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For by him were all things created,
that are in heaven, and that are in earth,
visible and invisible,
whether they be thrones, or dominions,
or principalities, or powers:
all things were created by him, and for him:
17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
The Twenty-fourth Sunday after Trinity
KJV Colossians 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; 12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
KJV Matthew 9:18 While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live. 19 And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples. 20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: 21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. 22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. 23 And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, 24 He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. 25 But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose. 26 And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.
331 – Yea, as I live (to the tune of the Doxology, #644
287 – That Man a Godly Life Might Live (Luther)
364 – How sweet the sound
47 – Savior Again
Fruitful in Every Good Work
Paul wrote a number of letters from Rome. One went to the Ephesians. Another went to the congregation in Colossae, because Epaphras (the founder) asked for some help.
KJV Colossians 1:7 As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;
The letters were sent through Tychicus.
KJV Colossians 4:7 All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellowservant in the Lord
A third went to a prominent man in Colossae, Philemon, whose slave Onesimus ran away.
KJV Colossians 4:9 With Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They shall make known unto you all things which are done here.
A fourth letter, now lost, went to Laodicea.
KJV Colossians 4:16 And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.
Each letter had a different purpose and style. Paul wrote Colossians to deal with false doctrine that threatened the congregation. This letter was a preventive measure. We only know about the false doctrine by what the letter implies about it.
We should think about how closely tied together the New Testament history and the Pauline epistles are. There is nothing like it in world religions, nothing close. Compared to those religions we have an intensely close and personal look at the origin of the Christian Church. We have names, dates, Roman Empire history supporting the New Testament, archeological finds as well.
Scoffers pretend to be offended that Paul was a real person. Does anything indicate better that this is the Word of God and not a human public relations document? When people write their own church history, the founders walk six feet above the ground. They are venerated, if not worshiped. Yet in the New Testament we have frank revelations: Paul participating in the stoning of Stephan, congregational conflicts, doctrinal conflicts, and apostolic conflicts. We should be thankful to God that we have such realistic works as His revealed Word. We can study them endlessly and still learn from them. As Luther said, they are like a gold mine where the ore can be extracted our entire lives, without ever using up the precious metal. In fact, the more we delve into the Scriptures, the more treasure and comfort we open up through the efficacious work of the Holy Spirit.
People have said they want to be Spirit-filled and overflowing with the fruits of the Spirit. God has welded His Spirit to the Word and Sacraments, so the Means of Grace Christian is always Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, and fruitful in good works, never doubting that God is at work through these instruments of forgiveness.
Small Letter – Big Message
Colossians is a small letter with a big message. Anyone can sit down and read it quickly. While we may think at first, “I don’t know this letter,” we will find many familiar phrases of the Christian faith in the epistle.
The doctrine of Creation through Christ is taught clearly.
KJV Colossians 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Creation is a message of great comfort for all believers, because God’s divine Creation also means that every single soul has a purpose. All the turmoil, disappointment, and pain of our lives is governed by God’s providence. We may not see the reason, but God does see ahead (providence = to see ahead) and works all things for the good for those who love Him.
Creation also teaches us that God created the entire universe through the Word, Christ. Every single item, plant, and creature is created from the eternal Son of God. “Nothing was made apart from Him.” (John 1)
Peace – golfers: this is hard for non-golfers to understand. People collect golf clubs once owned by famous people. Someone who collects these golf clubs can expect to have plenty of visitors stop by to check them out, perhaps to hold them and practice a shot. The clubs have great value, bought and sold for large amounts of money. Why? Because someone famous owned them. How much more impressive is it to realize that Christ has touched everything material around us, all of life but inanimate objects and materials as well.
KJV John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Philosophy and Vain Deceit
There is a familiar warning against philosophy and vain deceit in Colossians:
KJV Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
This is not a verse against taking a philosophy course in college, but a warning against man-centered religion that takes people away from Christ. There are many mental games played by modern philosophers, the vast majority of them atheists. They doubt truth, doubt reality, and denigrate anything divine.
Blotting Out
The image of nailing the ordinances to the cross is well known. But we also have the portrayal of the Roman Triumph, a march of victory (usually just once in a lifetime) displaying the spoils of war and the captured kings in chains. In overcoming the condemnation of the Law, Christ rose victorious as our Risen Savior, defeating all the forces of sin, death, and Satan.
Satan does not want a drop of blood from us. Instead he attacks us where we are weakest, through out emotions. So the principalities and powers were defeated by Christ, and we can use that confidence to thwart Satan’s attacks on our emotions.
KJV Colossians 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Eyes Upward
This is a well-known warning and encouragement, to focus on heavenly rather than earthly matters. The congregation in Sturgis was obsessed with its debt. The obsession had a way of spilling over. One pastor said, “It’s just money. Worrying about it will never change anything. I used to wake up in a sweat over one congregation’s debt. It actually grew each year. I left because of the debt. They are still there and doing fine. It’s just money.”
Times are going to be bad for millions of people in the next year. The financial fraud and real estate meltdown will affect more people directly than any other single trend. And yet, most of it is beyond man’s control. How we respond is directly related to our trust in God. Is money really a small thing and doctrine a big thing in God’s eyes? Or do we judge divine matters the way unbelievers do? The Book of Concord speaks little of money as a way of judging the Christian Church. However, the Gospel is frequently called the treasure. Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there will your hearts be also.”
KJV Colossians 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Christian Life of Hymns and Thanksgiving
The following is one of the most beautiful portrayals of the ideal Christian life, honoring the efficacy of the Word, encouraging us to teach with psalms and hymns, always glorifying Christ.
KJV Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
Redeem the Time
Time management experts have nothing on the apostle Paul, who encouraged us to “redeem the time,” that is, to use our 168 hours each week wisely.
KJV Colossians 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
The traveling companion of Paul (see the “we” sections of Acts) is mentioned, with his famous title, the beloved physician.
KJV Colossians 4:14 Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.
Professor Lenski describes Colossians as a polemical work, and it is, compared with Ephesians, but Colossians is filled with the comfort and glory of the Gospel. As Paul’s life reached its end, the apostle became more emphatic in his message of the victory of Christ. His impending death reminds me of the men slaughtered in Cuba by Fidel Castro. Many of them shouted “Christ is King” just before being shot. This so rattled the hardened execution squad that many could no longer do the work. Some will say, “Words have no power. Guns have power.” But how powerful is the Word which disarms an execution squad?
(Taken from the book by Valladares, a Cuban poet imprisoned and repeatedly humiliated over the years. The prisoners were forced to work in sewage. Valladares was brought into a room naked, where his mother and future wife were waiting. And so forth. He lived and wrote about his experience, a book ignored by the Left.)
This particular lesson reveals, once again, the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. The danger of the false doctrine invading the area was that the Christians would fall into a Jewish Christianity with a false emphasis upon good works.
As Luther said, heresies fall into three main categories, attacking the humanity of Christ, the divinity of Christ, or justification by faith. In this case, we have the familiar problem of someone feeling better based upon holding onto a superior form of Christianity, so it belongs to the “justification by faith” category. This is a common problem today. While people do not admit it when they are asked, their words betray them. They speak of Christianity in terms of where they belong and what they do. This is the essence of the Pharisee who tithes mint and holds himself above those who cannot obey as many rules as he follows or pretends to follow.
Therefore, the apostle address the issue of good works as “fruit.” I am amazed that so many Lutherans fail to understand this agricultural concept. The president of one Lutheran seminary wrote about the “luscious fruits of the Spirit,” as if the Word of God was talking about a food group known for sugar. The fruiting of a plant is the process of turning the flower into seed.
KJV Matthew 13:8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
KJV John 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
KJV James 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
(Polycarp was an early Christian leader. His name does not translate well, either as Fruity or Seedy.)
Before people made their income from bending metal, shipping cream, and routing packets, everyone was tied to the land, so the image of the Word as the seed and the fruit of the Spirit was quite vivid. No one thought of the fruit of the Spirit as oranges and apples, but the implanted Word yielding a crop.
As Luther often wrote, sound doctrine does produce good works in abundance, and this is a good thing. George Major, a Luther colleague, taught the error of good works being REQUIRED for salvation. Amsdorf, trying to refute this, went overboard, and said good works were INJURIOUS to salvation. Both positions were rebuked and repudiated by the Formula of Concord. The article on good works in an excellent section to study, because this issue is confused so often.
Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration: Good Works:
7] First, there is no controversy among our theologians concerning the following points in this article, namely: that it is God's will, order, and command that believers should walk in good works; and that truly good works are not those which every one contrives himself from a good intention, or which are done according to traditions of men, but those which God Himself has prescribed and commanded in His Word; also, that truly good works are done, not from our own natural powers, but in this way: when the person by faith is reconciled with God and renewed by the Holy Ghost, or, as Paul says, is created anew in Christ Jesus to good works, Eph. 2, 10.
8] Nor is there a controversy as to how and why the good works of believers, although in this flesh they are impure and incomplete, are pleasing and acceptable to God, namely, for the sake of the Lord Christ, by faith, because the person is acceptable to God. For the works which pertain to the maintenance of external discipline, which are also done by, and required of, the unbelieving and unconverted, although commendable before the world, and besides rewarded by God in this world with temporal blessings, are nevertheless, because they do not proceed from true faith, in God's sight sins, that is, stained with sin, and are regarded by God as sins and impure on account of the corrupt nature and because the person is not reconciled with God. For a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit, Matt. 7, 18, as it is also written Rom. 14, 23: Whatsoever is not of faith is sin. For the person must first be accepted of God, and that for the sake of Christ alone, if also the works of that person are to please Him.
9] Therefore, of works that are truly good and well-pleasing to God, which God will reward in this world and in the world to come, faith must be the mother and source; and on this account they are called by St. Paul true fruits of faith, as also of the Spirit. 10] For, as Dr. Luther writes in the Preface to St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans: Thus faith is a divine work in us, that changes us and regenerates us of God, and puts to death the old Adam, makes us entirely different men in heart, spirit, mind, and all powers, and brings with it [confers] the Holy Ghost. Oh, it is a living, busy, active, powerful thing that we have in faith, so that it is impossible for it not to do good without ceasing. 11] Nor does it ask whether good works are to be done; but before the question is asked, it has wrought them, and is always engaged in doing them. But he who does not do such works is void of faith, and gropes and looks about after faith and good works, and knows neither what faith nor what good works are, yet babbles and prates with many words concerning faith and good works. 12] [Justifying] faith is a living, bold [firm] trust in God's grace, so certain that a man would die a thousand times for it [rather than suffer this trust to be wrested from him]. And this trust and knowledge of divine grace renders joyful, fearless, and cheerful towards God and all creatures, which [joy and cheerfulness] the Holy Ghost works through faith; and on account of this, man becomes ready and cheerful, without coercion, to do good to every one, to serve every one, and to suffer everything for love and praise to God, who has conferred this grace on him, so that it is impossible to separate works from faith, yea, just as impossible as it is for heat and light to be separated from fire.
