Tag: Jesus

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Colossians 2:10a – Brought to Fullness

…and in Christ you have been brought to fullness.

Summary: Being brought to fullness in Christ is like going to the spiritual candy store and getting to eat all you want. 

Paul begins his sentence with the words, “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form …” and ends them with today’s passage, “…and in Christ you have been brought to fullness.”

Have you ever seen a fountain where water flows into a bowl and then overflows into another bowl? Sometimes, there will be three bowls, each flowing into the other. 

The picture Paul’s words paint is similar to the fountain. The fullness of God flows into Christ, and Christ flows into those who believe in him. 

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Colossians 2:8d – The Path to Unity

…rather than on Christ.

Summary: As we come to the end of this verse, Paul points us, once again, to the only one who can save us: Jesus. 

Wait a minute! How did we get here again? 

Let’s review: 

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.” (Colossians 2:8)

In this one sentence, Paul has outlined a major threat to those of us who believe in Jesus. A “hollow and deceptive philosophy” is a persuasive argument that looks substantial on the outside but inside is empty, void of any real value. 

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Colossians 2:7c – What Paul Sees

[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? 

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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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