This week,
we shall finish the study of the Book of Colossians in the New Testament.
1:24-27—Paul’s view of his suffering (imprisonment in Rome as a result of his persecution by the Jews which began in Jerusalem)
(1) His suffering is for “you” (meaning the Colossians): Paul has never met these Gentile believers in Colosse. Why then does he say that his suffering is for them? (See Rom. 11:13; Gal. 2:8)
(2) His suffering is to" fill up what is still lacking" in regard to Christ’s affliction in the flesh:
a. On whose behalf is he filling up this “lacking”? (v. 24b) (Note: “for the sake of” is literally “on behalf of”)
b. What does “filling up” mean?
(3) How then can he “rejoice” in this suffering? Can you, if you were Paul?
(4) Paul says he has become a servant (or minister) of the church, commissioned by God. (v. 25)
a. What is his charge? (v. 25b)
b. Why is the gospel called a “mystery”? (v. 26)
c. In particular, Paul points out that the essence of this mystery, which is now revealed even among the Gentiles, is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (v. 27)
- Why does Paul call this mystery “glorious riches”?
- What does this “mystery” mean to you now?
1:28–2:3—Paul’s Strenuous Labor
(5) Paul’s ongoing ministry (1:28-29)
a. What is involved in his proclamation of this mystery of the gospel?
b. Why does such proclamation need to be done “with all wisdom”?
c. What is the ultimate goal of his ministry? (1:28b)
d. Why does he describe his effort as “strenuous labor or struggle”? (1:29a)
e. Where does the power of his ministry come from? (1:29b)
(6) Paul is not one who wishes to brag about his labor. Why then would he want all those he has not met (the Colossians and also the Laodicean believers) to know how hard he has struggled for them? (2:1)
(7) How hard has Paul struggled for these Gentile believers?
(8) The ultimate goal of his labor is for the Gentile believers (2:2-3)
a. To be encouraged (or comforted) in heart and joined (or knitted) together in love
- What might threaten their heart and unity in love?
- How does Paul’s labor serve to help them in these aspects?
b. And this will lead to all riches of “full assurance of understanding” and “full knowledge of the mystery of God”.
- What does it mean?
- Why does Paul say that in Christ "are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge"?
- Have you found this to be true? How?
(9) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“Now I rejoice in what I am suffering 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.’’ (Col. 1:24)
Often, I am being asked about what is the
meaning of Paul’s words concerning his rejoicing in suffering for Christ in
that he says, he is filling up in his flesh what is still lacking in regard to
Christ’s afflictions. Allow me to share
with you the insight of F.F. Bruce in this respect:
“The present context rules out any suggestion that the reconciliation effected by the death of Christ needs to be supplemented. Paul and his fellow-preachers, having themselves received the peace which was made ‘through the blood of His cross,’ now fulfil their ministry by presenting that peace for acceptance by others. But in the fulfilment of that ministry they are exposed to sufferings for Christ’s sake, and these sufferings are their share in the afflictions of Christ. There may be a hint in Paul’s words that he is eager to receive more than his due share of those afflictions in order that there may be the less for his converts and other fellow-Christians to bear. So conscious was he of the special significance of his vocation to service and suffering.
“At the back of Paul’s mind there may be the rabbinical concept of the messianic birth pangs which were to be endured in the last days — from Paul’s new Christian perspective, in the period leading up to the Parousia (the Second Coming). Jesus, the Messiah, had suffered on the cross; now His people, the members of His body, had their quota of affliction to bear, and Paul was eager to absorb as much as possible of this in his own ‘flesh’. The suffering of affliction now was, for the followers of Christ, the prelude to glory at His advent, and such was the incomparable and ‘eternal weight of glory’ to which they could look forward that the hardship of the present were described, in relation to it, as ‘this slight momentary affliction' (2 Cor. 4:17).”
(NICNT, Colossians, 84)
2:4-15—Standing firm in Christ
(1) What is the purpose of the preceding deliberation in which Paul affirms the supremacy of Christ (1:15-22) and the mystery of “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (1:25-27)? (v.4)
(2) What does Paul desire to see the church become (especially in the case of the church in Colosse as he could not be there with them)? (v. 5)
(3) Paul
reminds them of the centrality of Christ in their faith. What are they to understand in the following areas?
a. Who Jesus Christ is to them (v. 6)
b. What or who is the foundation on which they should be built up and strengthened (v. 7a)
c. The kind of teaching they should adhere to (v. 7b)
d. The result of continuing to walk (or live) in Christ (v. 7c)
(4) What do those who promote heretical, fine-sounding arguments seek to do to them? (v. 8)
(5) Paul calls those arguments “philosophy” (v. 8)
a. What kind of philosophy is it?
b. What is it based on?
c. What is it not based on?
(6) Why our faith should be based on Christ alone (vv. 9-15):
a. Who is Christ? Is He God or man? (v. 9)
b. Since the “incarnate” Christ is 100% man (in bodily form) and 100% God, what does it mean to us that we are “in Christ”? (v. 10)
c. What has been accomplished concerning us by being in Christ includes:
- We were circumcised (vv. 11-12)
a) How?
b) What effect does it have on our old self?
c) What does our baptism signify? (v. 12; see Note below)
- We have been made alive with Christ (vv. 13-15)
a) Being alive in Christ is made possible by the forgiveness of all our sins. What does it include? (v. 14)
b) How have these charges which condemned us been cancelled? (v. 14b)
c) Who was behind the hanging of Christ on the cross?
d) What did these spiritual evil powers and authorities think they had accomplished when Christ was hung on the cross?
e) As it turned out, what victory has Christ achieved by His death on the cross and His resurrection? (v. 15)
(7) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note:
Baptism itself as a rite only signifies what has happened to us when we “received Christ Jesus as Lord” (2:6)—our union with Christ in His death and in His resurrection (Romans 6:2ff). Since in the early churches, receiving Christ Jesus as Lord is inseparable from immediate baptism, it is always mentioned in the same breath.
“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” (Col. 2:15)
While we do not exactly know what school of heresy is influencing the church in Colosse, from Paul’s powerful reiteration of the supremacy of Christ (1:15-22) and the centrality of Christ in our redemption through His death on the cross, we have a sense that it is likely a combination of the Judaizers' school which insists on circumcision as part of the package of salvation through Christ (Acts 15:5), and some Jewish form of Gnosticism which believes in the mediatorial role of angels (Bruce, 95-96). In any case, as Paul refutes these heresies as “hollow and deceptive philosophy” (2:8), he powerfully explains the victory of Christ on the cross which has not only resulted in making us alive in Christ, with all our sins forgiven and their consequence “nailed to the cross”, but “having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (2:14-15).
By “powers and authorities” Calvin says, “There is no doubt that he (Paul) means devils” (Calvin, 190).
One can imagine that Satan and his followers were absolutely elated to see the religious leaders together with the Roman authorities crucify Christ on the cross, making a public spectacle of their triumph over God and His Son, no doubt. We can also imagine the jubilant celebration at the death of Christ in the succeeding three days in the realm of the devils, only to be totally spoiled and devastated by the news of the resurrection of Christ. There is no doubt that the power of Christ’s resurrection instantly “disarmed the powers and authorities” and these evil spiritual forces are now subject to the One by whom they were conquered. As a result, by being united with Christ, we have been liberated from the dominance of the evil powers in us and now enjoy perfect freedom to triumph over the powers of evil through participation in Christ’s victory. No wonder Paul excitedly exclaims, “Christ in us, the hope of glory!” (1:27)
2:16-19—The Heresies of Observance of Religious festivals
(1) Why would people judge the Gentile believers by their non-observance of the OT rites and festivals?
(2) Why should Christians (Jewish or otherwise) not celebrate any religious festivals or rituals of the OT? (v. 17; also see Heb. 10:1-18)
(3) What if we continue to observe such OT rituals? (v. 18)
(4) What does Paul say their motives in so doing are? (v. 18b)
(5) Such actions will lead to a loss of connection to the Head (v. 19):
a. Does it mean that the body (the church) will lose its function?
b. Do these false teachers show that they in fact “have no true part in that body” (Bruce, 123)?
2:20-23—The Heresies of Observance of Rules
(6) Why would our unity with Christ in His death also mean our death from those elements of the world? (v. 20)
(7) These elements of the world are called “rules” and include "do not handle, do not taste and do not touch":
a. The objects of these three “don’ts” are things that are destined to perish with use (v. 21). What might they be?
b. Why does Paul say these (negative) rules indeed have an appearance of wisdom?
c. Why does Paul say that they are in fact “self-imposed worship and false humility” which really do not work in helping us restrain sensual indulgence?
d. What might be examples of these three “don’ts”?
e. Is Paul against self-discipline or setting negative rules to foster a false sense of humility or holiness? Why?
f. What might be contemporary examples of these useless “prohibitions” among Christians?
(8) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“‘Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!’? These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings.” (Col. 2:21-22)
Reading Paul’s opposition to the legalistic teachings which seek to hold the Colossian believers captive (2:8) and his example of the three “don’ts” — do not handle, do not taste, do not touch—reminds me of Job’s famous covenant with himself, “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman.” (Job 31:1). We might wonder if Paul is against such self-discipline.
Obviously, Paul is not. What he is cautioning the Colossian believers against are rules that represent the “elements” of the world (2:20). That means people of the world are depending on their observance of ethical rules and regulations to foster a false sense of humility and to gain the favor of their gods (i.e. as part of their worship); furthermore, they are necessarily negative rules which are far more easy to measure than positive ones.
However, in the case of Job, it is very
different for the following reasons:
- It is a covenant that he makes with himself without imposing it on others or announcing it to others (except that he now was forced to use it for his own defense).
- The object of his self-discipline is his heart (his eyes are obviously controlled by his heart), and not anything “destined to perish with use” (2:22);
- He does not use it to foster any sense of holiness or humility.
- He directs this resolve not to earn any merits from God but to avoid committing a sin against God in an area of life he knows he is most vulnerable.
By the same token, Paul is not against self-discipline, but points us towards the proper direction to growth in holiness by staying connected to our head, Christ—“from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow” (2:19). This is true liberty in Christ—growing into His holy likeness, not by external rules and regulations, but by remaining in Him.
In contrast to living by rules and regulations, what really matters is what we think and Paul begins his exhortation on these bases:
3:1-4—Where We Are
(1) Where is Christ now as He has been raised from the dead? (v. 1)
(2) What does it mean that He is “seated at the right hand of God”? (see Ps. 110:1 also)
(3) Since we have been united with Christ in His resurrection, where is our life now? (v. 3)
(4) What is meant by our life being “hidden with Christ in God”?
(5) When will our “hidden” life appear? (v. 4)
(6) How then should we live? (vv. 1-2)
3:5-11—Set Our Minds not on Earthly Things
(7) Paul lists some of the things that belong to our earthly nature in vv. 5-6:
a. Examine yourself in light of these.
b. Ask God for forgiveness and pray for strength to put them to death.
c. If “because of these, the wrath of God is coming”, what will happen if He finds you living in these things?
(8) Paul lists a few more things that once marked our lives in vv. 8-9
a. Examine yourself in light of these.
b. Ask God for forgiveness and pray for strength to rid yourself of these.
(9) What analogy does Paul use in exhorting us to be rid of the old and put on the new? (v. 10)
(10) While clothes can be put off and on, this new life in Christ is permanent:
a. What is the goal of this process of renewal? (v. 10)
b. Is there anyone not created in God’s image and not meant to be renewed in His image? (v. 11; see Jas. 3:9)
(11) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (Col. 3:3-4)
As I picked up a certain NIV Bible the other day, seeking to read and re-read the entire book of Colossians, I was extremely surprised to see the heading to chapter 3 which reads, “Rules for Holy Living”. I almost fell off my chair, because it is only a few verses earlier in 2:20-21 that Paul strongly admonishes us not to submit to “rules”—"Do no handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!". The point Paul tries to make is that we are no longer under law, but grace, and both our motivation and our power to live a holy living have nothing to do with compliances of rules, but with the fact that we have died and have been raised with Christ and now we are in Christ!
Yes, Paul does list many “earthly things” that we used to do before our new life in Christ that we need to “take off” (3:9), but those are examples only and are definitely not “rules” to usher us into holiness. Rather, Paul prefaces this section (in chapter 3) of holy living by reminding us of our new status and reality (3:1-4):
- We have been raised with Christ.
- Christ is now seated at the right hand of God.
- Christ is our life.
- Our life is now hidden with Christ in God.
- And when Christ appears (at His second coming) we will appear with Him in glory as well.
What it means is that Christ is now seated at the right hand of God and that God has put His enemies under Him “as His footstool” (Ps. 110:1). We, who have been raised with Him and whose lives are now hidden with Him in God (in fact Christ is our life [3:4]), we are more than conquerors in overcoming our earthly nature (3:5) and in putting away all our earthly practices (3:9). The reality is that while we and others around us cannot “see” this life of Christ in us, it does not diminish a bit of its reality. One day, this glorious life we have in Christ will be revealed for all to see upon His return.
The only thing we need to do is to recognize this reality and live out this reality. The test of whether we do believe in and recognize this reality that our lives are now hidden in Christ in God is examining where we set our hearts and minds on — things on earth (including all their vices) or things above (that is God’s Kingdom and His righteousness)?
3:12-15—Set Minds on Things Above—Paul lists several qualities of God’s people whose minds are set on things above.
(1) Examine yourself in light of the following realities:
(a) We are God’s chosen people.
(b) We are a holy people.
(c) We are dearly loved by God .What does each of these three realities have to do with the following qualities:
a. Compassion
b. Kindness
c. Humility
d. Gentleness
e. Patience
f. Bearing with each other
g. Forgiveness — See Paul’s explanation in v. 13.
h. Love — How important is love in this respect? (v. 14)
(2) Can you tell what is the commonality of all these qualities listed by Paul?
(3) All the above qualities clearly relate to church-life—life together in Christ.
a. What does Paul exhort us to use as a “gauge” to see if we have truly lived out true love in our lives together in Christ? (v. 15)
b. How does it work?
3:16-17—The Path to Peace
(4) What does Paul use to describe the church-life of his time? (v. 16b)
(5) Do these modes of fellowship describe your life together with your brothers and sisters in church?
(6) What part does the word of Christ play in all these? (v. 16a)
(7) Why should we do everything “in the name of the Lord”? (presumably the context is still about church life)
(8) Why does Paul in this short section of exhortation repeatedly emphasize the need to give thanks (vv. 15-17)? What if we do all of the above as exhorted by Paul in our “life together” without a sense of thankfulness to the Lord?
(9) What is the main message to you today, and how may you apply it to your life?
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.” (Col. 3:15)
Many commentators have pointed out that the “peace of Christ” mentioned by the Apostle Paul in Colossians 3:15 concerns primarily the church-life, that is how we should live in harmony, love and unity as a body of Christ. They are certainly right, because in contrast to the list of vices that we have to put away (3:5-11), the qualities that Paul urges us to put on are all related to how we treat one another as “God’s chosen, holy and dearly beloved people” (3:12). And, whether we have truly lived out this new life in Christ together is best ruled or judged by “the peace of Christ”.
Many commentators also point out that the word “rule” means to arbitrate which means that the peace of Christ should be our referee or umpire. This is not hard for us to understand, because we know that in the game of soccer or ice hockey, for example, it is the referee who blows the whistle whenever an infraction is committed in the field. When this happens, the play has to be stopped and the infraction has to be dealt with. It is the same with our community life in the church. Irrespective of how vibrant our ministry is, once we detect a lack of peace in Christ among us, we have to stop and deal with it immediately.
However, since Paul’s admonition is for the peace of Christ to rule in our hearts, we should be sensitive to such a lack of peace first and foremost in our own hearts. Therefore, it is important for us to have a sensitive spirit ourselves, to detect and allow this lack of peace to push us or draw us immediately to self-examination before the Lord. As we ask the Lord to show us why we do not have peace in our hearts, I have found that He has never failed to show me — if I am willing to pause long enough before Him in prayer.
Sometimes, He will show me these things:
- Sins that I have committed and have not thoroughly confessed and dealt with
- Areas in my life that I do not have faith or obedience in Him
- Grudges I am still harboring towards others
- Forgiveness that I need to seek from someone I have offended
- Intercession that I need to present on behalf of others
- Things that I should seek clarification on lest I develop a misunderstanding with someone
- Actions that I should take but have yet to take either because of procrastination or fear
Irrespective of what the matter is, once I have thoroughly examined myself before the Lord, and dealt with it through His strength, then I will experience the promise of Philippians 4:6-7. The peace of God will return to guard my heart, so that I will not be anxious anymore; and my mind, so that I will not resort to my own way and wisdom to resolve the matter that has caused me a lack of peace in the first place.
3:18–4:1—Household Relationships in Christ—Unlike his letter to the Ephesians (5:22– 6:9), Paul only briefly touches on household relationships in Christ in this letter to the Colossians. It is not that it lacks importance, but rather it is not the letter's main purpose. Let’s consider each of these relationships briefly:
(1) Husband and Wife (vv. 18-19)
a. What is Paul’s emphasis to the wives?
b. In what way it is “fitting in the Lord”?
c. What is Paul’s emphasis to the husbands?
d. In what way(s) do husbands tend to be harsh on their wives?
e. Can a husband still claim that he loves his wife if he is harsh to her? Why or why not?
(2) Children and Parents (vv. 20-21)
a. What is the emphasis to the children concerning obedience?
b. Why will this please the Lord?
c. Why is Paul’s emphasis on not embittering your children directed to “fathers” in particular?
d. What is the reason given for this emphasis?
(3) Slaves and Masters (3:22–4:1)
a. Slaves really do not have a choice but to fully obey their masters. How should Christian slaves differ from non-Christian slaves in their obedience to their “lords in the flesh” (literal translation of “earthly masters”)?
b. While slaves do not have any inheritance from their “lords in the flesh”, what about their service to the “Lord Christ”?
c. How may we apply this admonition in our attitude at work?
d. What is Paul’s emphasis to the masters? (4:1)
e. What is the basis of his admonition?
f. How may we apply this admonition to our attitude at work?
4:2-6—Final Words of Exhortation
(4) About our prayer life (vv. 2-4)
a. We have to devote ourselves to prayer. What does it mean? How would it look like to you?
b. Can you describe your prayers as watchful? Why or why not? (See the example of a lack of watchfulness in prayer and its consequences in Matt. 26:36-46.)
c. What is the importance of being thankful in our prayers?
d. What does Paul ask them to intercede for? Why?
e. How consistent is your intercessory life? (Have you taken advantage of the intercessory chart at the end of this devotional material?)
(5) Dealing with outsiders, i.e. non-believers (vv. 5-6)
a. What does “make the most of every opportunity” (literal translation of “redeeming the time") have to do with acting wisely toward non-believers? (You may want to consult the Meditative Reflection of Ephesians 5:8-20 [Year 5, Week 10, Day 67].)
b. How does the admonition of v.6 echo that of Peter in 1 Peter 3:15?
(6) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” (Col. 4:2)
In his final words of exhortation to the Colossians, the Apostle Paul admonishes them to devote themselves to prayer and be watchful. The natural question is, "What constitutes watchful prayer and what does it look like?"
Our Lord Jesus urges His disciples to watch and pray with Him in the Garden in Gethsemane, lest they fall into temptation (Matt. 26:41). As it turned out, the disciples failed to watch and pray with the Lord, and when the priests and their guards showed up, they fled and abandoned Jesus. Indeed, had they watched and prayed with Jesus, they would have heard the prayers of Jesus to the Father, and perhaps, would have been more conscious of the trials that laid immediately ahead, being ready to face them together with the Lord Jesus. Likewise, we do not know what trials and temptations lie ahead of us, and our watchful prayers will make us more prepared to face them without fear and retreat.
Earlier, Jesus has already urged them to watch and pray in preparation for His return (Matt. 24:42-51). It is so that we may not be drunk like others but remain faithful to our charge till the end. Indeed, watchful prayers will allow us to continue to discern the times and the nearness of our Lord’s return, lest we be lulled into sleepiness and not remain awake in our spirits to eagerly serve in expectation of our Lord’s coming.
How then would such watchful prayers
look like? If our prayers are confined
to a few minutes in the morning or at nighttime, or worse, to the time
of our meals, we can hardly call our prayers watchful. Irrespective of how long our prayers might
be, they have to be still and long enough to allow for the following:
- That the Holy Spirit guide us, because “We do not know what we ought to pray for.” (Rom. 8:26)
- That the word of Christ dwell richly in our hearts (Col. 3:16) so that we know how to pray according to the will of God.
The final greetings by Paul involve quite a few of his co-workers in Rome and by considering each of them, we can have a glimpse of the team of leaders of the early churches surrounding Paul. Since Paul was in prison, their identification with him at this time necessarily involved some risks.
(1) Tychicus (vv. 7-8)—Read Acts 20:4, Ephesians 6:21-22; 2 Timothy 4:12 and Titus 3:12.
a. How long has he been with Paul?
b. What does Paul call him?
c. What is the purpose of Paul using him as the bearer of this letter (and likely the letter to Ephesus, Laodicea and Philemon)?
(2) Onesimus (v. 9)—He is slave who ran away from one of the members of the Colossian church. Paul has written a separate letter to this member (Philemon) to urge him to take the slave (Onesimus) back because of his conversion to Christ (Phlm. 10).
a. What pressure does Paul exert on Philemon by mentioning the name of Onesimus so publicly?
b. Why is it important for the entire church, not just Philemon, to receive Onesimus as one of them?
(3) Aristarchus (v. 10a)—Read Acts 19:29; 20:4
a. What has he gone through with Paul?
b. What does Paul call him here in v. 10?
(4) Mark (v. 10b)
a. Who is Mark according to this verse?
b. How did Paul look upon him after their first missionary journey together? (see Acts 15:36-41)
c. How does Paul eventually look upon him? (See Paul’s final letter before his death—2 Tim. 4:11.)
d. What lesson can we learn from Paul’s relationship with Mark?
(5) Justus (v. 11)—We know nothing about Justus apart from this letter.
a. Together with Mark and likely Aristarchus, Paul says they are the only “circumcision” (literal translation) among his co-workers in Rome who have proved to be a “comfort” to him. What does Paul mean?
b. What might other Jewish Christians in Rome do to Paul? (see Phil. 1:17)
(6) Epaphras (vv. 12-13)
a. Who is he according to 1:7?
b. What does this greeting mean to the Colossians especially given what Paul says about him?
(7) Luke and Demas (v. 14)
a. This is the only place the profession of Luke is mentioned. What has his companionship meant to Paul and the gospel?
b. While Demas is mentioned here as part of the greeting-senders, what does Paul say of him in his final letter before his execution? (2 Tim. 4:9)
(8) From the above list of greetings, what can you learn about what each has meant to Paul at a time like this?
(9) A circular letter (vv. 15-16)
a. From these verses, we know that most, if not all of Paul’s letters are meant to be circular letters read by many churches. Why do you think some of these letters are not extant?
b. We also learn that many of the churches in Paul’s time are house-churches—with no specialized ministries like ours. How does this fact speak to what might be the things that ultimately define a church of Jesus Christ?
(10) Archippus (v.17)—It is not a greeting per se, but a word of admonition.
a. What does Paul admonish him to do?
b. While we have no idea what ministry Paul is referring to, why does Paul have to single him out so publicly?
(11) Paul usually authenticates his letters by ending with his own hand-writing. (see 1 Cor. 16:21 and 2 Thess. 3:17)
a. What is the importance of such authentication?
b. “Remember my chains” is essentially the last words of Paul in this letter. How does it express the inner struggle of Paul at the time?
(12) As we reach the end of the letter, take a moment to reflect:
a. What is your overall impression of the letter?
b. What is the main message to you today and
c. How may you apply it to your life?
“These are the only Jews (or circumcision) among my co-workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me… Remember my chains.” (Col. 4:11, 18)
As we come to the end of Colossians, allow me to share with you the insights of Charles Swindoll concerning lessons that we might learn from this letter:
“I find four rather simple lessons in this letter. First, Jesus Christ is first-not one among many, but supreme. Nothing can rival the place of Jesus in our lives, His lordship over all ... nothing. If we come across anything creeping alongside, claiming to be equal to or above Jesus, it must be rejected quickly and decisively. Jesus Christ alone is Lord.
“Second, the infiltration of heresy is subtle, not bold and offensive. I know of few teachings more outwardly appealing today than the message of the heretic. There is a powerful pull toward false teachings that adds some human element to the pure gospel of Christ—whether it’s the keeping of all kinds of detailed rules or whether it’s the shedding of all restraint. Heresy is subtle, smooth, winsome and attractive. We must be well-grounded in the foundations of the faith in order to resist.
“Third, the way we live our lives is important. The way we treat others is not irrelevant. The way we handle success and failure speaks volumes. Keep a careful eye on your attitude and your behavior wherever you are—at home, at church, at work, at school, in the community halls and the shopping malls. Believe it or not, the way you walk your talk is an announcement bigger than any gospel tract you put on somebody’s desk. People are watching how you live. They’re watching how you work. Let’s face it, the eyes of the world are on those who profess to love and serve the Lord Jesus—and His eyes are on us too; ultimately, we will answer to our Maker. Our diligence underscores and reveals the substance of our doctrine.
“Fourth, people are eternal souls made in the image Of God, not anonymous faces. You never become so important that people become unimportant. Never. We are created to be in relationship, and it would be good to remind ourselves of the way God calls us to relate to each other. I urge us to be careful that we don’t become so preoccupied with all the programs and all the plans and all the projects that people become unimportant to us. Our lives are a call to service-to our Lord Jesus and to our brothers and sisters whom He has placed in our lives.”
(The Living Insights Study Bible, 1275)