THE BOOK OF COLOSSIANS CHAPTER 2

Mike Balloun teaches today. 01/8/23

Temporary notes:
The Book of Colossians Verses 5-12
As we previously noted the Book of Colossians has the common denominator with the Book of Ephesians and Philippians and Philemon Written by Paul in a two year period (60-62AD) from Rome while imprisoned; that of the confirming and further revealing of the Mystery of God’s Salvation Plan in the heavenly call in His Son… But one notable difference is that whereas Ephesians reveals God’s overall design and description of the heavenly call to the redeemed in His Son with a full panoramic view from its conception, by the Father before the creation of Man, unto its consummation of Jesus on His Millennial Throne in this Realm; in the gathering of all things, in the heavens and the earth, and putting them under His feet,..and gave Him to be Head over all the Church, which is His body, ... which is declared to be the redeemed One New Man made up of Jews and Gentiles.
Whereas the Book of Colossians focuses on the Gentiles calling into the Nation of the One New Man.
There is need for doctrinal correction, as there are those religious ‘tares’.. like those Paul wrote of to the Galatians, who would bring them out of their state of freedom back under the bondage of the Law, and others who would promote misleading doctrines of demons’ intent upon robbing them of their inheritance.
Along with critical instructions in practical living. All admonishment/warning so as they might attain unto the reward; the hope of glory.

VERSE 5-8 “For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;
Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:
As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ; Who also declared unto us your love in the” Spirit.”
Paul the renown Apostle here validates Epaphras and his message as a fellow worker with him in service to Jesus Christ.
What we are learning from the text is what they had heard from Epaphras; that there is an inheritance as a part of the Gospel of grace in Christ, unto the faithful “the hope of glory” (Verses 23- 27) the reward (3:24) that Christ at His Coming will bestow upon all who He finds worthy of the First Resurrection as a result of required increasing fruitfulness in Him after redemption;…this is the critical part of the “truth of the gospel” … that was being preached to the redeemed of Colossae by Epaphras before Paul writes this Epistle.
It is in the increasing fruitfulness after (redemption) that qualifies for resurrection glory.
This is the part of the Gospel message preached by Epaphras to the ‘saved’ Colossians being now confirmed by Paul in this Epistle.
Pauls words of Epaphras extoling their expressing the love (agape) that the Holy Spirit had shed abroad in their hearts assures them of Epaphras’ sincerity to portray them before Paul in a favorable light….not as a talebearer. And establishes that foundation of love on which all further instruction in worthiness will rest.
VERSE 9 “For this cause (in light of what Epaphras preached; the hope of glory to you) we also (along with him), since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the (after; {redemption and the honeymoon}) knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding”

Paul had given the usual structure of a letter, to whom, the introduction of himself, salutations, and thanks to the Father for them, and had spoken kind words to them, as would all be in a letters proper structure. But now its time to set aside formalities and begin to speak his Apostolic mind.
Paul having heard and discerned the Colossians vulnerabilities and needs exhorts them not to be spiritually complacent…In that although they have the first aspect of ‘knowledge’ of God that suffices to redemptions faith and incorporation into the ‘Body’ of Christ…there was a great deal of critical knowledge of God and themselves in the Gospel that they were yet lacking.
His opening prayer reveals their current state of need; that was for the 2nd aspect or class of knowledge for maturing; that of the advanced will of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, relative to the attaining of the fullness of the salvation Gospel, the purpose for which they were freely redeemed, that knowledge of God that comes only by wisdom and understanding in intimacy centered around the comprehending of His Written Word/Christ.
Pauls’ prayer for the redeemed; called to be ‘saints,’ was not health, not wealth, not that they be safe, happy, or comforted. He did not pray for his will or their will…but what he knew was God’s will…that which was/is the utmost essential need of the ‘saved’ to be able to answer the heavenly call in the hope of glory

[Complete notes will be available soon. Please check back.]