The Epistle to the Colossians proclaimed Christ to be the supreme power over the entire universe, and urged Christians to lead godly lives
Paul warns the Colossians not to accept human speculation, regress to the religious perspectives common to fallen humanity, or return to the "domain of darkness" (cf. 1:13), whereas their original commitment is to Jesus the Lord and the truth of Christ.
Christ “wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us… having nailed it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14, NKJ). In his crucifixion, Christ symbolically nailed our note of debt to his cross because his sacrifice paid our debts.
Colossae (/kəˈlossi
/; Greek: Κολοσσαί) was an ancient city of Phrygia in Asia Minor, and one of the most celebrated cities of southern Anatolia (modern Turkey).
How do we walk worthy of our calling?
When you sincerely seek to please God in all you do and when you honor Him by how you do your work and live your life, you are walking worthy of your calling and living a life of significance.
In this chapter, Paul refers to particular things that the false teachers taught. Also, he explains why Christ is superior.
Verse 1 Laodicea was a town about 16 kilometers (10 miles) west of Colossae. Paul wrote to the Christians who lived in each of these towns (4:16). You can read Jesus’ warning to the church that was at Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-22.
Verses 2-3 Paul wanted each Christian to be mature (1:28). But he also wanted each church to be mature. In 1:4, Paul had already praised the Christians at Colossae because they loved other Christians. This united them. They also needed to know and to believe the complete truth about Christ. They did not need the secret knowledge and wisdom that the false teachers had. Christ gives to Christians all that they need. This should encourage them, as they trust Christ.
Verse 4 When a person knows the truth, he will recognize lies. And he will recognize anything that is false. The false teachers were clever in the way that they discussed things. They could reason well. They wanted to persuade people. They wanted people to believe them. Therefore, the Christians at Colossae had to know more truth about Christ. Then they could recognize what was false.
Verse 5 ‘My spirit is with you.’ This means that Paul greatly cared about the Christians. And he prayed for them. He praised them because they still believed the truth. ‘Discipline’ and ‘firm’ are words that soldiers use. In Ephesians 6:10-18, Paul described how Christians are like soldiers.
They oppose *Satan. Jesus said that *Satan lies (John 8:44). Christians oppose lies when they know the truth.
v6 You have accepted Jesus Christ as your *Lord. So, you must continue to live with him in your lives. v7 You have put your roots deep into Christ. Build your life on Christ. Someone taught you the truth about him. So be strong, as you believe the truth. Continue to thank God for what he has done for you by Christ.
Verse 6 The Colossians had started their Christian life in the right way. Jesus was the master of their lives. Paul did not want them now to follow false teachers instead of Christ.
Verse 7 Paul used pictures in his language in this verse. A tree grows roots that fix it into the ground. You cannot pull up the tree. It is strong. The storms cannot blow it over. When people become Christians, they fix their lives into Christ. People build a house on a strong, level base. That house will not fall down. A Christian who trusts and obeys Christ will be strong. Jesus taught this in Matthew 7:24-27. Epaphras taught the Colossians about Christ (1:7). So Paul urged them to continue to believe the truth.
Christians should be grateful to God for all that he has done by Christ. Then they will always praise God. In the *Greek language, ‘continue to thank God’ means that the words should flow out.
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