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By Graeme Tearle
Colossians 3v18-4v1 One of the most practical areas of life Paul now gives instructions for is the area of common human relations: husband and wife, parents and children, masters and slaves. Paul gives almost identical instructions in the parallel passage in Ephesians ch.5v21-6v9. For the background to this passage it is essential to understand the situations prevalent in those times. The man, be he husband, father, or master, was essentially the owner of all his subordinates. He had absolute authority and control over wife, children, and slaves, as if they were personal property, and assets. As the man, he could please himself in his own life, even to the extent of getting rid of all of these people on his own whims; but they all had to submit absolutely to his control. For Paul to write these instructions was to introduce a whole new era and focus of Christianity into these areas of life. Essentially he was placing greater responsibility of love, care, and consideration on the male, and greater freedom, responsibilities of respect and compliance on the subordinates.
Wives are to submit, or be subject. The English word here conveys the sense of abandonment of the wife’s will. This is overstating the case. The Greek word is ‘hupotasso,’ with a slightly different emphasis. It literally means to ‘arrange oneself under the love and guidance of another.’ This is a positive attitude of respect and honour, as is fitting in the Lord. The husband in turn is to love his wife – that ‘agape’ love which Paul mentions in ch.3v14; this to be the same sacrificial and serving attitude that Jesus Himself demonstrated; Paul enlarges on this in Eph.5v25-33, (note the extent of these instructions there.) The point about not being harsh is in direct contrast to the normal attitude of the husbands of that day.
A fairly simple two-sided encouragement here for fathers and children. As mentioned above, the father had absolute control over the child, even to the extent of banishing or selling them away. Again, Paul’s instructions are in direct contrast to the prevalent attitude of that day.
In this passage Paul devotes the greatest amount of material to instructing the slave about their duties to their masters. The over-ruling principle of these relationships is the Lordship of Christ. The master must treat the slave with justice and fairness. Paul’s language is emphatic and wide ranging here for the attitudes of the day. They are to treat their slaves; the Greek word is ‘parecho,’ which has the underlying meaning of giving or supplying something to someone else.
The slave must obey his master as if he is obeying the Lord Christ. Controversially Paul says that slaves will receive an inheritance from the Lord as reward. It was unheard of for a slave to have anything of value, let alone an inheritance. Tasks are to be undertaken with obedience, whole-heartedness, and without the attitude of being men-pleasers. In ch.2v11 here, plus Galatians ch.3v28, Paul emphasizes the unity and equality of all Christ’s body, and the principles of this passage govern those relationships in the most common of daily life. Colossians : Points to Ponder. Pause, and look around you, at the people who are closest to you, and look upon them as equal and loved in the Lord. By Graeme Tearle
Colossians 3v12-17 Having explained that we are rid of the old and put on the new, Paul encourages us further in the virtues of our Christian lives. 1. Put on the Virtues, v12,13. In exhorting us to put on these virtues, it assumes that we do not automatically have them – we have to appropriate them, as we are now in Christ. As discussed in ch.3v7, we behaved in the old nature because we had the natural tendencies within us due to the condition of our natural life. Those tendencies, sins and inclinations, must be put off so the new nature can be put on. This is a conscious decision and act of commitment. We put on: a. Compassion – the inner attitude of mercy and attentiveness to others. b. Kindness – the Greek word ‘chrestotes’ has the emphasis of goodness in action. c. Lowliness – humility, a mindful attitude of esteeming other people highly. d. Meekness – an inner attitude, “an inwrought grace of the soul, mainly towards God” – W E Vine. e. Patience – intrinsically means “a prolonged restraint of anger” – New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology. f. Forbearing one another – means not just tolerance, but the commitment of standing behind one another in sympathy and support. g. Forgiving one another – as the Lord has done so for us. 2. Put on Love, v14. The crowning act is to put on love. The New Testament has a special word for love – ‘agape.’ It is not the longing of a person for possessions or worth that is meant, but a generous move by one for the sake of the other. Exemplified in it’s use as the generous love of parents towards their children. “Agapao” has first the weak sense ‘to be satisfied, to receive, to greet, to honour, or, more inwardly, to seek after’. Hence it is especially the love of a higher for a lower. It is active, not self-seeking love.” – Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. This love, Paul says, “binds all things together in perfect harmony.” – RSV. These bindings are like those bands which encircle a package of some kind, such as rings around a wine barrel, or strapping and wrapping around a large commercial bundle, holding it together. The Greek word is ‘sundesmos,’ having the literal meaning of encompassing elements which have the purpose of stability and strength. It is the same word he uses in ch.2v19 of ‘ligaments’ which hold the body of Christ together in order to grow. The binding of this sacrificial Christian love keeps “perfect harmony” in the body of Christ. This word is ‘teleiotes’ – the significance of this word is that it indicates a goal or achievement has been attained, and a state of completeness and maturity exists. The presence and activity of sacrificial Christian love in a body is that which makes it grow and have maturity and harmony. 3. Let Peace Rule, v15. As a guide to the maturity and harmony of the body, Paul encourages that we are called to peace. To achieve this, we have the peace of Christ as a guide – to rule in the body. This word, ‘brabeuo,’ comes from the sporting arenas of the day and literally means ‘to act as an umpire or referee.’ The over-ruling principle of peaceful relationships in the body is to subject any matters to His rule and guide. 4. Let the Word Dwell, v16. The harmonious and mature body is a praising, singing body. As the peace of Christ rules and guides, so the word of Christ dwells in us, leading and guiding us to teach, admonish, and give thanks together in this body. 5. The Name of Jesus Guides, v17. Further, the name of Jesus is the authority and principle for all that we do. In verse 15, and again here, Paul emphasizes to be thankful. Whether in the process of reconciling relationships, or the process of daily guidance from Jesus, our continual attitude is to be thankful for His provision. Colossians : Points to Ponder. Commit; to having the love of God and the peace of Christ as our encouragement to harmony and maturity. Colossians 3v1-11:
By Graeme Tearle As Christians our lives have entered into a new sphere and are governed by a new set of motivations. In ch.2v10, Paul has stated: “you have come to fulness of life in Him”; and ch.2v12 he reinforces this by adding: “you were also raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.” He adds further emphasis again in ch.2v13: “God made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses.” In this passage Paul moves from the teaching aspects of his letter to the practical aspects of being led by this new set of motivations. 1. New Mindset, v1,2. The integral aspect of being raised with Christ focuses on the area of our minds and motivations. Our minds are to be so in tune with heavenly things, and the blessings of knowing that Christ is at the right hand of God. What does this mean? Meditations, thoughts, attitudes to the world around us, the people around us, are to be governed and flavoured by spiritual principles, and not common worldly desires. 2. New Sphere of Life, v3,4. The reason for the focus of the mind on heavenly things, is that we have a new sphere of life. ‘Life in verse 4 is ‘zoe,’ which in particular refers to our essential life, vitality, “the living quality of nature shared alike by humans, animals, plants, also eternal life as given us by God” – New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology. As opposed to the simple biological functions of life. We have died to this former life, see Galatians ch.2v20. Our new life is now hid with Christ in God. What does this mean? While it is still a fact that we live, eat, sleep, work, and transact business in the physical community around us, God sees us as “in Christ,” and therefore not subject to the condemnation and attitudes of the world around us. This new life has a new community: “fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,” Ephesians ch.2v19. 3. Death to the Old, v5-8. In this section Paul lists a number of sins which must be eliminated in our lives, because of our new life in Christ. There are three actions which happen in Christ, about these earthly inclinations: a. Put them to death, - v5 b. Put them away, - v8. c. Put them off, -v9. Central to this section is v7: a. We ‘lived’ in them; again he uses the word ‘zoe,’ indicating that the essential human vitality was occupied by these sins, and – b. We once ‘walked’ in them. Paul employs the word ‘peripateo,’ as in ch.2v6. This means literally to walk. But it has a far more significant applied meaning, ’choices of lifestyle, and actions taken; as governed by attitudes, the will, and personal desires’, suggesting our behaviour and life are led by the inner motivations. c. So not only was our original human condition giving inclination to these sins, so also was our daily behaviour in practicing them. 4. Put on the New, v9-11. Our new life in Christ enables us to behave in the new manner, and they are put away,; the language is that of changing garments. The new person is renewed in the knowledge of the image of our Creator, as explained by Paul in ch.1v15. Plus as being “members of the household of God,” there are no boundaries of race, religion, social and financial circumstances. Colossians: Points to Ponder. Consider the importance of having our minds attuned to our heavenly life in Christ. By Graeme Tearle.
Colossians 2v16-23 Rules and Regulations! Do’s and Don’t’s! Must and Must Not! How many things do we have to keep up with in order to keep in touch with God? In the early church at Colossae and elsewhere, a group of people, known as the ‘gnostics’, were teaching things contrary to the deity of Jesus Christ and the freedom of salvation which comes through faith in Him. In these verses, following on from the previous section, Paul emphasizes the importance of maintaining faith in Him, and not being in bondage to the old rules and regulations. 1. Rules and Regulations. The gnostics insisted that Jewish laws were still intrinsically valid for a relationship to God. - Food and drink, v16, 21, - Rituals and festivals, v16, - These things perish and are valueless, v22; as taught by Jesus in Mark 7v14-23. 2. Visions and Perceptions. The gnostics, as the meaning of this word implies ‘knowledge’, made claims about special visions, contact with angels, and the supposedly superior position this placed them in. They insisted that Christians should endorse and follow these practices, which only leads to self absorption and self degradation, v18. 3. Christ the Fulfilment of God’s Plan. So threaded through all these false assertions, Paul reminds and encourages the Christians how Jesus has fulfilled the need for these old and false teachings: a. We have died to the elemental spirits of the universe, v20. While they had a previous purpose, they do not act as enabling complete freedom from the flesh, v23. Therefore we do not live according to the previous slavery. b. The law pointed forward to Christ, and was only a shadow of His life; v17 points out that Christ is the substance of the law. The word Paul uses is ‘soma’, literally meaning ‘body’. He is emphasizing the point he made in v9; “For in Him the whole fulness of deity dwells bodily.” c. For true Christian living and full connection to the life of God, we are to hold fast to Christ as the Head; so the body grows and is nourished form Him, v19. Colossians : Points to Ponder. Hold fast to the new life which is in Christ, ignore any suggestions of rule keeping and seeking ‘special contact’ with God. In Christ we have everything! By Graeme Tearle
Colossians 2v8-15: Sometimes we face the accusation that our salvation is inadequate, and we need to do more to be properly saved. In this passage, and the following, Paul embarks on a strong rebuttal of the false teaching which was bombarding the churches at Colossae and Laodicea at the time. 1. The Outside World. The gnostics seemed to have a hidden agenda which would seek to bring Christians, who are freed from the penalty of sin, back into bondage and guilt. In this passage, and in the following verses of chapter two, Paul lays out some of their specific attempts in advancing their so-called ‘advanced knowledge.’ Astrology was a common belief system in these times, and many people, including governors and emperors, would consult the stars for advice and their future. In this passage, and in the remaining verses of chapter two, Paul gives warning about these people: a. They were ‘preying’ on them, v8. Paul uses the word ‘sulagogeo’, which means literally to lead astray, and take captive as spoils of the heretics. b. They used two tactics: - Philosophy – the gnostics claimed special abilities, knowledge, and inner information about the way to God. - Empty deceit - this is “deception or enticement, creating a pleasant illusion” – TDNT, a false sense of security in this new knowledge. c. Their approach was based on the “elemental spirits of the universe” – this phrase relates to the common basic knowledge and principles of the world, as extracted through astrology, and imparted, theoretically, in simple forms, as in the ‘ABC’ of any given issue. d. And this was continued in teaching about ascetism, as Paul enlarges on in v16. 2. Christ. The answer to false teachings about the way back to God, Paul expounds on the truth as in Jesus Christ. a. Contrary to their teaching that the way to God was through a diluted being, part man and part God, in Jesus dwells the fulness of God in human form, v9. b. God raised Jesus from the dead, v12, 13, proving that He was God’s Son, and fully divine. c. And He is the Head of all rule and authority, v10. d. Christ has taken the charge sheet of our sins, nailed it to the cross, and overcame man’s enemies through the resurrection, v14,15. 3. Believers. Through our belief in Christ, we share in His victory: a. We have His fulness of life, v10. b. Circumcision is spiritual, not a physical act but casting off the whole fleshly body, and demonstrating this in baptism, by putting to death the fleshly desires, v11,12. c. We are raised with Him, and forgiven our trespasses as He has cancelled the charges and the penalties, v12-14. Colossians : Points to Ponder. Believe in the adequacy of Christ’s sacrifice, and there is no need to consult other ways for coming to God. By Graeme Tearle Colossians 2;1-7. A Mystery. We are not expected, nor capable, of knowing everything possible about God and His ways. But He has revealed to us the truth about Christ, and Paul was helping the Colossians to enter into that truth. Paul had not met the Colossian church. And yet he goes to great lengths in his ministry to ensure that they are built up, strengthened, and walking in the Christian life in a wholesome and healthy manner. 1. Knowledge of Christ. The early heretics themselves, known as ‘gnostics,’ were so called because they were claiming to have special ‘advanced’ knowledge about God and His dealings with mankind. ‘Gnostics’ is the English word which derives from the Greek work ‘gnosis.’ Paul talks about riches and treasures, v2,3. These are only to be found in Christ, because it is only in Him that the mystery of God has been revealed, ch.1v26. His desire is that they enter into the full assurance and knowledge of this mystery, and not be deceived because of the so-called ‘special knowledge’ of the gnostics. 2. Faith in Christ. He encourages them that their faith is firm, v5. This has the implication of being on a firm foundation. And he warns them not to be deceived by ‘beguiling speech’ – implying teaching that was contrary to the truth of Christ, and attempting to lead in another path, amiss, v4. 3. Receiving Christ. In v6 Paul reminds them that they have received Christ. The word Paul uses here, ‘paralambano,’ has the emphasis of personal invitation in having Christ within and alongside us. A similar concept is mentioned by Paul in ch.4v17; Archippus had ‘received’ from the Lord a particular ministry, and he was exhorted to fulfill that which he had received. 4. Living in Christ. Following on from faith in Christ and receiving Him, we must live the life He has ordained. a. Live. The word Paul uses in verse 6 for ‘live’ is ‘peripateo’. This means literally to walk. But it has a far more significant applied meaning, ’choices of lifestyle, and actions taken; as governed by attitudes, the will, and personal desires’, suggesting our behaviour and life are led by the inner motivations. The area and focus of this work is ‘in Christ’ – following His example and His will. b. Established, rooted. The sustenance of our life, and the basis or foundation on which we rest, again, is our faith in Christ. c. Abounding in thanksgiving d. Knit together in love – this life in Christ flows into our relationships and sacrifices for our fellow believers. Colossians : Points to Ponder. Live in the knowledge you have attained in Christ, being led by His principles and Lordship. by Graeme Tearle
Colossians 1v21-29: Ministering to Christ. How do we serve Christ? Is it the things we do? Or is it the attitudes we have? Ministering to Christ. Paul has some specific things to say about how he serves Christ in these verses. He uses the Greek word ‘diakonos’ twice, in v.23 and v25.This word has the area of meaning ‘to serve with the focus on getting the job done, the functions and outcomes of what that job entails.’
We observe here a glimpse into the heart and soul of Paul, rejoicing at suffering, and working long and hard to proclaim the truth about Christ. Maturity in Christ. Paul’s goal is to present every person “mature in Christ” – v28. There are some aspects to this which he emphasizes in these verses:
Maturity is more than just age, knowledge, and capability. It is commitment, endurance, and close following to Christ. Colossians : Points to Ponder. Commit yourself to seek full maturity in Christ, so as to serve and minister with enthusiasm and energy. By Graeme Tearle
As Christians, we have a new perspective on who we follow, who we adore, and who ‘influences’ our manner of life and decisions. At the time of writing, the church was experiencing false teachers who were reducing the deity of Jesus as the Christ and the Son of God. God has revealed two great principles of His work in the universe:
These verses are integral to the role Jesus had in the forming of the universe:
These verses are integral to the role Jesus has in the forming of the reconciliation of creation back to God. Reconciliation is that process which brings the creation back into it’s correct relationship with God. For humans the medium is forgiveness through the blood of Christ on the Cross. As the Head, He has supreme control:
Colossians : Points to Ponder. Worship God and Christ the Lord for His almighty power in creation and love in salvation. By Graeme Tearle
Concerning faith in Christ, we have many aspects of God’s blessings to be thankful for. Your New Faith in Christ, Col.1v3-8. Paul didn’t start the church at Colossae, it appears to have been through the work of Epaphras, v7,8. So Paul is writing this letter to further instruct the believers in Colossae in their faith, and to correct some false teachings which had arisen about the Lord Jesus. In this opening passage, he focuses on aspects of their faith:
Your New Kingdom in Christ, Col.1v9-14. As a result of our faith, Christ has transferred us from one place to another.
Colossians : Points to Ponder. Give thanks to God for those who have led us into faith and understanding of God’s ways and His will, and seek to live worthily for Him. BY GRAEME TEARLE
The Epistle to the Colossians stands alone as a unique document in the New Testament collection. Colossae was one of a group of three cities located in ancient Asia Minor, which is south-west Turkey today. The other two cities were Laodicea and Hieropolis. They were clustered together in a circle of about 30 kilometres, and were approximately 160 kilometres east of Ephesus. No mention is made of the specific founding of the churches at these places, but in Acts 19v10, when Paul was in Ephesus for two years, the gospel spread throughout Asia. Paul himself did not establish these churches, as seen in Col.2v1, but it is understood from Col.1v7,8 that Epaphras did. From Col.4v12,13 we learn that Epaphras was with Paul at the time of writing; and he also refers to the churches in these three cities. Paul probably wrote this letter from prison in Rome about AD62. We can deduct from the following verses that these churches were predominantly Gentile:
The prime message of Colossians is summed up in Paul’s theme in writing, summarized in chapter 2v1,2: He wanted them to know about his agonizing for their spiritual maturity and encouragement. The two prime reasons for writing appears to be the following:
His teaching on doctrinal and ethical matters can be summed up in his statement in ch.3v3: “For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” These studies will seek to explore what this message will have for us today as Christians, as we look afresh at the supremacy of Christ and the implications on our mind and our behaviour. |
