Bible Study

The Gift of Eternal Life Berean Bible Study Course

PART III--The Way Of Serving God In Christ Jesus

E. Lesson 17--We Serve By Persevering

5. READ: COLOSSIANS 1:24-29

b. For what purpose did Paul work so hard?

Answer: Paul labored (struggling with all CHRIST'S energy, which so powerfully worked in him) to proclaim Christ, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that he might present everyone perfect in Christ, (verses 28 and 29).

MORE INFORMATION AND/OR OTHER SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:

• Proclaiming Christ, and then admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we might present everyone perfect in Christ, is the mission given to us by our Lord:

Matthew 28:18-20: "Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'"

• And this Paul did well, always seeking help from God to do his work well for and in Christ:

Colossians 4:2-4: "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should."

• Paul wanted always to proclaim Christ in the right way, so that the faith of the believer rested on God's power:

1 Corinthians 2:1-5: "When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power."

• Concerning the power of proclaiming Christ--the Good News, the apostle John says in 1 John 1:1-4:

"That Which was from the beginning, Which we have heard, Which we have seen with our eyes, Which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life. The Life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the Eternal Life, Which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete."