DEVOTIONAL
Colossians 4:17 NASBS
The apostle Paul was a man who had a deep concern for the church. He longed to see the glory of God elevated in the lives of the people, and for the people to be set free from the tyranny of sin. The apostle knew that this was impossible apart from the redemptive power of Jesus Christ and through a resolute mind to live in obedience to the commands of God’s word as a means of sanctification. This letter alone demonstrates Paul’s selflessness, for he wrote this letter to a church in whom he had never visited, speaking to a people whom he had never seen, while being held captive in Rome, imprisoned in chains. Paul’s concern for this church was brought to light when he received information from Epaphras, one of the local pastors, about false teachers who infiltrated the ranks of this church. These false teachers were teaching dangerous ideologies and heresies that would lead the people away from the grace of Christ and to a worksbased system of religious ceremonies.
So, with great love and trepidation, though 1000 miles away, Paul pens this letter to the church of Colossae tackling all of the issues as the Holy Spirit inspired him. Then by God’s grace he would have this letter delivered to them safely by the hands of a man named Tychicus, a faithful servant of the Lord.
But it’s worth noting that just before he closes out the letter, he gives a warning to Archippus, who is the teacher of this church at this appointed time. He says to him, “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.” Now the apostle is not accusing him of acquiescing in his calling but warning him to continue to persevere in rightly dividing the word of truth, for the people can only climb as high in the knowledge of God as the teacher who is in the pulpit. The Lord, in His mercy, has not left the church to itself, but has set forth gifted pastors and teachers, to equip them for the work of the ministry, to build them up in Christ, and to bring them to a place of maturity. So, in the midst of such opposition, concerning truth, Archippus must be like a mighty warrior. He must oppose the false teachers to their face, wielding the sword of truth with precision, lest this small church become ravaged by erroneous lies.
Today, concerning Christianity, there are many who are drowning in mystic thoughts about the nature and character of God without any biblical interpretation. They have been taught to seek experience above study, often equating the Holy Spirit with manmade fanaticism that does not produce holiness. There are alter calls by the hundreds without any fundamental teaching on repentance and obedience. The baptistries are being filled with people who just simply want to be baptized without acknowledging that baptism is a public profession of faith. This is an inward change that is being conformed into the image of Christ, resulting in them dying to worldly pleasures and submitting to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The truth is, the church has synchronized itself to the world, and the bright flaming fire that once glowed by the Christians in the 16th century is now just a flickering flame that doesn’t hold moral values sacred. Shall not this warning the Apostle left to Archippus, “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it,” not be for us to? Have we become so desensitized and intoxicated by the world, that we are not even concerned with fulfilling the ministry the Lord has given us concerning the purity of His church? May God have mercy upon us the day we will give an account to Him for what He has called us to do.