And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight …
Summary: Paul’s prayer is an interesting one. We don’t normally associate love with knowledge and insight.
Have you ever wondered what Paul prayed about? Today’s passage gives us the answer.
Paul isn’t asking for the Philippians to have love or to be able to love; they already have that. He is specifically asking that the love they already have multiplies and grows “more and more” in two specific ways: in knowledge and “depth of insight.”
Summary: How we live testifies to what we believe.
It is significant that Paul should return to these words: “It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” He has already told us to “do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Col 3:17). Now, he points out it is Jesus whom we serve.
Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.
Summary: Paul is giving advice to married couples, and while it may sound like he is stating the obvious, a closer examination shows us more of what he means.
I feel like all I need to say for this meditation is, “Yeah, husband, lighten up!” But it is more complicated than that, isn’t it?
“Love” is a word that is horribly overused in our society. The Greeks used many different words to describe various kinds of love. All of them were different!
These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings.
Summary: It can be easy to lose sight of Paul’s message in the complexity of his words. But the heart of his message is simple: He wants us to understand what God wants from us.
In our last meditation, we discussed various kinds of rules. Some rules, obviously, are for our own good. “Don’t touch a hot stove” is an example of a “good rule.” Other rules are specific to Paul’s concerns for Christians.
In the next verse, Colossians 2:23, Paul provides hints about the kinds of rules he has in mind. Everything he lists has to do with external forms of worship. Of course, this is Paul’s point.
… which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.
Summary: The concept of having our sins nailed to the cross is hard to understand. Looked at through the lens of the Old Testament, it begins to make more sense.
Paul is working very hard to explain Jesus to us. He begins with Jesus is the “fullness of the Deity … in bodily form” (v 9). Theologians have a lot of fancy words to describe what this means, but they know less than Paul did because Paul had actually met Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9).
Notice Paul’s careful wording: “For in Christ all the fulness of the Deity lives …” Jesus describes it this way: “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). We are not supposed to understand how this works. Instead, we are expected to believe Jesus and Paul and take them at their word.
So, God himself becomes man in the form of Jesus. What then?
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.