Introduction

Most of you know that I taught in a state prison for three months during the summer between my first and second years of seminary. The occasion for this teaching opportunity was unfortunate. A seasoned Christian educator who had many successful years of teaching was unable to control her class. One fourth-grade girl had become the ringleader of a vicious attack on this lovely woman. Normally this teacher was capable of meeting such a challenge, but for some unknown reason, she was not able to control this class. When the teacher’s breaking point became noticeable, the class intensified their attack. I was brought in to complete the few weeks remaining in the school year as she was unable to cope with the situation. Because of my apparent success in squelching this rebellion (I, with the help of a woman teacher, brought the student back under control), consequently I was given a recommendation which enabled me to get a temporary teaching assignment in a medium security prison.

I have always looked upon the response of that fourth-grade class as a unique and unexplainable “turning” against the teacher, intensified by her inability to rally to her own defense. As I read Galatians 5, I find that the behavior of that class might not be as unusual as I first thought. Some Christians have the uncanny ability to turn on one another at the very time when support and encouragement are most needed. In the name of holiness and preserving purity, we can assault brothers and sisters who desperately need affirmation and assistance, rather than attack.

Legalists have the uncanny ability of applying the law more harshly toward others than toward themselves. The legalist concentrates on his strengths and the weaknesses of others. Thus the scribes and Pharisees were ready to stone the woman guilty of adultery (John 8:2-11), yet they were insensitive to their breach of the law by taking advantage of the helpless (Mark 12:40; cp. Jas. 1:27), the neglect of their responsibilities to their own families (Mark 7:10-13), or their persecution of the righteous (Matt. 23:29-39). In their desire to maintain at least the appearance of severity toward sin, the legalists of Paul’s day had become calloused and even cruel toward those who had stumbled in their Christian walk. It is this problem which is addressed in verses 1-5 of chapter 6.

Legalism has no interest in reducing the burdens which men must bear. Instead, it produces burdens and then refuses to assist those on whom they are imposed. Jesus contrasted Himself with the scribes and Pharisees with respect to burdens:

“And they tie up heavy loads, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger” (Matt. 23:4).

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My load is light” (Matt. 11:28-30).

Peter rightly criticized the Judaizers when he said,

“Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?” (Acts 15:10).

It is thus altogether appropriate for Paul to address the subject of burden-bearing, with respect to the “Galatian problem” and in view of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The context of chapter 5 is essential to the proper handling of our text. The contention and strife which characterized the churches was further evidence that legalism, rather than liberty, was the norm (5:1, 13). It was obvious that the strife among the saints was of the “works of the flesh,” rather than the “fruit of the Spirit” (5:19-23). Christian liberty used to “serve one another in love” (5:13) is possible only through walking in the Spirit (5:16). I believe that verses 1-5 provide us with a very practical example of how the “walk in the Spirit” was to work in the church life of the Galatian Christians.

This harshness and strife of the Galatian saints toward one another is crucial to a correct interpretation and application of our passage. It distinguishes it from the other texts dealing with the subject of discipline. In Matthew 18, our Lord stresses the process of rebuke and restoration, without any specific problem in mind. In 1 Corinthians chapter 5, Paul deals with the subject from a very different perspective. In the Corinthian church, a man was known to be living with his father’s wife, and even the pagans were shocked by it. The Corinthians were not grieved by this sin, but were proud of their tolerance and love. Paul thus addresses the need to preserve the purity of the church, in the light of the polluting impact of harboring such sin.

In Galatians 6 just the opposite is the case. Rather than overlooking serious sin, the Galatian Christians, in emphasizing legalism, had become harsh and judgmental, attacking others for their offenses. The remedy for the Corinthians was to exercise judgment; the Galatians needed to extend mercy. As we consider the matter of our response to sin in the lives of fellow believers, let us remember that this is only one of the texts dealing with the subject, and that it may or may not relate directly to any specific situation which we face. Let us seek to look to the Spirit who inspired this passage so that we might understand and apply it as a part of our walk in the Spirit.

I understand verses 1-5 to fall into two distinct, yet related, parts. In verses 1 and 2, Paul deals with those burdens which Christians corporately must help others bear. In verse 1, this responsibility is summarized as a precept, and in verse 2 it is substantiated in principle. In verses 3-5, Paul refers to those burdens which we alone must bear as individuals. The precept is given in verses 3 and 4; the principle is provided in verse 5. The change in perspective between bearing the burdens of others (v. 2) and bearing our own burden (v. 5) is deliberate. By this tension Paul stimulates our interest so that we will better be able to deal with the sins of others in the light of our own sin.

Burdens We Must Share
(6:1-2)

1 Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ.

Several observations will help us understand the nature of the problem in these two verses, as well as Paul’s prescription for it.

(1) The problem and the solution should be handled in and by the church. The epistle is written to the Galatian churches, and pertains to the problem they, in common, face (cf. Gal. 1:2, 6ff.). The introductory term “brethren” in verse 1 confirms the fact that it is Christians who are to deal with the problem. The “you” of verse 1 is plural and not singular, which emphasizes the obligation of the church as a body to respond to the sin of a saint. It is inferred in this verse (and stated elsewhere, 1 Cor. 5:9-13) that the sinner (the one “caught in any trespass”) is a saint. We are thus dealing with the church’s obligation to respond to the sin of a saint.

(2) The sin is undefined and unexpected. While the possibility of sin is no surprise, the actual occurrence of it is, both to the stumbling Christian and to the church. There is some doubt as to the precise meaning of the Greek term rendered “caught,” but it seems to suggest that the saint was caught off guard.¹²³ In other words, Paul is not dealing so much with a calculated, premeditated, and habitual sin, but with one which has taken all by surprise.¹²⁴ Our law, for example, distinguishes between a premeditated murder and murder which occurs in a moment of passion. Both, of course, are sin, but the former is more serious than the latter because of its deliberateness.

The sin of which Paul speaks is therefore very different from that condemned by Paul in the fifth chapter of 1 Corinthians. That man was living with his father’s wife, a willful, continual, violation of the Old Testament Law, of New Testament standards of conduct, and even pagan morality. The church let this sinful relationship drag on, and it would seem that this man and his “wife” were accepted warmly into fellowship. While a whole range of sins are possible in Galatians 6, the sin addressed appears to be sudden and momentary.

(3) The church must respond to the sin which has overtaken the saint. Although the sin is unexpected, nevertheless it has overpowered the believer. This passage is not providing Christians with a license to meddle in the lives of others, but rather is teaching their responsibility to come to the aid of the one who has been overtaken by a certain sin. The stumbling saint must be assisted with his burden because he is not able to bear it alone. There are at least two implications why believers must assist individuals caught up in sin. First the individual may not be able to cope with the sin’s power over him. Secondly, the guilt or the consequences of that sin may be so great that the saint is overwhelmed by it.

(4) The responsibility of the church is to restore the saint. In 1 Corinthians 5, the responsibility of the church was to remove the sinner (1 Cor. 5:2, 5, 7, 13). The responsibility of the saint in Matthew 18 is to reprove the offender (Matt. 18:15). However in our text, the obligation of the “spiritual” is to restore the sinner. The Greek word rendered “restore” is used to describe the mending of torn fishing nets (Matt. 4:21). The ancient Greeks used this word for the setting of broken bones. In Ephesians 4:12 the same term is used for “equipping” of the saints. In 1 Corinthians 1:10 Paul uses this same Greek word to describe divisions within the Corinthian church. Clearly, the term has the positive implication of healing and restoration. The spiritual are urged to restore believers overpowered by sin. Since the term “restore” is a present imperative, it is not just a particular act which is required, but a process. Restoration does not happen instantaneously.

(5) The process of restoration is to be carried out gently. Once again, we see how different the situation described here is from that in 1 Corinthians 5. The Corinthians had been “gentle and gracious” when they should have acted much more forcefully. The man living in incest among the Corinthians did not repent of his premeditated sin. In Galatians Paul is talking about one who is not defensive, but overcome with guilt and self-condemnation for his act. This situation requires encouragement and support, not rebuke and rejection. Gentleness touches the spirit of the sinner, in his fragile and delicate condition.

(6) The restoration process poses a danger for those who are “spiritual.” The doctrine of sinless perfection is devastatingly destroyed as a false teaching by our text. In the first place, the saint is not guaranteed a sin-free existence. Thus Paul sets forth the process and principles for restoration. Furthermore, the “spiritual” believer who seeks to facilitate the restoration process might also be tempted and fall into sin. Paul warns the “spiritual” against falling into temptation by committing a like sin or becoming arrogant and self-righteous. The latter seems to be Paul’s primary emphasis in verses 3-5.

(7) The restoration of a sinning saint is a task for those who are spiritual. The “spiritual” believer has the sensitivity to come to the aid of the stumbling saint when he recognizes his sin. His concern for his brother is motivated by God’s Word and a genuine love. I believe that the “spiritual” are not “Super-Christians,” but the majority of the church.

There is a very practical reason, however, why only the “spiritual” should seek to restore the one overtaken by sin. The “spiritual” are those who “walk in the Spirit” and who thus manifest the “fruit of the Spirit.” Since there is danger for those who seek to restore the sinning saint, only those sensitive to temptation and sin should dare to confront it. Since love, gentleness, goodness, and kindness are required for restoration, these fruits of the Spirit are essential.

(8) Restoration is the outworking of our biblical obligation to bear one another’s burdens. In verse 2 Paul taught that restoring the wayward was fulfilling the law of Christ. Paul’s reasoning is that restoration is burden-bearing and that burden bearing is a part of the “law of Christ” to which we are to be obedient. We are not told precisely what the “law of Christ” is, but it seems likely that it refers to His earthly teaching. While the Judaizers gladly imposed burdens, but never came to the aid of those weighed down with them, Christ bore them Himself, and instructs us to do likewise.

The “burden” which we must bear is one which the stumbling saint cannot bear himself. Just what is meant by the term “burden”?¹²⁵ What is it that we are to help others bear up under? The burden is something which the sinner is not able to bear himself, whether it be the guilt of his sin, or its controlling power. Since Paul will shortly say that “each one shall bear his own load” (v. 5), this burden must be a load which the sinner cannot bear.

The bottom line is simply this: We are our brother’s keeper. While Satan is the “accuser of the brethren” (Rev. 12:10), we are to assume responsibility for the restoration and recovery of a fallen brother. The legalist will deal with sin as the Law of Moses did—by condemning the sinner. However, those who have experienced the grace of God, which delivers men from sin, will manifest grace in response to the sin of others. Only those who know grace, can bestow it. Just as we love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19), so we are gracious because He has shown us grace (cf. Matt. 18:21-35; Luke 7:36-50).

Burdens We Alone Must Bear
(6:3-5)

3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. 5 For each one shall bear his own load.

Verses 1 and 2 address those burdens which Christians are to help others bear. Verses 3-5 speak of those burdens which we alone must bear. These two facets of the Christian life are not contradictory; they are complimentary. It is only when we can distinguish those burdens which we alone should bear that we can properly help others to bear their burdens. In effect, verses 3-5 enable us to deal with the beam in our own eye, so that we can help others with the speck in theirs. The humility and gentleness which must be manifested in restoring the fallen saint are derived from our understanding of our own burdens.

The introductory “for” of verse 3 is, I believe, a further explanation of Paul’s warning in verse 1 that the “spiritual” also might be tempted in seeking to restore the fallen. The specific issue is the pride with the resulting haughtiness and high-handedness which the “spiritual” might be tempted to exhibit in seeking to restore the wayward saint. We are greatly self-deceived when we suppose that we “are something,” when in fact, Paul says, “we are nothing” (v. 3).

In what sense does Paul say we “are nothing”? Is this not devastating to our sense of self-esteem? It is the legalistic Christian who is the most condemning of others, especially those who have fallen. This disdain for the “sinner” coupled with a pride in their own self-righteousness was characteristic of the scribes and Pharisees. This attitude is observable in the proud prayer of the Pharisee, who was grateful that he was not a sinner, like the publican (Luke 18:9-14). Paul is thus speaking of the self-elevation of pride which the legalist has in his own righteousness, based on law-works. It is self-righteousness which causes a man to think he is something special.¹²⁶

Paul says, “he is nothing,” not “we are nothing.” There is a great deal of difference. “He is nothing” who seeks to establish his own righteousness by his own works. “He is nothing” who takes credit for the results of the grace of God in his life. Later in the chapter Paul writes, “But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal. 6:14).

To the Corinthian saints Paul wrote, “For who regards you as superior? And what do you have that you did not receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” (1 Cor. 4:7). Grace removes all ground for boasting, save in God. His grace has given us everything.

The problem with legalism is that its adherents tend to evaluate their personal spirituality in light of the performance of others. The legalist thus rejoices at the fall of another brother, since he appears better in comparison. His response is that of smug superiority and self-righteous condemnation. His judgment makes him blind to his own sins. The scribes and Pharisees were “shocked” at the sin of the woman caught in adultery, but they were aloof about their sins concerning pride, materialism, and their neglect of the widows and orphans, and even of their own parents.

Paul elsewhere soundly condemned the practice of measuring ourselves against others: “For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding” (2 Cor. 10:12).

The solution to the problem of believers measuring themselves by the performance of others is given in verse 4. Paul commands believers who seek to elevate themselves at the expense of others, to focus on their own responsibility and accountability before God. This same principle of individual accountability is found elsewhere in the New Testament:

Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and stand he will, for the Lord is able to make him stand. … But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God. … So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God (Rom. 14:5, 10, 12; cf. 2 Cor. 5:10).

Why is one to examine his own work, as Paul has instructed in verse 4? I believe that there are two reasons. First, whatever good is accomplished through us is by God’s grace, which causes us to boast in Him: “Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God. For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, …” (Rom. 15:17-18a).

But we will not boast beyond our measure, but within the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you. For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for we were the first to come even as far as you in the gospel of Christ; not boasting beyond our measure, that is, in other men’s labors, but with the hope that as your faith grows, we shall be, within our sphere, enlarged even more by you, so as to preach the gospel even to the regions beyond you, and not to boast in what has been accomplished in the sphere of another. But he who boasts, let him boast in the Lord. For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends (2 Cor. 10:13-18).

Our boasting must be in what God has done, through us. Those who have been used of God know better than anyone else that the good they accomplished was solely of God and thus can give Him the glory. For example, the servants who were allowed to participate in the first miracle recognized the power of God at work in Jesus when he transformed the water into wine (John 2:1-11, cf. esp. v. 9). Those who are instruments of God’s grace know that God produced the results for His own glory. Thus Paul tells us to focus on ourselves, on God’s work in and through us, for this results in boasting in God.

A second reason why believers should examine their own work is that God’s grace is given in different forms and in different measure. We cannot compare ourselves to others because each Christian has been given a different measure of faith and grace, with regard to his gifts and calling. Notice some of the passages which clearly teach this.

For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. … And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly … (Rom. 12:3, 6a).

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. And there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. … But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired (1 Cor. 12:4-7, 18).

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift (Eph. 4:7).

As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God (1 Pet. 4:10).

Our Lord told the parable of the stewards, each having received a different number of talents for which he was responsible (Matt. 25:14-30). The Master dealt with each steward in terms of what he was given. From this parable we learn that those who are given much are required to accomplish more. Those who are given less, have a lesser level of requirement placed on them. The point is that every believer is given a different measure of faith and a different measure of grace, and thus no one can compare himself to others. We can only evaluate ourselves in the light of the measure of grace God has given us.

How easy it is to respond to the sin of a fellow-saint by feeling smugly superior, and by looking down on him (or her). However, this response misses the point of Christianity. On the one hand, we are to bear the burdens of others, rather than to impose burdens on them (such as the burden of condemnation and the rigorous, excessive requirements of legalism). On the other hand, we should be humbled by remembering that just as God will not judge us in comparison with others, neither do we dare compare ourselves with others, especially those who have fallen into a certain sin (of which we are not guilty).

Conclusion

Our text has many implications for Christians today. Allow me to suggest some of these for your consideration.

(1) The doctrine of perfectionism contradicts the Scriptures and experience. Perfectionism comes in a variety of forms. I am referring to that view of the Christian life which maintains that the Christian, after some kind of second experience (the first being salvation), can enter into a state of sinless perfection, and can expect to live a life free from the inward conflict described in Galatians 5:17. If perfection is possible, why would Paul need to prescribe a process for restoring a saint who has fallen into sin? Even more problematic, if perfection is restricted to the “spiritual,” why, then, does Paul warn those who are spiritual that restoring the fallen sinner may lead them into temptation?

The Scriptures simply do not support perfectionism. They teach, instead, of a constant war, both within (Gal. 5:17) and without (Eph. 6:10ff.). The perfectionist may protest, insisting that any “lower” view of the Christian life only promotes sin. He would maintain at least the hypothetical possibility of perfection in this life. Just the opposite is true. Because this doctrine holds perfection as its goal and ideal, it has little, if anything, to say about the “way back” for those who have fallen into sin. The experience of many who have realized their sinfulness, while believing in perfection, is that they live an almost schizophrenic spiritual existence, redefining their sin or just blatantly denying it. Since they have failed to live up to their own standards, they simply give up all hope of any kind of spirituality.

Once we become aware of the war within, and of our fallibility as Christians, we become more cautious about sin, recognizing how susceptible we are to it. Who lives more dangerously, the one who thinks he cannot fall, or the one who knows how easy it is to fall? The greater our sense of danger, the more cautious we will be concerning that danger. Thus, knowing the saint can (and all too often does) sin, gives him good reason to avoid temptation, and to be suspicious of his every motive and deed. Furthermore, when he does fall into sin, he knows that there is hope for his recovery.

Does the knowledge of God’s graciousness toward sinners incline the Christian toward sin? We must remember that sin is so deceptive that the saint is capable of using Scripture to defend his sinfulness. Thus, even those doctrines which are true can be misapplied. Paul answers “God forbid” to any perversion that grace can be exploited for evil ends (cf. Rom. 6:1-2,15). When we begin to grasp the grace of God, gratitude prompts us to give ourselves fully to Him, living a pure and holy life to please Him (cf. Rom. 12:1-2). Grace not only provides forgiveness for sin, but also produces a gratitude for that forgiveness which inclines the saint to avoid all future sin. The Law does not prevent sin, but only promotes it, and leaves us with guilt, rather than gratitude (cf. Rom. 7ff.).

Have you experienced the grace of God, my friend? The Christian has drunk deeply of God’s grace at the time of his salvation, and will continue to drink of it all the days of his life. Perhaps you have never come to taste of grace at all, and if this is the case, my prayer is that you will acknowledge your sin and will trust in the work of Jesus Christ, who died in your place. He took the condemnation of the law on Himself, so that you might possess His righteousness and live eternally with Him.

(2) The grace which the Christian has received in Christ must also be shared with others. When our Lord sent out His disciples to heal and to preach the gospel He said to them, “freely you received, freely give” (Matt. 10:8). John wrote, “We love, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Thus the grace of God initially apprehended at our conversion is the grace which we must manifest to all men. Since grace is most needed and most evident in response to sin, we must particularly manifest grace when responding to a fallen brother or sister.

Unfortunately, contemporary Christian practice has frequently failed to follow the principle and practice laid down in our passage and taught by our Lord. Stop and think for a moment about who we seek out. We are often searching for the successful so that we can be blessed by them or so that they can contribute to meeting our own needs somehow. We also are looking for those who are committed and who show potential, so that we can “disciple”¹²⁷ them and thus produce fruitful Christian service. I am not saying that we should ignore those who are successful or who show potential. However, stop and think about the passages which speak of those whom our Lord sought (and seeks) out. Paul reminds us that not many of them (us) are wise, noble, or well-born. The best description is that we are foolish and simple in the eyes of the world (cf. Acts 4:13; 1 Cor. 1:26-31; 2:1-5; 2 Cor. 12:9-10). Think of those whom our Lord sought out, as well as those He “slighted”:

17 And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book, and found the place where it was written, 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are downtrodden, 19 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:17-19).

And when the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax-gatherers, they began saying to His disciples, “Why is He eating and drinking with tax-gatherers and sinners?” And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:16-17).

18 “Behold, My Servant whom I have chosen; My Beloved in whom My soul is well-pleased; I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles. 19 He will not quarrel, nor cry out; Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. 20 A battered reed He will not break off, And a smoldering wick He will not put out, Until He leads justice to victory. 21 And in His name the Gentiles will hope.” (Matthew 12:18-21 quoting Isa. 42:1-4).

In the passages just cited quoting the words of the prophet Isaiah, the Messiah is spoken of as being indwelt and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Both passages speak of Him as coming to those (specifically Gentiles in Isa. 42:1-4) who are despised and rejected. Both speak of His coming and His call of those who are battered, weak, and downtrodden. Is there any doubt as to whom our Lord was speaking in the Sermon on the Mount (specifically Matt. 5:3-10), and why the poor and oppressed would so heartily welcome Him as Messiah?

My point is this. If Jesus sought those who were afflicted, fallen, needy, and all too aware of their sin and need of salvation, to whom should we minister? I maintain that Galatians 6:1-5 is not the exception as much as it is the rule. Let us minister to those to whom our Lord ministered while He was on the earth. We are His body on the earth in His absence and we are to continue His ministry.

(3) There is no specific process given by which we are to restore the stumbling saint. I have previously stressed that restoring a fallen saint involves a process—one which may go on for some time. However, a particular process is not elaborated. Let me suggest why this is the case. Since the passage deals with a fallen saint in general and not in specific, the nature of the process is dependent upon the particular case at hand. A general problem cannot be solved by a specific solution. Nor can a specific problem be solved generally. Also, since restoring is the responsibility of the church collectively, each individual must minister individually, based upon their specific gifts and calling. Each case, therefore, must be handled on the basis of the individual who has fallen and on the basis of the individuality of the one who seeks to minister grace.

(4) Rebuke is only required where rebellion is present or repentance is refused. It is sad, but true, that the church sometimes has rebuked and even rejected the repentant, while they have encouraged the rebellious. The text which we must always keep in mind is this: “And we urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all men” (1 Thess. 5:14).

Let us be careful to admonish those who are unruly, but to encourage those who are fainthearted, and to help the weak. It is tragic when the weak are injured with rebuke and rejection which rightly should be exercised toward the unruly (rebellious). The church has often failed to discipline where it is necessary, but let us not overcompensate for disciplining where it is not required.

(5) The principle of bearing one another’s burdens applies more generally than just in the case of those who have stumbled in sin. I believe that Paul addresses the instance of an extreme failure in the life of a saint as the ultimate test of love. If Paul says we are to serve one another in love (cf. 5:13) when another falls into sin, surely we should lovingly serve others who simply irritate us or who differ with us on some matter of preference or conviction. Paul has chosen a somewhat extreme case to stress that we should manifest grace in all our relationships.

(6) This passage does not give the Christian a license to meddle in the lives of others. While verses 1 and 2 stress our obligation to minister to others at a point of need, verses 3-5 caution us to “tend to our own knitting” and not to meddle in the lives of others. If this path is followed we will not neglect those things for which we must give account to God. Let us not miss the stress on examining ourselves as we seek to be more responsive to the needs of others.

123 “The precise force … is uncertain: it may mean that he finds himself inadvertently involved in some wrongdoing, or that he is detected in it by someone else.” F. F. Bruce, Commentary on Galatians (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1982), p. 260.

124 “A paraptoma is not a settled course of action but an isolated action which may make the person who does it feel guilty.” Ibid.

125 It should be noted that the term “burden” in verse 2 is different from that of verse 5. There is a difference between those burdens which we alone must bear and those of others which we must share.

126 From Galatians 2:6, we see a similar expression used with regard to the Jerusalem apostles, whom, the marginal note of the NASB indicates “seemed to be something.” The point is that to “be something” was to be someone special, someone above the level of the hoi polloi. This was the attitude of the legalistic Pharisees (John 7:46-49).

127 There is unfortunately a great deal of sloppy exegesis which is done in support of “discipleship” these days. The first passage which is used is the “great commission” of Matthew 28. Emphasis is placed on the fact that the text does not stress “going” but “making disciples.” What is not pointed out is that this is a command for the church corporately, rather than for each Christian individually. Thus, discipleship has been equated with one man discipling another, rather than with the collective function of the church, which, as a body seeks to build one another up in love. You will note that restoration in Galatians 6:1-5 is also a collective responsibility.

To make matters even worse, Bible teachers move from Matthew 28 to 2 Timothy 2:2, assuming that this passage is also dealing with discipling. I heartily disagree. In the first place, the church (or the disciples collectively) is commanded in Matthew 28, while in 2 Timothy only Timothy is instructed. Secondly, every saint is to be “discipled,” but not everyone is a “faithful man” who is to “teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2). Paul is talking about something important here, but he is not talking about discipleship in this passage.

June 26, 2016

A major source of frustration for pastors is what is called the 80-20 rule: Twenty percent of people in the church do 80 percent of the work, while the 80 percent attend church, enjoy the service, and leave without ever getting involved.

Can you imagine what it would be like if 80 percent of your body were paralyzed? Quadriplegics can function and have productive and meaningful lives, but they’re limited in what they can do. Churches can limp along with only 20 percent of the body functioning, but they could do much more if every member was fully engaged in serving the Lord in line with his or her spiritual gifts.

Our text is one that you tend to skim over in your Bible reading. It’s a bunch of names of people who don’t mean much to us. You may wonder why God inspired these verses to be in His Word. But, actually, there is so much here that I couldn’t fit it all into a single message! The main idea is:

Christians are on a team devoted to serve Christ.

Even though the apostle Paul was one of the most gifted men in the history of the church, he was not a one-man-show. Surrounding him was a team of faithful people devoted to serving Jesus Christ. In Colossians 4:7-18, we see the team and learn a lot about how God wants His church to function. It’s striking that in this short letter, where Paul devotes only one verse to lust and greed, one to anger, one to wives, one to husbands, and one to fathers, he spends the final 12 verses mentioning various people with him and in Colossae. Clearly, Paul wasn’t the only guy doing ministry! He was part of a team. We learn seven things about this team and its ministry (but I can only cover six in this message).

1. The church is not a one-man-show, but a team effort.

While Paul may have been like a player-coach, he wasn’t the only player on the team. Let’s look at the team roster:

Tychicus: Paul calls him (Col. 4:7) “our beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant.” He was a Gentile from Asia Minor (Acts 20:4) who had traveled with Paul at the close of his third missionary journey. He was obviously trustworthy, since Paul sent the letters of Ephesians, Colossians, and probably Philemon back to Asia with him. He may have been sent to relieve Titus in Crete so that Titus could join Paul for a while (Titus 3:12). Later, as Paul faced the end of his life in prison in Rome, he sent Tychicus to Ephesus again, where he took over Timothy’s pastoral duties so that Timothy could leave to join Paul (2 Tim. 4:12, 21).

Onesimus: He accompanied Tychicus on this trip. He was a runaway slave whom Paul led to Christ during his house arrest in Rome. Paul was now sending him back to his master, Philemon. But he doesn’t mention that fact in this public letter to the church. If it hadn’t been for the private correspondence to Philemon, which later became public, we wouldn’t know that Onesimus was a slave, let alone a runaway. Paul calls him (Col. 4:9), “our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of your number.”

Aristarchus: Paul calls him (Col. 4:10), “my fellow prisoner.” In Philemon (23, 24, written about the same time), Paul calls him a fellow worker and calls Epaphras (Col. 4:12) his fellow prisoner. It may be that the two men traded off living in the same quarters with Paul. Or, perhaps they were arrested for their own preaching activities. He had been grabbed by the angry mob in Ephesus and dragged into the arena during the riot there (Acts 19:29).

Aristarchus was a Jewish believer (Col. 4:11) from Thessalonica who traveled with Paul when he took the financial gift to the needy saints in Jerusalem (Acts 20:4). He at least began the journey with Paul from Caesarea to Rome (Acts 27:2), so he may have gone through the shipwreck with Paul. Tradition says that he was martyred under Nero in Rome (D. E. Hiebert, The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible [Zondervan], ed. by Merrill C. Tenney, 1:302).

Mark: We learn here (Col. 4:10) that he was a cousin of Barnabas. It’s surprising, but encouraging, to see him on Paul’s team. You’ll recall that Mark had deserted Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey (Acts 13:13). When Barnabas insisted on giving Mark another chance on the second journey, it led to a split between him and Paul, who was sharply opposed to taking a deserter with them (Acts 15:36-41). But here, twelve years later, Paul tells the Colossians to welcome Mark without reservation.

Jesus, called Justus: Colossians 4:11 is all we know about him. He was a Jew whom Paul calls, “a fellow worker for the kingdom of God.” Along with the other two Jews, Mark and Aristarchus, Paul says that Jesus Justus had been an encouragement to him.

Epaphras: We’ve already met him (Col. 1:7-8). He was probably converted and discipled during Paul’s extended stay in Ephesus (Acts 19:1-10). He then returned to his home town of Colossae and planted the church there, as well as in the neighboring Laodicea and Hierapolis. When problems with false teachers arose, Epaphras went to Rome to get counsel from Paul, who calls him (Col. 4:12), “a bondslave of Jesus Christ,” and commends him for his prayers and concern for these three churches.

Luke: “The beloved physician”: it is only here that we learn that Luke was a doctor. We can deduce that he was a Gentile, since Aristarchus, Mark, and Jesus Justus were the only team members “from the circumcision” (although some scholars argue that the phrase is not identical with “Jewish”). Luke was the only Gentile author in the New Testament, writing almost one-fourth of it (Douglas Moo, The Letters to the Colossians and Philemon [Eerdmans/Apollos], p. 347). He accompanied Paul on some of his missionary journeys, including his shipwreck on the way to Rome. He was the only worker with Paul near the end of his second imprisonment as he faced execution (2 Tim. 4:11).

Demas: It is striking that Paul says nothing to commend him, in contrast with the others. In Philemon (24), written just before Colossians, Paul calls him a fellow worker. Here he says nothing. In 2 Timothy 4:10, he reports sadly, “Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.” Perhaps Paul sensed the seeds of Demas’s disloyalty already. So Demas warns us of the possibility of defection, while Mark encourages us with the hope of restoration for those who have failed.

In addition to the team with Paul in Rome, there are the teams in Colossae and Laodicea. There is Nympha (probably feminine [Moo, p. 349]; some manuscripts have the masculine), who hosted the church in her home. Archippus was probably the son of Philemon (2). He may have been pastoring the church in Colossae during Epaphras’ absence. Paul gently exhorts him to do his ministry.

Looking at this roster, it’s certain that Paul wasn’t the only worker. It was a team effort! That’s the way that it must be. God has gifted every member of the body of Christ and expects us to use our gifts to serve Him (Rom. 12:3; 1 Cor. 12:7; Eph. 4:7; 1 Pet. 4:10). Benchwarmer is not one of the gifts! So figure out how God wants you to serve Him and get on the playing field!

2. The team consists of men and women from different racial and socio-economic backgrounds.

In our text, Paul mentions three men, Aristarchus, Mark, and Jesus Justus, who were his only fellow workers “from the circumcision,” obviously, Jews. Presumably, the rest that he names were Gentiles. The racial divide between these groups in the first century was radical, but in Christ, it was erased. He mentions men from opposite ends of the professional spectrum: Luke, the physician, and Onesimus, the slave. Paul instructs the church to have his letter read to the entire congregation (Col. 4:16). Probably some in Colossae were not able to read, but they were on the team. So it was a diverse team that included Jews and Gentiles, slaves and free, and educated and uneducated.

We saw this in Colossians 3:11, where Paul says that in the one new man (the church), “there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.” Part of the glory of the church is that it is made up of these different types of people, who in the world would often would be opposed to one another. But because of the gospel, we’re all one in Christ.

In The Compelling Community [Crossway], Mark Dever and Jamie Dunlop argue that churches often create impediments to displaying our gospel-centered diversity by grouping people based on natural similarities. We organize age-graded Sunday school classes, small groups based on shared stages in life (singles, young marrieds, mothers of young children, seniors, etc.), men’s and women’s groups, etc. We design services for those who prefer traditional music and those who like contemporary music. But the danger of this approach, they argue, is “that it obscures the supernatural diversity that the gospel produces” (p. 79). They’re not saying that all such groups are wrong. Rather, they’re arguing that there should be relationships “where you’re only friends because you’re Christians, without any worldly explanation” (ibid.).

I encourage you to befriend people who come to this church toward whom you would not naturally gravitate. Have them over for dinner. Share your stories of how you came to know Christ. On Sundays, deliberately look for people who are “not your type,” and welcome them. In heaven, you will be with people (Rev. 7:9) “from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues.” You may as well get to know them now! We’re all on the same team!

3. The team is the family of God.

Paul the once-zealous Jew calls the Gentile Tychicus, “our beloved brother” (Col. 4:7). He calls the converted slave, Onesimus (Col. 4:9), a “beloved brother.” In verse 15, he asks the Colossian believers to “greet the brethren who are in Laodicea.” These terms show us that the church is the family of God. This is reinforced in the New Testament by the truth that we who believe in Christ are born again by the Spirit of God (John 3:5; 1 Pet. 1:3). The Bible also says that we are adopted into God’s family (Rom. 8:15). So we are brothers and sisters to one another in the Lord.

Today, we tend to think of the church as a building: “I go to church at 123 S. Beaver Street.” Or you’ll hear, “Kids, don’t run in the church! This is God’s house!” But no building is God’s house. The people who meet in the building are His temple. He doesn’t dwell in buildings, but in His people. The early church met in homes, not in church buildings. Paul refers (Col. 4:15) to “Nympha and the church that is in her house.” Philemon also hosted a church in his house in Colossae (Philemon 2; cf., also, Rom. 16:5, 23; 1 Cor. 16:19). Churches did not own buildings to meet in until the middle of the third century (Peter O’Brien, Word Biblical Commentary: Colossians-Philemon [Zondervan], p. 256).

This is not to argue that we should go back to meeting exclusively in homes, which has both pros and cons. But it is to say that we need to view the church as people and the people in a local church as our brothers and sisters. While we should take care of the facilities that God has given us to meet in, the buildings aren’t the church. Born again people are the church family.

4. Every team member is a servant/slave of Jesus Christ.

Paul refers to Tychicus (Col. 4:7) as a “faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord.” “Bond-servant” would better be translated “bond-slave.” Aristarchus, Mark, and Jesus Justus are (Col. 4:11), “fellow workers for the kingdom of God.” Epaphras was (Col. 4:12), “a bondslave of Jesus Christ.” Archippus (Col. 4:17) did not choose the ministry as a career. Rather, he received his ministry in the Lord. He was drafted!

None of these workers were serving Paul. They, along with him, were all servants and slaves of the Lord Jesus Christ. What Paul wrote to the Colossian slaves is true of every person who knows Christ and serves Him (Col. 3:24): “It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” That sounds basic, and yet it’s overlooked by so many! If you serve in any capacity in this church, you shouldn’t be doing it to serve me or anyone on staff. You shouldn’t do it to serve this church. You should do it to serve Christ! You should receive your ministry from Him and render your service as unto Him. He bought you with His blood, so you serve Him as your Master.

“Servant” and “slave” are both used to describe believers (Col. 4:7). In his book, Slave [Thomas Nelson], John MacArthur argues (pp. 15-16) that most Bible translations have mistranslated the Greek word for “slave,” softening it to “servant.” But there’s a difference. Servants were hired hands. They had some freedom to choose who they worked for. But slaves were owned. They didn’t choose their masters; their masters chose them. They had no rights. They couldn’t quit and find other work if they didn’t like the working conditions. MacArthur sums up (p. 22, italics his): “… to be a Christian is to be Christ’s slave.” He owns us; we work for Him.

So, the team is not a one-man-show, but a group effort. It consists of men and women from different racial and socio-economic backgrounds. The team is the family of God. And every member of the team is a servant/slave of Jesus Christ.

5. The team is focused on prayer and the Word with the aim of helping every member stand mature in Christ.

Paul mentions (Col. 4:12) how Epaphras was “always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.” “Perfect” means “mature” or “complete.” It’s the same word Paul used in Colossians 1:28, where he says that he proclaimed Christ so that he might “present every man complete in Christ.” “The will of God” (Col. 4:12) does not refer to discovering divine direction, such as, “What career should I pursue?” Rather, it refers to how God wants us to live as revealed in His Word. Paul prayed the same thing (Col. 1:9), “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” God’s will for us is revealed in His Word.

Paul proclaimed Christ by preaching and teaching God’s Word, our only source for knowing Christ (John 5:39; Luke 24:27, 44). He also emphasized the Word in Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another ….” The importance of God’s Word is also implied when Paul tells the Colossians to read this letter among them and have it also read in the church of Laodicea, as well as to read his letter that was coming from Laodicea. Paul viewed his own letters as divinely inspired Scripture (1 Cor. 7:12, 40; cf. 2 Pet. 3:15-16).

The letter to Laodicea could have been Ephesians, which some scholars think was a circular letter to several churches in that area (J. B. Lightfoot, Saint Paul’s Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon [Zondervan], pp. 244, 274-300). Or, it may have been a letter now lost, which the Holy Spirit did not choose to include in the New Testament canon. There is at least one other lost letter, which Paul wrote to the Corinthians before he wrote 1 Corinthians (1 Cor. 5:9). But the point is, whatever ministry we do for the Lord must be focused on His Word. It is our only source for knowing Him and knowing how to please Him.

Coupled with God’s Word is the importance of prayer. Paul prayed often for the Colossians (1:3, 9), but here (Col. 4:12-13) he commends Epaphras for his prayers. Although the English text doesn’t reveal it, the Greek words Paul uses to describe Epaphras’ prayer life are military terms. “Laboring earnestly” is the verb agonidzo, (we get “agony” from it), which meant to wrestle in hand-to-hand combat. The word translated “deep concern” was used for the pain of struggling in battle. It emphasizes the effort involved. Both words show that serving the Lord is not a Sunday school picnic. We’re engaged in combat with the unseen forces of darkness who are intent on destroying the Lord’s work and His people (Eph. 6:10-20; 1 Pet. 5:8).

What does Epaphras’ prayer mean, that the Colossians would stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God? What does Christian maturity look like? Maturity includes being wise and discerning. Mature people are spiritually and emotionally stable, marked by the fruit of the Spirit. But there is especially one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit which runs as a thread through these verses: faithfulness. A mature Christian is a faithful servant of Jesus Christ. Paul mentions it specifically of Tychicus and Onesimus (Col. 4:7, 9). It is implied of Aristarchus, Mark, Jesus Justus, Epaphras, and Luke. The Lord wants us to be faithful servants.

As a pastor, I especially need to remind myself of this. We live in a day when success is defined in terms of fame and numbers. I constantly hear about superstar pastors who speak all over the world, telling how they built their church from zero to 10,000 members. Attend their seminar or buy their latest book and I, too, can succeed! It’s easy to start feeling that I’m not a success because I don’t pastor a large church and I haven’t written a pile of best-selling books.

But the test of success with the Lord is faithfulness to the ministry He has entrusted to you. The key question is not, “How many attend my church?” but “Are the ones I’m entrusted to serve becoming mature in Christ?” Jesus never said, “Well done, good and famous servant.” Faithfulness is what counts with Him. My desire is to see each of you being faithful to the Lord in your walk with Him and in the sphere of service He has given you.

6. The team has members who often disappoint us.

There is a sober dose of reality in Paul’s final greetings. There is encouragement with Mark, who started by failing but ended faithfully. At first, he bailed out on Paul, but now, he’s at Paul’s side in Rome. During Paul’s final imprisonment, he wrote to Timothy (2 Tim. 4:11), “Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.”

But then there’s Demas, a fellow-worker alongside Mark, Aristarchus, and Luke (Philemon 24). But later, he deserted Paul because he loved this present world (2 Tim. 4:10). Also, if Paul could look into the future, he would have known that the church of Laodicea, which seemed to be healthy in his day, just thirty years later would be so self-sufficient and lukewarm that the Lord threatened to spew them out of His mouth (Rev. 3:14-22).

If you’re serving the Lord, don’t be surprised if some of your teammates disappoint you. Judas betrayed Jesus, and the other eleven deserted Him when He was arrested. Paul was disappointed with Demas and with others. You will have disappointments with fellow workers. I’ve seen some who get hurt when others are unfaithful or betray their trust. Rather than dealing with it as Paul did by looking to the Lord, they end up dropping out of ministry or even out of the church. Don’t let that happen to you! People will disappoint you, but God never will.

Conclusion

A young reporter once asked Bud Wilkinson, coach of the powerful Oklahoma Sooner football team, “Coach, how has the game of football contributed to the health and fitness of America?”

To the reporter’s shock, Wilkinson responded, “It has not contributed at all!”

“What do you mean?” stammered the reporter.

Wilkinson said, “I define football as 22 men on the field, desperately needing rest, and 22,000 fans in the stadium, desperately needing exercise!”

That should not describe the church! The local church is a team where every member should be devoted to serve Christ. If you’ve trusted in Him, you’re on the team, and you’re not a benchwarmer. Christianity is not a spectator sport! He wants you on the playing field! Use your gifts to serve the Lord. As you do, this church will grow to maturity in Christ.

Application Questions

1. What are some practical implications of being a slave of Jesus Christ? What is the difference between a slave and a volunteer?
2. What steps must a bench warmer take to get involved in serving the Lord? How does one discover his/her spiritual gifts?
3. Larry Richards has said that we must recognize every interpersonal relationship as a setting for ministry. Discuss the implications of this.
4. Have you been burned by other Christians while you were serving the Lord? How should you process this?

Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2016, All Rights Reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation

July 3, 2016

Stored in a safe place at the Library of Congress is a small blue box. The label reads: “Contents of the President’s pockets on the night of April 14, 1865,” the terrible night when President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.

The box contains five things: (1) A handkerchief embroidered “A. Lincoln”; (2) A country boy’s pen knife; (3) A spectacles case repaired with string; (4) A purse containing a $5 bill—in Confederate money! (5) Some old and worn newspaper clippings.

The clippings mention the great deeds of Abraham Lincoln. One of them reports a speech by John Bright, a British statesman, saying that Abraham Lincoln is one of the greatest men of all time. That’s not news for us who live over a century later. We all know that Lincoln was a great man. But in 1865, the jury was still out. The nation was divided and Lincoln had fierce critics on both sides as he made decisions that he hoped would restore the Union. Remember, Lincoln hadn’t read the history books on himself!

There is something poignantly pathetic about picturing this lonely figure in the Oval Office reaching into his pocket and spreading out these newspaper clippings as he re-read the encouraging words of a man who believed that Lincoln was a great man. It gave him the courage and strength to go on (Charles Swindoll, in a newsletter, First Evangelical Free Church, Fullerton, California.)

All people, including great leaders like Lincoln, need encouragement! So did the apostle Paul. We need to remember that Paul didn’t know that his life and teachings would be included in the New Testament to be read by millions and radically change the course of world history. From his perspective, he was under house arrest in Rome after two years of house arrest in Caesarea. He had seen the Lord use him to plant a few small churches around Asia Minor and Europe. But some of those churches had major problems. Critics in Corinth were attacking Paul and his ministry (see 2 Corinthians). In Rome, some were preaching against Paul out of envy and strife (Phil. 1:15-17). His main critics, the Judaizers, dogged Paul’s steps wherever he went, trying to get his Gentile converts to conform to the Jewish laws. Rather than accumulating honors, Paul had received numerous beatings, imprisonments, and other hardships as he served the Lord (2 Cor. 11:23-29).

And now Epaphras had brought word to Paul of the false teaching that was threatening the young church in Colossae. In his final greetings to that church, which Paul had yet to visit, he mentions three men, Aristarchus, Mark, and Jesus Justus, and then adds (Col. 4:11), “these are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be an encouragement to me.” God used these three men to shine a ray of sunshine into Paul’s dark situation.

We saw in our last study that Christians are on a team devoted to serve Jesus Christ. Every Christian is to be committed to serving the Lord. The church is not a one-man-show, but a team effort. The team consists of men and women from different racial and socio-economic backgrounds. The team is the family of God, with every member being a servant/slave of Jesus Christ. The team is focused on prayer and the Word with the aim of helping every member stand mature in Christ. And, with a healthy dose of reality, we saw that the team has members who often will disappoint us. But, how does the team operate? The final principle is:

The team operates in an atmosphere of encouraging each member to become all that God wants him or her to be.

First, there is the goal that each person should become all that God wants him or her to be. Second, the atmosphere in which team members grow is encouragement.

1. The goal of the team is for each member to become all that God wants him or her to be.

Paul says that this is his aim (Col. 1:28): “We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.” Just a few verses before, he said that this is God’s aim in saving us (Col. 1:22), “He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach.” To be “holy, blameless, and above reproach” is the same as being mature or complete in Christ.

Our church’s purpose statement is: “At Flagstaff Christian Fellowship, we aim to build a community of joyful believers in Jesus Christ who love God and His Word, love one another, and love those without Christ by bringing them the good news of salvation.” The overall aim is to build a community of joyful believers in Jesus Christ. This can be broken down into three components: Love for God and His Word; love for one another; and, love for the lost, both here and abroad, expressed by bringing them the good news of salvation. Paul has emphasized these three goals in this short letter:

A. God wants us to be rightly related to Him through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Col. 1:1-3:4).

Colossians is a Christ-centered book because the false teachers whom Paul was confronting were emphasizing their legalistic philosophy over and above Jesus Christ. In the opening paragraph Paul mentions not only faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, but also love for one another and spreading the gospel to the lost (Col. 1:3-6):

We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth.

Faith in Christ Jesus is the beginning point of a relationship with God. By birth and by behavior, we all are alienated from God because of our sins (Rom. 3:23): “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Furthermore, no amount of good works or promises to try harder can bridge the chasm between us and the holy God. So, how can we possibly be reconciled to God and have our sins forgiven? Paul continues (Rom. 3:24), “being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.”

To be justified is to be declared righteous by God. It’s a gift, not something that we earn by our good behavior. It comes through God’s grace or undeserved favor. Redemption means that by His death, Christ paid the penalty we owed to buy us out of the slave market of sin. We receive this free gift simply through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Colossians 1, Paul goes on to mention his prayer that they would be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that they may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, pleasing Him in all respects (Col. 1:9-10). Then he extols the preeminence of Jesus Christ over all creation (Col. 1:15-20). As we saw when we studied that passage, Paul isn’t just talking theology—he is worshiping Jesus Christ!

Throughout the first two chapters, Paul magnifies Christ as he contrasts his ministry with the false teachers who threatened the Colossian church. He wanted every person to come to a true knowledge of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col. 2:2-3). He wanted each person to continue walking in Christ Jesus the Lord even as they had received Him (Col. 2:6-7), because “in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Col. 2:10). All that we have received from God centers in Jesus Christ (Col. 2:11-15). We are totally identified with Him (Col. 3:1-4) so that (Col. 3:4), “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”

So being rightly related to God through faith in Jesus Christ is our top priority. Everything else depends on that. All that we do as a church should aim at helping each person become mature or complete in Christ.

B. God wants us to be rightly related to one another as we walk in love (Col. 3:5-4:1, 7-18).

After extolling Jesus Christ in Colossians 1:1-3:4, Paul applies this to our relationships. We are to put to death the members of our body with regard to sexual immorality and greed (Col. 3:5). We should also cast off all anger, abusive speech, and lying (Col. 3:8-9). In place of these practices of the old man, we are to put on the behaviors of the new man, which may be summed up as love (Col. 3:12-14). In our families, wives should be subject to their husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands should love their wives and not be embittered against them. Children should obey their parents and parents should not treat their children harshly, so that they lose heart (Col. 3:18-21). Slaves should obey their masters and masters should treat their slaves with justice and fairness (Co. 3:19-4:1). If we are Christ-centered, it will show in loving relationships.

C. God wants us to be rightly related to those without Christ through prayer and wise witness (Col. 4:2-6).

Our third priority as we aim at each person becoming all that God wants him or her to be is that we would love those without Christ by bringing them the good news of salvation. Paul hits that in Colossians 4:2-6. Prayer is the foundation for our witness. Pray for those you know who do not know Christ. Pray for open doors for the gospel. Pray that we all could make the message clear (Col. 4:2-4). Then, walk with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunities God opens up. Use winsome, gracious, interesting, sensitive words to communicate the gospel (Col. 4:5-6).

So, that’s what we’re aiming at: We want each person to become all that God wants him or her to be, specifically: to be rightly related to Him through faith in Jesus Christ; to be rightly related to one another in love; and to be rightly related to those without Christ through prayer and wise witness. To do that, there must be an atmosphere permeating the local church:

2. Encouragement is the atmosphere in which we help one another become all that God wants us to be.

This passage oozes encouragement! Paul was a master at giving genuine affirmation to others so that they would be motivated to grow to their full potential in the Lord. Here we see nine factors involved in creating that kind of encouraging atmosphere:

A. Encouragement thrives with open communication.

Paul sent Tychicus and Onesimus to inform the church of his situation so that they would be encouraged (Col. 4:7-9). He had nothing to hide from them. Remember, he was in prison and other Christian workers in Rome were criticizing him (Phil. 1:15-17). Paul could have made it sound bleak to elicit sympathy or he could have hid the truth to try to make it sound like he was more successful than he really was. But Paul didn’t camouflage his situation by making it sound as if things were better or worse than they really were. He believed in open, honest communication.

Here’s how this relates to encouragement: You’re struggling with discouragement over some problem and someone you know asks, “How’s it going?” You don’t want him to think that you’re struggling, because that makes you look like a defeated Christian. So you say, “Everything’s great! God is faithful!” But you haven’t been honest in sharing your struggles. You just missed an opportunity for that brother to encourage you and to pray with you. For encouragement to take place in the body, we’ve got to be open in communicating the truth.

B. Encouragement is fostered when we interpret trials by faith.

Paul says that Tychicus will tell the Colossians about his circumstances (Col. 1:8), “that he may encourage your hearts.” How would learning of Paul’s situation encourage the Colossians? The great apostle was in chains. Can’t you hear Tychicus tell them, “It’s just awful! He’s chained to a guard 24 hours a day. He can’t go anywhere or do anything. Other Christians in Rome are preaching against Paul out of envy. It’s a grim situation!”

But Paul didn’t interpret events that way. He saw his imprisonment as a great opportunity to present the gospel to the Roman guards. He had a captive audience that changed every few hours! As for those preaching out of envy, at least they were preaching the gospel (Phil. 1:12-18). Because Paul interpreted his circumstances by faith, he could send Tychicus with a word of encouragement for the churches. If we will interpret our problems through the eyes of faith, we spread encouragement among the Lord’s people and help them to view their problems from God’s perspective.

C. Encouragement involves standing with a brother or sister who is unjustly being attacked.

Paul says (Col. 4:11) of the three Jewish brothers (Aristarchus, Mark, and Jesus Justus), “They have proved to be an encouragement to me.” The Greek word translated “encouragement” here is different than the word Paul uses in verse 8. It only occurs here in the New Testament, but it’s used in secular Greek as a medical term in the sense of alleviating pain (J. B. Lightfoot, Saint Paul’s Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon [Zondervan], p. 239).

Mark, by recovering from his failure and now working alongside Paul, alleviated the pain that he had caused Paul when he deserted Paul and Barnabas on the first missionary journey. Barnabas, whose name means, “son of encouragement,” had helped Mark recover by giving him another chance. So Paul was encouraged by the ministry that the son of encouragement had invested in Mark!

Together, these three men “from the circumcision” gave encouragement to Paul because they didn’t join with the circumcision (the Judaizers) in their attacks on Paul and his ministry. Paul’s critics, including the preachers in Rome who were attacking him, were probably saying, “If he were a true apostle, he wouldn’t be in prison. God isn’t behind his ministry.” But these three men believed in Paul’s gospel and his ministry. They didn’t let his critics’ attacks stop them from serving alongside him.

When you’re involved in ministry, you will be criticized. You expect it from the enemy, but it stings when it comes from professing believers who attack your motives. At a time like that, it’s a great encouragement to have brothers like Aristarchus, Mark, and Jesus Justus stand with you in ministry.

D. Encouragement is a mutual need.

Even though Paul was an apostle and one of the most gifted men in church history, he acknowledges that these three men had been an encouragement to him. He didn’t view himself as being on a pedestal where he ministered to everyone else, but he didn’t need their ministry to him. When Paul wrote to the Romans, he said that he longed to see them so that he might impart some spiritual gift to help establish them. But then he quickly added (Rom. 1:12), “that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine.” Paul not only wanted to give encouragement; he also knew that he needed to receive it.

E. Encouragement is given through verbal affirmation.

Paul let people know verbally that he cared about them and appreciated their ministries. He affirms each of the workers here, except for Demas. Paul wasn’t afraid to promote others’ ministries. We need to remember that we’re all on the same team and that if a team member is doing well, that’s great! Tell others in the church how much you appreciate the work they are doing.

F. Encouragement flows through prayer.

Paul encourages the Colossians by telling them of Epaphras’ prayers for them. It’s always an encouragement when you hear that someone has been praying for you. I encourage you to get a church directory and pray through it. When you see those you prayed for that week at church, tell them that you prayed for them. That says, “I’m with you in the battle! We’re on the same team!”

Also, Paul’s final request (Col. 4:18), “Remember my imprisonment,” was probably a prayer request. He needed the encouragement of their prayers. It also showed the cost of discipleship: Following Christ often leads to increased trials. Thus we need to uphold one another in prayer.

G. Encouragement is extended when we grant forgiveness to those who have wronged us.

In his letter to Philemon (sent along with Colossians), Paul asked him to forgive Onesimus, his runaway slave. But Paul practiced what he preached: he had forgiven Mark. Forgiveness is encouraging to experience and to see in others. It broadcasts hope for those who have failed. It says that the past can be set aside; there can be a new beginning. Yes, Onesimus had wronged Philemon. But now he was a brother in Christ. Yes, Mark had failed by deserting Paul. But now he was to be welcomed as a faithful fellow worker. We need to be forgiving each other the hurts and wrongs that are bound to happen as we work together on the Lord’s team.

H. Encouragement sometimes requires gentle correction and challenge in a context of affirmation.

Note how Paul carefully exhorts Archippus (Col. 4:17): “Say to Archippus, ‘Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.’” Why didn’t he address him directly: “Archippus, get with it”? By addressing the church, Paul gently corrected and challenged Archippus, but he also affirmed his belief in Archippus’ call to ministry. We don’t know why Paul felt the need to exhort Archippus. Perhaps Epaphras had reported some concerns to Paul. Perhaps, like Timothy, Archippus was timid and needed the confidence to do what God had given him to do. In one brief sentence, Paul both challenged Archippus and, in effect, said to the church, “You guys get behind him.” Sometimes encouragement requires the gentle correction and challenge of saying, “You’re doing well, but you can do better.”

I. Encouragement is bathed in grace.

Literally, the final sentence is, “The grace be with you.” (That sounds like, “The Force be with you,” but “The Grace” is far better than “The Force”!) This was more than a perfunctory way of closing the letter. Grace was the theme of Paul’s gospel, the motivating force behind all he did for the Lord. Grace means that God blesses us apart from any merit on our part. He saves us by grace and we grow in His grace. By grace, we must strive to be holy vessels for God to use. Beneath all that we do in serving the Lord is His abundant grace.

Conclusion

Years ago in California I came under intense criticism because I had decided that I could not endorse certain “Christian” psychology programs that some wanted to use in the church. One night, feeling rather discouraged, I went into our bathroom to get ready for bed and saw a yellow sticky note from our 14-year-old daughter, Christa, with Jeremiah 29:11 in her handwriting: “‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’”

Then, shortly after I began as pastor here, four elders at that time tried to get me fired because I firmly opposed one of them who was pro-choice on abortion. Many in the church sent me encouraging notes, expressing support for my ministry, which meant much to me. But the note that meant the most came from our then 13-year-old daughter, Joy. She wrote,

Mom & Dad, I just want you to know that I really appreciate you even though some other people don’t! Don’t listen to them. They don’t know what they’re talking about! Dad, I’m really glad you only preach the truth and don’t compromise what the Bible says. Your sermons have helped me lots! A lot of other people have said the same. Just hang in there and both of you keep up the good work! Look up these verses: they’ve been an encouragement to me: Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:28. I love you lots! Love always, Joy.

That’s encouragement! That’s how God’s team should operate! We want to develop an atmosphere of encouraging each member to become all that God wants him or her to be.

Application Questions

1. Why is it important in all of our relationships to have the goal of presenting each person mature in Christ? Practically, how would this change your existing relationships?
2. Is it right to focus on our own needs before we focus on serving others? Where is the biblical balance?
3. What has God used most to encourage you in your walk with Him? How can you be an encouragement to others?
4. Jesus (and the Bible) often commands, “Take courage!” (e.g. Matt. 9:2, 22; 14:27) Study all of the biblical references and answer, “How can we take courage when we’re discouraged?”

Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2016, All Rights Reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation

In order to win the battle for purity, believers must first answer this question: “What is sexual immorality?” If we are going to avoid it and flee from it, we must know what it is. I think many Christians are failing simply because they don’t know what sexual immorality is. It has never been defined for them. Some would even say that it is just “intercourse.”

Many believe that oral sex, anal sex, masturbation, heavy petting, etc., are not part of sexual immorality. Such belief leads then to open these doors as avenues of fulfilling their lust while trying to maintain their “virginity.”

However, by doing this, they are really committing sexual immorality and opening the door for the enemy to attack them and bring them under greater sexual bondage. Therefore, this is an important question to answer. What is sexual immorality?

In order to answer this question, let’s consider 1 Corinthians 7:1-3:

Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry. But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.

Paul, the author, said that it is good for a man to stay single and not marry. But because of temptation towards sexual immorality, each person should consider marriage as a spiritual protection. In marriage, the husband and the wife fulfill each other’s sexual desires.

From this, we can gain this basic definition of sexual immorality: Sexual immorality is the attempt to fulfill natural sexual desires outside of the marriage union between a man and a woman. This includes things like sex, oral sex, anal sex, masturbation, heavy petting, pornography, and sexual imaginations. In short, sexual immorality encompasses all acts and thoughts designed to fulfill sexual desire outside of marriage.

In fact, Jesus said this about sexual immorality in Matthew 5:27-28: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” In other words, a person has already committed adultery when lusting, since he went outside of the marriage union to fulfill his sexual desires.

This might seem unrealistic to some. “How can anyone keep themselves from sexual thoughts?” And some might ask, “Why would they?” The reality is that God created sex and he has given us ethics for its use. If we pursue these desires outside the marriage union, we do it at our own peril. We sin against our own bodies, and most grievously, we sin against God.

How then should a single person respond to his natural desires? Scripture uses the analogy of sleeping for those desires. Listen to what Solomon’s fiancée said in the Song of Solomon: “Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and by the does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires” (3:5). She exhorts the young ladies in Jerusalem to keep their desires asleep until it is time.

Well, the next question we must ask is, “How can we keep those desires asleep?” or “How can we put them back to sleep after they have been awakened?” We will consider this in the following strategies.

Reflection

1. What was your previous understanding of sexual immorality?
2. Define sexual immorality. Why is it important to know its definition?
3. How commonly do you think people open sexual doors simply because of lack of truly understanding the definition?
4. Why is it important to keep sexual desires asleep?
5. When should churches and parents start instructing children about sexual immorality?
6. What other questions or thoughts do you have about this section?
7. In what ways can you pray in response? Take a second to pray as the Lord leads.

Copyright © 2015 Gregory Brown