Let us turn again to God's Word
in that portion of scripture that we read in Colossians and
directing you to words that we find here in Colossians chapter
4 Colossians chapter 4 and reading
verses 15 and 16 Salute the brethren which are
in Laodicea and Nymphos and the church which is in his house
and when this epistle is read among you cause that it be read
also in the church of the Laodiceans and that you likewise read the
epistle from Laodicea you might think it's a strange
text but it I hope follows on from what we were saying this
morning I did make some reference brief reference to these words
that we just read as a text here in Colossians chapter 4. Remember how this morning we
were considering something of the doctrine of the church as
we see that doctrine right at the end of the New Testament. We considered those words in
Revelation chapter 1 where we read of that remarkable vision that was
granted to the aged beloved Apostle John where he sees the glorified
Christ and he sees him standing in the midst of the seven golden
candlesticks and we're told there at the end of that first chapter
revelation that the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven
churches and from those words we considered something of the
of the doctrine of the church and spoke of the principle of
the independence of the church what is a church what is the
church well The Church is manifest in local congregations and the
very word that we have in the New Testament, as we said, the
word Ekklesia, which is translated Church in our authorised version,
literally means called out. It's that people who have been
called out in Tindale's version, of course, the word is correctly
translated as congregation. God calls out his people and
gathers them in local congregations, and there at the end of the New
Testament we see how that the churches are represented by seven
separate candlesticks. It's the seven churches of Asia
that are then addressed in Revelation 2 and 3, but we go back to Exodus
25 and part of the furniture of the tabernacle where we have
that candelabra with the seven lights and it's made of one piece. We said that at his martyrdom
Stephen speaks of the church in the wilderness but the difference
you see there we have One candelabra with seven lights representing
that church in the wilderness. That's that typical people, the
children of Israel. They were a called out people.
They had been called out of Egypt. And God himself was bringing
them into the possession of the promised land. Well, when we
come to the New Testament, each individual congregation, each
local church is made up of those who are called out, called out
of the world by the effectual grace of God. In fact, when we
think of the whole component of the election of grace, are
they not a people called out, the General Assembly and Church
of the Firstborn, which are written in heaven, that people who have
been chosen before the foundation of the world, and each one to
be called by that grace of God in the appointed time. Well,
as we come now to consider these words that we've read for our
text here in Colossians, Colossians 4 verses 15 and 16, looking at
the At the context we see that various
names are mentioned. It's the end of the epistle and
Paul is sending, as is usual, exhortation and different greetings
and he mentions a whole variety of different people. We read
of Tychicus in verse 7, My state shall Tychicus declare unto you,
who is a beloved brother and a faithful minister and a fellow
servant in the Lord. And then he speaks of Onesimus.
We of course know of Onesimus from that epistle that was sent
to Philemon, that very brief epistle that appears just before
the epistle to the Hebrews. We have mention of Aristarchus
and Marcus in verse 10 and so on. And then just previous to
the text here in verse 14 we read of Luke, the beloved physician,
and Demas, Luke the beloved physician and Demas greet you. What a contrast when we think
of these two individuals. Luke is one whose name was indeed
written in the Lamb's Book of Life from the foundation of the
world. When Paul comes to the end of
his life, the end of his ministry, that second epistle to Timothy
reckoned to be the very last of all his epistles. There, at
the end, he says, only Luke is with me. Faithful Luke, who stuck
so faithfully to the Apostle. What a contrast, when we think
of Demas. Clearly, his name was not written. In the Lamb's Book of Life, he
had made a profession, and here, Paul can send greetings in his
name to the Colossian church, But what does he say there in
2nd Timothy 4.10, "...thee must hath forsaken me." "...thee must
hath forsaken me having loved this present world." Or there
are those who make a profession and yet they're not really in
possession of the grace of God. John says they went out from
us but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they
no doubt would have continued with us, but they went out, that
they might be made manifest, that they were not all of us. How solemn it is. The Church
is made up of those who are a called out people. But we know that
in this time state there will be tears amongst the wheat. but coming to consider these
words in verses 15 and 16 salutes the brethren which are in Laodicea
and Nymphos and the church which is in his house and when this
epistle is read among you cause it to be read also in the church
of the Laodiceans and that you likewise read the epistle from
Laodicea. The theme that I really want
to take up for a while is that of the church and the scripture,
because that's what we have here. We see something of the place
that the scriptures will occupy in the church that is the true
church of the Lord Jesus Christ. But first of all I want us to
consider the churches. Churches in the plural that are
being spoken of here, the churches that are being greeted. We have
mention of the church at Colossae. This is, of course, that particular
local church that the Apostle is addressing in this epistle.
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God and Timotheus,
our brother, to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which
are at Colossae. He is addressing the Church then
of the Colossians. Now, he doesn't speak of it as
the Church of Colossae. Like I said this morning, here
in this country we have an established Church, the Church of England.
There's an established church also north of the border, the
Church of Scotland. But these are what we might term
territorial churches. And again, as I said this morning,
we see how that's all worked out here in England where the
whole country is spoken of as if it's a church, the Church
of England. And the country is divided into
those two provinces with the Archbishop Canterbury in the
southern province and the Archbishop of York in the northern province
and then those provinces are subsequently divided into dioceses
and there's a bishop in each diocese and then each diocese
is divided into parishes and there's a parish church in every
part of the country as if England is a Christian country. Well,
that's not the pattern of the New Testament. We don't read
of the of the Church of Colossae. What we have here is a letter
that is being addressed to a local church which is made up of saints
and faithful brethren, those who have been called out, called
out of the world, separated from the world, appointed to salvation
from before the beginning of the world. And this is one of
the churches then that is being spoken of. But it's not the only
church, because here we also read of another church. In verse
16 there's a church at Laodicea. Obviously, Laodicea, geographically,
is quite near to Colossae. And so there's some communication
between these two different churches. He says, Salute the brethren
which are in Laodicea. Who are the brethren in Laodicea?
Well, that's the church of the Laodiceans that's spoken of in
verse 16. And there are other mentions
of that church In chapter 2, I would that ye knew what great
conflict I have for you and for them at Laodicea, and for as
many as have not seen my face in the flesh. And then again here, in verse 13, I bear him record,
he's speaking of Epaphras, one of the Colossian believers, I
bear him record that he had a great zeal for you and them that are
in Laodicea and them in Hierapolis. These are all local churches
and it seems that they are churches that were established by the
ministry of the Apostle Paul back in Acts chapter 19 We read of how for a period of
some two years he was based at Ephesus. What does it say there
in Acts 19 verse 10? He continued by the space of
two years so that all they that dwelt in Asia heard the word
of the Lord. When Paul is settles. He's often moving, he's going
from place to place, ministering the Word of God, but he spends
some period there at Ephesus, and as a result of that, there's
a ministry that is more widespread, and so there are other churches
that are being established beside the church at Ephesus, the church
at Colossa, and the church at Laodicea, and the church at Hierapolis. They're all local churches but
then also we read here of another church mentioned is made of nymphos
and the church which is in his house what is the church which
is in his house well interestingly Bishop Davenant and Bishop Davenant's
commentary on the epistle to the Colossians, of course, is
a Puritan classic. Davenant makes the observation
concerning Nymphos. He says, for its religious sanctity,
his private family merited the illustrious name of a church. That's what the good bishop might
think. that the family of Nymphos is such a family that it merits
this illustrious name of being called not just a family but
the church which is in the house of Nymphos. We also read of Priscilla
and Aquila and the church in their house. If we go back to
the epistle to the Romans and there in Romans 16 Verse 3, greet Priscilla and
Aquila, my helpers in Christ Jesus, who have for my life laid
down their own necks, unto whom not only I give thanks, but also
all the churches of the Gentiles. Likewise, greet the church that
is in their house. The church in the house of Aquila
and Priscilla. We go back to the Old Testament
again, we can think of Abraham. Abraham, the father of the faithful. Abraham, the father of all them
that believe. And what do we read concerning
Abraham? God says, I know him that he
will command his children and his household after him and they
shall keep the way of the Lord. And so, some might suggest, you
see, that that was a church in the house of Abraham. And that's
a church in the house of Aquila and Priscilla, a church in the
house of Nymphos, as these people were such godly people. Joshua is able to say, as for
me, in my house we will serve the Lord. Well, be that as it may, I would
say rather that what is being said here is that the house of
Nymphs, together with the house of Aquila and Priscilla, these
people put their homes at the service of the church. And so,
the people of God in those days, when they had not buildings such
as we are familiar with today, they wouldn't have chapels like
we are so accustomed to. But the people would gather in
private homes. And there was a church that had
been established therefore in the house of Nymphos. We know that those early Christians
had all things common. That's the remarkable thing that
we're told right at the beginning. Remember, after those remarkable
events on the day of Pentecost, and 3,000 souls added to the
church, all that believed were together, it says, and had all
things common, and sold their possessions and goods, and parted
them to all men as every man had need, And they, continuing
daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from
house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness
of heart, praising God and having favour with all the people. And
the Lord added to the church daily, such as should be saved."
All that, all things come. And it's not unusual then that
there were these individuals, probably people of some wealth
and some substance, who put their possessions at the disposal of
the churches, and churches would lead therefore in these various
houses. There are these different churches
that are spoken of. Interestingly again, in the Revelation,
that's where we were considering this morning, the very last book
of the New Testament Scriptures, And there in those opening chapters
we get some idea of the doctrine of the church as it had been
established, the New Testament pattern, the local church, the
independent church. And there also in Revelation
12 we read of the church as it were in the wilderness again.
The woman fled into the wilderness where she had a plight prepared
of God. preserves his church. There have
been times, of course, even in our own country, we think of
the days of our spiritual forebears, under persecution, having to
have what they call dark conventicles, having to meet in secret places. And we think of the underground
church in the Soviet Union or in China today. These are true
churches, the woman that flees into the wilderness, a place
that God has prepared wherein he will preserve his people.
And so here we have this epistle being addressed to the Colossians,
the church there at Colossae, but also mention made of the
church at Laodicea and that church that met in the house of of Nymphos
these three different churches maybe there's a connection between
Laodicea maybe this church that met in the house of Nymphos was
very much influenced by that church of the Laodiceans they
had planted a church and yet strange to say when we come to
the book of the Revelation remember how that Laodicea is one of those
seven churches to whom John is to send the book the vision that he receives writing
a book says the Lord send it on to the seven churches which
are in Asia unto Ephesus and unto Smyrna and unto Pergamos
and unto Thyatira and unto Sardis and unto Philadelphia and unto
Laodicea the seven churches and when John
sees the turns to see the voice that speaks turning he sees the
seven golden candlesticks and in the midst of the seven candlesticks
one like unto the son of man now the seven churches but as
I said this morning there are more than seven churches in Asia
Minor There were other churches. Why
seven then? Well, the number seven, as we know, is significant. In this symbolic book it suggests
it's the perfect number. It suggests to us the whole of
the people of God, the one true church of Jesus Christ. And so
the revelation is sent to all the people of God, all the churches
of Jesus Christ. but then we have these individual
letters that are sent in chapters 2 and 3 and there at the end
of chapter 3 the letter that is sent to that church at Laodicea
and how sharply the Lord speaks to that local church I know thy
works that thou art neither cold nor hot I would that thou were
cold or hot so then because thou art lukewarm neither cold nor
hot I will spew thee out of my mouth. Behold, they say, as I
am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, can
know as not that they are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and
blind, and naked. As the Lord addresses His church,
and then He issues that gracious word in verse 20, which is so
often abused, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any
man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him and
will sup with him and he with me. That word is not addressed
to the world in general, it's a word to a particular church.
It's a word that's being addressed to this church of the Laodiceans
that the Lord has rebuked. But why does the Lord rebuke?
In order that they might receive his counsel. and by gold tried
in the fire that they might be rich and that white raiment that
they might be clothed and the shame of their nakedness not
appear and their eyes anointing with thyself that they may see. How the Lord addresses churches
and deals with churches in that very individual fashion. Here
then we have of the churches that are being addressed. And
how does the Lord address his churches? Well, the Lord addresses
the churches by the words, by the scriptures. And so in the
second place I want us to consider the epistles that were to be
read. When this epistle is read among
you, cause it to be read also in the church of the Laodiceans.
and that you likewise read the epistle from Laodicea. Now what does this indicate to
us? It shows that there was to be that public reading of the
word of God. This very epistle is addressed
to the church. I know the word church doesn't
appear there at the beginning but it says It's to the saints
and faithful brethren in Christ. Now, in the previous epistle,
that to the Philippians, Paul says, Paul and Timotheus, the
servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus,
which are at Philippi, with the bishops, or the overseers, we
would say, and deacons. Now, Clearly, there is an order
there. The Word of God doesn't just
go to the church officers. I know in the Revelation, there's
the angels of the seven churches, or the messengers of the seven
churches. That's what the Word angel really means, a messenger.
And we thought this morning of those messengers in terms of
those who are exercising the ministry of the Word of God.
But the Word isn't just sent to the ministers. You know, with
the false church, the Church of Rome, they would keep the
Word of God from the people. They would divide between what
they called the clergy and the laity, and the Word was for the
clergy, the priests, they had the Word. but the people were
to be left in total darkness. They could only receive what
the hierarch, the priesthood, felt would be of some use to
them. Well, that's not the way. There, in the Epistle of the
Philippians, what is the order? First of all, it's to the saints.
And who are the saints? Well, it's not those who are
canonized by the Bishop of Rome, The saints are those who are
sanctified. It's that people who have been set apart in the
eternal purpose of God, who are called by the grace of God, all
believers are saints. And there the order in the Philippian
Epistle is that it's first to the saints together with the
overseers and the deacons. The Word of God is for all the
Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. And this epistle to the Colossians
is not just to be read publicly amongst the Colossians, cause
it to be read also in the Church of the Laodiceans says the Apostle. God's Word is to be read. Look
at the language of Paul when he writes to the Thessalonians,
1 Thessalonians 5 and verse 27 He says, I charge you by the
Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren. The public reading of the Word
of God. How important it is. It's part
of our service of worship. And it's a very important part
of our service of worship and it's a very real means of grace.
I don't know if you've ever experienced this, but thank God I can say
it. I've sometimes sat and heard the word read, or I've been reading
the word myself in the public place, in the course of the service,
and the word speaks to us. Something seems to maybe strike
us that's never occurred to us previously when we've read the
word in private. Have you had that experience?
Do you look for that experience? that when the Word of God is
being read publicly, it might be such a means of grace to your
soul. The public reading. The instruction
that Paul gives to Timothy. 1 Timothy 4.13, he says, Did
I come give attendance to reading, to exhortation, and to doctrine,
or teaching. Now all of those are are public
exercises give attention or give attendance to reading, that is
public reading, to exhorting and to teaching the doctrine
there was we know that public reading of the Word of God in
the synagogue and again we remarked this morning how The word synagogue
is taken up in the New Testament in reference to the Christian
assembly. James uses it there in the second
chapter, where he speaks of one coming into the assembly, literally
the synagogue. It seems that the services that
were conducted amongst those early Christians owed a great
deal to the practice that was followed in the synagogues. And
there was the public reading in the synagogues. When the apostle
is there at Antioch in Acts 13, We're told, after the reading
of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent
unto them Paul and Silas, saying, Ye men and brethren, if you have
any word of exhortation for the people, say on. There'd been
the public reading, reading of the Law and of the Prophets,
and now there's the opportunity of the word of exhortation. We
know from Nehemiah, that there was the solemn reading of Holy
Scripture at that time when they were rebuilding the walls of
Jerusalem. Remember what we're told there
in Nehemiah chapter 8? How all the people gathered themselves
together as one man unto the street that was before the water
gates. And they spake unto Ezra the
scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord
had commanded to Israel. And Ezra the priest brought the
law before the congregation, both of men and women, and all
that could hear with understanding upon the first day of the seventh
month." Oh, that great seventh month, the month of many feasts. And he read therein before the
street that was before the water gate, from the morning until
midday, before the men and the women and those that could understand.
And the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book
of the law. And Ezra the scribe stood upon
a pulpit of wood which they had made for the purpose. And then beside him there stand
all these others, there's the opening of the book in the sight
of the people, the people standing up, the solemn reading of the
words and it says at verse 8, so they read in the book in the
Lord of God distinctly and gave the sense and caused them to
understand the reading not just the reading but the exposition
of the reading so that the people understand the sense and understanding
the people would believe there is that place in for the public
reading of the Word of God. And that's what we have here.
This is one of the marks of the true Church. The centrality of
the Word of God. 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. Now, what of this other epistle
from Laodicea? Why is there not such an epistle
in our Bibles? We have the letter to the Colossians,
but where is the letter that they were to hear from Laodicea? Well, Roman Catholic writers would
say it was a letter written by Paul, just as he had written
to the Colossians. He also wrote to the Laodiceans,
but that Epistle was not admitted into the canon of Scripture by
the church. The church decides, according
to Roman Catholic teaching, what books are to be recognized as
Scripture, and what books are not to be recognized. The canon. The canon of Scripture. It's
a Greek word. It means the rule, the standard. to the law and to the testimony. If they speak not according to
this Word, it is because there is no light in them. That's our
standard. The Word of God, the books that
we recognize as being divinely inspired, not the writings of
men, but ultimately the writing of the Holy Spirit Himself. All
Scripture given by inspiration of God, says Paul to Timothy. All Scripture God breathed. Well, according to Roman Catholic
teaching, the Church decides what books are canonical, and
what books are not. But there we would disagree.
We would say that the Bible itself is really self-authenticating. The Bible authenticates itself. What does Paul say? Writing there,
1 Corinthians 14, 37, If any man think himself to be a prophet
or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write
unto you are the commandments of the Lord. It is self-authenticating,
according to Paul, that in order to acknowledge that fact, if
a man is spiritual, He is to acknowledge that what Paul is
writing are not his own commandments but these are the commandments,
these are the words of the Lord. Again, here in 1 Thessalonians chapter
2 and verse 13 Paul says for this cause also thank we God
without ceasing because when you receive the word of God which
he heard of us you receive it not as the word of men but as
it is in truth the word of God which effectually worketh also
in you that believe. This is the Protestant doctrine
you see that the canon is not decided by the church but the
word of God is over the church Let me just quote from a short
passage in Thomas Boston on the divine authority of the Scriptures.
He says, there is objective evidence enough in the Scriptures, though
indeed the subjective evidence cannot be had but by the Spirit
of God, so that to him bearing witness by and with the Word
we owe the full assurance that it is the Word of God. Nothing
to do with the Church, as Rome says. But it is the Spirit of
God bearing witness by and with the Word. And so, this is how
the Canon came about. It was recognized by those various
churches. how Paul taught, and how Paul
taught so accurately, so steadfastly the words of truth. Right into
the Galatians he says, I certify you brethren that the gospel
which was preached of me is not after man, for I neither received
it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the Spirit of the
Lord. That's how he was taught, by
the Spirit, by the revelation. that comes by the Spirit. And
so the Spirit is pleased to own the Word of God, be it in the
reading of it, be it in the expounding of it, be it in the preaching
of it. Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. For the importance of the Word,
He pleased God by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that
are saved. Not just the act of preaching
that men might dismiss as foolish, but the very subject matter of
the preaching, the Word of God. This is what God has owned and
this is what is acknowledged in all the true churches of the
Lord Jesus Christ. It has that paramount importance
The authority, as I said this morning, quoting Calvin, the
authority, I paraphrase him now, the authority is not vested in
the man. The authority is the words which
the faithful servant will seek to preach. and the faithful hearers
will desire that spirits of the Bereans shall search the Scriptures
themselves to see that these things are so. O God, grant then
that we might be those who recognize the significance of God's Word
in the reading and the preaching. When this epistle is read among
you, cause it to be read also in the church of the Laodiceans,
and that ye likewise read the epistle. from Laodicea. Mother Lord, bless his word to
us.