This particular blog was written by Mike Drouillard.
The Colossian Epistle was written to the people of Colossae in approximately the year 60-62 AD by Paul. This letter was written while Paul was in Prison. It was written by Paul to respond to heretical teachings, and to give encouragement to the believers to serve with strength and passion.
In Chapter 1, Paul gives them an abundance of encouragement. He commends them for their faith in the Lord and their love for their Christian brothers and sisters (Col. 1:3-8). He encourages them to continue in their faith and hope in Christ, who reconciled them to God, through his death on the cross. Christ died for them while they were hostile in their minds, and evil in their deeds against the Lord (Col. 1:21-23).
Some Strange Teaching
Paul knew that in the Colossian Church that there was some false teaching being introduced. There was a basic problem with a Gnostic heresy, whose objective was to mix Greek Philosophy with Christian theology (Col. 2:8). The Gnostic philosophy taught that the physical material world was inherently evil. So they created a system of lesser deities that overflowed from their highest pure God. The lesser deities were far enough removed from the pure God, that they were able to create the impure universe. One of these lesser deities, according to this heretical teaching, was the God of the Hebrews. They had a low view of the Jewish God of the Old Testament.
Paul did not have a direct hand in the formation of the Colossian church, nor had he ever visited the believers at Colossae. Paul was warning them, by this Letter, to not let anyone lead them astray with their philosophy, their trickery or the traditions of man (Col. 2:6-23). Paul assured them that Jesus is God’s Son, and that he is the sole mediator between the true & living God and the created universe. (Col.1:15-20). Paul teaches that the visible and physical world is not inherently evil, but God directly created it through His Son. And that God’s Son actually took on a human body to redeem us, so that proves the physical and material aspect of creation is not inherently evil.
Practical Instructions For Life
In Colossians 3 & 4, Paul encourages the Colossian church to focus on God and His Son, to set their minds on things that are above (3:2), not on the things that are on earth. He teaches believers how to live at home, how to manage family matters, and how to get along with other believers in Christ. His approach is for believers to put aside their petty situations that becomes obstacles in their lives, ultimately slowing them down, and preventing the spread of the Gospel. Paul then explains what it means to forgive, (3:13) “just as the Lord forgave you, so you also must forgive”.
What Paul wrote close to 2000 years ago has deep relevance in this season of our lives. There were and will always be distractions and false teachers in our lives that will try to lead us on a path to destruction. We must be steadfast in our faith and dedication and commitment to our Lord Jesus Christ. No matter what comes up in our lives, we need to stay the course. Amen, amen. Mike Drouillard.
QOTD: Are you abiding in Jesus, rooted and built up in him, and are you growing in faith, strengthened by sound teaching, and overflowing with gratitude (Col. 2:6,7)?