Colossians - Lesson 20

OK, first thing, first question is question number one in lesson 20. And you know what? Let's do this. I think it's just a couple of things in chapter four that sort of piqued my interest and knowing that we didn't have a lot of time left. In verse 2, in the New King James, it says, continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. Meanwhile, praying also for us that God would open unto us a door for the word to speak the mystery of Christ for which I am also in change, that I may make it manifest as I ought to speak. So my question was, how does a believer persevere and stay alert when it comes to prayer. I have a story to tell you. When I was first a believer, like the first several years, in about six months of my Christianity, I got really tired of suburban church. I was going to this sort of mega church in Aurora. I know I'm going to sound critical, but they all seemed phony to me.

You know, that's the famous board ward story. The pastor decided that these German cars called a board ward and he would buy them and restore them. And they were really an ugly car. Well, I noticed that the other elders began to buy board wards. And I thought, is that the sign of spirituality around this place, whether you got a board ward or not? So, some guys that I knew said, well, we have We had this mission downtown and why don't you come down there and check it out. And so I went down there and I looked and I worked there for like two years. And work, you know.

We maybe had 50, 60 people come in on Sunday and we would teach and give an altar call, feed them coffee. You know what mission coffee is? It's the coffee that the spoon can stand up in the middle of. And we'd hand out clothes and stuff. And so you get to kind of know the inner workings of street ministries. And so we would have a Bible study on Wednesday, and guys off the street would come, and some of the guys that had these street ministries would show up. And there was this one guy, he and his wife had this thing called Coffee and Counsel. I don't know why I remember that.

So we're in the meeting one day, and the verse we're studying is Pray without ceasing. And this guy announces to the group that he's up to 60% of the time. Pray without ceasing means that you keep track. And you're up to 60% of the time. I mean, I didn't buy that for a minute. There's got to be something else other than to pray without ceasing, isn't it? Okay, I'm now at 62%. If I really work hard, I'm going to get to 65%. Well, this is that kind of verse. The ministry starts to suffer when you have to talk. So, how does a believer persevere and stay alert in prayer? That was my question. Let's talk a little bit about prayer.

I looked at Romans 8.16.

Romans 8.16 says you receive the spirit of adult sonship whereby you cry Abba Father.

The spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the born ones of God. So who initiates this prayer thing, this diligence? The spirit does. And what does he do? What's the first thing that the Spirit of God does when he witnesses with your spirit? He tells you or shows you or witnesses with you that God loves you. That's number one. So, there's the grace provision and here it comes for him. So I wrote down the manner of communication between the Holy Spirit and our spirit really is a mystery, but who gives understanding about the word of God?

It has to be the Holy Spirit, otherwise you don't have any understanding at all. It has to be him. Notice too with this verse The spirit himself bears witness with our spirit, not to it. What's the difference between bearing witness to our spirit and bearing witness with our spirit? What do you think the difference is there or is there one? I know it's hard. Hard question. Sounds like with your spirit, I was thinking you're on the same side. If it's to your spirit... You're across the way.

Yeah, that's pretty good. You'll notice in the Old Testament that everything that was happening in there was always to the people, to the Jews, to the godly people that God was communicating to them. But in this case, he's communicating with us. What's that tell you about our position, our relationship and association with Christ himself?

It's supposed to be both ways. What's that? It's supposed to be both ways. It's both ways. See, the Holy Spirit is in us. There you go. See, He's in us. We are spiritually alive. I was just going to say that it's very personal. Yeah, it's personal. Yeah, it's not to us as though... You know, when the Lord Jesus prays in John 17 that we might be one as He is one, that eliminates the you and me. I don't know, I don't understand this oneness. Someday I will.

But I recognize that the with this spirit, rather than to your spirit, means that you're on the same, you're in the same life as him. And he witnesses with you rather than to you. It goes along with what is called the helper. That connotes, you know, coming beside, being with, rather than being acted on. I think to me that represents kind of what you were saying, Don. It's coming beside on an equal basis or together.

And again, I go back also to the union. It's a relationship. Yeah, that's really important. So it's a matter of what comes first, the witness of the Spirit or life? It's got to be life. Yeah. We've got to have the life. You've got to be newborn in Christ before there's a witness. You see that? And when the witness begins, it's with you, not to you. So life is really important.

And then verse 26 and 27 in Romans says, In like manner the Spirit also helps our infirmity, for we know not how to pray as we should. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can't be uttered. And he that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the spirit because he makes intercessions for the saints according to God. So the spirit himself makes intercessions for us.

With gronies it can't be understood. Understood by who? Misunderstood or not understood by who? It can't be understood by us. But he tells us we need this. So he proceeds with the Father. It can't be understood by the person praying necessarily. There are some things that sometimes when I pray, I just don't know what to pray for. So I just sit there with God and pray that He understands my mind, what I need, and I trust in the Spirit that The Spirit will communicate to God what my heart feels.

I can't put it into words. That's pretty cool. That's really cool. Have you not had, in studying the Word at some point, had an illumination from the Spirit of God and you get it, but you couldn't verbalize it? I understand it, but I couldn't tell you about it because the words aren't together yet. It takes a while for the words to get... That's what you can't...

You know, when Paul came back from the third heaven, he was forbidden to talk, but what would he say? How's he going to explain what it's like to be in the third heaven to some doofus like me? I mean, how many times can you say it's super? It's awesome. I'm sure John had the same problem with explaining his revelation. Well, and God told John, write this down. He didn't tell Paul that. But he told John to write it down. So what does John do? He hits the floor the first time he sees an angel. The angel says, get up, get up. Don't worship me. You're a son, I'm not.

So let's get back to this praying thing. I think that the praying, when we are asked, or I would say asked, how does a believer persevere and stay alert in prayer? How do you do that? Based on what we just now talked about. Better question. Who doesn't?

The Spirit does. The Spirit does. You take Jesus's word where he tells you to get in your closet to pray. I think he's saying free yourself from distractions and really focus on the spirit. Now think about this. I'm driving down the street in my Hyundai with the radio on.

Does that mean the spirit can't communicate with me? does all the time. Sometimes I have to turn the radio off to listen to him, but he communicates all the time. So the really cool thing about this is that the perseverance and the alertness is him. If he doesn't communicate with you, what do you know? You don't know anything. He's always working.

So I think that this verse has more to do with our being dependent, continue earnestly in prayer, being diligent in it with thanksgiving. We should be aware of the fact all the time that this communication is going on. Always. And that we should be aware of it.

And we don't know how to pray, he says in Romans, you know how, as you should. By the way, Most believers think that because we don't know how to pray that we sort of verbalize it in English and it gets filtered through the translator of the Holy Spirit to God's mind so God can figure out what we're talking about.

I don't think so. Who's the dummy in this triangle? We are. We're the ones that are uninformed. So the Spirit searches the mind of God to let us know what the grace is. And so what's happening here? We are responding to God's grace. That's the diligence. We're responding to God's grace. Because otherwise, if we're not being respondents, then we're trying to crank it up. See that? You alright with that? Yeah?

You know, the HCSB and the NASB says devote yourselves to prayer. To me, that's a sense of, well, on the negative side, I can't devote myself to prayer if I'm not filling my mind with God's Word and spiritual things, listening to it, reading it, studying it, hearing it. So there's a responsibility on my part to immerse myself in God's Word. So I can't respond to him through his...

Let's say you wake up tomorrow morning and say, you know, I'm tired of this. I've been working really hard studying the word and I'm just out of gas. I don't want to do it anymore. I'm being honest with you, God. Telling you what's really going on. Am I in big trouble with him? No. No. If... If the Spirit of God is shedding abroad in my heart a love for God, where is He doing it? He's doing it through here. And so I go in here because I want to be with Him. He's created that desire and it isn't an earnest, I've got to be there. It's like, those of you who are married and love your spouse, Why do you go home at night? Why do you go home at night? To be with her. That's right, not because she said you better be here by six. Because you want to be with her.

It's the same way with the Lord. It's the same way with prayer. It's what you want to do. So there's the diligence part of it, you know. And granted, there are times that we sort of get off the rails and we start getting selfish. And there is a communication from Him, a restoration from the Spirit to do what? To get us back in fellowship. That's what He wants.

So when I'm walking in the Spirit, I don't have any trouble being diligent or being responsible. I can't help not to be. The minute that I go to Donna and say, now listen, I've done really good at loving you this week, I need a merit badge, you know what she's going to say to me, Donna? Verse two, or question two.

Notice in verses two through six, and let's read them. continue earnestly in prayer, being diligent with thanksgiving, in it with thanksgiving. Meanwhile, praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word to speak the mystery of Christ, of which I am also in chains. That I may make it manifest as I ought to speak, walk in wisdom towards those who are outside redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer. Now what's interesting right here, there's three elements here in what true evangelism is. Do you see them in those verses? Paul asked for what? What's the first thing he asked for?

An open door. So an open door does not mean there's absence of opposition. There may be tremendous opposition. But he asked for the open door. Give me the opportunity. A lot of times we think well if there's opposition the door is not open. That's nonsense. As a matter of fact the door may be even wider open from an opposition standpoint. Second thing is an open door is not the same thing as the existence of a meeting.

Somebody quickly look at Acts 16.6. If you get there just go ahead and read it. Okay. Anybody? And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. Oh, interesting. So, an open door is not the same thing as an existing need. Was there need in Asia? Absolutely there was. But what happened?

The Spirit said, don't go there. So, the need isn't always the reason you go. Why do you go? Obedience to the Spirit. To what? Spirit's call. The call, that's right. And if He calls you in an evangelistic situation, then that's the reason you go. It isn't because the need's there. The need's always there. Is there a need for everybody in the world to be saved? Yeah, I think so. My buddy in the White House over here, great need, sins paid for, But where is he going to go if he doesn't believe in the Lord Jesus Christ?

And the third thing is, an open door is a set of circumstances brought about by God for the presentation of His word through a human instrument. I'll read that again. An open door is a set of circumstances brought about by God for the presentation of His word through a human instrument. Notice it says, for the presentation of His Word.

How many of you in your Christian life have ever sat in a class, an evangelistic class, where they said, now here's how you're going to evangelize. You've got to come up with a good story, a good witness, or your own testimony. You've got to write it down and you've got to memorize it. What's the problem with that? It's not God's Word that's the problem with it.

What's the powerful thing of witnessing? The most powerful thing is God's Word. It isn't your rhetoric, it's God's Word. And if you let God's Word do the work for you, things get done. Decisions have to be made. God's Word challenges people, especially non-believers and people who get hungry and want to grow. God's Word really challenges them.

We have such a tendency to be anecdotal and to put our own little story in there, when in fact the thing that really works is God's Word. So where does that leave us? It leaves us to know God's word a little bit, or at least know where to go. Well, knowing God's word is getting to know God. Amen. So, if you want to talk about evangelism, verses 2-6, you'll see a thread running through there. about evangelism and opportunity and grabbing it when it's there. I've had people come up to me and say, so-and-so needs to be led to the Lord, why don't you call him? And I say, well, they didn't call me, they called you.

I remember one time a guy, a pastor calls me up from Canada and he had just been exposed to the identification truths and he was really excited about it. He read the green letters and he said, so we talked for about ten minutes. I called Miles up on the phone. He said, Miles, I've got a great lead for you. So I told him the story and I said, you need to call him. He said, no, you call him. I said, why me? I said, I'm not qualified. He said, that's how you get qualified. So I thought, oh, okay.

From verse 6, question 3, explain the word grace. The words grace, seasoned with salt, and respond. Some of your versions say charm. Somebody read verse 6 out loud. Let your speech always be with grace as though seasoned with salt so that you will know how you should respond to each other. I was talking to somebody over the last couple of days, he said, boy that fire and brimstone message doesn't really work. I said, yeah, he's right, it doesn't.

It's God's goodness that draws a man to salvation. That's what the grace is. The message is grace. And the way you deliver it is gracious. Now, what does seasoned with salt mean? Salt brings out the flavor in things, and you're bringing out the goodness, and you're also presenting the Lord is good. It says to taste and see that the Lord is good. Give me an example of what seasoned salt would be. Palatable. Okay. Relations to body. What's that? Relations to body. Okay.

I mean those words are just, it's better than truth. What is seasoned with salt? When Courtney and I have these discussions that sometimes you're privy to, there's a lot of salt there. There's a lot of seasoning there. I thought there was iron sharpens iron. What this really means is the ability to turn a phrase. Let me give you a good example.

I was sitting in the elders meeting last week and Vern and I and Roger were talking about how we were having this discussion on spiritual formation and contemplative prayer. That's kind of an issue in some Christian circles today. I said, you know what hits me about this is that for believers who do not know what they have as believers, Here comes a false promise that if you will do these methods you will gain something that you don't have now. And I said that's totally false because Ephesians says we've been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies and here's the turn of the phrase. Verne says Christian growth is coming into what you already have. That's the phrase turn. You hear it? Spiritual growth is coming into what's already yours. And you seek to what? To grow spiritually? No. You seek to get into what is already true of you. You already have it.

That's the phrase turn. You see that? It's a good way to put something that says something. Does that require understanding? It sounds like it does. It requires understanding. It also requires the Spirit of God to give you the seasoning. And He will. I mean, I hear people come up to me all the time here and they say some phrase about some verse and it's just, it's really, I'll say it this way, it's really salty. It's really purposeful. It says it in so few words. The really salty ones are the traditional hymn writers. Those guys could say things in so few words that were just marvelous. They knew how to turn a phrase.

We have in our house, when you come down the second floor to the first floor, up here there's a blank wall and Mrs. Doyle put up there, keep looking down for your life is hid with Christ and God. There's one. Well, Elisha was in on it. Elisha helped her do it. There's a phrase turn.

Keep looking down. Most of us are looking up. Keep looking down. Why? Because your life is hid with Christ and God. The position that you enjoy in the heavenlies is up here looking down. Not down here looking up. That's the phrase turn. See? It's really cool. So that's what seasonable thought is. And the third is our words should be adapted and appropriate to the one whom we witness.

It is this combination of divine love in the midst of the evil world with uncompromising maintenance of what is due to God's holy and righteous will, the teaching of Christians, that teaches the Christian not to merely what but how to answer what one is ought In my experience, although my experience doesn't verify truth, when I am asked a question or someone comes to me with a quote-unquote spiritual problem, I have learned over time that the best source of the answer is right here.

And if you can identify where the problem is and you know where the answer is in the word, you let the word do the talking. That was the great secret about why I liked Hal Molloy so much. You'd go to him and say, oh Hal, and he would say, let's see what the Word of God has to say about that. And so when you look at the Word of God, it's powerful, it's alive, and it speaks to you much better than I could phrase it. So again, that's one of the reasons why you spend time in the Word, so you know Someone comes to you and says, I'm having a really tough time with praying. Well, you know about Romans and here and a few other places and you just take them there.

And let the Word do the talking. Because the Word is alive. It's a person. So how does a believer make the most of his time? Redeeming the time. How do you make the most of your time? Whatever you do, in words and deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to the God and the Father by Him. Where is that? What's that? It's either in Colossians or it's in Philippians. I'm not sure which is.

Well, you know, one time it seems like that you taught, don't memorize scripture. Well, how do you... I didn't exactly teach that. Go ahead. I think it was Courtney. No, it must have been her. It must have been her. I know. I was going to respond in a minute. So how do you look up these things I mean, you know, you know something, but how do you look up those scriptures so that you can say, well, help? Okay. That's really, actually, that's really a great question.

Here it is in Colossians 4.16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. As in all wisdom we teach and admonish one another singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Gratitude is in your hearts and whatever you do in word or deed do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God since the Father flew him.

And the way I did that I've got my spiritual tape that I wrote which and memorized. And I don't hear you encouraging memorization. I don't encourage it. But I do. And here's the reason I do. I don't. If I'm as a believer and dependent on the Spirit of God to teach me what He means, then my memorization isn't going to teach me that. The Spirit of God is at work in all of our lives to teach us to reveal Christ to us. So when you find yourself in a position where you have to go to the Lord about something and He shows you in the scriptures. Do you ever forget that? I never do.

When He shows me something, I may not be able to give you chapter and verse, but I can find it quickly. I recognize when he said, when I understood the way to resolve the sin issue between him and me is to reckon myself indeed dead unto sin but alive unto you, that I confess my sins, that I say the same thing he says, what's he saying about me? I'm not making you any better.

I crucified you, buried you, and I resurrected you in Christ. Do you believe me about that? Yes, I do. That's the restoration of Romans 6. I didn't memorize that verse. The issue of restoration back to intimacy with Christ was such a big issue that once it was laid out, I never forgot it. So as you're talking about, when you're in the Word of God, what are you there to do? Especially Paul's Epistles, what are you in there for? If you're in there to memorize, you're doing it for yourself.

And for the record, Wanda, that was the, the memorization was, the attitude of memorization. It was to be better, because the other guys knew verses, and I thought that's what I had to do, to be up with them. The attitude was completely wrong in memorization. I'm just kidding. Well, I just wanted to clear for the record that that was, that it's through intimacy that you know. It's not an attitude that I'm going to do it because I'm going to impress people or God's going to be a little bit more happy because I know verses. It's not that.

So why do you study the Word? Why do you spend time with it? You have studied through a long life. You have studied the Word. Why? And certain verses have meant more to you at that time. And I see people walking and they go with these, you know, earplugs in and there was music and so you know my spiritual tape is pretty long and it's got kind of my favorite verses in it. Let me ask you a question. So when I walk I say that. How well do you know Christ? Well I think I know Christ from the time... No, how well do you know him? I'm going to answer this now.

When I was nine years old, I was in a terrible tornado. And I remember I was coming home from church that night and it was just real, real still. And we went home and not, maybe 30 minutes later, we had the second worst tornado. in the United States according to the report at that time that was in Tupelo Mississippi We came through that, I don't remember anything except getting up and going to the closet to get a coat. And the next thing I knew, all I could smell was wet plaster and so forth. And you know, people don't agree with this, but I believe that the Lord preserved all of us, five of us were in one room. And we didn't have a scratch, even though an oak tree came in and a chimney came in. And at that same corner, our house was next door to the church, at that same corner, when I was 12 years old, I'm going home for lunch in a terrible spring storm. And I remember saying goodbye to my music teacher at one corner. And then I don't remember anything else until I woke up. I think it was 24 hours later in the hospital. A car had hit me.

And both times I came away just feeling so peaceful and secure. You know, people can say what they want to about that, but I feel that was the Lord. And I know one time I went on a mission trip to Rio, and I wanted to see that statue of Christ, you know, that beautiful Christ the Redeemer thing. And so the day that we had off, I took the train up, and it took forever, and then walked all the steps and everything. And when I got up there, But I just remember, I think about, I would think about Jesus standing on the top of those steps at the First Baptist Church where my family was saved on that side and I was hit by the car on the other side. And you know, I just feel that meant a lot more to me.

That was with his outstretched arms. I made my confession of faith shortly after that. I feel like I know the Lord. I feel like He's been with me through an awful lot. And I know He's faithful. Alright. One last question. Is it possible to have the same kind of intimacy with Him tomorrow afternoon as you did back then? Without having a tragic event? I don't think you have to have that. I agree.

You know He's faithful. He's faithful to do what? He's faithful to reveal Himself to you in His Word. That's the point I'm trying to make. The reason you study the Word of God is to spend time with Him. The Spirit of God will reveal the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ to you through that Word, and He'll do it today, and tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day. Don't go into your Bible to memorize verses. Go in there to hang out with the Lord Jesus. That's why he wants you in there. And maybe memorization and meditation are the tools that he will use. That comes down to your reason for being there. You're not memorizing, like you say, to make yourself better.

We're running out of time, but when I read the first two chapters today of Colossians, There's so much there about the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. When you read that, you should think, oh yeah, that's the Lord I know. This isn't news to me. I know Him that way. That's who He is. These words just describe what I already know and who I already know. See that? Now, if I'm sitting with the Lord and reading a word this afternoon, and he shows me something I haven't seen before, you think I'm going to forget it? No, I'm not. No, I'm not. People say to me, oh man, you've really got to command the scripture. I've never memorized a verse in my life, ever.

I just expect God to do his thing. If he's going to reveal Christ to me, whatever nuance, if you're going to ask me about Christ and maybe I know where it is, because he showed me where it was. I don't have a refrigerator list. I just trust them. Something you said really hit me today. I've been trying to share the gospel with an atheist friend that went to high school.

And she is so angry and bitter about the whole idea of faith. And I was able to get more intimate about how she really feels, I think. And I think what I heard today was that God literally opened the door. It wasn't just like, oh, I talked to her, and now we're having these more low-level discussions. God literally open the door so I can try to tell her how much Jesus loves her. Yeah, there you go.

I mean, the baddest guy on the planet was Saul of Tarsus. And look what God did to him. It wasn't because he was cool. I mean, he was killing Christians and sticking them in jail. And the Spirit of God did what? Gave him a New Testament? No, he gave him Christ. He saw the glory of Christ.

You and I, according to 2 Corinthians 3.18, today can behold the glory of the Lord reflectively right here. And that beholding of his glory is what transforms us into his very image. God doesn't say, memorize verses and I'll make you a really good Christian. He says, you behold me and I will transform you into my image, who I am. Because you already have the life. OK. Last question. Is it proper for a few believers to meet in one's home and call it a church? Sure. How many think yeah, no problem? How many have their doubts? Sure it is. And you know what you find today? You find all over the country people who begin to understand and grow up spiritually and they say, there's nobody around. There's no church I can go to that really does teach the truth.

And I always say to them, you know one or two other people that you're like-minded with? Get together with them. Get together with them. And there's the church right there. You have to trust the Spirit of God to teach you the truth and keep you on the truth.

I'm going to go to California at the end of January and one of the reasons I'm going out there is because there are four guys I know out there that I've met over the years. Two doctors, a barber and an investment guy. And they have a church of four of them. And these guys are diligent to study the Word of God. And they are diligent to pray. And they get together once a week for over two hours. And they study the Word of God together.

That's the coolest thing ever. And they're tracking right. I don't have to say to them, you better call Dallas Seminary and make sure you're in there. No, they're doing fine. Why? Because they're sticking with the word, that's why. Okay, you have to endure this. Does somebody have a New American Standard? Because I have a King James, New King James, a New American Standard might be better.

Now, as I read the first two chapters, before we get to here's what you do, I want you to think about the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, because that's really what he's talking about. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother. to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father. We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints. Because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth the gospel which has come to you just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God and truth just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow bondservant who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf. And he also informed us of your love in the Spirit. For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will and all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work, increasing in the knowledge of God. Strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience joyously. Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in life.

For he delivered us from the dominion of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins, and he is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions, or rulers or authorities, all things have been created by him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church, and he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he himself might come to have the first place in everything. for it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him.

And through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross, through Him I say, what are things on earth are things in heaven.

And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before him holy and blameless and beyond reproach, if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven and of which I, Paul, was made a minister. Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of his body, which is the church, in filling up that which is lacking in Christ's afflictions. Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed to me for your benefit that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is, the mystery which has been hidden from past ages and generations, but has now been manifest to his saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. And we proclaim him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom that we may present every man complete in Christ. And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power which mightily works in me. For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have personally seen my face, that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ himself, in which are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

And I say this in order that no one may delude you with persuasive arguments, or even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ. As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in faith, just as you were instructed and overflowing with gratitude. See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceits. I think what I'll do is just read to the end of two. See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception according to the traditions of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

For in him all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form, and in him you have been made complete. and he is the head over all rule and authority. And in him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, and the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with him through faith in the working of God who raised him from the dead. And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all transgressions. Having cancelled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us, He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When he had disarmed the rulers and authorities, he made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through him.

Therefore, let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to festival or new moon or Sabbath day, things which are a mere shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement, in the worship of angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the head from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with the growth which is from God. If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees such as do not handle, do not taste, do not touch, which all refer to things destined to perish with the using, in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men. These are matters which have to be sure the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.