Colossians 4:11 – Three Jews

Picture of three Jewish men in Paul's day, sitting at a table, talking.

Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my co-workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me.

Summary: Paul’s comment about being comforted by his Jewish companions leads us to consider “Why?” 

No matter what you might think of Paul, the objective facts of his life tell a story. Paul is a man of deep passion. In the first half of his life as a Pharisee, Paul is so passionate about eradicating believers from the face of the earth that he chases them all over the Middle East. 

How many Pharisees bothered to do that? Did any Sadducees mount expeditions to pursue early Christians?

Looking at the available information, it appears that Paul’s zeal for chasing down early Christians was unique. Everything in his heart, mind, and soul pointed to the need to erase this offensive corruption of Jewish tradition from the face of the earth. 

Then, he met Jesus. 

Suddenly, as if he had been a blind man whose eyesight was suddenly restored, Paul’s world changed. Everything looked different. 

In the second half of his life, with his new outlook on everything, the first half of his life looks like a total waste. (Paul called his prior ambitions “garbage.” [Philippians 3:7-9]) Yet, he was the same man. Same intellect, same passion, same devotion to God. 

At first, he poured his heart into converting his fellow Jews. He desperately wanted them to experience the same kind of eye-opening that he had undergone. 

The response was less than he hoped. In fact, the Jews frequently treated him the same way he had treated Christians before he met Christ. 

What was to be done? 

Eventually, in frustration, Paul gives up hope of being accepted by the Jews (Acts 18:6). He turns his focus exclusively to being a “minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles” (Romans 15:15). 

Time after time, the Jews became jealous of Paul’s teachings and followers. Time after time they come after Paul and try and do them harm. Yet even after they have rioted, beat him, and even stoned him to the point of death, Paul still loves them and longs to see them saved (Romans 9:3). 

Is it any small wonder that he is comforted that at least three Jews have seen the light? 

Application: Never give up hope or praying for those not yet saved. 

Food for Thought: What advantage(s) would a Jew have in proclaiming the Gospel to Gentiles?

Please click ‘’Continue Reading” for comments.

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Colossians 4:10 – Paul’s Time

Aristarchus and Paul in prison.

My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.)

Summary: This verse provides a peek at life in Paul’s day and the people around him. 

At some point, after reading the Bible enough times, a person begins to see things differently. Take Aristarchus, for example. 

Paul casually mentions “my fellow prisoner,” Aristarchus. Instantly, questions come to mind: Who is Aristarchus? Why is he in prison with Paul? Where is he from?

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Colossians 4:9 – Redemption

He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here.

Summary: This passage introduces us to the subject of another letter Paul wrote which we know as “Philemon.” In the letter, we learn about Onesimus and his very interesting life story. 

Obviously, traveling alone on foot over one thousand miles is not on the Triple AAA list of “Top Ten Safe Vacations.” Paul himself talks about fighting off “wild beasts” when he was in Ephesus (1 Corinthians 15:32). He also mentions the dangers of traveling by sea (shipwrecks!), not to mention crossing rivers and dealing with roving bandits (2 Corinthians 11:26). 

It took courage in those days to venture out, and if we knew nothing else about Tychicus other than he was willing to travel the world to carry a message to a distant church, we would know he was brave. But he didn’t go alone. Onesimus traveled with him. 

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Colossians 4:8 – Tychicus’ Journey

Tychicus and two friends on the road to Colossae.

I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts. 

Summary: Paul is sending Tychicus on a mission. It is both exciting and challenging. More than carrying a letter for Paul, Tychicus is the letter. 

Imagine the world Paul and Tychicus lived in! 

In our world, we have phones, FaceTime, texts, mail, cars, buses, and airplanes. If you need to talk with someone who is a thousand miles away there are a lot of options. 

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Colossians 4:5b – Opportunity Knocking

Close up picture of an old door knocker in the shape of a lion's head.

… make the most of every opportunity.

Summary: Christian living can be confusing. People have different ideas about what it means to proclaim the Lord. This passage presents us with an opportunity to ponder what Paul is encouraging us to do. 

I have to confess that this passage makes me smile. Making the most of every opportunity sounds like something my dad would have said only he would have been talking about making money, not saving souls. 

As it turns out, this is one of those passages with a lot of variation in how it is translated. For example, the 21st Century King James Version translates the verse this way: 

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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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