Posted on 12/26/2021 3:47:09 PM PST by metmom
“[Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. For in Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him” (Colossians 1:15-19).
A believer should defend the faith.
Despite the diligent labors of Epaphras, the Colossian church was in jeopardy. A serious heresy had arisen, and Epaphras was so concerned that he traveled to Rome to visit Paul in prison. The Colossian church had not yet been infected by that heresy, and Paul warns them against its dangers.
The heretics, denying the humanity of Christ, viewed Him as one of many lesser, descending spirit beings that emanated from God. They taught a form of philosophic dualism, postulating that spirit was good and matter was evil. Hence, a good emanation like Christ could never take on a body composed of evil matter. The idea that God Himself could become man was absurd to them. Thus, the false teachers also denied His deity.
Christ was also not adequate for salvation, according to the heretics. Salvation required a superior, mystical, secret knowledge, beyond that of the gospel of Christ. It also involved worshiping the good emanations (angels) and keeping Jewish ceremonial laws.
By far the most serious aspect of the Colossian heresy was its rejection of Christ’s deity. Before getting to the other issues, Paul makes an emphatic defense of that crucial doctrine. In Colossians 1:15-19 Paul reveals our Lord’s true identity by viewing Him in relation to God, the universe, and the church.
Perhaps you’ve met people who deny Christ’s deity, but you weren’t sure what to say to them. In the next few days, let Paul be your guide in showing you how to confront cultists in a biblical manner. By following his example, you’ll be able to defend our precious faith.
Suggestions for Prayer
Ask the Lord to teach you from His Word how to refute false teaching.
For Further Study
In verse 3 of Jude, what exhortation does Jude give to believers?
Studying God’s Word Ping
Without faith Christ’s deity isn’t an easy grasp. The Almighty God in the body of a man and how they operate together is truly well beyond our understanding in it’s fullness. So this should be interesting.
Please ping me for it.
His incarnation as man is a topic I love and I can easily get wrapped around my mind’s axel. There are times in His ministry where it appears he’s learning like a normal man yet intuitively, I know that’s not true.
Well once we’re into His adult years one of the things I recognized was the majority of these paintings of a weakling timid looking Christ is not the Christ I concluded. He was a carpenter and their weren’t power tools then. I can easily imagine he was likely muscular in his arms and legs. He was Jewish so he had Jewish features. I think He was a mans man when he walked this earth as a man.
I see in Jesus many features and the character of a good man who we could identify with.
Totally agree with your assessment.
I picture him very fit. He walked everywhere!
Also carpentry without power tools!
I got to illustrate a children’s Bible and the
publisher let me depict him that way.
Very grateful to them for that.
Isaiah had this impression of Him...
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=isaiah%2053&version=NIV
Yes indeed. I also consider that we have no idea what it is to live under an Emperor and Ceasars etc. as they had then.....they were often brutal and the difference between the people and those who ruled were as night and day.
Also there was no indoor plumbing...water was hauled and trees had to be felled for lumber.....just such a labor intensive age at that time. So as Jesus walked then it was a different environment day day in how they lived.
I’ve often thought why God chose that era to arrive here on earth and live among men. However if He did today he wouldn’t be noticed much I don’t think.......though HE certainly willl be in time.
Yes, I read it again from your link. Which basically speaks of his suffering.
I like the idea he always drew out a single person from the crowd....and later took his decibels aside to explain or teach them further. That applies I think to us today....he sees us and everything about us we say and do in the crowd of humanity .
Some times HE spoke in low decibels, and at others HE tended to speak louder.
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