Col. 1:24-29
The crisis of confidence faced by the Colossians may have caused the church to lose sight of its role in the world. Throughout the history of the church, Christians have generally agreed the church has four great tasks: Worship, Proclamation, Nurture, and Service. Either directly or by implication, Paul addresses each of these tasks in his letter to the Colossians. He has already modeled confident worship before the Colossians. Now he models the way a confident church out to proclaim the gospel.
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Oswald Hoffman—a great communicator himself —wrote of the imperative need for the church to continue proclaiming the gospel:
“Without continued proclamation of the Good News in Christ the church would never have got off the ground: In a generation it would have become extinct.”
In an age when the very notion of announcing any message with passion, authority, and conviction seems strange, Paul reminds us that the church has an ongoing responsibility to proclaim the Gospel.
He does so by pointing to his own ministry of proclamation.
Before we examine what he says in detail, I need to talk about the elephant in the room.
I have always found verse 24 difficult to understand. In no way could Paul be saying his suffering is redemptive. But what does he mean?
Paul seems to be speaking of his call which came when he first encountered Christ on the road to Damascus. Remember how Paul had been feverishly persecuting the young church, then he was confronted by the risen Christ. Christ asked, “Why do you persecute me?” Somehow Christ was so intimately linked to his church that when it suffered He suffered.
Could this be what Paul has in mind, that the suffering of those doing the work of spreading the Gospel is felt by Christ so that it is his suffering as well? More to the point, is he saying that the suffering of the church is necessary if it is to bring Christ’s message into the world? Certainly, in light of history, it’s rare for the church to go long without knowing persecution somewhere.
I think Paul means the accomplishment of Christ’s purpose in and for the church requires those who are willing to suffer with and for the church. Throughout the history of the church, the spread of the gospel has called for men and women who love the cause of Christ enough to suffer.
They might have suffered physically as did Paul and the martyrs. They might have suffered isolation and loneliness as do missionaries who carry the gospel to remote regions and new peoples. They might have suffered humiliation and ridicule as do Christians in many places. They might have suffered the loss of opportunity as do Christians in places like communist China and Muslim lands.
Whatever the situation, the faithful suffering of these Christians has helped the advance of the Kingdom. They have advanced the Kingdom because they embraced the same commission Paul embraced.
Paul’s commission charged him to “proclaim the word of God in fullness.” The pursuit of this mission became his ruling passion. His intensity is captured in verse 29: “To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.”
Here is a commitment which refuses to be casual: “I labor, struggling…” As the Weymouth translation puts it, “I labor with all my strength.” It is a labor which is familiar with bone-weariness.
Here is a commitment which relies upon God’s power. Paul knew his energy alone would be insufficient for the task to which Christ called him, he needed God’s own power. He saw that power at work in his life and freely acknowledges it.
Paul was never a boastful man, never sought the spotlight. He tells the Colossians so much about his commitment to the ministry of proclamation because he wanted them to know the church’s message is important. The church has the stewardship of a message which can change the world, but only if the world hears it.
In the midst of talking about his ministry, Paul touches on every issue which should matter to a church doing the work of proclamation.
We can evaluate our ministry in light of those concerns.
I
WE SHOULD BE CONCERNED WITH THE MESSAGE
Most of the first chapter of Colossians is concerned with the message of the church. Paul knew the the crisis of confidence being faced by the Colossian Christians was rooted in their doubts and questions about the message which had been proclaimed to them when the church was founded. If they would regain their confidence, it was essential they return to that message.
1. We need a clear understanding of the content of the message. Paul sums it up simply when he says, “Him we proclaim.” For Paul, proclamation must focus on Christ. Christ is the only legitimate message of the church.
* God’s self-revelation finds its clearest expression in Jesus Christ.
* Salvation from sin and fulfillment in life have their source in Jesus Christ.
* Jesus Christ has conquered death, a victory we may share because of our relationship with him.
* God will bring history to its appropriate end through the agency of Jesus Christ.
The message of Christ is summed up in the word “gospel.” I’ve always liked William Tyndale’s definition of the word “gospel.” Tyndale, who produced one of the earliest English translations of the New Testament in the 16th century, said “Euangelio (that we cal gospel) is a greke worde, and signyfyth good, mery, glad, and joyfull tydings, that maketh [those who hear it] synge, duance and leape for joye.”
When the church makes something other than Christ the subject of its proclamation, it abdicates its appeal and loses its power. The Colossians—and Christians of every age—were tempted to substitute a message of legalism for a message of grace. Now, would that make anyone want to sing, dance, or leap with joy?
2. We need a clear understanding of the character of the message.
It is “the mystery kept secret for ages…but now disclosed.” The word “mystery” is an important one in the New Testament. God’s mysteries are secrets in that we could not deduce their content on our own—our sin and human inadequacy keeps us from perceiving their meaning—but we, nonetheless, know the content of those mysteries because God has chosen to make them known. This is an important note on the character of Paul’s proclamation: it is God’s own revelation. This is a secret God wouldn’t keep to himself.
The heart of the mystery we’ve come to know as the gospel is God’s plan to bring salvation through the Incarnate Son. This mystery had three aspects:
· God would accomplish his goal through the death of Christ on the cross.
· Through Christ the Gentiles would be invited to enjoy the blessing of salvation.
· Through Christ the entire created universe would ultimately be reconciled to God.
Although the shadowy outlines of God’s intention and purpose had been known for generations, the full meaning and intent of his will was not understood until the new age inaugurated by Christ.
When we have the proper grasp of the content and character of our message how we understand our ministry of proclamation is transformed.
That the very content of the gospel came from God is a severe warning against succumbing to the temptation to change or alter it. This is why Paul reminds us he had been called to proclaim “the word of God in its fullness.”
That the very content of the gospel came from God should bolster our confidence as we proclaim it to our age or any age.
II
WE SHOULD BE CONCERNED WITH METHODS.
We live in a “how to” culture. We buy manuals, hoping hone our skills at woodworking, gardening, computer repair, interior decorating, and just about every other conceivable topic. You should know they’re even available for those involved in the ministry of the church. Alongside stuffy books on homiletics (the art of preaching) you can find simple booklets on how to prepare a sermon. You can find such how-to books on teaching Sunday school, conducting music, leading a committee, and even praying in public. It’s a reflection of our times.
Paul nowhere provides a manual on how to minister. But in this verse he lays the foundation for an important principle. When he tells the Colossians that his proclamation of Christ involves “admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom…” he is suggesting we need to embrace methods which appeal to every type of person.
“Admonishing” is probably a better translation than “warning,” although the idea of warning is included in the word’s meaning. The note of warning is coupled with an element of instruction. I’ve seen one translation which renders the word as “counseling” but that seems a little too tame. I think there is a note of passion in this word.
It reminds me of a comment attributed to Lincoln, “When I hear a man preach, I may not believe what he says but I want him to believe it.” No one who heard Paul preach ever doubted he believed what he was saying.
We’re not told all the details but admonishing must involve confronting and challenging others about false beliefs or corrupt lifestyles. It’s not a style of proclamation that is for everyone but it is one which is sometimes needed in a world in rebellion against God.
At the same time Paul also lists “teaching” as one of his methods. While some would have responded to a passionate admonition, others would have been more responsive to the reasoned appeal of teaching which involved discussion and dialogue.
The key phrase Paul uses in discussing his method is “with all wisdom.” In using it Paul doesn’t mean he came away sounding wise and erudite like the false teachers in Colossae. Instead, he means he took care in choosing his method. This is done with wisdom and insight into human nature and need. No one method would work for everyone. Imagine, two thousand years ago Paul knew what some are just discovering: People have different learning styles.
As we discuss methods of proclamation we might tend to think exclusively of preaching. The truth is, proclamation—sharing the good news about Jesus Christ—involves everyone in the church. Part of the genius of the early church was the confident enthusiasm that made every believer a missionary.
When the pastor alone proclaims the gospel, it is available in only one translation. When each Christian takes up the responsibility, it is available in a multitude of versions.
And that responsibility takes a multitude of forms. The church proclaims from the pulpit, in the Sunday school classroom, from the choir loft, on the street corner, in the break room where one worker quietly shares the faith with another.
III
WE SHOULD BE CONCERNED WITH MOTIVES
Of course, we proclaim the gospel because we wish to call men and women to belief in Christ. But Paul is more specific in defining his motivation. He says he proclaims the gospel “so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.”
Paul’s choice of words is directly related to the situation in the Colossian church. It’s seen in his insistence that he wished to proclaim the gospel to “everyone.” The false teachers who were harassing the Colossian church believed their message was for the elite few. Paul believed it was for everyone.
At the same time, he defines his goal in terms which would have struck home with the Colossians. He said he wished to present everyone who responded to the gospel as “perfect or mature in Christ.” Frankly, I prefer the translation found in some marginal readings: “complete in Christ.”
Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase captures the ideas of maturity and being complete in Christ. He renders the verse: “We teach…so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less.”
The goal is not simply conversion; it is the attainment of a healthy relationship in Christ. The notion of being complete in Christ implies that all the believer needs may be found in Christ. The same thought is found in 2:9-10 where Paul says, “In Christ, all of God dwells and you are compete in him.”
Paul was taking a direct shot at the false teachers who were saying it wasn’t enough to trust Christ, that you needed Christ plus something else. It doesn’t matter if that plus is followed by a call to follow a list of taboos, an esoteric experience, or belief in doctrines not taught to the church at large, such teaching misses the truth that Christ alone makes us complete. He alone makes us able to stand before God, knowing our sins are forgiven.
Even though Paul had never met the Colossian Christians he could not stand by and allow the crisis of confidence become either a full-fledged commitment to heresy or a the source of a life marked by fear and questioning. Paul wanted each man and woman who responded to the gospel to have the confidence which would enable him or her to have the peace, joy, and hope which is every believer’s birthright.
That ought to be our motive as well. Why?
* The believer who is confident of being complete in Christ will be a living testimony to the greatness of God’s grace in providing salvation.
* The believer who is confident of being complete in Christ is freed from the pursuit of self-generated righteousness, freed from the self-serving tendency to see serving others as a way to enhance their standing with God.
* The believer who is confident of being complete in Christ will be content with his or her role in the body of Christ, freed from the jealous ambition which seeks position and prestige as tokens of God’s favor.
* The believer who is confident of being complete in Christ will be especially on-guard against any false teaching which would erode that confidence.
* The believer who is confident of being complete in Christ will be eager to proclaim the gospel which calls everyone to that same experience.
When we understand this motive, we will understand why the real work of proclamation is not accomplished by commando evangelism. We can’t just sweep into an area, share a few verses, lead in a memorized prayer, and then depart to prepare for another raid on an unsuspecting prospect. A commitment to evangelize involves a commitment to the evangelized.
CONCLUSION
The church is called to proclaim. The church does this work in many and varied ways.
Maybe you’ve traveled the South and seen those faded old signs on the road side, the ones which simply say, “Jesus Saves.” Whoever erected those signs was committed to the ministry of proclamation.
Maybe you’ve overheard a fellow-passenger on a plane flight quietly witness to a seat mate. That man or woman who risked being the target of rudeness or ridicule was committed to the ministry of proclamation.
Maybe you’ve read a notice about a Christian scholar who was coming to a local campus to present the intellectual and factual arguments for Christianity. That scholar who has spent hours wrestling with the best minds in philosophy, science, and history is committed to the ministry of proclamation.
Maybe you’ve seen a news story about a young couple, recently graduated from college, who are planning to leave family and friends to live in a remote corner of the world to serve as missionaries. That young couple is committed to the ministry of proclamation.
Maybe you know a grandmother who spends her days writing letters to young women in prison, letters telling them of God’s unconditional love for them. That grandmother is committed to the ministry of proclamation.
How would anyone know if you were committed to the ministry of proclamation?
Anyone making such a commitment may be sure of these truths:
Anyone committed to the ministry of proclamation will somehow suffer for their commitment, sometimes at the hands of the gospel’s enemies.
Anyone committed to the ministry of proclamation will see people of all sorts respond to the wonderful story of the gospel.
One more thing is true: Anyone committed to the ministry of proclamation will welcome your commitment.
