Thursday, March 6, 2008
The end of Colossians
Well, we will be done with Colossians this week. Do you guys have an idea for what you want to do next? Anything you really want to study? We could do a topical study if there is a specific topic you want to know more about. Let me know what you're thinking.
Live for Today
Colossians 4:1-18
Paul finishes up his comments about relationships with masters being kind and just to their servants. Again, though we don't have servants anymore, we can still apply the principles to those who are under our leadership whether at church, home, or work. Ultimately the Lord is our Master and our sole desire should be to please Him. If we do not treat our brothers and sisters with respect and love and forgiveness then we are like the servant in Matt 18:23-35.
In verse 2, Paul calls us to continue in prayer and be watchful with thanksgiving. Prayer is our method of communication to the Lord. We need to make sure that the Lord is our priority. He should be the first one we run to in a crisis or thank in times of joy. We can demonstrate His priority in our lives by making every effort to spend time with Him each day. We can always make time for the things we want to do, but so often we neglect spending time with our Maker! Make the Lord your priority this week!
In verse 3-5 Paul asks for prayer to share the gospel with boldness and wisdom. I think we should all be praying that for each other. We all have unbelievers in our lives that need Jesus! Pray for opportunities and boldness to effectively share the gospel. One thing that we need to remember is that we never know when the last time we will see someone might be. What if it is today? Did they know the gospel? We need to share the gospel with urgency because we don't know what our life will be like tomorrow! This is something the Lord has been impressing upon my soul lately. I have several unbelieving friends at school, and I don't think I've had the urgency or the boldness that I should. Pray for me to have that boldness and for the Lord to soften their hearts cause some of them are quite hard! Here's a challenge from a Mercy Me song. "Live like there's no tomorrow. Love extravagantly." from "Goodbye Ordinary" That is my prayer for each of us.
Verse 6 Paul speaks of having our speech seasoned with grace so that we will properly answer everyone we talk to. I think this can be applied to all our speech. Whether we are speaking to a believer or an unbeliever, we want to make sure that our speech is edifying and not tearing down. I fall short in this area all the time. I like to tease and joke, but sometimes it's too much. "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such {a word} as is good for edification according to the need {of the moment,} so that it will give grace to those who hear." Eph 4:29
The rest of the chapter is Paul's greetings to specific people and instructions for the letter. Here's a little info on some of the people mentioned.
Tychicus was an Asian. He was probably from Ephesus and probably went with Paul as a representative of his church to Jerusalem when they sent their collection. He is also mentioned in Eph 6:21.
Aristarchus was a fellow traveler with Paul and possibly taking turns with Epaphras for voluntary imprisonment with Paul. He is also mentioned in Acts 19:29, 20:4, 27:2, and Philemon 23, 24.
Epaphras was another friend of Paul's. He founded several churches including the church at Colossae. It was his visit that caused Paul to write this letter. He is also mentioned in Col 1:7 and Philemon 23.
Onesimus was a runaway servant that ended up in Rome and somehow found Paul. Paul soon taught him about the Lord and he became a believer. Now, Paul was sending him back to his owner, Philemon. Paul's instructions to Philemon are found in the tiny book of Philemon.
I want to end with a quote I found on my friend's blog. I thought it was a good reminder for us.
Elizabeth Prentiss is the one who wrote the book I gave you for Christmas, Stepping Heavenward.)
Paul finishes up his comments about relationships with masters being kind and just to their servants. Again, though we don't have servants anymore, we can still apply the principles to those who are under our leadership whether at church, home, or work. Ultimately the Lord is our Master and our sole desire should be to please Him. If we do not treat our brothers and sisters with respect and love and forgiveness then we are like the servant in Matt 18:23-35.
"For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. "When he had begun to settle {them,} one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. "But since he did not have {the means} to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. "So the slave fell {to the ground} and prostrated himself before him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.' "And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. "But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and {began} to choke {him,} saying, 'Pay back what you owe.' "So his fellow slave fell {to the ground} and {began} to plead with him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you.' "But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. "So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. "Then summoning him, his lord *said to him, 'You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 'Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?' "And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. "My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart."
In verse 2, Paul calls us to continue in prayer and be watchful with thanksgiving. Prayer is our method of communication to the Lord. We need to make sure that the Lord is our priority. He should be the first one we run to in a crisis or thank in times of joy. We can demonstrate His priority in our lives by making every effort to spend time with Him each day. We can always make time for the things we want to do, but so often we neglect spending time with our Maker! Make the Lord your priority this week!
In verse 3-5 Paul asks for prayer to share the gospel with boldness and wisdom. I think we should all be praying that for each other. We all have unbelievers in our lives that need Jesus! Pray for opportunities and boldness to effectively share the gospel. One thing that we need to remember is that we never know when the last time we will see someone might be. What if it is today? Did they know the gospel? We need to share the gospel with urgency because we don't know what our life will be like tomorrow! This is something the Lord has been impressing upon my soul lately. I have several unbelieving friends at school, and I don't think I've had the urgency or the boldness that I should. Pray for me to have that boldness and for the Lord to soften their hearts cause some of them are quite hard! Here's a challenge from a Mercy Me song. "Live like there's no tomorrow. Love extravagantly." from "Goodbye Ordinary" That is my prayer for each of us.
Verse 6 Paul speaks of having our speech seasoned with grace so that we will properly answer everyone we talk to. I think this can be applied to all our speech. Whether we are speaking to a believer or an unbeliever, we want to make sure that our speech is edifying and not tearing down. I fall short in this area all the time. I like to tease and joke, but sometimes it's too much. "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such {a word} as is good for edification according to the need {of the moment,} so that it will give grace to those who hear." Eph 4:29
The rest of the chapter is Paul's greetings to specific people and instructions for the letter. Here's a little info on some of the people mentioned.
Tychicus was an Asian. He was probably from Ephesus and probably went with Paul as a representative of his church to Jerusalem when they sent their collection. He is also mentioned in Eph 6:21.
Aristarchus was a fellow traveler with Paul and possibly taking turns with Epaphras for voluntary imprisonment with Paul. He is also mentioned in Acts 19:29, 20:4, 27:2, and Philemon 23, 24.
Epaphras was another friend of Paul's. He founded several churches including the church at Colossae. It was his visit that caused Paul to write this letter. He is also mentioned in Col 1:7 and Philemon 23.
Onesimus was a runaway servant that ended up in Rome and somehow found Paul. Paul soon taught him about the Lord and he became a believer. Now, Paul was sending him back to his owner, Philemon. Paul's instructions to Philemon are found in the tiny book of Philemon.
I want to end with a quote I found on my friend's blog. I thought it was a good reminder for us.
God never places us in any position in which we can not grow. We may fancy that He does. We may fear we are so impeded by fretting, petty cares that we are gaining nothing; but when we are not sending any branches upward, we may be sending roots downward. Perhaps in the time of our humiliation, when everything seems a failure, we are making the best kind of progress.
~Elizabeth Prentiss~
Elizabeth Prentiss is the one who wrote the book I gave you for Christmas, Stepping Heavenward.)
Saturday, March 1, 2008
How Should We Live?
Colossians 3:18-25
In this section, Paul addresses relationships within the home. The first relationship he discusses is that of husbands and wives. Wives are to be submissive to their husbands, and husbands are to love their wives. Now, we are not wives, but I think all of us hope to be wives someday. This means that we need to be preparing ourselves for marriage by practicing submission and other qualities found in Titus 2, Prov 31, and Eph 5. These attributes can be practiced through submission to parents and to church leadership, and those other as character qualities in your everyday life. When it does come time to marry, you want to make sure that the man you are interested in loves the Lord more than anything else, even you. This also needs to be true of you. You should be satisfied in Christ before you are married because your husband will never be able to fulfill all your desires. Another quality you want in a man is the ability to lead you spiritually and to love you as Christ loves the church. He will not be perfect, nor will his love, but the key fact is that he is striving for that goal.
The next relationship addressed is between parents and children. This is something we can all relate to right now since we are all children. As I mentioned earlier, practicing obedience and submission to your parents is one way that you are training for marriage. It is also a picture of our relationship with God. He is our loving and perfect Father who will discipline us in order to produce righteousness in our lives. It is out of love that our parents guide and discipline us. They are seeking to teach us how to live godly lives. You girls are just beginning the transition from complete parental guidance to independence. Your parents are wise and have lived longer than you. Respect their opinions and listen to them. God has placed them in your lives to help you and guide you. You are growing up and need to begin taking responsibility for your life, but that does not mean that your parents have no say or authority over you. As long as you live in their house, you are obligated to their authority. Even as you leave the house, until you are married, they still have authority over you. It is imperitive that you treat them with respect. They are not perfect and will make mistakes, but you need to work with them as a team as you learn and grow in your walk with Christ.
The last relationship is that between servants and masters. We don't have servants or masters like they did in biblical times, but I think the principles can be applied to a job situation. You should obey your bosses (as long as they are not telling you to sin) and do your work with excellence so that you will be able to be a witness for Christ. You want the people you work for and with to see that you are different. The goal of doing your work with excellence is not to gain praise or recognition, but to bring glory to Christ. Remember that! This idea of excellence in all that you do should be applied to your whole life, from school, to work, to church, and at home. All things should be done with excellence as unto the Lord for the purpose of bringing glory to His name. In verse 23 and 24, we see that God will reward those who serve Him, and punish those who don't. It is a matter of reaping what you sow. Make sure that you are sowing godliness and thus reaping the fruit of righteousness.
In this section, Paul addresses relationships within the home. The first relationship he discusses is that of husbands and wives. Wives are to be submissive to their husbands, and husbands are to love their wives. Now, we are not wives, but I think all of us hope to be wives someday. This means that we need to be preparing ourselves for marriage by practicing submission and other qualities found in Titus 2, Prov 31, and Eph 5. These attributes can be practiced through submission to parents and to church leadership, and those other as character qualities in your everyday life. When it does come time to marry, you want to make sure that the man you are interested in loves the Lord more than anything else, even you. This also needs to be true of you. You should be satisfied in Christ before you are married because your husband will never be able to fulfill all your desires. Another quality you want in a man is the ability to lead you spiritually and to love you as Christ loves the church. He will not be perfect, nor will his love, but the key fact is that he is striving for that goal.
The next relationship addressed is between parents and children. This is something we can all relate to right now since we are all children. As I mentioned earlier, practicing obedience and submission to your parents is one way that you are training for marriage. It is also a picture of our relationship with God. He is our loving and perfect Father who will discipline us in order to produce righteousness in our lives. It is out of love that our parents guide and discipline us. They are seeking to teach us how to live godly lives. You girls are just beginning the transition from complete parental guidance to independence. Your parents are wise and have lived longer than you. Respect their opinions and listen to them. God has placed them in your lives to help you and guide you. You are growing up and need to begin taking responsibility for your life, but that does not mean that your parents have no say or authority over you. As long as you live in their house, you are obligated to their authority. Even as you leave the house, until you are married, they still have authority over you. It is imperitive that you treat them with respect. They are not perfect and will make mistakes, but you need to work with them as a team as you learn and grow in your walk with Christ.
The last relationship is that between servants and masters. We don't have servants or masters like they did in biblical times, but I think the principles can be applied to a job situation. You should obey your bosses (as long as they are not telling you to sin) and do your work with excellence so that you will be able to be a witness for Christ. You want the people you work for and with to see that you are different. The goal of doing your work with excellence is not to gain praise or recognition, but to bring glory to Christ. Remember that! This idea of excellence in all that you do should be applied to your whole life, from school, to work, to church, and at home. All things should be done with excellence as unto the Lord for the purpose of bringing glory to His name. In verse 23 and 24, we see that God will reward those who serve Him, and punish those who don't. It is a matter of reaping what you sow. Make sure that you are sowing godliness and thus reaping the fruit of righteousness.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Put On, Put Off
Colossians 3:5-17
This section of verses talks about the attributes that we are to put on and off. In verse 5, Paul says to consider the members of your body as dead to evil. Literally that sentence translates "put to death the members which are upon the earth." This again is a refutation of Gnosticism. The body of the Christian should no longer participate in fleshly desires, but only the desires of Christ. Paul goes on to say that the evil that he has listed leads to idolatry. This is because the flesh becomes god, and the one who falls into these sins is solely trying to fill the desires of the flesh. The flesh is put before God. God cannot allow anyone or anything to take the throne. Thus those who worship anything, but Himself will suffer His wrath. This is who we were before Christ. We did not seek God, we did not worship Him, and we were subject to His wrath. In verse 8 Paul says "But now." But now that you are in Christ, you must put off anger, wrath, malice, slander, abusive speech, lying, and the old self with all it's evil practices. I once heard this idea of putting on and putting off explained this way: When you go to the gym and work out, you get all sweaty and stinky, right? Let's say after you're done at the gym you're going to go hang out with some friends. Well, instead of showering and changing clothes, you decide to put a clean shirt over the dirty one. Now, is that going to remove the stench? No! You have to shower and take off the old dirty clothes, and then put on new ones. This is how it is for us as Christians. We have to completely remove our former life, and be washed in the blood of the lamb. It is not possible to live with the dirty shirt (or the old self) hiding underneath the new self. The old self must be considered dead, and if we don't take it off, or we try to put it back on, we're going to stink, and those around us are gonna smell it.
Now in verse 10, Paul talks about what we are to put on. We are to put on a new self, a clean shirt. Because of Christ's death and resurrection we are new creations, 2 Cor 5:17. In this new life, we are all the same. There is no difference between race or gender. We are all one in Christ. Therefore, we must not allow ourselves to show partiality here on earth. This goes back to James 2. Now in verse 12 we see that we are to put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. We are to bear with one another. The Greek word for bearing with means "to hold up against something, to bear with." This means that we are to hold each other up against the pressures of life. Like in Galations 6:2 where we are called to bear one another's burdens. We are also to forgive each other as the Lord forgave you. When the Lord forgives, does he bring the past back up to you? No, he has settled your account and no longer holds it against you. So it should be between believers. When you have forgiven, you must not allow yourself to hold that sin against them ever again. Above all we are to put on love. Love is the perfection of Christian character. If we are loving God and loving others, we will not sin. Unfortunately, we still sin, but perfect love is something we must strive for.
Christ is peace and when we let Him rule in our hearts, we will have peace. The fact that God has given us salvation, and the ability to grow and strive toward perfect should make us thankful. In all things we should be thankful because we who deserve nothing, have been given everything! Verse 16 says to let the word of Christ richly dwell within you. We must read the word, but we cannot just read it. We have to let it penetrate our hearts and become a part of who we are. We cannot just know it, but we have to live it. This is what it means to have the word of Christ dwell within you. How is it to dwell in you? With wisdom, teaching, and admonishing. The Word brings wisdom, with this wisdom with should be teaching and encouraging those who are younger in the Lord. We are also called to admonish one another. This word in the Greek means "to caution or reprove gently." When we see a believer caught in sin, we are commanded to humbly and gently bring the sin to their attention. If we fail to bring correction, that brother or sister may fall further into sin and bring others with them. It is out of concern for them that you should admonish someone. This is something anyone can do to any fellow believer. If the person caught in sin is an authority over you, you can still go to them, but make sure that it is truly sin and that you have a biblical basis for it. In all situations of admonishing you need to come with a heart of humility and compassion.
Finally in verse 17, Paul calls us to do all things in the name of Jesus. We are representatives of Christ. When unbelievers look at us, they are watching to see how we live. If we are not living well, then they will see Christ as a fake and a hypocrite. If we live well by the grace of Jesus, then they will see who Jesus really is and perhaps want to know what we have that is different. I pray for each of us, that we would be true representations of Christ, no matter where we are or who we are with.
This section of verses talks about the attributes that we are to put on and off. In verse 5, Paul says to consider the members of your body as dead to evil. Literally that sentence translates "put to death the members which are upon the earth." This again is a refutation of Gnosticism. The body of the Christian should no longer participate in fleshly desires, but only the desires of Christ. Paul goes on to say that the evil that he has listed leads to idolatry. This is because the flesh becomes god, and the one who falls into these sins is solely trying to fill the desires of the flesh. The flesh is put before God. God cannot allow anyone or anything to take the throne. Thus those who worship anything, but Himself will suffer His wrath. This is who we were before Christ. We did not seek God, we did not worship Him, and we were subject to His wrath. In verse 8 Paul says "But now." But now that you are in Christ, you must put off anger, wrath, malice, slander, abusive speech, lying, and the old self with all it's evil practices. I once heard this idea of putting on and putting off explained this way: When you go to the gym and work out, you get all sweaty and stinky, right? Let's say after you're done at the gym you're going to go hang out with some friends. Well, instead of showering and changing clothes, you decide to put a clean shirt over the dirty one. Now, is that going to remove the stench? No! You have to shower and take off the old dirty clothes, and then put on new ones. This is how it is for us as Christians. We have to completely remove our former life, and be washed in the blood of the lamb. It is not possible to live with the dirty shirt (or the old self) hiding underneath the new self. The old self must be considered dead, and if we don't take it off, or we try to put it back on, we're going to stink, and those around us are gonna smell it.
Now in verse 10, Paul talks about what we are to put on. We are to put on a new self, a clean shirt. Because of Christ's death and resurrection we are new creations, 2 Cor 5:17. In this new life, we are all the same. There is no difference between race or gender. We are all one in Christ. Therefore, we must not allow ourselves to show partiality here on earth. This goes back to James 2. Now in verse 12 we see that we are to put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. We are to bear with one another. The Greek word for bearing with means "to hold up against something, to bear with." This means that we are to hold each other up against the pressures of life. Like in Galations 6:2 where we are called to bear one another's burdens. We are also to forgive each other as the Lord forgave you. When the Lord forgives, does he bring the past back up to you? No, he has settled your account and no longer holds it against you. So it should be between believers. When you have forgiven, you must not allow yourself to hold that sin against them ever again. Above all we are to put on love. Love is the perfection of Christian character. If we are loving God and loving others, we will not sin. Unfortunately, we still sin, but perfect love is something we must strive for.
Christ is peace and when we let Him rule in our hearts, we will have peace. The fact that God has given us salvation, and the ability to grow and strive toward perfect should make us thankful. In all things we should be thankful because we who deserve nothing, have been given everything! Verse 16 says to let the word of Christ richly dwell within you. We must read the word, but we cannot just read it. We have to let it penetrate our hearts and become a part of who we are. We cannot just know it, but we have to live it. This is what it means to have the word of Christ dwell within you. How is it to dwell in you? With wisdom, teaching, and admonishing. The Word brings wisdom, with this wisdom with should be teaching and encouraging those who are younger in the Lord. We are also called to admonish one another. This word in the Greek means "to caution or reprove gently." When we see a believer caught in sin, we are commanded to humbly and gently bring the sin to their attention. If we fail to bring correction, that brother or sister may fall further into sin and bring others with them. It is out of concern for them that you should admonish someone. This is something anyone can do to any fellow believer. If the person caught in sin is an authority over you, you can still go to them, but make sure that it is truly sin and that you have a biblical basis for it. In all situations of admonishing you need to come with a heart of humility and compassion.
Finally in verse 17, Paul calls us to do all things in the name of Jesus. We are representatives of Christ. When unbelievers look at us, they are watching to see how we live. If we are not living well, then they will see Christ as a fake and a hypocrite. If we live well by the grace of Jesus, then they will see who Jesus really is and perhaps want to know what we have that is different. I pray for each of us, that we would be true representations of Christ, no matter where we are or who we are with.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Set Your Mind
Colossians 3:1-4
Paul begins the chapter by calling believers to "keep seeking the things above." What are the "things above"? They are teh things of Christ. The action, attitudes, and doctrine that flows from true knowledge of God. Thus the only way to persue the things above is to pursue knowledge of God. In verse 2 Paul tells us to set our minds on the things above. First we must seek, then we must set. The work for "set your mind" in the Greek means "to exercise the mind," and is a derivative of a word meaning "to reign in or curb." This then gives us the picture of diliberate actions mean to improve strength and health, and in this case, spiritual health. As we are running the race of life, we must focus on the goal. Make sure you are "storing up treasures in heaven" and not focused on the treasures of earth. This world is passing away, but heaven is eternal. Why must we as believers set our minds on the things above and not of the earth? Verse 3 answers that. "For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God." This means that our old self, our desires, our goals are gone. Now we are covered in the righteousness of Christ and we must follow His lead. Like Psa 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart." It is not that our fleshly desires will be fulfilled, but that God will place in our hearts, His desires so that they become our own. As Christians, we have become one with Christ. Verse 4 demostrates this when it says, "Christ, who is our life." We have become one with Christ and can no longer separate our life from His. Therefore, when He is revealed in glory, we will also be revealed with. This unseparatable character is why gnosticism cannot work. It separates the body from the soul, but if Christ is our life, then our body will also display Christ's character. I will discuss this further in the next section.
Paul begins the chapter by calling believers to "keep seeking the things above." What are the "things above"? They are teh things of Christ. The action, attitudes, and doctrine that flows from true knowledge of God. Thus the only way to persue the things above is to pursue knowledge of God. In verse 2 Paul tells us to set our minds on the things above. First we must seek, then we must set. The work for "set your mind" in the Greek means "to exercise the mind," and is a derivative of a word meaning "to reign in or curb." This then gives us the picture of diliberate actions mean to improve strength and health, and in this case, spiritual health. As we are running the race of life, we must focus on the goal. Make sure you are "storing up treasures in heaven" and not focused on the treasures of earth. This world is passing away, but heaven is eternal. Why must we as believers set our minds on the things above and not of the earth? Verse 3 answers that. "For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God." This means that our old self, our desires, our goals are gone. Now we are covered in the righteousness of Christ and we must follow His lead. Like Psa 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart." It is not that our fleshly desires will be fulfilled, but that God will place in our hearts, His desires so that they become our own. As Christians, we have become one with Christ. Verse 4 demostrates this when it says, "Christ, who is our life." We have become one with Christ and can no longer separate our life from His. Therefore, when He is revealed in glory, we will also be revealed with. This unseparatable character is why gnosticism cannot work. It separates the body from the soul, but if Christ is our life, then our body will also display Christ's character. I will discuss this further in the next section.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Chapter 3 Again
So, apparently, we were all busy last week. I didn't even get a post up. Thus, we shall try chapter 3 again. Please post this week and then answer the questions for chapter 2. How are you guys doing? Allie, I haven't heard from you in a while.
Heather
Heather
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Busy week
Well, I don't know about you guys, but this week has been very busy. Thus I haven't written on here until today. Continue on to chapter 3. My last post for chapter 2 has some questions I would like you to post answers to. How'd ya'll do with last weeks goals?
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