 Father, we thank you Lord for this day. We thank you for this time together. Lord, we thank you for your word. Thank you for yet another opportunity and a privileged Lord to gather together to study your word, Father God. And Lord, we ask, O God, that you would manifest your glory. Lord, even as your word is spirit and life. Lord, may we experience Lord spirit and life, even as we Lord take in the word, receive your word. And Lord, we also see that the entrance of your word gives light, gives understanding to the simple. And may that be your experience as well Lord. May your words Lord illuminate our lives. May your words dispel God, all kinds of darkness and everything that is of the enemy. Lord, far away from us Lord, I pray that your word will reshape us Lord, the things that need to be reshaped in our thinking, in our mindsets Lord. I pray that your word will reshape. I pray that your word will wash as Father God today. Yes Master, it has enabled us to wash, be washed by the waters of your word today. We thank you. If I thank you for this time, we come at this time into your mighty hands. In Jesus' matchless name, we pray. Amen. Okay, so we've been looking at Colossians, right? Colossians chapter one, and we went through to verse ten, I think. Okay, just to recap, probably from verse nine onwards, so Paul hears about the faith of the Colossians, the Colossian church, and he hears about the well-being of the believers, he hears about the faith of their believers, and the love that they have, love in the Spirit is what he mentions. And so he begins to pray for them, and he says, this is what I always pray. So verse nine is about that. Okay, let me just read that. For this reason, we also, since the day we heard it, God sees to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with all might according to His glorious power. For all patience and long suffering with joy, giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. And then he goes on to say what God has done. Okay, so he says, since the day we heard it meaning, since the day we heard of your faith, of your love, from a paper for us, we don't stop praying for you. So he says, we do not cease to pray for you, we don't stop praying for you. And this is what he prays, he's been praying for them, for the believers. He's saying, I pray that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will. Who's will, God's will, that is just praying that you would not walk in ignorance, but that you would walk with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. So what is God's will when it comes to these things? So that may you be filled with the knowledge of God's will? When you say God's will, the word used there is called desire. So what is it that pleases God when it comes to various things? He talks about in all wisdom and spiritual understanding that you may be filled. Verse 10, this is where we stop. He says that you may walk worthy of the Lord. We see in several of his episodes that, in the previous episodes also, we see that Paul prays this or he instructs this. He said that walk worthy of the Lord. The Lord has done great things. He has gone on the cross. He has changed a lot of things for you. He has reversed sin. He has reversed the consequences of sin. He has extended grace and mercy and he is faithful. So walk worthy of all that he has done for you. Walk worthy, walk in a manner that's worthy of all that you have become. So he's saying walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him. And he says being fruitful in every good work, increasing in the knowledge of God. So being fruitful, being successful, having a good impact in every good work. Philippians also talks about, or Ephesians 2 talks about how God has prepared the good work before that we should walk in them. Let me just look at that verse. Ephesians 2 and verse 10 says, His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. So we've been prepared for good works that God has already prepared that we should walk in them. So here he's saying that being fruitful in every good work, the good work that you are involved in, that you're engaging in, may you be fruitful in that. Fruitful meaning let it be effective, let it be successful and be fruitful in it. Let it have the desired effect or desired outcome. So that's verse 10. And he says, and increasing in the knowledge of God. So some of the things that can happen to a believer, especially if a believer has been walking with the Lord for maybe a few years. The tendency is to slow down. Maybe not have that fire, maybe not have that passion and it could happen to the best of us. Not have that fire, not have that passion and also not continuing to study. Not continuing to study and not continuing to grow in God. So he's saying, this is what I'm praying that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fruitful in every good work, increasing in the knowledge of God. So the knowledge that he's talking about there is not information, but it refers to experiential knowledge. There's a difference between gnosis and epigenosis. So the word he uses here is epigenosis, meaning let it be experiential, precise, correct experiential knowledge. Something that is so precise and experiential. So you grow in the knowledge of God. Let it not be just information, but you grow in the knowledge of God. Grow in knowing Him as a person, intimately experiencing. Because after all, he's living and alive and he's got to communicate. So grow in the knowledge of Him. Verse 11, strengthen with all might according to His glorious power for all patients and long suffering with joy. So first part of epigenosis, strengthen with all might according to His glorious power. Here again, just like how we see in Ephesians 6, and I think it's verse 10, or let me just check. Maybe it's Ephesians 6-10. Then he's talking about, just before talking about the armor, he refers to, yeah. So finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. The same thing, he's praying here, what he's exhorting them, he's praying for them, that you would be strengthened with all might according to His glorious power. So what is it? What is it actually? So what he's saying is that you would be strong in the power of God. That you would be strong in the supernatural power of God. The supernatural power of God, where he uses two different words here, that you may be strengthened with all might and the word used there is dunamis. According to His glorious power and the word used there is kratos. So two different words there. So what does dunamis refer to? It refers to strength, power, ability. It is power for performing miracles. So the word is normally used referring to divine power or divine ability, referring to God's power, God's ability. So he's saying strengthened with all might according to His glorious power. According to God's power or God's strength, according to His deed. So he's saying that you be strong in God's power. So that's actually something for us to learn, something for us to understand. Again, that the power of God is something that we don't have to shy away from. God's desire is that we be strong in His power. That we not only experience His power, but also be strong in it for what? For the sake of others, for the sake of ministry. So if you look at this particular verse, saying according to His glorious power, for all patience and long-suffering with joy, that seems to be something very different. He's saying you be strong in God's supernatural power for all patience and long-suffering. So this is what we exercise. We exercise patience while interacting with impatient people. We go through certain things and we call it long-suffering when we interact with others in relationship with others. So Paul here is saying that you be strong in God's supernatural power and ability to display these things. Patience and long-suffering. Yes, God's supernatural power and ability is also to minister the supernatural and signs wonders and miracles. But here he's talking about Christ-likeness. You display Christ-likeness. You display long-suffering being strengthened with the supernatural power of God. So the supernatural power of God is not only for signs wonders and miracles, it's not only for ability to minister in that manner, but also to reflect the nature and the character of Christ. To be Christ-like, we need the same resurrection power, the same supernatural power of God. So you see that the power of the Holy Spirit is something that is needed for every believer. There's no point in saying, I don't need the power, I need only the character of the love. It is the power of God which enables us to live in such ways so that we can give Him glory. Verse 12, giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. Now it is God who has qualified us. It is God who has actually made us qualified as meaning that there's nothing that we have to give or it's nothing that we have performed, but it is God who has qualified us. To be partakers of His inheritance in the saints. So look at that word, partaker, it means to share or to participate in. So to share or participate in what? In the inheritance. Something that is our portion, something that is given to us as our portion, something that we have inherited, something that we have received, not because we have worked, because we are part of family. Inheritance is always, in most cases, it's because we are part of family. We are somewhere connected to the person who is giving it and passing on this inheritance. So we are, in other words, only is, get inheritance, people who are connected as family. So that's another thing that we see here, that we are family and because of which we are partakers, we can participate, we can receive our share of the inheritance of the saints in the light. So all the saints of God, all the believers have inheritance and then we see what is it that we have inherited. The right standing with God, the grace, the authority, position, everything that we have inherited because of Christ. So we are made as partakers of the inheritance. Let me also share the notes here. So he has delivered us as people who are saints who are in the light. That's another thing verse 12 talks about that we are partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. So we see that God is light in whom there is no darkness. So we are in the kingdom of light. And even though in this world, we are in this world, we are not of the world. We are in the kingdom of his light. So we are saints in the light. Verse 13, he has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of his love. The seeded on the cross. He had delivered us from the domain, from the rule and reign of darkness, from the rule and reign of Satan. So we have been delivered. So the thing is for us to know that as new creations, we have been delivered. We have already been set free. We have already been delivered simply because we are now in the kingdom of light. We have been delivered from the power of darkness. So that word power again is translated as the delegated power or the authority. So you can say authority or jurisdiction. So exusia is the word used there. So what has happened is that that power we have been set free from the authority or jurisdiction of the devil, of darkness. So darkness is used figuratively. So we have been set free from that and conveyed or the old English word is translated conveyed, which means we have been just removed and moved to another place, kind of like transferred. We have been moved into or carried away into what? Into the kingdom of his dear son. So we've been taken away from the kingdom of darkness and carried into the kingdom of his son, Jesus. In whom we have redemption through his blood. In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins. So we have learned about that the fact that we have been redeemed. And again, just to remind us that word used there as redemption is something that is used for being a ransom. Somebody who is kidnapped and kept captive. The price is paid or some exchange is made something is paid as a ransom and bought back. So that is what has happened. You know, he paid that price, whatever was needed in order to take us back to redeem us. So he's done that. Okay. Okay. Then from now on, he's talking about the deity of Christ, right? Who Christ is from verse 15 onwards. Let's read verse 15. He is the image of the invisible God. The first born over all creation for by him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth. Visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things and in him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the first born from the dead. And in all things that in all things he may have preeminence for at least the father that in him all the fullness should dwell and by him to reconcile all things to himself by him. Whether things on earth or things in heaven having made peace through the blood of his cross. Okay, so very clearly the Lord Jesus being portrayed as one who is eternal as the creator as the one who is the image of that invisible God. Right, so if we want to, if there's any question about the deity of Christ, you know, this, he just clarifies, you know, did they believe the deity of Christ? Or was he like, you know, the father was God, but then the son was not everything is put to rest here. You know, he says he is the image of the invisible God, the first born over all creation. Okay, by him, all things were created. So, which means he's saying that he is the one who created, right? He is creator by him, all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible. So, you know, whether it's physical or whether it's spiritual, he created and we know that when in Genesis, when we read, we see that. He spoke, right, God spoke things into existence. He spoke and then, you know, his word is something that is spiritual and that brought things into the physical realm. Right, we see like the earth and everything that is physical coming into being, meaning coming into existence. And as and when he spoke something, as and when he released like something that was spiritual, right? So, the spiritual realm being the first and the natural and the physical realm being secondary, right? The physical realm being created by the spiritual realm, right? Coming into being from the spiritual realm. So, this we see. So, and he's saying that he is God, the first born over all creation, right? So, just one second. So verse 15 came. So, when he says first born, right, he's talking about the fact that he was the one who was the prototype, right? Like the first one to have risen from the dead and as a new creation, right? Of course, he was sinless. He did not require that sense that he did not require any forgiveness or washing away. But the fact is that he was his body, physical body became a glorified body and he became the first born over all creation. And that is something that we see over every creature. So, he is that prototype. He is that pattern. He is that example. So, we know that we will be like him when redemption is complete with our glorified bodies and we will be like him. Okay. So, by him, all things were created. Whether things on earth, visible and invisible, thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created through him and for him. So, by him and through him referring to the same thing, right? It was by him. It was through him that these things were created, that everything that we see around or even the invisible realm was created by him and through him. And it was created, everything, all creation is for him, right? Is for his plan, is for his purposes. Okay. So, that's the thing. That is why pride and dependence or self dependence and pride and rebellion is something that God detests, right? Because creation was made for him, right? And when creation that is made for him with free will and everything, we, when we with, when we, because of our self dependence and reliance and we are pride and arrogant and we move away from God and that's something that God does not like, right? It displeases him. Well, in James, James 4, we read that he resists the proud. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. So, that's something for us to take note of, right? Because it's because everything was created for him, right? Yes, man fell away and because of which he, he redeemed by his own precious blood and the sacrifice on the cross. And now the purchased possession also belongs to him, right? So, by the blood, no, we were, we purchased us by his precious blood and which means that now we are his possessions, purchased possessions. So, whether it's, you know, before the fall or after, or even, whether it's, you know, before redemption or after redemption, you know, or as new creations or even as those who are unredeemed, you know, we actually were created for him. That's something that we need to see. Okay. And he's before all things and in him, all things consist. Very clear. Verse 18, that he is the head of the church. And he is the head of the church, the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the first born from the dead, that in all things he may have preeminence. Again, is talking about the deity of Christ, the surpassing glory of Christ, the honor that is due to him, everything, you know, is mentioned here. So, what is it that he is before all things and by him, all things consist. And he is the head, which means he's the, you know, it's like, he's the top most, right? See, he's the chief, he's the most prominent one. Okay. He's the head. And in other words, it also means the cornerstone. Okay. The most important part, right? The cornerstone. So, he's the head of the body. So, if you say that, yes, this is a physical body or this is a spiritual body. Literally, it means that he is the head of the body. So, the instruction comes from the head. The head processes everything and gives instruction to the different members of the body. So, he's before all things, by him, all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church. Okay. So, the word used there for church, there is ecclesia. Okay. Which means the gathering of people, the ones who are called out for a specific purpose, the assembly or the assembling or gathering of people. You know, it was a word which was used in secular terms also, which meant that it was a gathering of people. It was an assembly of people for a particular, you know, in a public space. They would meet in a public space to talk about something, to discuss something or to debate about something, right? So, this word was used, ecclesia. So, for the believer, it means that, or for the church, or for the, you know, the ones who were born again, it means that these are the called out ones and the ones who are called out of darkness and the ones who are commissioned, called out for a purpose. And the gathering or the assembly of the called out ones. Okay. So, that is the church. So, church is here, you know, from this we understand that the term church is not referring to a place, it's not referring to a building. Okay. Very clear. Church means people. Church means collectively the people, the saints who are called out. Or the assembling together of the saints. So, assembling together means a gathering, meeting in one place. So, over a period of time, you know, it has come to mean the building itself or the place where they gather. And we use it, you know, you meet by the church. What we are actually saying is we meet by the church building, the building where the church gathers. Right. So, you know, in the giving directions to someone, we say, okay, you go there, there will be a church there. And, you know, you take a right over there. So, it's become common usage now, so much so people say, okay, the church is a place. Well, actually, it is not so. Right. So, he is the first one that in all things, he may have preeminence. So, what does that mean? In all things that he may have preeminence. The word used there means he is the first in rank or influence. Okay. So, you see, the important position that Christ has, the Lord has. Right. So, he is the creator. He is the first born over all creation. Right. The first one, first born from the dead. Right. He was the one who is resurrected and has a glorified body. And we see that he in all things that he may have preeminence. So, he is the first in rank and first in influence. He has that place of honor. Whether we consider that or not, he has that place of honor. Okay. That in all things, he may have the preeminence. Now, that's our God. That's our Lord. Okay. And verse 19, for it pleased the Father that in him all the fullness should dwell. Okay. That in Christ, all the fullness. Okay. So, that word again is play Roma. Okay. That in him all, you know, all the fullness should dwell. So, it refers to, you know, a ship in those days containing the merchant ship containing all the goods and all the, you know, the freight and all the commodities and everything. So, the ship was loaded to capacity. Right. Full capacity. It can hold every space, how much of a weight it can hold because it's going to be sailing and so it was filled. Right. So, that's the picture that we have of, you know, that being filled with the fullness. So, what does he say please the Father that in him in Christ all the fullness should dwell. So, again, when it comes to talking about the divinity or the deity of Christ, so Christ is Lord. He's worthy of worship because in him all the fullness dwell. So, whether it's the Father, the Son or the Holy Spirit, it's not like the one third plus one third plus one third, you know, it's not like that. So, it's a different equation altogether that in Christ the fullness should dwell. So, which means in the Father the fullness will dwell and in the Holy Spirit the fullness will dwell. It dwells. Right. So, if you're fully God, it's not like one third God. Okay. Which is again, you know, we know it's a mystery and the Trinity, how God is, you know, exists three persons but God is one. Right. So, at least the Father that in him all the fullness should dwell and by him to reconcile all things to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of his cross. So, reconcile. Okay. So, take back to bring about healing if there was any separation to bring an end to that separation. So, that is what, I'm sorry. So, that is what it means. Right. So, it means by him to reconcile all things to himself and by the blood of his cross to reconcile all things unto himself. So, to bring things back to a state of peace and harmony and if there's anything, you know, any separation, anything that was broken to bring it back. Okay. So, we know that mankind was separated from God because of sin. Right. You know, human humanity was separated from God because of sin. So, by him, Christ, by through Christ, everything was brought back, whatever was broken was fixed, whatever was disconnected was brought back so that man could again commune with God. Right. So, having made peace through the blood of his cross, it's through the cross and through the work of the cross. Okay. So, we see that this is what Christ did and this is what the Lord Jesus is. This is who he is. Right. Okay. Let's read from verse 21. And you who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and blameless and above reproach in his sight. If indeed you continue in the faith grounded and steadfast and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven of which I fall became a minister. Okay. So, what is saying that is that you who once were alienated, we were separated, separated from Christ, distanced from Christ and we were alienated. Right. And this is when we did not know God, when we did not know Christ, we were alienated. So, that is what he's referring to. And the same was of Colosse, the Colossian believers. They were all alienated, distanced from God. That is saying, you know, you were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works. So, you were enemies of God. Okay. Not just alienated, but you were enemies of God. You did not want to follow him. You did not want to do anything to do with him. You were enemies in your mind by wicked works. And so, now he's saying that you were actually enemies and in your mind. And yet now he has reconciled, yet now he has brought back how in the body of his flesh through death, through his dying on the cross in the body of his flesh through that sacrifice. What did he do? He presented you holy and blameless and above reproach in his sight. Now, this is what he did. This is how he reconciled through his own death, through his own body being destroyed. In verse 23, he says, if indeed you continue in the faith, what does that mean? You know, the fact that you are presented holy and blameless and above reproach, okay? That happens if you continue on. It's not like you, well, I received him as a Lord and Savior. Now, I live, you know, however way I want. Now, that's going to distance yourself. You're going to come to a place of rejecting Christ. Right? So, it's something that we need to know that it's not automatic, but you need to continue in the faith. If indeed you continue in the faith, grounded, steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every preacher in the heaven of which I, Paul became a minister. So, you don't move away, you don't distance yourself from the gospel. Okay. Okay. Now, let's read from verse 24. Okay. Just one second. Sorry. Okay. So, verse 24 onwards, I now rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ for the sake of his body which is the church of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you to fulfill the word of God. The mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations but has now been revealed to his saints. To them, God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. In him, we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ. To this end, I labor, I also labor striving according to his working which works in me mightily. Okay. So, I guess we'll just stop here and just go through. Okay. So, you're saying I now rejoice in my sufferings for you. It's just like Paul mentioning in the book of Philippians. So, he's saying I rejoice in my sufferings for you. We know that he was imprisoned again. It is again a prison epistle but Paul being the person that he was having for him the reality of heaven, the reality of Christ was much more than any physical suffering. So, he's saying I rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill up in my flesh what is lacking. What is lacking in the afflictions of Christ. Okay. So, what he's saying is that, so yeah, when we look at it, was there anything lacking in Christ? Was there any lack at all in Christ? Did he lack anything in his ministry? Did he lack anything in the sense, did he fall short of anything? The answer is no. Because we are completing him. When he down the cross, he spoke these words and he says it is finished meaning he brought to an end whatever he was supposed to do. The old covenant was come to an end. The new covenant started and all that. So, there was nothing lacking. So, what did he mean? Okay. So, in the afflictions of Christ, he's talking about the sufferings, the persecutions that he's going through for the sake of the ministry. It is not Christ's suffering on the cross, but he's talking about the afflictions of Christ. He's talking about the ministry sufferings or the persecutions that he was going through. So, he's talking about that for the sake of his body which is the church. And so he's saying, you know, I rejoice. I fill up in my flesh. In other words, he's saying that, you know, I go through this. I voluntarily take it up in my ministry. I want to take it up and it seems as if he's filling up. He's going to places where knowing that he will be persecuted. He's going to places knowing that there will be physical danger. He's going to play, you know, such places to share the gospel. It's as if he's filling up. He's filling up, you know, all the sufferings. He's filling up in his, in himself, you know, all these persecutions and so on. So he's saying, I know I rejoice in it and I fill up in my flesh. You know, I take it up. What is lacking in the afflictions of Christ? You know, for the sake of the ministry, for the sake of the gospel, right? And for the sake of his body. So he's saying, I fill up my flesh. What is lacking in the afflictions of Christ? For the sake of his body, which is the church. For the sake of the church, I don't mind doing this. For the sake of the body of believers, I don't mind doing this. So he's saying, you know, if it means people to be saved, you know, that's what we saw. And the Philippines also is talking about, you know, if I'm going to be here on the earth alive for some more years. And if it means that people will be saved by all means, you know, let me do that. So he's talking about the fruit from his labor. So same way here is saying that, you know, all the suffering and all these afflictions filling up in my flesh. What was lacking in the afflictions of Christ? All this is I'm doing for the sake of the body, for the sake of the people, for the sake of the church. Of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God, which was given to me for you to fulfill the word of God. I think that's very clear, right? The mystery which was hidden from the ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to the same. So this stewardship, he was given this stewardship. What was he stewarding? He was stewarding the call of God. He was stewarding overseeing and making sure he was faithful to what was entrusted to him. That's what a steward does, right? Faithfully dispensing what is entrusted to him. So to Paul was entrusted the mystery. To Paul was entrusted the ministry of the word. So to faithfully dispense or to faithfully distribute or to share the mystery of God. To go and to manifest the power of God. So he says that I became a minister according to this stewardship that was given to me. It's not something that he took up, but he was called for this. Ananias comes and prays and he says, yes. God tells Ananias, he is my witness. He will stand before people and he will witness. So he's my witness. So God chose and God commissioned Paul to do that. So Paul mentions that. What did he steward? He stewarded the mystery which was hidden. This mystery, this whole message, this revelation about the cross, about the work of the spirit and everything which was, which was the knowledge was not there earlier, right? In the earlier times that that knowledge, that understanding was not there. But now here it has been revealed to Paul to all his saints, to all the people of God. Verse 27, to them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of his mystery, of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. So to the saints, God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery. What is it? Among the Gentiles, among the non-Jewish people, God's plan was, okay, this mystery should be made known. That this wonderful or glorious mystery should be made known. What is it? That Christ dwelling in us. Christ dwelling in us the hope of glory. So, which was not known earlier that Christ would dwell in us and the power of the Holy Spirit would be manifest in us that all this would be accomplished on the cross. And this was not a common understanding. But now it has been revealed in this dispensation to the church and to the saints. Okay, so I think we'll stop here and then we'll continue from verse 28 onwards. We'll take a break and come back.