What Does It Mean? Be Dead With Christ?

Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the 

rudiments of the world, why, as though living 

in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, 

(Touch not; taste note; handle not; which all

 are to perish with the using;) after the 

commandments and doctrines of men? 

Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom 

in will whorship, and humility, and neglecting

 of the body; not in any honor to the 

satisfying of the flesh.

Colossians 2:20-23 

     Christianity has grown into a "big mess!" We are not all that different from the Corinthian Church where sin abounded calling it godly. Paul had to warn them and admonish them, Ireneaus, Clement of Rome, Ignatius, all had to write to the Corinthian Church to admonish them to return to the proper worship of God. Today, so many want to believe that this or that is so much better than this or that, saying do this, or do not do this, and teaching things for people to do so as to show some sort of worship. Speak in tongues, jump around and shout in some euphoric manner, go about praying for people who do not care on iota about Jesus Christ (read John 17:9). Speaking anecdotally attempting to make you believe that which has not one evidence of truth. But....do this and it will be worship! 

     Do you have confidence in the flesh? Oh! You may say you do not, but is that really true? Have you place confidence beyond yourself in yourself and in men and women of God; in books, prayers, and ecstasies? Or, is our confidence in God Himself, not in His blessings? God is real! God has told us how to worship Him (It is in the Bible, the Bible alone). Well...as soon as God become real, other things, other people become shadows. Nothing that other saints do or say can ever perturb the one who is built upon God. 

     Let us return to one of the very important early Church fathers: Clement of Rome [a.d. 30–100.] Clement was probably a Gentile and a Roman. He seems to have been at Philippi with St. Paul (a.d. 57) when that first-born of the Western churches was passing through great trials of faith. From the apostle, and his companion, St. Luke, he had no doubt learned the use of the Septuagint, in which his knowledge of the Greek tongue soon rendered him an adept.  After the death of the apostles, for the Roman imprisonment and martyrdom of St. Peter seem historical. Clement was the natural representative of St. Paul, and even of his companion, the “apostle of the circumcision;” and naturally he wrote the Epistle in the name of the local church, when brethren looked to them for advice. St. John, no doubt, was still surviving at Patmos or in Ephesus. Who the Clement was to whom these writings are ascribed, cannot with absolute certainty be determined. The general opinion is, that he is the same as the person of that name referred to by St. Paul (Phil. iv. 3). the judgment of most scholars is, that, in regard to the first Epistle at least, this statement is correct, and that it is to be regarded as an authentic production of the friend and fellow-worker of St. Paul. This belief may be traced to an early period in the history of the Church. It is found in the writings of Eusebius (Hist. Eccl., iii. 15), of Origen (Comm. in Joan., i. 29), and othersThis Epistle was held in very great esteem by the early Church. The account given of it by Eusebius (Hist. Eccl., iii. 16) is as follows: “There is one acknowledged Epistle of this Clement (whom he has just identified with the friend of St. Paul), great and admirable, which he wrote in the name of the Church of Rome to the Church at Corinth, sedition having then arisen in the latter Church. We are aware that this Epistle has been publicly read in very many churches both in old times, and also in our own day.” The Epistle before us thus appears to have been read in numerous churches, as being almost on a level with the canonical writings. 

     Next week I will begin the writing of Clement of Rome in hopes that you will be advanced in your faith. 

Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name;

     worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

                            Psalm 29:2

Cast off the things that hinder your worship

Richard L. Crumb