Text: Col. 1:27 - 28

A. V. 27a "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles;"

1. "To Whom" refers back to V. 26b "but now is made manifest to his saints:" God had just made known to His beloved saints this great mystery.

2. It always pleases God to show His power and work to His saints, however all things comes in due time, that is God’s appointed time.

3. It pays to be patient with God. It we rush we could miss something wonderful.

4. This is great glory for the Gentiles. Israel, God’s beloved chosen Nation, God’s Chosen son, and the people that God worked and talked with so much. His love was so great for them He sent His beloved Son to this world as one. But now we find out that God’s election included a people out side of Israel, the Gentiles. A mystery for so many thousands of years and now made known to the entire world.

B. V. 27b "which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:"

5. Once to be accepted one had to become a Jew and any outside of being a Jew was eternally damned. But now the secret of God is out, anyone who believes in Jesus Christ had eternal glory.

6. The Jews are not the only loved and elect of God.

7. The Gentiles now means as much to God as the Jews did.

8. All of this is made possible in Christ Jesus, the Jew they killed.

C. V. 28a "Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom;"

9. "Whom we preach" That is Christ Jesus the Saviour of mankind, Christ Jesus the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. 1 John 2:2 "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."

10. Paul says "we preach" unlike these teachers of Gnosticism who taught a system, we preach Christ.

11. We do not preach ourselves, we do not preach what we can do, nor do we preach what others can do for us, we preach Christ Jesus. 2 Corinthians 4:5 "For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake."

12. Preaching works, choosing, decision, and etc is preaching ourselves. We preach Christ.

13. These teachers of Gnosticism taught philosophies and empty traditions, Colossians 2:8 "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."Notice Paul also warned them "warning every man"

D. "Notice Paul also warned them "warning every man" V. 28

14. This could mean of their lost state, of eternal damnation, and of their sins against God.

15. It could also mean of these false teachers, the teachers of Gnosticism or of Arminianism of today about the lies and deceit. Acts 20:29-32 "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. [30.] Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. [31.] Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. [32.] And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified." This is the same passion Paul had for these Colossian believers.

16. Paul often warned churches as a father would a son, we see him speak this way to the church at Corinth 1 Corinthians 4:14 "I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you."

17. Now you know why Paul developed tears for these folks.

E. V. 28b "and teaching every man in all wisdom;"

18. Wisdom is that spiritual intelligence that Paul spoke of vs. 9b "and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;"

19. Paul not only preached Christ but he also taught Christ. We see an example of that teaching in Colossians 2:3 "In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

20. Paul taught that all spiritual intelligence is in Christ Jesus not in "hidden treasures"

F. V. 28c "that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:"

21. No one is ever perfect, except in Christ. The word perfect means complete and here it means completely mature in Christ. Remember the four stages of maturity in 1 John infant, young child, young man, and father. Paul’s hope was all of them would reach the status of father.

22. This is every pastor’s hope.

23. This is God’s permissive will, but one cannot reach that goal listening to the teachings of false teachers.

24. These Gnostic teachers were keeping them from that maturity. One cannot mature without keeping in the truths of Christ.