1 Route 66 Understanding Colossians and Philemon

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1 Route 66 Understanding Colossians and Philemon Dr. Stephen Rummage, Senior Pastor Bell Shoals Baptist Church August 23, 2017 Colossians 1:17 (ESV) And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. Structure of Colossians 1. The Deity and Preeminence of the Savior (Colossians 1) 2. The Dangers and Perversions of Satan (Colossians 2-3:11) 3. The Duty and Performance of the Saints (Colossians 3:12-4) Colossians 4:8 (ESV) I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, Colossians 4:9 (ESV) and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here. Philemon 15 (ESV) For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, Philemon 16 (ESV) no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. Structure of Philemon 1. The Person of Philemon (Philemon 4-7) 2. The Plea for Onesimus (Philemon 8-16) 3. The Pledge of Paul (Philemon 17-22) Jesus, You Complete Me! Colossians 2:6-10 Colossians 2:6 (ESV) Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, Colossians 2:7 (ESV) rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. Colossians 2:8 (ESV) See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

2 Colossians 2:9 (ESV) For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, Colossians 2:10 (ESV) and you have been filled in Him, who is the head of all rule and authority. Because you are complete in Christ … 1. You can walk in Him. Colossians 2:6 (ESV) Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him … Colossians 1:10 (ESV) … so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; Ephesians 5:2 (ESV) And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:8 (ESV) for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light Ephesians 5:9 (ESV) (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), Ephesians 5:10 (ESV) and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Colossians 4:5 (ESV) Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 2. You can grow in Him. Colossians 2:7 (ESV) rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught … Psalm 1:1 (ESV) Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; Psalm 1:2 (ESV) but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:3 (ESV) He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

3 3. You can rejoice in Him. Colossians 2:7 (ESV) … abounding in thanksgiving. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV) give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Ephesians 5:20 (ESV) giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Hebrews 13:15 (ESV) Through Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name. Colossians 3:15 (ESV) And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Colossians 3:16 (ESV) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 4. You can discern Him. Colossians 2:8 (ESV) See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. Matthew 7:15 (ESV) “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

Understanding Colossians Meaning: Named for the recipient of the letter Author: Paul Audience: The Church at Colossae Date of Writing: 61 AD Theme: The preeminence of Jesus. Key Verses: Colossians 2:6-10 Structure of Colossians I. The Deity and Preeminence of the Savior (Colossians 1) a. Grace and Peace in Jesus (1-2) b. Faith in Jesus (1:1-8) c. Filled in Jesus (1:9-14) d. Preeminence of Jesus (1:15-18) e. Reconciled in Jesus (1:19-23) f. Sacrificial Service for Jesus (1:24-29) II. The Dangers and Perversions of Satan (Colossians 2-3:11) a. Not Philosophy but Jesus (2:1-9) b. Not Legalism but Jesus (2:11-23) c. Not Carnality but Jesus (3:1-11) III. The Duty and Performance of the Saints (Colossians 3:12-4) a. In Relation to the Character of God (3:12-13) b. In Relation to Love (3:14) c. In Relation to Peace and Thankfulness (3:15) d. In Relation to the Name of Jesus(3:16-17) e. In Relation to our Home (3:18-25) f. In Relation to our Work (4:1) g. In Relation to Our Speech (4:6)

Route 66: The Highway of Redemption from Genesis to Revelation Bell Shoals Baptist Church - Dr. Stephen Rummage, Senior Pastor

False Teaching at Colosse Good truths are often corrupted. The apostle Paul spent much of his time battling false teachers who came behind him and added their own “spin” to the gospel. He wrote to the Christians at Colosse partly to correct a heresy about God and spirituality that had begun to take root there. Even at this early stage in the church’s life, before any heresies had developed far enough to be labeled with names, Jewish mysticism, Jewish legalism, and Greek philosophy had mixed in with true Christian doctrine. The kind of doctrine that was infecting Colosse would eventually be called Gnosticism. This was a prominent Christian heresy in the second and third centuries. Gnosticism taught that special knowledge was needed for a soul to break from the physical realm into the spiritual realm. As this false doctrine developed, it claimed that salvation could only be obtained through such special knowledge. In this way the Gnostics replaced faith with intellect. Gnosticism followed the Greek philosophy that matter was inherently evil. Only nonphysical, “spiritual” realities were good. Hence, Gnostics did not believe that God created the world or that Christ came in a physical body. According to the Gnostics, an angel or secondary god created the material universe. Paul corrected this error in Colosse by stating clearly that Christ is the Creator and Sustainer of all, the supreme Head over the church and over all other authorities. Gnosticism affected a person’s morality in one of two ways. One tendency was indulgence. This sort of Gnostic reasoned that since the body was evil and the spirit was good, nothing done by the body could harm the spirit. These Gnostics tended to give in to every sensual desire, denying themselves nothing. They believed that because they had God’s grace and because the physical body was of no account, they could do whatever they wanted with their bodies. The apostle John dealt with this type of Gnosticism in First John, as did Paul in First Corinthians. The second moral outcome of Gnosticism was asceticism. Ascetics reasoned that because the body is bad, it should be denied every pleasure. They hoped that denial of the body would elevate the spirit. Paul’s opponents at Colosse were ascetics. They found legalism alluring, and the strict Jewish laws (see 2:16) meshed easily with their harsh, self-denying rituals. Paul warned his readers that such rituals are useless ad have no spiritual value (2:20-23). The main problem with the heresy at Colosse was its denial of who Christ is. These false teachers denied that Jesus is the Creator who came in the flesh, that He is God who became man. Their rejection of the deity of Christ led them to seek salvation through their intellect or through the abuse of one’s body. Such efforts served only to hide the truth, that salvation is found only in Christ. Source:

The Nelson Study Bible : New Kings James Version. Nashville : T. Nelson Publishers, 1997

Route 66: The Highway of Redemption from Genesis to Revelation Bell Shoals Baptist Church - Dr. Stephen Rummage, Senior Pastor

Understanding Philemon Meaning: Named for the recipient of the letter Author: Paul Audience: Philemon, his family, his church Date of Writing: 61 AD Theme: Forgiveness and brotherhood in Jesus Key Verse: Philemon 16 Structure of Philemon I. Greeting (Philemon 1-3) II. The Person of Philemon (Philemon 4-7) III. The Plea for Onesimus (Philemon 8-16) IV. The Pledge of Paul (Philemon 17-22) V. Farewell (Philemon 23-25) Under Roman Law, a slave who ran away from his master could face the death penalty. In spite of this possibility, the apostle Paul sent Onesimus, a runaway slave and a recent convert to Christianity, back to his owner Philemon to make restitution. The Epistle to Philemon is Paul’s plea that Onesimus no longer be viewed as a runaway slave, but rather as a “beloved brother” (vv.16, 17; Col. 4:9). Obedience to these requests would require forgiveness and restoration, actions that no other slave owner would have to contemplate in the ancient world. But Christians were called to a higher calling, one that contradicted the expectations of the culture at large. While the world pursued power and glory, Christians were to pursue the way of the Cross - the way of forgiveness, servanthood, suffering, and love. Source: Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary. Nashville : T. Nelson Publishers, 1999

Big Lessons from a Little Letter The Onesimus-Philemon story holds a number of significant lessons: It shows that in Christ there is always room for reconciliation and a second chance for people. It illustrates how God works behind the scenes to bring people to faith and restore relationships. It shows the power of the gospel to work at a distance and effect change from city to city, coast to coast, and continent to continent. It shows the value of mentoring relationships, the way that older, seasoned believers can help younger followers of Christ work out problems and conflicts. It shows a measure of irony behind God’s patience and providence: He had to send Onesimus thousands of miles away from his Christian master in order to bring him to faith! It shows that in Christ, people can change. Consider the many stages that Onesimus went through: from slave, to thief and runaway, to refugee, to convert, to penitent, to brother, and possibly to bishop. Source: Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary. Nashville : T. Nelson Publishers, 1999.

Route 66: The Highway of Redemption from Genesis to Revelation Bell Shoals Baptist Church - Dr. Stephen Rummage, Senior Pastor