Right doctrine leads to right living series
Preached at Churchill Baptist Church
(23/06/2024 → 29/09/2024)
Why did Paul write this letter to the church in Colossae? It was like anywhere when a letter is needed. There was a crisis in the church that was about to destroy the ministry there. Some new doctrines were being taught in Colossae and these ideas were invading the church and creating problems. So as Paul had done before, he wrote a letter to refute these heretical teachings and reaffirm the truth of the gospel. So, what was the heresy that threatened the Colossae church?
It was the heresy of the times in the 1st century and we can apply it to the church today as well. It was the heresy of the Gnostics (to know). This group were claiming to be 'in the know' and were those who knew the deep things of God. And we have these kinds of cults today too. People who say, "That is good that you believe in Jesus but let me show you how you can take this to the next level." In other words spiritual perfection on earth and you can only get it if you join them and do the things they are doing. Only the initiated will be able to enjoy the blessings.
Basically what the Gnostics taught was a man-made philosophy based on the notion that all flesh (matter) is evil and that a holy God cannot come into contact with evil matter. The body was anathema to the Gnostics—Christian baptism represented the resurrection of the body. The ultimate hope of the Gnostics was to escape the body because the flesh was evil.
In Col. 2:9, Paul emphasises that no matter what you celebrate or don’t celebrate and whatever you do or don’t drink, the Christian is freed from such ceremonial obligations.
In this letter we will find that Paul uses much the same language that the Gnostics used such as fullness, perfect, wisdom and complete. The main theme of the letter is the supremacy of Christ and that we are complete in Him. Nothing further needs to be added to this relationship because each believer is "complete in Him".1 All of God's fullness dwells in bodily form , and we have been given the fullness in Christ.2 Many people don’t like doctrine but wrong doctrine leads to wrong living and right doctrine leads to right living. In the last 2 chapters, Paul explains the greatest antidote to false teaching—a godly life.
Attached Files
| File | Action |
|---|---|
| 1. Col. 1:1-2 "Introduction to Colossians" | Download |
| 2. Col. 1:3-8 "The road to faithfulness" | Download |
| 3. Col. 1:9-12 "Paul's prayer for a church he had never seen" | Download |
| 4. Col. 1:13-20 "The Son of God explained" | Download |
| 5. Col. 1:21-2:3 "Paul explains his three ministries" | Download |
| 6. Col. 2:4-15 "Making spiritual progress" | Download |
| 7. Col. 2:16-23 "Paul gives three warnings" | Download |
| 8. Col. 3:1-11 "Let your sticky ball get bigger" | Download |
| 9. Col. 3:12-14 "Putting on the new" | Download |
| 10. Col. 3:15-17 "How the church can know that it is in the will of God" | Download |
| 11. Col. 3:18-4:1 "The godly home and workplace" | Download |
| 12. Col. 4:2-9 "The power of speech to minister" | Download |
| 13. Col. 4:10-18 "The men in Paul's life" | Download |
