Paul Declares his Ministry to these Gentile Colossians
Part 2
Colossians
1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of
this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: KJVIt was the disciple Paul that God the Father revealed this Gospel to in order that it would be declared everywhere on the earth. Paul now continues and finishes his declaration of his ministry to these Colossian believers by saying, “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:” (Colossians 1:27) (KJV). The English word ‘would’ Paul uses here is translated by the Greek words thelō and ethelō its means to determine; to choose or to prefer, that is, to be inclined to gladly; a Hebraism to delight in: - desire, be disposed (forward), intend, list, love, mean, please, or will to. The English phrase ‘make known’ is translated by one Greek word gnorizo meaning to certify or provide evidence for, declare, or give understanding to something. So, we see then, that Paul was chosen by God to be a steward of the true Gospel of Grace and willed to take it out into all the world and given evidence and understanding of the purpose of the declaration of this Gospel, firstly, by his own conversion having his religious darkness removed to see the wonderful beauty of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ, therefore, Paul was disposed and determined to allow nothing or no one to deter him from bringing it to every human being he encountered and for determination he was now in prison in Rome as he told the Corinthian believers in the opening of his first letter written to them with these words, “And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:1-5) (NKJV).
When Paul says, “the riches of the glory of this mystery” (speaking of the Gospel of Christ or the Gospel of Grace), he is reaching out well beyond his own human capability and of human language to describe to these Colossian believers and we believers today the greatness of God the Father’s design to reconcile sinful men and women to Himself. The English word ‘riches’ is translated by the Greek word ploutos meaning as used here (figuratively) abundance, richness, (specifically) valuable bestowment: - riches. This is a favorite word of Paul’s throughout his letters in trying to describe the tremendous gift bestowed upon us underserving sinners by such a loving, gracious, kind, forgiving, and forbearing God as Paul also declared to the Roman believers early on in his letter with these words, “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4) (NKJV). Even the Gentiles, whom the Jews referred to, thought of, and believed to be dogs, that is, sub-human or in-human, were being made partakers of this glorious mystery or hidden truth (now revealed) to every human creature by the Gospel of Christ and we see now from these words written by Paul what the conclusion or end result of any sinner accepting and receiving this Gospel of Grace preached to them was and is and that is as Paul declares at the end of this verse, “Christ in you, the hope of glory”, and these words here are so unfathomed, unplumbed, and unsounded, yet they are easily and clearly understood by all with ears to here.
The Gospel does not discriminate amongst sinners, because our Lord Jesus does not discriminate between sinners, that is, there are no good people on the earth Jews or Gentiles and all are the same to our Lord Jesus Christ, therefore, He enters the heart of every truly repentant sinner (no matter their sin and no matter what the world thinks of them and their sin), and at the same time He remains on the outside of every sinner that continues to harden their hearts to this Gospel of Grace being the only way of reconciliation to God the Father. Christianity is not a religion, but it is the very God, the One True and Only God who made all things visible and invisible coming to live in the inner man or inner woman of a sinner which immediately and singularly reconciles that sinner to God as our Lord Jesus warned the high and mighty Jewish religious rulers with these words in the Parable of the two (2) sons, “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. ‘Which of the two did the will of his father?’ They said to Him, ‘The first.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.’” (Matthew 21:28-32) (NKJV).
In this Parable, the first son is every sinner on the earth in the past, the present, and the future who sees not religion, or a Church, or a Denomination, or any spirituality that will get them to God or to Heaven, but they hear the Gospel of Grace (Ephesians 2:1-10) and God the Holy Spirit opens their blind spiritual eyes to see Jesus as God and as the Only way to God, however, in sad contrast, the second son is every sinner on the earth in the past, the present, and the future who refuses, rejects, or resist their being only One Way to God and by and through only One Person (Jesus Christ) and goes their own ways, i.e. Scientology, Mormonism, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Churchism, Denominationalism, Spirituality, or any other ism or anything that leaves out and off that Jesus Christ is God and He is the Only way to reconciliation with God Period. Christ is the only hope of Glory and outside of Him there is no hope for any sinner, big sinner or small sinner, and this is why right now as I write these words as commanded me over ten years ago by my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to write through the entire New Testament (Romans – Jude), that there are multitudes of Church members, spiritual people, and earthly good people in the holding tank of ‘Hell’, but there are also multitudes of great sinners, rapist, serial killers, pedophiles, thieves, etc. in heaven in the arms of a loving Savior Jesus Christ because they like the first son in this Parable regretted/repented and were redeemed, regenerated, and reborn by Christ, this is the mystery hidden in God now revealed by the Gospel of Grace.
“There is no such thing as working for one’s salvation, that is, a gift freely given by God the Father through our Lord Jesus’s Bloody Sacrifice by the Power of God the Holy Spirit, therefore, then we see that Christianity is no religion, but instead a Person, namely Jesus Christ of Nazareth and only those who see Him as God and the Only Way to God will enjoy the Glories of Heaven, no one else will no matter how good it may sound or seem to the flesh of sinful humanity.” Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
“The meaning is, that the whole of that truth, so full of glory, and so rich and elevated in its effect, is summed up in this - that Christ is revealed among you as the source of the hope of glory in a better world. This was the great truth which so animated the heart and fired the zeal of the Apostle Paul. The wonderful announcement had burst on his mind like a flood of day, that the offer of salvation was not to be confined, as he had once supposed, to the Jewish people, but that all men were now placed on a level; that they had a common Savior; that the same heaven was now opened for all, and that there were none so degraded and vile that they might not have the offer of life as well as others. This great truth Paul burned to communicate to the whole world; and for holding it, and in making it known, he had involved himself in all the difficulties which he had with his own countrymen; had suffered from want, and peril, and toil; and had finally been made a captive, and was expecting to be put to death. It was just such a truth as was fitted to fire such a mind as that of Paul, and to make it; known as worth all the sacrifices and toils which he endured. Life is well sacrificed in making known such a doctrine to the world.” Albert Barnes
If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...
Sincerely in Christ,
Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…
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