At the end of his epistle to the Colossians, Paul makes reference to several of his fellow workers. One of these, Epaphras, is described as as “a bondservant of Jesus Christ” who is “always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God” (Colossians 4:12).
In this verse there are several things that point to the need to respect the authority of Scripture:
First, Epaphras is described as a bondservant. The greek word here translated (doulos) is defined by Thayer, “a slave; metaphorically, one who gives himself up to another’s will.” Those who refuse to limit themselves to what is authorized in scripture can’t rightly be called bondservants.
Second, Epaphras’ prayer was for their perfection and completeness (both words that indicate an “all in” mentality) toward “all the will of God.” Again, those today who seek to minimize any aspect of God’s will miss the point of these words.
Don’t believe anyone who tells you that God is pleased when you do things your own way. God wants you to be His bondservant, fully invested in doing His will.
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