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THE PNEUMA PROJECT: The Human Body and Healing
A lesson on the Bible and what it says about the Human Body & Healing, by Brent Eglitis
Given at The Shepherd’s House on May 10, 2016
The Human Body and Healing by Brent Eglitis
Paul’s Role and His Message: Colossians 1:24-1:29
ESV Colossians 1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
God Commissioned Paul to Be a Servant to the Church: Verse 25
NIV Colossians 1:24 Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness–
Being a Servant Means Suffering According to the Pattern Christ Established in His Earthly Body
NIV Colossians 1:24 Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.
A. The church is the body of Christ–it is corporal (corporeal).
B. Paul suffers for the sake of Christ’s body, the church. That is, he suffers in a corporal way.
C. Christ also suffered for the church and would continue to do so if he were still on earth.
D. The attacks of the enemy against Christ have spilled over to attacks against Christ’s body, the church, of which Paul is a chief servant. Paul willingly takes on these attacks for the sake of the church of which the Colossian believers are a part.
ESV Romans 8:17 and if children, then heirs–heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
2 Corinthians 1:5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.
Galatians 6:17 From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.
Philippians 1:29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,
1 Thessalonians 2:14 For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews,
2 Timothy 2:3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
1 Peter 2:20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.
1 Peter 4:1 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
1 Peter 4:13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
1 Peter 5:10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
Revelation 12:13 And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued (or, persecuted) the woman who had given birth to the male child.
The Mystery = Christ
ESV Colossians 1:26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
The Message Bible 26-27 This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it’s out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God’s glory. It’s that simple.
NLT Colossians 1:26 This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. 27 For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.
[GING] μυστήριον μυστήριον, ου, τό secret, secret teaching, mystery with reference to something previously unknown but now revealed Mk 4:11; Ro 11:25; 1 Cor 2:7; 13:2; 15:51; Eph 3:3f, 9; Col 1:26f; 4:3; Rv 10:7. Secret truths 1 Cor 14:2. Allegorical significance Rv 1:20; 17:7. τὸ τ. εὐσεβείας μ. the Christian religion 1 Ti 3:16. [mystery] [pg 130] (Shorter Lexicon, 130, Accessed in BibleWorks)
Other Verses with “mystery” in the first sense.
ESV Mark 4:11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables,
[This is a sense of “mystery” (insiders, outsiders) that the gnostic false teachers might use. Paul’s intent is different: Colossians 1:28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.]
Romans 11:25 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
1 Corinthians 2:7 But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.
Colossians 4:3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—[to make freely known what had been unknown—Christ]
Revelation 10:7 but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.
The Mystery = Christ for Everyone
ESV Colossians 1:27a To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too…
Colossians 1:28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
Ephesians 1:18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
The Glorious Mystery = Christ in You
Colossians 1:27b …the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Romans 8:11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
Paul Joins God in Working for God’s Goal of Bringing Everyone to Maturity in Christ
NET Colossians 1:29 Toward this goal I also labor, struggling according to his power that powerfully works in me.
A. Paul, as the church’s servant (vs. 25)
B. commissioned by God (vs. 25),
C. suffers (vs. 24) for the church,
D. which is Christ’s body (vs. 24),
E. and labors in a great struggle, as though he were an athlete fighting for the prize (vs. 29),
F. yet not alone, but with God’s energy that effectively energizes him (vs. 29)
G. in the power (δύναμις, dunamis) that God provides (vs. 29).
Christ Our Victory Over Demons: Colossians 1:13a
Colossians 1:13 who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love;
James 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
“To the child of God who is walking in the light of God’s Word and firmly rejoicing in our Lord’s victory over them, believing God’s promises of triumph, there need to be no fear of demons. They are spirits of darkness and we are children of light. There is not enough darkness in the whole world to put out one little light. Let us ‘walk in the light, as he is in the light’ (1 Jn 1:7)!” (Foundations of Pentecostal Theology, 505.)
Colossians Life Group Week 9: Colossians 1:13a
ASV Colossians 1:13 who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love;
I. What is the “power of darkness?”
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“3. authority, absolute power Mt 21:23, 24, 27; 28:18; Mk 2:10; Ac 26:12.—4. power or authority exercised by rulers, etc., by virtue of their office—a. ruling power, official power Lk 7:8; 20:20; 17:12f.—b. domain, jurisdiction Lk 4:6; 23:7; Eph 2:2; Col 1:13.—c. bearers of authority in the state, authorities, officials, government Lk 12:11; Ro 13:1, 2, 3; cosmic powers above and beyond the human sphere but not unrelated to it 1 Cor 15:24; Eph 1:21; 3:10; Col 2:15.” (Gingrich and Danker, 177)
Illustrations:
1. Minor children who live at home are under the “power” of their parents. The parents’ household is their domain, their jurisdiction. Parents have parental power to enforce their will upon the children.
2. Each state in the US licenses its own drivers and has its own vehicle code that governs the road. Let’s pretend I am driving in California with a driver’s license from the state of Maine, which is okay to do for a short while in California. Let’s also pretend that in Maine it is illegal to turn right on a red light after a complete stop. So, here I am in California and I turn right on a red light. Assuming the police in Maine somehow were able to see me doing this, would I be liable for a ticket when I return to Maine?
3. Let’s say I broke a Chinese law while I was visiting there, and when I got back to California, some Chinese people chased me and wanted to prosecute me while I was still in California. Would they be able to do so? Under what conditional procedures might they be able to prosecute me? [legal extradition]
II. In verse 13, what does “delivered us out of” mean? ___God saved us, rescued us, delivered us, so that we are no longer in the jurisdiction, the realm, the domain of authority, of darkness. In the sense of this definition, the rulers, authorities, spiritual powers of darkness have no hold or legal claim on us. PLUS, we are now in the domain, realm, kingdom, of Christ, who is our Protector in every sense of that word.
“save, rescue, deliver Mt 6:13; 27:43; Lk 1:74; 11:4 v.l.; Ac 5:15 v.l.; Ro 7:24; 11:26; 15:31; 2 Cor 1:10; Col 1:13; 1 Th 1:10; 2 Th 3:2; 2 Ti 3:11; 4:17f; 2 Pt 2:7, 9.*” (Gingrich and Danker, 70)
III. From Duffield and Van Cleave (Foundations, 491-505)
A. Demons—what are they?
Answer: Demons appear to be fallen angels stronger than men but much, much weaker than Christ.
B. What do demons do?
1. They oppose the saints: Ephesians 6:12; 1 Thessalonians 2:18. “Our fight is against” them; and “Satan hindered us.”
2. They seek to cause us to leave our faith in Christ.
a. “some shall depart” 1 Timothy 4:1
b. the antidote: “abide in me” John 15:5
3. They encourage “formalism and asceticism” as a result of false teaching; therefore, they seek to inject false teachers into the pure teaching of the word.
“there will be false teachers among you.” 2 Peter 2:1
4. They lurk behind idols and idol worship in its many forms, tempting saints to worship.
“for forty days he [Jesus] was tempted by the devil.” Luke 4:1-13
5. They cause physical afflictions.
6. Demons sometimes accomplish God’s purpose when they function as instruments in God’s plan to punish the ungodly, and even to chasten the godly.
Peter, Job, the incestuous Corinthian believer (1 Corinthians 5:5) and Hymenaeus and Alexander (1Timothy 1:20) are examples of God’s use of demons for his own ends.
C. What does the Bible say about casting out demons? (Foundations, 495-96)
1. Jesus cast out many demons Mark 1:34
2. Demons were cast out in the early church: Mark 16:15, 17 “go ye into all the world…cast out devils”
3. The apostles cast out demons Acts 5:16
4. Paul cast out demons Acts 16:16-18
5. Others cast out demons Acts 16:13-16
6. Toward the end of the age demons will be cast out 1 Timothy 4:1
IV. More Questions Concerning Demons
A. Does demon possession differ from demon influence?
1. Answer: “All demon activity does not result in demon possession. There is a vast difference between demon possession and demon influence.” (Foundations, 496)
2. In demon possession the demon enters a body and exerts dominating control.
3. Demon influence is warfare from without (suggestion, temptation, and influence). Example: the fiery darts of the evil one in Ephesians 6:16
B. What is the relation between demon possession and sickness?
Answer: “All sickness…is not caused by demon possession…Thus the practice of some, who in ministering to the sick always try to cast out a demon, is not biblical procedure.” (Foundations, 496)
C. Is there demon possession today?
Answer: There is demon possession today, although a Christian cannot be possessed, or indwelt by a demon. A demon may only harass a Christian from the outside.
D. What about casting out of demons today?
Answer:
“While it may be possible to cast out a demon, very often a person needs more than this…It is the will of a man which makes a way in for the devil, and therefore repentance is required as well as exorcism…demon possession is not the cause but the result or symptom. It is wrong to assume that a particular evil in a [wo]man’s life is the result of demon control. It is more likely that the evil was there first, permitting the entry of Satanic power.” (Foundations, quoting George Canty, 500)
“…the power of the Word of God. The preaching of the gospel is deliverance—it is the power of God in itself ‘unto salvation’ (deliverance) [salvation = deliverance]…It would be absurd to think of a great conversion of a man leaving him with demons still in his heart. Can a man be saved through faith in the gospel and then need a second experience to save him from Satan? [expects a “no” as answer] From what was he saved in the first instance? ‘The anointing breaks the yoke.’” (Ibid.)
[In other words, there is no second experience necessary to save someone from Satan. There are NO demons in a person’s heart after salvation. A brand new baby Christian, and older Christians, may be harassed from outside by a demon, but never from within. Christians already have all the spiritual equipment necessary to fight successfully against such harassment, and where they appear too weak or uninformed to do so, other Christians within the Church may pray and help them in this. It is not necessary and would contradict Scripture to try to exorcise a demon from a new Christian, or from an older Christian. The best way to fight in this situation is by a firm grounding and faith in the written Word of God. Ephesians 6:14–the belt of truth]
“[in Scripture]…nobody was ever given a special gift for ‘exorcism,’ only for discernment, as part of the protection of the church, chiefly against false teachers with lying and deceitful doctrines of demons. Nobody manifested a ministry exclusively for dealing with demons. This would draw attention more to Satan than to Christ. Preoccupation with this sphere of things is a kind of tribute to the power of Satan. ‘The end of our conversation’ says Hebrews 13:7-8, is ‘Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and for ever,’ which hardly can be said of some whose continual thought is about ‘the power of darkness.’” (Foundations, quoting George Canty, 500)
“That the Church will be called upon more and more to cleanse people from foul spiritis may be likely, but the preaching of the gospel is the main means, and this should be the prior activity of all God’s servants.” (Ibid., 501)
E. Can a Christian be demon possessed?
1. Answer: No. (Foundations, 503)
“While one should not blind himself to the presence and power of demonic forces in the world and be ignorant of Satan’s devices (2 Corinthians 2:11), he must not underestimate the great salvation and deliverance which God has wrought for him in Christ Jesus. Colossians 2:15; Acts 26:13; Colossians 1:13.” (Ibid.)
“To become Christian is to turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God.” (Ibid.)
2. The Holy Spirit is the One who accomplishes this turning in us during the process of our being called to God in Christ.
3. Scripture teaches that the Christian has power over the devil: 1 John 5:18; Luke 10:19; 2 Timothy 2:25-26.
4. Scripture teaches that Christians are God’s temple. God would not tolerate a demon to dwell in his temple. 2 Corinthians 6:15-16; 1 Corinthians 6:19.
5. Once again, the best defense against outside attacks of demonic harassment and temptation is to have a thorough grounding in the Word of God. Cinch yourselves up tightly with the Word of truth. (Ephesians 6:14)
F. More on spiritual warfare: Faith + Obedience = Abiding in Christ
“Disobedience and persistent waywardness provide the enemy grounds from which He can attack and influence the Christian.” (Foundations, 504) (Ephesians 4:27; Acts 5:3)
“The great conflict within us is not between the Holy Spirit and demons, but between the indwelling Holy Spirit and the flesh (that is, all the sensory apparatus that tends toward sin).” (Foundations, quoting an Assemblies of God publication, “Can Born-Again Believers Be Demon Possessed?” 505)
V. CONCLUSION: “Demons Thrive on Publicity.” (Foundations, 505)
“To the child of God who is walking in the light of God’s Word and firmly rejoicing in our Lord’s victory over them, believing God’s promises of triumph, there need to be no fear of demons. They are spirits of darkness and we are children of light. There is not enough darkness in the whole world to put out one little light. Let us ‘walk in the light, as he is in the light’ (1 Jn 1:7)!” (Foundations, 505)
Within the context of this letter, the main point Paul is saying to the Colossians is that Christ is sufficient for all their needs, every single one, both large and small. They have no need to go anywhere else or to anyone else for anything—just turn to Christ and abide in him. God has already given us everything we need in Christ. God gave us a Community of Believers to help us do just this. We are not alone. Christ’s credentials to be the Church’s sole leader are spelled out in Colossians 1:15-20.
The Son of His Father’s Love
Colossians 1:13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
Christ Jesus: Son of His Father’s Love
Colossians 1:13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love (NKJ)
Many children are born from the physical expression of love between their parents, often planned, and perhaps as often, not planned. The Bible teaches in Colossians 1:13 that Jesus Christ is the Son of his Father’s love. God in his love planned his Son from all eternity past, since they both co-exist eternally, along with the Holy Spirit:
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Colossians 1:15-17 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
God’s love for Christ his Son and for the humanity he created in the world surrounds and lives within the incarnation of Christ. Both the Father’s love for his Son, his beloved Son, and his love for people are the fountainhead, the source, the driving motivation of the incarnation, the divine humanity of Christ on earth. Christ is the full expression of his Father’s love. The love of the Father birthed the Son, and Christ is “the Son of his [the Father’s] love,” both in eternity past and in the incarnation.
Scripture
First, Christ is the outspoken word which reveals the Father’s nature and character of love.
John 1:18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave…
his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Romans 8:39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Hebrews 1:3a He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature,
Colossians 1:13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love
Second, Christ is the beloved Son, the one whom his Father loves.
Matthew 3:17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Mark 9:7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”
Where Does This Leave Us?
Believers are in Christ, in the Beloved.
1 John 4:16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.
John 17:23 I in them and you in me– that they may be completely one, so that the world will know that you sent me, and you have loved them just as you have loved me.
Ephesians 1:4 For he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we may be holy and unblemished in his sight in love.
Everything concerning us is motivated and dominated by God’s love.
Romans 5:5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Romans 8:38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Ephesians 2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ–by grace you have been saved– 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Ephesians 3:19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Colossians 1:13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
What difference does this make?
The difference is that we once lived under the authority of the darkness, and God transferred us into a different kingdom, a different realm of reality, a kingdom of light in which Christ rules, that very Christ who is the Son of the Father’s love. Chains are broken, bondages are collapsed, the prisoners are free. We no longer owe allegiance to what causes our own destruction, and we have one fighting for us who is greater than death and darkness itself. God is love! And he is our God.
Love rules for us, within us, and through us. Love has become the new expression and protection of our being. We are safe at last. We no longer need to worry, nor to plan out our own futures. Jesus Christ reigns in our hearts and lives. Love rules our day. The one who is stronger than everything else in the universe claims us as his own. We are his. We can live our lives without fear. We can turn and face our enemies and in the name of Jesus Christ the King command them to leave. And at the end of the day, a great big no matter what, we are loved in Christ.
One Small Voice 