Transcription

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9 COLOSSIANS 1: THE EXTREME AWESOMENESS and PREEMINENCE OF JESUS CHRIST

10 COLOSSAE

11

12 INADEQUATE NEVER IS MY YEARS OF TEACHING HAVE I FELT MORE INADEQUATE TO TEACH A PASSAGE CHRIST IS SO MUCH MORE THAN I WILL EVER BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE THIS SECTION SUMMARIES JESUS CHRIST RELATIONSHIPS PRAY, NEED HOLY SPIRIT S ILLUMINATION

13 HIS RELATIONSHIPS NINE MARKS OF JESUS CHRIST UNIQUE IDENTIFICATION TO GOD THE FATHER, vs 15 TO CREATION, vs TO THE CHURCH, vs TO THE CROSS, vs 20 OBJECTIVE WORK OF CHRIST FOR SINNERS vs NOW LETS READ THIS VERY EXALTED, THIS VERY LOFTY, THIS VERY GRAND SECTION OF SCRIPTURE

14 NOTE: WE WILL NEVER IN THIS LIFE BE ABLE TO COMPREHEND HIM IN ALL OF HIS WONDER AND IN ALL OF HIS GLORY. THIS SECTION PROVIDES AN ANSWER TO THOSE WHO DENY THE DIETY OF JESUS CHRIST.

15 Lets begin with the hors d oeuvers/appetizers Fran and I participate in a periodic group eating and prayer event Problem... The appetizers are delicious SO... I FILL UP... MINIMUM ROOM FOR THE MAIN COURSES... which are the awesome flavored Italian/French/Mexican/American dishes... So I miss out on the best...

16 Today, a different teaching approach Rather than teach verse by verse in sequence I will teach first the appetizers... But not too much THEN THE MEAT AND POTATOES, I.E. THE DELICIOUS ITALIAN/FRENCH/MEXICAN/AMERICAN MAIN COURSE.

17 SO WHAT IS AN APPETIZER? IT IS A STATEMENT THAT DOESN T MAKE SENSE, or... THINGS THAT SEEM TO CONTRADICT OTHER PARTS OF THE BIBLE, or... GOES AGAINST YOUR EXPERIENCE... IN THIS SECTION, THERE ARE THREE APPETIZERS

18 1 ST hors d oeuver Verse 15: He is the image of the invisible God, THE FIRSTBORN OF ALL CREATION WHAT PAUL DO YOU MEAN FIRSTBORN? A MISUNDERSTANDING HAS RESULTED IN FALSE RELIGIONS... SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST, UNITIARNISM, ETC. I.E. THAT CHRIST IS A PART OF GOD S CREATION.

19 HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? Problem is the ENGLISH WORD... firstborn GREEKWORD IS PROTOTOKOSIN - MEANS: THE RIGHT TO RULE THE HEIR THE RANKING ONE/THE SUPREME ONE/... OR BETTER THE SUPREME HEIR THE ONE IN AUTHORITY/THE HIGHEST MONARCH HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH SEQUENCE/TIME

20 THE RIGHTS OF INHERITANCE In the Jewish mind, the PROTOTOKOSIN was the one who inherited EVERYTHING... SO CHRIST IS THE INHERITOR OF ALL CREATION Psm 89:27 (speaking of King David) I will make him MY firstborn, higher than all the kings of the earth Rev. 19:16 HE IS KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

21 ADDED POINT NOTICE NEXT VERSE... BEGINS FOR (EXPLAINS AND CLARIFIES PREVIOUS VERSE) IF PAUL WAS SAYING CHRIST WAS PART OF CREATION, HE WOULD NOT HAVE SUPPORTED IT BY SAYING CHRIST CREATED ALL THINGS. THE ENGLISH WORD REALLY HAS THE SENSE THAT HE IS OVER ALL CREATION (E.G. without HIM was not anything made that was made john 1:3

22 Next APPETIZER VS 20 AND THROUGH HIM TO RECONCILE TO HIMSELF ALL THINGS, WHETHER ON EARTH OR IN HEAVEN, MAKING PEACE BY THE BLOOD OF HIS CROSS DO YOU SEE THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM? IS PAUL TEACHING UNIVERSALISM? (e.g. that all creatures will eventually be saved and none will be punished forever?)

23 Does this mean? That God one day will reconcile to HIMSELF all unbelievers who have ever lived or even the Devil? I DON T THINK SO... THAT WOULD CONTRADICT 2 THESS. 1: 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the LORD...

24 LOOK AT CONTEXT Vs is all about CREATION... Visible and Invisible... The whole universe is in view. The point is that Christ is preeminent over all creation, because He made it and He holds it all together. BUT... In verses Paul changes his focus to the new creation... The CHURCH. (remember Ephesians). HE is the head of the body, the church

25 Now verse 20 Context: the Church He will reconcile all things to Himself in heaven and on earth i.e. Everything that belongs to the new creation, HE will reconcile to Himself and be head over all. Nothing in heaven or on earth that GOD has appointed to be a part of the new creation in Christ will fail to be reconciled to HIM> THE LORD REIGNS.

26 LASTLY, verse 23 (last appetizer) the hope of the gospel which you have heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven What does that mean? Paul knows full well that the Gospel has not yet reached to all the people of the earth, and if he gets out of jail, he intends to go to Spain (Rom 15: 20-24) because he wants to preach where Christ has never been named.

27 Literal translation Commentary: the gospel which you heard, the one preached in all creation under heaven The literal translation does not imply the job is done... It does imply that it is the gospel s destiny to be preached everywhere... And that was indeed happening.

28 HOPE I HOPE THAT YOU HAVE NOT CHOKED ON THE APPETIZERS... BUT ARE READY TO SAVOR THE BEST OF THE BEST ABOUT THE PREEMINANCE OF JESUS CHRIST... STAND UP AND TELL YOUR NEIGHBOR AT YOUR TABLE... THAT YOU ARE STILL HUNGRY.

29 PAUL COUNTERS SO CALLED RELIGIONS THAT DENY JESUS CHRIST JEHOVAH S WITNESS UNITARIANISM AS GOD ARIANISM... Arius of Alexander said that the Lord Jesus Christ was a creature, a created being. COUNCIL OF NICAEA AD 325: The Son is very man of very man, and very GOD of very GOD.

30 NOW, IN RELATION TO THE FATHER 1. (verse 15) who is the image of the invisible GOD, and firstborn of every creature. JOHN 1:18 NO MAN HAS EVER SEEN GOD I TIM. 1:17 PAUL CALLED HIM THE INVISIBLE GOD Word IMAGE : BEST ENGLISH TRANSLATION: PHOTOGRAPH (exact REPLICA) HE IS THE VISIBLE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE FATHER HE IS THE VISIBLE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE FATHER

31 JESUS SAID, YOU HAVE SEEN ME, YOU HAVE SEEN THE FATHER JOHN 14:9 HEBREWS 1:3 WHO BEING THE BRIGHTNESS OF HIS GLORY AND THE EXPRESS IMAGE OF HIS PERSON... CHRIST IS THE RADIANCE OF GOD. HE IS THE PERFECT PORTRAIT IN WHOM ARE HIDDEN ALL THE TREASURES OF WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE (2: 3) IN WHOM ALL THE FULLNESS OF THE GODHEAD DWELLS (VS 9)

32 DO YOU COMPREHEND WHAT SCRIPTURE IS SAYING? THERE IS NOT ANYTHING LACKING IN CHRIST. THERE IS NO ABSENCE OF ANY ATTRIBUTE. HE IS THE FULLNESS OF GOD. But there is BLINDNESS: 2 Cor. 4:4 In whom the god of this world...satan... Has blinded the minds of them who believe not lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of GOD should shine on them

33 THE FIRSTBORN OF EVERY CREATURE NOTHING TO DO WITH TIME EVERYTHING TO DO WITH AUTHORITY HE IS THE SUPREME COMMANDER OVER EVERYTHING IN CREATION REMEMBER CHRIST IN THE BOAT IN THE STORM HE SPOKE TO THE WINDS AND THE WAVES Note to skeptics: Jesus was not the first person created... Adam was. He told the skeptics of HIS day BEFORE ABRAHAM WAS I AM

34 Vs 16 FOR BY HIM (JESUS CHRIST) ALL THINGS WERE CREATED, IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH, VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE, WHETHER THRONES OR DOMINIONS OR RULERS OR AUTHORITIES... ALL THINGS WERE CREATED THROUGH HIM and FOR HIM. Any questions?

35 YES, I KNEW YOU WOULD QUESTION: WHO/WHAT ARE THRONES, DOMINIONS, RULERS, AND AUTHORITIES? WELL, (MacARTHUR STUDY BIBLE) SAYS: MANY SCRIPTURES MENTION THEM... 2:15, Rom. 8:38, Eph. 1:21, 3:10, 6:12, I Peter 3:22, Jude 6. these are various categories of angels whom Christ created and rules over... Righteous and fallen. DID YOU NOTICE: ALL THINGS WERE CREATED FOR HIM

36 IMPACT: WE HAVE A BIG HUNK OF REAL ESTATE COMING TO US... AS WE ARE HEIRS OF GOD AND JOINT HEIRS WITH THE LORD JESUS CHRIST... (LOOK TO THE HEAVENS... NASA CURRENTLY IS ESTATIC OVER A SPOONFUL OF DIRT ON MARS)... HOW PATHETIC... MAYBE HE WILL TURN OVER A TOTAL STAR TO YOU.. AND ONE TO ME... WHY? THAT S THE WAY HE WANTED IT!

37 Vs 17 AND HE IS BEFORE ALL THINGS, AND IN HIM ALL THINGS HOLD TOGETHER. McGee: All fullness dwells in the preincarnate Christ, and all fullness dwells in the incarnate Christ. FOR IN HIM DWELLETH ALL THE FULNESS OF THE GODHEAD BODILY (Col. 2:9), We are made complete in HIM. HE was before all things. He is GOD...FULLY, TOTALLY...

38 AND IN HIM, ALL THINGS HOLD TOGETHER (17 b) Can you comprehend the power in Christ s word? He maintains CREATION HE DIRECTS IT... HIS WORD IS THE SUPER GLUE OF THE UNIVERSE. CAN YOU COMPREHEND HOW FAR THIS PREEMINATE ONE HUMBLED HIMSELF TO BECOME A MAN AND DIE AN EXCRUITATING DEATH... IN YOUR PLACE AND MINE?

39 CHANGE OF SUBJECT AND HE IS THE HEAD OF THE BODY (THIS NEW CREATION), THE CHURCH. HE IS THE BEGINNING, THE FIRSTBORN FROM THE DEAD, THAT IN EVERYTHING HE MIGHT BE PREEMINENT. IN EPHESIANS, THE EMPHASIS IS ON THE CHURCH AS THE BODY OF CHRIST... Down here on this earth. IN COLOSSIANS, THE EMPHASIS IS UPON THE HEAD OF THE BODY, THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST.

40 THE FIRST-BORN FROM THE DEAD ONLY CHRIST HAS BEEN RAISED... WITH A GLORIFIED BODY Many in Old and New Testaments have been raised from the dead... He is the firstfruits of them that sleep... Death, a temporary status... Body, in grave... Soul, with Christ... When HE comes again (rapture), mortality will put on immortality... We will be like HIM. As I said at Sue s mothers funeral THE BEST IS YET TO COME... FOR ALL OF US who trust in HIM.

41 Vs 18b THAT IN EVERYTHING HE MIGHT BE PREEMINENT. Any questions? It pleased the FATHER to place all authority with HIS SON, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. (I FEEL LIKE SINGING THE HALLELUJAH CHORUS)

42 VS 19 FOR IT PLEASED THE FATHER, THAT IN HIM SHOULD ALL FULNESS DWELL HE REMAINED DIETY WHEN HE TOOK THE FORM OF A MAN... HE WAS 100 % GOD... WHEN LYING IN MARY S BOSOM HE COULD HAVE SENT THE UNIVERSE OUT OF EXISTANCE... HE REMAINED GOD.. HE WAS MAN, VERY MAN, AND GOD, VERY GOD. WHEN CHRIST BECAME A MAN, HE ONLY EMPTIED HIMSELF (TEMPORARILY) OF HIS GLORY... NOT HIS DIETY.

43 VS 20 AND, HAVING MADE PEACE THROUGH THE BLOOD OF HIS CROSS, BY HIM TO RECONCILE ALL THINGS UNTO HIMSELF, BY HIM, I SAY, WHETHER THEY BE THINGS IN EARTH, OR THINGS IN HEAVEN... WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD... BY THE SUBSTITUTIONARY DEATH OF HIS SON. SEE ROM. 5:1... MAY HIS DEATH GO WITH YOU EACH DAY THIS WEEK... MEDIATE ON IT... AND KEEP YOU HUMBLE. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING..