Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
[continue to live your lives in him]… and overflowing with thankfulness.
Summary: Understanding why Christians should be thankful requires understanding the fundamentals of what it means to have faith in Jesus Christ.
Paul expects us to be thankful.
This is a theme that comes up often in his writing. In this instance, he connects our life in Christ to thankfulness.
Why?
Why should we be thankful?
Continue reading “Colossians 2:7c – What Paul Sees”…strengthened in the faith as you were taught …
Summary: Sometimes it helps to look at other translations when studying a verse. In this passage, the use of the ESV translations sheds new light on the meaning of Paul’s words.
For this section of the text, let’s switch it up a little and look at another translation:
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:6-7, ESV)
Notice how the ESV handles Paul’s use of “bebaioō” (Strong’s G950). Instead of saying we should be “strengthened in the faith,” the ESV uses the phrase, “established in the faith.”
Continue reading “Colossians 2:7b – Strong Roots”… rooted and built up in him …
Summary: As Paul continues his thought about living our lives in Christ, he leans on metaphors that have a rich history in the Bible.
Paul is writing about the Christian life. He begins by saying, “just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him…” And then he adds, “rooted and built up in him.”
Essentially, Paul is mixing metaphors here. To be “rooted” is a reference to a metaphor used to describe life in Christ as being part of a plant (John 15:1-8). All plants have roots. It is the root that anchors the plant in the soil while at the same time pulling life-giving water and nutrients from the soil.
Continue reading “Colossians 2:7a – Roots & Fruit”So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him …
Summary: Accepting Jesus as Lord is important, but Paul challenges us to think about our relationship with Jesus and what it means for our lives.
I love the way Paul writes! His words sound simple and pleasing to the ear, yet when we look at them in detail, there is a vast expanse of meaning behind them.
Take today’s passage, for example:
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him …” (Colossians 2:6)
Paul tells us to live our lives in Jesus “just as you received [him] as Lord.”
What does that mean?
Continue reading “Colossians 2:6 – Jesus as Lord”…and how firm your faith in Christ is.
Summary: A firm faith in Christ results in good fruit for the Kingdom of God. Jesus is the reason for our faith and the source of everything good.
There is a passage in John that comes to mind as I read Paul’s final words in verse five. In it, Jesus says:
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
In this quote from the Lord, Jesus explains how faith works. If this were “Three Second Bible” instead of “Three Minute Bible,” I would stop here. But it’s not. So, in the remaining two minutes and fifty-seven seconds, let’s take a closer look at what Jesus says.
Continue reading “Colossians 2:5c – Good Fruit”… and delight to see how disciplined you are …
Summary: Words often can be used in more than one way. The word “discipline” is one of those words. Paul is not thinking of external discipline, but the kind that flows naturally from a loving heart.
One definition of the word “disciplined” might be “Doing what needs to be done when it needs to be done.” That is a rather gentle definition and one that Paul might have liked. Another definition he might have liked is that being disciplined is like “knowing your place.”
When people of faith are disciplined, they work together without complaint. Each person is content, knowing that they are part of the body of Christ, and following the Spirit’s lead. The “feet” do not wish they were a “hand,” and the “hands” do not complain because they are not “eyes” (1 Corinthians 12:12-26).
Continue reading “Colossians 2:5b – Pleasing Jesus”For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit…
Summary: When we delve into the spiritual realm, it is hard to fully grasp what is going on. Paul explains why in 1 Corinthians 13:12 (KJV) when he says, “For now we see through a glass, darkly…”
Do you believe in spirits?
As kids, many of us were ridiculed if we admitted we believed in “ghosts.” Ridicule is a powerful social tool. It shames us for being afraid to express thoughts the “group” doesn’t want to hear.
Whether you see them or not, the problem with “ghosts” is that they are, in fact, spirits. Admitting to the reality of spirits is an important step toward believing in God because, after all, God is Spirit (John 4:24).
Continue reading “Colossians 2:5a – Ghost Story”I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.
Summary: Some things never change. One of those unchangeable things is the tendency of people to share their ideas about how God works. Unfortunately for them, there is only one right answer: Jesus.
Ever since Adam and Eve sinned, mankind has had a problem. Instead of only being able to “see” God’s will, sin caused their “eyes …[to] be opened” (Genesis 3:5). As a consequence, our “eyes” are opened, too.
Which “eyes” are we talking about? We are not discussing physical eyes because Adam and Eve could already see. We are talking about the inner eye of the mind, the part of our being that takes in information and decides what we will do.
Continue reading “Colossians 2:4 – Fine-Sounding Arguments”… in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Summary: When we look at the full context of Paul’s message, it becomes clear that the “treasures of wisdom and knowledge” are found only in Christ. Paul emphasizes that true wisdom isn’t hidden in secret teachings or outside sources, but in Christ alone.
What are the “treasures of wisdom and knowledge?”
As I read this verse, I find myself thinking about the whole of Paul’s thinking. He says:
“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.” (Colossians 2:2-3)
Is encouragement worth anything?
Continue reading “Colossians 2:3 – Treasure Trove”…in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ…
Summary: Why does Paul refer to Christ as the “mystery of God?” The answer has to do with God’s love for all of his creation.
In Job’s long-running conversation with his three friends, Zophar the Naamathite challenges Job with this question:
“Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?” (Job 11:7)
Paul does not claim to “fathom” these mysteries. However, he claims that God has “revealed” them to him (Ephesians 3:2-5).
Continue reading “Colossians 2:22d – The Mystery of God”