In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—
Summary: Paul leads us into a review of what it means to love as God loves us.
In the same way as what?
Paul’s language is so packed with information that it is sometimes difficult to follow.
When Paul writes to us about the Gospel bearing fruit, he is describing the impact of God’s message to the world. When people accept God’s offer of forgiveness and love, it changes them. They, too, become more forgiving and loving.
The Gospel bears fruit when people accept the Good News of God’s love and when people act on God’s love.
So how is this the “same way” as what Paul sees happening with the Colossians?
Paul’s description of what happened to the Colossians is written in reverse. He starts with the end and ends with the beginning. Let’s review verse five, beginning at the end and working backward.
Step One: The true message of the Gospel comes to you (to the Colossians and all Christians).
Step Two: You listened to the message (“heard”).
Step Three: You recognized the hope “stored up for you in heaven.”
Step Four: Faith and love sprang up in you from that hope.
Step Five: Love for all of God’s people flows from your faith and love in the Lord (Verse 4).
Rarely will you find a plainer statement of what the Gospel message is all about. When a person hears the “true gospel” and listens to the message, when they recognize the hope “stored up … in heaven,” then faith and love well up from their hope and love for God’s people flows out in abundance.
One of the challenges we face as humans is our tendency to want to define what the “true gospel” is. We fancy ourselves like Paul standing against the circumcision group. However, instead of arguing for the “true gospel,” we like to argue for what we think is true doctrine.
What is “doctrine?”
Doctrines are the teachings of a church. They are the details of faith that define a church and, in my opinion, the things that divide churches from each other. In effect, we end up looking like one circumcision group arguing against another circumcision group.
Take any number of denominations and list their beliefs under each denominational name. At the top of the list for each denomination, put what Paul calls the “true gospel.” Then, draw a line under the “true gospel” and list all the other beliefs they hold under the line.
Everything under the line is what we Christians argue about.
Application: Focus on Jesus.
Food for Thought: What kind of fruit does doctrine that divides churches bear?
Ultimately, the fruit we bear is either going to bring people to Jesus, or serve to push them away from Jesus.
Doctrine that divides churches bear the fruit of doubt in God’s Word, confusion about who Christ is and the redemption that He offers, and skepticism about God’s love and presence in our lives.
John 17:21 That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
Thanks, Chris!
Skepticism is a good word for the fruit that follows divisiveness.
1 Timothy 4: 15 – 16: Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers
2 Timothy 1 : 13 – 14: What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
I put these verses in to hopefully show what I think the real problem is. Doctrine simply refers to teaching. And what we teach does matter. There are false teachings and false teachers. Jesus Himself warned us about them (eg Matthew 7: 15 – 23; Matthew 24: 11).
I think the problem is seen in these verses. We need to teach Scripture and not our own agenda. We need to take scripture in its context and not twist it for our own agenda (2 Timothy 2: 15). We are also to teach with pure motives demonstrated “with faith and love in Christ Jesus.” If we love God and others that will help us to stay focused as we teach and are led by the Holy Spirit.
Thank you, Rich!
The question is a bit unfair in that it is based on a broad generalization. I completely agree with you – if we are teaching from the Bible we are on safe ground, and yes — that kind of doctrine is important.
Sadly, people are able to twist Scripture or add to it in ways that sound reasonable but are not, in fact, grounded in the Word. The result of that kind of teaching is what leads to bad fruit.
Lots of Timothy scripture . Nice!
🙂
What kind of fruit does doctrine that divides churches bear?
Division, Anger, Unholy conduct of earthly powers of men.
1 Timothy 4:16 says, “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
Romans 16:17 Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Turn away from them.
1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 12 There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. It is the same with Christ. 13 We were all baptized by one Holy Spirit. And so we are formed into one body. It didn’t matter whether we were Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free people. We were all given the same Spirit to drink. 14 So the body is not made up of just one part. It has many parts.
Thank you, Ron!
So true. And it leaves people who are hungry for God’s Word confused and unsure of what is nourishing and what is not.
What kind of fruit does doctrine that divides churches bear?
Bitter
Hebrews 12:15 Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.
But what kinda tree bears 12 manners of fruit and leaves are use for healing