Ep 690 – Colossians 1:1-14

Today, we begin a new series on Paul's letter to the Colossians. Like all of Paul's letters, this one has a strong pastoral element to it. While he had not yet been able to visit the believers there in Colosse, he had a strong interest in their spiritual well-being. Most likely founded by Epaphras, the fledgling church there was facing strong opposition in the form of false teaching. These relatively new believers were having to deal with a range of dangerous heresies that were causing confusion and leading to doctrinal compromise. In his usual loving, but no-holds-barred style, Paul will confront them and challenge them to remain faithful to the gospel as it was presented to them. Paul had a strong opinion regarding anyone who attempted to add to the gospel of Jesus Christ in any way. And he was not afraid to call them out as exactly what they were: Heretics. The integrity of the gospel and the vitality of the local church were near and dear to Paul's heart as Colossians 1:1-14 will clearly reveal.