Paul’s Suffering For the Dispensation of The Gospel      

What is necessary for Christ to have preeminence in all things in the local church:

* First and foremost: Members with faith in Christ. A church must be comprised of born again believers; if not it is not a church.

** Second: Must cultivate love for all the saints,

*** Third: Be fruitful

**** Fourth: Walking worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing

Read Colossians 1:21-23

V23a “If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled”

Note: Paul is writing to saints, or born again Christians so it can not be taken as being saved or salvation being taken away.

V22b- 23a .  .  .to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: From the last lesson: we have been delivered us from the power of darkness; translated into the kingdom of his dear Son; redeemed unto the forgiveness of sin; made the righteousness of God in him.

·       In whose sight? Jude 24 Jesus Christ

·       In Christ we are spiritually holy and unblameable and unreproveable; our divine nature seen in 2Pet 1:4 It Christ’s divine nature we are partakers of. But, in the flesh we are not. 

·       So when would we not be presented you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in the sight of Christ.

v   Rom 14:10, 2Cor 5:10 Judgment Seat Of Christ.

If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel .  .  .

“If” you can fall back from (our divine nature 2Pet 1:4)) and live as if you are unsaved. Than the hope and joy salvation is diminished.

·       (2 Pet 1:5-8) The direct relationship between showing forth our divine nature and experiencing the joy the Lord’s salvation.

·       1Cor 4:2 We are to be found faithful.

·       2Pet 1:9 Some go as far as forgetting that they have been saved.

·       Eph 4:30 And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God

***** The fifth characteristic of a church that holds Christ in the position of preeminence in all things: Keep on keeping on. Continue being faithful brethren (1:2), Be steadfast in our faith in Christ.

Read Col 1:24-29 Paul’s Suffering For The Dispensation of God

V24 Who rejoiced in Paul’s sufferings for them (and us)?

·       The who: Paul himself (V23c) (2Cor 11:30)

V25 The steadfastness of Paul: willingly suffered for the dispensation of God given to him.

The Dispensation Paul was given By God:

V25-27 Revelation of the mystery that had been hidden throughout the ages: to the which is Christ in you, (Gentiles) the hope of glory:

·       1Cor 9:17; Eph 3:2; Col 1:25: Paul, the apostle to the gentiles, was commissioned by God to dispense His gospel of grace to the Gentiles. The salvation of the Gentiles through the indwelling of Christ could never be known if God had not revealed it to Paul.

Vs 28 This gospel of God’s grace committed to Paul to dispense has the power to make every man perfect in Christ; to the Jew first and also to the Gentile. 

·       Christ is to be preached as a warning to every man. Remember Heb 10:29 Warn every man the consequences of denying Christ.

V29 Paul labored and strived according to the working of Jesus Christ in him. Paul never praised himself because he knew it was all of Christ which worked in him mightily.

·       Gal 6:14 Paul never found glory in himself, the only glory he could claim was in the the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,

·       Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

1Cor 4:1 ¶ Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

·       Paul passed this responsibility to the local churches.

****** The Sixth thing that is necessary for Christ to have preeminence in the church: Faithful stewards of the mysteries of God.

Makeing known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles.

To help understand Paul’s willingness to suffer to bring the gospel to the Gentiles consider these verses.

·       Rom 9:1-5; Rom 10:1; Rom 11:14; 2Tim 2:10

·       Paul had great heaviness and heartfelt sorrow plight of the Israelites (the elect in 2Tim 2:10)

·       He willingly endured all things so some of his kinsmen in the flesh might be saved.

·       The salvation of Gentiles should provoke Jews to jealously and emulation.

The “love for all saints” includes love for Christian Gentiles by Christian Jews and vice-a-versa.