Be Forgiving - Philemon 1: 1-25

One of the greatest blights in American history was caused by the introduction of slavery into our new country. Slavery has been practiced in one form or another since the earliest biblical times, and there are still forms of slavery even in our country today. The general concept was that a slave was collateral property of his/her owner and could be bought and sold as such; and could be treated or mistreated as the owner wished. I am assuming from my study of the bible that this was the general practice in the Roman Empire at the time of Paul’s writing. In one commentary I found that there was a population of just over a million people in Rome and about one third were slaves. This is a very personal letter written in [about 60 A.D.] while Paul was in prison in Rome, to his friend in Christ, Philemon.

Philemon was probably a very rich person, with land and property, and could use the slave labor to promote… and increase his standing. He may have owned many slaves; but we know that he did own Onesimus, a slave, maybe a black man, [I am not sure]; but this is not the point; he was a man with a soul; and God loves all of his creation regardless of color or creed. This is the backdrop for our lesson today; but the lesson is not about slavery it is regarding forgiveness. The reason it is so important for you to know the setting is that we must be humble enough to forgive even those people we might consider as being of lesser importance than we are; even our slaves, if we were still owners of slaves. God forbid this evil to continue. The bible specifically states that we are to forgive others; even our enemies.

Philemon was converted earlier under Paul’s preaching and was now a member of the young church which was meeting in his house, as was the custom in those days. Onesimus, his slave, had probably heard him speak well of Paul, and when he decided to run away—he sought Paul’s help; who was a prisoner in Rome at the time. As a prisoner Paul still had the privilege of writing and witnessing and stayed active in his church ministry. Paul befriended Onesimus, witnessed to him and Onesimus became a believer under Paul’s teaching.

Paul convinced Onesimus, now that he was saved; it was his Christian duty to go back to his legal master and settle what ever debt he owed. This letter to Philemon is Paul’s effort to also convince Philemon that as a Christian he must forgive his former slave for running away and for his prior theft of property. Paul states that both have a responsibility to do what is right as relates to the renewing of this partnership and now friendship as brothers in Christ.

It was customary for owners to treat run-away slave harshly and sometimes even cruelly, and it must have taken a great deal of faith on the part of Onesimus to be willing to return to his master voluntarily. It also must have taken much faith on the part of Philemon to believe the glowing report Paul gave regarding this slave that had become a Christian, and wanted to return to his master and make things right. This incident required a mutual faith on the part of both men; and under the circumstances that can be hard to comprehend. Only those of us that know about the forgiving spirit of Jesus Christ will believe it to be both possible and necessary.

Paul starts this letter by stating that he is a prisoner because his affiliation with the Lord and his church; he further states that Timothy is there in Rome with Paul and is a brother in Christ; also that they are writing directly to Philemon whom they consider a dear friend and coworker in the spread of the gospel. Note that Paul salutes Apphia and Archippus [who are probably the wife and son of Philemon] and the members of the body that were meeting in his house. It was necessary for all to know about the conversion of the slave, Onesimus, and to know that he is now a converted soul and a member of the body of Christ; therefore is worthy of the forgiveness being requested. Paul prayed that they would experience the grace and peace of God. Grace represents the unmerited favor that Christ gave us and peace represents the state of total satisfaction and comfort that can come only from the God they serve. Together these two words represent all that is indispensable in the Christian faith in their church family—as well as in our church family today.

I think that it is sad that the telephone and email of today has replaced the letters people once used to communicate personally. I hope the readers of this lesson are among the few left of this vanishing breed of letter writers. I personally have received several personal letters commending me for writing “My Life Story on Raft Creek;” and how they were able to relate to my story. Some have written to thank me for preparing these lessons each week. These personal letters have been a special blessing to me. Hopefully, you will take the time to write to your Christian friends when they are hit with hard times or bad health; or when they have accomplished something notable, especially if they have accepted Christ as their Savior. Your complements are as ointment to a wound; they make the recipient feel good. Paul congratulated Philemon for his care and concern for his Christian friends.

Note that in verses 8 through 11, Paul had always claimed to be God’s spokesman with the right to direct new Christians to do what was right. In this letter he did not direct Philemon to accept Onesimus back as his equal—instead he simply requested that he do so in the name of Christ. Paul said that he would really prefer to keep Onesimus there in Rome to help him, but felt that it was only right to give him up, that he might return to his owner and make things right.

In verse 15, Paul indicates that he believes that it was in God’s plan for the slave to run away from his owner so that he could return in this new capacity as the owner’s coworker in Christ. Remember in another scripture it is stated that “All things work together for good to those who love the Lord….” Then Paul told Philemon “If you considered me as your partner, then you should accept Onesimus as you would me.” Paul even offered to pay anything that Onesimus may owe his owner. This reminds us of the man that found a victim who had been robbed, beaten and left for dead—who rescued him and took him to an inn…instructed the innkeeper to treat him, and care for him and that he would return and pay the bill.

We are reminded that it is not position of prominence, name, or background that makes a Christian our brother; neither does it matter who we are or what position we hold that causes us to be responsible for our brother. We are to befriend others and always forgive because of The One we believe in for our salvation. Always give Jesus Christ credit for any good deed you do. God forbid that I ever write one lesson for personal credit; I pray that my Lord will be praised and glorified, and that some soul may be saved. Please pray that I may remain humble and forgiving and that Christ and others may gain.

Be Faithful - Colossians 3:23-25; 4:2-13,17

Being faithful is not always easy or convenient. During the last few years it has become more apparent to me that being faithful and obedient to God’s will is as important for a Christian as ‘being saved’ is to a nonbeliever. The Christian’s responsibilities in faithful living extend to the family and friends as well as to observers who judge a Christian by their works. Faithful obedience is a command from God to all believers, and is just as important as the conversion experience; not in order to be saved; but because we are saved. Writers in the New Testament spent more time instructing Christians on how they should live their life, obey God, and treat others than they did on the simple plan of salvation. I truly believe that the most pressing problems that we face each day in our personal lives, in the life of the church and even the problems of the nation, and world can be attributed to people’s disobedience to God.

In our lesson today, 3:18 to 4:18, Paul continues to make practical applications of the spiritual truths he had set forth in the first two chapters. Last Sunday, we dealt with our focus on holy living in general as we were instructed to set our goals on living a righteous life with Heaven as our final destination. Today, Paul has narrowed our focus to the Christian behavior to include the people we interact with each day, wives, husbands, children, friends, employees and employers. You can not, and you will not understand this commentary unless you read the lesson text. Please read now.

There are two dangers that can become a problem as we study this lesson and we must be aware. First, we must be aware that exceptional circumstances do not negate the principals that are revealed in the Word, and second these passages must not be taken out of context.

The very first verses cause us to ask some ‘what if’ questions. What if the husband of a submissive wife is abusive? Should she steal if he commands her to do so? What if the parents abuse a child? Do you comply if your employer directs you to lie to customers, or to cheat on weights and measures, short change every opportunity? The husband is directed to love his wife. What if she is unfaithful, or mistreats his children? You must know the overall message of the bible, which teaches obedience and honesty are both important virtues. It is so easy to see how these commands are to be handled by just going back to chapter 3: 1 through 17, and read how we are to conduct our lives regardless of the circumstances in which we find ourselves.

In Ephesians 5:25-32 Paul states that God has assigned husbands a leadership role in marriage and he has the responsibility of being the ‘head of the family.’ Man’s position is one of servant-leader modeled after the way Christ relates in love toward those of us that make up His church. Both wife and husband should emulate Christ—think about this, Jesus is our Lord, the Head of our household, but He never forces us to do anything; our obedience is always voluntary. Jesus is patient with us when we fail to follow his requests and continues to love us and to act in our best interest. Wives are not submissive to their husband; neither does husbands love wives because either deserves it, but because it is in obedience to Christ.

Verses 20 and 21 should not be taken out of context. Remember that Paul is writing this letter to the church, whose members [including parents] should be living as explained in 3: 1-7. One of the greatest tragedies of our day is that many children do not obey parental instructions when they are given; and in many cases parents do not offer the instructions. There is an age of accountability—and until that age is reached, children are not responsible. They may think they know everything, but in fact the parents must demand obedience. Children can not always see or understand the validity of some parental restrictions because they do not have adult minds. They too are to obey their parents because it is pleasing to the Lord.

The bible teaches that fathers, as head of the family, have a special responsibility toward their children, but children are to obey parents which also includes the mother. Parents should work as a team [agreeing together] and they must teach their children in the right way [see Prov. 22:6]. It is not easy to be a good parent, and it is easy to forget that you are dealing with an immature person. All instruction should be reasonable; nagging or failing to acknowledge commendable efforts may become habitual. Parents can exasperate children with undesirable demands, and Paul is warning us here. By the way, did you ever wonder why the bible does not teach children not to exasperate their parents? He did not instruct them because he realized that they were immature and would not understand or misunderstand the direction.

In verses 22-23, Paul changes from our responsibilities as family members to the responsibilities of slaves and their masters. We think of slavery as being cruel and unjust but it has always been around, and was very prevalent in Paul’s day. I have often wondered why I have never found in the bible where slavery was either approved or condemned. It must have been condoned, as it seems, that was Paul’s position; at least he gave instructions as to how owners and slaves should treat each other. I wish to take the principles he laid down and apply them to management and labor today.

There should always be an understanding between the person that hires and the person that agrees to work; the time, and expectations should be explained by the employer and the wages should be stated. The employee can either accept or reject; however, if he accepts the offer, he is obligated to carry out his part of the bargain. This would take pages to cover completely, but allow me to just mention a few little things that are just not right. Cell phones and cigarettes steal an hour or more each day from the employer. At ten dollars an hour, this means the employer is paying ten dollars a day for the worker to smoke and talk. The employee should work as diligently when left alone as while being supervised.

Management has a responsibility to recompense good and honest effort. When profits go up, salaries should follow and favoritism has no part in the market place. Expensive unions would never have existed, and would never be needed if management would treat labor with respect. The other side of this coin says that when unions gain power they should not use it to force management to continue to keep and pay for inferior workmanship. Paul summed this up better than I can when he indicates that the worker should work as if he is employed by Christ; and I will add that the employer should treat his employee as Christ would treat him. Just think; with this arrangement we would have no labor/management problems in America.

The bible teaches that we are to ‘Work out our salvation in fear and trembling’—this does not mean that we work ‘for’ salvation. It pertains to our daily lives and includes the work place. Whether we are supervised or not, we should work as though we are working for Christ. Our actions in the work place are a part of our daily testimony. Those that see you at work may never see you in church; therefore the only chance you have to influence them is through your attitude toward your job. Failure to do right, is costly; “Wrongdoers will be paid back for whatever wrong he has done.”

The lesson winds to a close by suggesting that Christians have a responsibility to remain faithful to the Church and its leadership. Christ built his church upon a rock and promised that the gates of hell should not prevail against it. The church is His bride and He loves it; and He charged it with the responsibility of witnessing to the world. All ministers, in word or music, child or adult, are called into the ministry and the bible teaches that they are worthy of their calling. Individual members are viewed by God as if each member is a part of the body of Christ, an arm, leg, eye or hand; therefore when you fail to function properly you are actually making it impossible for Christ to reach his full potential.

Be Focused - Colossians 3:1-17

You can not return from a place where you have never been. True? Well, neither can you ever arrive at a place of your choice, when you do not know where it is located. Have you focused on your future? Do you ever wonder why so many young people fail to set specific goals for their lives? Did you? I am not sure that I deeply considered early in life just where I wanted to go or what I wanted to be. I know now that it was a terrible mistake to leave God out of my plans. I thought I knew, when on returning from the service, and was well on the way to being a trader in live stock, and a trucker, but God put a sudden halt to these plans by requiring me to suffer through a six month stay in the hospital. That was a terrible price to pay just for being out of the will of God. Believe it when I tell you that He has ways to get your attention, and sometimes it is very unpleasant, and may not be necessary. Study the Word; it contains the way to enjoy a happy life and a secured future.

A new year usually begins with people making resolutions. When you are older, you can look back and know that very few of your resolutions ever materialized. That is because they were ‘man-made’ without ever thinking about asking God what He would have you do. One of the greatest resolutions ever made was made by the man that said “Next year, I want to be more like Jesus.” There are no specifics mentioned in this resolution, but if you will study your bible, you can find a complete plan for a successful life both here, and hereafter. Just remember that you have two separate lives to prepare for and to live; you need goals for this earthly life of about four score and twenty years and then it is even more important that you ‘focus in’ on where you will spend eternity.

Thus far in Colossians students have studied the foundation of spiritual truth first laid by Paul, the apostle, and then he set forth the ethical implications in chapter two. In this chapter we will be looking at no less than three goals on which every Christian should set their focus. This study will lay the foundation for holiness in the first four verses. In verses five to eleven the Word will establish that holy living is a result of being saved and not the means by which one is saved. And through the last verses of this lesson we will examine our responsibilities to other people. Jesus surely thought ‘service to others’ was very important because he told Peter three times that he could prove his love by feeding His sheep. He said; “If you love me, feed my sheep.”

Verse 1-4: “So if you have been raised with the Messiah, seek what is above, where the Messiah is…” If you are a Christian reading this lesson, please change the first word ‘so’ to “Since,” because the fact that He has saved you, obligates you to continually keep his gift in mind and heart. The word ‘seek’ simply means that you are searching for something desired and the verse plainly says that our goal is located in heaven, “Where Jesus and God are located.” You were spiritually dead. “You have been raised” means that you are now ‘born again,’ you arose from a sinful death into spiritual life. In this verse, Paul is talking to Christian people. [If you are not presently a true believer, you must seek salvation first and then follow these instructions.] “Set your minds on what is above, not…earth.” “You are now dead to sin and in Christ.” This truth should reinforce your belief in ‘the security of the believer’ because Christ will never die again, and you are in Him. How can you die while you are living in Christ?

On one glorious day Jesus will be revealed; this means that He will stand out and everyone will know who He is, and worship Him. Christians will know and be known, they too will be revealed. When The Lord is revealed [appears in a cloud just as he went away to Glory] all Christians will be revealed [will appear with him] in glory! Notice that Paul refers to the ‘Messiah’ four times in these verses—Christ is the Greek word for the Jewish word Messiah, and Paul was writing to a congregation that did not speak the Jewish language and he wanted them to fully understand.

There may be some who think that idol worship was practiced primarily by Old Testament Jews, but when you read verse five you will find that idol worship may be more prominent even today. The idols of today are what ever you worship, or even desire, that is worldly, such as sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed—“Which is idolatry.” Paul says that these idols must be put to death and the term [“put to death”] is consistent with his terminology used in explaining the meaning of baptism. Your sins must die, and when you go down into the baptismal water they are buried there. Sin is sin, be it big or small; and it is somewhat dangerous for anyone to try to categorize it, but of those mentioned here, lust and greed seems to cover them all. Idolatry occurs at any time that any person seeks for a god [money, prestige, person or thing] to serve him rather than for him/her to serve God.

The answers to most of the problems found in the church today are found in verses 6 through 9, please read them. Read again, all of verses 1 through 17. The “Wrath of God” refers to God’s judgment on these kinds of worldly behavior. Pay Day will come Some Day, so just remember everyone [both saved and unsaved] must One Day stand before God, in judgment. There are only two responses that will be given, either “Enter in” or “depart from Me, ye workers of iniquity.”

Christians are to rid themselves of the old way of life and “put on” the new way of living given by Jesus and guided and strengthened by the Holly Spirit. Ask yourself: ‘am I living true to my commitment?’ Truth is so important. Lying to one another disrupts unity among friends, especially in the church, by destroying trust. It tears down relationships and often leads to serious conflict. Lies are often camouflaged in exaggeration, rumors, gossip and by attempts to build up your own image. True Christians do not lie; they tell the truth, even if or when it hurts.

We should never think of Americans as being a blessed or special people in God’s sight when it pertains to salvation. We have been blessed immensely by our prosperity and freedoms, but He died for all people. Paul made this very clear in verse eleven when he tells us that in the life of Christians—“Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and in all.” Verse 12 says that since this is true, Christian believers must have compassion, show kindness and humility, be gentle and patient toward our fellow man. Here is the hard part! We must learn to forgive others [even enemies] as the Lord forgave us. You can fulfill all these commands with one virtue—LOVE. Paul says that love is over all of these virtues and it is the one cord that binds them all together.

It is of grave importance for everyone to know the specific and precise teachings of our Lord, and that is why we study the Word verse by verse. However, this lesson can be summed up in one simple statement that we know as the golden rule; “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Unfortunately Satin has his own rusty tin ruler that tells people to “get the other guy, before he gets you.”

Now, please study the rest of the chapter because it pertains to the family, and the powers of darkness are trying very hard to destroy the Christian family in America today. As the families go, so goes America. The family is the basic hub that holds the Christian wheel together, and Satin knows this. One of the candidates that spoke during the first presidential debate this week, and may be a strong runner, has taken a disappointing stand regarding his beliefs pertaining to the immoral elements who are threatening God’s plan for Christian marriage. The breakdown of the Christian home in America is just as important as the problems with jobs, national debt, or any of the other problems we face. God bless you AND AMERICA.

Keeping the Truth - Colossians 2:8-23

The word faith is easy to define; but it is very difficult to know that you know whether your faith is weak or strong. The bible defines it as the substance of things hoped for when the evidence is not in view. When more evidence is present it is stronger. It is like the wind; we know its substance is present because the leaves are moving but we can not see it; we simply know it is there and the more the limbs and leaves bend to its pressure the stronger the wind. We must, through our faith, know that God is; and know that the Bible is His Word to us—and that it is His only worded message to mankind. I am troubled daily because of some who think they can accept only the part of God’s Word that appeals to them, and that they have found other teachings that will better prepare them to meet God.

There is only one God! There is only one Word, [true message] The Holy Bible! There is only one way to heaven and that way is found only by KEEPING THE TRUTH. “Narrow minded,” you say; but Christ said, “I am the WAY the truth and life and no one can come to the Father except THROUGH ME.” Once we have found the way to Christ…by His Grace, through our faith in Him and His teachings, it is very difficult for me to understand why anyone will try to find an alternate man made plan in which they can be more comfortable. Many young minds are being contaminated in our colleges and universities by professors that are swayed by the New Life movement that places great emphasis on man’s ability to control his own life that has no need for a Higher Power. These atheistic thinkers feel so insecure that they strive daily to gain strength through the numbers they can persuade to join them in their unbelief. We find the greatest culprits in the fields of biology, psychology, sociology and especially philosophy. [If you are in college or the university, be aware.]

Most children who grow up in a Christian home know the truth, even when they have not accepted Christ personally. Their falling away from truth often begins with what, to them, seems to be a new idea or a better way even though they can see clearly that it is a man-made philosophy and in truth it has no basis that can be found in the Holly Word. And, of course, we know that the bible is not even allowed to be mentioned as a source of truth in our public educational institutions. Keeping the Truth about Jesus Christ and salvation is increasingly more difficult in our society today, but it has always been a problem, just as it was when Paul wrote this letter. The sheer numbers of false teachers have grown since his day and the problems have multiplied immensely. Students, every one, please be aware! Don’t be misled.

In verse 8, Paul wrote: “Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elemental forces of the world, and not based on Christ.” False teachers were present and at work in the church at Colossi and Paul is referring here to their erroneous teachings. If you are taken ‘captive’ it simply means that you are being carried away from the truth…you are being kidnapped away from your family of believers. The key to identifying whether spiritual teachings are valid or not is found only in the Holy Bible—they must be based on the teachings of Christ. Paul confirms this is verses 9 and 10 when he says “For in Him the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily and you have been filled by Him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.” If the author of the word you believe is not one of the inspired writers of Holly Writ…he/she is a false witness.

False teachings, other religions, cults, and antireligious movements are based on the elemental forces of this world; usually some erroneous religious leader that wants to become the head or ruler over a group of followers. Any teaching that rejects the truths based on God’s revelation through Christ can only have a human [not spiritual] origin. The human mind can devise or establish a logical, appealing philosophy; but it can not devise or establish truth because God is the only truth, and he already exists. Man’s mind can only ‘know’ the truth, and it will make him free. The truth is found in God’s word, and not in a philosophy.

One of the false teachings of that day was that circumcision [removing bodily flesh] was a requirement for salvation. The Jewish law required circumcision on the eighth day after birth as a sign of the covenant between God and His people. False prophets were teaching that it was still a necessary part of the salvation plan. Paul makes it clear both here and in Galatians 5: 1-6, [read it] that man’s law was superseded by God’s grace.

In verse 11, Paul uses the surgical process to explain that Christ uses the same procedure, only it is not done by using the doctor’s scalpel, but it is done personally by Christ when he supernaturally removes the sinful body of flesh and replaces it with a spiritual mind set of a belief in God.

Today there are differences of opinion regarding the need and mode regarding baptism; and evidently there must have been questions concerning the ritual at the church in Colossi. In verse twelve Paul changes the though process to baptism and we can see that under the new covenant, baptism by immersion was the symbol of cleansing and proof of a new relationship with Christ. Paul explains to his readers that baptism is a picture of being dead to sin and spiritually risen to live a new life in Christ. The unbeliever is dead spiritually and must arise from this death in order to live in Christ. Baptism is a beautiful picture of this resurrection. It is not mandatory for salvation but it is absolutely necessary in order to follow the instructions give by Christ.

Paul told us in verses 13 and 14 that when we were dead in our sin [we were spiritually [uncircumcised] but now that we believe we are forgiven of all of our trespasses. Christ erased the certificate of death that was against us and He nailed it to the cross. [It died on the cross with Him.]

In 16 and 17 Paul is referring to the practices of that day that were being promoted which required rituals said to be still necessary under grace. Certain foods and drink were condemned, others said to be necessary and rituals were held where reverence was given to the stars and the moon. He was referring to observances such as the ones called for in Lev. 23:5 and Num. 10: 10. He did not condemn them, but he said that they were only shadows of what was to come…which was the Messiah. And now that Jesus [the Messiah] has already come, reverence is now due to Him only. Angels are real, great and necessary but not the object of worship for any Christian. We are not to be disqualified or misled by the earthly [fleshly mind] of anyone that promotes the worship of any thing, any object or person, other than Jesus Christ [v. 18].

In verse 20, Paul asked the church at Colossi the question that I wish to use to end this lesson because it applies to every member of the Church of the Living God. “If you died with Christ to the elemental forces of this world, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why?

Expressing the Truth - Colossians 1:21–2:7

In the recent previous lesions we have revisited the empty tomb and studied about the complete plan of salvation in its three simple steps, knowing the truth, believing the truth and accepting or acting upon the truth. Now think about this. If you will be satisfied in remaining a babe in Christ, ‘being saved only as by fire,’ you may stop here; but if you want to please Christ, live for Him, and obey Him you must complete your journey by serving Him daily. Obedience to Jesus comes through a Christian’s growth and service. It is difficult to understand any Christian that can enjoy the assurance of salvation and be unwilling, or neglect, to share it with others. The last command given to the church was for all members to go into the entire world and “Express the Truth; we were instructed to go, witness, teach, preach and baptize new believers. This is known to be the great commission and applies to all believers.

Salvation is the greatest gift of all times but Jesus never intended that anyone selfishly keep and enjoy the benefits of salvation and not be willing to share it with others in order that they too may me saved. New Christians are expected to grow in grace; and one of the greatest ways to grow is to share the truth with others and plant the seed that will grow the Kingdom of God. I try to practice what I teach, so please allow me to insert two paragraphs to this lesson parenthetically, [insert a brief change in the subject.]

I realize that Easter 4/24/11, has already come and gone; however in order for me to share one more important message about the resurrection, I would like to add other thoughts for you to ponder. Why did Jesus wait three days to visit a distressed family when their brother Lazarus died? Here is what I believe. Jesus was only about on day’s journey away from the ill man, and He loved the family and could have gone there immediately, but He chose to wait until the man’s body had the look and smell of death. There could be no doubt; the Romans in control of government and the Jewish opposition would both know that He resurrected Lazarus after everyone realized that he was definitely dead. He wanted to infuriate the Jewish leaders; and give them a final and vital reason to condemn Him—and it worked. The hostility that grew during the remaining days, of His life before the cross, drove the Jewish Sanhedrin opposition into a maddening furry and they chose to do everything possible and necessary to bring about His destruction. Roman leaders desperately tried to convince them that Jesus had done nothing legally wrong, but the Jews refused to listen. They did not realize that He would be dead and in the tomb for three days and then arise—and I believe the story of Lazarus was to be a picture of Christ’s successful resurrection after the third day. Raising Lazarus was the final straw that guaranteed his death, burial and resurrection—and it was not ‘just another miracle’ along His life’s way as a human being. Thank you, and now the rest of the lesson.

In verse 15, we read that Jesus Christ is the visible image of our Spiritual God, whom we cannot see. While on earth Christ could be seen, walking and talking, eating and sleeping as any other man; but he was also God. The word image has two possible meanings. 1. It can mean a ‘representation’ of something such as the Indian’s head on a nickel; or your reflection that you see in the mirror. 2. It also can mean the ‘manifestation’ of anything or anyone you see with your eyes and mind and know it to have a vital connection with a subject, thing, or person. In this letter, Paul probably has the second meaning in mind; he tells us that Christ, in human flesh, manifested God to us so that we could see him with our physical eyes and accept him with our human, spiritual understanding. Therefore God became visible to all who have spiritual faith. As I have told you before; I see him every day, all the time in and through His total and wonderful creation. The expressed truth is; we see God through Christ. They are one and the same. Christ said, “I and my father are one.”

In verse 21, Paul says that man is alienated from Jesus and hostile toward Him in his mind because of evil. That was the condition of the Colossian church [any church or any person] before they believed. However, hope looms brightly in verse 22, when he tells us that Christ reconciled us by his physical body through His death on the cross. Christians are reconciled, which means that they are now fully pleasing and accepted by God as being holy, faultless, and blameless. The bible does not say sinless, because we still sin, but our sins are now covered by the physical blood shed by Christ on the cross; covered only when we earnestly repent and try not to sin. We will sin; but if we intentionally sin it is as if we are crucifying Christ anew. If you can sin and enjoy it, thinking that you only have to ask for forgiveness, then you should re-examine your conversion.

In verse 23, Paul gets to the point that introduces our subject for this lesson today. If you are saved and are grounded in the gospel—it is the same gospel that has been proclaimed to all creation. He does not say that every creature has heard it yet…but it is meant for all—which means that every Christian is obligated to tell anyone who has not already heard. [Remember the parting words of Jesus, “Go into the entire world—and tell.” Then you will be “Expressing the Truth,” as you obey the ‘great commission.’ Paul says that he is a servant of the gospel, which means that he is ‘expressing the truth,’ and I hope that I can be just a bit like Paul.

After reading verse 24, I can not believe that Paul indicates in any way that the death of Jesus did not fully pay for our sins; the plan of salvation was made complete on the cross—and He told us that the plan was complete when he said “It” [the plan of salvation] “is finished.” The thing that was lacking was the witnessing that would be necessary for all posterity. Christ paid the price; however his witnesses would now be responsible for telling all who did not know Him. Paul did not rejoice because Christ had to suffer; Paul rejoiced because Christ chose to suffer. No other man has ever suffered more for the cause of Christ than did Paul. Paul was not happy that he had suffered because of his stand for Christ, but he was happy that he chose to suffer if necessary to be able to preach to others. In the term, “For the sake of his body”—“his body” is the church.

In verse 25, Paul said “I have become its servant by the commission God gave me. The word “its” refers to the church; and the word “commission” refers to the great commission given by Christ just prior to His ascension. Jesus suffered in securing our salvation, and Christians suffer at times in order to proclaim the gospel. We can be assured that when we are made to suffer because of our stand for Christ—He knows about it and is with us in our suffering. He will never will forsake us or leave us; neither will He place more on us than we are able to endure.

Jesus did not desire to suffer and die; in his prayer in the Garden just before He was arrested, He prayed that the Father would “take the cup from him” [meaning that He would prefer some other way]. After the ordeal was over [God’s will was accomplished] He was and will forever be happy that He was able to fulfill his mission. Christ rejoices daily that he was able to complete all that He had predicted which includes his death, resurrection, and ascension.

Paul calls the ‘good news’ a mystery that had been hidden from all until Christ came on the scene. However, now through Christ, all can know, understand and be saved. However, they must first hear the truth and the bible says that someone must be sent to witness. Who has this responsibility? The body of Christ. The Church. Are you a member of His church? If so, your responsibility is to “Express the Truth.” And that is the title of your lesson for today.