November 9, 2003

Revelation

Colossians 1:24-2:5

v. 24 - Acts 9:15-16 - Christ, the Head, had borne His part.

Now the apostle in turn is doing his part in the great

sum of suffering on behalf of the body of Christ.

Such suffering is common to the Master and His servants.

John 15:20-21

The mystery - “Christ in you, the hope of glory” - v. 27

Sufferings/Glory - Rom. 8:16-18 Philippians 3:9-10

v. 25 - “to fulfill the word of God” - to execute the

Divine Commission - only Christ’s sufferings

were the merit of salvation for all!

He tread the winepress alone - in His temptation by

Satan, angels did not minister to Him until Satan had

left Him alone.

v. 26 - Eph. 3:1-11

ch. 4:13,15-16 - READ & comment

Apparently, St. Paul did not know the Laodecians and

even the Colossians personally. There is nothing in the

Acts of the Apostles that admits of him visiting this region

on any of his missionary journeys.

See ch. 1:7

The Church at Colosse and the one at Laodecia were

very closely allied in origin and condition.

The missing letter has a great chance of being the

letter to the Ephesians.

Ephesians and Colossians are very similar and

closely related.

Mischief/Mystic systems/free masonry (secret

organization)

Allegories in a philosophic and universal religious

system - were compelled ???? to veil their inner

doctrine from the eyes of their stricter, unenlightened

or unsophisticated fellow-believers.

Very close relations - good friend, better or best friend

and close kinfolk.

Things hidden from the natural understanding and/or

previous searchings of men - I Cor. 2:6-16

Paul repudiates the notion of any secrecy or

exclusiveness in its proclamation. (See II Cor. 3:12-4:6)

“but now is made manifest to His saints” - thus the title of

the lesson - REVELATION!

Rom. 16:25-26 Ephesians 1:9-12

Peter’s confession - Acts 11:17-18

“manifest” - to make visible, clear, to uncover,

lay bare, reveal.

v. 27 - The Gentiles - Revelation was so momentous,

so signal in its method, so contrary to human

foresight and prejudice - proceeding as it did

from the will of God!

The book of Ephesians dwells on God’s will as the

cause of the whole counsel and work of salvation.

The apostle is amazed as he contemplates the

boundless riches which the salvation of the Gentiles

revealed in God Himself! Rom. 11:33-36

At last the mystery is defined - CHRIST IN YOU,

THE HOPE OF GLORY!

ch. 3:4 Phil. 3:21

v. 28 - “admonishing and teaching” - two essential

parts of Paul’s ministry - reproof for the past

and especially, warning for the future.

Putting in mind - REVIVAL - lost used to come.

Will MTV bring to mind the things of God - that

your life is a vapor that appears for a little time?

will pro football or basketball reveal to you that

you must stand before the judgment seat of Christ?

Will the local cinema deal with your immorality and

your need for a Savior?

Used to be that the school instructed some in

the ways of the Lord, now can you be admonished and

warned there?

Thus the importance of not forsaking the coming to

God’s house, thus the importance of those in God’s

house taking the word to secular regions.

I am amazed at the inroads of the spirit of anti-christ

in the world today - Polly mentioned of its inroads

in Europe, esp. in Scotland of a teacher called by the

name of holylord?

Three times is the term “every man”

To every man the Divine wisdom in Christ is accessible.

Eph. 3:17-19

“that we may present every man perfect in Christ” -

ch. 1:22 Eph. 4:13-14 - full grown as opposed to

children.

Paul’s bodily suffering - v. 24 and his mental anxiety

in ch. 2:1 for the care of the churches.

Parallel with mischief, false teachings, satanic practices

openly in our society today and the toll it takes -

“vexed Lot’s righteous soul every day”- I mourn!

ch. 2

v.1 - close connection - Colosse and Laodecia.

“I would have you know” - though personally strangers

to Paul, he would have them know that he cared.

Ps. 142:4-5 Job 23:8-10a

Mischief and false teaching, the rejection of the

revelation in Colosse spreading to Laodecia or

vice versa.

Rev. 3:14-22

v.2 - this mischief was unsettling and discouraging.

Knowledge without love - in this age of exaggerated

individualism and selfish culture seeking.

An arrogant self-seeking spirit - intellectual dishonesty

“being knit together in love” - Christians are

prepared to be “led into all the wealth of the

Divine knowledge that has been revealed”

Eph. 1:17-19 4:12-16

“all riches of the full assurance of understanding”

conviction - full measure of maturity.

The ripe, intelligent persuasion of one who enters

into the whole wealth of the “truth as it is in Jesus”

This inward assurance, this conviction, was to be a

fortress in which the Colossians entrenched themselves

against the attacks of error.

v. 3 - Everything

v. 4 - the error.

v. 5 - “your order and the steadfastness of your

faith” - military terms used of a solid front

of a prepared army ready for battle!