Preaching of December 24th, 2006 by Michel Genton
Colossians Chapter. 4 verse 16
« And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea. »
We know by this writing, which is in the Bible, that there is a letter which Paul wrote to Laodicea.
But the theologians consider this Epistle, as not being inspired. They assert that it was written by a heretic of the sect of Marcion ( Marcion died in 160 later JC).For Marcion, he had to appear in the biblical canon, only ten Paul's epistles and Luc's gospel..
Tertullien towards 155 after JC said that this Epistle to the Laodiceans was in fact, sent to Ephésiens and accused Marcion of having changed the title it.
The letter in Laodiceans was written in the fourth century, in Greek then translated into Latin. It is in the Bible Vulgate, since 541 after JC.
In the XVIIè century in certain Lutheran circles, we used the Epistle to the Laodiceans as educational tool in the schools of theology.
THE EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE LAODICEANS
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1. Paul an Apostle, not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, to the brethren which are at Laodicea.
2. Grace be to you, and peace, from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.
3. I thank Christ in every prayer of mine, that you may continue and persevere in good works, looking for that which is promised in the day of judgment.
4. Do not be troubled by the vain speeches of anyone who perverts the truth, that they may draw you aside from the truth of the Gospel which I have preached.
5. And now may God grant that my converts may attain to a perfect knowledge of the truth of the Gospel, be beneficent, and doing good works which accompany salvation.
6. And now my bonds, which I suffer in Christ, are manifest, in which I rejoice and am glad.
7. For I know that this shall turn to my salvation forever, which shall be through your prayer and the supply of the Holy Spirit.
8. Whether I live or die, to me to live shall be a life to Christ, to die will be joy.
9. And our Lord will grant us his mercy, that you may have the same love, and be like-minded.
10. Wherefore, my beloved, as you have heard of the coming of the Lord, so think and act reverently, and it shall be to you life eternal;
11. For it is God who is working in you;
1212. And do all things without sin.
13. And what is best, my beloved; rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ, and avoid all filthy lucre.
14. Let all your requests by made known to God, and be steady in the doctrine of Christ.
15. And whatever things are sound and true, and of good report, and chaste, and just, and lovely, these things do.
16. Those things which you have heard and received, think on these things, and peace shall be with you.
17. All the saints salute you.
18. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
19. Cause this Epistle to be read to the Colossians, and the Epistle of the Colossians to be read among you.
If this Epistle is inspired, the Holy Spirit is going to show him to you. For my part, I feel too small in front of Tertullien, Jérome, Marcion and the others, to say to you which one of these theologians is right.
I remind you that we are under the 4th seal of John's Revelation and in the 7th age of the church, the age of Laodicea exactly.
I see nothing false in this letter. No heresy. Nothing of against the rest of the Holy Scriptures,
In fact, most of the specialists in theology say that it is only a " pious compilation, empty of theological contents. "
Do we need theology? When we know that Paul was in bonds and that he suffered there. No, we have to interpret this writing with an infinite respect. We know that 155 years later JC has already spoke about this text! And John's Revelation dated 100 after JC! It was the same period.
Read again the verse 11 : « For it is God who is working in you ».
This sentence summarizes what our brother T.L Osborn said to us this summer to Montreuil.
Yes Jesus Christ is God. He sits in the heavenly places. He spread his Spirit on us. That is he skipped in us. It is not any more us who live, it is Christ who lives and acts in us.
Then, this text is an empty theology? it is empty for those who are empty. It is often theologians who doubt God's power.
In the verse 4: « Do not be troubled by the vain speeches of anyone who perverts the truth, that they may draw you aside from the truth of the Gospel which I have preached. »
What truth? This one: it is a God who acts in us. The apostle John says the same thing in a even stronger way: " because as he is, so are we in this world. " 1 John 4/17 How is this God who lives in us?
He " is honorable, true, chaste, just and pleasant " He is victorious in you. Even the death, it is a victory.
It is what says Paul in the verse 8: « Whether I live or die, to me to live shall be a life to Christ, to die will be joy »
It is not a bizarre doctrine. Jesus himself said it before Paul, when he resuscitated Lazare: " he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: " did my mother die?
No!
Although she is buried, her body died, but its enjoyment was to leave for spirit.
Then be delighted, you who have people who died in Christ. Stop being in the sadness. The death is an enjoyment.
Paul is not suicidal . He said the truth: " and to die is gain " what a Christian can lose when he says: I lost a dear being?
Nothing. Because the true piety is a heavy gain, not a loss! All that you live in Jesus Christ, it is a heavy gain. Even the age!
In the verse 13, Paul say : « And what is best, my beloved; rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ, and avoid all filthy lucre. »
What you have to avoid or to kill, they are: the bad habits, the bad character, our human tendency to care us of everything. To want to manage yesterday when tomorrow while it is not possible. Even our body will not be perish, it will be sowed, put in the ground then resurrected , glorified. We have to annihilate our problems of degenerative osteoarthritis, health.
And Paul, while he is writing it, lives moments of suffering.«are manifest. »With this difference that he lives them in the enjoyment.
Verse 6 : « And now my bonds, which I suffer in Christ, are manifest, in which I rejoice and am glad.. ». The apostle Paul had troubles, contrary to certain theologians who do not want to lay on the hands on the sick, not to exercise illegally the medicine. Paul, him, was condemned because of Jesus Christ.
«… in which I rejoice and am glad... » It is the enjoyment in the suffering. The enjoyment comes only if you are delighted. It is a position to be taken, by your spirit which is going to oblige your soul, your body to be delighted. David in the suffering said himself to himself: my soul! Eh my soul! Forget nobody of God's benefactions! Bless the Eternal!
You have to praise the Lord when you are not fine. You exhort yourself to the enjoyment.
The children of this world« are wiser than the children of light. », Are delighted by drinking. Moreover the Bible says« And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, » But Paul is obliged to say: do not get drunk, it is the debauchery, be full of the Holy Spirit. Here is where we can find our enjoyment, us: in the drunkenness of the things of the spirit. So that our cup overflows, we have to go to meet the Holy Spirit. In praise, in the prayer.Say to him that we are satisfied, then to maintain good relations with him.
It belongs to us to make the effort to be full of the Holy Spirit.
Verse 7« For I know that this shall turn to my salvation forever ».It is not only a Jesus who saved us on the cross our eternal salvation. Jesus also says to us that we have " to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Maintain and make increase the enjoyment of my salvation, also by bringing in the others, so that they intercede, pray for me.
Verse 7 : « …which shall be through your prayer and the supply of the Holy Spirit...Whether I live or die» It is in the prayer that we are in extreme reactionary communion with God.
Verse 14 : « your requests by made known to God, and be steady in the doctrine of Christ.» Hold fast in what Jesus Christ thinks and of thinking as him.
Let us keep for the spirit what says Paul in the verse 10 for the new year which arrives: »Those things which you have heard and received, think on these things, and peace shall be with you
And certain manuscripts, so end:
" That God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, keeps you pure in Jesus Christ to whom is the honor and the glory for ever and ever . "