‘If then you were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated on the right hand of God.' The Christian's concentration is to be on heavenly things (‘go on seeking continually' - present tense) because he was raised there when he first believed and received li... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth, for you died and your life is hid with Christ in God.' The tenses here are important. ‘Go on setting your mind continually (present tense) --- ‘you died once for all' (aorist tense) ----- ‘your life has been hid a... [ Continue Reading ]
‘When Christ who is our life shall be revealed and made fully made known, then will you also be fully made known with him in glory.' And what a glorious future awaits the Christian. For one day at His coming Christ will be made fully known. He will be revealed in all His glory (2 Thessalonians 1:7;... [ Continue Reading ]
OUR CHRISTIAN WALK IS TO REFLECT OUR GLORIOUS PRIVILEGE (COLOSSIANS 3:5 TO COLOSSIANS 4:6). 1). The Man That We Were Has To Die (Colossians 3:5) ‘Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth, fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness which is idolatry, for the... [ Continue Reading ]
‘In the which you also walked previously, when you lived in these things.' These sins and attitudes had once been theirs, as they had also been of the Jews (Mark 7:20). This was how they had once lived their lives. But having been raised to the spiritual realm they no longer live among these things... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But now you, also, put away all these: anger, wrath, malice, railing, shameful speaking from the mouth. Do not lie, the one to the other, seeing you have put off the old man with his doings, and have put on the new man, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of him who created him.' W... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Where there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondman, freeman, but Christ is all in all.' Once likeness to Christ becomes the objective all these divisions fall away. No Christian will want to be either one alternative or the other. They will want only... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Put on therefore, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, forbearing one another and forgiving each other. If any man have a complaint against any, even as the Lord forgave you, so also do you.' Having described the old man in ter... [ Continue Reading ]
2). WE ARE TO REVEAL THE NEW MAN IN OUR LIVES (COLOSSIANS 3:12). What follows is a brief practical summary of the Christian life which typifies the new man. Graciousness towards others, a forgiving spirit, clothed in love, swathed in peace, thankful to God, full of the word of Christ, from it teach... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And above all these things put on love which is the bond of perfectness.' ‘Above all these things.' Love is now declared to be the most important attribute of the Christian, for it sums up in itself all the others, binding them together in a perfect bond. This love has nothing to do with sexual or... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And let the peace of Christ make the decision in your hearts, to the which you were also called in one body. And be thankful.' Jesus gave to His own His peace (John 14:27) that they may not be troubled, He wrought peace between us (Ephesians 2:14) and He obtained peace with God for us through the b... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another, with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace in your hearts to God.' The ‘logos of Christ' may be intended to refer to the same thing as the ‘logos of the cross' (1 Corinthians 1:18), ref... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.' Paul wants us to take seriously that it is Christ Who lives through us. He is Jesus the Lord, and we are His people. When a servant wore the livery of his lord he was seen a... [ Continue Reading ]
3). INSTRUCTIONS TO WIVES, HUSBANDS, CHILDREN, SERVANTS AND MASTERS (COLOSSIANS 3:18 TO COLOSSIANS 4:1). Here Paul is following the pattern of some Jewish and pagan writers with respect to domestic behaviour, but he Christianises the instructions and makes them specifically applicable. This is a ma... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Wives be in subjection to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.' The position of wives as being ‘under their husbands' is not only taught but elsewhere stressed theologically in Scripture (1 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Corinthians 11:7; Ephesians 5:23; 1 Timothy 2:11; Genesis 2:18; Genesis 2:21). Marri... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Husbands love your wives and do not be harsh against them.' The corollary to the wife's subjection is the husband's loving concern. Husband's are to behave to their wives as Christ to the church, cosseting them and caring for them and making sacrifices for them (Ephesians 5:25).... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Children obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing in the Lord.' This is the general principle. Children are not to rebel against their parents wishes, but to respond to their directing as though the direction came from Christ Himself. They are to be concerned about the pleasure t... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Fathers (or ‘parents'), do not provoke (or ‘irritate') your children, so that they are not discouraged.' ‘Fathers'. The word means ‘parents' in Hebrews 11:23, so could mean that here. ‘Do not provoke' by unnecessary or interminable commands. The bringing up of children requires tact and patience i... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Servants obey in all things those who are your masters according to the flesh, not with eye-service as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do work heartily as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the recompense of th... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For he who does wrong will receive again the wrong that he has done, and there is no respect of persons.' This is the final general principle that applies to all situations and to all men regardless of position. None is exempt. What a man sows he will reap (Galatians 6:7). And though the Christian... [ Continue Reading ]