Disarmed!
Read: Colossians 2:13-15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. (v. 15) By now it has become clear that dealing with spiritual powers was high on Paul’s agenda in writing this letter. Colossae looks to have been a hot bed of pagan spirituality and […]
Buried in Baptism
Read: Colossians 2:11-12 . . . having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised. (v. 12) As part of his efforts to assure the Colossians of the certainty of their faith in the face of those pedaling opposing messages, Paul next shifted to the core of Christian identity: baptism. For […]
All Authority
Read: Colossians 2:8-10 You have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. (v. 10) In yesterday’s reading, Paul warned about slick-talking philosophers who try to argue us out of our faith. He then goes on in verse 8 to connect that to what he called “the elemental spirits of […]
Empty Deceit
Read: Colossians 2:6-8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit. (v. 8) The philosophers I know don’t like Colossians 2:8. It seems to give their entire field a bad name. Like preachers, teachers, and lawyers, philosophers use words as their greatest tool. And they are good at it! […]
Standing Firm
Read: Colossians 2:4-5 I say this in order that no one may delude you. (v. 4) The gospel was not the only game in town. That was true everywhere in the ancient world. Across Paul’s thirteen letters, we see him again and again battling with false teachers. Some false teachers followed Paul around and would […]
Riches of Understanding
Read: Colossians 2:1-3 . . . to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ. (v. 2) Paul did not plant the church in Colossae and did not know those believers personally. We discovered earlier that it was a man name Epaphras who had brought […]
Mature
Read: Colossians 1:28-29 . . . that we may present everyone mature in Christ. (v. 28) Yesterday we reviewed a fact that we cannot rehearse often enough: Jesus did it all. We cannot add one single thing to our salvation. We cannot earn it. We cannot help it along. This is a gospel fact we […]
Rejoicing in Suffering
Read: Colossians 1:24-27 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake. (v. 24) Every once in a while the Bible causes us to say, “Huh?” That’s OK. Scripture is rich and deep. We should expect it will furrow our spiritual brows eventually. So in verse 24, Paul said he suffers for the sake of […]
Reconciled
Read: Colossians 1:21-23 He has now reconciled [you] in his body of flesh by his death. (v. 22) Paul told the Colossians that at one time they had been hostile to God. They had done “evil deeds.” Whoa! Seems a little harsh. Shouldn’t Paul save that kind of language for mass murderers and such? Were […]