CHRIST AMONG THE GENTILES
[p. 346] CHRIST AMONG THE GENTILES
Colossians 1:24 - 27; Colossians 2:9,10; Colossians 4:12,13
I have had a desire since coming here to speak a word as to Colossians. It is a peculiar epistle treating of Christ among the gentiles; “Christ in you” (as among the gentiles) “the hope of glory”. It is somewhat like Joseph in Egypt, typical of Christ, separated from his brethren. So it is that Colossians is Christ seen among the gentiles; peculiarly, of course, bearing on ourselves and having in mind what is said in verse 27 of chapter 1, “To whom God would make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the nations, which is Christ in you the hope of glory”. That is, Christ among the gentiles. As Paul once said, “Lo, we turn to the nations” (Acts 13:46). The salvation of God is sent to the gentiles and they will receive it; a comforting word for us: they will receive it. We cannot just say that now, for much has elapsed since, but the gentiles have received the gospel, the salvation of God. The Colossians, for instance, had received it, but many have given it up since, the apostasy having set in, so that we cannot with much confidence say of any section of the gentile world now that they will receive the salvation of God, but the apostle could speak of the dispensation in that sense: they will receive it. This epistle shows what was in mind: that Christ should be among the gentiles, and that as among them, the ministry would be there, and the toil or labour of the apostle was to present every man perfect in Christ; a very great thought: to present every man perfect in Christ.
There is a challenge as to whether we belong in this late day to the gentile world that has received the salvation of God. There is an opportunity for some who may have neglected it even since yesterday,
[p. 347] that you should receive the salvation of God which is sent, which is among us. One would love to have this feeling, that one had some little result in endeavouring to present the glad tidings, because it is no less than that. What has been before us would make up our minds as to this great matter of the gentile world, and how they at the beginning were regarded by the great apostle that they would receive the salvation of God; they would receive it. One has no doubt that during these holidays a good many will be affected. We thank God for these holidays. We call them holidays, but really they become holy days to us. During these three days here in Chicago in the midst of this terrible city, one of the worst in the world, that there should be a company of holy people is a very great matter; a very great matter to heaven; and our thought now is that there should be an increase, that something should be accomplished in a turning of heart, with a view to the presenting of someone perfect in Christ, not simply perfect, but perfect in Christ. That is a qualifying word, which belongs, as we might say, to a higher presentation of the truth, that persons are not only secured, but in Christ.
Well now, what has been in my mind, too, is to connect what I have to say with the idea of completeness. It is found in these three passages that I have read: “the assembly; of which I became minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given me towards you to complete the word of God”, or ‘fill out’. I refer to this to begin with. It is a proper beginning, too, of the subject, that the word of God has been filled out. The word of God began, of course, to be spoken as early as Genesis 1, and it was being spoken ever since, but not completed, not filled out — very far from being filled out - in Old Testament times; and, of course, I need not say that the completion of the letter of the Scriptures [p. 348] was very gradual, I mean, the Old Testament Scriptures. However much there was was to be regarded as Scripture, for “every scripture is divinely inspired, and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16); so even in Old Testament times it was profitable. It is more so now, for not only is it added to, it is complete. That is Paul’s assertion here, and it is of value to us because we are living in times of great looseness. Persons who would assume to know, such as teaching people — college people, high school people and grammar school people are apt to say things very loosely — are apt to say very untrue things about the Holy Scriptures, some of them going so far as to say that certain parts of the Scriptures are not inspired. Therefore the importance, dear brethren, of having our loins girded about with truth, meaning that our thoughts are not to flow loosely. When talking to people, it may be, in the workshop or in the store or in the school or in the train or in the bus, we are not to be speaking loosely of things so that we find ourselves speaking untruths, speaking lies. Very easily we may slip into it, and hence the great importance of having our loins girded about with truth, so that our thoughts do not flow loosely.
And so I believe Colossians is a tightening-up epistle; you will understand what I endeavour to say. It may be in regard of morals, domestic relations, and many other such things that need tightening up, girding. And so in regard to this matter of the word of God, let us put our seal to it in saying that it is complete. We set to our seal that God is true, but also that the word of God is complete. The Old Testament did not contain the completeness; it contained much, and the Spirit of God was not in a very great hurry — I use that word ‘hurry’ rightly — to begin writing the New Testament. There was no [p. 349] New Testament to appeal to in the early chapters of the Acts, but nevertheless time was taken in heaven and on earth. Scribes began to work under God, to set out the mind of God in writing in what are called ‘the holy writings’. The Spirit of God began to do that, but not in any great hurry. The principle was the doing first; what kind of work should develop in Christianity, and then to write down an account of it. We read of good works, too, that were ordained before that we should walk in them — a most important matter. And then that they should be written down.
So we have the epistles, particularly those of Paul, and we see how he selected what to write and to whom to write. I say ‘selected’ because it is evident that they were selected; he decided to write to the Thessalonians, probably his first epistle. Well, he had great pleasure, it is quite evident, in writing that epistle. He styles it, “To the assembly of Thessalonians in God the Father”(1 Thessalonians 1:1). What a lovely group they were, and what a lovely term used: “in God the Father”. It is not “in Christ” now. I have already spoken of “in Christ” but here it is “in God the Father”. Surely there was something peculiar, dear brethren, in that epistle. But then in time Paul selected to write to the Colossians, and I have read from the epistle to the Colossians. He had never seen the Colossians, he tells us, a remarkable thing too; the doctrine is so profound, dealing with the Person of Christ. Colosse was not very far away from the well-known church of Laodicea. We have not a record of the epistle to the Laodiceans, but there was one; in the one to Colosse we have four chapters. Paul had not known the Colossians, and, of course, we might say in speaking of ourselves, Paul has not known us and yet his epistles speak to us. They are our stock in trade, to speak reverently. They are final, authoritative words; words containing [p. 350] completion, too, of subjects and particularly this one which speaks of the completion of the word of God. Paul had not known them, and it is a word, dear brethren, for us as to being ourselves in the place of the Colossians and seeing how an epistle from Paul would affect us even now. He had never seen them and, of course, he has not seen us, but it is well to compare and see how things worked out as to epistles and the effect of them.
So he says to them, “Rejoicing and seeing your order, and the firmness of your faith in Christ” (Colossians 2:5). He had joy in the knowledge of the Colossians; they had order. What a word it is now. There is so much disorder. Even with the Corinthians there was disorder, but not among the Colossians; that is a very important matter to note; and, dear brethren, a very important matter to note as to ourselves that we are walking orderly, that we are not marked by disorder in our services, in our incomings and outgoings among the people of God. Heaven is looking on, because that is really what is implied in what Paul says: “Rejoicing and seeing your order, and the firmness of your faith in Christ”(Colossians 2:5). That is what he could say of them; a very real pleasure to him. One often thinks of it as one is sitting down with the brethren at the Lord’s supper, because the Lord’s supper is the beginning of the service of God. Every Lord’s day begins the service of God; and Paul, although not having been there, could discern, for he had a remarkable outlook. He said to the Corinthians, “Ye and my spirit being gathered together”(1 Corinthians 5:4), for discipline and yet he was not there, showing what an advantage the early Christians had in Paul.
So he says to the Colossians, “Rejoicing and seeing your order, and the firmness of your faith in Christ” (Colossians 2:5). What a pleasure it was to the apostle to be able to write thus; but undoubtedly he had more.
[p. 351] He wrote thus in order to say, perhaps, things that would not be so pleasant to the ear; and so we have such words as ‘combating’. The dear servant “who is one of you”, he says, named Epaphras; a beloved servant, Paul says; he singled him out, he was one of the Colossians, and one of the things he said about him was, “combating earnestly for you”. And what was he combating for? That they might stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. This word ‘combating’ implies that in that assembly the enemy had certain opportunities and advantages so that the apostle Paul had to clothe himself with armour. He speaks of combating for them in regard to the knowledge of the mystery. He was combating in his own soul that these dear people, whom he had never seen, should be set up in the knowledge of the mystery of God, in which were hid then and are hid now all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, but he had to combat; it is a remarkable word. Yet they were lovely Christians. One could see that outwardly anyway.
The apostle could say, “Rejoicing and seeing your order, and the firmness of your faith in Christ”,(Colossians 2:5) and yet they were in danger from the devil; he was allowed too close to them. That is what I am speaking about now. It is what I had in mind to speak about, that the devil should not be allowed to come into close quarters. It is too dangerous. They were allowing that and Paul had to combat for them, to agonise, as it were, in combat against the devil. It was a critical time for the Colossians, and it may be a critical time for some here. We have been hearing of the assembly, but then, has the devil any room to get in to oppose what has been brought forward? And so the need, dear brethren, of going home, as we shall, no doubt, tonight or tomorrow, God willing, and getting on our knees. It is a praying time now. Presently the ministry time for this season [p. 352] will be over, but the praying time goes on. That is the word in Colossians, “praying always”. One would say that is the urgent thing if we are to lay hold of and retain what has been ministered, pray; defeat the devil. It is a real conflict; it will be on immediately. It is on already, possibly, in some of our hearts here, other things crowding in: when we get home what we shall find there, and what possibilities are opening up to us, what prospects? All these things the devil finds room in and hence the minister has to be in conflict as Paul was and as Epaphras was about the Colossians. I do urge this, dear brethren, as to prayer. “Praying at all seasons, with all prayer and supplication”, (Ephesians 6:18). I refer to the urgency of it; the need for prayer especially after a season of blessing which God has given us, which the dear brethren in this city have opened up to us, the means of meeting together, and speaking together, having fellowship one with another in our houses and elsewhere. Is it worth while to kneel down and make it a practice to defeat the devil? Because it is a terrible time we are in, and especially after a season like this, that the devil should not have a place, and that there should need be such urgency of conflict that the saints should lay hold of the truth, the ministry. “In which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and of knowledge”(Colossians 2:3).
So, as I said, this matter of the word of God — have you set to it the seal that God is true and that the Scriptures are true. God is true and the Scriptures are true? Set them both side by side. Then as to the use of them, we have spoken of the Bereans. They were not Colossians, but they were a good classification as compared with the Colossians, searching the Scriptures daily, as we are told, to see whether these things were so. They were noble; persons who would consult the Scriptures, the written page, the completed page of God. I do not mean to [p. 353] say that what I am reading of here — the completion of the word of God, is just all written. It is not only a question of writing; it is a question of the mind of God being revealed, but in words in some sense. The completion of the word — it is the word of God; if from God, it is the word; even if it be not written. “Who hath made man’s mouth?”(Exodus 4:11), God. The most wonderful thing in God’s whole creation is man’s mouth, and it is through that mouth that the word of God comes. First from God Himself through some agency, but particularly, dear brethren, and reverently do I say it, through the mouth of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is called the Word of God. That is what He is called. It is one of His titles. His Name is called the Word of God, and that means He has spoken; the Lord has spoken what is in the mind of God, and it has been completed. What God intends to unfold to us is completed; nothing is to be added to it.
I do not say that nothing was added after this immediate time when this epistle was written. All John’s writings were probably added, but the idea of ‘complete’ here is the working out of the thing, the fulness of the thing, the idea of the thing in its fulness. That is the idea, that Paul completed the word in that sense, and now it can be said to be absolutely so, and there are not even any additions verbally, I mean, in writing. All is now finished; and hence the certainty that we may have, dear brethren, as to all matters in the word of God; not simply the letter of Scripture, but the word of God. “For the word of God is living and operative, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and penetrating to the division of soul and spirit, both of joints and marrow, and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart”, Hebrews 4:12. It is the word of God; nothing is concealed from it. “And there is not a creature unapparent before him; but all things are [p. 354] naked and laid bare to his eyes, with whom we have to do”(Hebrews 4:13). So that the word of God is God Himself. But there is the idea of the completion of it, and the word ‘completion’ as I said, is that it is filled out; there is a sketch first, an indication of the thing first, which is then filled out, completed through the service of Paul, through the pen of Paul. So that he says of himself here, “Of which I became minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given me towards you to complete the word of God”.
Well now, I am speaking thus so that the brethren will be on their guard as to Scripture, as to what we are going on with in our Bible readings and in our private readings, for we are enjoined to give attention to reading, and in our public readings such as we have had here, so that everything that is said imparts the idea of completion in what our blessed God has furnished us. His mind is disclosed to us. He loves to have us pursue the meditation of it, as it is said, “Then they that feared Jehovah spoke often one to another”,(Malachi 3:16). What were they speaking of? We are not told, but can you doubt it was a question of what was revealed in the Scripture? “Then they that feared Jehovah spoke often one to another; and Jehovah observed it, and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared Jehovah, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be unto me a peculiar treasure”,(Malachi 3:16,17). What a thought that is for us. We become the veritable property of God through this way of reading His word and attending to it, comparing spiritual with spiritual, and thus persons known to heaven and reflective of what is in heaven — our names being written up there. And the Lord says, “I will write upon him my new name” (Revelation 3:12), a most precious thought, all indicative of what the saints are as taking up the word; as the Lord says to Philadelphia, “Thou ... hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name” (Revelation 3:8), and hence the great advantage that the overcomer in Philadelphia is allowed.
Well now, I pass on to the second scripture which is in the second chapter. It is a question of the completeness of the saints; “ye are complete in him”. Now, if you follow me, I have been speaking about the completeness of the word of God; now I am speaking about the completeness of the saints. How very seldom can we speak of each other, and say such-and-such a brother is complete. Well, who is complete? That is the question. The apostle here says, “Ye are complete in him”. Let us analyse it for a moment. “See that there be no one who shall lead you away as a prey” (Colossians 2:8). Remember, I have been speaking of the devil and the combat that came in because he came in, the combat of Paul and Epaphras, that the truth should stand with the Colossians. Now here he says, “See that there be no one who shall lead you away as a prey through philosophy and vain deceit, according to the teaching of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily”(Colossians 2:8,9). We have the other scripture in chapter 1 where it is said that “in him all the fulness of the Godhead was pleased to dwell”(Colossians 1:19). What is said in chapter 2 is in addition to that. You can see how the idea of the fulness of God is brought to us. It was brought to the early Christians and is brought to us now. There is nothing at all short of deity in Christ. Paul says, The fulness now dwells in Christ bodily; within the compass of a blessed Man, within that compass the whole thought of God was really there. All the fulness dwells in Him bodily. That is, you could locate it, because it was in that Man, described to us in the Scriptures, the Man Christ Jesus. In that Person, and within the compass of His Person, all the fulness [p. 356] of God dwells bodily. That is, as it were, towards us, towards our intelligence, towards our affections; all is there, focused there, intelligibly so in a Man; within that compass, but that compass itself being infinite. It is not merely a physical thought; it is an infinite thought, that all was there bodily. And then there is the added thought that I had in mind, “Ye are complete in him, who is the head of all principality and authority”. Now I come back to that — completeness in Christ. What He is as in Deity, as God toward us is one thing. That is all infinite; but Paul adds, “Ye are complete in him”. I want you, dear brethren, to try and be patient with me and follow what I am endeavouring to say and understand it. Think of what it says: “Ye are complete in him”. It is what I may call a subjective idea, not what He is as from God toward us; but what we are in Him toward God, in Christ, is another matter, and it is said that “ye are complete in him”.
And so, as I said a minute ago, how little we hear of the thought that such-and-such a brother is complete; one who conveys the characteristics of a complete person, complete towards God. So it says, “And ye are complete in him, who is the head of all principality and authority”, so that heaven looks down on us, and sees what we are as in Christ, taken up in Christ. What He is from God towards us is one thing, but what we are in Him towards God is another thing; and that we are complete towards God, that there is nothing missing. One may say there is a good deal missing in me, and of course, I would acquiesce in that and refer to myself too, but still I would insist on this idea of completeness, viewing ourselves as in Christ and involving the Spirit. It is only in the Spirit that we are in Christ, and involved in our having the Spirit is that we are complete in Christ Godward; and that enables us to have part in the service of God. There is nothing [p. 357] lacking. God is looking down and thinking of the completion of matters, whether it be His word or whether it be the assembly, meaning ourselves; that we are set up in completeness. So that God looks at what is complete at any time in us as carrying on His service.
And then, finally, there are the exercises of Epaphras in the verse read in chapter 4:12: “Epaphras, who is one of you, the bondman of Christ Jesus, salutes you”. We have had him before in chapter 1, and there can be no doubt that he gave Paul a clue as to what was needed at Colosse. Paul had not been there but Epaphras had been there and was there, and Paul could quote him. No doubt he was one that he had derived information from as regards the work of God at Colosse, and how important it is. We have had at these meetings our brethren who are placed here and there in localities, sown, as it were, in their places, so as to look after the interests of Christ. So here is a brother called Epaphras, a worthy man, beautifully spoken of in chapter 1, and so here, one who could be entrusted with the interests of Christ at Colosse. Paul had not been there, but he knew what was there from the information that Epaphras could give him, and, of course, from the intuition that he, as a great apostle, had by the Spirit. He speaks of such things as no other one does: “Rejoicing and seeing your order, and the firmness of your faith in Christ”. So that Paul had a full account. He could, as it were, make a picture and visualise that the order was going on at Colosse when the service of God began on the first day in any week; he could picture what was there: “rejoicing and seeing your order, and the firmness of your faith in Christ” (Colossians 2:5). But what sad thoughts they would realise, when the apostle thought of philosophy and vain deceit. Some young people in the meeting possibly were reading [p. 358] the Greek classics and priding themselves in it. How often we hear of that, and hence the danger of our children being allowed to pursue these things. There is a certain pride in it, building themselves up in pride because they know so-and-so. So that it was a mixed situation at Colosse. There were the rejoicing and seeing the order outwardly of the service of God, but on the other hand there was the danger ever present of philosophy and vain deceit.
Another feature is referred to in chapter 2, the handwriting in ordinances, saying, “Let no one fraudulently deprive you of your prize, doing his own will in humility and worship of angels, entering into things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by the mind of his flesh, and not holding fast the head, from whom all the body, ministered to and united together by the joints and bands, increases with the increase of God” (Colossians 2:18,19). So we have further, “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch”(Colossians 2:21). That is the legalist; an attempt was being made to introduce that legalism among the Galatians and so here. The apostle is working against it, combating against it, that the saints might be preserved from it. And so it is, dear brethren, any legality, any intenseness of religiousness according to man, according to the flesh, is to be avoided, for in the end it will damage if we admit of it. “Stand fast therefore, and be not held again in a yoke of bondage”. (Galatians 5:1).
And so, as I said before, Epaphras was the man sown and rooted locally in Colosse; he is said to be one of the Colossians. He was sown in Colosse, and what a man he was! Paul says, “Epaphras, who is one of you, the bondman of Christ Jesus, salutes you, always combating earnestly for you in prayers, to the end that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God”. This was the great burden of Epaphras. He had spoken to Paul about it. I have not a doubt that he informed Paul of the tendencies [p. 359] at Colosse; he prayed about it, and he combated about it in prayer. And what for? That they might stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. It is not the completeness spoken of in chapter 2, we are complete in Him, but what comes about by prayer, by ministry, it may be; that the saints might be saved from all other than the will of God, that they should stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. It is a full thought, and that is why I felt encouraged to turn to Colossians, dear brethren, in view of these meetings and now in view of the close of them: that we might stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. That is the word for the moment — the will of God; and Epaphras was the man that Paul had in his mind peculiarly, because he was like a man sown in that town to guard the services of the Lord, and the interests of the Lord, and to carry on His work in prayer, in combat for the saints, that they might stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
May God grant it, dear brethren, to us, because God is aiming at much for us; He has much in mind. During these three days we have had a certain line of truth brought before us. The Spirit of God uses the brethren, helps us so that we have arrived at something that involves the will of God. We have arrived at something in regard to the ministry. That which was hid for ages is now made manifest and revealed to the holy apostles and prophets, I believe to Paul, who is said to be the minister of the assembly, and now rather to an Epaphras, if there are any — and there are — watchmen to keep an eye on the brethren in prayer, so that we may not slip away from the truth, but that it may become ours through our feeding on it, ruminating on it, living in it, making it food for ourselves, so that we may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
Pages 360 to 575 - “Notes of Readings in New York and Other Ministry, 1953” (Part only of Volume 193)