“Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:” (Colossians 1:28)
Paul wrote to the Colossians. They, meaning the apostles, preached Jesus. They cautioned and reproved gently in spiritual wisdom as God led them to preach and warn. Paul wrote harsh reprimands to the Corinthians. It was in the same spirit in which he wrote to the Colossians. “I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.” (1Corintians 4:14)
Why did the apostles preach like this? Why were they so careful to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, relying on His wisdom? The last phrase of this Scripture explains, “that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” Can a person be perfect in Christ Jesus? What is Paul talking about? We go to the Greek for better understanding. The word that was translated into “perfect,” really means complete. What Paul was saying was that He preached, led of the Spirit of God and listening to spiritual wisdom so he could speak wisely and spiritually in order to bring them to a place of being complete in Jesus. “Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:” (1Corinthians 2:6)
In doing so he would be able to bring before and provide a church to Jesus, that was complete and full of works, a church who had grown complete in the Lord and a church complete in mental and moral character. In other words, having the character of Christ. “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled In the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;” (Colossians 1:21-23)
As we read Paul’s letter, we must remember that he was writing to the church at Colossae. And although he speaks as if he is talking to one person, he is speaking to the church. “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” (2Corinthians 11:2) The church is known as the bride of Christ. And what Paul is saying is that through his preaching and their obedience they would become spotless and a pure and holy bride for Christ. He was so earnest in keeping the church pure and holy that he was jealous or zealous that they would not fall into heresy or false teaching of any kind.
And how is the church to be perfect? “And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:” (Ephesians 4:11-13) There are several things to point out in this Scripture. First, we need apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers in the church universal. This is called the 5-fold ministry. These working together in their proper ministries will bring the church to unity where we will all be speaking the same thing. And this 5-fold ministry will bring us to the knowledge of Jesus, mature, pure and holy. And as we are “perfected” (pure and holy,) we will measure up to the maturity of the completion of Christ.
Paul was speaking of the body of Christ also known as the church. “And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, Which He wrought (worked effectually)in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is His body, the fulness (completion)of Him that filleth all in all.” (Ephesians 1:19-23)
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