Colossians 4:3 – Three Minute Bible

April 7, 2025April 7, 2025

Colossians 4:3c – The Mystery of Of

Old fashioned typesetters at work with the words "mystery" and "Christ" floating in the air.

… so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ …

Summary: Sometimes there are mysteries within mysteries. In this passage, we are presented with a mystery that involves language. Why did the translators add to God’s Word?

You might have noticed that we sort of skipped over part of this verse in our last meditation. The reason is that I thought it might be good to spend some time focusing on the “mystery of Christ.”

The Greek word for “mystery” is “mystḗrion,” which is very similar to our English word while at the same time sounds even more mysterious!

April 5, 2025April 7, 2025

Colossians 4:3b – Unchained

… that God may open a door for our message… for which I am in chains.

Summary: Paul’s prayer request is both an example for us and something to ponder.

One of the things I marvel at is that unlike Peter, James, John, and others, Jesus didn’t bother to leave any written instructions for us.

Instead, the life of Jesus is recorded by four men. Only Matthew and John knew Jesus personally. Mark’s Gospel is based on second-hand information as is Luke’s. What sets Luke’s Gospel apart is that Luke was a highly educated man trained in critical thinking.

April 4, 2025April 4, 2025

Colossians 4:3a – Thinking of You

Auguste Rodin's "The Thinker," with a "thought balloon" next to it with a smiley face.

And pray for us, too …

Summary: Understanding prayer is difficult because it is at the same time both incredibly simple and ultimately profound.

If prayer is a state of keeping our mental focus on God, then everything else we think about comes before God, too.

It is not as if God is not aware of what we think if we put ourselves first. The difference is that God knows we are not thinking about him as we should.