colossians bible study notes. fbch 2013-2014. joseph pittano 1 colossians 4:12-18 increasing in the...

Biblecia.com. Colossians Bible Study Notes. FBCH 2013-2014. Joseph Pittano 1

BIBLECIA.COM PRESENTS:

Colossians 4:12-18

“Increasing in the incomparable

Christ!”

knowledge of the

St. Paul’s Letter to the

olossiansC

CLASS NOTES


12 Jan. Day 22.

Draw the canon on the board. Picture courtesy of http://www.biblewheel.com//Wheel/wheel.php

12 “Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis. 14 Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also Demas. 15 Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house. 16 When this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea. 17 Say to Archippus, “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.” 18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my imprisonment. Grace be with you.”

• 12 “Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.”

• We have spoken sufficiently on the man Epaphras already.• He was one of them.• Paul’s commendation of him would establish his position forever. • Doulos is again the word used. • Jesus said to the disciples that he who would be first among them would be the slave, the doulos. Matthew 20:27.• He sent them his greeting. This is the Greek word aspazomai. It connotes a warm wishing, a salute and very warm

wishes. • The amazing love a pastor is given for his people is incredible. Epaphras was, “…always laboring earnestly for

[them] in his prayers…”• What does it mean to know that someone prays for you?• I keep a prayer journal.• There are some young men I’ve been able to influence in life out there. I want to tell them as often as I can that I

believe in them. • I want to lift them up to the Lord as often as I remember them. • Them and their families.

http://www.biblewheel.com/Wheel/wheel.php



• I wonder sometimes if it was just easier to love people when people had less?• Talk about what happened prior to leaving LA with your buddies.

• Just to know their love for me meant the world to me.

• 13 “For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis.”• Epaphras most likely founded these three churches, Colosse, Laodicea and Hierapolis.• According to JFB: “All the three cities were destroyed by an earthquake in A.D. 62

[TACITUS, Annals, 14.27]. Hierapolis was six Roman miles north of Laodicea.”• The Roman Mile: Wikipedia: “Mille passuum (literally "a thousand paces" in Latin, where each pace or

stride was two steps). When marching through uncharted territory, they would often push a carved stick in the ground after each 1000 paces…This equals (4,851 feet or 1,617 yards).

• Our current mile is 5,280 feet.• Laodicea was pretty big business at one point. Hierapolis, not so much.

• It sat on the Lycus River.• Banking, wool and medicine (mainly an eye medicine or salve) was its main export.• It was to Laodicea that Jesus said, “15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that

you were cold or hot.16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.”

• Laodicea’s inadequate water supply forced them to build a large underground aqueduct to pipe in water.

• The city had tepid water that visitors would find distasteful and would spit out. • Well, Colosse was very well known for its cold refreshing mountain springs. Hierapolis for its

hot springs. Laodicea was neither hot (like Hierapolis) nor was it cold (like Colosse).• Jesus, therefore, likened this church to being neither cold (in utter rebellion) or hot (in perfect

harmony of faith) with Him. • Does God want men “cold” for Him?• This is an allusion to Colosse, not to a spiritual “coldness.”

• In vs. 18 He mentions putting “salve” on their eyes. An interesting point noting it as a main export of the city. He also calls them naked (the wool industry). “Poor” (they were bankers).


• Hierapolis is not mentioned nowhere else in Scripture.• It was about 20 miles away from Colosse. Hierapolis sat roughly 6 miles north of Laodicea.

• 14 “Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also Demas.” • Luke, a disciple of Paul.• Luke wrote most of the New Testament. AD 60-61- Luke; 60-62- Acts.• He was Paul’s personal physician and a travelled with him a lot.

• The first time we see him show up is in Acts 16:9-10 when Paul was given his vision of a man from Macedonia pleading for help.

• He writes, “we” there, including himself in the story. • He’s there early on with Paul and there right up to Paul’s end as we see him in 2 Timothy 4:11 as the ONLY one with Paul.

• This, by the way, is the same place we see Mark commended as mentioned before. • He was a faithful brother to the end. God bless Luke.

• Luke’s writings got in the canon because he was associated with Paul.• Here’s an interesting sidebar: • On the canon: • 1 Timothy 5:17-18: 17 “The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at

preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING,” and “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”

• Paul says, “Scripture says…” here.• The first part of this cites Deuteronomy 25:4.• But the second phrase or quote only appears in Luke 7:10 where Jesus sends out the 70. 7 “Stay in that house, eating and

drinking what they give you; for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house.”• Paul knew Luke was inspired. • Luke was a Gentile.

• Support for this is in that Paul does not include him in the, “Of the circumcision” comments just prior in vs. 11. • He is therefore the only Gentile writer of the Bible.

• His gospel was written almost certainly around AD 60-61 with Acts being written at about the same time. • He’s with Paul here in his first imprisonment.• He never mentions Paul’s death.• He never mentions James execution which was in 62.

• Luke therefore gave us, by far, the majority of the historical narrative books of the NT.


• Demas.• Demas, at that time, was mentioned favorably.

• He’s mentioned in three places. Here, in Philemon 24 and in 2 Timothy 4:10.• Philemon and Colossians were both written at roughly the same time.• 2 Timothy 4:10 says, “Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to

Thessalonica…”• Now, we must remember that at this same time just a few verses later Paul says, “16 At my first

defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them. 17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear…” 2 Timothy 4.

• In Roman law you had two hearings like we do arraignments. That determined if the case should go to trial or not.

• Remember though, there’s a reason he’s in prison. Back on our introduction day, 14 Jul, we talked about how Paul was in jail for this very purpose.

• Jesus told Ananias this clearly and Luke wrote that story of Acts. • Paul knew it. He just said it.

• Paul’s statements here about Demas are very bad. • Mark, as we saw, was negatively mentioned, but Paul here writes about his “utter

abandonment” of Paul and of his love for the present world.• All the saints made the distinction between the things of the “world” and those of God.

• 1 John 2:15. Love the world = no love for God, or in you from God. • Demas was clearly a false convert.• 19 “They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would

have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.”• There are many such antichrists John tells us here. This is right after his statement in vs.

15 about the love of the world.• Demas had no love for the Father in him. He loved the world and went to Thessalonica.• This is the doctrine I absolutely love of the perseverance of the saints.


• Who God saves God keeps! If you don’t believe that I pity you the strange blindness to the gospel that lies over your eyes.

• 15 “Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house.” • Perhaps a large party would accompany this letter up to Laodicea.• Perhaps only Tychicus. • Who knows?• Who kept the letter I wonder?

• It’s an interesting question wondering if when the Apostles wrote their letters they had any clue that their writings would be what they are to the church.

• Sure they knew they were important and the word of God, but a canon for thousands of years? It’s an interesting ponder.• Nympha.

• Some versions say, “him.” Others say, “her.” • The ASV American Standard alone (in the versions I’ve see) goes with, “their” here.

• 1 Corinthians 16:19 and Romans 16:5 reference the church in the house of Priscilla and Aquila.• Nymphas is masculine, Nympha is feminine.

• This is the only place this person is mentioned. • Pronounced Numpha in Greek.

• The name means “bridegroom.”• She or he was likely a wealthy member of the church in Laodicea. • They met in this house in Laodicea like the Colossians met in the house of Philemon.

• 16 “When this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea.”

• Again as has been mentioned, the oldest manuscripts of Ephesians don’t contain the phrase, “To the Ephesians” leading us to understand it to be a circular letter coming to them perhaps next.

• Reflect on the joy that we have copies of the Bible we can look at at any time.• • 17 Say to Archippus, “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.”

• In Philemon 2, the only other placed he’s mentioned, he’s called, “Our fellow Soldier.”• Archippus was likely Philemon’s son.


• He’s mentioned alongside Philemon’s wife Apphia with all three thus preceding the statement, “…and to the church in your house.”

• I like what JFB say on this verse. I’ve been thinking of it all week: “The Colossians (not merely the clergy, but the laymen) are directed, "Speak ye to Archippus." This proves that Scripture belongs to the laity as well as the clergy…”

• Some speculate that Archippus was a pastor in Laodicea. • He was to be told by the people to fulfill his ministry.

• This may be because he was young that they needed to tell him. • Epaphras had relayed something regarding this young man to Paul. Paul knew he was called.

• What’s the best calling for a minister of the gospel?• The mystery of sanctification and fulfilling what you’re called to fulfill in life.

• 18 “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my imprisonment. Grace be with you.”• What is an amanuenses?

• Paul signed a postscript. • "Paul's references to his sufferings are not pleas for sympathy; they are his claims to authority, the guarantees of his right to speak."

(Barclay).• Paul is called, “The Apostle of Grace.”

• They all were.• But, oh, the freeing doctrines of justification here against the heresies challenging this church!

• The brevity of writings teaches me of inspiration.• Every word of a sentence is like each letter in the Bible.• They stand alone and yet they stand together.

• Review. • We’ve seen Paul’s story.• His Apostleship.• His thankfulness…even in suffering.• Christ’s Deity.• Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles.• Evil philosophies and things to avoid. • Justification by the work of Christ on the cross.• We then moved into the practical application-• How to conduct ourselves as husbands, wives, etc.• How we’re to live.• We see the lives of many in Paul’s.


• So here we are 22 days, 124 pages, (43,753 words on paper) later. Done. It was too fast! I have to deploy again.

• Exhort them to live like Paul under Christ and like Paul taught.

• Proclaim the gospel!

Class finished.


BIBLECIA.COM PRESENTS:

Colossians 4:12-18

“Increasing in the incomparable

Christ!”

knowledge of the

St. Paul’s Letter to the

olossiansC

CLASS NOTES

colossians bible study notes. fbch 2013-2014. joseph pittano 1 colossians 4:12-18 increasing in the...

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