BEHIND THE BOOK Connecting to the Bible (Observation) COLOSSIANS 3:18-4:1 (READ VARIOUS TRANSLATIONS) AUGUST 9 TH, 2017 Be Complete by Warren Wiersbe (my 3-point preaching outline comes from this book) The Complete Christian by Matthias Media Colossians by John MacArthur (MacArthur series of commentaries) Colossians by Peter O Brien (Word Biblical Commentary) Colossians by Douglas Moo (Pillar New Testament Commentary Series) Colossians by FF. Bruce (New International Commentary on the New Testament) Colossians by David E. Garland (The NIV Application Commentary) The Message of Colossians by John Stott (The Bible Speaks Today Commentary Series) A New Home for New People The primary social problem since Adam and Eve has been relationships. We are unable to get along with each other. It s evidenced in children arguing over toys to nations arguing over land. James 4:1-2 - What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. Look at the last section of that verse. Our inability to trust God means we can t trust each other. Our alienation from God alienates us from others. In other words, sin is the real culprit. We view others as threats to our inalienable right to the pursuit of happiness. Christianity is not just personal. Christianity is relational. God s tri-une existence forms the basis for the human ideal, living in relationships with one another. These relationships for the basis for communities, states, nations and the world. Matthew 5:13-14 - You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?... You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 1
Philippians 2:15 - be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 1 Peter 2:12 - Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. Christianity is not a religion of monks and hermits. We are not called to withdraw from society but to model God s kingdom and influence society. Christianity burst into a corrupt world with a brilliantly new moral radiance The moral level of society was dismal, and sin prevailed in many forms Into this discouraged world came Christ and His Spirit-transformed disciples, filled with holy joy, motivated by a love which the pagans could not grasp, and proclaiming Good News-the message that God has provided a Saviour The Christians lived in tiny communities knit together in the power of the Holy Spirit, little colonies of heaven. They thought of themselves as pilgrims on their way to the celestial city, but they were very much concerned to manifest the love of Christ in all human relationships. These early Christians insisted on bringing all of life under the lordship of Christ.It is men and women of this kind of moral purity who built into society a strong fabric of integrity and strength. - Carl F. Henry in Baker s Dictionary of Christian Ethics John Wesley constantly spoke against social evils John Howard & Elizabeth Fry worked for prison reform Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield founded Universities William Wilberforce led the anti-slavery movement in England Lord Shaftsbury led Parliament to establish child labor laws William Booth founded the YMCA William Carey (India) worked for the abolition of widow burning and child sacrifice Missionaries in Africa fought against the slave trade, polygamy and built schools and hospitals John Wyclif, Jan Hus formed communities where husbands and wives held property in common Luther and Calvin were both extremely sociopolitical Reinhold Niebuhr and Dietrich Bonhoeffer fought against Nazism This is an excellent article on the subject: http://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-andmaps/christian-social-movements Nowhere should the social aspect of the new man be more evident than in the home the single most important social institution in the world. - John MacArthur 2
Christianity introduced a new presence into the home Jesus Christ 3:18;20, 23, 24; 4:1 Christianity introduced a new power into the home the Holy Spirit Christianity introduced a new pattern into the home love Eph 5:25 Christianity introduced a new purpose into the home demonstrating Christ s love for the church Eph 5:24-28 & 32 First: A Word to Wives 18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. Note: The ontological and the economical views of the Trinity. Ontological The Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are equal in nature Economic The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are different in function It is possible, as it is with men and women, to be equal Genesis 1:27 - So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Galatians 3:26-29 - for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. yet have different purposes in the home. Ephesians 5:22-24 - Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Jesus himself is the model of submission. This elevates a wife s position in the home. It cannot be argued that 3:18 is cultural without also arguing that 3:19-20 is also cultural. (Text without context is pretext). 18-20 - Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 1 Corinthians 11:3 - the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. 3
A woman s submission is first and primarily an issue of creation order, not a result of the fall 1 Timothy 2:11-14 - I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Eve was deceived and was the first transgressor but God s grace has nonetheless elevated a woman s place in the world. Through women, children who temporally save the race will be born and ultimately the Messiah will be born to save the nations. 1 Timothy 2:15 - Yet she will be saved through childbearing if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control. A woman s submission honors God Titus 2:3-5 - Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 1 Peter 3:5-6 - For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening. Submission is a matter of hope in God, not a husband Submission is adorning oneself with the word Submission is a good thing hindered by fear submitting = hupotasso = to subject oneself. A wife s submission should be willing, not compulsory. If it is compulsory it isn t biblical submission. Luke 2:51 The same word is used for Jesus submitting to his parents Romans 8:7 Paul uses the word in reference to submission to God s laws All of this means that the command for a woman to submit to her husband is not out of the ordinary for Christian living. The Son submits to the Father. We all submit to the Son. We became Christians by submitting to the Father s authority in our lives and we live as Christians submitting to Jesus authority in our lives. Second: A Word to Husbands 19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. Ephesians 5:25 - Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 4
Love = agapate = imperative It is a command present tense It is a continuous action Agape is a willing, covenantal love, of choice and not passion or emotion. This does not mean it does not contain passion or emotion but is not motivated by or dependent on passion or emotion. It is a matter of obedience. The willing, covenant love in view here is the activity of self-sacrifice (JM). The tenderness expressed in the nature of its expression is modeled by Isaac s love for Rebekkah Genesis 24:67 - Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. Harsh = pikrainesthe = embittered. It s only other uses are: Revelation 8:11 - The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter. Revelation 10:9-10 - So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey. 10 And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. Third: A Word to Children 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Ephesians 6:1 - Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 Honor your father and mother (this is the first commandment with a promise), Children = tekna = any aged child still living at home under parental guidance Obey = hupakouete = Imperative a command Present tense always obey Where is the promise? Exodus 20:12 - Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. Striking or cursing a parent in the OT was punishable by death Ex 21:15-17; Lev 20:9 as was constant disobedience (Deut 21:18-21). 5
Disobedience to parents marks ungodly people 2 Timothy 3:2 - For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, The only limit to a child s obedience is if a parent demands something contrary to God s law. Sadly, Jesus understood that some children would have to defy parents to believe on him. Luke 12:51-53 - Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. 52 For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law. This template of disobedience fits the disciples understand that when we are commanded to do something by any ordained authority (government or family) that is contrary to God s law, Acts 5:29 - We must obey God rather than men. God commands all people everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30). This makes it right to believe on Jesus and wrong to forbid it. The motive for obedience goes beyond self or parental satisfaction. for this pleases the Lord (3:20). This means that to obey parents is to obey God. To disobey parents is to disobey God. Fourth: A Word to Parents, (particularly Fathers) 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Ephesians 6:4 - Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Pateres = fathers but should be translated parents as in Hebrews 11:23 Hebrews 11:23 - By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king's edict. Exasperate = erethizo = to provoke, irritate or exasperate = Stop nagging your children (JM). 6
To do so, according to the apostle, does not encourage, but discourages children. It cause them to lose heart, become listless, discouraged and even despairing. How do parents do this? a) Overprotection Don t be a noose that keeps your child from learning independence b) Favoritism A child can never satisfy a parent because he/she is not the favorite c) Depreciating worth Not listening to a child s perspective d) Setting unrealistic goals Your children are not you. Don t live vicariously through them. e) Failing to show affection Verbally or physically f) Failing to provide for needs Children need security, privacy, cleanliness, good diet g) Lack of standards The opposite of overprotection. Children need to learn discipline to prepare them for life h) Criticism Verbal or physical ( evil eyes ) i) Neglect This does not mean abandonment. We can neglect our children even while they live in our own homes j) Excessive discipline verbally, emotionally or physically. We tend to say things to our children and say them in a way we would not speak to anyone else What is our goal? Ephesians 6:4 bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Fifth: A Word to Servants 22-25 Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality. The last home relationship Paul spoke to was that of masters and slaves. Ephesians 6:5-9 - Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, 6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. 9 Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him. In the modern era, this relationship can be compared to that of an employer and employee. Scripture never advocates slavery. It does recognize it as an element of the society in which believers lived. 7
Neither Jesus nor the apostles ever attempted to abolish slavery but recognized it as a social reality. Rather, they used it as a motif for spiritual instruction. The letter to Philemon, returns Onesimus into Philemon s service but instructed Philemon to treat Onesimus as a brother. He also instructs Philemon to forgive and restore the repentant Onesimus, offering a public demonstration of God s relationship to Philemon. IMP: Whatever the social form: marriage, slavery, parenting, the church, etc. the principle of authority and submission is a central teaching in Scripture. Everything requires a head and not everyone can be that head. 1 Corinthians 12:14 & 17-19 - For the body does not consist of one member but of many.if the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? In all things is comprehensive and includes both enjoyable and distasteful duties (JM). 6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. Christian servants (employees) are to work with serving and pleasing God in mind. 1 Timothy 6:1 - Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled. In addition, a Christian employee should not take advantage of a Christian employer 1 Timothy 6:2 - Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved. Sixth: A Word to Masters 4:1 Masters, treat your bondservant justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven. Ephesians 6:9 - Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him. The model for the employer/employee relationship is the Father s relationship his servants. God will judge employers just as he will judge employees. 8
Masters must act according to their Christian values. They must treat employees as God treats them and as they wish to be treated by God. Conclusion: The history of the Bible is God s creation of a people for himself who reflect him. Because people make up societies, the society reflects the people who comprise it. In the Christian scenario, the home and the workplace are made new because God s new people create them. As such, they reflect the new community of new people. This model demonstrates God s kingdom life in the present world and foreshadows the kingdom to come in the new world. CGs / Small Groups 1 How does God s tri-une existence create the paradigm for how we should live? 2 How/why is the home the single most important institution in the world? 3 How do we know that men and women are equal in nature? 4 How is submission not a dirty word? Jesus is the model for submission 5 List the order of submission in the home? The husband submits to Jesus, the wife submits to the husband and the children submit to the parents. 6 Why should submission not be compulsory? Jesus willingly, joyfully submitted to the Father. 7 What is the source and model of a husband s love for his wife? Jesus love for the church. 8 How much does Jesus love the church? He died for us. 9 Why should children obey parents? Parents represent God. It teaches children to obey God, employers, teachers, etc., preparing them for life. 10 What is the one exception when a child may disobey a parent? If the parent commands the child to do something contrary to God s law. 11 What does it mean to provoke our children? How do we exasperate, discourage them? 12 Why do we do this? We think we can effect change in their lives, take on God s responsibility and become worldly by reverting to worldly methods to raise our children. We can create the environment for change but only God can change their hearts. 13 What is the basis of the employer/employee relationship? 14 Who is an employee s ultimate/true boss? 9
15 Why should employees treat employees justly? God has treated us justly. God will judge us. Behind the Book is only one aspect of Heritage s teaching ministry which seeks to employ our church s mission statement: Connecting to God, Growing with Others and Impacting the world: (CGI - a Christ-generated image ). On Wednesday evenings, we connect to Sunday morning s Bible passage and discover what it says through in-depth Bible study. Sunday morning in corporate worship (9:30am) we grow from the passage by learning what it means for our daily living. In Community Groups (10:45am) we practically apply the text, being impacted by it and learning to impact the world with it. CGI provides a balanced approach to life and Bible study; an upward look (Connect), an inward look (Grow) and an outward look (Impact) ensuring that our mission fulfils our vision to be a God-centered, Great Commission congregation. It s a well-known and beneficial way to approach the Bible Connect/Observation, Grow/Interpretation, Impact/Application. This approach to Scripture also reminds us about who our God is and how he is unique among all the religions of the world as we Connect to the Father, Grow in Christ and are impacted and impact the world by the Spirit. 10