Colossians 3:22-4:1
Character-Commands for A Good Business
I. \\#1:1-2:23\\ The Person of God Displayed through Christ
A. \\#1:1-12\\ Introduction
1. \\#1-2\\ Paul’s Salutation
2. \\#1:3-8\\ Paul’s Recognition
3. \\#1:9-11\\ Paul’s Prayer
B. \\#1:12-2:3\\ The Person of Christ
1. \\#1:12-14\\ Paul’s Thanks
2. \\#1:15-22\\ Paul’s Message
a. \\#15-17\\ Who Jesus is in Creation.
(1) \\#15\\ Jesus, the image of the invisible God.
(2) \\#15\\ Jesus, the firstborn of every creature.
(3) \\#16\\ Jesus, the Creator of all things.
(4) \\#17\\ Jesus, the One before all things.
(5) \\#17\\ Jesus, the One by whom all things consist.
b. \\#18-21\\ Who Jesus is in the church
(1) \\#18\\ Jesus, the Head of the body.
(2) \\#18\\ Jesus, the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.
(3) \\#19\\ Jesus, in whom dwells all the fullness of the
Godhead.
(4) \\#20\\ Jesus. the Peacemaker.
(5) \\#21\\ Jesus, the Reconciler.
(6) \\#22\\ Jesus, the Presenter.
3. \\#1:23\\ Paul’s Challenge
4. \\1:24-2:3\\ Paul’s Ministry
a. \\#1:24\\ Paul Enduring
b. \\#1:25-28\\ Paul Entrusted
c. \\#2:1-3\\ Paul Expected
C. \\#2:4-23\\ Warnings to the Church
1. \\#2:4-7\\ Don’t Be Beguiled
2. \\#2:8-15\\ Don’t Be (Spoiled) Ruined
3. \\#2:16-17\\ Don’t Be (Judged) Condemned
4. \\#2:18\\ Don’t Lose Your Reward
5. \\#2:19-23\\ Don’t Lose Your Christ
D. \\#2:10-23\\ The Solution is to Remember
1. \\#2:9-10\\ Who Christ is.
2. \\#2:11-15\\ What Christ has done.
3. \\#2:16-23\\ What we should do.
II. \\#3:1-4:18\\ The Person of God Displayed through the Believers
A. \\#3:1\\ A Condition
B. \\#3:2-4\\ A Correlation
C. \\#3:5-4:6\\ Commands
1. \\#3:5-17\\ For A Growing Christian
a. \\#5-7\\ We must kill some things.
b. \\#8-9\\ We must "put off" some things.
c. \\#10-17\\ We must "put on" some things.
2. \\#3:18-21\\ For A Godly Home
3. \\#3:22-4:1\\ For Good Business
4. \\#4:2-6\\ For A Strong Christian Life
The context for this next set of commands was slavery. While slavery during this
time was not like the slavery of the United States, I imagine that most did not
desire to be in such bondage. Even so, it should be noted that during these
days, the Jews were an occupied nation and the only slaves they were likely to
have would have been those who were indentured for debt, mostly Jews to Jews.
It should also be noted that all slaves in Israel were protected from abuse.
Moreover, indentured servants even maintained most of their personal freedoms.
Indentured servants were more employee than slave. They worked for their
masters during the day and returned home every night. Except when the wife
and/or children might also be required to work or in cases when the master gave
his servant a wife, the master had no authority over the servant’s home life.
In most cases, the relationship between owner and master was that the man of the
house was required to work for the owner until the debt he owed was paid.
In summary, the commands that Paul gave in this section, although written in the
context of slavery, are still practical commands for us today in the field of
business.
I. \\#3:5-4:6\\ Commands
A. \\#3:5-17\\ For A Growing Christian
B. \\#3:18-21\\ For A Godly Home
C. \\#3:22-4:1\\ For Good Business
1. \\#3:22-25\\ To the employee
a. There is really only one command given but it is somewhat detailed.
b. \\#3:22-25\\ Servants, do what you are told.
(1) \\#22\\ The topic here is again submission only this time, God
is speaking to the man.
(a) An important lesson, everyone is under someone’s
authority.
(b) Just like in the husband and wife relationship,
submission is the role of the servant.
(c) It has nothing to do with superiority or inferiority.
(2) Submit not just for show but with a pure heart.
(a) "eye service" means to be seen of men.
i. The service we render is not a show.
ii. It is to be genuine service.
iii. Servants are to work hard.
iv. You may find that when you take a job, some will not
want you to work hard. (I worked in a factory
while going to school and as was my practice, I
set out to work. I had others come tell me to
slow down. They said, "The more you work, the
more they will expect you to work."
v. Christians, if we are going to take someone else’s
money for working, work.
(b) "singleness of heart" means with having one goal, one
single purpose.
i. We work to benefit our employer and the company for
which we work.
ii. We must be as loyal to our company as we want our
company to be to us.
iii. It matters not if our company is loyal to us. That
is an issue for God to deal with. Our only
concern is to be loyal to them.
(3) \\#23\\ Do your tasks with your whole heart. Here Paul
plainly states what he alluded to in the last verse.
(a) \\#24\\ As you serve, remember that you are really doing
these things for the Lord.
i. This is God’s perspective on employment—even if
you happen to be a slave!
ii. No matter who gives you a paycheck, you always
work for the Lord.
(b) \\#24-25\\ And you will be rewarded by Him accordingly.
i. Christians are to have a higher work ethic than
most in the world have today.
ii. According to the Bible, no one is "entitled" to a
paycheck—not by an employer, not because of
tenure, not due to a union, and not because we
can cheat the system and get it.
iii. The Christian ethic is to WORK for it.
iv. If we do less, Paul is warning that we will be
rewarded accordingly by the Lord.
2. \\#4:1\\ To the employer
a. Again, there is really only one command given.
b. Pay a just and fair wage.
(1) Masters, bear in mind that you too are the Lord’s, and He is
watching over you.
(a) It makes no difference what your ROLE in life is, that
is that you are boss or even the owner of the company.
(b) Neither does it matter whether you are saved or lost.
(c) Ultimately, everyone belongs to the Lord, and He will
exercise that right when He sees fit.
(d) Paul is indicating that God will deal with those who
who mistreat his servants.
(2) There is a simple rule to help employers with their employees.
(a) You should look after the interests of your employees
as much as you want your employees to look after your
interest.
(b) While it is not up to the employees to decided they will
look after the interests of their employers, it is up
to the employers to decide they will look after the
interests of their employees.
(c) It should be the desire of the employer to prosper his
employees just as much as it should be the desire of
the employees to want to prosper the employer.
(d) If both sides have an interest in the profit of the
other, then all will give and receive the best.
(3) Notice, employers are to pay a JUST and FAIR wage.
(a) Those who work the hardest should get paid the most.
(b) Salary and job security should not depend upon color or
sex.
i. Our courts, in an effort to effect justice for one
group, violated this principal in the 1960’s. (I
find it interesting that now the same groups who
argued that we needed court intervention so that
everyone could have the same jobs and wages are
now arguing that if we had border control, we
would not have the Hispanics to do our dirty work
for little pay!)
ii. Creating a legal wrong to correct a social wrong is
still wrong.
iii. Like it or not, those kinds of laws NOW need to be
repealed and each person who feels he/she has been
treated wrong needs to go before the courts to
seek justice on individual basis.
(c) However, Christians, whoever you hire for a job,
regardless of color, sex, nationality, etc, should be
paid a FAIR and JUST wage.
i. Don’t pay them what you can get by with.
ii. Pay them what they are worth and need to live off
of.
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