Tag: Paul

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Colossians 3:22b – Serving Jesus

… and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.

Summary: Paul continues his admonition to obey our earthly bosses with detailed instructions as to how we should serve them. 

In our last meditation, we looked at what it means to be a servant. Essentially, the modern-day equivalent is having a job. 

If we look at Paul’s text that way, it is easy to see that his words still have value. 

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Colossians 3:16b – Trust Jesus

A modern interpretation of Saul on the road to Damascus when he is confronted by the Lord

[Let the message of Christ dwell among you] …  richly …

Summary: Experiencing Christ involves separating the wheat from the chaff, or as we say these days, the signal from the noise. Paul wants you to succeed and experience Christ richly. 

Is it true that salvation is all about who we know rather than what we know? 

Putting the burden of faith on what we know is a common misconception. We know this is true because so many people do it! 

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Colossians 3:8a – Deeds and Weeds

Person hoeing weeds in a garden

 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: …

Summary: Do we really have to “rid” ourselves of the things on Paul’s list of bad habits? The answer to that question leads us to a deeper understanding of God’s will for us. In the end, we discover that spiritual growth involves work, but this work is a response to God’s grace, not a means of earning salvation. 

Our last meditation discovered an interesting link between our Lord’s parable about the kingdom of heaven and how we are to live our lives as believers. In our passage for this meditation, Paul doubles down on that discovery. 

What was that discovery, you ask? 

Simply this: God expects us to work for his kingdom while we are here. 

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Colossians 3:4 – Waiting for Jesus

Picture of night sky filled with lightning.

When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Summary: In this passage, Paul gives us an exciting clue about the future. 

What happens when our lives are “hidden [or guarded] with Christ in God?” 

In this passage, Paul answers that question. When Christ appears, then we who are “with Christ” appear with him in glory. 

Paul’s answer raises a lot of questions. The first question is “How does Paul know this?” 

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Colossians 3:2 – Things Above (Part II)

Picture of sign that reads "HEAVEN" pointing to the night sky

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 

Summary: Understanding Paul’s thought about setting our minds on “things above” requires that we first understand what he means by “above.” 

If this sounds like a repetition of the last verse, it is … kinda. Paul repeats his thought, but instead of saying, “set your hearts on things above,” here he says, “set your minds on things above.” 

There is a difference! 

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Colossians 2:20b – All or Nothing

[Since you died with Christ] to the elemental spiritual forces of this world …

Summary: “Life” and “death” from God’s perspective is very different from our own. What the world refuses to acknowledge is the truth that every human being is eternal. When we are with God, we have life. When we are apart from him, we are dead.

This is the second time the text of Paul’s letter refers to “elemental spiritual forces.” (See “Colossians 2:8c – Spiritual Dangers” for the first discussion on this topic.) Since we have already discussed the roots of this phrase, let’s talk about the application of Paul’s words. 

The “elementary spiritual forces” could be a lot of things. Paul, in my opinion, is being intentionally vague for a reason. God understands that the words Paul is writing on his behalf are for the benefit of future generations. It would be a mistake to tie his point to a single threat. 

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Colossians 2:18c – Monkey See, Monkey Do

A picture of Paul the Apostle speaking and in the background is a monkey watching him.

Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen …

Summary: Whether we are kids in grade school or adults at work, we all crave attention. Everyone wants to be popular. When a “new kid” comes to town, they seem to upset the balance of power and suddenly everyone is vying for attention. 

Here is an interesting thought: How does going into “great detail” impact a story? 

Does adding detail add to the story, or is the purpose of “great detail” to add credibility to the storyteller?

As I ponder Paul’s words in this passage I find myself reflecting on what people say and how they say it. Paul is pointing out a characteristic of a certain type of people. These are not ordinary, every-day people, but these are people who have a mission to corrupt the faith of believers. 

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