Colossians 2:7a – Roots & Fruit

… 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. 

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Colossians 2:5b – Pleasing Jesus

… 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).

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