Colossians {Day 17}

8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. 

9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.  Colossians 2:8-12

You may remember that yesterday, when we looked at the previous verses, Paul was exhorting the Colossians to continue in the tradition they had received: Christ.  He continues on that theme in verse eight: See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depend on the basic principles of the world rather than Christ.

Naturally, to avoid being taken captive, one must know the "true truth" very well.  As Paul says here, the philosophies can be deceptive.  F.F. Bruce makes this interesting observation regarding hollow and deceptive philosophies (like the one that may have been a temptation to the Colossian church):

It sounded good, it appealed to natural religious instincts, but there was nothing in it for Christians.

The phrase, it appealed to natural religions instincts, really struck me.  There are many very nice teachings out there in the world, aren't there?  But just because they "feel" right, does not make them so.  The Christian must be thinking about the Word: the written Word of God and the Word who became flesh.  Paul quickly points the Colossians there in verse nine.

It's almost as if he's saying, Okay guys, here's the deal.  You gotta be on your guard against false teachings that depend on things of this world, not on Christ.  (v. 8 paraphrase) To do so, you need to remember these things (from verses 9-12)

1. Jesus is God in all His fullness.
2. In Him, you're filled up too!  (By the one who is over all, in all, and through all!!)
3. You're baptized: you died with Christ and now you live with Him.  That's God's power at work in you, the very power that raised Christ from the dead.

Those are the true truths you must stick to, Colossian brothers and sisters.  And, oh yeah, before I finish up these thoughts, let's get one more Gospel reminder into this letter.  I mean, really, remembering that is critical to your not being led astray!

13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.  Colossians 2:13-15

*     *     *

How about we cling to that same Gospel truth tonight and into Sunday worship and, well, the rest of our lives, too?  Blessings to you tomorrow morning as you worship the God who grabbed you when you were dead in your transgressions and made you alive.  Glory be to God for triumphing over the powers and authorities by the cross!

There's more here, but it can wait until Monday!

Colossians {Day 16}

Throughout the first chapter of Colossians, we have learned a lot about Jesus: His origin, His power, His role in and over creation, His being, His life in us, and more.  Today we're going to stop in at Chapter two, verses six and seven.  Paul offers this commission to the Colossians, which I believe we can easily take as one for us too.

6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

From the two commentaries I'm reading, it appears to be important that the word "received" is a technical term meaning "receiving a tradition."  The Colossians have received Christ the person and the authoritative teaching about him.  (New Bible Commentary, p. 1269)  As such, Paul is telling them to continue to live their lives in keeping with the received tradition.

I, of course, did not know this until reading the commentaries.  My thoughts took a bit of a different path.  It made me think about the need to continue to live our lives in Christ in just the way we received Him at our conversion.  How did we receive Christ Jesus as Lord?  In dependence, repentance, humility, and faith.  Someone took the time to teach us Gospel truth and over time we grow in depth of knowledge and wisdom, but we never get away from needing to live our lives in dependence, repentance, humility, and faith.  We must be, as Paul says, rooted and built up in Christ, the very one from whom we received spiritual revival, by whom we are redeemed.  And we need to stick to right teaching, not chasing false teachings, for the strengthening of our faith.  (This part in the verse gets a little at the issues facing the Colossians.)  Then, finally, Paul says, overflowing with thankfulness.

Certainly at our initial conversion we are thankful!  There's such joy and life found when God opens our eyes to really see and receive his gift of a transfer from darkness into light, is there not?  Paul reminds us of the need to continue in thankfulness.  As we walk with the Lord Jesus, indwelt by His very presence, we are rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith, our our thanksgiving gets richer and deeper.

Our pastor in Boston used to talk about how most people he knew said that the most vibrant part of their life of faith was the very beginning.  Paul here points out that as we received Christ, so we must continue in Him. I think that when we do that, we might just find the a vibrant life of faith we're looking for just around the corner.

Colossians {Day 15}

Oh boy, we are half way through November and have only just dipped into Colossians chapter two!  Whoever is writing these posts is going to have to speed things up to be done by the end of the month.  Maybe she should have planned ahead better or, say, have planned in some way, any way at all!  It has gotten quite late in this day and people came before other things this afternoon, so I was not able to do the reading I wanted to to prepare for a post.  Fortunately, part of my evening activity involved talking about Colossians!

Tonight in our Community Group we were looking at the previous passage, 1:15-20, the one all about the supremacy of Christ.  Throughout this semester we have been talking about the word and theme of dwelling in Scripture.  Our leader, Peter, wanted us to think about what it means that all of God's fullness dwelt in Christ (v. 19).

That got me to thinking about how later, (verse 27), Paul says the mystery God revealed is Christ in you, the hope of glory.  God the Son, Jesus, was/is indwelt by all that God the Father is.  He was sent to die on the cross to reconcile all things to the Father and to make a way to dwell in each one who believes in Him.  Christ was indwelt that we might be indwelt.

Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Colossians 1:27

I can't really get over it.  God wants to take up residence in His people.  That He does, gives hope.  I believe one could argue that, in addition to being our hope, Christ in us also emboldens us.  If Christ lives in me, He must have work to do in and through me.  If Christ lives in you, He must have work to do in and through you.  The awesome, mighty, glorious, wonderful Creator God, dwelling inside of you and me.

Paul spoke of his struggle and his labor for the Gospel.  How did He keep it up amid opposition, physical punishment, imprisonments, the thorn in his flesh, etc.?

We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.  Colossians 1:28-29

Christ in Paul, the hope of glory.  His glory was not to be found in fame or fortune.  Paul's hope of glory was  a person, a person living inside of him, working powerfully in him, giving him the strength to labor fully in the service of the Gospel - Jesus Christ.

Paul was completely surrendered to the Christ that lived in him.

I don't think I'm there yet.  But the reminder that God dwells in my heart through faith.  GOD in ME?  Preposterous, yet wonderful, when we believe it.

How might meditating on, Christ in you, the hope of glory, begin to change you, what you think, how you act, your willingness to take risks?  I suspect He'll get right to work as soon as we let Him!

I'm risking falling asleep on m keyboard, so that's the end.  G'night, friends.

Colossians {Day 14}

This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

24 Now I rejoice in what was suffered 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— 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

28 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. 29 To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

2 I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. 2 My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. 5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.  Colossians 1:24-2:5

Tonight I'm going to offer up my own observations on this (kind of long) chunk of verses.  Tomorrow I hope to do a little reading to see what The New Bible Commentary and F.F. Bruce would add to the conversation.  I'm also praying God will show me and you how this intersects with our lives.

According to this passage, Paul is suffering for the church.  Why is he suffering?  Does he suffer because he's working to protect and further the preaching of "the mystery"?  Paul belongs to the Gospel, to Christ, as its servant.  He loves and serves the Truth with great passion, doesn't he?

What is THE MYSTERY?  Christ in you, the hope of glory.  Even for the Gentiles!

Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Image credit:  http://euangelizomai.wordpress.com/2012/05/05/christ-in-you-the-hope-of-glory/

Remember yesterday how we were talking about once being alienated from God and His enemies, but once we believe in Jesus we're reconciled to God and peace is restored.  The Gospel is this crazy mystery (revealed with Christ!) that no longer do daily sacrifices have to be made that never completely atone for our sin.  Christ's blood atones, once and for all, and if one puts his/her faith in Him, He takes up residence in us.  The hope of glory - our only hope to participate in real, eternal, beautiful glory - is Christ dwelling in our hearts through faith.  Awesome.

Paul, the Gospel-lover of all Gospel-lovers, really wants everyone to be presented perfect in Christ (1:28.)  So he LABORS for the Gospel.  What against?  Heresies, divisions, arguments, etc?  I think 2:4, So that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments, gives us the best clue.  He wants Christians to know, believe, and cling to the true truth of Christ: Christ in you, the hope of glory.  Nothing more, nothing less.

Paul expresses two goals in these verses:

1. spread the Word so everyone can be presented perfect in Christ, and
2. that those who already believe might grow in deeper knowledge of the mystery of God

He is equally as concerned with those who have yet to hear the Good News, as with those who have.  When it's seed planting time, he plants seeds.  When it's pruning time, he prunes.  When it's fertilizing time, he fertilizes.  And through all of those, he regularly has words of encouragement, as in the end of this passage (2:5), I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.

I sure do wonder what it would have been like to know Paul.

And with that thought, tonight's blost comes to a close.  Anything else stand out to you from this passage?

Colossians {Day 13}

This evening, we find ourselves in the second of three Gospel summaries that punctuate the first two chapters of Colossians.

21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.  Colossians 1:21-23

ONCE UPON A TIME, Paul reminds the Colossians, you were alienated from and enemies of God, because of you evil behavior.

BUT NOW?  OH NOW, you are reconciled to Him and freed from accusation!

Why?  Well, the cosmic reconciliation that brought peace, spoken of in verse 20, also applied personally.  When Christ shed His blood on the cross, not only were things happening on the grand scale of all creation, but also on the personal level for those who would receive the good news!

The use of the phrase by Christ's physical body (v. 20) is agreed (at least in the two commentaries I'm reading) to be addressing the heresy that Christ was never really a man.  Scripture and history teach that He was, and the former that it was of the utmost importance.  Bruce says, these words emphasize there is a necessary bond between his incarnation and his atoning death. ...  The incarnation of the Son of God was real and necessary for the demonstration of God's righteousness in the bestowal of his peace on sinners.  (p 78-9, also citing Romans 8:3)

The Gospel is so beautiful!  Paul loves to remind them of their roots in the faith and the way things once were verses how they are now between them and God.

But what about the next part?

Paul wraps up with the comment: if you continue in the faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.  Can I let you in on a little secret?  This is one of those lines in the Bible that I don't really like.  I read the "if" like this: You better not blow it at this faith thing!  I quickly transfer myself from salvation by grace, which Paul has just spent the previous verses explaining, to salvation by works!  Does it sound like that to you too?

I don't believe, based on the rest of Scripture, that it's a scare tactic or that Paul's changing his story.  The commentaries here have been helpful.  The saints must persevere.  We cannot give up on the faith or on our foundation, which is Jesus Christ, his blood shed on the cross.  From day 1 as a child of God on this earth to the last, we must stand firm in the Gospel truth that we are dependent upon Christ for lifeand pledge our allegiance to Him alone.

ESTABLISHED AND FIRM in HOPE we are to be.  Hope is found only in Christ.  Heck, He is the hope.  He will be the one presenting us holy in [God's] sight, without blemish and free from accusation.  God will one day come to judge.  Our hope, (because God fulfills is promises and because Jesus died, rose, and will come again), is that we are no longer enemies; we have been reconciled to God!

If that doesn't mean much to you right now, ask God to work in your heart to show you just how depraved and wretched you are.  He will, and the Gospel will become more precious to you as a result.

For now, this post is long enough, these truths plenty to keep our small minds busy, and the topic changes a bit in 23b.  So we'll take a look at Paul, the servant of the Gospel, tomorrow.

Peace.

Colossians {Day 12}

We've been working our way through Paul's hymn about Jesus in Colossians 1:15-20, and over the last several days we've hit on these truths from just the first couple of verses:

• Jesus made the invisible God visible.
• Jesus holds a supreme position over all creation.
• All things were created by and for Jesus.
• Studying and meditating on Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords is good for our faith.

I got to spend time this weekend reading through commentaries on verses 17-20.  There's so much to chew on!

17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Here are some thoughts on the main points:

Verse 17 - Jesus is the glue holding everything together and He's the one that got it all started.  I like how F.F Bruce said we can't "press back into our imaginations" to find a time that Jesus wasn't.  And now all that was made by Him is upheld and sustained by Him.

Christ yesterday, today, and forever!

Verse 18 - The head supplies life and direction to a body.  The body does as the head commands.  Christ, the head, is supplying (risen!) life to the Church, and the Church does as Christ commands.  Apparently this doctrine is unique to Paul; I love the imagery.  We're all interconnected with one another and all directed by our Head, Christ the Lord.  Further, Christ is in charge, the supreme one, for He is the firstborn from among the dead.

Verse 19 & 20 - This verse is so tender.  God was pleased.  It can be easy to think of God as a distant One, a force or ruler giving the commands, with His arms crossed, keeping His watchful eye on us to make sure we don't screw up.  But how beautiful that God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Christ.  All that God is, Jesus is.  Not only is Jesus making the invisible God visible (v. 15), but God is pleased that this is so.  Beautiful!  The Father loves the Son and His plan to save the world through Him.

Verse 20 - Jesus came to make peace.  In this passage there's no mention of the fall or enmity between God and man, but in this verse we're reminded of the story.  Through Christ, God was able to reconcile to himself all things, ... by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.  Things in both heaven and earth were not right, there was no peace.  God had a plan, that pleased Him (!), to reconcile and bring peace  through His Son - the very Son who was present at active in the creation of all things in heaven and on earth. The plan is so amazing.  The reconciliation so complete with the shedding of Christ's blood.  Bruce offers this thought:

The fullness of divine energy is manifested in Christ in the work of reconciliation as well as that of creation.  (p. 74)

How can I summarize all of this to close?

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!

Creator, Preeminent over all things, Sustainer of all things, Upholder of all things, Head of the Church, God incarnate, Peacemaker, Sacrificed Savior - and this list does surely not exhaust all that we could say about Him.

May the you know the Truth,

and may He set you free.

Colossians {Day 10}

Yesterday, we started into Paul's hymn in praise of Jesus, verses 15-20 of Colossians 1.  This morning as I pondered how we should think about this passage, I had these thoughts that I want to share with you.

In passages of Scripture like this, we are invited to think about BIG things: who Jesus is, what His nature is, what He came for, what His position is over creation.  These are wonderful thoughts!  But it can be challenging to connect these wonderful things to day-to-day life.  Is it worth it to spend time in passages like this one?

The answer is YES!

Here's why.  The more we know about who God is, how He loves us, and how He interacts with His people, the more solid our foundation becomes.  We cannot spend our days only thinking high and lofty thoughts about God, but our days are different when our foundation is that very high and lofty God Himself.  When we're confident God is who He says He is, we believe that what He says about us is also true: we belong to Him; His Spirit dwells in us; He empowers us to life and godliness.  If we march too quickly from Him to the "Thou Shalts" and the "Thou Shalt Nots," our confidence will crumble, because the necessary foundation has not been laid.  Life will get in the way, trials will come, sin will threaten to destroy us, but if our confidence, hope, life, joy, peace, and all that other good stuff find their root in Christ, we will not be shaken.  (I do hope this is making sense, perhaps we'll touch on this theme again soon and I'll be having a more eloquent day!)

So, when we read verse 16,

For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.

we're pulled into a place of wonder and worship!  THIS is Jesus: creator and authority over all creation.  Combine that with what we know of the Gospel from the rest of Scripture, and we have to lift our jaws off the floor.  All things were created by Jesus and for Jesus,  yet he humbled Himself, became a man, and died on a cross for sinners who (most certainly) did not deserve a rescue.  It is upon this solid rock, as the hymn says, that we stand.  All other ground is sinking sand.  We are not wasting time AT ALL, plugging verse by verse through this paragraph about Jesus, are we?  Could we ever really spend enough time considering these truths?

I pray that in coming weeks, as we move into later chapters of Colossians and study more "practical" things (rules to live by in the church and family) that these truths about Christ will always in the back of our minds.  For it is unto Him that we live, and it is to Him that we belong - and that not as slaves, but as brothers.

Have a blessed Sunday.  We're enjoying some lovely weather here in Pittsburgh!  See you on Monday.