Colossians – Page 10 – Three Minute Bible

January 15, 2025January 16, 2025

Colossians 2:20b – All or Nothing

[Since you died with Christ] to the elemental spiritual forces of this world …

Summary: “Life” and “death” from God’s perspective is very different from our own. What the world refuses to acknowledge is the truth that every human being is eternal. When we are with God, we have life. When we are apart from him, we are dead.

This is the second time the text of Paul’s letter refers to “elemental spiritual forces.” (See “Colossians 2:8c – Spiritual Dangers” for the first discussion on this topic.) Since we have already discussed the roots of this phrase, let’s talk about the application of Paul’s words.

The “elementary spiritual forces” could be a lot of things. Paul, in my opinion, is being intentionally vague for a reason. God understands that the words Paul is writing on his behalf are for the benefit of future generations. It would be a mistake to tie his point to a single threat.

January 14, 2025January 14, 2025

Colossians 2:20a – Signs of Life

Since you died with Christ …

Picture of a man standing in a doorway facing the light.

Summary: With five simple words, Paul opens the door to the mystery of salvation.

Is Paul writing his letter to dead people?

Considering the words Paul uses, you are right to wonder. To understand what Paul means by “Since you died with Christ,” we first have to understand life and death.

When I was a child, I thought “dead” meant you ceased to exist. It was a terrifying thought. I kept trying to measure how alive I was by how much “living” I could do. I discovered that my thirst for being alive was never satisfied by having “things” or doing “things.”

January 13, 2025January 13, 2025

Colossians 2:19b – In Search of a Body

A crowd of people in the style of a stained glass window. Each person is depicted with an aura around their head.

… from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

Summary: The body Paul describes can seem elusive in a world marked by divisions in the church. Exploring the concept in more detail leads us to a place of hope and introspection.

Paul raises a very interesting question in this passage: Does the body grow from the head?

It seems like a silly thought, but then I’ve never seen how the body of a human (or anything else) begins life. The miracle of life always begins hidden away from sight.

However, if we use the body as a metaphor for an organization, then yes, it begins with the head. Jesus is not only the “head” of the church, he is also the heart and the soul.

January 11, 2025January 12, 2025

Colossians 2:19a – Losing Your Head

They have lost connection with the head …

Summary: History has many lessons for us. One of those lessons has to do with staying connected to your head, especially the one that you can’t see.

I’ve just finished reading a book on the history of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.*

The last part of the story is about the manhunt for John Wilkes Booth that took place after Lincoln was shot. At the end of the hunt, Booth was caught hiding in a barn in Virginia. The soldiers that had hunted him down had surrounded the barn, and since Booth was shut inside and refused to surrender, they lit the barn on fire.

January 10, 2025January 10, 2025

Colossians 2:18d – The Blind Tour Guide

… they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind.

Summary: In this passage, Paul returns to the basic principle of spiritual life: We have to be born again by the power of Jesus Christ to have any hope of understanding spiritual things.

As we begin this meditation, we should review where we are.

Most of chapter two has been about the dangers of false teachings. Paul wants us to remain focused on the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and not be distracted by anything.

January 9, 2025January 10, 2025

Colossians 2:18c – Monkey See, Monkey Do

A picture of Paul the Apostle speaking and in the background is a monkey watching him.

Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen …

Summary: Whether we are kids in grade school or adults at work, we all crave attention. Everyone wants to be popular. When a “new kid” comes to town, they seem to upset the balance of power and suddenly everyone is vying for attention.

Here is an interesting thought: How does going into “great detail” impact a story?

Does adding detail add to the story, or is the purpose of “great detail” to add credibility to the storyteller?

As I ponder Paul’s words in this passage I find myself reflecting on what people say and how they say it. Paul is pointing out a characteristic of a certain type of people. These are not ordinary, every-day people, but these are people who have a mission to corrupt the faith of believers.

January 8, 2025January 8, 2025

Colossians 2:18b – Detour

[Do not let] … the worship of angels disqualify you.

Old road/running trail marked by a sign that reads "Detour."

Summary: This passage is a lot deeper than it looks. As we dive into the topic we discover surprising truths about the spiritual realm and about our own hope for salvation.

As we look at this passage, several questions come to mind.

Why would anyone promote the idea of worshiping angels?
What does the Bible say about worshiping angels?
What does Paul mean by being disqualified?

The first question is impossible to answer because we can’t go back and ask whoever was doing it. Even if we could, the answer we got from them might not be the truth. We can guess, but it is only a guess, and in the end, it doesn’t really matter.

January 7, 2025January 7, 2025

Colossians 2:18a – True or False?

Do not let anyone who delights in false humility …

the arrogant pharisee and the humble tax collector in Luke 18:9-14

Summary: Paul’s warning about people who “delight” in “false humility” sounds rather general but is actually quite specific.

It is nice of Paul to warn us against people who “delight” in “false humility,” but how do we know who that is? In short, who is Paul talking about?

In Paul’s day, the church was a new thing. People had the Old Testament writings for reference, but the New Testament was still being written. The Gospel message about believing in Jesus was spreading fast. Unfortunately, there were a lot of people who tried to add their own rules to the Gospel.

The problem facing the Colossians in Paul’s day still faces us today: How do we tell who is speaking the truth?

January 6, 2025January 7, 2025

Colossians 2:17 – Things to Come

These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

Summary: God’s Word is full of surprises. Paul’s use of the word “shadow” offers a unique insight into the relationship between the Old Testament and the New.

“A shadow of things to come” is an evocative phrase. Oddly, it is also evasive. The “shadow” is a real thing, but it does not have any real value.

When Paul says we are not to let anyone judge us by what we eat or drink or whether or not we follow the old customs of Jewish festivals and Sabbath days (verse 16), he is pointing to the “shadow.”

January 4, 2025January 5, 2025

Colossians 2:16b – The Risk of Rules

… by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.

young man sitting in church, wearing a hat, drinking coffee and sporting tattoos.

Summary: In this passage, Paul gives us a rule about rules.

Let’s review the entire verse before we start our meditation:

“Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.”

Paul begins with “Therefore…” referring to his prior statement that God made us “alive in Christ” (Col 2:13) and has canceled our “legal indebtedness” (Col 2:14) by means of the cross, “do not let anyone judge you by legalistic requirements.“

This is not a mysterious statement or a confusing metaphor. Paul is speaking as plainly as humanly possible here. There is no chance that anyone would or could misunderstand his point.

Except we do.