What's the goal?

Later, Epaphras went to see Paul and shared about some people who were teaching another gospel, who today we would call gnostics. They taught that Jesus was not fully God, and that he was also not fully man. True Christians need to come to know the true God through a hidden knowledge that the gnostic teacher could pass on to them. This was a secret wisdom that would lead to an enlightenment which would free them to be truly spiritual.

So far, we have seen Paul giving encouraging words, and a lot of truth to the Colossians. So far, he has not directly challenged the gnostic teaching. Rather he has simply given the true gospel, that Jesus is fully God, and that salvation comes to us through him.

We also saw Paul’s prayer for the Colossian believers. I challenged us all to be praying this for one another, and for all believers.

Colossians 1:9–12 NIV

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.

and how does the Father qualify us to share in the inheritance?

Colossians 1:13–14 NIV

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

And who is that Son that he loves?

Colossians 1:15–20 NIV

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Why did he have to make peace through his blood to reconcile us to God?

Colossians 1:21 NIV

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.

This is how Paul gave gentle, encouraging instruction to these believers who were having their faith challenged. He prayed for them. He reminded them of the true gospel, and just who Jesus really is, fully God, the One who is over all.

Then, last week, we saw our purpose as Christians in this world. And that purpose is to proclaim Christ, the hope of glory!

Colossians 1:28 NIV

He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.

Now, today, we pick this up in chapter 2. Here we will see Paul express the goal he has for the believers in Colossae, and everywhere. We will also see how Paul was currently going about working toward that goal.

Colossians 2:1–5 NIV

I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.

First we will see how Paul was currently working toward the goal, and then we will see what the goal is.

We know that he proclaimed Christ, admonishing and teaching. For the Colossians, and for us, that came through his letter. But what else did Paul do? What did he do primarily? For this is just a letter. What did he do all of the other days when he was not writing this letter? How did he daily work toward the goal?

Paul was contending

What does that mean?

agonizing, wrestling, struggling

for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally.

How was he wrestling...

He was not with them…

He was under house arrest, chained to a soldier unable to go anywhere to engage with them or with those opposing them

Remember the setting for Paul:

Acts 28:30 NIV

For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him.

Apparently Epaphras came to see him, and share the news of the church with Paul.

Colossians 4:12 NIV

Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.

In this verse we also see the same term for wrestling…

How were Paul and Epaphras wrestling?

Ephesians 6:10–12 NIV

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

What are the schemes?

Ephesians 4:14 NIV

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.

Did God really say?

Ephesians 4:17–24 NIV

So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Division and factions in the church

2 Corinthians 2:5–11 NIV

If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely. The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. Another reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

We have a real enemy, going about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, as Peter warned us.

Paul knows that. He knows the real enemies are not our brothers and sisters in the Lord, but the spiritual forces that are trying to introduce false teachings, trying to get us to question the Lord and his word, trying to get believers divided and creating factions over things of this world, and not of his word.

Satan’s schemes are the same today. We have a real enemy.

And we need to wrestle against him.

Ephesians 6:18 NIV

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

This is how Paul wrestled. This is how he agonized and worked hard for the good of the church. We have already seen glimpses of Paul’s prayer ministry in Colossians.

Paul’s emphasis on prayer...

Colossians 1:3 NIV

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,

Colossians 1:9 NIV

How did Paul Pray? We already saw some of his prayer, the prayer I challenge us all to incorporate in our prayers for one another.

At this time, Paul also wrote a letter to the church in Ephesus which is in many ways, parallel to the letter to the Colossians. In Ephesians we get even more glimpses into how Paul wrestled in prayer.

As we read these prayers, look for what might be the goal of his wrestling in prayer.

Ephesians 1:15–19 NIV

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength

Ephesians 3:14–19 NIV

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

What was he contending for?

What was the goal?

We can see it in the prayers, and Paul spelled it out in Colossians.

Colossians 2:2 NASB 2020

that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and that they would attain 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,

Goal: They be encouraged having been knit together in love

encouraged why?

confusion

discouragement

encourage how?

being united - being brought together, can be used of an argument being brought together to a logical conclusion, or of parts of a body being brought together as one

People are longing for:

companionship

validation

affection belonging

meaning

purpose

identity

relief

This can be found in Christ, and in his body as we love one another.

Knowing Christ’s love enables us to love...

Encouraged in heart being knit together so that they may have full assurance of understanding

full assurance.

Christ’s love gives us the full assurance of our acceptance in him.

His love gives the assurance that the Father has reconciled us to himself.

Christ’s love gives us the full assurance that we have been given and inheritance in his kindgom of light!

Full assurance of understanding so that they may know the mystery of God—Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge

mystery - God’s wisdom. Found in his word. Not inaccessible. It is there for those who seek. and those who seek will find it is in CHrist!