Clarity: Colossians 1:1-12

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 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. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. (Colossians 1:1-12 ESV)

Lesson Focus: Preeminence of Jesus Christ

This message series is called Clarity because of the consistent theme of clarification that drives the book of Colossians. Ultimate clarity is a tricky thing as it is so often defined in relative terms. Many of you have heard the story of the diamond buyer. Let’s call him Mark. When purchasing diamonds Mark did not choose the best from a handful of stones, he would compare each gem with a diamond of perfect cut, color, and Clarity. Selecting the best from a group that is imperfect at best is set aside for things like sports and politics. (Did I say that out loud?)

For Paul, in regard to the Gospel, anything less than an F in Clarity is unacceptable.  There are 33,820 Christian denominations worldwide (and growing). Is it good enough to accept the best clarity of the bunch? Join the Origins family for a pursuit of flawless Clarity in our understanding of the how the Father has qualified us as “saints in light”.

With the passage of time and the tendency of man to fulfill our selfish needs, there is as much heresy ( an opinion, doctrine, or practice contrary to the truth or to generally accepted beliefs or standards) today as any time in human history. A great professor of mine says, "a good heresy never goes away."

What are some of the prevalent heresies of our time?

For the Colossians it was Gnosticism. The Gnostics were “in the know” — that is, they professed to have a superior knowledge of spiritual things. Their doctrine was a strange blending of some Christian truth, Jewish legalism, Greek philosophy, and Eastern mysticism. For one thing, these heretics taught that all matter was evil, including the body; and therefore God could not come in contact with matter. How, then, was the world created? By a series of “emanations” from God, they claimed. And, since Christ had a human body, He was only one of these “emanations” and not truly the Son of God. The Gnostics proposed a complex series of “emanations” (including angels) between man and God and thus denied the preeminence of Christ. (Weirsbe)

Preeminent in the Gospel Message (1:1-12)

• Many people today, like the false teachers at Colosse, will give Jesus Christ a place of eminence, but they will not give Him His rightful place of preeminence.

How they were saved.

• The false teachers taught about angels, “emanations” from God, legalistic rules, and bodily disciplines, but their message had no power to transform lives.

 The evidences of their salvation.

• Epaphras gave them “the word of the truth of the Gospel” (1:5) in contrast to the lies of the false teachers.

Paul’s prayer for their growth (1:9-12).

• The heretics taught a mystical “fullness” that their followers would gain; but here Paul states that every believer in Christ can be filled. We have been “made full in Him”.

“I’m Glad That’s Cleared Up!” Jesus Christ is God’s Son. Therefore, in addition to being a prophet, a rabbi, and a “great man among men”, He is preeminent in all things. He is not one of many. He is God.

How can we help reveal the preeminence of Jesus in our daily walk?

(As is often the case information is sourced from Warren Weirsbe's Outlines)