Colossians Part 1 – Paul, Epaphras, and the Early Church

You heard all of this, which is the word of truth, previously from Epaphras. That is, you heard the good news which came to you there in Colossae, and this good news has come into all the world and is constantly bearing fruit and increasing. It is fruitful and increasing both in the world and in you and all of you who are in Colossae, and it has been increasing.

You understood the truth of the grace of God. That was Epaphras, from whom you heard of the grace of God. Now, he’s here in Rome, he is my beloved fellow slave and a faithful servant of Christ. He’s a faithful servant of Christ to you, and he’s a faithful servant of Christ to me. It was also Epaphras who informed me of your love in the spirit. On the day I heard, I have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of the Lord’s will.

I’m here to tell you, brothers and sisters, from here on it is difficult to translate this clearly. I’m still working on it. My prayer is that you may be filled with all spiritual knowledge and all wisdom and understanding, and as a result, you may in all things walk in a manner worthy and pleasing to the Lord. Not only walking in such a way, but also walking in every good work, bearing fruit and growing, growing by true knowledge of God. As a result, you’re being strengthened with all power.

This is also according to the might that is found in His glory, so that you might obtain all steadfastness and patience, and that you may joyfully give thanks to the Father. It is the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance which the holy ones have. This inheritance is found in the light. For as you know, He has delivered you from the authority of darkness and then He transferred you into the kingdom of His beloved Son. It is in this Son that all of you have redemption, and it is in this Son that we all have the forgiveness of sin.

I believe that’s as far as you two read, is that correct? I’m going ahead and read just the next four sentences, which begin the great Christological revelation. Christ is the visible image of the invisible God; Christ is the firstborn of all creation. All things were created in Him. All the things that are on the earth and all the things in heavenly places. Everything was created in Christ.

Well, that’s as far as we’re going to go tonight. Tomorrow morning, we’re going to have a meeting, and we’re going to look through the book of Colossians all over again from a viewpoint we have not previously looked at. Okay? You know what? You look like a group of people who have just heard a professor lecture in theology. That’s what you look like. And this is, you know, by the way, those of you who’ve never heard me speak before, this is very untypical of me. Would you all agree to that? Very untypical of me. Tomorrow morning, maybe I’ll look a little bit more typical.

Okay, what time is it? 9:40. You got anything you want to ask? Okay, we’re going to do a drama about this. But that’s not all we’re going to do. We’re going to write some music to go with it. In fact, if I can come up with something, I will. If you can come up with something, you will, too. Now, this is not all you’re going to do. I don’t want you to think that, oh, next year we’re going to work on a drama called Colossians. No, no, we’re going to seek to do some spiritual things with this, too. I am not turning loose of Colossians until it’s yours. Now, if you want to go somewhere else next year, we’ll go somewhere else. But I’m not going to turn you loose until you know this book. Do you understand? I am not using this book to preach to people and to make them feel good. I’m giving you this book as a part of your heritage. It is the most Christ-centered piece of Christian literature ever penned, and it will be something wonderful to take a bath in. Now talk to me a little bit. You got anything you want to say? Do you have any questions you’d like to ask? Anything? Anybody anywhere?

I came with Tylenol; I came with a painkiller. So far, I haven’t had to take any of it. This is the sickest I’ve ever been, and I’m in a church ministering. You say, “Gene, you don’t look sick.” Well, it’s just this marvelous magic, this miracle that comes over me when I walk into the room with you folks. And let’s hope I’m still with you tomorrow morning. If I’m not, I’m going to send instructions to all of you on what to do tomorrow morning. But I hope I’ll be here now.

Well then, brothers and sisters, I want to ask you to do something, and that is, those of you who are supposed to be able to quote Colossians, the second half of chapter 1. There we go, are you ready? Tomorrow morning? He’s ready. Who else has it? She’ll be here tomorrow? Okay.

Audience Member: Have you ever come up with an answer to your question about why it is that churches planted by church planters don’t support church planters to raise up churches?

I wasn’t going to go into it. Let’s see if we can find some answers. They’re having too much fun. They’re stupid and never think about it. Because they’re not doing it, they can’t imagine how costly it is. They’re stupid and never think about it. They’re cheap and don’t give. By the way, you cannot lay that on the brothers and sisters in Chicago. Is that thing off? Well, we turn it off, and I’ll tell you a story.