My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Summary: Paul’s mind contains a myriad of concepts, large and small. As we make our way through his letter to us, it sometimes helps to stand back and admire the scenery.
For regular readers of this blog, it probably comes as a shock to see that we’ve included two whole verses in today’s meditation. Don’t worry — we will do some “slicing and dicing” on the significant parts of this passage in the days to come. For now, I thought it would be a good thing to look over the structure of Paul’s whole sentence.
Paul thinks in BIG PICTURES. In his last sentence, he describes how hard he is “contending” for the Colossians and others. In this sentence, he gives us details of what he is contending for.
- His goal is that believers everywhere will remain encouraged.
- He wants all believers to be united in love.
- Paul struggles to ensure that everyone fully understands the Gospel message.
- He wants everyone to know the mystery of God: Jesus Christ.
None of this should be a surprise to anyone who has read the New Testament. What makes Paul unique is how he packages all these topics together in one sentence. In addition to long, involved sentences, Paul typically references concepts that he has explained in other letters.
If you find Paul’s writings hard to follow, don’t worry. You are not alone! Paul was blessed to be born with a brain equipped with extra capacity for complexity and detail. Together, as we unpack Paul’s words, we will strive to discover the hidden treasures contained in them.
Application: When consuming Paul’s writings, it is best to use small bites.
Food for Thought: What is your advice to others when it comes to reading Paul’s letters?
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