Posts Tagged ‘Colossians’

Remember my chains. Grace be with you.

Posted: July 9, 2012 by Pam Larson in Colossians, Devotionals/Commentaries, July
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Paul’s closing line in Colossians is “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.”

Sam Storms on Colossians 4:18

Paul in Chains….But why call on them to “remember” his “chains”? Certainly he’s not asking for pity. The last thing he wanted was for them to shift their focus from the sufficiency of Christ to the suffering of his servant. Still, it was important that they (and we) not forget where devotion to Jesus will often lead: to suffering, to loss of freedom, to oppression and the end of convenience and comfort, but never to despair!

I suspect that this request is his way of asking for their continued intercession on his behalf. He doesn’t explicitly ask that they pray he be released, but I’m certain he would have welcomed the opportunity to move about freely yet again and share the gospel in those regions where it had not been heard. In any case, he rejoices in his suffering (Colossians 1:24) and is faithful to redeem even this season of incarceration for the sake of the mystery of Christ (see Philippians 1:12-18).

Make no mistake, the chains were real, not figurative. Could the fact that Paul wrote only this one final verse be an indication that his hands were shackled and chafed, making any attempt to write particularly painful?

His words here remind me of his exhortation to young Timothy: “Do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God” (2 Timothy 1:8). And again, he commends Onesiphorus because “he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains” (2 Timothy 1:16).

Perhaps Paul was concerned lest the Colossians recoil in their commitment to him and above all to Christ because of the embarrassment his imprisonment might evoke. Few people talk openly (and proudly) about a friend or family member who is in jail! It’s not a topic for dinner parties or over coffee at Starbucks.

Paul knew the pressures they faced, the fear of rejection they felt, together with the appeal of riches and personal comfort that assaulted them on a daily basis. But they must resist the temptation to think that imprisonment for Christ’s sake is a disgrace. “Remember my chains! Rejoice in them! Redeem the pain they inflict for the greater glory of our Lord!”

And may the “grace [of God] be with you!” Let me remind you of Paul’s inaugural blessing in Colossians 1:2 – “Grace to you and peace from God our Father.” To make sense of what would otherwise appear as a simple, standard greeting, I cited the words of John Piper. I can do no better than to quote him again, and thus bring our meditations in this marvelous epistle to an end. At the beginning of his letters, writes Piper,

“Paul has in mind that the letter itself is a channel of God’s grace to the readers. Grace is about to flow ‘from God’ through Paul’s writing to the Christians. So he says, ‘Grace to you.’ That is, grace is now active and is about to flow from God through my inspired writing to you as you read – ‘grace [be] to you.’ But as the end of the letter approaches, Paul realizes that the reading is almost finished and the question rises, ‘What becomes of the grace that has been flowing to the readers through the reading of the inspired letter?’ He answers with a blessing at the end of every letter: ‘Grace [be] withyou.’ With you as you put the letter away and leave the church. With you as you go home to deal with a sick child and an unaffectionate spouse. With you as you go to work and face the temptations of anger and dishonesty and lust.With you as you muster courage to speak up for Christ over lunch. . . . [Thus] we learn that grace is ready to flow to us every time we take up the inspired Scriptures to read them. And we learn that grace will abide with us when we lay the Bible down and go about our daily living” (Future Grace, 66-67).

Grace be “with” you,

Sam

To read the rest of the commentary on Colossians 4, click here-

July 9 Colossians 4:10-18

Posted: July 9, 2012 by Pam Larson in Bible Passages, Colossians, July Bible Readings
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July 9

Colossians 4:10-18 (ESV)

10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him), 11 and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. 12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. 14 Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas. 15 Give my greetings to the brothers [1] at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. 16 And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. 17 And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.”

18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.

Piper: The God who loves to be asked for things

Posted: July 8, 2012 by Pam Larson in Colossians, Devotionals/Commentaries, July
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Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. Colossians 4:2

John Piper relates this story in a sermon, “Devote Yourselves to Prayer”

There is a story about D. L. Moody making a visit to Scotland in the 1800′s and opening one of his talks at a local grade school with the rhetorical question, What is prayer? To his amazement, hundreds of children’s hands went up. So he decided to call on a lad near the front, who promptly stood up and said, “Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, in the name of Christ, by the help of his Spirit, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies.” This is the answer to question #78 in the Westminster Catechism. To this Moody responded by saying, “Be thankful, son, that you were born in Scotland.”1

Be sure to notice the main thing: “Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God.” That is the main meaning of prayer. “With confession of sins” and ” with . . . thankful acknowledgment of his mercies” – these go along with these expressed desires. But the essence of prayer is the expression of our dependence on God through requests.

God Loves to Be Asked

Now think about this for a moment. God’s will is that we, his creatures, ask him for things. And it is not just his will, it is his delight. He loves to be asked for things. Proverbs 15:8 says, “The prayer of the upright is His delight.” He is so eager to hear prayers and respond to them that he says in Isaiah 65:24, “It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.” In fact, he takes special steps to see to it that he is constantly badgered. I say that reverently and, I think, truly on the basis of Isaiah 62:6-7 - “On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen; all day and all night they will never keep silent. You who remind the LORD, take no rest for yourselves; and give Him no rest until He establishes and makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.” So God loves being asked for things so much that he appoints people to “give him no rest” but to “remind the Lord” and “never [to] keep silent.”

Meditating on this is very encouraging to our faith and hope. This means that God, the Creator of the Universe, who holds our life in his hands and rules the world, is the kind of God who loves to be asked for things.

July 8 Colossians 4:1-9

Posted: July 8, 2012 by Pam Larson in Bible Passages, Colossians, July Bible Readings
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July 8

Colossians 4:1-9 (ESV)

4:1 Masters, treat your slaves [1] justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

Further Instructions

2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.

5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Final Greetings

7 Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant [2] in the Lord. 8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, 9 and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here.

July 7 Colossians 3:15-25

Posted: July 7, 2012 by Pam Larson in Bible Passages, Colossians, July Bible Readings
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July 7

Colossians 3:15-25 (ESV)

15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Rules for Christian Households

18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.22 Slaves, [1] obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, [2] not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.

Fight to become what you ARE

Posted: July 6, 2012 by Pam Larson in Colossians, Devotionals/Commentaries, July
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Colossians, where we are in our reading this week, highlights a tension we see repeatedly in the Bible….a statement of our newness, and yet a command to become new.  Which is it?

John Piper helps us understand in a Taste and See article, August 28, 2001,

What we have learned from Romans 6 and 7 is that when we trusted in Christ as our Savior and Lord (as our Treasure!), we were united to Christ (Romans 6:5; 7:4). In this union with Christ we died (Romans 6:8; Colossians 2:20; 3:3) and rose again (Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12; Ephesians 2:6). Therefore a decisive and irrevocable new creation came into being (2 Corinthians 5:17), and a decisive and irrevocable liberation happened (Romans 6:14, 18). We passed from death to (eternal!) life. Our decisive judgment is behind us – at Golgotha (John 5:24). We have moved from the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of God’s Son (Colossians 1:13).

But we also learned that our liberation from sin is not yet final and perfect. Decisive and irrevocable, Yes! But final and perfect, No! Sin still dwells within us (Romans 7:17, 20). Evil is present in us (Romans 7:21). The “flesh” is a daily troubler of our souls (Romans 7:25). We are not yet perfect nor have we already obtained our crown and prize (Philippians 3:12). We are liars if we say we have no sin (1 John 1:8, 10).

How then does the apostle Paul teach us to live? Will he say: “You are decisively and irrevocably new, so you can coast through life with no fight to become new”? Or will he say: “You are not decisively and irrevocably new and must fight to get to that place in Christ”? No, neither of these. He will say: “By faith, embrace all that God is for your good in Christ and all you are for his glory in Christ. Believe that. And now, with that confidence, fight to take possession of the territory that Christ has conquered for you. Fight to become in practice what you are in Christ.” Eight illustrations of this truth:

1. Statement of newness: Romans 6:14, “Sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” Command to become new: Romans 6:12, “Do not let sin reign in your mortal body.”

2. Statement of newness: Romans 6:18, “Having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” Command to become new: Romans 6:19, “Present your members as slaves to righteousness.”

3. Statement of newness: Romans 6:6, “Our old self was crucified with Him.” Command to become new: Romans 6:11, “Consider yourselves to be dead to sin.”

4. Statement of newness: Colossians 3:9, “You laid aside the old self with its evil practices.” Command to become new: Ephesians 4:22, “Lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit.”

5. Statement of newness: Colossians 3:10, “You have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.” Command to become new: Ephesians 4:24, “Put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”

6. Statement of newness: Galatians 3:27, “All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” Command to become new: Romans 13:14, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ.”

7. Statement of newness: Galatians 5:24, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Command to become new: Romans 13:14b, “Make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.”

8. Command to become new: 1 Corinthians 5:7a, “Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump [of dough].” Statement of newness: 1 Corinthians 5:7b, “. . . just as you are in fact unleavened.”

Fixed in newness and fighting to become new – with you,

Pastor John

Get out of the shadow

Posted: July 5, 2012 by Pam Larson in Colossians, Devotionals/Commentaries, July
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Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. —Colossians 2:16-17 ESV

Rules, rules and more rules. Paul says all these legalistic things are just shadow. A shadow is not reality but anticipates the arrival of somebody. That Somebody is here. We don’t need the shadow. We do not need to be content to live in the shadow of religion where fear lurks and inhibitions abound. Paul says, get out of the shadow, reality is here.

  • Why do we take rules about what to eat and drink so seriously when the  One foreshadowed by Israel’s manna is  the True Bread of Life?
  • How can the observance of a ritual ceremony like Passover (a shadow) be considered a means to spiritual perfection when our Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ has been sacrificed already to take away our sin?
  • Why should we demand obedience to the laws of the Jewish Sabbath (a shadow), when the Bringer of eternal rest has already granted that to us?

July 5 Colossians 2:16-23

Posted: July 5, 2012 by Pam Larson in Bible Passages, Colossians, July Bible Readings
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July 5

Colossians 2:16-23 (ESV)

Let No One Disqualify You

16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, [1] puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations—21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

Piper: What is Baptism, and How Important is It?

Posted: July 4, 2012 by Pam Larson in Colossians, Devotionals/Commentaries, July
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Colossians 2:12 “having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. “

John Piper, in a sermon, “What is Baptism, and How Important is It?”

Second, baptism “expresses union with Christ in His death and resurrection.” The clearest teaching on this is Romans 6:3-4.

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by  the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

In the wider context of Romans, I think it would be a mistake to say that water-baptism is the means of our being united to Christ. In Romans faith is the means by which we are united to Christ and justified. But we show this faith—we say this faith and signify this faith and symbolize this faith—with the act of baptism. Faith unites to Christ; baptism symbolizes the union.

wedding-ringsAn analogy would be saying, “With this ring I thee wed.” When we say that we don’t mean that the ring or the putting of the ring on the finger is what makes us married. No, it shows the covenant and symbolizes the covenant, but the covenant-making vows make the marriage. So it is with faith and baptism.

So similarly Paul is saying, “With this baptism you are united to Christ.” And the point we are focusing on here is that we are united to him in his death and burial and resurrection. “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” So the imagery of baptism is death, burial, and resurrection. Christ was buried and raised to new life.

In baptism, by faith, we are united with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection. Baptism dramatically portrays what happened spiritually when you received Christ: Your old self of unbelief and rebellion and idolatry died, and a new you of faith and submission and treasuring Christ came into being. That’s what you confess to the world and to heaven when you are baptized.

July 4 Colossians 2:8-15

Posted: July 4, 2012 by Pam Larson in Bible Passages, Colossians, July Bible Readings
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July 4

Colossians 2:8-15 (ESV)

8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits [1] of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities [2] and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. [3]

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