Dr. Paul’s Contemporary History to the Colossians
Introduction:
Doctor Paul from incarceration in Rome, writes a Treatise concerning Jesus as human & Deity, directed to the Colossian community of christians to assist them by his exhortation in their necessary continuing reform to His likeness. He has Tychicus deliver this Letter and the Note to Philemon, who lives in Colosse, after first delivering the Letter to Ephesus and Laodicea (which is likely the one mentioned in the Letter to the Colossian congregation to be sought in Laodicea. There, they are to retrieve their Letter to be read by all of them in Colosse and deliver their Letter for Laodicea’s use).
Doctor Paul of Tarsus was a contemporary historian of Jesus (his subject & source). The accuracy of his Writings have no serious doubters. His writings have had many evaluations by critics, but they have proven to be mistaken. To become an accepter, as thousands had in his time, is the choice of each reader or hearer of Doctor Paul’s history and Message.
Note: Words to ‘Note’ in this Letter: ‘the Faith’, HEAD, all, first- born, the Mystery, ‘full understanding’, must (ought or it is imperative), taught, learned, Deity, Christ’s, circumcision, walk, co-…, contrast (then-now, dead-alive, put on-stripped).
Date: A.D. 61
Letter:
(1st) Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s Will, and Timothy the brother, to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ in Colosse: grace to you and peace from God our Father. {1:2}
(2nd) We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, always praying for you all, [A] having heard of ‘the Faith of you all in Christ Jesus, and [B] [having heard] of the love which you have for all the saints, [C] because of the Hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which [Hope] you have previously heard in the Message of the Truth of the Good News. It has come to you, even as It has in all the world, bearing fruit and increasing, even as It has also in you, from the day you heard and truly understood God’s Grace, even as you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow slave, who is a faithful servant of Christ for your sake. He has made known to us your love in spirit. Because of this, we also, from the day we heard, have not stopped asking and praying for you: [A] that you may be filled with the ‘full understanding’ of His Will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding; [B] that you may walk worthily of the Lord: [1] to please [Him] in every way, [2] bearing fruit in every good work, and [3] increasing in the ‘full understanding’ of God; [C] [that you all are] being strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, in all endurance and patience; [D] [that you all are] joyfully thanking the Father, Who has qualified you to share the inheritance of the saints in the Light. He [A] rescued us from the power of darkness and [B] transferred us into the Kingdom of His beloved Son, in Whom we have the redemption, the forgiveness of sins. {1:14}
(3rd) And, [I]‘He’ is [A] ‘the image’ [exact] of the invisible God, [B] (the firstborn of [over] all creation), because [C] all things were created in [by] Him: [a] heavenly and earthly, [b] seen and unseen, [c] whether thrones or dominions or [d] rulers or authorities. [D] ‘All’ things have been created through Him and [E] unto Him, and [F] ‘He’ Himself is before [authority] ‘all’ things, and [G] ‘all’ things hold together in Him. {1:17}
[II] ‘He’ is the HEAD [A] of the Body, [B] the called-out people; [C] Who is [the] beginner, (the firstborn out of the dead), that in ‘all’ things ‘He’ Himself might have first place [priority]; because it pleased the Father that in Him [A] ‘all’ fullness should dwell, and by Him [B] to reconcile ‘all’ things – whether earthly or heavenly – to Himself, having made Peace by the blood of His cross. Though you were, [1] ‘then’, [a] strangers and enemies in your mind, [b] in your evil deeds, yet, [2]‘now’, ‘He’ has reconciled you all by the body of His flesh through death, to present you: [a] holy and [b] blameless and [c]above reproach in His sight, [3]if indeed, you continue in ‘the Faith’: [a] grounded and [b] steadfast and [c] unmoved from the Hope of the Good News, which you heard, and which was preached in the whole creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, myself became a servant. {1:23}
I now rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and I complete in my flesh the things in regard to Christ’s afflictions for His Body’s sake (which is the called-out people). For them I became a servant, according to the divine office which has been granted to me for you all, to fulfill God’s Message, even the Mystery, which [1] has been hidden for ages and generations, but now, [2] has been revealed to His saints. God wanted to make known to them the riches of this glorious Mystery among the nations, which is “Christ in you”, the hope of glory. {1:27}
Who [A] we proclaim: [1] warning every man and [2] teaching every man, in ‘all’ wisdom, [B] that we might present every man full-grown in Christ. I labor for this, striving according to the manifestation of His power which works mightily in me. {1:29}
(4th) I want you to know how greatly [1] I have agonized for you all, and [2] for those of Laodicea, and [3] for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; [a] that their hearts may be encouraged, [b] united in love, [c] in a rich and ‘full understanding’ of God’s Mystery in Christ.
[I] All the treasures of ‘wisdom and understanding’ are stored in Him! [A] I say this so that no one may mislead you all by persuasive talk. [1] If I am away from you in the flesh, yet I am with you in the spirit, rejoicing and observing your orderliness and the firmness of ‘the Faith’ of you all unto Christ. [2] As you all received Christ Jesus the Lord, you ‘must’ walk in Him: [a] rooted and [b] built up in Him, [c] established in ‘the Faith’, even as you were taught, overflowing in thanksgiving. [B] You ‘must’ be on guard for fear that someone [1] may ensnare you through: [a] philosophy and [b] empty deceit, [c] after human tradition, [d] after worldly elements, and [e] not after Christ. [II] In Him dwells all the fullness of the Deity, bodily, and you all ‘are’ in Him still complete [in a condition of lacking nothing], [A] Who is the Head of all rulers and authority! {2:10}
[III] You were circumcised by Him without hands, [A] in stripping off the flesh by Christ’s circumcision. [B]You all were co-buried with Him in the Immersion, in which, also, [C] you all were co-raised with Him through ‘the Faith’ of [in] the working of God, Who raised Him out of dead. [D] He has made you all (who were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh) [1] alive by Him, [2] forgiving all our trespasses. [E] He erased the Handwriting (with its decrees) that was against us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross. [F] He stripped rulers and authorities, boldly exposing them in His triumph. [III] Therefore, you all ‘must’ not allow anyone to judge you [a] in food and [b] in drink, or [c] with regard to a Feast or [d] a New Moon or [e] of Sabbaths (which are a shadow of things to come), as the body is Christ’s. [IV] All of you ‘must’ let no one rob you of the prize, [a] delighting in self-abasement and [b] worship of angels, [c] taking his stand on visions, [d] emptily puffed up by his fleshly mind, and [e] not holding on to the Head, from Whom ‘all’ the body, supported and held together by sinews and ligaments, grows with a God-given increase. [V] If you all died with Christ from worldly elements, why, as though living in the world, are you submitting to decrees: “Neither touch, nor taste, nor handle!”, (all of which things perish with use), according to human commandments and teachings? These things, indeed, have an appearance of wisdom, in self-made worship, and abasement and severity to the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgences. {2:23}
(5th) If, therefore, you all were raised up with Christ, [A] you all ‘must’ seek the things above, where Christ is sitting at God’s right hand. [B] All of you ‘must’ focus your mind on things above, not on the things of the Earth, because you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ‘When’ Christ, who is your life, is revealed [again], ‘then’ you also will be gloriously revealed with Him. [C] You all ‘must’ put to death, therefore, [1] your earthly members: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry. God’s anger comes upon disobedient children because of these things. You once walked in these things, when you were living in them; but ‘now’ you all, also, [2] ‘must’ put them all away: anger, wrath, ill-will, abusive speech, and obscene language from your mouth. [3] You all ‘must’ not lie one to another, since you have ‘stripped-off’ the ‘old’ man with his deeds, and since you have ‘put on’ the ‘new’ man, who is being renewed unto ‘full understanding’, according to the image of the One who created him, where there is no Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, pagan, slave, free; but Christ is everything, and in everyone. {3:11}
[I] You all ‘must’ ‘put on’, therefore, [A] as God’s chosen ones, [a] (dedicated [holy] and [b] beloved): [1] tender affection, [2] kindness, [3] humility, [4] gentleness, [5] patience, [6] bearing with one another, and [7] forgiving each other; if anyone has a complaint against another, as the Lord also forgave you all, you all also forgive in the same way. And [8] above all these things: Love! Which is the bond that unites everything in complete harmony. [B] You all ‘must; let the Peace of Christ rule in your hearts, [1] into which you all were called in one body, and [2] you all ‘must’ always be thankful. [C] You ‘must’ allow Christ’s Message [1] dwell in you richly, [a] in all wisdom, [b] teaching and [c] admonishing one another. [[2] In psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with Grace in your hearts to God. And [D] whatever you do, in word or deed, do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus, thanking God the Father through Him. {3:17}
(6th) [A] Wives, all you ‘must’ submit yourselves to your husbands, as is proper in the Lord. [B] Husbands, you all should love your wives, and ‘must’ not be bitter with them. [C] Children, you all ‘must’ obey your parents in everything, for this is well-pleasing in the Lord. [D] Fathers, you ‘must’ not provoke your children, that they be not disheartened. [E] Slaves, you ‘must’ obey in everything your masters according to the flesh, not with eye service as pleasing men, but more so, with a sincere heart, fearing the Lord. [F] Whatever you do, all of you ‘must’ do heartily, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that you will receive from the Lord the recompense of the Inheritance. You all are enslaved to Christ the Lord! He who does wrong will receive again for the wrong which he has done, and there is no partiality. [G] Masters, you ‘must’ be just and fair with your slaves, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven. [H] You all ‘must’ continue [be persistent] [a] in prayer and [b] be watchful [attentive] in it [c] with thanksgiving. {4:2}
[I] At the same time, also pray for us, that [1] God may open to us a door for the Message, [2] to speak Christ’s Mystery (for which I am bound), so that [3] I may make It clear, as I ought to speak. [J] You all ‘must’ [1] walk in wisdom with the ones outside, [2] making good use of the time. [3] Let your speech always be gracious, [a] seasoned with salt, [b] learning how you ought to reply to each one. {4:6}
(7th) Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow slave in the Lord, will let you all understand how things are going with me. I have sent him to you for this very purpose that you may understand our affairs, and that he may encourage your hearts, along with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, who is one of your own. They will make all things that are happening here understood by you. Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, greets you, and Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received commandments, that if he comes, you are [‘must’] to receive him), and Jesus (the one called Justus). These only, who are of the circumcision, are fellow workers in God’s Kingdom who have been a comfort to me. Epaphras, a slave of Christ Jesus, one of your own, greets you all, always striving for you in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all of God’s Will. I testify of him that he has worked hard for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for those in Hierapolis. Luke, the beloved physician, greets you all, and Demas. You ‘must’ be sure to greet the brothers in Laodicea, and Nympha, and the congregation in her house. And when the Letter has been read by you, it ‘is imperative’, that It is also read in the Laodicean congregation, and ‘see to it’ that you also read the Letter from Laodicea. ‘Be absolutely sure’ to say to Archippus, “It is imperative for you to take heed to the service which you received in the Lord, that you fulfill it!”
The salutation of Paul with my hand. Remember my bonds. Grace be with you all.
Dr. Paul’s Note to Philemon
Introduction:
Professor Paul, the contemporary historian of Jesus’ early work in His Kingdom (A.D. 33-65), sends a short note to Philemon and his family, who is a good friend and disciple of Jesus, concerning a converted slave named Onesimus. This Note is rich in correct christian attitude, actions and interaction, thus a good study of professor Paul’s Teaching and christian living of that time. Philemon lives in Colossae and Tychicus was the courier of that Letter, also. He had Onesimus as a traveling companion. He had already delivered another Letter to Ephesus’ congregation of Jesus’ Kingdom. Paul is in Rome incarcerated because of his appeal to Caesar.
Reading and studying both at the same time seems correct, as they were to the same folks at the same time.
This Note to Dr. Paul’s long-time friend and fellow worker for Jesus, gives a sample of a personal note by Dr. Paul. All of his other contemporary histories are of a more formal nature, being written concerning specific ‘Themes’.
Date: A.D. 61
Letter:
(1st) Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy the brother, to Philemon, our beloved fellow worker, and to Apphia the sister and to our fellow soldier Archippus, and to the congregation in your [sing.] house: Grace to you all and Peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
(2nd) I always thank God for you [sing.], mentioning you [sing.] in my prayers, hearing of the love and ‘the Faith’ toward the Lord Jesus, and unto all the saints, that the sharing of ‘the Faith’ of you yourself may stay active in a full understanding of every good thing that is ours unto Christ. I have profound joy and encouragement in your love, brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.
(3rd) Though I have much boldness in Christ to command you what is proper, yet because of Love I rather request, being such a one as Paul, an old man, and now a prisoner of Christ Jesus. I request you, concerning my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds, who was once useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me, whom I am returning to you, that is, my own heart. I was wanting to keep him for myself, that on your behalf he might serve me in the bonds of the Good News, but I did not want to do anything without your permission, so that your goodness might not be compulsory, but voluntary. Perhaps he has been away from you for a short time that you might have him back always, no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, and how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
(4th) If, therefore, you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me. If he has wronged you or owes anything, put this to my account. I, Paul, write it with my hand: I will repay it. (I do not want to say to you, that you owe to me your own self.) Yes, brother, may I have your help in the Lord! Refresh my heart in Christ. In my confidence of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do more than I say. At the same time, also prepare a room for me, for I hope that through the prayers of you all, I will be granted to you.
(5th) Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you [Philemon] a greeting, along with Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. May the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with the spirit of all of you.