Colossians 1:18 - The Head of The Church

Colossians 1:18 - He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.

Message: The Head of the Church

Time: Paul penned this letter to the Colossian church in AD 60-61 during his first imprisonment in Rome after the church was under attack and denigrating the deity of Christ. He penned it before visiting the church. Christ was and is the visible image of the invisible God, containing within Himself the fullness of Deity. 

What the Lord is Saying:

Ecclesiology is the doctrine of the church. It represents probably one of the biggest practical changes in the church following the Reformation because how our churches are led and taught from the pulpit impact church life and church people. Up until this point, the people of God had mostly been Romans Catholic and the people listened to teaching based upon the Church Calendar and not simply ascribed to the written word of God, but also oral teaching. 

Headship of the church was a key ideology. Romans Catholic stated that Christ was the head of the church, but also inserted the Pope as the earthly head of the church. As such, as earthly head he can put forth powers and doctrines that can at times have a different agenda that the God of the Bible. It is a problem I continue to see today in other churches and beliefs (e.g. The president of LDS - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints, Muhammed of Islam, Ellen G. White of the 7th day Adventist, and others). The Pope as well as other revolves. I think thought even denominations elect leaders, but hopefully it is to protect truth rather than define how all of the believers within that fold are to think. The argument from the Tabletalk article is that all of these other belief systems don't really have Christ as the head and yes, some don't even pretend to do this. But, I don't think it is always this simple. 

From Scripture and life we know that a Body has only one Head. Today's passage states that Christ is also head of the body, the church. And yet pastors and elders are appointed as under-shepherds that lead and guard His body (I Peter 5:1-5). The hope is that these pastors and elders are declaring to the people what Christ has already spoken in His Word. 

Personally, I believe this is still a hard issue. Case in point: we have so many different brands within protestant beliefs -- Baptists, Lutherans, Presbyterian, Episcopal, Reform, Seventh-Day Adventist, Evangelical Free, Churches of Christ, Assemblies of God. I saw on this site they have over 140 different belief systems under Protestantism. Now there are some groups on here that I know do not believe in the Trinity, but still there are so many beliefs that purport that they are the one's that have the right way. Thus, there are many different applications of truth and everyone can in some ways think that they each are in fact declaring what the Bible is saying and that Christ is even head of the church. In other words, what I am seeing is each body often believes they are the only one's that are truly holding to the word of God and doing things correctly.  I have found this to be true as I've spoken to people. 

I've always been enamored by this in life. I think it is interesting the diversity. And yet it is also unnerving. It is hard to reconcile. God I believe has placed me in the place where I am at, but even in that in my lifetime I have been a regular attender at Baptist churches, Church of Christ in college and non-denomination, Evangelical Free, and Baptist again. Most often it is Baptist where I reside. But, I am not sure that they always have the market on truth and I tend to respect that there are other institutions that are just as good but God has simply directed people to different places, to live, serve and minister. What is important to me is the doctrine of salvation - faith alone and that there is no semblance of any work. Infallibility of scripture, the belief in the trinity and the consistent upholding and study of the Word of God. I've visited churches where the Word of God is not studied, but rather it is more topical and even small group Sunday schools are reading Christian books. I think there is a danger in this and I prefer to stay close to those that hold to the Word and overall its traditional application. I'm concerned again when we start to change theology to make it more palpable to the world around us and what they are experiencing and thinking. We need to be different and let God make us relevant. 

Summary: Christ is Head of the church and he only has final authority and gives life to the church. Life is found only in Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Promise: Christian leaders need to be accountable to one another. We must be cautious of churches in which the pastor seems to have little accountability. 

Prayer: God, it seems clear to me that You have called us to be in church and to be in community with one another. You know me and even in this I've struggled to understand church at times and questioned things in it, but what I know for sure is we need this fellowship and I need this fellowship and community in my life. Lord, I wish we could be a people that shared truth, but then we would all be the same. I do pray that people would be drawn to truth and only You God would be their Lord. Keep helping me to discern You and lead people to You and You alone and help us be in environments that encourage this. Protect us from veering off course. Thank you God for being rich in mercy and grace.

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am now working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of August is about the Body of the Lord - the Church recovered in the Reformation; July was the right use of God's Law; June was justification by faith alone; May about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation, Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God.  

The Body of Christ - The Church is the Body of Christ and Christ loves the church. We are to imitate Christ and see that the Church is how Christ carries out His purposes in the world.