Jan 26
18
Old Testament Reading: Exodus 31:1–11
“Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: ‘See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship. “And I, indeed I, have appointed with him Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded you: the tabernacle of meeting, the ark of the Testimony and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furniture of the tabernacle—the table and its utensils, the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its base—the garments of ministry, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as priests, and the anointing oil and sweet incense for the holy place. According to all that I have commanded you they shall do.’” (Exodus 31:1–11, NKJV)
New Testament Reading: Colossians 1:9-14
“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:9–14, ESV)
*****
Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without the benefit of proofreading.
Introduction
I’ll begin by reminding you that, after greeting the Colossians, the very first thing Paul said was that he was praying for them (see Colossians 1:3). Already, we have an opportunity to apply the text. Paul was prayerful. Christians are to be prayerful. Christian ministers must be prayerful. We must not be so busy or hurried, or consumed with the cares of this life, that we neglect prayer. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Paul commands us to, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances…” And then adds this word of explanation: “for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, ESV). Here in the opening of Paul’s letter to the Colossians, we learn that Paul practiced what he preached. He prayed faithfully for the saints in Colossae.
And what did Paul say when he prayed to God for the Colossians? What was the substance or content of his prayer? Don’t you want to know? A man’s prayers reveal the desires of his heart. And I would like to know Paul’s desires for the church in Colossae. One of the reasons I would like to know is so that I might pray like Paul. I hope you share these sentiments.
Paul reveals a lot about the substance of his prayer in the text that is open before us today, but we should not forget what was revealed in the previous passage. The very first thing that Paul revealed concerning the substance of his prayer for the Colossians was that he gave thanks to God for them. “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you…” (Colossians 1:3, ESV), he wrote. This is significant, for it reveals that, in Paul’s mind, the Colossians had turned from their sins to trust in Jesus, because God had been merciful to them. They had faith, hope, and love, because God had done a work in them. Therefore, when Paul prayed for the Colossians, he began by thanking God and blessing his name for his mercy and grace.
By the way, I think it would be good to notice that this agrees with the order of the petitions in the Lord’s Prayer. Christ taught his disciples to pray like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” (Matthew 6:9, ESV). What is the first thing we are to do in prayer? Christ taught us to first give glory and honor to God in prayer. We are to praise him. We are to thank him. And this was the first thing that Paul did when he prayed for the Colossians. He honored God by thanking him for the work he had done amongst the saints in Colossae. He thanked God for their genuine faith, their everlasting hope, and their love for the brethren. He thanked God for sending the gospel of salvation to them, and not only to them, but to the world.
In the previous passage, Paul revealed that he gave thanks to God for the Colossians, and he also revealed the reasons why. In the text that is open before us today, Paul reveals more about the content of his prayer for them.
Paul And Timothy Prayed For The Colossians Unceasingly
Look with me at verse 9: “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you…”
I have been referring to this prayer as Paul’s prayer. In fact, it is the prayer of Paul and Timothy. Paul was in prison. Timothy was with him. And so we are to picture the two of them (and maybe others) laboring in prayer together.
It is good to pray in private, brothers and sisters. Jesus spoke of private prayer when he said, “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:6, ESV). Do not neglect private prayer, brothers and sisters. But we ought to pray with others, too. The first-person plural pronoun, “our”, at the beginning of the Lord’s Prayer, reminds us to pray with and for others. Christ taught us to pray like this: “Our Father in heaven…” Husbands and wives ought to pray together. Parents and children should pray together. Elders and deacons should pray together. Christians ought to labor in prayer together, as Paul and Timothy did.
What prompted them to pray? It was the report that one of the Colossian Pastors, named Epaphras, brought to them. When Paul says, “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you…”, he refers back to the day when Epaphras came to them and made known to them the Colossians’ love in the Spirit (see Colossians 1:8). Clearly, Epaphras brought good news to Paul and Timothy. The gospel had been preached in Colossae. Many had come to faith in Christ, and this faith produced hope in their hearts, and this hope was bearing the fruit of love. It was a good report that Epaphras delivered. But we should not forget that Epaphras also brought troubling news. False teaching had arisen within the church of Colossae. It was undermining the truth of the Gospel. It was diminishing the person of Christ and his finished work. This false teaching was threatening the faith of some. Although Paul does not directly refute this false teaching until the middle of his letter (see Colossians 2:4; 2:8; 2:16-23), I would like to suggest to you that the false teaching was on his mind and in his peripheral vision, as it were, from the very first word of his epistle, and even here, as he reveals the substance of his prayers for the Colossians. I say this because, if you were to compare the substance of the false teaching present within Colossae with the substance of Paul’s prayer, you would find in Paul’s prayer a remedy to the false teaching.
Prayer Is An Offering Up Of Our Desires To God
“We have not ceased to pray for you”, Paul says. And then we find the word “asking”.
If only one word could be used to describe what prayer is, this would be a good choice. To pray is to ask God for something. It is to bring a request or petition to him. In fact, the Greek word that is found here appears many times in the New Testament (70), and very often it refers to prayer. For example, in Luke 11:9, Jesus says, “And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Luke 11:8–9, ESV). So, in prayer, we ask, we seek, and we knock. In John 14:13, Christ says, “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13, ESV). To pray is to approach God and to ask something of him.
I love the way that our catechism defines prayer: “Prayer is an offering up of our desires to God, by the assistance of the Holy Spirit, for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, believing, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of His mercies.” This agrees with what we are saying here. When we pray, we bring our desires to God and we ask him to meet them. The KJV actually uses the word “desire” when translating Colosians 1:9: “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding…” (Colossians 1:9, KJV 1900).
Brothers and sisters, have you ever stopped to consider what a privilege it is to pray? Through Christ Jesus, we have access to God. In Christ, we are invited to bring our desires to him and to lay them at his feet. It’s a marvelous privilege. Go to God in prayer, brothers and sisters. Do not pray for things that do not agree with God’s revealed will (see John 14:14). And do not pray for things so that you might spend them on your passions (see James 4:3). But do pray! By the assistance of the Holy Spirit, pray for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, believing, with confession of your sins, and thankful acknowledgment of His mercies.
Just a moment ago, I said that the substance of Paul’s prayer was itself a remedy to the false teaching within Colossae. I actually need to take that a step further. The truth is, even Paul’s mention of his unceasing communion with God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:3), in prayer was a refutation of the false teachers. For what were they teaching except that something more than Christ was needed for men and women to ascend to God and commune with him? These false teachers did not deny the need for Christ, but taught that something more than Christ was needed—special knowledge, a severe ascetic lifestyle, observance of holy days, spiritual visions, and even the worship of angels—for a person to draw near to God in his heavenly temple. It’s as if they said, Jesus is good, and the gospel is good—but there is more. If you wish to be truly spiritual—if you want to get really close to God—then you will receive the special knowledge that we have and follow our superior way.
A commentator named John Eadie (1810-1876) described the Colossian error like this:
“[T]heir error was not in denying, but in dethroning Christ—not in refusing, but in undervaluing his death, and in seeking peace and purity by means of cerimonial distinctions and rigid mortifications… the errors promulgated in Colosse were wrapped up with important truths, and were therefore possessed of dangerous attractions. They were not a refutation of the gospel, but a sublimation of it [a changing of its form]. The Colossian errorists did not wish to subvert the new religion, but only to perfect it… in other words, they were not traitors, but they were fanatics. They did not counterfeit so as to surrender the citadel, but only strove to alter its discipline and supplant [replace] its present armor.” (Eadie, A Commentary On The Greek Text Of Paul’s Letter To The Colossians, xxxii)
I think he is right. The Colossian error arose from within the church. The false teacher or teachers were professing Christians. They were a part of the church in Colossae. Again, they were not openly denying Christ or the gospel, but they were adding to it. They were not adding to it in the same way that the false teachers in that threatened the Galatian churches were—those false teachers (the Judaizers) were teaching that to be justified before God, a person must trust in Christ and be circumcised. That error undermined the very foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. These false teachers in Colossae were adding to Christ and the gospel in a different way. Again, it is as if they said, Jesus is good, and the gospel is good—but there is more. If you wish to be truly spiritual—if you want to get really close to God—then you will need to receive the special knowledge that we have and follow our superior way of life.
But notice, Paul and Timothy present themselves as two individuals who already have bold access to God. They unceasingly came before God in his heavenly temple to lay their desires at his feet. And notice what they call God. He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ’s name is exulted by Paul. He is the Lord. And notice the nearness between Christ and God—he is the Son of the Father. Christ is able to bring us to the Father—that is what is implied. And this refutes the false teachers.
You might think that I am getting ahead of myself by talking so much about the false teaching in Colossae this early in our study. Why not wait until we get to 2:16 to talk about all of this, you might ask. Again, I do believe the false teaching was in Paul’s peripheral vision from the moment he started to write. It would have been in the forefront of the Colossians’ minds from the moment they began to read this, initially, and so it should be on our minds from the beginning, too.
Paul And Timothy’s Desires For The Colossians Revealed
Paul and Timothy came boldly before the throne of grace and prayed unceasingly for the Colossians. What did they ask God for when they prayed? What did they desire for them? The answer is found in verses 9 and 10: “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him…”
In brief, Paul and Timothy prayed for two things: One, that the Colossians would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will. Two, that this would result in them walking in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him.
Brothers and sisters, I’m confident that Paul would pray the same thing for us. It’s not as if these prayers were so customized for the Colossian believers that they do not apply to other or to all churches. In fact, listen to Paul’s prayer for the church in Ephesus. It will sound familiar. In Ephesians 1:16, Paul says, “I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him…” (Ephesians 1:16–17, ESV). And in Ephesians 4:1, he delivers this exhortation: “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called…” (Ephesians 4:1, ESV). Paul’s desire for all the churches was the same. And his prayers for them, though they were no doubt unique in some way, were essentially the same. His desire for the Colossians, and for all true churches, is this: that we would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, and that this would result in our walking in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him.
That You May Be Filled With The Knowledge Of His Will In All Spiritual Wisdom And Understanding
The words Paul used to express himself are interesting and important.
Paul and Timothy prayed that the Colossians would be filled. This implies that the Colossians had something in them, but that they needed more of it. And notice the passive voice. His prayer was not that they would fill themselves up, but that they would be filled.
And what did he pray they be filled with? Knowledge of God’s will. The Greek word translated as “knowledge” refers to a full knowledge—an exhaustive knowledge—especially meant for those who have some little knowledge (see Eadie, 21). The choice of this particular Greek word indicates that Paul’s desire for the Colossians was not that they would be filled with knowledge of a different kind but that the knowledge they already possessed would deepen. His prayer for them was that the theological knowledge they already possessed would further develop and that they might have even more of the insight they already enjoyed.
Paul’s prayer was that the Colossians would be filled with a full and deep knowledge of God’s will. What is meant by God’s will? I think it is best to take this as a reference to all that God has revealed to us concerning his plans, purposes, and commandments. Paul’s desire for the Colossian believers, and for us, is that we would be filled up more and more with knowledge concerning God’s plan of salvation through Christ Jesus, of his plans for us under the New Covenant, and of the commands he has given is to follow until Christ returns at the end of the age. If God has revealed it or commanded it in the Scriptures, Paul’s prayer for us is that we would grow in our knowledge of it.
I’ve already drawn your attention to the passive voice of the Greek word translated, “that you may be filled”. The passive voice indicates that the subject of the sentence is being acted upon. Paul’s prayer was not that we would fill ourselves up with knowledge, but that we would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will. Who does the filling? That is my question. It must be God who does the filling. We are filled with the knowledge of God the Father’s will only when we submit to him and to what he has revealed to us through his Son or Word and by his Holy Spirit.
When Paul says, “in all spiritual wisdom and understanding”, he helps us to understand how the believer will be filled with the knowledge of God’s revealed and commanded will. It will be through the working of the Holy Spirit of God within us. It is the Spirit of God who gives the believer the wisdom and understanding to increase in their knowledge the will of God the Father as it is revealed to us through Christ the Son in the Holy Scriptures.
To Walk In A Manner Worthy Of The Lord, Fully Pleasing To Him
And what is the point of being filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding? For what purpose? To what end? Is it so that we might be puffed up with pride? Is it so that we might win arguments? Is it so that we might impress others by appearing spiritual? Pay careful attention to this, brothers and sisters. Paul prays that we would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that we might then “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him” (Colossians 1:10, ESV).
In the original Greek text, four participles flow from the phrase, fully pleasing him. These participles, and the short phrases that follow them, clarify what it means to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him. The Greek participles are translated by English words ending in –ing: bearing fruit in every good work; increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power…; and giving thanks to the Father.
What will those who are “filled with the knowledge of [God’s] will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him” do? How will they live? How will they walk?
One, they will bear fruit in every good work. And do not be deceived, brothers and sisters— Good works are only such as God has commanded in his Holy Word. They are not works devised by men out of blind zeal, or upon any pretence of good intentions (see Second London Confession 16.1). Good works are the works that God commands. They are not inventions or traditions of men. Those who know God’s revealed will and walk worthy of the Lord in a way that pleases him will live fruitful lives. They will bear fruit in every good work. They will be like a fruitful treat planted by streams of water that bears, not one kind of fruit, but all of the varieties of good works commanded by God in his Word.
Two, those who walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, will increase in the knowledge of God. Brothers and sisters, this is the height of our spiritual growth. It is those who know God — his essence, character, will, and ways who are truly spiritual and mature. Friends, do you know God? Do you know what he is? Do you know who he is? Do you know his character? Do you know what he has planned and what he requires of you and me?
The order is interesting to me. First, Paul mentions bearing fruit in good works, and then he mentions increasing in the knowledge of God. On the one hand, we cannot really do good works until we know God through Christ Jesus (see Second London Confession 16.7). In this sense, knowledge of God must precede good works. But here Paul is talking about increasing in the knowledge of God, and this we cannot really do without good works and obedience. As Hebrews 12:14 says, “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14, ESV). Those who read great books on theology, but live in sin and rebellion against God, and fail to do the good works that God commands, do not know God truly.
Three, those who walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, will be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy. Where is true power found? Where will we find the power and strength required to endure suffering with joy? It will not be found in the traditions of men or in the rituals they command, but by drawing near to God the Father, through Christ the Son, and by the Spirit. If we hope to persevere in the faith and to endure to the end with joy, then we had better be strengthened with all power, according to God’s glorious might.
The order is again important. How can a person endure suffering with joy? Answer: by drawing near to God and delighting supremely in him. If God himself is the source of your joy, then your joy will never be diminished, for God cannot be diminished. But if a created thing is the supreme source of your joy, then your joy will diminish when that created thing is diminished. And all created things are eventually diminished. This is why increasing in the knowledge of God is mentioned before being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.
Four, those who walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, will give thanks to the Father, who has qualified them to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. Here we find the theme of thanksgiving again. Those who know God and his will for us in Christ Jesus truly will not find it difficult to give thanks to God in all circumstances, for look at what God has done for us. He has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. This is a reference to the glorious inheritance that Christ Jesus the Lord has earned for all whom the Father gave to him in eternity. Though every good and pleasant thing on earth be removed from us, this cannot be taken away. And nothing on earth can compare to the glory that Christ has secured for his people.
Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians was similar to his prayer to the Colossians, but it is stated a little differently. There, he amplifies what he says in brief here. He prayed “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:17–21, ESV).
Dear friends, here is what it looks like to “be filled with the knowledge of [God’s] will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him…” Those of whom these things are true will bear fruit in every good work; they will increase in the knowledge of God; they will be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; and they will give thanks to the Father, who has qualified them to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
The last two verses of our text for today explain what has just be said, and prepare us for what is to come. How has God qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light? Verse 13: “He [that is, God the Father] has delivered us from the domain of darkness [that is, Satan’s kingdom; the kingdom of sin and death] and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son [the kingdom of Jesus Christ], in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13–14, ESV). What follows? A hymn or poem of praise concerning the preeminent Christ.
Conclusion And Application
If I had more time, I would walk back through this glorious text with you, and I would point out all of the ways in which this prayer of the Apostle Paul pulled the rug out from under the feet of the false teacher or teachers in Colossae.
You say that Christians can only draw near to God by following your worldly philosophy and traditions? Timothy and I constantly draw near to God the Father in prayer through Jesus Christ the Son, and Christians may do the same. Christ is sufficient.
You say that special knowledge is needed to draw near to God? In fact, the knowledge that is need found in the gospel. All Christians have the knowledge that is needed. What they need is more of the same—a deeper and more extensive understanding of the things they already know. Christ is sufficient.
You say that you and your followers are truly spiritual. You fools! It is those who are led by the Spirit of God in all wisdom and understanding into a fuller understanding of God reveled will who are truly spiritual. And the Holy Spirit does not act at cross purposes with the Father and Son, but as the one who eternally proceeds from them. Christ is sufficient.
You false teachers—you have done a terrible thing. You have diminished Christ. You have diminished his person and his work. Your teaching put a barrier between God and his people. And yet Jesus Christ came to remove that barrier and to reconcile us to God so that we might know him, worship him, serve him, and enjoy him. Don’t you know that “the joy of the LORD is [our] strength” (Nehemiah 8:10, ESV)? But your teaching separates God’s people from the joy of his presence. Christ is sufficient. His gospel is sufficient.
If I had the time, those are the kinds of observations I would make.
As I think about the application, here is where my mind goes:
One, I hope and pray that Paul’s prayer helps you to pray. The first three petitions of the Lord’s prayer are hallowed by your name, your kingdom, come, and your will be done. Paul’s prayer follows that pattern and should be of great help to us. It should especially help us to know how to pray under the petition, thy will be done. When you come to that petition, and you begin to pray for yourself, your spouse, your children, and your fellow church members, you would do well to pray Paul’s prayer. Father, fill us with the knowledge of your will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Enable us to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him. May we bear fruit in every good work and increase in the knowledge of God. Strengthen us with all power, according to your glorious might. Empower us endure. Enable is to patiently bear up under difficulty. Enable is to have joy even in the midst of hardship, for you, O Lord, are the source of our joy. Father, enable us to give thanks to you in all circumstances, knowing that you have qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. Indeed, you, Father, have delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Thank you Lord. Help me and those I love to never diminish Christ and the redemption he has secured” (Colossians 1:9–14, ESV). I hope that Paul’s prayer helps you to pray.
Two, as you think about your walk with Christ and your spiritual growth, do not neglect to grow in your knowledge of God—his nature, persons, perfections, plans, purposes, and commands. I have this uneasy feeling—this sneaky suspicion—that a lot of Christains don’t know God or Christ very well. Yes, they might claim to believe in God and Christ, and they might even assemble to worship God on the Lord’s Day, but I do wonder what many would say if I said, tell me about your God. What is he like? Why do you love him? Why do you worship him? What is he doing presently? And what does he require of you?
Three, as you think about growing in your knowledge of God and Christ, do not forget to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him. There is a bit of a snowball effect here. We cannot begin to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, until we come to know God through faith in Christ. This, of course, is the gift of God. It is not of works, lest any should boast (Ephesians 2:8-10). But after we come to know God and begin to walk with Christ, there is something about our walking—our holy living—that enables us to know and see God more and commune with him more closely. Though sin can never separate the believer from the love of God in Christ Jesus—though sin cannot render the believer un-justified or un-adopted—our sin does grieve the Holy Spirit (see Ephesians 4:30) and disrupt and diminish our sweet communion with the Lord. As you seek to grow in your knowledge of God and Christ, do not forget to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, for it is those who walk in holiness who walk most near to the God of love. “[A]s he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct…” (1 Peter 1:15, ESV).
