To the Saints in Philippi - 1

Today we begin a new expository series through the book of Philippians 1 of the best-known and most beloved of all Paul's 13 New Testament epistles.

It is a short book of four chapters. It resounds with the theme of joy joy as a noun or rejoice. The verb is found 16 times in these four chapters, which averages about four times per chapter doesn't it is a prison epistle written by Paul from his Roman imprisonment. Around A.D. 62. In contrast with the Thessalonian epistles that we have just completed which were written early in his ministry, probably around A.D. 5152 so there's a good 10 year gap between epistles that we have just completed the one that we are about to engage in at this time there are many beloved text of the book of Philippians may be more than any other book of this size in the New Testament. We've all heard many of these for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.

What a wonderful, wonderful statement of truth.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant was made in the likeness of man and being found as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

One of the most profound passages of all the word of God and this one in chapter 3 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death. What what thoughts to hang our minds upon in this one. Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God shall that passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue, if there is anything praiseworthy. Meditate upon these things and perhaps one of the best-known and misapplied texts in all the Bible I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. All these found in the book of Philippians and will be taking them up one by one at the proper time on my file where I keep notes of my sermons that I preach over the years is filled fill sermons from the book of Philippians and yet in all these years I have never preached all the way through it from beginning to end. I started to do that about three years ago.

They preparation in that direction and then felt directed of the Lord to go in another direction, but at that time I began to accumulate commentaries on the book of Philippians with the thought in mind that we would be expounding that one of these days.

So what I felt like the time it, and I went to my bookshelf to see what other books I might need for this study. I counted felt I have 25 commentaries on Philippians I decided I would buy anymore.

All have trouble using all the ones that I have.

What a wonderful wealth of riches.

I have to help me study this book of Philippians. Today were going to take up the salutation is there.

That's pretty mundane.

All of Paul's epistles have salutations and they all sound pretty much alike. And that is true with emphasis upon that phrase pretty much alike but they are all different, they all have details that are important and they all need to be studied in their own context with their own application and so we begin at the beginning with the salutation standard salutation of that they had three elements that identify the author identified the recipients that had a word of greeting. That's how they all begin. Philippians says Paul and Timothy, bond servants of Jesus Christ to all the saints in Christ Jesus, who are in Philippi with the bishops and deacons. Grace to you and peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ, the author, the recipients in the greeting the author we already know that the author is none other than the apostle Paul, apostle of Jesus Christ, having been called and assigned the office of apostle Paul had great responsibility that have been laid upon his shoulders by the Lord responsibility to preach the word of God the responsibility to receive divine revelation from God, and to commit to writing the responsibility to plant churches in various places across the world and to supervise those churches for a while until they could get well grounded in the word of God is apostleship giving it gave him great authority in the work of the gospel greater authority than anyone else except Christ himself. The apostles really were in.

In many ways Christ replacement.

When Christ went back to heaven fact, the Bible tells us that the church was founded upon Christ who is the cornerstone and then upon what the apostles and the prophets who are in the foundation of the church and of course the foundation was laid many years ago there for the foundation is not continuing to be laid were not surprised in that regard that Jesus Christ is no longer upon the earth were not surprised that we don't have apostles or prophets today. But oh what an important place they had in the early days of the church in the foundation of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ according to his design Paul as an apostle apostle with responsibility, authority and power. He had been given special miraculous power to be able to heal people and perform other miracles again, these are the signs of an apostle. As he tells us in second Corinthians. If they are the signs of an apostle, but the lots of people who can do them.

The what does that phrase mean signs of an apostle really would be nothing. Would it unless there's a unique sense in which these miracles are assigned to apostles and are confirmation that they are indeed apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ. And Paul had that kind of power he had responsibility and authority and power. But more than anything else.

He had a great measure of God's grace that he never got over the amazement that he an enemy of Christ of vehement enemy of Christ, who had created so much opposition of Rick Rick so much havoc in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ should, by the grace of God, the unmerited favor of God called into union with Jesus Christ and be placed into the office of apostle. He never got over that he was amazed by that. He was amazed by that. On the Damascus Road he were was amazed by that.

When he drew his last breath upon the Paul. Paul doesn't mention in this particular salutation that he is an apostle. We know that of course to be true, and we also know that in a great many of his salutations. He does say Paul and apostle of Jesus Christ, but not in all of his epistles do we find that this case it is not there, it says Paul and Timothy, bond servants of Jesus Christ. But it does not mention that he is an apostle of Christ and the question, of course, to supply the answer is we can't be sure because the Bible doesn't tell us why. But we can guess, and from what I understand of the situation, my opinion is that Paul did mention that he was in a pit with an apostle of Christ. In this case for two reasons.

Number one because he didn't need to number two because he didn't want to get the two go together. I think when Paul mentions that he's an apostle of Jesus Christ, you usually find that epistles some reference to people who are challenging him in his apostleship there questioning it.

They are trying to degrade you. They are trying to to tear him down in the esteem of others who are looking to him as an apostle of Jesus Christ and there are those who would like to replace CM and put themselves in his place.

There are those who would like to divert people's attention away from his message and to replace it with a false message. So when that is going on. I think those are the times when Paul says subtly in passing, but a very important reminder. I am an apostle of Jesus Christ, I have a special place a special authority a special position in the work of Christ.

I am an apostle of Jesus Christ. Don't let the enemies of the gospel persuade you otherwise mentions that when it is being challenged because that's important for the spiritual health of people, but he would prefer not to have to, he doesn't mention it here. Number one because he doesn't need to. There's no reference to any challenge to his apostleship in the Philippian church and number two.

Therefore, he would prefer not to. Though he has an apostle and needs to mention that when it's important for people to not be misled by others who would denigrate his apostleship Paul would much prefer the people would know that and would respond appropriately so that he can relate to them in other ways.

Should we say and softer way. Paul, a fellow Christian Paul, one of the saints. Paul, a fellow servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. Think of me that way.

That's what Paul preferred and so he didn't Lord to his apostleship over them, but he didn't run away from it either. It's an interesting balance.

It's an instructive balance. We can learn a lot from the way Paul used or did not you that term apostle in various situation, but Paul is an apostle, and Paul is the founder of the church at Philippi and is writing to that church that have been very special to him over the years. In fact I call this Paul's opening words to one of his favorite churches and I would probably not be amiss to say to his very favorite church because it seems to be that way is this epistle unfold's. Paul is now imprisoned in Rome imprisonment from which he will eventually be released for a while and then imprisoned again at which time he will be executed, but as during his first Roman imprisonment that he writes a number of epistles and one of them is to the beloved Saints of God at Philippi. Paul is the author, but then we notice the Timothy is also placed his name is placed in the position that normally would be the position that identifies the author doesn't just say Paul to all the saints in Christ Jesus, who are in Philippi, but Paul and Timothy but that of course is not unique number of the epistles include other names.

Sometimes it's Paul and Sylvanus or someone else who Paul includes in the location of authorship for epistle, but then we wonder what exactly is intended by that is Paul telling us that he is not the sole author, or is not primary author that this is a collaboration. Sometimes we read books that are written by more than one author, two or more.

Sometimes we read books that are written by a whole list of authors every chapter by different authors. You probably read books like that. Perhaps when you were in school.

Is that what Paul is communicating God. This epistle is not simply authored by him.

From a human standpoint, but the Timothy is a co-author and has collaborated with him in some way will all I can say it to you at this point is that as we study the various places where you find the multiple names in the place of authorship and then study through the epistle to see how Paul uses pronouns either plural or singular. Sometimes they and we did this we said that others I'm saying ice I said this I I say this I I am. I instruct you in this way, we eventually come to the conclusion that Paul is not putting those other people in the place of authorship or coauthorship but he is honoring them by this position. He's calling attention to them and their faithful service by this position. He is affirming to the church at Philippi.

The Timothy no doubt has read every word of this epistle and is in wholehearted agreement with it so wet that when it comes to them by probably buying carried by Timothy himself to them so that when it comes to them, they will know that everything that is said here is said by the apostle Paul in full agreement to their friend Timothy but no Timothy is not a co-author Paul is the author Paul is the inspired author Paul is the inspired apostle Paul is writing as directed by the Holy Spirit of God, but Timothy is key is closest in most trusted ministry partner.

He loved Timothy he honored Timothy.

He depended upon Timothy. Timothy is now with Paul in Rome in his imprisonment, and Timothy had been involved with the team that had planted the church at Philippi and therefore is known and loved and respected by the church there and so it's not surprising that Paul mentions him in the opening and Timothy may very well have been Paul's I like this word so isolated from time to time amanuensis in writing this epistle said enough.

I think you know what I mean are we to Sec. that day. It was amanuensis and Paul dictated his epistles and he had to dictated to somebody and it could've been somebody else. We don't know that it was Timothy but we know Timothy was there and we know that Timothy was a faithful companion and did whatever he could to help Paul in any way and therefore it would not be unlikely that Timothy served as the one who took Paul's dictation that would give you another reason for Paul to say Paul and Timothy, the Timothy is not the author of the words the contents of the epistle he made in a very real sense, be the one who wrote the words on the page: Timothy but how does Paul identify himself and Timothy, not as an apostle, but what bond servants of Jesus Christ were literally bond slaves of Jesus Christ in a day when up to half of the population of the Roman Empire were slaves not free people.

Freeman and Paul calls himself a bondslave emphasizing not his high position as an apostle, but he is lonely position as a servant, and no doubt emphasizes that here's an example to others. If Paul the apostle sees himself primarily as a servant than what should the Christians who came to Christ through his ministry. Think of themselves as primarily in a Small Way, Paul may be doing what Christ did in the upper room is recorded in John chapter 13. Before his betrayal when the apostles were gathered together around the table and Christ was at the head of the table in Christ presided in the eating of the meal and then it tells us when supper was over, Christ stood up from the table and he girded himself with a towel and he went around and did what he washed the apostles feet is dirty stinky smelly feet. He watch the apostles feet and as you know, when it came to Peter peters at all. No no no no no no, that's not appropriate you don't wash my feet. I should be washing your feet don't you wash my feet and Jesus said if you don't let me washer feel have no part in me. Also Peter complete reversal wash me all over her head and all three said they don't need that again. That's a one time thing which you do need your feet wash. What lessons are there all kinds of lessons but is much as anything.

It's it's teaching the very important distinction between justification and sanctification. You've been in vain justification, but you need to be continually washed it on your dusty feet, sanctification is much as anything else. What was Jesus doing their setting the example what I have done unto you.

I want you to do to one another as I have taken the servants placed before you. I you and your Lord and Master, you call me that. He said, and so I am I you and your Lord and Master. If I'm willing to take the servants place and wash your feet do you think you're too good to do that. This is what I want you to do one another and maybe in some small way. That's exactly what Paul is doing in this opening.

Paul and Timothy, not an apostle of Jesus Christ put: Timothy slaves, servants willing to serve in any way that we can but servants of Jesus Christ that is important. It identifies who Paul is serving primarily serving others for Christ sake, but he serving Christ and is serving a Christ direction and it tells us what he is doing. He's not just serving aimlessly just to be doing good deeds and demonstrating some kind of ill-defined love, but he serving the Lord Jesus Christ and the ways that Christ has commanded and identifying himself as a bondslave is indeed putting himself in the lowly position, but identifying himself as a bondslave of Jesus Christ was King of Kings and Lord of lords that elevates the bond service a bit doesn't what's the higher position free person groveling in poverty, or the servant of the king, which would you rather be the servant of the caring be better than to be a free person who can hardly get it together and get anything done. Paul and Timothy, bond servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the author recipients who is he writing to to the saints in Christ Jesus, who are in Philippi with the bishops and deacons recipients. Any says three things that are important about them. He tells us first, what I would call her basic identity, namely saints because a secondly about their earthly location which is of course the city of Philippi. Their assigned place of service, and he tells us. Thirdly, something about their Christian community. Something about the church in Philippi because he mentions not only the saints, the members of the church, but also the bishops of the deacons to the saints in Christ Jesus. St. was actually far more common term for what we call Christian in our day. Then it was in their Dick how many times is the word Christian found in the New Testament. Does anybody know what to three times is the case you forgot, I told you that before but forgot three times. That's all. Not that that's not a good term. I'm not saying because it's only used three times. We shouldn't use it but three times. Believers in Jesus Christ in the New Testament are called Christians.

How many times have they called saints do know that one.

The answer to that question, more than 60 times more than 60 times they are referred to as saints in the plural saints almost always in the plural saints hot Diaz is the Greek word, it has the idea of two separate if you put in the verb form to set apart, and there is where we get the idea of holiness.

Christians being set apart are set apart from the world, set apart from sin, set apart unto God, there is the idea of holiness, but the word holy in the word separate are are the same. Actually when we think of holy we think of sinless and of course that there is that element God certainly is holy, he sinless but being set apart, set apart is really media better concept to keep in mind because Christians, of course, though, having been justified in that sense, are holy. Before the judgment bar of God are still struggling with our Adamic frailty and remaining sinfulness and therefore we are not holy were far from holy in our everyday lives, but we have been set apart unto God and that makes us holy.

We belong to him. He claims us. We are holy we are set apart. We belong to God that sense that's what a saint you a set apart one. It is a person of a different order different from any one else in all the world except the others who also have been made saints by the we are citizens of a different world. We are people of a different order. We are people of a different different nature of a different makeup, but different rates actually were a new race of people made out of remade out of the old following Adamic race, we are saints. It's a term for all born-again once every Christian.

Biblically speaking, is a saint. Anyone who erroneously teaches that saints are super Christians who have who have the accomplish greater things than anybody else and perform some kind of a miracle along the way and after their death. They are acknowledged and canonized by the church and thereafter called saints doesn't read the Bible very closely do they Paul is writing to all the Christians in Philippi and their All Saints everyone of them.

St. Lydia, his heart, the Lord opened in Philippi that she would receive the gospel St. Philippian jailer who was saved by the grace of God spared from death and brought into eternal life by the work of Christ in his heart St. demon possessed slave girl. I think probably came to's saving knowledge of Christ.

When Paul cast the demon out of her and that of course is what brought about the persecution that took him into jail and on and on it goes.

Every one of the Christians in Philippi are saints and Paul is writing to all notice that word all all the saints who are in Philippi. No exceptions. They are all included in this designation. We do not progress to sainthood we make progress in our sainthood.

We become saints when we are born into the family of God.

From there on out we are working to make progress in our saintliness, how you doing you are a saint you're called to say rightfully so high in your progress towards saintliness question that we move from their basic identity as saints to their earthly location which is Philippi. The city were God had saved them and therefore had placed them to serve him Philippi a major city in the Roman Empire in the northern part of the peninsula of Greece called Macedonia, located on the ignition way. One of those great Roman roads like the European way and others.

You have heard of Paul came to the city of Philippi around A.D. 49 remember seeing the Macedonian vision left Asia minor across the Aegean Sea and came to Europe and landed in the port city of Neapolis and then walked no doubt the 10 or 12 miles from there to the city of Philippi Philippi by the work of God's grace, became the first European church planted by the apostle Paul. There were quite a few more to follow. Someone said Philippi was Rome in miniature was a very Rome like city. The much smaller but had many of the characteristics of the great capital city of Rome, including its architecture and its organization. It's it's well organized government and and so forth. Philippi had been founded in 356 BC during the days of the Greek empire and was named for Philip the second of Macedon, who was the father of Alexander the great, but came into the Roman Empire in 167 BC and rose to fame in 42 BC because there was a famous battle in Philippi between on the one hand, Anthony and Octavian, who defeated Brutus in caches that I don't expect you to remember all those names but probably is. I said those names one or more of them flickered a little bit of a memory from his your school days. You said, I think those guys were associated with Julia's fancy Caesar right in fact was not Caesar. When he was stabbed and realized who had done it said it to rotate the river that he was involved in the battle he lost. He was on the losing end of the battle in Philippi. And after that great battle were told that a lot of Roman army vet settled down in Philippi was a city full of of retired military man, which also made a Roman Rome like city and was designated a Roman colony of that given special privileges in the Roman Empire. So is a very important city, but beyond their earthly location. What do we learn about their Christian community to the saints in Christ Jesus, who are in Philippi with the bishops and deacons. The church in Philippi. You can go back to acts chapter 16 to read the history of the founding of the church and I've already alluded to a few details and I mentioned others. I think in a recent message so I will go back to that again. But I simply point out that Paul is writing to all Christians in the city of Philippi, all the saints who are in Philippi, yet it's clear that all of these saints were members of one community and all were associated with an identified with the same group of what are called bishops and deacons on those days there were not multiple churches in every city that developed later that can be a blessing. Aren't you glad you're not restricted to only one choice for a church where you live that you can shop around a bit and find the best one, but that whole idea of shopping around a bit. Can itself become problematic, and for better for worse, and I think most of us would would agree that it's good that we have choices in our day. We have to understand that the saints at Philippi didn't have any choice. In fact, that was true in all the cities that day.

It was the church at Rome, not church, is it wrong it was the church at Ephesus, not churches at Ephesus fact, the only place where Paul talks about churches plural in one location is when he writes a glacially visible and very rights to the churches of God in Galatia and sure enough, we read that history we know he is talking about is talking and see where they get stone by my members going a little bit like right now I caught him. Lysistrata, Antioch, Presidio with a release for churches in Galatia were found in Derby. I think that gets me up before they were formed for churches in Galatia that Paul founded and there off in different cities in a close proximity, but they're all different cities.

So there. Paul writes about the churches plural in Galatia because every town had their own city of the saints from each of those cities went to the church in their city.

But most of the time. He writes to the church in Rome. The church in Ephesus, the church in Corinth, and though here he doesn't use the word church.

It's clear. The same concept is here is writing to the saints who are in Christ Jesus in Philippi.

All Christians belong to the same church and all were involved in the leadership of the bishops and the deacons belonged to that church.

No exceptions.

There were 90 saints that went to a rival church or to a sister church in the city of Philippi. There weren't any saints who didn't go to church for any saints who were associated with the church all the saints of God who are in Philippi with their bishops and deacons. You can't miss the emphasis upon the local church.

All the saints with their bishops plural and deacons plural get a careful study of the New Testament leads us to the inescapable clue. Conclusion that the term Bishop Elder and pastor are synonymous terms for the same office sometimes the word Bishop is used which means overseer has to do with that oversight.

Overseeing responsibility. Paul gives the qualifications for pastors in first Timothy three use the term Bishop if a man desires the office of a bishop he desires a good thing. A bishop shall gives the qualifications, but more often the term elder is used and then occasionally the term pastor or Shepherd under shepherd is used. So these are all terms for the same office in here Paul chooses to use a term Bishop along with that deacons that's little easier because there are different terms for one office of deacon is only one term deacon deacon. As you know is a term that at its base means a servant, as we all are world bond servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. If we are saved, but there was an office of deacon office of service which as you study the description and ask chapter 6 you come to realize that though in a very real sense these deacons are serving the church as much as anything. What they are.

During doing is serving the in that case, the apostles, who later would become the elders so that they didn't get bogged down in the kind of work that other people could do so that they could focus more specifically upon the work of the ministry of God's word and prayer that had been assigned to them uniquely public ministry of God's work in the deacons were there to help them to be able to carry that out without hindrance. Deacons have a very significant role New Testament yet interestingly there's only three places in the New Testament were the office of deacon is mentioned one in acts six.

Where was inaugurated the second one first Timothy three where the qualifications are given. The third one here which is noted in passing, but by noting it in passing. We realize this was a it was the norm. Churches in the New Testament had pastors and deacons not always mentioned but we can safely conclude that that is the norm. Just as certainly as Paul of recognized and appointed.

What does the word struggling for elders in every city where he planted churches and sent others to do that sent Titus to two Crete to do the same thing to appoint elders in every city, just as elders were appointed for every church. So deacons were selected for every church. Probably not appointed by Paul or someone else would buy the church itself recognized and called into this work of deacon serving but it's important office note New Testament church can be as strong and healthy as it ought to be unless it has qualified men who are serving faithfully as pastors and flagmen were serving faithfully as deacons, how we thank God for both how we need both fall to the saints of God toward Philippi with the bishops and the deacons also notice that plural is normal in both cases. How many pastors should a church normally have many people have thought in terms of one down through the years, but it's clear that the norm is more than one plural bishops plural deacons plural.

Like every truth.

That's when people stumble upon a new truth. Sometimes they the goal of crazy with it to go too far with it. So you got people saying today you can even have a church can have a New Testament church. Alyssa got a plurality of elders, yet I've never heard of, and we say you can't have a New Testament church and less about a plurality of deacons that will recognize it. Deacon is normally plural, but in the case of small churches I've I've known a number times were churches started out with one deacon and pray that the Lord will supply more later, and nobody says you can't call yourself a church. You've only got one deacon deacon supposed to be plural be a little more sensible situations require different arrangements until more ideal circumstances come along. But yes, under ideal normal circumstance church should have a plurality of pastors, bishops in the church should have a plurality of deacons as well as a group of faithful saints member. So that's the makeup of the church. Churches are made up of what saints that's everybody plus pastors and deacons and pastors and deacons and saying stupid pastors and deacons of the recognized from among the saints. That's what makes up a church and anything beyond that is is extra but not required. You can have a church.

If you have acquired will find that the Bible together church if you don't have Sunday school teachers.

You can find that the Bible, but you do need pastors and deacons is an interesting how much we can learn from a short section of Scripture like this in the salutation to the Philippian epistle should mention this makes it clear that bishops are not a territorial supervisor who has responsibility for a number of churches. Sorry, those of you who come from the church background with the Episcopalian form of government member opening this passage. One time to Episcopalian friend who was arguing for the superiority of having bishops over multiple churches and territories. And I said well let's see what they have in Philippi they had in one city, one church they had bishops plural and deacons plural.

How does that fit into your system. Will it doesn't. But church tradition shows us he tells get in line with Scripture, the better off okay, now I come to the greeting. I don't hello time here. Grace to you and peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ. As I told you the salutation in the normal letter format epistolary format was used in the day had these three elements, one author number two. Recipients number three a greeting. The greeting was a customary greeting you'd find it in every epistle Paul therefore follows the epistolary format of that day and heat has these elements.

He identifies the author and the recipients and has a greeting, but he baptized his greetings. He Christianized his greetings. He tweaked his greetings so they work customary in a generalized sort of way.

This is the place the greeting goes in. Yet he didn't make it the perfunctory greeting that most people were expected. He Christianized for his purposes.

You see that by the insertion of grace and by the addition of peace by the declaration of truth at all going to his his salutation grace. The Greek form if they were writing a letter and saying greetings would be Chi rain which comes from to rejoice and had passed into common usage, to mean something like, greetings, Paul said I'll do better than that all change that to Charis not Chi rain, greetings, or joy, but Charis grace Grace to you not just greetings to you not just joy to you. The press was full of joy but I'll do one better than that grace to you.

That's a whole lot better than the addition of peace.

This wouldn't be in Greek, Roman letter at all. It's not a customary Greek, Roman word.

It is a Jewish word.

It is shalom and would be a standard Jewish greeting, but of course there weren't many Jews in Philippi.

How do I know they didn't have a synagogue.

Remember big Sandy.

Paul got there and to his surprise, he couldn't find a synagogue in Thessalonica, he found a synagogue in Brea. He found a synagogue in Yemen not currently found a synagogue, but in Philippi, a large large Roman city. He found no synagogue because it took 10 Jewish men to make a synagogue and they could establish one until there were at least 10 Jewish men so not having one. Philippi means their work to be found in that whole populous city 10 Jewish men. There were a few worshipers remember who met down by the Riverside. Paul found so Paul is not adding shalom because there was a sizable Jewish Christian population of the church of Philippi that enslaved out of Judaism and was now part of the church if they were, and there might've been one or two but they're basically really weren't any Jews in the church. So why did he stick in shalom and would they even know what that meant being Greeks and Romans. Yes, they would also wonder they use for Bible at this point in time there was no Matthew, Mark, Luke, John asked Romans first and second Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, are just now been written and sent to them. No Colossians in other words, they didn't have hardly any New Testament Scripture would've they have the Old Testament that's the Bible that's what they read.

That's what they studied out of that's what they preached and that's how they became familiar with the word shalom is found is found commonly in the Old Testament Scriptures. They knew what it was they knew what it meant and so Paul stuck it in their grace and peace, Charis and shalom to you tying together new covenant blessings with old covenant promises, reminding them that the piece of God follows peace with God.

You can't have peace unless you are rightly related to God through Jesus Christ. Grace leads to peace. And then he adds a few things about God truth in his salutation, grace and peace come from God the father. True grace and peace come equally from Jesus Christ, the son truth. That means Jesus Christ is God through all that just a few words foundational Christian truth, Paul turns everything into the gospel teaches us about servant hood.

The necessary attitude for Christian service bond slaves teaches us about holiness. We must see ourselves as set apart unto God the teaches us about the local church, God's primary instrument for his work in this world.

That's why every Christian to be an obedient, useful, fully useful follower and servant of the Lord Jesus Christ needs to be a committed, involved St. in a local church in the community where you live, shall we pray father, thank you for your word. Thank you for what it teaches us. Help us to receive it.

Humble childlike faith that live it out in the power of your spirit.

We pray in Jesus name, amen