The Work of  Christ--Colossians 1:19-2:3

     What is a mystery?  "In the New Testament the word implies something which, while it may be obscure in nature, or kept hidden in the past, is now revealed." (Vincent, Marvin R., Word Studies in the New Testament.  Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1976; vol. 3; page 478)  This mystery is considered in Colossians 1:19-2:3, "The Work of  Christ."  Examine, then:

I. THE DESCRIPTION OF  THE WORK OF  CHRIST--1:19-23
     A. In Relation to God--v. 19
          1. God was pleased.
               a. The words The Father were supplied by the translators; but either these words or God need to be supplied.
               b. Three times we read that God is pleased with the Son.
                    (I) At His baptism
                    (II) Through the Prophet Isaiah as quoted in Matthew 12
                    (III) At His transfiguration
          2. All fullness dwells in Him.
               a. "All fullness"
                    (I) Some understand it to be the same as Colossians 2:9.
                    (II) The context, however, would more readily allow that it is the fullness of  saving grace and power as
                         Saviour.
               b. "We do not exclude the work of  creation as a result of  this fullness laid up in the Image and First-born,
                    but the apostle seems to connect it more with the process and results of  redemption.  Whatever is needed to
                    save a fallen world, and restore harmony to the universe is treasured up in Him--is in Him." (Eadie, 7)
     B. In Relation to Creation--v. 20
          1. The act of  reconciliation
               a. "Through Him to reconcile all things to Himself."
               b. The all things
                    (I) Corresponds to the that in vv. 16, 17
                    (II) Thus, corresponds to creation
                    (III) All creation itself is to be redeemed--Cf. Romans 8:19-23
               c. The word reconcile
                    (I) Means "to reconcile completely"; but never means mutual reconciliation
                    (II) God is reconciling man to Himself.
                         (A) God loves us and does not need to be reconciled to us.
                         (B) We are at enmity to God and need to be reconciled to Him.
                    (III) Adam and Eve a good example--cf. Genesis 3:8
          2. The means of  reconciliation
               a. Jesus Christ is the personal means.
                    (I) "By Him"
                    (II) Hebrews 2:17
               b. The cross is the instrumental means.
                    (I) "Through the blood of  His cross."
                    (II) The shedding of  His blood was absolutely necessary.
                    (III) Results in peace|
          3. The extent of  reconciliation
               a. "All things . . . through Him whether things upon the earth or things in the heavens."
               b. Paul is not teaching universalism.
                    (I) Notice the absence of  "Things under the earth" as per Philippians 2:10
                    (II) Creation again is in view--cf. Romans 8:19-23.
               c. The all things--"Must be taken in the same sense as vv. 16, 17, 18, the whole universe, material and
                    spiritual." (Vincent, III:475; italics are his.)
               d. Vincent points out in a footnote that the Scripture teaches that there is "a larger purpose of  God in redemption
                    than is commonly conceived", namely, the redemption of  creation. (Ibid., ftnt.*)
     C. In Relation to the Church--vv. 21-23
          1. The need for reconciliation--v. 21a
               a. Estranged from God
                    (I) The word God is not expressed but clearly is in view here.
                    (II) "The passage shows the spiritual alienation from God which characterized the heathen world. . . . They
                         had strayed so far from God that they had lost all view of  His unity and spirituality, His holiness, and His
                         love, and felt no longer the hallowing influence of  His existence, majesty, and government." (Eadie, 79)
                    (III) Psalm 58:3
               b. Enemies of  God
                    (I) Ephesians 2:12
                    (II) In the mind--the understanding
                    (III) The alienation of  God in the mind manifests itself in wicked works.
          2. The means of  reconciliation--vv. 21b, 22a
               a. The fact of  reconciliation stated--v. 21b
                    (I) Same word as in verse 20
                    (II) Here applied to them personally
               b. The means itself
                    (I) In the body of  His flesh
                         (A) The New Testament makes it very clear that the physical death of  Jesus Christ caused a spiritual
                              result.
                         (B) Cf. 1 Peter 2:24a
                    (II) By death
                         (A) This is the instrumental cause.
                         (B) The actual physical death of  Jesus Christ on the cross is what is in view here.
                         (C) This clearly answers those who try to make His death something other than substitutionary.
          3. The results of  reconciliation--v. 22b
               a. He presents every believer
                    (I) Holy--the beginning of  a believer's purity in Christ
                    (II) Unblameable--the development of  a believer's purity in Christ
                    (III) Unreprovable--the result of  a believer's purity in Christ
               b. He presents every believer in His sight.
                    (I) God sees every believer in Jesus Christ.
                    (II) Thus, every believer is as pure as He is.
                    (III) There may also be a reference here to the believer's glorified position.
          4. The condition of  reconciliation--v. 23
               a. "If  you continue"
                    (I) A simple condition which assumes the reality of  the premise
                    (II) Thus, Paul was assuming their continuance in the faith.
               b. The required condition
                    (I) Faith in the reconciling work of  the Savior
                         (A) The plain teaching of  the New Testament
                         (B) Cf. Romans 3:24, 25
                    (II) 1 John 2:19
               c. The security
                    (I) Grounded--alludes to the cause of  continuance in faith
                    (II) Settled--alludes to the effect of  continuance in faith
                    (III) Not moved away--alludes to the general result of  continuance in faith
               d. The hope of  the gospel
                    (I) Cf. verse 5
                    (II) Which was preached to every creature under heaven--speaks of  the universality of  the gospel message
               e. There is a valid warning here against presumption.
                    (I) "For man is not acted on mechanically by the grace of  God, but his whole spiritual nature is excited to
                         earnest prayer, and anxious effort.  Its continuance in the faith is not the unconscious impress of  an
                         irresistible law, but the result of  a diligent use of  every means by which belief may be fostered and
                         deepened.  The fact that God keeps believers make them, distrustful of  themselves, and dependent upon
                         Him.  And the confidence of  success inspirits them." (Eadie, 85, 86)
                    (II) Here is where the fear of  the Lord comes in--cf. Hebrews 12:28, 29a

II. THE PROPAGATION OF  THE WORK OF  CHRIST-1:24-2:3
     A. It Is a Joyous Task--1:24-27
          1. The rejoicing of  Paul
               a. The word who
                    (I) Though it does not have good manuscript authority, there is no better word.
                    (II) Some word has to be supplied there to make good English sense.
                    (III) Contextually it would refer to Paul.
               b. Philippians 4:4
          2. The sufferings of  Paul
               a. Remember Paul was in prison for the sake of  the gospel.
               b. He alludes to the cause of  his sufferings.
               c. His sufferings were in behalf of  the Colossians.
          3. The problem of  the passage
               a. The meaning of  the phrase--"And fill up that which is behind of the in my flesh for His body's sake,
                    which is the church."
               b. Negatively considered
                    (I) Does not imply any lack in the atonement of  Christ
                         (A) Cf. 1 Corinthians 1:13
                         (B) The word rendered affliction is never used in the New Testament of  the atoning work of  Christ.
                    (II) "Not that the afflictions of  Paul, or any other, were expiations for sin, as the sufferings of  Christ were.
                         There was nothing wanting in them, nothing which needed to be filled up." (Henry, VI:754; italics are his .)
                    (III) Several interpretations have been set forth, most of  which are foreign to the context.
               c. Positively pondered
                    (I) Paul, even at his conversion,was shown the close relation of  the believers' sufferings and those of  the
                         Lord.
                         (A) Acts 9:4--yet who was he persecuting?
                         (B) Acts 9:16
                    (II) Paul saw his own afflictions in the light of  his union with Christ.
                         (A) They were a continuation of  the world's hatred of  Christ.
                         (B) Thus, Paul's sufferings were transformed into blessings.
                    (III) His service to the church is a stewardship given by God as stated in v. 24.
          4. The revelation of  the mystery--vv. 25-27
               a. A dispensation of  God
                    (I) Paul was given a special revelation.
                    (II) This revelation was for the church to fulfill the word of  God.
               b. The nature of  the mystery
                    (I) The word itself means something previously hidden--"The mystery of  the gospel was long hidden:  it was                            concealed from ages and generations, the several ages of  the" assembly "under the Old Testament
                         dispensation." (op. cit., 755)
                    (II) The mystery was hidden in times past.
                    (III) The mystery is now made manifest to God's saints, you and me.
                    (IV) Some characteristics
                         (A) The mysteries is riches.
                         (B) These riches are glorious.
                         (C) They are for us Gentiles.
                    (V) The mystery itself is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
                         (A) Ephesians
                              (1) 2:12-14
                              (2) 3:1-6
                         (B) "Observe, Christ is the hope of  glory.  The ground of  our hope Christ in the word, or the gospel
                              revelation, declaring the nature and methods of  obtaining it.  The evidence of  our hope is Christ in the
                              heart, or the sanctification of  the soul, and its preparation for the heavenly glory." (Ibid.)
                         (C) O that we might fully grasp this glorious hope.  It will change our attitudes toward sufferings; yea,
                              toward everything.
     B. It Has a Specific Aim--1:28, 29
          1. The proclamation of  a Person
               a. It is Whom we preach.
               b. Christianity is not
                    (I) A system of  ethics or philosophy--the very heresy that Paul was combating.
                         (A) It has ethics.
                         (B) It has philosophy (Cf. A Biblical Philosophy).
                    (II) A theory of  knowledge--it presents knowledge.
                    (III) A system of  theology--it has theology.
                    (IV) A church which is the result of  Christianity.
               c. Christianity is a Person.
          2. The proclamation of  a negative
               a. There is a warning to present.
               b. This warning is to every man (Cf. John 3:36)
               c. This warning is in keeping with the Lord's Person--His very life was a warning.
          3. The proclamation of  a positive
               a. There is a teaching to give.
               b. There is a teaching to give to every man.
               c. This teaching is in all wisdom .
                    (I) "We must choose the fittest seasons, and use the likeliest means, and accommodate ourselves to the
                         different circumstances, and capacities of  those we have to do with, and teach them, as they are able to
                         bear." (op. cit., 754-5)
                    (II) Christ is that wisdom--cf. 1 Corinthians 1:30a.
          4. The purpose of  the proclamation
               a. The word that is used to express purpose.
               b. The word present is the same as in verse 22.
               c. To present every man perfect in Christ Jesus
                    (I) The goal of  the ministry is not simply to present salvation, as important as that is.
                    (II) The goal of  the ministry is to bring believers to maturity and blameless in Christ.
                    (III) True evangelism
                         (A) Will not just try to get a person saved.
                         (B) Will also try to get him to live the life.
                    (IV) Cf. Galatians 4:19
          5. The practice of  the proclamation
               a. Co-laborers with God
               b. A minister strives with all that is in him.
               c. God works through him, thus energizing and causing him success.
     C. It Requires an Anxious Concern--2:1-3
          1. The wrestling--v. 1
               a. The word conflict
                    (I) Same root as striving in 1:29
                    (II) Refers to an athletic contest--cf. Hebrews 12:1
               b. As Paul wrestled in prayer for the Colossians
                    (I) Pastors do so for their churches and others.
                    (II) Pastors do so more than anyone can suspect.
               c. "I love Thy Church, O God!  Her walls before Thee stand Dear as the apple of  Thine eye, And graven on
                    Thy hand.  For her my tears shall fall; For her my prayers ascend; To her my cares and toils be given, Till
                    toils and cares shall end."
          2. The desire--v. 2
               a. Comforted hearts
                    (I) The idea is confirmed hearts.
                    (II) A pastor frequently desires to see the hearts of  his members confirmed in the things of  the Lord.
               b. Knitted together
                    (I) In love--how often a pastor desires to see his people joined in love for one another.
                    (II) Unto full assurance of  understanding--the pastor desires to see stability in walk and talk.
               c. Acknowledging the mystery of  God
                    (I) Grows out of  having full assurance of  understanding
                    (II) The mystery of  God
                         (A) Involves the Father and the Son
                         (B) The source of  all wisdom and knowledge

     Behold the work of  Christ.  Behold the work of  Christ described:  in relation to God, in relation to creation, in relation
to the church.
     Behold the work of  Christ proclaimed.  It is a joyous task even in the midst of  persecution.  It has a specific aim,
namely, to present every believer mature in Christ Jesus.  It requires an anxious concern, as seen by peering into a pastor's heart.
     Though this writer has presented Jesus Christ and His work in two messages, in a real sense the two--His Person and His Work--are inseparable. Christ is His teaching.
     Whether preacher or not, let each of  us be found to be presenting Him, and Him only.