Colossians 3:1-4 - Being heavenly minded

In baptism, believers participate in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. When a believer goes under the water of baptism, it signifies the death and burial of their past sinful life. When he comes out of the water, it signifies his resurrection, to live a new life in Christ. In Colossians 2:20-23, Paul dealt with the symbol of the death and burial of the believers’ old life during baptism. He now in Colossians 3:1-4, deals with the resurrected life of a believer in that same baptism.

So he began in verse 1 by saying if we believers have been risen with Christ, there are two things we must do. Here Paul put them in the imperatives. In other words, these are not options that we can choose, but commands that we must follow. Here Paul pointed out two things believers must do.

The first has to do with one’s affection. It is setting our hearts on the things above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. The second has to do with our minds. It is to set our minds, or more precisely to have mindsets, values and attitudes, on things that are above and not on things of this earth.

Heretics and Christians have different emphases. A heretic would seek to abandon this world in order to strife for spirituality. The Christians would consider life and desire on earth from a heavenly perspective with the view of living on earth with a heavenly mindset.      

In verses 3-4, Paul then provided the reason why we should have heavenly affections and mindsets. He saw life now from two perspectives: the past and the future. Our past is hidden in Christ. Right now, our sinful nature is covered by Christ. We have become inseparably one with Christ. Our security is in Christ because He Himself is inseparably one with God. And then when Christ, in Whom our lives are hidden and are inseparably one, shall appear in His second coming, we shall also share in the revelation of His glory.

To live an overcoming life here on earth, Paul advocated that we believers should cultivate a heavenly mindset and have a value system that is eternal. We must set our affection and thoughts on things with eternal value. Let’s not be bogged down with the mundane of the here and now. Every time we connect with Christ we sow a godly seed, and as we nurture it with healthy spiritual habits like meditation, devotion and prayer, we are inculcating a heavenly mindset. Let’s do it so that we are constantly one with Christ!

Colossians 2:20-23 - The powerlessness of false belief

In baptism, believers of Christ had identified with His death. It signifies that they had died to the world. Paul then asked since they had died with Christ then why were they still turning to trust the basic tenets of this mundane and sensuous world. They were doing so when they submitted to the prohibitions detailed by the false teachings.
 

Using the words of the false teachings, Paul disapprovingly asked them why they submitted to demands such as, “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch”? He was probably referring to the demands that stated: “matters were essentially evil, so do not touch them”. These demands could also include some teachings taken from parts of the Mosaic laws. Others would be from the rigorous teaching of the early ascetics that demanded abstinence from wine or meat and even contacts with strangers or inferior religion etc.


In bewilderment, Paul asked them why they attached so huge a value to things so transient. As believers, they belonged to an eternal realm, why were they so captivated with things and thoughts of men that were so transitory. Those teachings might sound like wisdom but they lacked reality and were worthless. They might have the semblance of humility, and even generate a false religious feeling. They might even cause one to treat the body with strict discipline, yet they were powerless to deal with fleshly indulgence. 


Paul debunked the heretic’s claim to wisdom, and disputed their human demands. He even acknowledged that sensual indulgence must be checked but argued that the remedies of rigorous ascetic practices prescribed by the heretics had no lasting impact and answer to man’s evil tendencies. 

 

The true and lasting answer to our self-indulgence and evil propensity are found in Christ. To deal with them adequately let us focus on our relationship with Him. Our lives can only be fruitful and fulfilling when we are connected to Christ and constantly live in His presence.  

Closiians 2:16-19 - Be connected to Christ

Paul here re-emphasized what he discussed in verses 9-15. Now he reversed the order. He dealt with their erroneous ascetic practices first and then their theological error.

In verses 16-17 he told them not to let anyone take them to task regarding food or drink or anything regarding festivals or a new moon or a Sabbath day. In being overly concerned with such things, they had substituted the substance or the real thing with the shadow. The heretics were advocating strict adherent to some of the Old Testament demands. Here Paul pointed out that when placed in the light of the Gospel, observations of dietary requirements and religious festivals and Sabbath were only shadows. The real substance is in Christ and all that He came to usher in.     

Paul started verse 18 by using the imagery of a competition: Christ is the umpire, eternal life is the reward, the winner’s crown or the laurel. Here the Colossians had entered the Christian race and were already running well but the heretics came in and try to trip and impede them and to prevent them from attaining the prize.

The apostle then continued by detailing where they were impeded. They delighted in self-abasement and worship of angels and were puffed up by false notions that originated from their carnal mind.  While humility is taught as a Christian virtue, it becomes erroneous when it is done to point to the self. When humility leads to self-consciousness, it becomes pride in disguise. What was truly erroneous was their worship of angels. This was a total perversion of the truth. They were also falsely inflated by their false humility. The heretics here prided themselves as having special vision which Paul discredited as thoughts of their carnal minds. They were thoughts that were not educated by the Spirit.   

In verse 19, Paul warned believers about not holding fast to the Head, the Lord Jesus Christ. This would result in being disconnected from the source of what would be needed for their growth. If any true spiritual growth is to be experienced, it would come only as members of the body stay connected to Christ, the head. Then they would be able to function as the ligaments and sinews, the support system for each other through which the life of Christ could flow to the entire body. Christ is the one Who would hold the entire body together and supply all that would needed to attain the God enabled growth.  

The Lord Jesus Christ is still the source of all divine energy and spiritual life. Each of us must stay connected to Him in order to be strengthened in our spiritual life. As we consistently do that, we will be able to recognize our role and play our part so that total growth of the fellowship that He has brought us into, could be experienced.

Colossians 2:9-15 - Triumphing in Christ.

The heretics were in error and displayed flaws both at the theological level as well as ethical level. Paul condemned both their theological position and their ethical practices. First they had erroneously substituted Christ with inferior created beings or angelic mediators. And at the ethical level, they had insisted on the observation of ascetic habits as the basis of their moral teachings.         

In verse 9, Paul dealt with the theological part. He showed us how important it is for Christ to assume a bodily form. Untrue to the heretical teachings, Christ is not an inferior mediator. He is God incarnate. In Him the entire fullness of God was pleased to dwell in bodily form. In other words, the total divine power and attributes were resident in Christ when He assumed His human body here on earth. Without that incarnation we will never be able to comprehend God. Christ is the fountainhead, the center of all vital force and the source of all life, and He controls all the powers and authorities of the angelic beings which the heretics were teaching.  

Having put the theological perspective of Christ in place, Paul turned to put the practical errors in place in verses 11-15. He began by showing why circumcision was unnecessary, for believers already had a circumcision of the heart. The circumcision of the heart had three distinct features. Firstly, It was not carried out externally but internally; not with the hand but by the Spirit. Secondly, it dealt not with the flesh but the whole the human evil fleshly desires. Thirdly, it was not a circumcision done by Moses or any of the patriarchs but Christ the Lord.

In verse 12, Paul continued to deal with the issue of Baptism. The act of baptism is the burial of the old self and the birth of a new life. As the believer goes underneath the water, his sinful nature, his old corrupt past with all its affection and desires were buried. In coming out of the water, the believer rises with a regenerated body, a new hope and a new life. Baptism pictures our participation in the death and resurrection of Christ. 

In verse 13, Paul showed that the believers in their past un-regenerated life were dead in their sinful nature. Christ regenerated all believers and made them alive in Him. He gave all regenerated believers a new lease of life through His forgiveness. The new lease of life comes when on the cross he cancelled the document that detailed our past sinful debts and nailed them on the cross. This pictures the tearing up of the certificate of debt we the believers owe God.  At the cross Christ dealt with the power and authorities of evil. He made a public spectacle and displayed them as the trophies of His triumph.

In Christ we are always on the winning side. Our life, freedom and victory can only be found in Him. Any defeat in life is a lack of Christ revealed. We need to see our life from that perspective. To truly live freely and victoriously, we need to be empowered by Him each moment of our life. Remember, our victory is found in keeping in step with Christ the Lord.

Colossians 2:8 - False teachings identified

This verse is Paul’s first clearest assault against false teachings. He warned the believers in Colossae not to be imprisoned by philosophy which is not only empty but also deceptive ideas. Paul went on to make three statements about this philosophy.

Firstly, it was according to the tradition of men. They gave their teaching and passed it off as if they were the tradition which their ancestors had taught. Their teaching had no divine endorsement because they were merely human thoughts and ideas. This phrase, “the tradition of men” was the same Jesus used to describe the Pharisees in Mark 7:8. They passed on their own human ideas as if they were the traditional teachings of the forefathers.    

Secondly, they were based on the “elementary principles of this world.” They were based on things taken from the sphere of material and natural world.  They have most likely involved looking into the natural elements of the world, at the stars and astrological signs or zodiac signs. From those signs they then apportioned personality and power over lives of men and the course of nature. It was based on the spirit of this age and not of Christ. As a result their lives and conducts were under the influence of astrological powers and not that of the Spirit of Christ.  

 

Thirdly, their philosophy did not have its foundation in Christ Jesus. Christianity is about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the personal Savior and Lord. It is not a system of beliefs as the false teaching in Colossae was propagating. .

 

Just as accepting false teachings would influence how a person behave and live so also would Biblical doctrines and truths affect how we behave and conduct our lives. We should allow Biblical truths to influence us and govern how we conduct each day of our lives. This begs the necessity to truly study and know the Word of God for ourselves. Let’s heed Paul’s word to Timothy saying, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)   

Colossians 2:6-7 – Be rooted and built-up in Christ

 

In verses 1-5, Paul told them about Christ, the mystery of God revealed. He also told them how he rejoiced in their good discipline and stability of faith in Christ. So in verses 6-7, he told them that since they have made Christ the Lord of their lives, and also acknowledged and received the message about Him, their conduct and conviction must now be in one accord with that knowledge. They should not confess one thing and then act in ways inconsistent with what they believed.
 

The word walk in verse 6 is referring to their conduct. Notice that this word was given as a command not an option. In other words, their conduct and their conviction about Christ must be congruous.
 

Proceeding to verse 7, Paul then described the manner in which believers should conduct their lives.

(1)           Believers should be firm and fixed in the message of Christ which they have received.

(2)           Believers should be growing in their knowledge of Him just as they were taught (inferring to those things concerning Christ that Epaphras had taught them).

(3)           Believers should also be solidly anchored in Him.

(4)           Believers should demonstrate a life that’s constantly flowing with an attitude of gratitude and thanksgiving.
 

We have received Christ Jesus as Lord, so we must let these instructions be ours too. We must walk consistently with Christ and be firmly fixed in the truth in Him. Let us be solidly anchored in Christ our Solid Rock. Let us make thanks-giving and thanks-living our way of life.     

 

Colossians 2:1-5 – Christ, God’s mystery made known

Now Paul made known to the Colossians the effort he had put in to benefit the Colossians as well as those believers at Laodicea. Many of them had not even seen Paul’s face.

In verse 2, he then went on to state the objective of why he labored so intensely. It was done with the hope of several results. Firstly, that they might be strengthened and encouraged in their hearts. This was needed to face the dangers confronting them so that they would not move from their true faith. Secondly, he wanted to ensure that they would remain a knitted unit sharing a loving relationship with each other. Thirdly, that by understanding the truth they would have full and complete assurance of their faith. This would enable them to know about Christ Himself whom God had kept from being known previously.

In verse 3, Paul’s statement here tells us that through Christ Jesus, all the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge of God, are now revealed. There are two implications here. Firstly, all of God’s wisdom and knowledge are revealed by Him telling us of Christ’s sufficiency. Secondly, only in Him and nowhere else can the treasure of God’s wisdom and knowledge be found, telling us of Christ’s uniqueness.

In verses 4-5, Paul then concluded by stating his purpose for his explanation about Christ. He did it so that the believers there in Colossae as well as Laodicea would not be deluded by persuasive arguments of the false teachers. That they would not go down the wrong path that would only lead to errors. He also wanted them to know that, although he was not there with them in person, they were constantly on his mind. In saying that he was with them in spirit he was identifying himself with them. Paul believed that what he said would result in a positive response from them. He then rejoiced as he anticipated to see their discipline and concrete stand in their faith in Christ.  

Christ is God’s rich treasure and wisdom revealed. The question is: how much do we know Him? He is our source to all the true riches of God. We need to take the time to connect with Him. We should seek to know him more clearly so that we will love Him more dearly and follow Him more closely!

 

Colossians 1:28-29 - Message of Christ, proven and tested

The message of the apostle was clear. It’s the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Lord who dwells in every believer, bringing the assurance of ultimate glory. This very Lord was the focal point of Paul’s message (and should be ours too). He made Him the content of his proclamation. The two proven means Paul used to disseminate this message were: admonishing and teaching.

To admonish is to reprove, rebuke, warn, caution or even counsel. To teach is to impart, explain, clarify, and demonstrate. Each of these varied ways could be deployed at different times in different situations to different levels depending on the maturity of the audience. But here with the Colossians he saw himself as a father reproving and counseling his children and then explaining, clarifying the misconception they had about Christ. Furthermore, he did it discerningly and with all the wisdom granted by God. His whole goal was to ensure that these believers in Colossae whom he was ministering to, would be presented mature and complete in Christ.

To this end, Paul put in all the effort and work intensively, collaborating with God’s power and supernatural enabling that had first brought mighty outcomes in his life. What he meant was, the powerful message he proclaimed had been proven by the mighty outcomes he himself had experienced personally.           

The content of our life should always bear this message, that Jesus Christ is our hope of glory. To share it effectively, we must first experience its present effect in our life. Without a doubt, it will work mightily according to the power of the resurrected Christ within us. A consecrated life will yield concrete results. Remember, an unexamined faith is not worth believing and an untested life is not worth living!

 

Colossians 1:25-27 - Christ in us, the hope of glory

In verse 25, Paul revealed that he was made a minister or servant to help the church at large and not just to the church in Colossae. Paul’s calling to this task was according to the stewardship of God. And thus it was a God-given appointment.    

A steward is literally a house manager. It is a position of responsibility entrusted by the master and in this case, God. This position which Paul was appointed, was for the benefit, especially the spiritual well-being, of the believers in Colossae (as well as believers everywhere). He was entrusted this appointment in order that he could proclaim the message of God fully i.e. everything that God had said.   

Paul referred to the message as a mystery. It was a secret that was hidden in the past but now revealed. This was something God did not tell the people before. However, God now revealed it to the saints, people who are set apart unto Him. He now chose to make this secret known among the Gentiles. According to verse 27, this mystery is rich and glorious. It must have been difficult to express in human terms adequately. Suffice to say this mystery is too wonderful to describe in words.

The Content of this mystery is: Christ in you, the hope of glory. Presently, as Christ’s redeemed people and as members of His body, we have His risen life in and among us, and living through us. This gives us the confidence that we will ultimately share in the fullness of His glory. The glory that is yet to be displayed on that great day of the consummation of all things, according to Romans 8:19, where all the sons of God will be revealed.

Let’s hear what the Apostle John had to say, “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is” (1 John 3:2). With this hope, let us live each day with greater expectancy and anticipation!

Colossians 1:24 – Suffering for Christ

In verse 24, Paul moved on to talk about his ministry, revealing his pastoral disposition. What he said about suffering for the sake of the Colossians seems incongruent. Especially when he didn’t even know many of them personally. But Paul was saying in his capacity as an apostle to the Gentiles. He went through much trials and suffering at the hands of the Jews and Roman authority to reach the Gentiles. Bear in mind that he wrote this letter to them while in prison. Here Paul was telling them that he went through much suffering to reach the Gentiles. And since the Colossians were essentially Gentiles, Paul was also suffering for their sake. And he gladly endured them.

 

What did Paul mean when he said that what he was going through was to fill “…up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions”? This gives us the idea as if the suffering that Christ underwent for the people was insufficient. We all know that Christ’s suffering was thorough and complete. It was sufficient to ensure our redemption and reconciliation with God. So Paul couldn’t be saying that Christ’s suffering and death for the redemption of mankind was not sufficient. What he wanted the believers in Colossae to know was that in serving Christ, he was also called upon to suffer as the Lord did. This was what Christ Himself also went through in His ministry. The suffering that Paul underwent was part and parcel he had to go through in the ministry as Christ’s servant. Since Paul was called to serve the Gentiles, his suffering in taking the Gospel to them was done on Christ’s behalf.   

Tough situations can be expected in our service for Christ. Enduring hardship to reach others or to fulfil the claims of Christ upon our life will be experienced. Like the Lord Jesus, we too need to bear our cross in order to wear our crown.  Be ready to do so gladly!

Colossians 1:21-23 - Deliverd and set apart for Him

In Colossians 1:15-20, Christ’s Lordship is undisputedly established in Creation, the Church and the Cross. Having established that, Paul now turned to discuss about the Christians at Colossae from three perspectives. In verse 21, he talked about their former state, in verse 22, their present state, and in verse 23, the condition that was needed to help them to remain in the present state.
  

Note that whenever Paul used the pronouns “we or us” he would be referring to Jewish believers. And when he used the pronoun “you” he would be referring to Gentile believers.

 

In their former state, the Colossians were alienated and estranged from God. We will see that Paul only used this phrase on Gentiles, never on the Jews.  Alienation from God affects a person’s total being - his position, his mind and his conduct in life. His understanding would be contrary to the truth and his behaviors would be evil.

Not wanting them to remain in this former state of enmity with Him, God initiated the reconciliation. It was effected through the physical death of Jesus Christ, God’s Son. The death of the fleshly body referred to here, was to deal with the false teachings that denied the importance of the physical. The whole purpose of Christ’s death according to Paul, was to present believers before God as consecrated people. In Christ, believers are free from all blame and beyond reproach.  
    

Verse 23 shows us that to be set apart to God, to be blameless and beyond condemnation, the believers must continue in the faith and not moved from the hope offered by the Gospel. This Gospel of hope had been proclaimed to all the creation in the world and not just to a selected few. It was to this Gospel that Paul was made a minister.  

 

Verse 23 is of particular importance to us. It tells us that having faith in Christ is only the first step. We need also to be firmly established in our relationship with Christ our Lord. We need to engage our mind, our heart, and our will in this faith so that we will not renege from it. There is this necessity to feed our mind with Christ and His Word, and to set our heart to love Him resolutely. And cultivate a determination to conform our will to the God-given pattern and practice. Be sure to make it a daily affair!

Colossians 1:18-20 – Jesus Christ, the Lord of the Church

In verse 18, Paul turned to talk about Christ relationship with the Church as well as His resurrection. And he then rounded up in verses 19-20, to talk about the reconciliatory work of Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross.

Christ is the head of His body, the church. It’s queer to put it this way. But the idea is that Christ is the head of the church which is His body. This simply means Christ is the Supreme Leader of all Christians and together with them, formed one complete and unique entity. And to Christ belongs all the power, rule and authority.  When Paul referred to Christ as the beginning, he was saying that He is the life source of the church. From Him the church derives her life and He is the one Who provides the sustenance that keeps the church vibrant and alive.

Paul went on to show that He is the first to be resurrected from the dead and never to die again. And this historical fact demonstrates that He is truly God’s Son.  God did this so that Christ might take the supreme place above and over everything.

In verse 19, Paul went on to say that it was the plan of God Himself and it pleased Him that all of His fullness, His undiminished, pure, and total divine nature should be completely resident in Christ.  This means that Christ Jesus, His Son, possesses the full and exact nature of God. What Paul is saying is essentially this: Jesus Christ is God.  

In verse 20, we are shown what the Lord Jesus Christ came to do. This verse reveals that the whole of mankind was alienated and estranged from God. And that it was God Himself Who had initiated the process to mend the fractured relationship that the whole mankind had with Him. The way that God did it was through the shed blood of Christ on the cross. The sacrifice of Christ brought about the peace between God and His creation. Through it God had brought the whole universe and everything on earth and heaven back to Himself.  

Gratefully, let us live our lives to honor God. Let’s lovingly and obediently follow our Supreme Leader and Lord. What He had done made it possible for God to accept us. Our mended relationship with our Father God was His initiation. Through the shed blood of Christ His Son, He accepts us with open arms. There is no other way but to love and serve Him willingly and obediently. As He had freely given Himself for and to us, let us also freely give our lives in grateful service to Him.    

Colossians 1:15-17 – Jesus Christ, the Lord of Creation

Intending to show the Supremacy of Christ, Paul went on a grand description of Christ. There are some who believe that verses 15-20 was an ancient hymn about Christ. Whatever it is, we will find in verse 15, the implication of His pre-existence and the description His nature as God’s Son. Then in verses 16-17, we find His role in relation to creation and the universe.
 

We are explicitly told in Scriptures that no man had seen the Father. What Paul is saying in verse 15 is that now in Jesus Christ the Son of God, we see God the Father. In other words, Jesus Christ is God. In calling Christ, “The first born of all creation” Paul was stating His status. This is a statement of His superiority and position. This description of Christ here is not to stress His humanity but His position and status as the first born of God. In that position of the first born, He is the absolute Heir and Sovereign Lord of all creation. Paul’s intention was to show that Christ existed before all creation.  
 

In verse 16 Paul tells us that Christ is the Creator. By Him God created all things, both heavenly and earthly things. Everything visible or invisible, thrones or dominions and rulers and authorities were made for His purpose and benefit. Then in verse 17, we see Christ, as Sustainer of all things. In Him everything holds together. That is to say that Christ is the reason that all creation is in synchronization and not chaotic.   
 

We often marvel as we see and learn of how the whole creation works in exact precision. They merely reflect a marvelous maker who saw to it that everything is put in its right place.
 

Jesus is Lord! All creation proclaim it.

For by His power, each tree and flower was planted and made.

Jesus is Lord! The universe proclaims it.

Sun, moon, and the stars in heaven proclaim Jesus is Lord!  
 

We worship the Lord Jesus Christ, the marvelous Creator God. Let’s never ever forget that!

Colossians 1:9-14 – Prayers for effectiveness

Although Paul was in prison, his prayer was not for himself. When he heard of the Colossians’ faith in Christ and the threats from the heresy, his immediate response was to pray for them. Since they have already heard of the grace of God’s truth, there were more that they could learn, grow, and to attain maturity.

Paul prayed for them to be filled with the full knowledge of His will. He requested that they would have wisdom and spiritual perception so that they would know His will. Paul knew that spiritual truths were spiritually discerned and could not be grasped with the carnal mind. Hence spiritual perception and insight would be needed. Paul’s prayer for them was motivated by his desire for them to live a life that would be congruent with their faith in Christ.

Paul showed us what a progressive spiritual life would look like:  

(1) A life that’s worthy of the name of Christ
(2) A life that’s Christ-pleasing in every aspect
(3) A life that’s increasingly fruitful in every good work
(4) A life that’s rich in the knowledge or experience of God
(5) A life that’s strengthened with all power by God’s glorious might
(6) A life that’s joyful, stable and consistent  
(7) A life that’s full of thanksgiving  

Christians should be thankful because it is God who has qualified us to share in the rich inheritance. For we are people whom He has set apart for Himself and to share in His Light. God Himself has rescued us and transferred us into the Kingdom of His beloved Son.

Paul’s attitude and what he had said should encourage us to hold a proper perspective of life. There are four areas in life that we should seek proper alignment - worship, wisdom, walk and work. We should always live a life of right worship, a life full of spiritual wisdom, a life of consistent walk and a life of fruitful work.    

   

Colossians 1:1-2 - Saints and God's faithful

Speculation, intellectualism and asceticism were three key characteristics of the heresy that the Colossians encountered. The speculation propagated were in relations to creation. To them intermediate angels were involved in the act of creation. Then, they also disseminated a brand of wisdom, claiming advance knowledge, a kind of philosophy devoid of sound reasoning. Furthermore, the heretics also promulgated human effort by encouraging strict and rigid disciplines to curb the physical appetite.

When told by Epaphras about the condition in Colossae, Paul wrote this letter of Colossians to correct those wrong ideas, to prevent the faith of the believers from being destroyed. Paul had to begin in a way that would endear himself to them. He began by declaring his apostleship. This calls attention to the authority that was attached to his commission. He was an apostle by the will of God, not so much because he had the merit to wear that title, but rather a privilege that was given to him because of God’s unmerited grace poured over his life. He was called to be an apostle to the Gentiles when he was on his way to Damascus, on his mission to persecute Christians. The phrase “an apostle by the will of God” was Paul’s renunciation of any personal worth to hold that position, but for the grace of God.

Timothy was mentioned in his introduction in this letter because he was most likely the scribe that Paul dictated to. The apostle treated Timothy as a co-equal. Hence, he called him brother. The adjective “our” shows how Paul also regarded the believers in Colossae. Together with Timothy they were his brothers. Besides, he said they were also saints. This word “saints” does not indicate the level of their holiness. It merely tells us that they were people who had set themselves apart unto Christ. Paul also called them “faithful brethren”. This word “faithful” suggests that among the believers in Colossae there must have been those who weren't keeping their faith in Christ.

In his greeting to the Colossians, Paul combined the two most meaningful experiences that everyone, including us, would need. The first is grace. This is God’s purposeful action on behalf of humanity. By grace He had opened a way through Christ that men can be reconciled and have fellowship with Him. The second is peace. This word suggests more than just the absence of restlessness. It includes the sense of total well-being of the whole person. Paul explicitly tells us that God the Father is the source of both the grace and peace. How much every one of us needs the grace and peace of God the Father!

Like the Colossians, the church today is also thrown into deep confusion by some speculative theology, false intellectualism and asceticism. Hence, this letter is very applicable to us today. There is a necessity for the church today to hold truth in tension. Are we truly faithfully set apart to Christ? Every one of us needs to walk in the integrity of the truth. So as we take some time to meditate on Colossians, let’s be prepared for God to gloriously transform us for His glory!

Colossians 1:3-9 – The impact of the Gospel

Paul gave thanks to God the Father for the impact the Gospel had made in the lives of the Colossians. Not only that, but he also prayed for them continuously. And He did it out of a deep concern for them. In his prayer, Paul addressed God as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. He did this to establish that the Deity of Christ, something that the heretics in Colossae denied.

Bear in mind that Paul was not the founder of the church in Colossae, and had to correct the wrong beliefs that they had allowed and had now embraced. Not being the founder made it a bit more difficult to be direct. So his most important attempt was to first connect with them. So he began by paying tributes to them. He mentioned the three positives things about the Colossians. They are: their faith in Christ Jesus; their love for all the saints and the hope that was laid up for them in heaven since they had embraced the Gospel, the word of truth.

Paul maintained that wherever this same Gospel went in all the world, it would constantly bear fruit unremittingly in the people who participated in this life giving message. This was true to the Colossians since the day they heard and understood the grace of God in sincerity.

In verse 7, Paul revealed the source of his information. He dearly mentioned Epaphras as our brother. He was Paul’s co-worker. He was a beloved fellow bond-servant. This title suggested that their yielding of themselves to Christ their master was not only total, but also willingly offered. Besides, Epaphras, who shared the Gospel with them, was a faithful servant of Christ. He did it on Paul’s behalf only because the apostle couldn’t be there personally, something which he would have personally loved to do. Paul revealed that whatever he had heard about the Colossians’ love in the Spirit, he received it from Epaphras.    

The Gospel, when embraced, will bear fruit. The three aspects, that would happen often, are: our faith in Christ, our love for fellow believers and our hope of life eternal in heaven. Like Paul, we need to rejoice and be active participants in the community of faith and be fruit bearing disciples of Christ.  

 

2 Corinthians 13:11-14 – Closing commands and blessings

These four closing verses are loaded. In quick successions Paul gave six commands, sent a greeting and two blessings. The six commands were given in six imperatives in verses 11-12. First they were called to rejoice. Secondly they were told to be made complete. In the NIV it is translated as ‘strive for full restoration’. This is a word used to describe repairing a net that was torn. Here Paul was calling the Corinthians to mend their relationship. Third, was the call to be comforted! The Corinthians were called to do what Paul mentioned at the beginning of this letter, to comfort others with the comfort with which God had comforted them. They were expected to support one another, and stand by each other and be encouraging. Fourthly, they were told to be like-minded i.e. to have the same mind. To do that, differences had to be mended. Fifthly, Paul asked them to live in peace. This suggested that they should not retaliate but to seek reconciliation. Besides being reconciled to God, they should seek to be reconciled with each other. Finally, they were called to greet each other with a holy kiss. This was to be their expression of warmth and fellowship. They ought to forgive and move on.

In verse 13, Paul greeted them on behalf of all the saints. This clearly indicated that Paul didn’t malign them when he was with others. Here the other saints obviously accepted the Corinthians as fellow brethren, so they sent their greetings to them. 

Verse 14 is one of the most used blessings that is pronounced over the church as they depart a worship service. Here we see the invocation of the blessings of the entire Trinity on the Corinthians. Grace from Christ enabled them to be Christians. Love from God was the foundation and it triggered the redemption process. Fellowship was the work of the Holy Spirit. He enabled Christians to participate in each other’s life. To participate in the Spirit is to participate in each other’s life.

In Christian fellowship unity must rule the day. Throughout his letter, we get the sense that this was one aspect Paul was concerned about. Let’s seek to unite our hearts with God and with one another. Paul sets us an example of perfect harmony with the Father. So must we. 

2 Corinthians 13:5-10 – Final plead for change

In verse 5 onwards, right through to verse 10, Paul began to admonish the Corinthians. They had insisted that Paul should prove himself as an authentic apostle, but he in turn told them to examine themselves. The word examine was applied to the process of testing precious metal e.g. gold, to check if it was genuine or spurious. The apostle suggested that the Corinthians should take a hard and deep look at themselves, to check if they belonged to Christ. To Paul, far more important than whether Christ was speaking through him, was whether the Corinthians genuinely belonged to Christ. So he asked them to check if Christ was living through them. The process of examining and testing would help them to see clearly and realize for themselves that they were Christ’s.

 

Personally Paul would like to believe that the Corinthians had made the grade and were Christ’s. Yet he would rather that they discover this for themselves. This would help them to see that Paul and his workers didn’t fail the test and were genuine workers of Christ. Paul knew that their uncertainty about him as an authentic apostle was the outcome of their own uncertainty about their faith in Christ. Their nitpicking attitude, especially of Paul, showed how infantile they were in the faith.

 

The apostle offered a prayer that they should examine and do the right thing, not because he craved for their acceptance, and not because he longed to be exonerated and authenticated as a genuine apostle. It would be good if they discovered that in the process of their examination. If not, he would gladly even sacrifice that if their relationship with God could be mended. Paul primarily prayed for their obedience to the Gospel and what was expected of them in their daily living. He wanted them to do no wrong so that they wouldn’t have a behavior that contradict the desire of God. Paul’s primary concern was not his own reputation, but the Corinthians relationship with God.

Paul and his associates would only do those things that would advance the truth; they won’t do anything to retard its progress. Using the two words weak and strong, Paul was telling the Corinthians that he could accept being wrong, or to accept defeat, as long as the Corinthians were living victorious lives in Christ. Paul, in fact, prayed that they would continue to grow and become more mature in their Christian life.

In verse 10 he once again stated his purpose for writing. He would rather that they change before his arrival so that severe discipline could be avoided. Paul was sure, if need be, he would exercise the authority which the Lord had delegated to him. However, he assured the Corinthians that his commission and authority were given to build up and not to tear down and destroy.

 

We see in Paul a true servant leader. His emphasis was not in the power he possessed and could wield, but in the love and grace that he was shown and should show. He would rather that they willingly respond to his gentle coaxing than exercising strong coercion. However, if strong measures needed to be taken, he would do so, even then he would do it in love. What a good model to emulate in leading, parenting and teaching.

2 Corinthians 13:1-4 – Strength under control

Paul, in these verses, prepared the Corinthians for his third visit. The first visit was his original mission. His second, as we have already discovered, was a painful one. Now that he was about to visit them a third time, he forewarned them concerning what he would be doing.

In 2 Corinthians 2:10, his opponents had claimed that he was weak when face to face but bold when absent. He now declared that he won’t be timid when he comes but would exercise stern discipline. He quoted the principle laid down by Deuteronomy 19:15 that says “A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin which he has committed; on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed.” Here Paul was applying the principle to all his visits. The apostle had already made two visits to Corinth. He was now about to make his third visit, one that he would see as the equivalent of the third witness. While this Deuteronomy principle refers to two or three persons testifying on a matter, it had also been taken that three warning visits by the same person was regarded as three witnesses. This seems to fit the context better. Paul had already personally pointed out the sin of some people in his second visit. In verse 3, he now gave advance warning concerning the stern disciple he would exercise when he arrived if they still would not repent.

Apparently, some of the Corinthians were asking him to act sternly to prove that he was an apostle and that Christ was speaking through him. They could have insinuated that if Christ was in Paul, the apostle would have acted powerfully because Christ was powerful. Pointing to what the Corinthians failed to see, Paul told them that Christ had acted with self-control. He was not aggressive toward the people and even allowed the people to crucify Him. That was seen as weakness. This is human evaluation. But as far as Christ was concerned, that was God’s power demonstrated in love. Man might have estimated Christ as weak but in reality he was demonstrating the power of God.    

The Corinthians needed to see proof that Christ was speaking through Paul by the demonstration of power. They already had proof of that. Like Christ, Paul had acted in meekness and gentleness toward them. That was how Christ wield his authority and power under control. They failed to see that he was giving them time to respond and grow. However, he was about to discipline those who had not and would not change on his third visit.

Time and again God would give us time to change and act and to amend our flaws. The grace God accords us should not be taken for granted. It must not be misunderstood as His condoning of our compromise. Ultimately, God would have to ensure that we act for the better. When we are unwilling, God would allow painful experiences to help us make up our mind. That’s only because He truly loves us.

2 Corinthians 12:19 -21 - Paul's concern

Paul wrote these three verses to correct any misgiving they might have about him. He dreaded to think that what he had said about himself to defend his apostleship would give them a wrong impression about him. He didn’t want them to think that he was justifying himself. If justification was needed, it would be done before God and not the Corinthians. Paul, however, asserted that whatever he had said he spoke it for the sake and with the authority of Christ. His motive and purpose was for their up-building, for they were his beloved. He needed to say what he had said in order to remove their doubts and suspicion concerning him.

 

Paul was afraid that when he arrived there, instead of seeing what he hoped to see in them, he might find a contrary situation. And conversely, the Corinthians might find in him not what they expected of him, and he had to deal with them harshly again. At the back of the apostle’s mind, he wished to see a harmonious, united church with an atmosphere that would allow for reconciliation. He would not want to see a church full of contention. Here, he listed eight sins that would happen when contention was the rule of the day. The eight sins are: strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes, slanders, gossips, arrogance and disturbances.  

 

Paul also had some apprehension concerning the situation in Corinth. He certainly hoped to be encouraged and not humiliated. It seems strange that he should express fear of being humiliated before God. That’s because Paul had never seen his experiences in life as independent of God. He considered every experience of his life as God’s dealing with him. Hence, he spoke as if the humiliation would come from God. What he was saying was that he would feel shameful before God for failing to help the Corinthians to come out of their past. And he dreaded to think that he had to deal with those who had not repented of their past sins of impurity, immorality and sensuality all over again.  

 

Two questions needed to be asked. Firstly, had Paul failed in his mission if sexual sin were not eradicated? Secondly, had he failed if he had to wield his authority to discipline rather than build up? The answer to both questions is clearly “no”. The opponents of Paul were probably pointing to them to discredit Paul and his message. They were probably saying that the presence of those sexual sins proved that the Gospel and Paul’s claim to his apostleship were false.  

 

Like Paul, we need to speak and live in such a way that would turn people’s priority and attention to the Lord. This underscores the need to build our lives on the foundation and principles of the Word of God.

 

 

 

 

2 Corinthians 12:14-18 - Spend and be spent

In verse 14 Paul told the Corinthians that he was now ready to visit them a third time and he still didn’t want to be a burden to them financially. He made known that he was not interested in their possession or their saving but their souls. For he saw the Corinthians as his children. And he knew that children didn’t have to save up for the parents but rather the other way around. What Paul meant was that parents would have to save up for their children.

    

Paul was a self-giving, selfless man. His attitude was to give of himself totally and divest everything he had for the sake of the Corinthians. At the core of his being, Paul was a true servant. He would use all that he was and all that he had for the Corinthians whom he so loved. In a play of sarcasm, Paul posed a question. He was wondering how come they would not reciprocate his increasing love for them! For to respond to someone’s love by being loving in return should be a natural response. But this was not the case with the Corinthians. He wondered if they would continue to behave like a rejected child despite his love for them. He wondered whether to reduce his affection toward them in order to get them to love him more. To Paul, continuing to love them was the only way. And this he would gladly do and just hope that they would recognize how genuinely he had loved them and would respond with love toward him.

In verse 16, Paul again, through sarcasm, corrected another misconception they had about him. Some of them could have suggested that Paul sought to win them over only to exploit them once they had been won over. Paul was showing how disgusted and insulted he felt that they should thought of him that way. So in verses 17 and 18, he corrected that misconception. Rhetorically, he maintained that neither he nor anyone whom he had sent to help took advantage of them. He assured them that like him, Titus and those sent with him, acted with integrity.

 

We can see Paul’s love for the Corinthians very obviously. The more he loved them the less successful he seemed to be with them. Yet he refused to allow their lack of gratitude to stifle his love for them. He had set us an example to love, to give our energy and to give all that we have to bring the best out of those we minister to.