colossians 3:2 commentary

That which is hidden is concealed; the world cannot recognize the Christian. To the former the Holy Ghost could launch out into the fulness of our blessing in Christ. Surely union with Him in His death will lead us to die to the world which is alien to us, and to live in aspiration, thought, desire, love, and obedience with Him in His calm abode, whence He rules and blesses the souls whom, through their faith, He has made to live the new life of heaven on earth. And as she says, "Well, honey, whatever you want." "Beware," says he, "lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." Lit., be minded, think. He is dead with Christ; consequently he has passed out of the sphere to which such dealings apply. Our Lord says that as He was "from above," so His disbelieving hearers were "from beneath," which He interprets as "of this world" ( John 8:23 ). Therefore he might well press, "If ye continue. Now. Nevertheless, he lets the Colossians know what he went through for their sakes and other saints who were before his heart, even though unknown in the flesh. And what was to be done? But there is always a problem in the relationship of parent and child. Make sure that we're not making unreasonable demands upon them, taking away their humanness, causing discouragement. Although there were difficulties and hindrances, how much, he feels, there is for which to praise our God and Father: "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet" (and observe well, it is not merely for the certainty that He will, but in the peaceful assurance that He has made us meet) "to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light." Human words fail to add to such a thought. It is used of wine which has grown mellow with age and lost its harshness. Is it all we want to draw from Him? The apostle exhorts us to set our hearts upon heaven and take them off from this world, ver 1-4. Thus the most perfect harmony reigns between all the apostles; but Paul was emphatically minister of the gospel, and minister of the church. Here he gives prominence, it is true, to their being "brethren." But the actual result demonstrated beyond doubt that never before Was witnessed such hearty, universal, and causeless hatred as against Jesus the Son of God. Scripture must not be sacrificed rudely to our seeming comfort. The apostle in like manner in the next verse opposes the "things above" to . If a man does not own Him to be Lord, he is nothing whatever; but one may bow to Him as Lord, and yet be painfully insensible to the higher glory of His person, and to the depths of His grace. It is not, as in the Ephesian epistle, the riches of the glory of God's inheritance in the saints, but closely resembles a comparatively lower line of things which comes before us in the first epistle of Peter. So to the church he says, "I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church: whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation [or stewardship] of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God. ], "The Christian has to keep his feet upon the earth, but his head in the heavens. This new creation is a continual renewal. They shall make known unto you all things which are done here.". The Colossians from their dabbling with tradition and philosophy were in danger on this side. Paul narrowed himself to no local ties, nor should we allow such a thing for an instant. Christ will appear again. Thus we should hold Him fast, not only in other respects, but in this special relation of "Head.". The slave and the free man came together in the Church. "Watch in the same with thanksgiving; withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak." Everything which could break the heart of a holy man from day to day he passed through. Josephus uses it as a description of Isaac, the man who dug wells and gave them to others because he would not fight about them ( Genesis 26:17-25). It was neither a gospel contributed, nor a sublime series of prophetic visions. There are many portions of the scriptures that do not by any means suit or suppose the estate and path of the Christian. "Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding the head." If the parent is too easy-going, the child will grow up indisciplined and unfit to face life. "Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving." This is the reason why at each grave juncture you will find that ritualists will as a rule support rationalists, and rationalists will try to extenuate the proceedings of ritualists. It was his confidence in their love; and this is shown not merely in his desire to hear about them, but in the conviction that they would like to hear about him. Christianity never in this world offers escape from hard work; it makes a man able to work still harder. CHRIST OUR LIFE ( Colossians 3:1-4 continued). Colossians 3:1. The wrath of God is simply the rule of the universe that a man will sow what he reaps and that no one ever escapes the consequences of his sin. It appears to me then that, in writing to the Colossians, the terms employed by the Spirit of God afford clear evidence that their souls at Colosse rested on by no means the same firm and lofty ground as that which the epistle to the Ephesians contemplates; and the apostle consequently could not appeal in their case to the same mighty motives which at once rose, by the Holy Ghost's inspiration, in the apostle's heart in writing the kindred epistle. God has a treasureusand He hides it in Christ.We are part of the body of Christ. Mark and Luke, although they were not apostles, were surely prophets. Here we come not merely to that which is displayed in the forms of the corruption that goes on through things or persons outside us, as it were, but by inner feelings of violence: "But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth." Second, we should continually "set" our minds on the things of heaven (our spiritual blessings and hope, our Saviors desires, etc.) ", Space was left: a revelation was yet lacking. The Colossians, insignificant ex-pagans from a third-rate country town, will be seen in a glory which, if it were now to appear, one might be tempted to worship." (Wright) 2. But it is not so. It becomes something which is entered into not merely for the convenience of the husband, but in order that both husband and wife may find a new joy and a new completeness in each other. Thus baptism is not limited to signifying death. He who does wrong will be paid back for the wrong that he has done, and there is no respect of persons. Moreover, worldly lusts, the members which are on the earth, earthly pleasures that are sinful, may be here meant. Thus it matters not what part of Ephesians is looked at. How can that be? Now comes the positive character to be borne) "Put on, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved." Judge these same things, and they may become of some account to the glory of God. The uncultured and the cultured came together in the Christian Church. You're called to serve Him. He must not be the kind of servant, who, as C. F. D. Moule puts it, does not dust behind the ornaments or sweep below the wardrobe. We must note carefully what Paul means by that. Such a desire, says Paul, is idolatry. Can we speak it, remembering that he will hear?" We must make heaven our scope and aim, seek the favour of God above, keep up our communion with the upper world by faith, and hope, and holy love, and make it our constant care and business to secure our title to and qualifications for the heavenly bliss. Let us look briefly at each of these three spheres of human relationships. We must live such a life as Christ lived here on earth and lives now in heaven, according to our capacities. They were a people living in the world, and the whole system of Judaism supposed and dealt with a people in the world. Brethren, the Christ that God has made known to us is the Christ that man scorned, cast out and crucified. "And let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another." Yet He has absolute peace, never broken or ruffled for an instant. Yet there were men not wanting then that denied him to be an apostle. And you just went ahead and did it. For the Christian, Christ is his life. Bengel speaks of "the plague of youth, a broken spirit (Fractus animus pestis iuventutis)." The apostle exhorts us to set our hearts upon heaven and take them off from this world ( v. 1-4 ). There was no such thing as a code of working conditions. The most honoured servants of God invariably stir up the keenest opposition from man. Colossians 2:2-3 New International Version 2 My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. One of the earliest descriptions of a Church service we possess is that of Pliny, the Roman governor of Bithynia, who sent a report of the activities of the Christians to Trajan, the Roman Emperor, in which he said, "They meet at dawn to sing a hymn to Christ as God." But doing it as unto the Lord. We don't want them to goof off and get mediocre grades in school. he was minister of both. There is scarce anything more offensive than a child who looks, talks, and acts the old man. There is malice. He knows everything and feels everything. Nowadays to mortify the flesh means rather to practise ascetic discipline and self-denial. But still there is growth supposed. ", All the blessedness that Christ has procured is for those that believe; but this of course supposes that they hold Him fast. "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. And whatever you may be doing in word or in deed, do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Note, The prosperity of the soul is the best prosperity, and what we should be most solicitous about for ourselves and others. In the ancient world sexual relationships before marriage and outside marriage were the normal and accepted practice. And the husband, he feels so macho, "Hey, she's my little gal; she's trusting me to do the right thing." . There is no slovenliness here; no careless assumption that, because you are members of Christ's body, all else must be right, and may be left; for he who knew best the faithful love of Christ is none the less urgent individually with "every man." Then follows that which could be said of us alone. We very often evade the truth on which the New Testament insists, that a Christianity which does not change a man is most imperfect. Here this letter makes the change that Paul's letters always make; after the theology comes the ethical demand. You've risen with Christ. They needed to learn especially the vanity of all that man's mind delights in. In any home the tone of personal relationships must be dictated by the awareness that Jesus Christ is an unseen but ever-present guest. Now, again, my life is the reflection of what I am and what I believe. He must remember that he will receive his inheritance. It remains, however, that He is the first-born of all creation, because he is the Creator of all things, above or below, material or spiritual: "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible." from now on the Christian will see everything in the light and against the background of eternity. God knows that the greatest need that the woman has is to know that she is loved, that she is loved supremely. Trench calls this a lovely word for a lovely quality. "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing," urges he, "being fruitful in every good work." Nor is this all. Love heavenly things; studythem; let your hearts be entirely engrossedby them. The Holy Spirit brings in that which completely judges and sets aside all such speculations. People will say, "How is it that on Monday you can be so happy; you're whistling. 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