognizes that the recipients are followers of Jesus Christ. They have repented of their sin, placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and confessed Him as Lord.
But why “faithful brothers?” Paul may have had the whole church in mind and recognized their faithfulness. On the other hand, it is possible that some in the church were being pulled away from Christ by the negative influences we discussed above. No matter Paul’s intent, one thing is for sure. His desire was for the Church at Colossae to be faithful to Christ.
So, consider the negative influence the church faces today. These influences could pull us away from Jesus Christ. In light of these influences, can you be described as a faithful follower of Jesus Christ?
Resources
| Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doctrine | Practical | ||
| Supremacy of Christ | Submission to Christ | ||
| Our Lord | Our Life | Our Love | |