… which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
Summary: Paul’s words in this passage offer a tantalizing glimpse into the revelation he received about Jesus Christ and his Gospel.
This passage is one of the “Top Ten” most interesting passages in Colossians. The phrase “renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator” suggests various meanings that stir the imagination.
What does Paul mean?
Let’s look at his whole sentence to gain some context:
“Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” (Colossians 3:9-10)
If he had said, “is made in* a new image of its Creator,” that would make sense. It would mean that our “new self” is made in the image of our Creator, Jesus (John 1:1-3). But he didn’t say that. What is written sounds very different.
Perhaps some other translation will help.
The Amplified Version says:
“… and have put on the new [spiritual] self who is being continually renewed in true knowledge in the image of Him who created the new self—”
This makes a bit more sense. It sounds like the new spiritual self we are given requires constant renewal. This renewal can only happen in “true knowledge.” “True knowledge,” in turn, only exists in one form, the image of the Creator.
The Worldwide English New Testament words it this way:
“And now you have become a new person. That new person is always learning more and more until he becomes like God who made him.”
This phrasing sounds much less mysterious and more straightforward. It is not a direct, word-for-word translation, but it does a good job of trying to capture the essence of what Paul was saying.
Paul received his training in the Gospel directly from Jesus by revelation (Galatians 1:12). This passage suggests that there are aspects of what was revealed to him that are difficult to explain to earthbound readers.
Jesus had the same problem!
In his conversation with Nicodemus, he muses, “I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?” (John 3:12).
The “new self” we “put on” seems to be a way of saying that we clothe ourselves in a kind of knowledge. This is not objective knowledge like “the sky is blue and the grass is green.” Instead, Paul’s words sound like a description of what it is like to have God himself in us in the form of the Holy Spirit, constantly revealing the Creator to us and renewing our understanding of what it means to be in Christ.*
Application: Marvel at the depth and mystery of God’s gift to us!
Food for Thought: How is the “new self” in the image of the Creator?
*Minor edit – Sometimes autocorrect and/or spell check compete with my own mental shortcomings to sabotage my sentence structure. Hopefully this makes more sense. – je
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Continue reading “Colossians 3:10b – Strange Words”
