Colossians 1:28

If you are looking for Paul's mission and vision, you can find them right here.

• Mission: Proclaiming Christ by instructing and teaching all people with all wisdom

• Vision: Everyone mature in Christ

Basically, Paul is saying that I am a talking head. And that is the calling of all ministers of the gospel, to be talking heads. But how do we square that with the idea that “talk is cheap”?

Human wisdom is reflected in the phrase, “that talk is cheap.” But let me ask you these questions: How did the devil get Eve? How did God create the world?

We need to remove the idea that talk is cheap from our heads when it comes to spiritual things. I understand the sentiment behind those words. Even Jesus said, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46).

There was a mismatch, as Jesus saw it, between what they said and what they did. But that does not diminish the power of words.

Those who are calling Jesus Lord were engaging in persuasion. They were trying to persuade Jesus that they were on His side. But Jesus did not buy it. 

The flattery might have sucked in a lesser man, but not Jesus. Nevertheless, those words have power; they are a means of communication. They are not just sounds; they are impacting the mind. And what impacts the mind (the software on which our lives run [Romans 12:2]) impacts our lives.

That can be immediate, as we saw with Eve, or over time, as we saw with the words Delilah spoke to Elijah.

Words are not what you take lightly. Paul later said our speech should “always be gracious, seasoned with salt” Colossians 4:6, “ministering grace to the hearers” Ephesians 4:29.

Jesus said, “Take care about what you hear” (Mark 4:24). He told us that we are responsible for the influence we subject ourselves to.

So the way God has decided to influence the world for Christ is via words. Jesus talked about the gospel being preached to all nations. Mark 13:10. Imagine that! He was saying that we would have to use persuasion, and that is all we need to do to spread the word.

Paul, in the focus verse, said, “We proclaim him.” And we cannot stop proclaiming Him. Otherwise, we would be proclaiming ourselves or something else.

Paul has a word in this verse: "wisdom." That means he did not “box like one who only hits air” (1 Corinthians 9:26); he was not just speaking words; he was aiming for maximum effect within the confines of the truth and the will of God. He was not just marking time and going through the motions but was aiming for results.

Jesus used the phrase “bear fruit.” (John 15:16). He said, “I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit.” For example, Paul said some people are the firstfruit (the first convert to Christ) of the gospel in a territory (Romans 16:5).

Conversion is not the end of the road. In the focus verse, Paul said we must continue instructing all people to present them mature in Christ.

The job never ends, basically, until Christ comes back. While He is gone, Jesus said to make disciples, baptize them, and teach them (Matthew 28:19-20). Jesus said that believers need to be taught. The believers are the disciples, and the baptizing means you have joined the church, and then there is a lifetime of receiving the word (1 Peter 2:2). Hearing the word does not end.

Paul said the church is “the support and bulwark of the truth.” (1 Timothy 3:15). Truth is communicated with words, and so also are lies.

Peter told Jesus he was not going anywhere because Jesus has the words of eternal life (John 6:68).

Words, words, words. 

Paul said that he would rather speak five words with my mind to instruct others (1 Corinthians 14:19). And there is no end to the benefit that we would get from the instruction via word. Paul said it is the means of maturity.

That is why he was not going to give the people who came to the church in Galatian preaching another gospel any quarters. He came down hard because there was nothing innocent about it. 

Those people were preaching salvation with the foundation of the law, which they somehow wanted to mix with Christ. Paul did not say, “you can preach whatever you want, and I can preach whatever I want.” He said, “I am right they are wrong,” with all vigor. 

We understand that he was speaking using his apostolic authority, but the rest of us can learn from this that words are powerful one way or the other.

Paul wrote the Galatian church, “I am again undergoing birth pains until Christ is formed in you.” (Galatians 4:19). The words of his opposers were not mere words they had an tangible.