Title Paul's Thanksgiving / Colossians 1:1-3
Contents Paul's Thanks
Col 1:1-3
In the New Testament, Ephesians, Philippians, Philemon, and Colossians are referred to as prison epistles.
It is called the Prison Epistle because it is a collection of letters that the apostle Paul wrote to the saints outside the prison while he was in prison.
The purpose of Paul's writings in Colossians is
The book of Colossians was written to edify heresy.
This epistle was written to teach that Jesus Christ is the head of all things, the head of the church, and God the Creator.
At that time, the Roman tyrant Nero persecuted Christianity very much, that is, the persecution began in the years 61-62. It is that he wrote the book of Colossians while in prison while preaching the gospel at that time.
It is said that the apostle Paul was in prison in Rome, and Epaphra came to prison and explained the church in Colossae to Paul the apostle. ,,
In Acts 28, we talk about this prison. At that time, it was not a prison like ours, but a prison that allowed visitors to come in with rented houses.
At that time, while he was in prison for two years, he preached the gospel to Epaphra, who came there.
If you lose the book of Ephesians, it was written at the same time as the book of Colossians, but Ephesians spoke the most about God's economy.
The book of Philippians was also written at the same time, but what was emphasized? Joy continued to write about joy. So, while he was in prison, whenever he thought about God's grace, joy,,,, joy, and joy arose.
It is the joy of God that I realized during adversity.
If you look at this book of Colossians that I read today, you will find the most gratitude.
1:3 "I give thanks" Verse 12 "I want to give thanks"
2:7 "Let the three things abound" 3:15 "Be ye grateful" 3:6 "Praise God with thanksgiving in your hearts" 3:17 "Give thanks to God the Father"
4:2 "Be steadfast in prayer, watchful in it with thanksgiving"
4:6 "Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt."
As such, the entire flow of the book of Colossians is the book in which the thanks of the saints are recorded the most.
Be thankful in adversity!! Humanly speaking, it means being grateful when you can't be thankful. ""Gratitude in adversity"" This is the theme of the book of Colossians.
Let's look at the text.
(Col 1:1) Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy the brother, (Colossians 1:2) To the saints in Colossae, the faithful brethren in Christ: Grace and peace to you from God our Father be to
Here the apostle Paul
State your motive for becoming an apostle
They say that he became an apostle by the will of God.
To become an apostle is to explain that he became an apostle by the will of God, not by his own efforts and will.
Why does the Apostle Paul often emphasize the word God's will!?
For him, the Damascus icon is unforgettable.
He participated in the killing of Jesus Christ, and he also participated in the killing of Stephen.,, because he was called as an apostle because he met the Resurrection Lord while going to the city of Damascus with a letter from the high priest ,,,,,,
He emphasizes that he cannot be an apostle according to the will of man, but he became an apostle through God's amazing man and grace.
But when you became an apostle, whose apostle did you become?
He says he is an apostle of Christ Jesus.
The word “Christ” here is (Hell = Christ, Heb = Messiah).
Messiah = anointed one
In the Old Testament, three types of people were anointed with oil.
① king ② priest ③ prophet
If we look at the Bible from Genesis to Malachi,
The Pentateuch = describes the priesthood, and == records about the king. Major Prophets, Minor Prophets === Description of the Prophets
So, as a priest, he acted as a mediator for the people of Israel, as a king, he acted as a mediator for the people of Israel, and as a prophet, he acted as a mediator from God to the people of Israel.
However, this was a human mediator, but because Jesus Christ came into this world, Jesus became a priest, Jesus became a prophet, and Jesus became the King of kings, so that he became a witness of the gospel to us.
So, in the Old Testament, humans became priests, humans became kings, and humans became prophets to testify in part about the Messiah through types and pictures, but in the New Testament, Jesus Christ, who is anointed as a reality, appears and gives us reality. The fact is that it has been shown.
In the Old Testament times, man was our mediator, but in the New Testament times, Jesus became our mediator.
Now there is no priest. King',,,,,,,,,,, there is no prophet.
Who is the prophet now? Jesus Christ, King, Priest == Jesus Christ.
(Col 1:1) Paul, who became an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy, his brother,
It is said to be Christ Jesus.
The word Jesus can be divided into Hebrew and Greek.
In Hebrew, it is said to be Joshua, and in Greek it is said to be Jesus.
What does Joshua mean in Hebrew?==Jehovah is salvation.
The word Jesus means?=-= He who will save his people from their sins.
Just as the redemption of the nation of Israel was completed through Joshua at that time, it was shown in the New Testament as a model and Greek for the completion of redemption through Jesus Christ.
Just as in the Old Testament, the earth flowing with salt and honey was conquered by Joshua, so the eternal kingdom of God through Jesus Christ!! The power to conquer the new heavens and the new earth where there will be no more tears, sorrows and sighs is the name of Jesus. It means being caught inside.
Therefore, the apostle Paul is explaining what kind of apostle he is, saying that he became an apostle of Christ Jesus.
(Colossians 1:2) To the saints in Colossae, the faithful brethren in Christ: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
.Who are the Saints in Colossae?
The faithful in Christ!
Who are the faithful saints? Those who are faithful in Christ Jesus are saints, but those who are not in Jesus cannot become saints, no matter how devout they are, how much they do almsgiving work, and how much they live a good and clean life.
Here, the word saint is said to be set apart.
We became saints because God called us and made us different, not because of our actions.
The truth is, we were not faithful. We were the unrighteous. We were enemies with God, and we were dead in our trespasses and sins, but because of Jesus' merits, we became faithful in Jesus, so we are sinners, but by God's grace we are called saints.
The title of saint is not for everyone. Only those who have received forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ and become children of God can enjoy the blessings of the saints.
God wants us to be saints.
God wants us to be more faithful among the saints.
God said to David, "You are a man after My own heart." David did not commit any sin and never made a mistake, so he is not a righteous man. He made many mistakes and sinned.
A faithful brother here does not refer to a person who has not committed any sin. I'm not talking about someone who has never lied. A person who makes up for his own shortcomings!! A person who knows the greatness of God!! Those who know the grace of Jesus Christ!!! That person is a faithful person.
That is why David was recognized as a man after God.
(Colossians 1:2) To the saints in Colossae, the faithful brethren in Christ: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
For those of us who believe in Jesus, grace and peace cannot fall apart. If grace is a needle, then peace is like a thread.
Just as needle and thread cannot fall, grace and peace cannot fall.
Emphasis on!!!!
Ex) Just as it is a fixed fact that peace comes to a wife who is convinced of her husband’s love
Those who realize the love of God!! Those who have realized the grace of God!! As much as I realized God's grace, my heart was at ease.
Apostle Paul, who realized God's love and God's grace, was able to enjoy peace in prison, rejoice, and be thankful.
Rather, he was able to maintain his joy even in prison because he realized God's grace to the extent that he exhorted the saints outside the prison, saying, "Rejoice ye!
Those who do not understand the grace of God!! Those who do not confirm the grace of God cannot enjoy peace of mind.
Why is my heart at peace? What can be peaceful in a place where there is no choice but to do harm in the midst of frustration, disappointment, and despair? It is the result of confirming the love and grace of Christ. Peace of mind is the hallmark of those who believe in Jesus. It means that the cottage or the palace is the kingdom of heaven.
So, if we realize the grace of the Lord through the word of the Lord, regardless of our circumstances, whether we have money or not, whether we have wealth or not, whether our honor rises or not, it does not matter!! Regardless of whether you are healthy or ill, your mind is at peace.
(John 14:27) Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid.
(John 16:33) This I tell you, that you may find peace in me. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
The peace the world gives is physical peace! The peace that God gives is spiritual peace. Spiritual peace is the fact that without realizing the grace of God, that peace does not come.
This wonderful peace of God cannot be changed, added to, or subtracted from by fleshly conditions.
Therefore, the more we realize the grace of God, the more the peace of Christ will rule over us in our hearts.
(Phil 4:4) Rejoice in the Lord always, I say again, rejoice.
(Philippians 4:5) Let your generosity be made known to all, for the Lord is near (Philippians 4:6) Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God (Philippians 4:6) 7) Then the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
This is characteristic of Christians. Those who believe in Jesus can always rejoice.
Those who do not believe in Jesus can rejoice when their lives improve and all of their lives are enriched, but those who believe in God can always rejoice regardless of their circumstances, regardless of their circumstances, regardless of their lives.
This is characteristic of Christians.
Everyone!
Always rejoice!! Pray without ceasing!! Thank you for everything!!!