“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)
We know Paul is talking about Jesus. In the previous verse he states, “...Christ in you, the hope of glory...” Our verse comes from a long line of phrases Paul wrote. His concern was Gnosticism which was creeping into the church and defiling the Gospel. The definition is defined by the Oxford reference as “A prominent heretical movement of the 2nd-century Christian Church, partly of pre-Christian origin. Gnostic doctrine taught that the world was created and ruled by a lesser divinity, the demiurge, and that Christ was an emissary of the remote supreme divine being, esoteric knowledge (gnosis) of whom enabled the redemption of the human spirit.” Although it was readily accepted as truth in the 2nd-century, it began to creep in the church in the first century. Its teachings had rules and rituals including circumcision, many “don’ts,” boasted of secret knowledge and relied on human knowledge and wisdom, all of which Paul refuted in chapter 2 of Colossians.
Epaphras, a convert from Paul’s ministry in Ephesus, founded the church of Colossae and went to Paul to report on their faith. He was imprisoned when he visited and was with Paul when Paul wrote his letter. More than likely, he came to Paul because of the heretical movement that was coming into the church.
It is so important that we adhere strictly to Scripture and the teachings of the apostles. There are so many ideas and demonic experiences in the world, we have to be sure that whatever is taught, whatever we hear and whatever we believe and whatever we experience lines up with the Word of God and is supported by the Word of God. This is the only way to know a false teaching. And this can only come from reading the Word of God, the Bible. What did Jesus teach? What did the apostles teach? Heresy is so close to the truth that it can deceive. That’s because it is half lies and half-truth. This is the devil’s work. He told Eve in the garden, “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5) Yes, they would know evil which they did not know. They would know sin which they did not have. The devil didn’t tell them the consequences of evil which they would have to experience. That is his work, to deceive. And that is the way his lies are received. They sound good but omit God. When God is in the mix, only Truth makes sense because His Word divides holy from evil and our soul (mind, will, emotions) from the spirit. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
Paul’s concern was to present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. The Greek word that Paul used which was translated perfect means complete, complete in Jesus. Paul did not mean that we would be perfection because we know that we will not be perfect until we are with the Lord in eternity. But as far as having the Gospel firmly in our hearts, having communion with the Holy Spirit, living a sacrificial life for Jesus full of His love for our God, His people and sinners and looking forward to with joy and expectancy the return of Christ, we are as complete and as mature as we can be for beings in this flesh living in this fallen world.
They key thing to take away from this teaching is that we must base our beliefs and our lives on the Gospel, on the Word of God. There is only one way and that is the way through Jesus, through His Word and through His sacrifice of redemption for man.
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