Posts that reference the book of Colossians

Christmas with Paul: The Panacea

When we think of Christmas, we think of the gospels or maybe the Old Testament prophecies that told of Christ’s coming. This Christmas season let’s dig a little deeper and see what the Apostle Paul said about Christ’s birth. While Paul never wrote at length on the subject, he does tell us some things that are critical to understanding who Christ is and why He came. Galatians is one of Paul’s earliest letters. In it he tackles some major doctrines including Christology (who Christ is) and soteriology (what salvation is). Toward the end of the book, he explains Christ’s birth, His coming in the flesh, was the panacea, the cure-all, the solution, to our greatest problem.

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
Galatians 4:4-5

The Problem

Exclusion – Ever since that day in the Garden, when mankind, through Adam, rebelled against God’s most basic command, we have been excluded. It began as Adam and Eve were excluded from His presence in Eden. It continues to eternal exclusion from His presence in hell.

Edict – God decreed that anyone who ate of the tree in the center of the garden would die. (Gen. 2:17) Later, He reiterated the soul that sins, it shall die (Ezek. 18:4, 20). We are under a decree of death.

Enemies – Not only that, but because of our rebellion, we have made ourselves God’s enemies. (Col. 1:24, Romans 5:10).

To put it bluntly, we were hopeless. We can’t undo our sins. We can’t do enough good works to pay for them. Unless God Himself took action we had no way out of the mess we were in.

But God took action. Substitutionary atonement on a breathtaking scale.

The Panacea

Paul says God sent His Son. Better than His personal representative, because of the triune nature of God, He came Himself to do what we could not — to redeem those under the curse because of the law of God.

The punishment wasn’t erased, mind you. God’s justice was satisfied. His holiness and righteousness were maintained. The penalty was paid. We were set free.

And then it gets better.

So complete was God’s solution to our problem, His cure for situation, that He then adopted us into His family. Think of it. When felons are released from prison in our society, they are given the most meager resources to start anew. A few dollars. Perhaps a change of clothes. Maybe a bus ticket.

Not so with God! He opens His arms and welcomes us as lavishly as He welcomes His Son. We can respond like John: Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! (1 John 3:1).

Before we were even aware of our desperate state, Jesus worked out our redemption and salvation.

This panacea, though, would not be available if Christ had not been born of a woman, born at Christmas!

A Holy Priesthood: Teaching

By Paula Wiseman

Peter says believers are a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5), drawing parallels with the priesthood established under the Law. Peter packs a lot of information and theological truth in that one metaphor. So, let’s take a few posts to break down what Peter wants us to understand. The first thing is God has cleansed us from our sin. We are specially clothed. We are anointed for service. As we serve, we must remain obedient. And one of the first commands we are given is teaching people God’s word.

Old Testament priests were to instruct the people

Last week, we saw in the beginning of Leviticus 10 that obedience to God and His commands was a serious charge, one that Nadab and Abihu passed off and suffered the consequences. God reaffirmed to Aaron the importance of ensuring the people understood what God expected of them. Their lives literally depended on it.

You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean, and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the LORD has spoken to them by Moses.”
Leviticus 10:10-11

In Deuteronomy 17:8-11, Moses describes to the second generation of Israelites how the priests are to functions as judges. Because they know and understand God’s laws, they are qualified to settle disputes in the nation.

After Babylonian captivity, Nehemiah arranged for Ezra the priest to read the entire Law to the generation returning to Judah. Nehemiah 8:1-8 describes as Ezra read, a team of priests and Levites helped explain and interpret the Law for the people listening. (It’s also worth noting the great respect for the Word of God. The people stood out of reverence the entire time Ezra read.)

Teaching was key to Jesus’s ministry

Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.
Matthew 9:35

Jesus spent a good deal of His earthly ministry explaining and expounding on the Old Testament Law and the rest of God’s Word. In fact, one of the things people noticed about Him was His authority in teaching. It was unlike any other teacher they had ever heard.

New Testament believers are commissioned to teach

As believers following Christ’s example, we need to make sure we are communicating God’s word effectively. This means all of us, not just those specifically serving as preachers or teachers. Christ commissioned us to do so in Matthew 28:18-20.

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20

Paul reminds us, though, that we have help from the Holy Spirit.

We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people.
1 Corinthians 2:13

Paul also underscores how important it is to our daily lives.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Colossians 3:16

As New Testament priests, one of our sacred duties is teaching the Word to those who don’t yet believe and also to each other. That means it is extremely important that we devote ourselves to studying God’s Word and sitting under good teaching.

Next week, we’ll look at our other key duty as priests: intercession.

A Holy Priesthood: Clothed

By Paula Wiseman

Peter says believers are a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5), drawing parallels with the priesthood established under the Law. Peter packs a lot of information and theological truth in that one metaphor. So let’s take a few posts to break down what Peter wants us to understand. The first thing is God has cleansed us from our sin. This week, let’s consider how priests are clothed.

Old Testament priests wore specific clothes.

In Exodus 28, God details how Aaron and his sons (and all future priests) should be clothed in order to enter God’s presence and serve in the Tabernacle and later the Temple. The overall purpose is the convey the authority of the priest as God’s representative to the people.

First, he had an ephod. An ephod was essentially a tunic. It was a sleeveless garment, in this case made of linen, but with beautiful stitchwork. It was always worn with a breastplate. The breastplate had precious stones inset in, each one representing one of the twelve tribes. It also had the Urim and Thummin. The breastplate’s purpose was to show the priest represented the people before God and that he carefully discerned God’s will. He also had a high priest’s robe that was worn under the ephod. While Scripture gives more details, consider the bells around the hem of the robe. The priest could not enter the Holy Place or serve without those little bells jingling. He had a linen tunic to wear under everything. Finally, he had a turban with a gold nameplate at the front inscribed HOLY TO THE LORD. All of these served as a reminder that everything the priest did was done as part of God’s consecrated purposes.

Believers are clothed in righteousness.

While believers may change their actual clothes as a matter of modesty or propriety, our clothing is more figurative. Paul explains to the Ephesians that they should now “put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). The righteousness is not our own but what was imputed to us by Christ.

Just as the Old Testament priests had other pieces in their wardrobe, we should add to the righteousness. In Colossians 3:12-14, Paul says we are to put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering and love. All of those help us in our mission to bring others into the kingdom. We carry a burden for others and joyfully serve and minister to them. We depend on God for direction. We never lose sight that everything we say and do is consecrated to God.

Of course, there is much more detail and symbolism with the priests’ garments. (Perhaps that’s a series for another time.) But even in this quick overview, we see that we represent God best when we are clothed as He prescribed, reflecting His character.

The next step for Aaron and his sons was anointing. Next week we’ll see what that means for us.

Jesus Is the Firstborn from the Dead

By Paula Wiseman

He is also the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. Colossians 1:18

Raised from the dead.
What is more amazing?
Dead. Then alive.

Jesus died and rose again.
Because He lives we too can live.
If we die, we are raised again in Him.

His resurrection marked the beginning of a new thing.
There has never been a group, a family, a body
All joined together because they have been raised from the dead.

We think of firstborn literally.
The eldest.
Paul means more.

Paul means the preeminent.
The highest ranking.
The most glorious.

He raised Himself.
Eternally. Incorruptible.
Destroying the power of death.

Because He was the first
The firstborn from the dead,
We can be raised.

Key Ingredients for Growth: Protection

By Paula

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:18

Today we come to the final post in our series about the things plants need to grow and thinking about how that applies to us. We started off with the good, rich dirt and how our church can be that nurturing environment. But if the dirt isn’t regularly infused with water, that is the word of God, we will dry out very quickly. That’s not all we need. If the rich dirt is well-watered but shaded, the plant will lose strength and die. So we also need light in the form of understanding and righteousness.

One last thing we need is protection.

Where we live, any number of varmints can wreak havoc on our gardens. Deer, rabbits, crows, and bugs begin their attacks as soon as things begin to get green and they don’t let up for the entire season. They prevent the plants from growing and thriving but they also destroy the fruit and vegetables before we have a chance to pick them.

As believers, we have to protect ourselves from a host of varmints like the ones Paul warned the Colossians about. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. (Colossians 3:8) If those critters see an opportunity, they will eat away at us, preventing us from growing and from having any fruit.

But in Colossians 3:12-17, Paul lists what we need to keep those pests out. Compassionate hearts
Kindness
Humility
Meekness
Patience
Bearing with one another
Forgiving each other
Love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

Then here’s how you put those to use.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,
Be thankful.
Do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Things like anger, malice and slander can’t get through defenses like these.

At the beginning and end of the season and as the plant is just getting started, we also have to protect it from the environment. Frost and strong winds can damage the plant or ruin the fruit. We have to pay close attention to the weather forecast and be ready to put in some extra work to prevent a loss in the garden.

Our culture presents a challenging environment to try to grow believers. Not only is immorality celebrated, but spiritual laziness, materialism, and distraction are constant threats. We have to be prepared to do a little extra work to protect ourselves. Paul advises, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2) We must actively, consistently choose activities and relationships that will help us grow. Spiritual disciplines (hmmm, that might be a good series) and seeking out mentors can protect us from a harsh environment.

So as we think back across the series, take a moment and evaluate your life as a believer. Are you growing? If not, why not? Are you getting plenty of water and light? Are you in good soil? Are you protected from environmental dangers and threats?

Remember Peter’s last recorded words in Scripture. “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” That was his great desire for the people he shepherded. Let it be our great desire and prayer for each other.

Hello My Name Is Tychicus

By Paula

Tychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts, Colossians 4:7-8

When you read Paul’s letters, he often sends greetings back and forth or mentions people who would have been known to his first-century readers but whose identities are lost to history. However, there are a few people, that with a careful reading a more detailed picture emerges. Tychicus is one of those guys. His first mention with Paul is in Acts 20:4 when Paul was in Ephesus. That leads many to suspect he was from Ephesus or at least the area nearby. Paul had been warned that trouble was waiting for him on his planned journey to Jerusalem. That didn’t deter Paul or any of his party from making the trip.

Now let’s be honest, we fuss if a flight gets canceled or if there are construction delays. We have no idea what an undertaking it was in to agree to accompany someone on a trip in the first century. Tychicus stayed with Paul throughout his arrest, through three trials and through the voyage to Rome which included a shipwreck.

He delivered the letters to Colossae and Ephesus and maybe the one to Philemon. This involved walking across Italy AND Greece AND another hundred miles across Asia Minor (with passage by ship across the Adriatic and Aegean Seas in between, of course). Finally, he was sent back to Ephesus to fill in as pastor for Timothy so Timothy could visit Paul in prison one last time. (2 Timothy 4:12)

All of those qualities made Tychicus the kind of guy worth emulating, but Paul’s own words about him are worth a closer look.

A beloved brother – Not only was he a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, but he was a beloved one. Tychicus had a heart and an attitude that endeared him to the apostle. Do we have that kind of heart and attitude?

A faithful minister – Tychicus was entrusted with difficult, yet critical tasks and he faithfully completed them. He demonstrated his faithfulness not only to the Lord who called him but the one he served with. Are we that loyal and determined?

A fellow servant – Tychicus was first and foremost a servant. He clearly didn’t seek attention or prominence or even recognition. He willingly worked to do whatever was needed. Do we exhibit that same selflessness and humility?

Hardly as well-known as Timothy or even Barnabas or Silas, Tychicus stands as an example of a beloved, faithful servant who served not only his Lord but devoted his life to serving the body of Christ. He’s certainly worth knowing and emulating.

What are some ways you serve or can serve?
Would others use Paul’s words about Tychicus to describe you?

Read the Hello My Name Is series

Christmas with Paul: The Panacea

The Problem

The Panacea

A Holy Priesthood: Teaching

Old Testament priests were to instruct the people

Teaching was key to Jesus’s ministry

New Testament believers are commissioned to teach

A Holy Priesthood: Clothed

Old Testament priests wore specific clothes.

Believers are clothed in righteousness.

Jesus Is the Firstborn from the Dead

Key Ingredients for Growth: Protection

Hello My Name Is Tychicus

Encounters Series

Covenant of Trust Series

Foundations Series