Paul's Ministry: To Fulfill the Word of God
Colossians 1:24-25
I'd like to have you turn in your Bible to the first chapter of Colossians. For those of you who are visiting, I would just say that we at Grace Church are committed to studying the Scripture, and that means that we just go from book to book. We've been studying now for the seven years that I've been here through the New Testament on the Lord's Day and through the Old Testament in our midweek Bible studies. And we find ourselves in a very, very important book called the book of Colossians.
This little book, it isn't very long, it's only four chapters, was a letter written by the Apostle Paul, who wrote thirteen of the New Testament books. It was written to a group of believers in a city called Colossae; not a city of tremendous importance, but nevertheless a city of some significance, and in that particular city there was founded a little church. The man responsible was a man named Epaphras,and apparently he was the initial pastor of that small congregation in that city, a city that was in a triad of cities, including Laodicea, Heropolis, as well as Colossae in the Lykus Valley. The apostle Paul is writing to them because they are undergoing some problems. The Church is being confronted with some people who are teaching false doctrine about the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, and it's very important that the apostle Paul write this letter to straighten them out.
Now as you know, if you've been with us for our study of the first chapter, Paul has just finished, as we come to verse 23, he has just finished a powerful statement on the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is really a refutation of the false teachers who were denying Christ's deity ‑‑ that is, denying that He was God, denying His power to save. They had said that Christ was not God, that He was just one of many spirits equal to many other spirits, and that He alone could not reconcile man to God; He alone could not bring men into fellowship with God. And Paul denies that. Paul says Christ is greater and far beyond any other created being. He is not just like other spirits or other angels, or other beings. Verse 15 of Chapter 1 through verse 19 of Chapter 1 is a statement regarding who Jesus Christ is. He says He is the image 'of the invisible God, the first‑born of all creation or the prototicas, the primary one of all. For by Him were all things created in heaven and earth, visible or invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or power and of course those are all designations of angels, and different ranks of angels, all things were created by Him and for Him; He is before all things. By Him all things hold together. He is the head of the Body, the Church. He is the beginning, the prototicas from the Dead, the primary one resurrected, that in all things He might have the pre‑eminence, for it pleased the Father that in Him shall all fullness dwell. Now there is a great statement concerning the fact that Jesus Christ is God, that He is unique, that He is singly the one that God has ordained to rule the world and rule the Church and rule the universe.
Secondly, the heretics had denied the power of Jesus Christ to save men. And in Chapter 1:20‑23 Paul says that Christ is able to reconcile to bring men to God. In verse 21, "you who were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now has He reconciled". And so in this statement from verse 15‑23 Paul is finalizing in simple terms the truth about Christ. He is God, and He is able to save. That's great truth.
Now you'll notice that verse 23 ends with the word "minister". Paul has said that regarding this truth about Christ that he has just spoken he was made a minister. The term "minister", then, triggers Paul's thoughts for the next section, because in verses 24‑29 he describes his ministry. He says, I am made a minister, and then he launches into a description of what that ministry involves, and it is a ministry to proclaim the Lord Jesus Christ, Frequently in Paul's letters, and I'm sure you've come across it time and time again as we have in our studies, frequently in his letters he stops to discuss his ministry.
Paul frequently says I am an apostle, I do this, I do this, this way, this is how I operate, this is how I function, and he makes a very, very strong point again and again and again and again of the style and type and approach of his ministry. He does it for many reasons. He does it for one reason to defend his right to speak for God. He says, from time to time I am a sent one from God. At the end of 23 he says, "I am made a minister." I didn't choose this ‑‑ I was made a minister. And this should give him some credibility. This should give him some punch in speaking to them. He says it then to defend his right to speak for God, or to establish his authority. He says it also to express the wonder that he has in his mind that God called him. He would agree with what Isaiah said when he was up here and said that the Lord has called him into the ministry, and that he didn't understand that, but it was something about which he was extremely excited. Now that's the way Paul is. He continually reiterates the truth of his ministry because it is such a thrill to him, it's more than just a defense, it's also something that is exciting to him. And he wants the people to hear him ‑‑ not as a self-styled, self‑appointed non‑credentialed teacher like so many that existed in the world, but he wants them to hear him as the spokesman for God. And so he repeatedly accredits his ministry.
Now remember that in the city of Colossae to which the letter was written there were false teachers undermining the Gospel. They were undermining the truth of Christ. And Paul comes right back at those people and defends it, and so he feels that he must accredit his ministry. He must state his right to be believed. He must say, this is who I am and this is what God has called me to do. Hear what I say. He wants them to listen with confidence, and so it's important for him to do that. In Chapter 1:1 he says "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God." And that is a statement that he is a sent one from God, and here he adds more sock to that by detailing carefully his ministries so they will understand why he writes the way he does, and they will be more prone to believe what he says.
Now, as I began to look at this passage I kind of keyed in on the statement at the end of verse 27: "Christ in you, the hope of Glory...", and I thought well, I'm going to build around that theme. And so I got that in my mind, I began to study. And several hours of study went by in my mind and I realized that that is not really the theme of what he is saying. That is a theme in what he says, but it is not the theme. The theme that he has in mind through all of these verses is simply to present a detailed look at his ministry. And what I learned out of this passage was so exciting to me because really you have here eight different aspects of the ministry of the servant of God. Eight different aspects that should characterize the life of anybody who serves the Lord Jesus Christ, anybody who's called to teach or preach or minister within the framework of Christianity.
There are eight of these. Now tonight we're going to look at four of them, and next week we're going to look at the rest, the other four. And when it all comes together, you're going to get a beautiful pattern of the ministry as Paul views it. It's a tremendous portion of Scripture, because this is what he carefully does in these verses.
Now to begin with, point number one. The source of the ministry. As Paul looks at his ministry he wants to talk about the source of it, and that you see in verse 23 closing out the last portion in verse 25 as well. Notice the end of verse 23 that statement, "of which I, Paul" and of which in reference to the Gospel back in the verse in the middle of the verse, "the Gospel, which you have heard which was preached to every creature under Heaven of which I, Paul, am made a minister." The word "minister" is not a high‑fallootin' word, it's not an elevated term; it's a very, very low term. It's the word deakinos, which means "servant". "I am made a servant."
Now, how was Paul made a minister? How was he made a servant? Go back to the 26th chapter of Acts, and I want to show you something. Now remember that Paul never claimed to be a self‑styled apostle. Paul never claimed to have figured out one day when he sat down at his desk, "Let's see, I could be an alchemist, or I could be a horse‑breeder, or I could be a farmer, or I could be a mason building buildings, or I could be a minister. Now let me put all the pros and cons, blah, blah, blah, blah, let's see. If I become an alchemist, there's always the danger that I could blow myself up. If I'm going to be a horse‑breeder, there's always the danger that my horses won't come out very good, and so forth and so forth. He didn't do it that way. He, in fact, had pretty well decided what he wanted to be in his life, and that was, he wanted to be a Christian killer. And so he set about to do that. And everywhere he went he says he was breathing in and out threatening and slaughter and he was slaughtering Christians. And he was one day on the road to Damascus, doing what he normally did... just get up in the morning, 8 to 5, kill Christians (laughter), and he was on his way to Damascus; and in the middle of the trip, as he approached the city, he was blinded by a light from Heaven, God slammed him to the ground, he ate a mouthful of dirt, he woke up in his blindness and said, "Lord, what will You have me to do?" And the Lord said, "You are going to be an apostle to the Gentiles." Now, that is not working out your own career.
Now notice Acts 26:13. "At midday, oh King," and here he's telling Agrippa how it all happened, he's giving his personal testimony, "at midday, oh King, I saw in the way a light from Heaven..." I'm walking to Damascus; I saw a light from Heaven, "it was brighter than the sun. Shining round about me and them who journeyed with me, and when we were all fallen to earth, (the whole entourage went down) I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew tongue, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the thorns (or the goads)." When they used to have an ox working in a field, in order to keep the ox going in the right direction and not kick, they put pointed goads right against the heels of the ox, and if the ox kicked, too bad. So the ox learned, don't kick. And the Lord said, it's hard for you to fight against it, to resist me, to kick against me. And I said, "Who are you, Lord?" He recognized it was the Lord, wanted a more specific title. He said, "I am Jesus, whom you persecute. But rise, and stand on your feet, for I have appeared unto you for this purpose (now watch this next word) to make you a minister,"
Now Paul did not choose to be a minister, he was made a minister. And a witness of the things which you have seen, those things in which I will appear unto you. Delivering you from the people, from the gentiles unto whom now I send you. Paul, I have chosen you to go to the gentiles. You are now hereby made a minister. And I'll tell you, people, that's a pretty strong statement. And I can relate to that, as you know. That's exactly what the Lord did to me. Threw me out of a car going about 75 miles an hour, skidded me all over the place, woke me up when it was all done, and spoke to my heart and said, MacArthur, you are now in the ministry. And I said, "Right, whatever you say! You're going to fight like this, I quit." (Laughter) And that's precisely what happened, and I had three months in bed to let that decision sink into my heart.
The Lord makes ministers. His ministers are those who are called. He's done it throughout the Old Testament. Read the story of the prophets. You have no self‑styled, self‑appointed prophets. They're called of God.
Now Paul makes this clear again and again in his ministry, and in the 15th chapter of Romans in the 15th verse: "Nevertheless, brethren, (Rom. 15:15), 1 have written the more boldly unto you to remind you because of the Grace that is given to me of God that I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the gentiles," The reason I'm so bold in writing to you gentiles is because the Lord has made me a servant to you gentiles. I'm only carrying out my ministry. I'm only doing that which God has called me to do. In II Cor. 3:4, we read again: "and such trust have we through Christ toward God, not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything of ourselves, our sufficiency is of God (not that I'm self‑confident, he says). In other words, my confidence and my trust comes because my sufficiency comes from God. That's what he's saying. God has called me into this, and God has equipped me for this. II Cor. 4:4 "in whom the God of this age has blinded the minds of them who believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them (the God of this age is Satan, he's blinded men's eyes) for we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus, the Lord, and ourselves your servants because of Jesus. It's Jesus that made me your servants. It's Jesus that drew me in this.
Look at the 5th chapter of II Cor. 18th verse: "and all things are of God who has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ and given to us the ministry of reconciliation". If I preach that a man can be reconciled to God, it is because God has given me that ministry. I would say this ... you don't choose the ministry that God desires for you. God chooses it. You are either obedient or disobedient. In I Timothy we find in 1:12: "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me (listen) in that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry. Paul says, I'm here because he put me here. I Timothy 2:5 "There is one God, one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time." Listen, "for this I am ordained a preacher and an apostle, a teacher of the gentiles." It's been ordained of God. This isn't something that I whimsically chose. In II Timothy 1:11 it says: "Under which I am appointed a preacher and an apostle, a teacher of the gentiles", repeating the same three terms.
Now, who made Paul a minister? God. Who is the sourcethen of ministry? God. Whatever gifts you have received to operate within the Body of Christ, who gave you those gifts? According to I Cor. chapter 12 the Holy Spirit gives to all men severely as He will. It is the Spirit of God who manifests Himself in the gifts of the Spirit in order that we might minister. It is God who calls us, it is God who puts us in the ministry; it isn't something we choose. Notice again in Col. 1:25, because you have again in the same terms, Col. 1:25, it says: "...of which I am made a minister." Here it is again, "I am made a minister according to the dispensation or the stewardship of God, which is given to me for you to fulfill the Word of God." Notice this, I am made a minister according to the dispensation of God, which is given to me. Stop there.
The word dispensation, oikanammios, noikusis law, or rule. Oikas is house. It means to rule a house; it means to be a steward of somebody else's possessions. It means to rule for the houseowner, it refers to somebody given great responsibility. God owns His Church. It's His house, His temple, and God says I want to appoint you to rule in my behalf, in my Church. It suggests being a great estate to manage, the word does, "of which I am made a servant according to the stewardship", or if you want a goodword for that, according to the God‑given responsibility. "According to the God‑given responsibility which I have received." It's a divine office, Paul says. It's God's plan. It's God's Church. It's God's Gospel. It's God's Christ. It's God's message. It's God's truth. It's God's Word. And, he says, look, Paul. Will you manage it for me? I'm in the ministry because God has put me there. I'm a steward.
You remember our study of I Cor. chapter 4, don't you, a few weeks ago? Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ, Paul says, there, of stewards of the mysteries of God. I'm a steward. A steward doesn't own anything; he manages something for somebody else. The houseowner would have a steward in those days who would manage his whole house. And this was when you had a large estate, and so that the houseowner could go anywhere he wanted, the steward would take care of everything ‑employment, wages, taking care of the supplies in the house, making sure everything was carried out ‑‑ a very great responsibility. So he says, we are stewards. Moreover, I Cor. 4:2 "...it is required of the stewards that a man be found what? Faithful." Just carry out the task. So Paul says, God has given me a task. God has given me a divine responsibility, and I'm obligated to fulfill it. God is the source of my ministry.
In I Cor. 9 a few weeks ago we studied a couple of verses that will give you a good insight on this. I Cor. 9:16: "For though I preach the Gospel, I have nothing to be proud of. I have nothing to boast about, to cause self‑glory. For necessity is laid on me, yet woe is unto me if I don't preach the Gospel. Remember we talked about that? Paul says, look, don't come up to me and say, "Oh, Paul, you're a minister. Oh, Paul, what a self‑sacrificing wonderful human you are. He'll say to you, "Look fella, I was going down the Damascus Road minding my own business, and I got thrown into this deal. Don't pat me on the back. I didn't ask for it, and now it's a situation wherein if I don't fulfill it, I'm in a lot of trouble. So don't pat me on the back about it, I had nothing to do with it. Probably a lot more responsibility than I want anyway. He says in verse 17, if I did it willingly, then I would have a reward, but it's against my will. It's strictly a responsibility that's been committed to me, that's all. It's something given to me, and I didn't ask for it, but I'm in a lot of trouble if I don't fulfill it, so don't pat me on the back ‑‑ pray for me!
In Gal. 2:7 Paul says, on the contrary, when they saw that the Gospel of the uncircumcision or the Gospel that goes to the gentiles was committed to me, we'll stop right there. That's all we want is that phrase. He says, the Gospel to the gentiles was committed to me, I didn't have any choice. In Ephesians, Chapter 3, he says: "...for this cause I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you gentiles, if you have heard of the dispensation or if you have heard of the responsibility that God has given me, how that by revelation he made known to me the mystery, and then he said in verse 7 of which I was made a minister, by His grace. In other words, you must know that God has called me and God has made me a prisoner of Christ. I'm chained to Christ, I can't get away. I've got this tremendous responsibility to reveal the truth that God gives me to dispense the mysteries, those are the truths of God's word. I was made a minister. In Titus 1:7 "A bishop must be blameless as the steward of God." Anybody in the ministry. Bishop means a pastor, not what we call an ecclesiastical bishop, (the term just has to do with a pastor, an elder) is to be a steward of God.
God has called us to a tremendous responsibility. And that's why, no matter who you are as a Christian, the Spirit of God has given you certain gifts, and if He's given you those gifts He's called you to minister those gifts and you need to do that. It's a serious responsibility. If you possess a gift of the Spirit then you possess something that belongs to God, and you are to minister that. You are to dispense it to those in need of it. I Peter 4:10: "...as every man (that's all of us) has received the gift, even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Every Christian has received spiritual gifts. We're going to get into this in the 12th chapter of Corinthians in the morning, soon. Every Christian has received gifts. If you have, then minister them. As a good steward, as a steward you hold that gift, bit it isn't your own. You're going to use it and manage it for God's glory. If you have a speaking gift, then speak as the oracles of God. If you have a serving gift, then serve with the ability that God gives, that God may be glorified. The source of all ministry is God. We don't choose that.
And so what am I saying? I'm saying that you had better examine your own heart to see what God has called you to do. You had better search your own heart to see what your spiritual gifts are, There are diversity of gifts, but the same Spirit, differences of administration but the same Lord. Diversities of the operations but it is the same God working in all, There are different gifts here. Every one of you are different. But you've been given a stewardship, and it's from God, and he's the source of that calling and the source of that gift, and you'd better use that thing, because you're a steward of it. Some day when you face Jesus Christ the record of your stewardship is going to be what did you do with the