The Letter to the Colossians

An Explanation of This Letter Especially for You

Rock Solid #6 (Philippians and Colossians)

Ger de Koning

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© 2016 by Ger de Koning. All rights preserved.

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New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org.

Contents

Abbreviations of the Names of the Books of the Bible 6

Old Testament 6

New Testament 7

Explanation of general format 8

The Letter to the Colossians 9

Introduction 9

Colossians 1 12

Col 1:1-5 | Prayer For Blessings – Giving Thanks 12

Col 1:6-9 | The Truth of the Gospel 16

Col 1:10-13 | Walk Worthy of the Lord 19

Col 1:14-19 | The Glory of the Son 22

Col 1:20-23 | Reconciliation and Ministry 25

Col 1:24-29 | Christ in You – Perfect in Christ 28

Colossians 2 31

Col 2:1-5 | All the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge 31

Col 2:6-10 | Brought to Fullness in Christ 34

Col 2:11-15 | In Him, With Him 37

Col 2:16-23 | Holding the Head 40

Colossians 3 43

Col 3:1-4 | Christ Our Life 43

Col 3:5-11 | Christ Is All and in All 46

Col 3:12-15 | Put On Then … 49

Col 3:16-18 | Do All in the Name of the Lord Jesus 52

Col 3:19-25 | Men, Children and Slaves 55

Colossians 4 58

Col 4:1-5 | Masters, Prayer, Walk 58

Col 4:6-9 | Word, Comfort, Encouragement 61

Col 4:10-18 | Greetings 63

Other Publications 67

Abbreviations of the Names of the Books of the Bible

Old Testament

Gen – Genesis

Exo – Exodus

Lev – Leviticus

Num – Numbers

Deu – Deuteronomy

Jos – Joshua

Jdg – Judges

Rth – Ruth

1Sam – First Samuel

2Sam – Second Samuel

1Kgs – First Kings

2Kgs – Second Kings

1Chr – First Chronicles

2Chr – Second Chronicles

Ezra – Ezra

Neh – Nehemiah

Est – Esther

Job – Job

Psa – Psalms

Pro – Proverbs

Ecc – Ecclesiastes

Song – Song of Songs

Isa – Isaiah

Jer – Jeremiah

Lam – Lamentations

Eze – Ezekiel

Dan – Daniel

Hos – Hosea

Joel – Joel

Amos – Amos

Oba – Obadiah

Jona – Jonah

Mic – Micah

Nah – Nahum

Hab – Habakkuk

Zep – Zephaniah

Hag – Haggai

Zec – Zechariah

Mal – Malachi

New Testament

Mt – Gospel of Matthew

Mk – Gospel of Mark

Lk – Gospel of Luke

Jn – Gospel of John

Acts – Acts of the Apostles

Rom – Letter to the Romans

1Cor – First Letter to the Corinthians

2Cor – Second Letter to the Corinthians

Gal – Letter to the Galatians

Eph – Letter to the Ephesians

Phil – Letter to the Philippians

Col – Letter to the Colossians

1Thes – First Letter to the Thessalonians

2Thes – Second Letter to the Thessalonians

1Tim – First Letter to Timothy

2Tim – Second Letter to Timothy

Tit – Letter to Titus

Phlm – Letter to Philemon

Heb – Letter to the Hebrews

Jam – Letter of James

1Pet – First Letter of Peter

2Pet – Second Letter of Peter

1Jn – First Letter of John

2Jn – Second Letter of John

3Jn – Third Letter of John

Jude – Letter of Jude

Rev – Revelation

Explanation of general format

PERSONAL PRONOUNS are capitalized when pertaining to Deity.

BRACKETS [ ] are used in this commentary in the Bible text to indicate words which are not found in the original Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek but implied by it.

SHARP BRACKETS < > are used in this commentary in the Bible text to indicate words possibly not in the original writings.

When ASTERISKS * are used in New Testament quotations, it is to mark verbs that are historical presents in the Greek which have been translated with an English past tense in order to conform to modern usage. The translators recognized that in some contexts the present tense seems more unexpected and unjustified to the English reader than a past tense would have been. But Greek authors frequently used the present tense for the sake of heightened vividness, thereby transporting their readers in imagination to the actual scene at the time of occurrence. However, the translators felt that it would be wise to change these historical presents to English past tenses.

ALL CAPS in the New Testament quotations are used in the text to indicate Old Testament quotations or obvious references to Old Testament texts.

The Letter to the Colossians

Introduction

There are two things that make this letter valuable in a special way for you as a young believer. First, all attention is drawn toward the glory of the Person of Christ. This glory is expressed in various ways in different relationships. You will see Him as the Son of the Father’s love in whom dwells the fullness of Godhead (Col 1:13,19); you will see Him as the Creator and Sustainer of all things (Col 1:16-17); and you will see Him as the Savior and Head of His body, the church (Col 1:14,18).

Second, the way the mystery (Col 1:27) is being unfolded, namely as a source of encouragement (Col 2:2). The mystery implies that the church is made one with Christ. The more you discover and appreciate it, the more it will support your faith and give you encouragement in an environment that knows nothing of this and even rejects it.

The purpose of this letter is that you receive teachings from the things mentioned in it and reflects on them. The result, no doubt, is that your heart and your eyes will be filled with the glory of the Lord Jesus. I can assure you that eventually your soul will be overflowing with gratitude, joy and confidence.

The letter to the Colossians is the third letter Paul wrote from his imprisonment in Rome, after the letter to the Ephesians and the letter to the Philippians. This is not a letter from a study scholar. Paul had experienced comfort and joy in his soul as he reflected on the glory of the Lord and wrote it down. You can also experience the same when you read this letter.

All of Paul’s letters were written on the occasion of something he had noticed or heard. The reason for the letter to the Colossians was that Paul had heard of errors that had gained access in the church at Colossae. Epaphras must have conveyed these to him. It is not clear what exactly the errors were.

However there are some hints in the letter, namely, in chapter 2. There for instance you read about philosophy (Col 2:8), of Jewish rituals (Col 2:16-17) and of worship of the angels (Col 2:18). They are elements both from paganism and from Judaism. There was only one way that the evil that has been done by these mistakes could be undone and that is by showing the entire glory of Christ. Whoever gets to know this glory will never need to have anything to do with errors.

Paul must have heard of all the developments in the church at Colossae through Epaphras. This faithful servant stood in close relationship with the church at Colossae. From chapter 1 one can understand that the church at Colossae emerged as a result of the work done by Epaphras (Col 1:7). He had preached the gospel to the Colossians (Col 4:12). It was, however, not ‘his’ church, but he certainly felt a great responsibility for them. When errors appeared he spoke to Paul about them, and Paul in turn took paper and ink in his hand, and wrote to the believers in Colossae regarding the dangers of the errors and taught them how to arm themselves against such dangers.

Paul himself had never been in Colossae (Col 2:1). However, he didn’t think: ‘It is the church of Epaphras; let him handle the matter.’ Paul was conscious that he was the servant of the entire church. He was also aware that it was not his church but the church of Christ. It is this awareness that gave him an ardent love for the church. When the enemy attacked the church by trying to introduce heresies, he went into action. False teachings are the masterly means to destroy the church – even to the extent of assaulting Christ, for in fact Christ and the church are one.

Paul has learned that at the moment of his conversion. He was busy persecuting the church at that moment. The Lord Jesus, however, spoke from heaven, to halt this persecutor of His church, saying: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 9:4). The persecution of the church on earth was equivalent to the persecution of the Lord Jesus in heaven. Here you learn that the church on earth and the Lord Jesus in heaven are one. The church is one body with Him as the Head. This is called the mystery in this letter. A mystery is something which was not made known in the Old Testament, but now it is revealed to the church.

There is one more letter in which you read about this mystery – that is the letter to the Ephesians. However, the manner in which Paul speaks about this mystery in the letter to the Colossians is different from the way he does in the letter to the Ephesians. It will help you to understand the letter to the Colossians better when I mention a few differences. One important difference is that the letter to the Colossians shows that Christ is one with the church on earth while in the letter to the Ephesians the church is presented as one with Christ in heaven.

Another difference is that in the letter to the Colossians, the Christian is seen as risen with Christ, but not as seated in Christ in the heavenly places as in the letter to the Ephesians. In fact he says to the Colossians that there is a hope laid up for them in heaven (Col 1:5). That means that they are not seen in heaven as in the letter to the Ephesians, but in their life on earth. You can also conclude that from the exhortation of Paul that the Christian should direct his thoughts and feelings on the things which are above and not on the things that are on earth (Col 3:1-2).

Another difference is that the letter to the Colossians reveals the fullness that is in Christ (Col 1:19; 2:9) and our completeness in Him (Col 2:10), while in the letter to the Ephesians the privileges of the body are presented.

Lastly I would like to point out the fact that in the letter to the Colossians the emphasis is on Christ as our life. The emphasis in the letter to the Ephesians is more on the Spirit, Who is mentioned only once in the letter to the Colossians (Col 1:8).

When you compare these letters with one another in this way you will be more and more aware of the unique characteristics of each letter. In my introduction to the commentary on the letter to the Ephesians I compared some letters by drawing a parallel with the journey of Israel from Egypt, through the wilderness, to the promised land. You can read about it there. I did not mention the letter to the Colossians in that comparison. You can classify this letter between the letter to the Romans and the letter to the Ephesians.

The letter to the Romans is about the deliverance from the bondage of sin (the picture of Egypt) through the work of Christ. The letter to the Ephesians is about entering the blessings in the heavenly places in Christ (the picture of the blessings of the Canaan land). The letter to the Colossians sees Christians as delivered from the bondage of sin and connected to Christ. They do not enjoy the blessings of the heavenly places yet, because they are still on earth.

In this letter, the circumcision of Christ (Col 2:11) is mentioned. This reminds us of the circumcision of the people of Israel after they went through the Jordan (Jos 5:2-9). The Israelites were indeed in the land, but they had not fought yet. They were yet to conquer the land.

The circumcision of Christ speaks of the judgment Christ suffered for you on the cross. Since you believe that, now you are free to enjoy His glory which is described in an excellent manner in this letter. I hope and pray that you will experience this to the fullest.

Colossians 1

Col 1:1-5 | Prayer For Blessings – Giving Thanks

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ [who are] at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. 3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel

V1. Paul introduces himself as an apostle. He was not an apostle because he arrogated that role to himself, nor because someone persuaded him. It was also not a calling that he had chosen for himself, or one that people had instructed him to do so – God Himself stood behind his apostleship. God wanted him to be an apostle and that gave him his apostolic authority. Whoever opposed this authority, opposed God in reality.

The emphasis of his authority in the beginning of this letter is necessary because such important things were at stake. Paul did not preach his own opinion on these things, but God’s truth. To listen to him meant rejection of errors and a renewed worship of God. To disobey meant the destruction of the life of faith.

It was not just authority by which Paul could stand above the believers so that he could give them commands. He includes Timothy along with himself as sending the letter and presents him as “our brother”. Timothy is the brother of Paul and the Colossians and he is the link between Paul and the Colossians. Paul is above them as an apostle, but as a brother he is one of them. The closeness of brother is the best way to exercise his authority. If authority is exercised with this awareness, there will be no lust for power, but only the desire to serve (cf. 1Pet 5:1-4; Lk 22:24-27; Jn 13:13-16).

V2. Then he speaks of the Colossians as “saints and faithful brethren”. With brethren he means both brothers and sisters. This word refers to the bond of family relationship that believers have with each other and it points to their mutual fellowship. The family bond of the Colossians had a few additional marks. It was a ‘saintly’ family that God had set apart for Himself. It was also a faithful family, which relates more to their practice. Their position before God and the practice of their faith life agreed together. You must have both these features to understand the truth in this letter.

Paul adds “in Christ … in Colossae” to these features. On the one hand you see the fact that the family relationship is spiritual in nature; Christ is the connecting element. On the other hand it is a relationship that is experienced in Colossae on the earth. I hope that the name ‘Colossae’ can be replaced by the name of the place of the local church you belong to. You can judge for yourself the standard of your church on the basis of the Word of God.

After introducing the senders and naming the addressee, he has a wish for the Colossians. He wishes them grace, that is that they consciously live by the grace given to them. To live by grace means to expect everything from God and nothing from self. The result will be peace. Whoever considers God in everything has this lasting peace in his soul. Paul wishes them this peace from God our Father. God is the source of grace and peace. When he speaks of Him as our Father he again emphasizes the family bond he has with the Colossians.

V3. What Paul says to the Colossians in this verse must have done them good. Would you not find it encouraging when someone says to you that he thanks God always whenever he prays for you? Do you also give thanks to God for others? You have a special relationship with the believers for whom you give thanks. Then you are also sensitive to their spiritual condition. Once their spiritual condition changes for the worse you will pray for them just because you feel that your giving thanks for them comes under pressure.

You will accept a word of admonition more easily from someone – brother or sister – whom you know give thanks for you. If things in someone’s life disturbs you a little and would decrease your giving thanks for him or her, then that would be the reason for you to address the issue with them. This is the way Paul gets to work.

He had a confidential relationship with God Whom he knew as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. By the word ‘our’ he reiterates his fellowship with the Colossians both in their relationship to God the Father and to the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus he brings their fellowship to a Divine level. This is the sphere in which he stands and makes his appeal. In his letter, he comes to them surrounded, as it were, by the fragrance of the sanctuary. He wants them to smell and taste it, so that they will let go of everything that does not fit with it.

V4. In verses 4-6 the apostle holds together a number of reasons for his giving thanks to God. Only then he speaks, from verse 9, of the subjects for which he prays.

He had never seen them. Others had told him of their “faith” and “love” – the best evidence for him that they possessed the Divine nature. They openly testified to the Lord Jesus – that is they did not do it in secret. Nowhere in the New Testament are we called to keep our faith to ourselves, or to practice a sort of secret discipleship. The truly converted will have the desire to testify of their faith publicly.

It is said of their faith that it is “in Christ Jesus”. There are many who claim to believe. What is of prime importance is in whom they believe (2Tim 1:12). As for the Colossians there was no doubt about it. Do people around you know in Whom you believe? Faith in humans, dreams or feelings give no security for one’s faith.

Faith in Christ is evident in its love for all believers. Even the Colossians testified to this. It is impossible to love God and hate a brother (1Jn 4:20). The vertical and the horizontal go together. Only God knows all the saints. Once we come to know a saint, a true Christian, we love him. Not because he is nice but because he belongs to Christ.

Their love was not sectarian, limited to a select group, but embraced “all the saints”. Their love was to all those who yielded to the love of God. They loved not only the believers in the local church but all believers wherever they lived. This is a good example which you and I can imitate.

V5. After faith and love Paul speaks of hope. Here is the well-known triplet – faith, hope and love (1Cor 13:13; 1Thes 1:3; 5:8). Hope was the incentive which gave substance to their faith and love. There is no stronger motive for faith in the Lord Jesus and love for all believers than hope which is reserved in heaven. Paul thanks God for connecting this new company of believers to heaven.

If you think of the hope in heaven your heart will be filled with the essence of this hope which is the Lord Jesus. Again, the effect of this will be that you love all those who are dear to the heart of the Lord Jesus.

This hope was a part of the gospel that was preached to them. The effect of the gospel is not just for here and now, namely, the deliverance from the power of sin. The gospel also has significance for the future, for the entry into the eternal glory. How could it be otherwise? Christ is there and we are set free to be with Him. We will not always stay in this world and also we do not have our home here. We have a hope. This hope enlightens our way through the world.

The hope laid up in heaven for the Colossians – and for you and me – is a powerful motivating force to love our fellow believers. We will be in heaven eternally with the Lord Jesus together with all the children of God. If this hope is alive in you, you will also be careful not to have a quarrel with any fellow believer.

Did you hear of this hope when the gospel was preached to you? That was apparently the case with the Colossians. In my case, I cannot remember whether this was mentioned. But in the course of time it became clear to me that the hope in heaven is inseparably united with the word of truth, the gospel.

This expression shows that the gospel is the pure news of God – not just a happy report to men mixed with human elements. So it came to the Colossians and they believed it, and that saved them. It is as if Paul is already saying here, which he elaborates on in Colossians 2: ‘If you know that, how can you open yourself to the Greek philosophies and Jewish traditions? Was there ever a philosophy preached in the world as the message of hope through which people could be saved, receive life and bring forth fruit?’

Now read Colossians 1:1-5 again.

Reflection: Give thanks to God in your prayers for a number of beautiful characteristics in your brothers and sisters.

Col 1:6-9 | The Truth of the Gospel

6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as [it has been doing] in you also since the day you heard [of it] and understood the grace of God in truth; 7 just as you learned [it] from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, 8 and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit. 9 For this reason also, since the day we heard [of it], we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

V6. Let us see once again the hallmarks of the gospel. First, you see that it has to do with the hope, which is the future. The second characteristic is that this message of hope is not limited to the Jewish people. The gospel reached the Colossians who were in the world, and now it has reached even you. It came to them. It is as if a person entered from somewhere. This is indeed so, because the gospel represents Christ.

The third characteristic is that it brings forth fruit everywhere in the world wherever believers are. What the gospel caused in Colossae is to be seen in every believer throughout the world. The gospel has brought you into contact with God. Consequently it also produces fruit in you for God. The gospel is first the seed that, the moment you heard it and believed it, conceived in you the eternal life. So you became the fruit of the gospel for God. Thereafter the gospel has become a seed that produces fruit in your life. This fruit also is for God.

First you must become a fruit in order that you may bring forth fruit. Wherever the gospel is accepted you see growth and fruit and not stagnation or decline. That is the big difference between Christendom and other religions, and especially the Jewish system. All religions demand fruit from a man without a change taking place in his inner life. Christendom on the other hand brings first an inner change through conversion and new life, and then fruit and growth are visible.

The gospel that is preached is complete in itself. We cannot make it easier, or richer or simpler. It cannot be enriched or improved by any means. What can be bigger and better is the fruit bearing and the growth. The preaching of the gospel is God’s part and fruit bearing and growth are your part. One can hinder fruit bearing and growth by allowing all kinds of things in his life that the Lord does not want.

This happens when you forget the “grace of God” that you have known “in truth”. Can you still remember how you went to the cross with your sins? There you acknowledged that you could be saved only by the grace of God. You acknowledged that God’s truth applies to you, too – as He says: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). You also acknowledged His salvation in Christ which He offered to you in His mercy. You are converted, have eternal life, and are in a position to bear fruit and grow.

Marvel continuously about the grace of God that you have sincerely understood. You had no right to it. It is a gift from heaven. Then you will see quickly when things come into your life that slow down or even prevent the process of fruit bearing and growth.

V7. There were people among the Colossians who in order to gain influence, taught things that were contrary to the teachings of Epaphras. If their evil intentions would succeed, then that would be the end of fruit bearing and growth in the Colossians. Epaphras brought a pure gospel to them. He was the means of their conversion.

Without any jealousy Paul mentions the service that Epaphras had done there. Paul underscores the correctness of what Epaphras taught. He speaks about the gospel as a doctrine. It is not a dogma but a doctrine which means life. Not only by a new birth, but in everything this life involves afterward. You can read a beautiful description of this doctrine in Titus 2 (Tit 2:10-15).

Besides the teaching of Epaphras, Paul also emphasizes his work together with him. He calls him “our beloved fellow bond-servant”. Paul places Epaphras on a par with himself and Timothy, and with the word ‘beloved’ he gives expression to his special relationship with Epaphras. When servants of God so speak of one another, and so relate to each other, then there is no room for any base motives in rivalry.

Paul praises the faithfulness of Epaphras in his service to Christ. Faithfulness is the most important feature of any service that is done for the Lord (1Cor 4:2). The Lord does not reward a gift or success but faithfulness (Mt 25:20-23). This should be a great encouragement for you and me to live entirely for Him and not be envious of what others do.

V8. Epaphras’ faithful service to Christ is expressed in his concern for the Colossians. His service did not stop with his preaching of the gospel. He also did the follow up. When he saw the approaching danger that they would deviate from Christ, he rushed to Paul and Timothy. He not only spoke of the error which threatened to find entry, but he also reported about the deep and sincere Christian love of the Colossians, the source of which was the Spirit. This at the same time was proof that correction was not yet too late. The Spirit was still in action in their lives.

V9. After this introduction full of gratitude Paul shares with them that from the moment he heard of their conversion he was constantly praying for them. Here you see the best way to keep your spiritual interests alive toward certain particular believers. Paul also shares with them the content of his prayers for them. From this you can learn what and how you can pray for others.

Our prayers and our supplications have to do with our perspective on God’s interests in His children. If we are aware how deeply God is interested in all His own, would we not, then, pray more for their problems and would think less of our problems? We are often more like the Abraham who asked: “O Lord GOD, what will You give me?” (Gen 15:2) than like the Abraham who worshiped Him and prayed for others (Gen 18:23-33). Paul is more like the latter.

The first thing he asks is that they “may be filled with the knowledge of His will”. The apostle is not satisfied with anything less. The will of God must fill their whole thoughts and their entire view. Then there is no place for the own will or for the approaching errors.

However, doing the will of God is not a matter of blind obedience. That is why the apostle next prays for “all spiritual wisdom and understanding”. This will enable you to do the will of God in your life in the right way and with spiritual understanding.

Now read Colossians 1:6-9 again.

Reflection: What are the truths of faith that are connected with the gospel?

Col 1:10-13 | Walk Worthy of the Lord

10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please [Him] in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. 13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,

V10. With this verse we come to the heart of the letter. The point is to walk worthy of the Lord. This is not said to a select group of super Christians, but to all Christians. It is not a concept that leads to the formation of trained preachers who are able to convey their knowledge to large groups of people. No, it is an order to which every believer should give the highest priority. Here you are called to a walk that is in accordance with the worthiness of the Lord. Therefore you must indeed know the worthiness of the Lord, which is brought before you extensively from verse 16 onward.

That He is called ‘Lord’ brings you to a relationship with the position the Lord Jesus now occupies, a position He received from God (Acts 2:36). Besides the knowledge of His worthiness, it is also important that you recognize His rights as Lord in every area of your life. Knowing His worthiness and the acknowledgment of His lordship will result in your whole walk being a pleasure for God. God will recognize the image of His Son in such a walk. He rejoices in it.

Now you should see the other unique effects of such a walk. First it is about every good work. You can take it as a species of rich fruit; every good work is a certain fruit. The fruit, the good work, is the result of your connection to the Lord Jesus Christ as the true vine (Jn 15:1).

Sometimes one is happy when he does a good work once. But God is not pleased with that. He has provided you with all the necessary means so that you can do nothing else than good works. You can use these means if you take the preceding and the following verses and let them work in your life. When God endows you with such rich resources, you should not be satisfied with doing something good now and then.

As mentioned in verse 6, fruit bearing is followed by growth. By fruit bearing, people think more about the enjoyment of the one for whom the fruit is determined. That is why it is given the first place. By growth is meant the life that develops itself, the process of increase and maturity. This is about the believer.

It is not about growth in the knowledge of God but growth through the knowledge of God. If we use in our lives what we know of Him we will grow. The argument that knowledge is not important but that it is all about practical Christian life doesn’t make sense. Without knowledge it is impossible to grow in faith and put Christian life into practice. Incidentally it is a mistake to assume that you can do something practical without you knowing how it works. This applies to social life as well as to spiritual life.

V11. In society you also see that people who speak knowledgeably radiate power. Your strength to walk worthy of the Lord is in the knowledge of God; the more you know of God the less prone you are to resistance and to all kinds of errors. You are "strengthened with all power”; there is the power to overcome every form of resistance.

This is not a power from an earthly, human source. This would give no guarantee of victory. No, your power comes from the heavenly glory, the glory of God, the glory of the Lord Jesus. That is the source with which you are brought into contact and nothing can work against it.

This power is not only resistant to fierce attacks but also to long lasting attacks. As long as you are on the earth there will be resistance. The greatness of this power is that you can bear all. And while you persevere you remain patient and you are even happy. You do not experience this with people who do not know Christ. Perhaps they have an enormous capacity to stick it out and can put away a lot of attacks. Their patience however will come to an end sometime, not to mention the absence of joy.

The Christian who is focused on Christ is able to endure suffering with patience and even with joy instead of yearning to be delivered from suffering (1Pet 1:6-9). That is the wonder of real power and not the accomplishments of heroic deeds in the forms of signs and miracles as healings, exorcisms and raising the dead. You will be strengthened with all power – the standard for this is Christ in glory – to be patient and forbearing in a world where you are going through pain and suffering in your life with God. There is no clearer proof of the power than this life-style.

V12. A walk in this life-style gives joy. This joy is directed to the Father and expresses itself in thanksgiving to Him. Thus you are lifted above your circumstances. Your thoughts are focused on what the Father has done for you and what He has given you. Then you see that you cannot but thank Him.

He has already enabled you together with all the saints who belong to the church, to enjoy the inheritance in the light of God’s presence. That really is something great, isn’t it? It does not say here that He will enable you sometime; neither does it say that you are indeed able but that you must continue to grow further. That is all not the case at all. Your capability is an established fact. You have received this by your new nature. You are born of God and you have received God’s nature, and therefore you can be in the light of God.

However the inheritance lies in the future. Peter also speaks about it (1Pet 1:4). The inheritance is what the Lord Jesus will possess when He reigns over all things. Then you will also reign with Him. You inherit from God as His child (Rom 8:17) and that means that your inheritance is from your Father. The Father Who gave you the rights over His inheritance has prepared you to receive it and to enjoy it.

V13. However, something must have happened in you, by which you became enabled to share in His inheritance. To begin with, you did not belong to the light at all, but on the contrary to darkness, lacking even the smallest ray of light. You were in its power, the darkness holding you prisoner. Satan, the prince of darkness, was your master. Those who sit in darkness lack even the smallest ray of light. There was absolutely no orientation as to where you were or where you were going.

How terrible the darkness was, was found when the Lord Jesus came as the light. But the darkness did remain (Jn 1:5) because people loved darkness rather than light (Jn 3:19). The power of darkness held people captives – this was shown at its height when people caught the Lord Jesus and killed Him (Lk 22:53). The grace of God however is greater. The Lord Jesus conquered the power of darkness. He rose from the dead. As a result the One Who said “light shall shine out of darkness” has shone in your heart and saved you from this power (2Cor 4:6).

But that was not the end. After He saved you, you have not landed in a kind of no-man’s-land; neither has the Father transferred you back to a restored paradise. It is much more glorious. He transferred you to the kingdom of His beloved Son. In this kingdom the Son is the Center. The atmosphere of this kingdom is the love of the Father to His Son.

When you think of a kingdom, you think of domination and subjection. It is so here also, but everything is embedded in the love of the Father to the Son. So it is not just an atmosphere, but it is all about Divine Persons. You have already been brought into contact with the Father and the Son, and their love already surrounds you. I do not know if you can come up with anything greater.

Now read Colossians 1:10-13 again.

Reflection: Examine the blessings Paul lists here. Thank the Father for every blessing.

Col 1:14-19 | The Glory of the Son

14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, [both] in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 19 For it was the [Father’s] good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,

V14. All previous blessings have become possible through the Lord Jesus Christ. You are delivered from the domain of darkness only by salvation. Salvation is not only a mighty act, but it happened also by paying a ransom. The Lord Jesus paid this ransom on the cross with His blood (1Pet 1:18). He gave His life (Mt 20:28). Thus you are His property now (1Cor 6:20). So if we do things for the benefit of our own selves, then we actually rob Him because we belong to Him entirely.

Another magnificent result of the price He paid is that all your sins are forgiven. I wonder if you ever realized this. If not, that’s a pity, because, though you are free, the burden of sin could sometimes weigh heavily down on you; and you might be going about with remorse in your heart. But cheer up. The blood of Jesus Christ has solved the problem already. Your sins are forgiven; they are gone and they have disappeared from the sight of God. He no longer sees them or thinks of them. Do you doubt this? Then listen to what the Scripture testifies: “The blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1Jn 1:7).

Redemption and forgiveness are granted by God and caused by Christ. Any annoying question that is shot at you or demands an answer can now be dealt with adequately. I am thinking of the people who make your right to the inheritance a matter of dispute. Sometimes you might feel that you are incapable of enjoying the relevant blessings. Then you should say – certainly with humility, but with joy and assurance – that you are saved and have received the forgiveness of sins.

Now your relationship is fully with the beloved Son. If you thank the Father you spontaneously talk of the Son (Jn 5:23). If the Father is the source of every blessing, then the Son is the channel through Whom all the blessings come to you. The Son has executed all the plans of the Father at His own expense. Now it is all about worship. Thank the Father Who is the source of every blessing! Thank His beloved Son Who is the channel through Whom all blessings have become accessible to you.

V15. Who is this beloved Son Who has made these blessings available to us? Here the apostle presents the Lord Jesus not only to refresh your heart, but also to fill it so that there is no room for anything else. He recounts successively:
1. Who Christ is in Himself;
2. what He is in the works that He accomplished;
3. what He is in His own.

“He is the image of … God” and that means He is the representative of God. Only He can be this because He is by nature God. This nature comprises the complete equality of the Son with the Father in His essence, in His nature and in His existence as the eternal One (Jn 14:9; 1:18). Only through Him we can know God.

He is also the “first born of all creation” (cf. Rom 8:29; Heb 1:6; Rev 1:5). This does not mean that He was the first created being. It describes the preeminence of the Son Who is exalted above everything. This refers to the ranking. You see this also with Solomon. He was not the first born son of David (1Chr 3:1); nevertheless he was called the firstborn (Psa 89:27).

The Lord Jesus is not a created being but He is over all created things and beings. He is the Creator indeed. He is the Firstborn because He created all things. When the Creator by being born as a Man enters into His own creation, He cannot be anyone other than the Firstborn. He is the Lord of all creation.

V16. Although there are three Persons in the Godhead, creation is attributed to the Son (Jn 1:3; Heb 1:1-2). Everything in heaven and on the earth, so in the whole universe, both in its visible and invisible forms, owes its existence to Him.

The thrones, dominions, principalities and powers appear to be references to various angelic powers (Eph 6:12; 1Pet 3:22). However impressive the angelic world may be, the glory of the Son Who created them is infinitely greater. The whole angelic world is called to worship Him and is created to serve Him (Heb 1:6-7).

He created them in His own strength, “by Him”. He did it personally, “through Him”, and He did it for His own glory, “for Him”. He is the Origin, the Executor and the Purpose of creation. This excludes the worship of anything or anyone else.

V17. The words ”He is before all things” expresses that He is the eternal Son, the eternal Being; He was there before creation. He has an eternal pre-existence. He stands outside of creation; He does not belong to it; He Himself is not a creature. This He also shows by the fact that He upholds all things by His own power (Heb 1:3). He not only called everything into existence, but also the present existence is due to Him. Planets traverse their prescribed courses only because He guides them and upholds them. Should He withdraw His hand for a moment, this would simply mean the end of the world.

V18. After speaking of His glory as the Head over all creation, Paul says that the Lord Jesus is Head from another point of view. One can say that as He is the Head over the first or old creation, He also is the Head over the new creation. Head symbolizes authority and dominion as well as life and growth. This also applies to the new creation, the church, which owes its existence to Him. He is the church’s beginning and its origin (Rev 3:14). In the absolute sense He is the beginning of everything, while and because He Himself is without beginning.

However there is a big difference in the way the first creation originated and the way the second creation came into being. The first was created by the Word of His power (Gen 1:3,6,9,11,14,20,24; Psa 33:6,9). In order to become the Head of the new creation He had to become Man and go through death to rise from it.

The resurrection of the Lord Jesus was the new beginning for God. Thus the church, called here the body, emerged. We can compare it with how Eve was built from Adam. God put Adam in a sleep of death. During this sleep of death God took a rib from his body and formed it into a woman. When Adam saw her he said: “This is now the bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh” (Gen 2:21-23). Paul applies this to Christ and the church (Eph 5:30). The church is the body of Christ and Christ is the Head. He directs His body and gives it what it needs.

The Lord Jesus has the first place not only in the first or the old creation, but He also is the Head and the Firstborn in the new creation. In the new creation He is the “firstborn from the dead”. This does not mean that He was the first to rise from the dead. People had risen from the dead earlier. But even here He is the Firstborn because He has the priority over any other who has risen from the dead or shall rise.

He is the First because by His resurrection He is alive for all eternity (Rev 1:18). By His resurrection He entered into another world which is now open for others. All who believe in Him will follow His resurrection. The special feature of this position is that by His resurrection He takes the first place in all things as Man.

As God He has the glory of the Creator. But He became Man in order to pass through death as Man. As Man He is risen from the dead and as Man He has ascended into heaven. He became Man in order to remain so forever. That does not lessen His glory but makes it greater.

V19. This is evident in the words “for it was the [Father’s] good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him” (verse 19). In the Lord Jesus – He is meant by “in Him” – dwells the triune God with joy. This was so when He came to earth, when He did the work of God and when He returned afterward to heaven. God is revealed in all His fullness without limitation, in the Person of Christ. In Him the triune God is involved with the new beginning. How great is His glory!

Now read Colossians 1:14-19 again.

Reflection: What are the glories of the Lord Jesus Christ you have discovered in this passage?

Col 1:20-23 | Reconciliation and Ministry

20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, [I say,] whether things on earth or things in heaven. 21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, [engaged] in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach— 23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.

In the previous verses the glory of the Son as Head is presented in two ways:
1. He is Head over the creation.
2. He is Head in the resurrection.

You will see more glories which stand on the one side in connection with the old creation and on the other side with the new creation or resurrection.

Similarly there are also two reconciliations:
1. One of the creation.
2. One of the believers (saints) who form the church (verses 20-22).

Also there are two ministries which come from Him:
1. The ministry of the gospel that is preached to all creation.
2. The ministry to the church (verses 23-25).

V20. First we read about the reconciliation of all things, namely the creation. Reconciliation is the bringing about of a relationship of peace where first there was enmity  (Rom 5:10). Enmity arose between man and God through sin. Man drew creation with him in his sin. Creation is still under the dominion of satan (Jn 12:31).

The Lord Jesus broke the power of satan through His work on the cross. The sin of the world will be taken away because of His once and for all accomplished work (Jn 1:29; Heb 9:26). The results of His work will be seen when the Lord Jesus will publicly exercise His authority. Authority has already been given to Him in heaven and on earth (Mt 28:18; Heb 1:8-9).

Peace can come because all that caused disturbance is taken away. This peace was made on the cross and will be enjoyed in the kingdom of peace and for all eternity. That will mean a great relief for all that is now groaning in pain under the evil and corrupting power of sin under satan (Rom 8:22).

This peace is based on the “blood of His cross” which is the cross of Christ. The Lord Jesus shed His blood on the cross. Peter calls it ‘the precious blood’ because it is the blood of a Lamb without blemish and without spot (1Pet 1:19). This basis is unassailable and holds its values for eternity. You can say this as follows: The basis of reconciliation is defined by the blood of the Lord Jesus, but the reconciliation of the things on earth and in heaven with God, still lies in the future.

The reconciliation of all things of course does not mean the reconciliation of all unconverted people and of satan and his demons. They will not be reconciled but subjected to Christ (Phil 2:10). It is all about the things on the earth and in the heavens, i.e. the material world. The doctrine of universal salvation is a gross heresy, a lie from satan.

V21. The reconciliation of all things lies in the future. Nevertheless there are people who are already reconciled, including you. Praise the Lord for that. You have faith in the shed blood of Christ for your sins. Once you stood outside of reconciliation, you were alienated from it, and you were even hostile to it. This was expressed in the wicked works you did.

V22. The Lord Jesus became Man in order that you could be reconciled. He bore your sins in “His own body on the cross” (1Pet 2:24). His death is the sure proof that He bore God’s judgment for your sins. Death, namely, is the wages of sin (Rom 6:23). At the same time, however, reconciliation took place through Christ’s death. His death is the sure foundation on which rests the reconciliation.

As a result you stand in the favor of God. He sees you as holy and perfect. Sin will no longer be counted against you. Nobody can bring a single accusation which can succeed against you. God, men and satan can find nothing on which they could lay their fingers. The death of Christ provided for everything.

Christ stands before you as the perfect result of His perfect work in the perfect light of God, and indeed no flaw can any longer be found against this. The just claims of God have been fully complied with by the atoning work of Christ so that no question can be raised against its legality.

V23. After the assurances faith offers, there comes an “if”. That seems to make the foregoing uncertain as though it depends on our commitment to have a part in it and to keep it. The power of this ‘if indeed’ however is that the chaff is separated from the wheat. The aim is to encourage faith and to condemn the self-confident nominal Christians.

A nominal Christian professes with the mouth that he is a Christian. But he has never gone to God with a remorse for his sins. He had never accepted in faith the power of the blood of Christ for the remission of sins. You have part in the foregoing blessings only if your faith is true, and you truly belong to the Lord. You should say ‘Yes’ whole heartedly to this. You will provide evidence that you remain in the faith that came to you through the gospel which you accepted.

What Paul says here is not to bring you eventually to doubt, but on the contrary to encourage you. You would certainly completely agree with Paul that faith is demonstrated by the fact that you are holding it, especially when resistance arises. With your faith you must deal with resistance, both by hostility from people and by the flattery of false teachers.

If your faith is true you are “firmly established and steadfast” and you are “not moved away from the hope of the gospel”. If your faith is not true, that will show up. The hope of the gospel is not to be saved by the gospel but is Christ. The gospel is not a summary of a number of rules that you must keep; the content of the gospel is a Person. If you are connected to Him by faith you will not want to allow anything that obscures or hides your view of Him. This desire for Him is present in everyone who loves Him in truth. I do not doubt that it is so with you also. You have heard this gospel exactly as the Colossians heard it (verse 6).

Paul became the minister of this gospel. The range of his ministry was the whole creation. The gospel is valid throughout the world and universally applicable (Mt 28:19; Mk 16:15; Acts 1:8). His ministry was directed in a special way to all the nations that are under the heaven (Gal 2:7), though he certainly did not exclude the Jews. In his love for them wherever he went he first preached to them from the Word of God (Acts 13:46; Rom 1:16). But the gospel was not limited to the borders of Israel. It extended to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

All creation under heaven was the range of Paul’s service. Here you notice the fact that Christ is the Head over creation. As you have read, it embraces all things in heaven and on earth. This, at the same time, is the distinguishing feature of the gospel. The words “under heaven” show that the gospel is not preached in heaven but on earth. The gospel is addressed to the people on earth and not to the angels in heaven.

You saw the same distinguishing features by the two sides of reconciliation. The reconciliation of all things does not mean that all people will be reconciled. Only people who believe in the Lord Jesus will be reconciled. This happens at the very moment they confess their sins and believe that His blood covered their sins before God.

Paul became a minister of this gospel. The Lord Jesus appointed him to this ministry (1Tim 1:12). Formerly he was a blasphemer, a persecutor of the church (1Tim 1:13). Now he is both a preacher and a teacher (1Tim 2:7). He preached the gospel to all people and instructed those who became members of the church by believing the gospel. His ministry to the church is mentioned in the verses following.

Now read Colossians 1:20-23 again.

Reflection: What do you learn about reconciliation in these verses?

Col 1:24-29 | Christ in You – Perfect in Christ

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions. 25 Of [this church] I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the [preaching of] the word of God, 26 [that is,] the mystery which has been hidden from the [past] ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, 27 to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. 29 For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

In verse 23 Paul started to say something about his ministry. He talked about his ministry of the gospel that he preached in all creation under heaven. Now he talks about his other ministry, his ministry to the church. This ministry has the same two sides as the headship of Christ and the reconciliation through Christ. And this ministry is also connected on the one hand with the creation and on the other with the resurrection. So there is

a double headship of Christ:
1. Head over the creation and
2. Head of the body,

and a double reconciliation through Christ:
1. of all things, later, and
2. of people, now.

In addition there is a double ministry of Paul:
1. of the gospel and
2. of the church.

V24. For Paul, the service to the body – the church – is associated with sufferings. He suffered to make known the truth of the church. He was imprisoned because of that. He says to the Colossians that these sufferings are for them, “for your sake”. His sufferings for the global church meant the sufferings for the local church. What applies to the local church applies to the global church.

This form of suffering, Paul says, is in addition to the afflictions of Christ for the sake of His body, which is the church. Here he does not speak about the afflictions for Christ, but of Christ. His sufferings had the same character as the sufferings of Christ. This does not mean that he suffered to the same extent, and certainly not because of reconciliation. Reconciliation lacks nothing; it is complete in itself. God purchased the church through the blood of His own Son through His sufferings on the cross (Acts 20:28).

No, it is all about the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ as a Witness on earth. In His being a Witness the Lord Jesus revealed God. This brought enormous afflictions on Him because men did not like to break with their sinful ways and deeds. The Lord Jesus Christ in His life on earth revealed God but not all the eternal purposes of God (Jn 16:12). Only when the Holy Spirit came on earth, the believers were given insight into the purposes of God through the apostle Paul (Acts 20:27). Witnessing to this truth brought abundant sufferings to Paul. These were not vicarious sufferings but additional sufferings. On the earth the Lord Jesus could not suffer for this truth because He did not reveal it then.

Paul did not view his suffering for the church as a necessary evil. He rejoiced in it. He saw the church as the body of Christ, as a community of people who had a special bond with Christ. He saw what the church meant for the heart of Christ. Therefore he did not shrink from suffering, he is committed to it.

V25. He desired that all those who belonged to the church both then and in the future, would know how unique the church is in her relationship to Christ. That was his ministry.

As he made this fact known he completed the Word of God. Completing or making the Word of God fully known does not mean that Paul wrote the last words of the Scriptures. John did that. It is not about the Bible books, but it is about the themes, about the things God wanted to make known to men.

The communication of the mystery, which was not known earlier, means that he communicated the last thing which God wanted to reveal. All other themes that God wanted to communicate were already known. Think of such things as the law, the kingdom, the redemption, the Person of Christ, and the ways of God. After he revealed this mystery about Christ and the church, no truth was left to be added to all God had revealed.

V26. This mystery was unknown in previous ages and in previous generations. Now it is revealed, certainly not to all people, but only to the church, His saints. It relates to Christ and the church, and especially the fact that believers from the nations and the believers from the Jews together form one body (Eph 3:4-6). The church does not exist from Adam; for it was hidden in all previous ages and it has only now been revealed.

V27. The special characteristic of the church is that it is connected to a Head in heaven; that was unimaginable in the times of the Old Testament. The coming of Christ to the earth, His suffering, His death, His resurrection, His ascension and His return to the earth to establish His kingdom in glory, power and majesty were not mysteries; they were already revealed. But a Christ Who is glorified as Man in heaven, as the Head of His body formed by the saved Jews and Gentiles, is found only in the New Testament.

The mystery here, exactly as in the letter to the Ephesians, is the union of Christ with His church. Paul’s emphasis here however is different from that in the letter to the Ephesians. To the Ephesians He presents the church of Christ in heaven; to the Colossians He speaks about ‘Christ in you’. This means that Christ is seen here in His church on earth. This means that the glory of this mystery is only visible in faith.

Another special feature is Christ ‘in you’. In exactly the same way as Paul uses the phrase “for your sake” in verse 24, he says that this is not about the global church but about the believers in Colossae. What is true of the global church is seen in miniature in the local church. And another thing: the ‘you’ denotes those who were originally Gentiles. To find Christ with the Gentiles is completely new. God used to dwell with His people. When the Lord Jesus came He stayed with His people. But now to find Christ with the pagans sets aside the privileged position of the Jews.

V28. It is all about Christ. Paul and other preachers proclaimed Him, a Person, and not a doctrine or a philosophy. The essence of Christendom is a Person and not a better doctrine. Christ was the substance of his proclaiming, admonishing and teaching. In doing so, he has “every man” in mind. This is strongly emphasized by using the word “every” three times. Every difference had disappeared. It is about every man personally and not in mass.

Paul not only saw the church as a whole but everyone individually. It was a ministry of one to one. The unconverted man he warns of the wrath to come. The converted man he teaches the great truths of the Christian faith. His ambition was that every person should reflect the power of the Word and the Spirit of Christ and grow toward perfection. This is real follow-up and after-care.

Paul is not satisfied that someone only accepts the Lord Jesus as Savior. He is concerned that every person, including you, is presented complete in Christ. He desires that you reach the stage of spiritual adulthood and that is the meaning of the word “complete” (Phil 3:15; Heb 5:14). It is that you grow up to the point where nothing else is important in your life but Christ alone. Then you know not only your standing before God in Christ and that God sees you in Him, but living in God’s presence means everything to you.

That is the meaning of life; a life that has no room for anything from men. Christ is all. It is all about a father in Christ (1Jn 2:13). For this it is necessary that you understand Who Christ is, and that your character is formed by this knowledge.

V29. This lofty goal – God’s goal for every man – which the apostle had before his eyes, demanded the use of all his vigor and energy. This also entailed much struggle and resistance, but Christ worked in him and gave him the strength. The servant who has the passion to reach the goal as mentioned in verse 28 – that Christ is everything for the soul – will find all the power for this ministry in Christ.

Now read Colossians 1:24-29 again.

Reflection: See if Christ is everything in all the spheres of your life.

Colossians 2

Col 2:1-5 | All the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge

1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and [attaining] to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, [resulting] in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, [that is,] Christ [Himself], 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument. 5 For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.

V1. For Paul it is important that the Colossians knew that he is fighting a great spiritual struggle for them and neighboring Laodicea. He adds: “And for all those who have not personally seen my face.” He expands the circle to all the children of God through the centuries. He wants everyone, including you, to realize that he has a great struggle for every believer. He struggles to make the believers understand that the church is one with the Head in glory. He desires that this full awareness works in their hearts.

He struggles for them because he saw the danger of false teachers, and as a result the Colossians could lose this awareness. He struggles in prayer for this in his imprisonment. He is not struggling against the heretics but for the believers. If believers live in accordance with what they have become and what they have received in Christ, false teachers cannot gain control over them. We should not underestimate the importance of prayer for each other as we struggle along with Paul.

V2. It is good to tell someone that you are praying for him or her. It is an encouragement, a blessing for the heart of the other. They feel supported. Thus prayer is a great tool that God has given to us to comfort others. Even if you are someone who perhaps does not have a public service in the church you can be an instrument of comfort and encouragement. This service is open to every child of God, and can be done anywhere. Paul did it while he was imprisoned; you can do it in your room (Mt 6:6). You should not think little of comforting a heart as if it were something trivial. It is the fruit of a prayer struggle.

Encouragement is needed when fear and discord arise due to emerging heresies, for encouragement provides the heart with strength and resistance. When someone’s heart is encouraged, it affects all aspects of his life, “for from it [flow] the springs of life” (Pro 4:23).

There is one more fruit of this prayer struggle. The believers will be united against the upcoming enemies with their heresies. They will be firmly knit together, with the bond of “love” indeed. Interconnected believers who love each other form an impregnable fortress. Note that it is about a fellowship experience. We cannot experience this individually.

If you isolate yourself you can study the Bible and get spiritual insight, but it will not be possible for you to be strengthened by experience. Maybe you can explain what it means to be united in love, but it is quite different to experience it. You can never really understand something if you do not experience what it means. For example if you are not married you can know about it, but you can only really know it if you are married.

Believers who are knit together are not only protected from evil but they are also open to what is good. Paul comes still closer to the heart of this struggle. He wants to take the believers to the treasury of faith. That treasury is the Person of Christ. All the riches are to be found in Him. Paul wants them to understand this.

If you understand the mystery of God, you have complete security and you know for sure that nothing further can be added. But as long as there is a propensity for pagan philosophy or Jewish traditions, you lack the complete security. You are wronging yourself and above all you are wronging Christ. He is everything. He wants to be everything to you and He is not happy with anything less than that; neither are you, are you? That is why Paul is anxious that you come to the knowledge of the mystery of God.

V3. And where can this knowledge be found? In Christ. For in Him “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”. Christ is the great treasury of Divine riches. There is nothing apart from Him that can be complementary to this. Nobody can add something to Him. Everything is hidden in Him, which at the same time is inviting all to search for these treasures. All these treasures are accessible to all believers.

This however requires exertion. Treasures are hidden for their high value. They do not lie on the surface. You know however where you must dig: in Christ. The big question is: ‘How much is this treasure worth to you?’ Your appreciation will be determined by your efforts. Do you doubt its value? Look again closely: all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. The word ‘all’ does not allow any exception.

Job makes an impressive comparison of wisdom with the finest metals which can be obtained only with much strenuous effort, and concludes that even all these treasures are eclipsed by wisdom (Job 28:1-28). Job wondered: “But where can wisdom be found?” (Job 28:12). Here is the answer: in Christ.

The wisdom of God in Christ is revealed in a special way by the existence of the church. The manifold wisdom of God is seen in the church (Eph 3:10). That Christ would connect Himself with people who are sinners by nature and let them share in His glory, only the wisdom of God could have thought of that.

In Christ you can know all that can be known of God. There is no true knowledge outside of Christ. People can have interesting ideas or express assumptions both about the origin of creation and about how man can come into contact with God. But whether it is about the origin of heaven and earth or about the church, only in Christ will you get to know both the one and the other.

V4. Paul says all this because the right view is the great protection against misleading teachings. Knowledge of the mystery will keep you from being receptive to errors. You will not be impressed when people approach you with persuasive argument and give the best of their nice rhetoric. A beautiful and fluent argument and a glowing speech are no guarantee that the truth is spoken. Paul himself did not make use of persuasive argument. The power of God was perceivable in him (1Cor 2:4-5).

What is notable with people who want to undermine your faith is that they build their arguments on probabilities, and that their learning system is based on derivations of assumptions. But the truth does not require arguments. One does not need to defend the truth. Speak the truth and the truth will defend itself.

V5. Although Paul and the Colossians had never seen each other, Paul was always busy with these believers. He took upon himself the responsibility for them because they belonged to the church and he was a minister of the church. His deep concern for the churches came on him daily (2Cor 11:28). The evidence of this concern is seen first in the fact that he constantly prayed for them, second that he wrote this letter, and third that he sent Tychicus to them.

Yet there is not only worry. Before speaking further about the seducers, he points out some things that he saw in the Colossians he was happy about. Their good discipline and the stability of their faith in Christ were presented to him so alive that he could see them with his spiritual eyes. Besides their outward order there was also an inner steadfastness which consisted of faith in Christ. Christ was the object of their faith. Outer order and inner stability are mutually reinforcing. They are both necessary to prevent your faith from being taken away from you.

But be on your guard! The enemy can also try other ways to undermine the stability of your faith. When he cannot take away anything from you he would like to add something that apparently deepens your faith. In reality however he wants to scoop out your faith and make it powerless. This is illustrated by the verses following.

Now read Colossians 2:1-5 again.

Reflection: What treasures have you discovered in Christ?

Col 2:6-10 | Brought to Fullness in Christ

6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, [so] walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted [and now] being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, [and] overflowing with gratitude. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. 9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, 10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority,

The enemy is tirelessly busy attacking the nature of believers, namely, the nature of their faith. He wants to damage their trust in God – that is the meaning of believing – as much as possible. He will try to make you doubt certain truths of the faith. For example, he tries to persuade you that God did not mean all that. If you reject his arguments and repel his attacks, he will try a different way. When he does not succeed in taking away something from you he will try to add something to your faith. He offers some appealing motivation. Do you want to believe more and better, and deepen your faith? Then he has the exact solution for it.

V6. To avoid yielding to this danger, the enrichment by additions to your faith, Paul takes you back to the beginning. You have received Christ and accepted Him. Is there anything else that you accepted besides Christ? Indeed, you were not saved – nor were the Colossians – by Jewish or Greek wisdom or by Christ plus additional wisdom. It is clear and must be strongly emphasized that Christ is sufficient for your salvation. He is also sufficient for your walk as a Christian. All that is required for salvation comes from Him.

Further you have accepted Him as “the Lord”. You have accepted Him as the absolute sovereign Ruler of your life. There were no negotiations. As it was when you first accepted Him, it should be so even today.

“So walk in Him” is a commandment and that means other ways of walk are forbidden. Walk in Him means that you put into practice what you know of Him and that you are doing His will in your life.

V7. You draw your life force from Him, and not from any philosophy because you are “rooted … in Him”. That way you are standing firm like a tree that withstands the storms. Rooted in Him reminds you of what happened at your conversion. Christ is presented here as the soil in which you were rooted at your conversion. From then on you get your entire food from Him. Therefore it is important to be firmly rooted and your roots penetrate deeper and deeper in Him.

“Built up in Him” makes us think of a house. Here you see Christ as the corner stone on which you build your life’s house. The structure of the house is dependent on Him; the construction is done in Him. Therefore you must align yourself with Him so that He can show you the plan and process of building.

When you are deeply rooted in Him, orientating yourself to Him for the building up of your faith life, you will be strengthened in the faith. Faith is the truth of faith that you believe. Faith finds its center in Christ. Faith affects Him. Confirmed in faith means to be confirmed in Christ. You can see that it is all about Him. Even in your life of faith all things are from Him, through Him and for Him.

These were not new things for the Colossians. They had already been taught them. I wonder if it is so with you too. In any case you have the touchstone in your hand to test the teachings that you received at your conversion and thereafter. You might discover some things in your life that need to be changed, also your view of things. You will also have the desire to apply them and do them as it is said here. After you have received the right teachings and accepted them you will surely overflow with gratitude.

There is much reason for thanksgiving if you let work in you what you have become and received in Christ, considering how this is perfectly enough for now and forever. Thankfulness to God is at the same time a protection against temptation to doubt the faith delivered to the saints once and for all. When your heart is full of the wonderful truths of the gospel your thanksgiving will ascend to God. Thanksgiving is an effective antidote to the poison of false teachers.

V8. “See to it” Paul insists. Do not think you are immune to the wiles of the enemy. He prowls around and considers every believer a prey. He plans even to carry you away as loot from the Lord Jesus. Two means he uses are philosophy and empty deception.

Philosophy is as old as the world, but it has never saved a man from misery and sorrow caused by sin. The reason is the world’s philosophy ignores sin and pretends sin doesn’t exist. That is the reason every solution philosophy offers is empty deception. This cannot be otherwise because philosophy is a product of the tradition of men and connects seamlessly with the elementary principles of the world. The elementary principles of the world are all the individual parts that make up the world’s system. God has no place in this system.

If the tradition of men besides Christ gains any value over the knowledge of God, it is in contradiction to the Scripture (Mt 15:3-9). If you begin to favor the traditions instead of the Bible, it means that doubt replaces assurance. Traditions are from men and not from God. Where traditions get room, the door to the elementary principles of the world is opened.

In many ways they have crept into the service to God. You recognize traditions where outward appearance is the measure of the spiritual level of the service. The Spirit of God is supplanted by an order that is made by men. For example consider situations where only qualified, eloquent people should preach, and where altar, cloth, music and icons decorate the whole event.

Paul sets the whole system aside with one stroke of the brush or better with one name: Christ. The twofold danger, philosophy and human tradition, is contrary to Christ. He who has Him has everything.

V9. What do you need more than that you have Him, in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily? This is almost the same expression that we find in chapter 1 (Col 1:19). There he refers to the time when Christ was on earth to fulfill the counsels of God. Today (verse 9) He is in heaven as the result of the finished work of redemption.

In both the expressions you can see what Christ was when He came to earth and what He still is and will remain forever. He took a body then and has always had a body since, although now He has a glorified body. He became Man in order to remain so forever. The dwelling of the fullness of the Godhead in Him is a present and an ongoing dwelling of the fullness of the Godhead in the glorified Son of God at the right hand of God.

It is not that only certain aspects of the Godhead dwell in Christ, but the totality of all God’s attributes, for He is God Himself. He does not share His Divine power and majesty with any single creature. The body He has taken is imperishable forever.

V10. The conclusion Paul draws from this, of course is breath-taking. He says that you are in Him, in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily, and in Him you have been made complete. You lack nothing. In Him you are perfect before God.

On the one hand you see that God is presented in Him in all His fullness (verse 9); on the other hand you possess in Him the completion and perfection of God. You lack nothing in terms of your position before God. There is nothing and no one who can take place between you and Christ, because you are in Him. Philosophy and tradition can add nothing to this perfect position. On the contrary anything you take from them will drive you far from God. Do you want that? And remember that He is beyond not only all men, but also beyond all angelic powers created by Him.

In that Person you have been made complete. What more do you want?

Now read Colossians 2:6-10 again.

Reflection: What contrasts do you find in these verses?

Col 2:11-15 | In Him, With Him

11 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; 12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.

V11. It is really amazing that you have been made complete in Him. Now therefore it is understandable that the question arises: ‘How did I come in Him?’ Paul explains this in the verses we have before us now. You have become one with the Lord Jesus in His death and resurrection. By faith you must know that what happened to Him when He died and rose again has happened at the same moment with you too.

The word “circumcision” refers to a practice of the people of Israel in the Old Testament. God placed this as the sign of the covenant He made with Abraham and his descendants (Gen 17:9-14,23-27). What happened then does not happen here again literally, “made without hands”, but it has a spiritual meaning. This circumcision took place "in the removal of the body of the flesh" and indeed at the very moment when “the circumcision of Christ” took place.

Circumcision means that something is cut off thoroughly. For the people of Israel that was the cutting away of the foreskin. Spiritually it means the body – a generic term for all that serves the sinful flesh to express itself – is totally cut off. This cutting away happened through the judgment the Lord Jesus suffered on the cross.

Of course “the circumcision of Christ” has absolutely nothing to do with the literal circumcision that happened with Him on the eighth day after His birth (Lk 2:21). That circumcision happened with hands indeed. But the spiritual significance of circumcision is the judgment of the flesh. In Christ God condemned sin in the flesh (Rom 8:3).

You are circumcised in Him. In the judgment that struck Him, you see the judgment that struck you. That He bore this judgment in your stead does not change the fact that it was executed on you. Only, when God judged you, you were in Him.

V12. Your being one with Him does not stop with that. Death is followed by burial. Burial is the confirmation and the validation of death. Your burial in fact is the signature which certifies this statement. When you are baptized you publicly declare the truth that Christ bore the judgment for you. You show outwardly what happened in you inwardly. You draw the full consequences of your being one with Him by breaking all ties with the world at the very moment of your baptism. One cannot think of a more radical break with the world than being dead and buried. When you think of it, it will keep you from returning to the world and from its influences.

Through your conversion and baptism, and through your death and burial, you no longer exist for the world. This marks the end of your old life and at the same time the beginning of a new life in a new world. You have entered into this new world “through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead”. The fact that God raised the Lord Jesus from the dead is proof that the work is done perfectly.

Everything is in order. Whether you feel it now or not the fact remains the same. The question now is not whether you feel it, but whether you believe it. As good as you see your own judgment in His judgment you may see your raising up in His raising up by God. Are you aware of how far reaching the consequences of your own connection with Christ are?

V13. Well, you now know how you came to be in Him. But how does it look now with all the things that you were, with all the sins you have committed before this time? Can they be held against you again? There is a sufficient answer to this question. That answer silences everything that opposes your perfection in Christ.

You fully agree that you were “dead in your transgressions”. Dead in this instance means the total absence of any movement toward God. There is also nothing in this death to which the benevolent desire of God could be directed. You were dead to God and thereby you were not concerned about God’s commandments, but you transgressed them. That was because you were dead in the uncircumcision of your flesh. You followed the affections of your sinful, unjudged flesh (Rom 8:6-7).

Into that state of death and the evil lifestyle and mindset that comes with it, God has brought life by connecting you to His Son. God found perfect satisfaction in His work. He proved that by raising the Lord Jesus from the dead. His resurrection and the fact that you have been made alive with Him is the assurance of the forgiveness of your sins. All sins are forgiven without exception.

The life of the Son and your life in Him give no room for a single question that can be raised regarding any sin that you ever committed. If you are made alive with Him all your sins are forgiven. Possession of life proves that sin is put away because it is resurrection life. Sin cannot enter the area of resurrection.

V14. At the end of verse 13 Paul changes from ‘you’ to ‘us’. He now says something that is primarily purposed for the Jews. It does not mean that it is not written for you. You will see that you received freedom in addition to life and forgiveness. But to understand the power of his words, it is important to bear in mind whereof he speaks in the first place.

The “certificate of debt” is an acknowledgment of debt whereby a person by his signature undertakes to satisfy its contents. That is exactly what Israel had done. When the Lord gave them the law, here called “decrees”, on Mount Sinai they declared: “All that the LORD has spoken we will do” (Exo 19:8; 24:3,7). Soon this declaration became their adversary. Very quickly it became clear that the conduct of their life was completely contrary to the statutes of which they had said they would keep them. The law was an unbearable yoke (Acts 15:10). Their debt grew larger and larger, prohibitively large.

Then Christ came. He paid the debt and took it out of the way. He canceled out the certificate of debt, He tore it up. One takes something out of the way which hinders his pathway or his work. This literally means to make something disappear completely so it doesn’t matter anymore. This is what happened on the cross. There you see that it did not happen by nailing something to the cross but by nailing Someone to the cross. The same word “nail” is found in the imprint of the nails which was visible in His hands after His resurrection (Jn 20:25).

It must be clear to every Jew who believes in Christ that the death of Christ made the very requirement of the law powerless. How easier it is for him to breath now! The threat that comes from the law is over. He is made alive with Christ and therefore he should know by experience what kind of life he has received in Him – the kind of life that can be received in no other way.

What foolishness it would be to give it up by wanting to put oneself under the law again. If you are not a Jew you never were under the law. But it is applicable to you also. What a folly it would be if you subject yourself again to what has been taken out of the way by Christ, even if the intention behind it could be out of gratitude!

V15. You are freed from the law because you are dead. You are saved from death because you have been made alive with Christ. And you are also saved from the power of satan and all his demons because the cross is the victory over the forces of evil. Life, liberty and victory are your portion in Christ. It was precisely by going into death that He disarmed the one who had the power of death (Heb 2:14). He achieved victory before all eyes. The enemy is not only eliminated, he also is humiliated. There is not a single reason to give him any tribute.

All honor belongs only to Him Who was crucified in weakness and overcame in this way. What is weaker and more humiliating than to hang on a cross? But thus He gained complete victory. The triumph is complete.

Now read Colossians 2:11-15 again.

Reflection: Count everything by which you are made one with Christ and what He has done for you. Thank Him for it.

Col 2:16-23 | Holding the Head

16 Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day— 17 things which are a [mere] shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on [visions] he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God. 20 If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, 21 “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” 22 (which all [refer to] things destined to perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? 23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, [but are] of no value against fleshly indulgence.

V16. Paul has made your position clear in Christ. You have life. God’s purpose is that you live this life of freedom and that is a life of victory. Outsiders will judge your life. That is alright. But sometimes there are outsiders who want to tell you that you have to adhere to certain statutes. You should not yield to them an inch. Remember, religious statutes have no authority over those associated with Christ.

Do you know what it means if you allow these things in your life? You deny the perfection of the work of Christ and its glorious consequences for you personally. The enemy indeed is disarmed; but certainly his cunning strategy is not over yet. His greatest weapon, death, is no longer a threat. However he wants to devastate your life of faith. He knows how effective Jewish and other religious statutes are. He is successful, if only he can make you comply with them.

The five things mentioned are the characteristics of the religious system which the false teachers hold on to. None of them is spiritual, it is all material and earthly. There is nothing wrong in eating and drinking, but when a religious significance is added to it, it is a mutilation of the true worship to God. In Israel food laws had their place, specifically for annual festivals, the monthly new moon and the weekly sabbath. When these things are brought over into the Christian era, the true meaning of Christendom is lost.

V17. The covenant observances of the Old Testament were shadows of the substance that was to come. The substance is Christ (Jn 5:46). Christ is the fulfillment of all Old Testament shadows. He is our true food and our true drink indeed. He is the fulfillment of everything that is presented in the various festivals. To implement parts of this shadow in Christendom is to cast a shadow on Christ.

This is like viewing the photo of a person while the person himself is physically present. The one who is satisfied with the photo and ignores the person rejects the person himself. Whoever changes his attention between the photo and the person himself offends the person because he says thereby that the person himself is not sufficient. The desire to mix the shadows with the substance means that Christ is not enough.

Regularly there is a discussion about keeping the sabbath. There are voices which want to make the sabbath, in some form or other, an integral part of the Christian life. A discussion on this subject in the light of what is presented here is completely useless and even dangerous. Of all the twenty-one letters in the New Testament this is the only occasion where the sabbath is mentioned. To keep it? No, on the contrary to abandon it. Is that not instructive?

V18. In verses 16-17 Paul points to the threatening danger from the Jewish side, the observance of the laws and covenants. In verse 18 he points out the danger of falsely so called knowledge in the form of mysticism. Maybe you know of people who claim to have had visions. They drive hard to impress that they have seen things others have not seen. Thus they present themselves as more spiritual than others and view themselves as a kind of mediator. You must go to them to learn specific things about God. They are very humble in their behavior as though they do not seek their own glory. But they worship the angels because these creatures are in the immediate presence of God; through them they can learn more about God.

If you open yourself up to such people and their ideas you run the risk to be robbed of your prize. And that means that after your Christian race you will be robbed of your crown. The only angels who want the worship of humans are evil angels, demons. Holy angels decline this worship (Rev 19:10; 22:9). Another pernicious form of worship is that of Mary as the mediator, as though she is necessary to draw near to God or to the Lord Jesus. This is not the humility with which one seeks the honor of God. It is a false humility and the worship of a creature.

Paul exposes these people by saying that their ideas come out of their own depraved thinking, the thinking of the sinful flesh. There is absolutely no basis for this.

V19. Whoever accepts such ideas no longer holds on firmly to Christ the Head. You are – this is true of every member of the church – personally connected to the Head, without any intermediate person of whatever kind. Your growth results from this direct connection with the Head, Christ Jesus, without any intermediary. God has ordained it thus. Growing this way is growing with a growth which is from God.

Do not let anything or anyone come in between you and Christ. Each member of the body is in direct contact with the Head to fulfill its own function. Through the Head you are connected with all the other members of the body and you grow up together. Do you realize that if you give in to false teachings and traditions of men, not only your own growth is disturbed but that of other members too?

V20. You are again directed to the death of Christ in order to escape from the dangers of the Jewish and philosophical systems. What to die with Christ means is that you are dead to the systems of this world and to its elements. Then how can you subject yourself to certain specific statutes. If you have died then you cannot continue to live as though you still belonged to that system.

All laws and regulations and other things are no longer applicable to you because you are dead. Is there anything that could still exercise power over the dead? Can a dead man respond? Can we expect any action from him? Christendom is not keeping all kinds of commandments or prohibitions. You are liberated from all those because you died with Christ. A renewed attention to these things means that you go back to the world toward which you died.

V21-22. In summary, the decrees “do not handle”, “do not taste”, “do not touch” are earthly and material things. Like all legalism, they involve prohibitions (Mk 7:1-23). They are not applicable to you. It would also be foolish to get involved in them. They are also things that have absolutely no lasting value; they all perish after they are used. This is because they are according to the commandments and teachings of men. What is devised by man will not last long; only what is conceived by God will last forever (1Pet 1:24-25).

V23. Sometimes what is invented by man appears to have great value; nevertheless it is only apparent, and the reality is hollow. Their talk sounds wise, but the content is foolish. Self-will is dominating. The ‘I’ stands in the center. There is no bowing down before God and His Word. They bow down indeed and appear to be very humble, but that is not their attitude toward God. It is their attitude toward creatures which they look up to, perhaps to exceptionally gifted men or even angels.

In the spiritual realm they worship those who are superior to them, but in the realm of matter created by God there is no respect. Thus the body was regarded by the Greeks as a prison in which the spirit was imprisoned – as if were mere dust, meaningless. To allow the spirit to develop, the body was tormented with self-flagellation and fasting. The needs of the body were not to be satisfied. The pride of man wants to dominate everything, even the God created bodily needs. This effort is nothing more than the satisfaction of sinful flesh.

If you are conscious that you died with Christ the enemy will try in vain to gain entry into you with his errors.

Now read Colossians 2:16-23 again.

Reflection: Have you discovered ‘commandments and teachings of men’ in your faith life as a result of this section? What should you do with them?

Colossians 3

Col 3:1-4 | Christ, Who Is Our Life

1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

V1. The last verses of the last chapter dealt mainly with the fact that you died with Christ. You saw how important that is. Now we see the other side of the coin. Not only you died with Christ but you also have been raised up with Him.

If you have been raised up with Him – the word “if” is not to be understood as an option, but as an absolute certainty – then you are transferred into a new world. Previously you were living in a world which had only a cross and a grave for Christ. There you served sin. Now you live in a world where everything is about Christ and where you are serving Him. Now you are freed from every form of slavery. This certainly does not mean that you are free to do anything you wish. Perhaps you have learnt through trial and error where such experiences lead to. You certainly do not want it at all. No, you are given this Christian freedom to serve Christ.

Serving Christ begins with the fact that you are seeking those things which are above. Why? It is because Christ is there. Keep seeking the things that are above does not mean that you should always be dreaming of heaven. It means being focused on Christ and living Him out on earth. You can compare this with an ambassador in a foreign country. He promotes the interests of his own country. He is not sitting there on a comfortable chair thinking about his beautiful homeland.

It is a constant seeking with effort of all forces. By seeking after things that are above your life is formed here. It is more and more showing the character of your life that is above and that promotes your service and testimony. It is a striving to know all the attributes of the glorified Christ. Your knowledge of all His glory will keep you from all the commandments and teachings of men.

One of the essential elements of the Christian faith is that Christ is seated at the right hand of God. This faith determines our Christian position. We have much in common with the faithful of Israel, but we have a big difference here. They did not know a glorified Man in heaven with Whom they were made one. We do!

V2. This knowledge therefore determines our life and position on earth. The fact that Christ is there determines where our interests are and where we must focus our attention.

Unfortunately many Christians are not aware of this and they live as an earthly people of God – looking for things on earth. In such cases they consider it right to enjoy all the beauty that is found on earth. It also can happen that they campaign for the equitable distribution of all the beautiful things on earth. For the first, they want a good job and a high standard of life. For the second, one can make a political effort. With both categories of people, there is no thought of the fact of being joined to Christ in heaven.

You can’t help but start thinking of the things that are above if you are aware that that is where all your real possessions are to be found. You can’t say that of the things that are on earth. Here you are only a steward of those things. You must leave behind everything when your time on earth is over. You cannot take them to heaven. Therefore it is stupid that you cram your head and heart with earthly things. You are warned in several places in the Bible about setting your heart on earthly possessions (Mk 10:24; 1Tim 6:17). One who is engrossed in earthly things expresses the fact that the Lord Jesus has no place in his life (Mt 16:23; Rom 8:5; Phil 3:19).

Earthly things do not necessarily have to be sinful or worldly. Earthly things are often the things that God has given. Marriage, job and rest are all good things. But if life consists only of those things then your view on Christ is blocked and you no longer live with Him. Then you are like someone who looks for copper instead of gold because you think copper is as valuable as gold. We do not consider someone like that as being wise, yet many Christians are living like that.

Faith transfers many future things to the present, and the present things to the past or the future. Faith sees things that cannot be seen and lives in it. Earthly mindedness caused sadness with Paul (Phil 3:18) and also with the Lord Jesus.

V3. Again it is said that “you have died” to this world and that your new life does not have a single link with this world. In this world Christ is not only absent but He is also hidden (Jn 8:21-23; 13:33). Your new life is also hidden to the world because Christ is your life. It is unknown to the world.

What was the last thing the world saw of Christ? It was that He hung dead on the cross and was in the grave. With that everything seemed to be over. But faith looks beyond the grave and sees the resurrection and glorification. If He is your life, then the world gives you the same place it gave Him. The world understands nothing of the motives which guide you because it does not know the source; it is hidden to it. You are still here to bear witness to Him Who is hidden to the world.

There is nothing left to improve on the world itself. Any attempt to improve anything in the world overlooks the fact that Christ is rejected by the world and is now hidden to the world. Among the Corinthians there were believers who felt the need to exert political influence. They desired even to be rulers (1Cor 4:8). But for the believer who belongs to the church the time of ruling is still future.

V4. The characteristic of the believer’s life is that it is with God and that it will be revealed soon. Now the world does not know us but it certainly will later (1Jn 3:1-2). That change does not happen by the acceptance of Christian principles, thanks to political efforts, which could create an environment in which Christ can feel at home. No, when Christ is revealed in glory, He will judge the evil in the world in righteousness. He thus creates the perfect conditions for His government which would enable the thousand year long reign in justice and peace.

When He is seen openly in the world, the high point of your union with Him also becomes visible. You are made one with Him in His death, in His resurrection, in His present hiddenness and in His appearance before the entire world. When Christ is revealed, you also will be revealed with Him. Then the world will see the hidden source of the life you lived on the earth. For He Who will be revealed then, is already your life on earth now.

Now you live in this world as someone who is dead to the world. By this you prove that you do not have any expectation from this world. This means for here and now only rejection and suffering. That will change the moment you are revealed with Christ in glory. Then the time of rejection and suffering will be over and you certainly will have a position and task in the world. You will get to reign with Him and share in His glory.

This revelation of Christ with all His own is something different from His return for His church. Of the latter the world will not notice anything (1Thes 4:15-17). After the Lord Jesus has taken the church away for Himself as His bride, the marriage of the Lamb will take place in heaven (Rev 19:7). Then He will reveal Himself to the world with His bride following Him (Rev 19:11-16). This is His appearance in glory. Then every eye will see Him (Rev 1:7) including you along with all those who will come with Him (2Thes 1:10).

Now read Colossians 3:1-4 again.

Reflection: How do you seek and what do you think of the things that are above?

Col 3:5-11 | Christ Is All and in All

5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. 6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, 7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, [and] abusive speech from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its [evil] practices, 10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him— 11 [a renewal] in which there is no [distinction between] Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.

V5. After the magnificent view of the last verse you find yourself with both your feet on earth again. There is something you must do. If you enjoyed the glory of Christ and your partaking of it because you are in Him, you will have no desire to indulge in sinful desires. They hinder you from seeking the things that are above. In view of this you have already been told what things you should not seek. Now you read of things you must consider as dead, literally “put to death the members which are upon the earth”.

You may ask how to put them to death. It is not that you should kill yourself or your flesh. The old man is dead, he has been made powerless. God condemned sin in the flesh (Rom 8:3). The mechanism which made use of the sin, the old self, the old man is dead (Rom 6:6). Consequently you need to consider yourself dead to sin (Rom 6:11). That means you no longer allow the members of your body to be used for sin, but place yourself in the service of God (Rom 6:12-13).

When sin attracts, you must immediately cut off its work on you. A more radical solution than considering as dead does not exist. Putting to death is a strong and meaningful expression. You have to act uncompromisingly with immoral things. This is what you do when sin is denied any authority. Just say to yourself: ‘I do not give any room for that sin.’ You place that sin where it belongs, that is with the old man, who no longer has a say in your life.

With this determined attitude you prevent thinking on it. As soon as you begin to think on sin you are lost and the sin in question grabs its chance to get hold of you. To put to death means to take the life out of sin. As a result sin is denied all chances to reveal itself.

Paul is clear about the particular “members”. The members are identical with sins:
1. The list begins with “immorality” (as in Gal 5:19; 1Cor 6:9; Eph 5:3). This sin is a serious threat to holiness.
2. “Impurity” is closely related to immorality but more general; it means any kind of impurity.
3. “Passion” refers to erotic desires that lead to immorality in thought and action.
4. “Evil desire” in this context seems to refer to sexual desires.
5. “Greed” means wanting to have more and more, and seems in this context connected to sexual offences.
6. Sexual desire that dominates to the extent that it has taken the place of God becomes “idolatry”.

V6. Maybe you have heard of the view that the only sin upon which God’s judgment comes is unbelief. This is a misconception as you see in this verse. There are other sins upon which the “wrath of God will come”. The wrath of God comes upon all sins. The wrath of God comes from His hatred of sin. God’s wrath is not the expression of His temperament but of His government. That wrath will be revealed and is described in Revelation 6-19.

The wrath of God strikes people who do not know new birth and who remain in their unbelief. The characteristic of such a life is disobedience. It is presented as if disobedience is their father and that they are his sons with all his disobedient character traits . The thought that you as a believer would still resemble them must be intolerable. The motivation to put to death the members which are on the earth will be present with you.

V7. That does not mean that you can now arrogantly look down upon the sons of disobedience. As a believer you must be aware that you are not standing above them. You too were resistant and lived exactly like them before (Tit 3:3). Now it is not so. This life came to an end when you died with Christ.

V8. Therefore you must put aside all these habits and traits which people saw in you before. It can be described as though you put off the piece of clothing you wore before. It is about the attitude that once marked your life. This attitude was particularly evident in your speech. The things that are mentioned here have to do with the tongue, and consequently with the heart, because what you say comes forth from the heart (Mt 15:18).

1. As the first sinful expression of the heart, “anger” is mentioned. With us, anger is an expression of a temperament. An expression of anger need not necessarily be sinful (Eph 4:26), however in this context it is.
2. “Wrath” emphasizes the sudden outburst of emotions about a thing; anger refers more to a state or condition of mind.
3. “Malice” is an attitude that is intended to harm or damage others.
4. “Slander” is the deliberate utterance of falsehood about another person in order to place him in a bad light.
5. “Abusive speech” can mean swearing and also debauched, obscene language.

V9. Lying is a sin of the tongue, which characterizes the old self. It is not in vain said that every man is a liar (Rom 3:4). Since the believer has put off the old self (or: old man) with his deeds, his utterances must also end. Relationships with the old man is torn down. The old man is the essence of the first Adam as he is expressed in the totality of his progeny.

V10. You no longer belong to the first Adam but to the last Adam, Christ. He characterizes the new man you have put on. The new man is characterized by Christ as expressed in all believers. Only all believers put together can express the features of Christ as no single person possesses all of Christ. Something of Christ can be seen in each person.

Putting on does not mean to be clothed from the outside but this new man is seen outside from the inside. The new man is what you are inwardly after your conversion. You will show this in your life. You have put on the new man in your conversion. The more you know of God, the more you will exhibit the new man in you.

“Renewed to a true knowledge” means that God brings the new man to the full knowledge of His counsel. This is a process of development. The model God always has before Him is Christ. God wants to teach this new man in the knowledge of Christ in order to shape him in the image of “the One who created him” (Col 1:15; Gen 1:26-27). The more He works in you the more you will walk as the Lord Jesus did (1Jn 2:6).

V11. Every difference disappears in the new self or the new man (Gal 3:28-29). Only Christ is seen and He fills everything with His glory:
1. In the new man there is no difference between “Greek and Jew” and that means all difference in race, national origin or nationality is gone.
2. Also there is no difference between “circumcised and uncircumcised” which points to the religious difference, the external relationship with God.
3. The difference between “barbarian” and “Scythian” has vanished. Among these lowest cultures the Scythians were given by the Greeks a place lower than the barbarians. In Christ Jesus such difference is no longer there.
4. With the abolition of the distinction between “slave and freeman” the social difference in the new man is no longer present.

The only position that counts is our position in Christ. He is everything in this new man; yes, you can now say that He is the new Man.

While you are waiting for the glory of the Lord where God will be all and in all Christ already lives in His saints. He has formed the new man in them in whom He is all in all. The old man might have statutes and philosophies, but for the new man Christ is everything.

Now read Colossians 3:5-11 again.

Reflection: What are the characteristics of the new man and what are not?

Col 3:12-15 | Put On Then …

12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things [put on] love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

V12. You know what to put to death and what to put off. If you have done that, then nothing more is expected of you since you do not want to do anything with the old man. The way is now free that you can put on something else. The aim is that you show your new clothing to people around you, in all that you say and do.

Now do not think: Who am I that I could do that? Listen to the kind of appeal made to you:
1. You are one of the “chosen of God”. That is because of the special act of God’s grace. He has chosen you to be His and for Him. Why should He do this to you is a question which could overwhelm you. But exalt Him for this unmerited favor.
2. You are a “holy” one. He has chosen you and separated you from all people who live without Him. He gave you a special place in order that you may be holy and blameless in His sight (Eph 1:4). You are called a saint.
3. You are one of His “beloved”. He loves you. Everything has come from God. How ungrateful you would be if you refused to accept this love in its entirety on basis of false humility.

It is great to think that these three names are also used for the Lord Jesus (Lk 9:35; Jn 6:69; Mt 3:17).

This is your position. God declares that He sees you like that. Now Christ can be made visible in your life. The life of Christ is expressed in your life in its different aspects as mentioned here. If we go through them separately you will see that every time it is connected to some form of self-denial. You can exhibit these characteristics only if you are able to bow down and humble yourself. The Lord Jesus Christ showed all these features in His life in perfection.

1. “A heart of compassion” is in contrast to passion that seeks its own gratification. It is the tender mercy from which forgiveness flows (Lk 1:78); it is the affection of Christ Jesus (Phil 1:8).

2. “Kindness” is the abundance of goodness that comes from the tender mercies.

3. “Humility” is an attitude that is proper for you before God and people. The Lord Jesus calls us to learn this from Him (Mt 11:29; Phil 2:3).

4. “Gentleness” is an expression in which you put up with injustice and do not insist on your rights and privileges (Num 12:3). In the world meekness means not being able to push through and run everything. Gentleness is the opposite of self-consciousness and self-interest.

5. “Patience” is the patient endurance of evil. It is the spiritual ability to bear evil without direct retaliation.

V13. You find opportunities everywhere in the world to exhibit these characteristics in which Christ is visible. The following characteristics will be shown more clearly in your relationship with believers who can make things difficult for you. The word “one another” also involves you. Sometimes you too might be an uncomfortable fellow believer to someone else.

“Bearing with one another” means that you do not pass comments on about someone else when you think he makes or does something in a strange way. Be restrained or cautious toward others.

If “bearing” is more passive “forgiving each another” is more active. If you deal with people it is inevitable that you get to know their mistakes. It can quickly create a situation where accusations fly back and forth. The peace within the church disappears quickly. The solution is to have an attitude of forgiveness. Then you will not answer a reproach to you with a reproach to the other.

The standard of forgiveness is Christ. Look at Him and at all that He has forgiven you. Think of His parable on forgiveness (Mt 18:21-35). You will see that you are able to forgive.

V14. Paul is not yet ready with accumulating the pieces of a clothing. There is something more which holds all these pieces together like a belt and that is “love”. Love is the virtue which not only holds together all the other virtues but brings them to maturity and thus perfects them.

The characteristics mentioned here are not acquired characteristics but they spring from love. Nothing in our behavior toward others is perfect without the love of God which is expressed in brotherly love (2Pet 1:7). Therefore love is the perfect bond of unity. You are in a position to tie this band around because you have received the Divine nature (2Pet 1:4), and the nature of God is love (1Jn 4:8). When this bond of love is put on by every believer, it will bind the believers with one another.

V15. The clothing is put on. Everything is in its place. Now you can go out of the door and show your clothing to the believers and to the world. You are not called to flaunt your clothing but to show your life as a witness for Christ. In order to give this testimony in the right way, it is necessary that the “peace of Christ” rules in your heart. All your actions, words and thoughts will take place in an atmosphere of peace.

The nature of peace is that of Christ. The Lord spoke about this in the upper room and called it “My peace” (Jn 14:27). It is the peace of heart and mind that emerges from a complete trust in the love of the Father in complete submission to His will. He walked in this peace on earth.

When this peace rules in your heart and in the hearts of your fellow believers with whom you are associated, then this meets the requirement for the call to be “one body”. The absence of the definite article before body suggests that the local church is meant here.

The emphasis therefore is not personal peace which you can experience if you walk with the Lord. It is more about the peace that determines your attitude and your goodwill in dealing with others. It is all about the one body. If the members are subject to Him, the peace that He offers should determine their dealings among themselves. You will not do anything that disturbs this peace. By the way and the means these things are described it is clear that it does not mean that you should draw yourself into isolation so that you do not get into any kind of dispute with anyone.

Thankfulness is an important ‘trade mark’ of the Christian who sees the hand of God in all things. This should always characterize him and should come to expression by every opportunity. It is an obligation to be thankful. You must practice this.

Of all the people on earth, Christians definitely have the most reason to be thankful. Anyone who is not thankful is far from God. Thankfulness is not dependent on circumstances. Paul himself shows this here and calls for it from imprisonment. I think, after writing all these things, his heart also overflowed with thankfulness.

After you have understood your position before God, the forgiveness that you received in Christ, the peace of Christ which is your portion, and the attributes of the Lord it will not be difficult to comply with the call to be thankful.

Everything stands in relation to Christ. The point is to show Him in everything. You have received in Christ Jesus all that is necessary for this. What a joy must fill the heart of God when He sees Christ in your life and in the life of believers with whom you gather and live.

Now read Colossians 3:11-15 again.

Reflection: Learn by heart what you should wear and ask the Lord to help you to display these characteristics.

Col 3:16-17 | Do All in the Name of the Lord Jesus

16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms [and] hymns [and] spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

V16. The “peace of Christ” (verse 15) is here followed by the “word of Christ” which is the Word of God. In this Word everything speaks of Christ. The Word of God is also the Word of Christ. He gave it. He is the source of it. As the exalted Christ, He gives you the necessary instructions for the way, through His Word. The voice of the Word of God is the voice of Christ. As you have seen so many times in this letter, all the focus is on Him again.

The whole Word of God as the Word of Christ must dwell in you and indeed richly. “Dwell” means that the Word of Christ feels at home with you, that there are no things in your life that conflict with the Word. “Richly” means that your heart and mind are full of it so that your conversation with believers and unbelievers is dominated by it. You have to not only know the Word but you must apply it to everything that you face in life.

You cannot keep the Word to yourself. If you are full of something and even overflowing of it you want to share it with others. The big question however is whether you have something that you can share with others. If you are filled with other things then those are the things you would like to tell others of. “For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart” (Mt 12:34). Christians are known in their interactions with one another because they share with one another the things of Christ.

In their day to day life and in their assembling together they are in a position to teach each other what is the will of God. If necessary it can also be an admonition. However this should be done “with all wisdom” and not with emotional agitation. Otherwise this will cause to pull down rather than build up.

Another remarkable instrument for teaching and admonishing is singing. It points to the lovely way in which we may point one another to Christ. By the singing of a song, the voice of Christ is heard more than when one attempts to teach another about God tactlessly or with a raised voice. The voice of Christ will be heard when your heart is filled with thankfulness.

Thankfulness is the room and the atmosphere in which singing takes place. This is brought to expression through singing and is the result of what thankfulness has done inwardly. In this frame of mind you can get into the presence of the triune God – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

If the word of Christ dwells in us, there will be constant praise in our hearts (Heb 13:15). This can manifest itself in various forms of songs:
1. “Psalms” are songs in which emotions are expressed by the psalmist when he went through certain experiences, especially suffering.
2. “Hymns” are more a response to Divine revelation. Admiration of God and the worship of the Lord Jesus are expressed in the hymns.
3. “Spiritual songs” are more, like a prayer, expressing a particular desire of the soul. It is the most general expression for the content of the song: it is about a spiritual topic.

The similarity among these song patterns is that they flow from having their roots in the Word. If the songs are good it is because they are from the Word. Only if the indwelling Word fills the heart, songs can be sung in the right spirit with grateful admiration and worship.

V17. Not only our singing must be to God, but “whatever you do” should be to the glory of God. All things, “whatever you do in word or deed”, includes any area of your life. Everything in your life should be under the rule of the Lord Jesus. It is not just about the fact that the Lord Jesus can give His approval to your actions. If you do something in His Name you must be convinced that it is His will. You then act only on His authority.

You can certainly have a desire to do something for the Lord but what is important is that you do what the Lord expects from you. You don’t need to think of doing a big work or a sermon before a large crowd. It is all about the day to day things like friendly actions or an encouraging word. Only do it when you can do it “in the name of the Lord Jesus”. When it cannot be done in the Name of the Lord then you should not do it.

One of the indicators that you are in agreement with the Lord in word or deed is that you are able to giving thanks to the Father. Again the emphasis is on giving thanks (Col 1:3,12; 2:7; 3:15,17; 4:2). You can only do that if you are sure that He is with you in the way you are going. Then you will not ask Him to go with you in the way you think is right – you ask Him which way He wants you to go.

Giving thanks happens here “through Him”. Our giving thanks to God the Father always finds its reason in the Son He gave, and in all things given to us in the Son. You will find how the whole practice of life is related to the Father and the Son. This raises your daily life to quite a high level!

Now read Colossians 3:16-17 again.

Reflection: Does the Word of Christ dwell in you richly?

Col 3:18-25 | Wives – Husbands – Children – Slaves

18 Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them. 20 Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart. 22 Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who [merely] please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. 25 For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality.

V18. Subsequently Paul mentions certain areas in which your daily life and the relationships in which you are placed take place. After the plea not to dwell on things that are on earth you could think that all the earthly things are no longer important. But all the great truths which have to do with your relationship to Christ do not undermine the earthly relationships. On the contrary, these relationships are there so that you show what you have become in Christ.

You cannot live in this world without any relationship with your fellow human beings. In these social contacts you experience the most trials and temptations. It is God’s will that after your conversion you let the light of heaven shine forth in the circle of your old friends and acquaintances. Your conversion does not change anything in your marriage, or in your family situation, or your position in society. What has changed is yourself.

In each of these relationships there are two parties: husband and wife, parents and children, employers and employees. Each is addressed according to one’s vulnerability. The word is always first addressed to the subjected party who is also always brought in relation with the Lord. The relationship with the Lord lifts the position of subjection to a higher level.

The first relationship in which both the parties receive a responsibility is marriage. This bulwark of the good is attacked violently everywhere in the world. It is always necessary to understand God’s original plan, not to be carried away by the world’s view of marriage. In a marriage, two different sexes are interconnected. In the light of the Word of God the suggestion of a marriage between people of the same sex cannot be approved and must not even be considered, but must be rejected right away.

The “wives” are instructed to acknowledge their husbands as the head, and should be subject to them. Subjection is the acknowledgment of the order established by God. This attitude is appropriate and it redounds to her honor. She gets the strength for this from the Lord. If she subjects herself to the authority of her husband she acknowledges the authority of the Lord.

In our age of emancipation and feminism, to be subject is not made easy for her. Women who are conscious of their relationship with Christ are not disturbed by this and they are able to swim against the tide. They can learn from Him what subjection is, for His life on earth is the model of subjection to God.

V19. Husbands are given instructions about some positive and some negative things. The positive for a husband is to love his wife. Here it does not state that he should wait for a certain feeling or a certain act of his wife to reciprocate his love. There is no excuse to evade this obligation to love his wife.

Husbands can learn love from Christ. They can see His caring love, which is sacrificial and unselfish. When husbands treat their wives like that many marital problems can be solved. It is also easy for a wife to be subject to such a husband.

The negative is the admonition not to be embittered against her. This will keep the husband from being moody, ruthless and hard against her. The latter is certainly a danger if the wife is not converted and is constantly doing things that provoke him to those reactions. It does not say that he should subdue his wife or to constrain her to obey him.

V20. Children should obey their parents, not just in things they deem useful or desirable but “in all things”. They must learn to listen and be prepared to follow instructions from the parents. Children are not the highest authority and cannot determine to what extent they have to obey their parents. The Lord Jesus on the earth is the model for children also (Lk 2:51).

V21. In this passage the family is held together by two principles: authority and obedience. After obedience which is expected from children, now comes authority. This word is not addressed to the parents, what might be expected, but to the fathers. They are primarily responsible for education.

Here the fathers are warned not to abuse or use their authority irresponsibly. This happens by inappropriate and even unfair treatment. It appears the apostle points to a constantly inappropriate or unfair correction for the slightest reason.

Fathers have the great model in God the Father. From God they learn that God never treats His children in such a way that they lose heart or feel rejected. If a child receives constant comments, the impression is created that he is always doing everything wrong. It will become despondent and lose all motivation. Believing fathers should avoid this carefully and absolutely.

How sad it would be if a child rejected the truth of God because of an overly strict father. When a father gives a distorted image of God the Father, the child no longer wants God. Certainly a child needs correction and discipline. If need arises for punishment the following three basic rules must be observed: never punish in anger; never punish unjustly; never punish without an explanation.

Parents can alienate their children from God in another way. Many parents say full of sadness about their delinquent son or daughter: “While your servant was busy here and there, he was gone” (1Kgs 20:40). They used their time for everything except for their children. They were left to their fate, perhaps not without care but without attention. Lack of attention will make the child depressed and make it go its own way but not the way of the Lord.

V22. The word for slaves is the same as for the children. Obedience is expected from them in all things. The faithful slave is not governed by the eye of his master but by the fear (reverence) for the Lord.

“With external service” means that you are working hard when the boss is after you; but once he disappears from the scene you relax again or you do things for yourself. As a Christian slave (Christian employee) you should really serve whether or not your earthly master (employer) is watching because the Lord in heaven is always watching. Nothing escapes His eyes.

This awareness might cause you to do your best and then you will not fall out of favor with the Lord. This however is not mentioned here, but it points to the attitude of the heart. “Sincerity of heart” is the attitude of a heart that is free from base motives and in which integrity and unambiguity are present (1Chr 29:17). This is in contrast to hypocrisy. The Lord Jesus on earth is the model for the slave also.

V23. The slave is expected to perform all his duties with all his energy. It is expected that he wholeheartedly does what is commanded of him. This means that he is fully committed to any work, pleasant or unpleasant. The secret behind it is that he works as though the Lord is the Employer.

Paul always focuses the eyes of the slave on the Lord. If pleasing the Lord is above all your work, you will fulfill your responsibility in the power He gives. You will not be rewarded in heaven for the number of people who enjoyed your service or for the success you had or for your talents but for your faithfulness.

V24. And do you know what the reward is? In those days the slaves knew it well: the inheritance. By saying “knowing”, Paul seems to be connecting to the teaching they received earlier. He reminds them. They should always think of it when they do their work. The slave who serves well to the honor of Christ will receive his reward in a place where nothing that he did for the honor of Christ will be forgotten. In this place slaves and masters stand alone before Him Who is no respecter of persons. The slave is always conscious of what is in the future. This is the motive for him to do all his work faithfully.

Here on earth a master will never share his inheritance with his slave. In the future the slaves will have a share in the inheritance of the Lord Whom they serve now. Such a great reward is waiting for them because they serve the Lord Jesus. It is an inheritance which at the same time is also seen as a reward. Our feeble attempts to serve the Lord will be rewarded with a reward that far exceeds all parameters. What a Lord we serve!

V25. After all the encouragement the slave receives, there is also a warning. A slave gets no preferential treatment for any unfortunate situations. He is also not specially rewarded because he went through severe afflictions. He indeed gets a special warning because the flesh can be at work in him like in any other person. He can do something to wrong his master by discrediting him, with the aim that it gives him an advantage in which he sees profit for himself. Therefore he needs to know that God is no respecter of persons.

If the injustice is not detected on the earth it will surely appear before the judgment seat of Christ (2Cor 5:10). The slave will discover that this will have a negative influence on his inheritance. Unfaithfulness will bring a corresponding loss of reward. The point is that the Lord will be able to say: “Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things” (Mt 25:21). Here you also see that for everyone who serves the Lord Jesus as a slave, even if the service is considered great, it is still only a little that has been entrusted to him.

You notice that Paul does not speak about how a slave can be free. When you serve such a Lord and have such a reward in view, the question is if you want to! Christendom does not change social structures, but people. And these changed people in their unchanged circumstances can be tremendous witnesses of the change (Tit 2:9-10). They serve a Person Who delivered them from a much more severe slavery: the slavery to sin (Rom 6:17).

Now read Colossians 3:19-25 again.

Reflection: In what respect does this passage touch you? What can you do to be more in tune in your practice with what it says here?

Colossians 4

Col 4:1-5 | Masters, Prayer, Walk

1 Masters, grant to your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven. 2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with [an attitude of] thanksgiving; 3 praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; 4 that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak. 5 Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.

V1. The previous verses were addressed to the slaves. Now we read a word to the masters. Paul has no purpose to negotiate in order to set the slaves free, but calls upon the masters to give them an appropriate reward. The emphasis is not on favor but on justice.

The reward must be just means that an equal reward should be given to all-in case of equal performance. This excludes favoritism. Fairness means the amount of reward must be based on a correct appreciation of the service provided. Every Christian employer must always ask what is appropriate. He must be conscious of the fact that he too has a Master in heaven Who will mete out to him according as he measured.

All previous instructions can be followed only by God’s children. Marital problems and family disputes must not arise in the families of believers. As Christian employees you should not seek the redress of grievances from a labor union. A Christian employer need not be pressurized to give his workers what they demand. In all these relationships a Christian must show that he is related to Christ. Thus he is in a position to unfold the characteristics of the new man in an old creation. Thus he walks worthy of the Lord (Col 1:10). And is this not the reason why we have received this letter?

V2. After addressing several groups in a special way the apostle now turns again to all Christians. He speaks to them about topics that apply to every member of God’s people, whether man or woman, parent or child, slave or master.

He begins with prayer to which he encourages to devote themselves. To devote yourself to prayer does not mean that you pray now and then or if you have a hard time. Anyone can call out to God if he is in distress. Whoever devotes himself to prayer remains in fellowship with God and is always conscious of his dependence on Him. You stay close to Him in prayer and trust in His willingness to listen to you.

When something goes wrong in your life you discover that it is very often because you did not devote yourself to prayer. Or you have indeed prayed but you didn’t keep alert in it (Mt 26:41). This means that you ensure that you do not fall asleep during prayer time and do not allow your thoughts to wander in all directions. Your prayer would then no longer be effective and when you say ‘amen’ you do not know what you prayed for.

If you devote yourself to prayer, keeping alert in it, you are conscious that God is at work and that He will never leave you. Therefore your prayer can always be with thanksgiving. Prayer and thanksgiving go together. Thanksgiving is not just for answered prayers. You can thank the Lord because everything you speak to Him about is in good hands with Him.

V3. If you pray and are also watchful you will be totally committed to the Lord’s work. This is what Paul means when he asks that people pray for him and for his co-workers. Exactly like Paul, anyone who serves God needs the prayer support of others. Paul asks the Colossians to pray for an open door. By this he means not the door of the prison, but an open door for the Word. Open doors are opportunities God gives to preach (1Cor 16:9; 2Cor 2:12). How grateful the Colossians will be that the Word of God came to them (Col 1:5-6). Surely the call for prayer will have found an echo in them.

Just think about what you have received because someone brought you the Word. This should encourage you to pray that others will hear this liberating and rich Word. You will pray that God gives His slaves opportunities to preach His Word.

People are not waiting to hear a sermon with this content. This is what Paul also experienced. Talking about the mystery brought him to imprisonment. This makes it clear that the mystery was not revealed only during his imprisonment, but already before. Some proclaim the error that the mystery only was revealed during his imprisonment, but don’t be fooled. It’s not the place here to elaborate on that, but its good that you know this. By now you have well understood from the letter to the Ephesians and this letter what the mystery is.

V4. Paul lived and suffered to proclaim this mystery and asked for intercession. He asks for prayer not only for the free flow of the message but also for clarity and boldness. He did not want to draw attention to himself with a profound sermon which would go over their heads. He sought no human gratification. The Word of God is clear and simple. Let us pray that all those who minister through preaching the Word of God do it in plain and simple language which can be understood easily by all. Only then hearts and consciences can be reached and they will open themselves to the riches of the Word.

V5. After encouraging them to pray and intercede, Paul now talks about the walk of the Colossians. It is important that what you ask for in prayer is not undone by repulsive behavior. The unbelievers around you stand outside the circle of Christians. They are the ones who are called outsiders (1Cor 5:12-13; 1Thes 4:12; 1Tim 3:7). They belong to the world and they are not connected to the Lord Jesus, but they are still keen observers.

Added to that, the world is hostile to Christians, so do not let the often seemingly friendly face of the world cheat you. In fact it so quickly takes offence at what you do, even though you do not have any intention to hurt. So make sure that you avoid any possible occasion that the unbeliever could use to discredit your being a Christian. Wisdom is to fear the Lord and turn away from evil (Pro 9:10; 14:16) and even from every form of evil (1Thes 5:22).

In the first part of verse 5 you saw that your walk as a Christian in the world has to be with wisdom. Then you escape from all kinds of pitfalls and avoid wrong impressions. But that is not the only thing where we can see wisdom. If that were so, wisdom would cause a negative attitude. You escape from this by doing the second part of this verse.

There it is said that you can make positive use of wisdom by “making the most of the opportunity”, literally “redeeming the time”. That means that you make the maximum profit out of every opportunity the Lord gives. This has to do with the highest market value of something, in this case of time. This is in contrast to squandering or wasting your time and thereby doing little for God.

You come into contact with people every day. These are generally people who are preoccupied with their own affairs and evade serious issues of life. Such an attitude gives the Christian little opportunity to present to them the grace and truth of the gospel. He will however take the opportunities God gives to speak about the gospel.

Sometimes an unbeliever reveals something of himself, and if we are good listeners, we will notice that God in the unbeliever‘s life has spoken to his conscience. That can happen by a certain event or by something that he has read. Satan can mislead a man but he cannot prevent that God speaks to his heart. It is nice to know that God wants to use you as His voice to speak to lost sinners.

You do not have wisdom yourself. You may ask for it (Jam 1:5). In the context of this letter it is nice to see that you can find all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Christ (Col 2:3). If you keep occupied with Him you will see what wisdom is and you will know how to apply it. Wisdom is already dealt with in connection with your dealing with fellow believers (Col 3:16). Here your view is directed to wisdom with regard to your contact with unbelievers. So you can see that God wants to equip you with all wisdom in all circumstances and for each contact.

Now read Colossians 4:1-5 again.

Reflection: What believers who bring the Word of God you are praying for? Do you pray also that they really bring the Word of God?

Col 4:6-9 | Word, Comfort, Encouragement

6 Let your speech always be with grace, [as though] seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. 7 As to all my affairs, Tychicus, [our] beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord, will bring you information. 8 [For] I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts; 9 and with him Onesimus, [our] faithful and beloved brother, who is one of your [number]. They will inform you about the whole situation here.

V6. Walk in wisdom is about your behavior. “Let your speech always be with grace, [as though] seasoned with salt”, is about what you speak. The kind of words and the content of your speech should express that you yourself have received grace. The grace in you will resonate with your words. Your listeners will hear an invitation to accept the grace in order to be among those who are inside, and no longer belong to the outsiders.

With grace means that your speech is friendly and gentle. It must be seasoned with salt. This prevents you from just babbling or having irritation hidden in your words (Ecc 12:10; Isa 50:4; Pro 15:23). It also prevents to use popular speech expressions to attract those who are outside. This takes you down to the level of the world but it will not attract unbelievers. They will regard you as one of their own, rather than your words inviting them to say good-bye to the world and become a Christian.

Salt is an agent that prevents spoilage. Where salt is, there is no spoilage. This is what your words should be. On the one side your words must be an invitation in an expression of grace and on the other side they must be inaccessible to the corruption of the world.

Your words can be seen here as a response to what others say and do. This is what is referred to by the term “respond”. The point is not to react to everything. Do not think that you are obliged to give your opinion on everything. Silence can be a wise response. Also, you do not have the right answer for all things. Sometimes it is wise to say that you do not know the answer for something. This is also a response. Often it is wise to say that you do not have the right words for a particular situation because you have not gone through similar situations.

Therefore it is not said here that you will know what you should respond, but how you should respond. This means a proper language by which the questioner gets a proper answer (1Pet 3:15). Everyone is different, therefor the right answer is different for everyone. No pattern answer can be used for all people in all circumstances (cf. 1Cor 9:22).

V7. After this general admonition Paul begins the final words of his letter. They contain some information about his own circumstances, and then he refers to certain individuals by name. He wants to let them know how he was doing and would also like to know how they were doing. Tychicus carries Paul’s wishes. What he says of Tychicus should be able to be said of every believer.

“Beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord” are titles more valuable than all sorts of theological and scientific titles people can give or get. Those titles say something about someone’s intellect but they say nothing about one’s love, spiritual attitude, willingness to serve or ability.

V8. Because these titles are used in connection with the Lord, “in the Lord”, this means that Tychicus shows the Lord Jesus in his dealings with the fellow believers. The Colossians must acknowledge this to their joy when he goes to them. He will tell them of the circumstances of Paul and Timothy. Paul’s purpose is not to evoke more compassion with him. He shares information not for his own sake but for the benefit of the Colossians. They in fact were worried about Paul. But now the information passed on by Tychicus will relieve them of their anxiety and they will be encouraged.

V9. One more person will go with Tychicus and that is Onesimus. Thus the information about Paul’s situation will remove all anxieties and encourage them. Onesimus was also a Colossian, “one of your [number]”. Paul’s warm recommendation of this runaway slave (see the letter to Philemon) shows his confidence in him. At the same time the apostle trusts that he would be helpful to the Colossians.

By the way, Onesimus must go back to Philemon and has with him the letter to Philemon that we also have in the Bible. However Paul does not mention anything about it here. The sin of Onesimus is a private matter between him and Philemon. Paul knows how to separate things that should be handled differently.

Onesimus was converted through the ministry of Paul during his imprisonment (Phlm 1:10). He therefore had first-hand knowledge of Paul’s circumstances. With his testimony, therefore, he could support Tychicus when he shared the information. Thus, he is directly employed in the service of the Lord.

Now read Colossians 4:6-9 again.

Reflection: How can you be a witness in accordance with this passage?

Col 4:10-18 | Greetings

10 Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also Barnabas’s cousin Mark (about whom you received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him); 11 and [also] Jesus who is called Justus; these are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be an encouragement to me. 12 Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis. 14 Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and [also] Demas. 15 Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house. 16 When this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter [that is coming] from Laodicea. 17 Say to Archippus, “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.” 18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my imprisonment. Grace be with you.

Paul asked Tychicus to let the Colossians know how he was doing. Now he greets the Colossians on behalf of the believers who asked to him to do so. There are six in total. Three of them are of Jewish descent (“of the circumcision”) and the other three are non-Jewish. The conveying of greetings shows that these brothers are connected to the Colossians, just as Paul is, and that they also shared his concern for them. That Paul conveys their greetings is proof that they supported his work. Greetings therefore are much more than just a formality. Whoever sends greetings shows that there is a connection between him and the ones to whom he sends the greetings. This also shows the appreciation of the connection.

V10. Paul appreciates each servant who worked with him. He calls Aristarchus “my fellow prisoner”. He was with Paul on the ship that brought him as a prisoner to Rome (Acts 27:2). It was an encouragement to Paul to have this man as his companion in his difficult circumstances (verse 11). It is really an encouragement if someone comes to you when you are in trouble, just to be with you.

Paul also has a special relationship with Mark. This Mark is “Barnabas’s cousin”. Paul does not say that for no reason. Mark, in fact, was once the cause of separation between Paul and Barnabas. When you read the passages wherever Mark appears in the Acts, you can reconstruct the story (Acts 12:12,25; 13:13; 15:37-39).

Paul was not willing to take Mark on the journey he wanted to make with Barnabas. Mark travelled with him on a previous occasion, but gave up at a certain point. You must be able to rely on  fellow workers. Barnabas felt the earlier failure of Mark was no reason not to take him along. Now the possible reason Barnabas chose Mark is given: it is his cousin.

In the meantime a change must have taken place in Mark, perhaps because of the pastoral care of Barnabas. Now Paul regarded Mark helpful in his ministry (2Tim 4:11). He already informed the Colossians about Mark and instructed them to accept him.

V11. In all the letters of Paul, it is only here that we come across the name Jesus, Justus. Jesus was a common name in those days. Even today this name is common in some countries. People rather called him Justus as he and his fellow Christians probably thought that it was not right to have the same name as the Son of God.

It is quite possible that these three men, before they came to faith in the Lord Jesus, had a different expectation of the kingdom of God. If they were devout Jews they would have expected that the Messiah established His kingdom in glory. Now after their conversion they would have understood that the kingdom of God was not yet publicly visible, and what the kingdom in its present form meant (Rom 14:17). Their fellowship for the kingdom of God meant to Paul an encouragement, or comfort. [The meaning of the Greek word is comfort, solace (relief); consolation that alleviates by bringing soothing relief, taking away unnecessary pain and discomfort (source: Bible Hub Word-studies)].

V12. Epaphras also greets the Colossians. Paul calls Epaphras “a bondslave of Jesus Christ”, a term he usually used only for himself and Timothy. This tells us something about the spiritual attitude of this faithful servant. He is a preacher of the Word (Col 1:7), but Paul also knows him as a praying man and knows how this man prays. Paul must have heard more often how insistently Epaphras brought his prayer before the throne of grace. Whenever he heard Epaphras pray he sensed a struggle, a wrestling, in that prayer. Paul is so impressed that he mentions it to the Colossians.

Epaphras prayed for three things. The first one is that they “may stand”. This letter teaches that only if they stand firm in the truth they can face any kind of false teaching. Further he prayed that they might be “perfect” which again means spiritual maturity. Then they will walk in the truth they had come to know. Finally they should be “fully assured in all the will of God” showing at the same time how foolish and worthless are the promises of false teachers. Paul also heard that element in his prayer.

V13. To all his appreciation for Epaphras Paul adds a further testimony. He says: “I testify for him.” Even if the Colossians were not aware of it Paul knew about all the hard work that Epaphras took upon himself. The words “deep concern” denote a work one does with dedication and with all his strength. Besides the believers in Colossae, Epaphras also had the believers in Laodicea and Hierapolis close to his heart.

V14. The Colossians also received greetings from Luke. The additional word “beloved physician” refers to the loving medical care Paul received from him. The Lord had not taken away the thorn in his flesh (2Cor 12:7-9). However God gave him Luke who could ease his pain and who remained with him till the end (2Tim 4:11). It is also an indication not to let yourself be influenced by all the fuss made of prayer healing.

Demas closes the list. They receive greetings from him also. Here Paul mentions only his name. In the letter to Philemon he is placed in the band of fellow workers (Phlm 1:23-24). Unfortunately Demas later swapped the companionship of Paul for the world (2Tim 4:10).

V15. Then Paul asks the Colossians to relay his greetings to the “brethren who are in Laodicea”. Even the believers who gather as a church in the house of Nympha were greeted. Since the church in Laodicea had already received greetings, it is not inconceivable that the church in the house of Nympha is that of Hierapolis (verse 13). Neither of these places received any letter from Paul, or else he would not have asked the Colossians to greet them. His greetings to them prove that he has not forgotten them. Moreover we find here a proof of the fellowship that existed between these two churches which were so close together.

V16. Another proof of the connection that existed between these two local churches is the reason for the instruction of Paul to have this letter to the Colossians also read in the church in Laodicea. The Colossians also should read another letter that Paul had written, which was in Laodicea (this letter could be the letter to the Ephesians circulating among all the churches and it was now in Laodicea). Paul wrote more letters than the ones we have in the Bible. Anyway, by the reading each other’s letters, they could edify each other in faith and mutually rejoice in the spiritual privileges bestowed upon them.

V17. Paul addressed the entire church in Colossae, but he did not forget the individual. The church receives the instruction to motivate Archippus not to neglect the ministry which he had received in the Lord, but to fulfill it (2Tim 4:5). With the words “take heed to” Paul points out the danger of inattention that causes a person not to perform the task he or she has been given. If that happens, then that is to the detriment of the whole church. Therefore all those who form the church should motivate one another to perform the tasks entrusted to them.

This fully applies to you. You have also received a ministry; something that you must do for the Lord. To do something for the Lord also means that you should do something for your fellow believers or to take the gospel to the unbelievers. “In the Lord” means that it is about your walk with the Lord and about the acknowledgment of His authority in your service. A good start is not necessarily a good end. “Fulfill” means that you bring your work to completion and do not give up halfway.

V18. Paul ends with his own greeting. He adds a request for himself and closes with a wish for the Colossians. He writes his greeting with his own hand. The letter itself he seems to have dictated (Rom 16:22). With this handwritten greeting, the apostle confirms that the letter is really from him (2Thes 3:17; 1Cor 16:21).

By his request to remember his imprisonment he not only expresses that he is in need of their intercession, but it is also an additional motivation to obey and to listen to what he has written about the cause of his imprisonment. If they had to suffer for the confession of the truth, his example would serve to encourage them. He suffered for the same cause. He wishes them grace to live according to the content of this letter. This wish applies to you also.

Now read Colossians 4:10-18 again.

Reflection: Examine what you can learn from the people mentioned here and what you can apply to your life of faith.

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