Milo

1 Thessalonians

NOVEMBER 14

Reading 318

EFFECTIVE MINISTRY 1 Thessalonians 1–3

“We were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the Gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us” (1 Thes. 2:7–8).The way we relate to others authenticates the Gospel’s message of love.

Overview

Paul praised God for the Thessalonians’ steadfastness (1:1–3) and evidences of their true conversion (vv. 4–10). He reminded them of his very personal ministry there (2:1–12) and encouraged them in their suffering (vv. 13–16). He spoke of the love which moved him to send Timothy to visit them (v. 17–3:7) and his own joy at Timothy’s good report (vv. 8–13).

Understanding the Text

“Work produced by faith” 1 Thes. 1:1–3. The Thessalonians were remarkable as a truly committed church. They not only received the Gospel—they acted on it! What is so surprising is that Acts 17 seems to suggest Paul’s missionary team was in this city of 200,000 only a few weeks or at most a couple of months before riots and rumors forced them to flee to Berea. Even so they left behind the nucleus of a strong, vital church, which remained faithful despite persecution. What a challenge to us, who may have known the Gospel much longer, but may display less evidence of its grip on our lives. What was the Thessalonians’ secret? They had faith that produced work, love that prompted labor, and hope that inspired endurance (v. 3). No one who truly lays hold of the Gospel’s message of faith, love, and hope can remain the same. “You welcomed the message” 1 Thes. 1:4–6. Verses 4–10 describe a total response to the Gospel message: a response that preachers everywhere yearn to see in their congregations, and we yearn to see in those we love. The very first element in that response is, “You welcomed the message.” God’s people in Thessalonica did not hesitate, or hold back, or cluck critically. They were excited and enthusiastic when they heard the Word of God. Some years ago Joe Bayly wrote a classic little book called The Gospel Blimp. It told of some enthusiastic Christians who decided to bombard their town with tracts, and figured that a blimp would be great. They could drift over backyards and drop tracts on everyone! It’s hard to imagine that folks would really “welcome” Gospel bombs detonating in their yards. Certainly Paul had a better way. He shared the Gospel personally “with deep conviction” and relied on the power of the Holy Spirit, not the Gospel Blimp. And Paul “lived among” the people he tried to reach, so that they knew him and his way of life. If you and I want others to welcome the Gospel, Paul’s approach is essential. “The Lord’s message rang out from you” 1 Thes. 1:7–9a. The old saying is still true. Shepherds don’t have lambs. Sheep do. It certainly was true in Thessalonica. Paul was forced to leave the city after riots were stirred up by Jewish opponents. But the church kept on growing, spiritually and numerically. Awhile ago I was talking with a Chinese friend just back from mainland China, who was telling me about the quiet revival going on there. In the ’70s when religion was proscribed, the church was forced underground, and leaders were stifled or imprisoned. Yet now, just 15 years later, Christmas church services are swamped as millions openly profess their faith in Christ, and many more millions take part in a dynamic house-church movement. The shepherds were taken away by the state. But it didn’t matter. It is sheep who have lambs, not shepherds, and the ranks of Chinese Christians continue to swell. Wherever average Christians are willing to become imitators of the Lord, to serve as models for others, and to sound forth the Word, the Gospel will continue to thrive. “You turned to God from idols” 1 Thes. 1:9b-10. The sequence here can never be reversed. Some try to reform a person before or without conversion. Some say, “I’d like to come to church, but I have this habit. As soon as I break it, then.” What’s wrong is that we don’t turn from idols to God. We turn to God from idols. We have to turn to God first, because only God’s power will enable us to break the chains that bind us. So don’t think, “As soon as I get my life straightened around, I’ll come to God.” Come to God, and let Him straighten your life around for you. “You know that we never” 1 Thes. 2:1–6. Paul had two gifts to offer the Thessalonians. These are the same two gifts that you and I have to offer others. The Gospel and ourselves. Both the gifts can and often will be misunderstood. But you and I as persons are the most vulnerable to criticism. What a grand way to attack the Gospel. Ignore its message of God’s love, and suggest that the messenger is greedy, or deceitful, or is trying to trick people. It really does hurt the Gospel when something like this proves to be true, as in several celebrated televangelists’ cases. But think what a great opportunity you and I have to adorn the Gospel by being honest and loving! Paul said, “You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed.” The really significant words here are “you know.” Paul developed a close enough relationship with the Thessalonians, even in the brief time he knew them, that he was sure they knew his inmost motives and self. By living openly and honestly with others we guard not only our own reputation but the integrity of the Gospel as well. “Like a mother caring for her little children” 1 Thes. 2:7–9. When Paul tried to describe the relationship he developed with others as he shared the Gospel, only family images would do. It would have seemed funny to strangers, to hear Paul, described in early documents as a wizened little man whose large nose almost met his chin, speak of himself as a “mother caring for her little children [infants].” But it wouldn’t seem funny to the Thessalonians, for they would have felt just that quality of tender, protective love, flowing from the great apostle. Love isn’t a matter of how we look, or how much money we have, or how much education. Love is simply the overflow of a deep concern for the welfare of others. If you have that love, nothing else matters. If you do not, nothing else counts. “We dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children” 1 Thes. 2:10–12. Paul continued to use family imagery. Again, nothing else quite conveys the kind of relationship that fits the Gospel (see DEVOTIONAL). This time the key words are “each of you.” My sons, Paul and Tim, had the same parents, grew up in the same house, went to the same schools—but are very different from each other. Each needed to be treated as an individual. That’s what is so impressive about Paul’s reminder here that, like a father with adolescent children, he dealt with “each” of the Thessalonians as an individual. Those who needed encouraging, he encouraged. Those who needed comfort, he comforted. Those who needed urging—what we might call a good kick in the pants—Paul urged. His goal was the same in every case: to help them “live lives worthy of God.” But how he worked with others toward that goal took individual differences into account. If we’re to minister effectively to others—even members of our own families, we must come to know them as individuals and respond to each according to his or her characteristics and needs. Loving doesn’t just mean letting others know us and our motives. It means getting to know others, individually, and well. “The Word of God, which is at work in you” 1 Thes. 2:13–16. Frank was a young convert in our Brooklyn congregation. The jolly, heavy-set 20-year-old paid a high price for his faith. His mom and dad, traditional ’50s Catholics, saw his conversion as apostasy. They tried to bribe him with a set of drums he’d longed for. Finally they threw him out of the house. Frank suffered intensely, but he kept faith with what he thought was right. And all of us young people in our church hurt for him. Paul knew the ambivalence that must come when someone becomes a believer and suffers persecution as a result. But Paul reminded himself and the Thessalonians that you “became imitators of God’s churches in Judea.” There’s a long tradition of suffering linked with Christian commitment. Things don’t automatically get better. They may get worse! When those we love suffer for their faith, we can hurt with them. But we must remember that suffering is nothing new. What is new is the fact that God’s Word is at work in us. And in this we can rejoice. “Our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory” 1 Thes. 2:17–3:13. When the very elements that make up this universe dissolve in fervent heat, only human beings will remain. Paul had chosen to love people, rather than things. When Christ comes again, Paul’s hope, joy, and crown of rejoicing will be present with him, preserved for all eternity. Paul was forced to leave these very precious people when the rioting began in Thessalonica. No wonder he sent Timothy to visit them as soon as he could (3:1–5), and was filled with joy when he brought back a good report (vv. 6–13). Let’s make others the focus of our concern, and the touchstone of our values, so that they become our joy.

DEVOTIONAL

Home, Sweet Home(1 Thes. 2:1–12)

I suppose I had many reasons for taking the bus home from college so many weekends. I did bring back bags of dirty laundry, like most college guys. But the real reason was that nothing felt quite like home. Nothing was quite as comfortable as Mom baking bread in the tiny kitchen, or Dad smoking his pipe on the front porch. Nothing felt quite so “right” as watching Dad wash the dishes while Mom dried, or sprawling in an easy chair while Mom read aloud stories and articles from the Saturday Evening Post. Home was warm, comfortable, a place where I was welcomed and loved even if I was a college man now, and out on my own. Home had a climate all its own. Paul understood this as well as anyone. He knew that home is the one really effective climate for evangelism and for spiritual growth. So Paul not only brought others the Gospel in word, he created a sense of family by the way he loved every member of the Thessalonian church. What people need today, perhaps even more than in other times, is that climate of warmth, intimacy, and caring that marks a loving home. The church that provides this climate will be sure to grow. And its members will become mature.

Personal Application

Build your church as birds build nests—one tiny twig of love at a time.

Quotable

WE EXIST TO PROVIDE LOVE AND CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER . . . through sharing each other’s needs, burdens, and joys through serving each other in a sacrificial way through learning how to love and be loved. God in His grace, has given us to each other. An integral part of our life as His body is caring for and supporting each other.—From the Mission Statement, Crossroads Community Church

1 Thessalonians

INTRODUCTION

The young church at Thessalonica suffered immediate persecution, and Paul was driven from the city (Acts 17:1–9). This early letter, written about A.D. 50, was intended to encourage and further instruct very new believers. This and a second letter pick up themes found in all Paul’s letters, such as the inspiration of Scripture, the deity of Christ, salvation based on Jesus’ death, personal purity, love, and especially emphasizes teaching about Jesus’ second coming. Paul clearly felt it was important to ground new converts in basic Christian doctrines.

OUTLINE OF CONTENTS

I.	Introduction	1 Thes. 1
II.	A Relationship Described	1 Thes. 2–3
III.	Exhortation and Conclusion	1 Thes. 4–5

NOVEMBER 13

Reading 317

CHRIST IN THE LIFE Colossians 3–4

“As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Col. 3:12).It’s easy to recognize Christ in another person’s life—and even easier to recognize Him in your own.

Background

Review and preview.

Paul began his letter by affirming the superiority of Christ. He then showed that our union with Christ is the key to a vital Christian experience. Because we are “in Christ,” His power can flow through us. We were saved by faith in Christ, and we must live by faith in Him. Alone. Now Paul went on to describe Christ in the Christian’s life. How do we recognize His presence? Paul earlier rejected the notion that spiritual reality is found or displayed by following religious rules or self-discipline’s “harsh treatment of the body.” Now he showed that spiritual reality is experienced and expressed in rejection of evil and a transformed character. We recognize Christ in the Christian’s life by the love and mutual submission expressed in every relationship. What a thrilling book Colossians is. And what wonderful assurance it provides. Christ is supreme. We are in Christ. And Christ now lives out His own holy and dynamic life through us.

Overview

Christ makes us new persons, who reject evil (3:1–11), live holy, loving lives (vv. 12–17), and express our faith in relationships rather than by keeping rules (v. 18–4:1). Paul concluded with several instructions (vv. 2–6) and lengthy greetings (vv. 7–18).

Understanding the Text

“You have been raised with Christ” Col. 3:1–4.

It’s easy for us to feel down. When we do, Paul has a suggestion. Look up. Look up, and see Christ seated at the right hand of God. And then realize that you are up there too for “your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” In Tarpon Springs, a little city about 10 miles from where we live, one of the major occupations is sponge diving. The sponge diver puts a helmet on his head, drops into the water, and as he gathers sponges he breathes through air lines fed by pumps in a boat far above him. Without that connection to a source of life far above him, the diver would be unable to survive. Paul is telling us that we too live this life in a dangerous and deadly environment. But we too are connected to a source of life far above us. Whenever we feel down, or get discouraged, or feel endangered, we’re to fix our minds not on what surrounds us, but on what sustains us. The very life force of Jesus flows into and through us. Because we are connected to Him, we will not only survive. We will triumph. “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature” Col. 3:5–11. The Christian’s greatest enemy is not outside, but inside. It is the “earthly nature” which struggles to express itself in our attitudes and actions. We need to be alert, recognize that nature for what it is, and deal with its appearance immediately. How can you recognize the earthly nature? It’s that nature that has crept out whenever you sense yourself feeling anger or malice, whenever your thoughts wander to the impure, or your imagination to what you would do if you had a million dollars. And the time to deal with it is as soon as the first thoughts and feelings drift across your consciousness. How? Paul said, “Put [it] to death” (v. 5), and he further explained with the image of “taking off” the old self and “putting on” the new. My wife likes to try on clothes. She prides herself as a teacher in looking professional, and is very conscious of how she dresses. And she’s very critical of what she tries on. What looks good on the rack may not hang just right, or be cut just right, to fit her well. This is a picture of what Paul is telling us here in Colossians. Take a good look in the mirror, and when you sense anger or impurity or evil desires in yourself, decisively reject them. Such things simply don’t fit the Christian! God has a much better looking set of clothing for us, one that fits and flatters us. And also honors Him. “As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved” Col. 3:12–14. How does Christ express Himself in the believer’s life? First, He clothes us in His own character, filling us with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. He gives us grace to forgive as we have been forgiven, and fills us with love. Then He calls us to live out His character in our relationships with others. This is true spirituality. It is not found in rules that we follow, or in rigorous self-discipline. It is found instead in simple and pure expressions of compassion and love for others (see DEVOTIONAL). “Let the peace of Christ rule” Col. 3:15–16. In the Old Testament peace is shalom, which conveys a sense of well-being, of harmony within and without. When Christ has drained us of our selfishness and competitiveness and given us His own deep love for others, peace will rule in our hearts, and in our congregations. Then we will be able to “teach and admonish one another with all wisdom” and will worship together with joy. True spirituality is Christ living out His life through the individual believer, and through a united Christian community. “Whatever you do” Col. 3:17. The false teachers at Colosse had impressed everyone with their rigor and the many rules they proposed for spiritual advancement. Paul shrugged all that aside, and replaced every do and don’t with one instruction. “Whatever you do . . . do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” This is really the only rule required by those who wear the new man, and in whom Christ is being formed. “Lord, can I do this in Your name, rejoicing and thanking God for the opportunity?” If you have put off the old man, and the answer to this question is “Yes,” rules and regulations are irrelevant. “Wives, submit” Col. 3:18–4:1. If Christians don’t need rules, why did Paul go on immediately to instruct wives and husbands, children and parents, slaves and masters? We see a similar pattern in the Old Testament. In Exodus 20 God gave Israel Ten Commandments expressed as principles: do not do this, or that, or the other. Then in chapters 21–23 a number of specific cases are discussed. This “case law” illustrates how the general principles are to be applied. In the same way Paul now illustrated how the qualities he had described, and the general principle of acting in Christ’s name, will be expressed in the most intimate personal relationships of the first-century world. Paul’s choice of illustrations brings home a telling point. Those who will really know if Christ is in our lives are those who know us best—our families, and people we work with every day. A spirituality which does not find expression in these relationships is empty indeed. “Pray that I may proclaim it clearly” Col. 4:2–6. Expressing Christ in our lives is vital to an effective witness. But it is not enough. The Gospel is a message delivered in words, and authenticated by life. Both word and life must be shared.

DEVOTIONAL

The Emperor’s New Clothes(Col. 3:6–17)

You remember the story. The fast-talking tailor convinced the emperor he was preparing a magnificent suit from cloth so special that only an honest man could see it. The emperor couldn’t see it, but he was too embarrassed to say so. His courtiers couldn’t see it, but since they didn’t dare appear dishonest, they loudly praised it at every fitting. And so when the special occasion came for which the suit was being made, the emperor proudly marched down the avenue—in his underwear. Only the snicker of a little child, the only one truly honest, brought the fraud all knew about into the open. Colossians has been something like this story. Paul had taken an honest look at the “superior” religion of false humility, ritual, and rigorous self-discipline promoted by some at Colosse, and exposed it. Folks who struggle to put on this suit find that, like the emperor, they have nothing on at all! All they have done has no spiritual value at all. But Paul did go on to describe clothing fit for an emperor—clothing you and I are to wear. It is not the cloaking of ourselves in pious appearing actions. It’s putting on the new self we have in Christ and reflecting His image. Our new clothes are not seen in the rules we keep, but the love we express. The marks of reality in the Christian life are a warm compassion, a responsive kindness, an unself-conscious humility, a gentleness and patience, that well up in our lives as we love, worship, and respond to Jesus. The mark of reality in the Christian life is Christ’s likeness, as Jesus expresses Himself through us in every relationship. Don’t worry about looking pious, or even feeling pious. That’s as useless as the emperor’s invisible suit of clothes. Love Jesus, let His love fill your life, and “whatever you do” do it thankfully, in Jesus’ name. Then you’ll find that you are clothed with a compassion and kindness fit for a child of the King of kings.

Personal Application

Let Christ show Himself to the world in your life.

Quotable

“The person who has the abundance of life Christ came to bring us can spend virtue lavishly because his resources are plentiful. He can care for people unreservedly, the people near him and all over the earth, people of his own creed, color, and nationality and those of other faiths, races, and nations, because his resources of care are attached to the limitless reservoirs of God’s care. “He can afford to be slighted, shunned, hurt, because he has enough forgiveness in his heart for any crisis that comes his way. He can squander love upon the undeserving and the unresponsive because he knows there will always be more love where the last love came from.”—Harold E. Kohn

NOVEMBER 12

Reading 316

LIFE IN CHRIST Colossians 2

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (Col. 2:6–7).Understand life in Christ and we won’t be taken in by substitutes for true spirituality.

Overview

It is essential to know Christ (2:1–5) and live in Him (vv. 6–7). Christianity offers union with Christ, and this brings life (vv. 8–13) and releases from the burden of Law (vv. 14–15). Disciplined submission to rituals and rules may make a person look pious but is no route to spiritual reality (vv. 16–23).

Understanding the Text

“For all who have not met me personally” Col. 2:1. The spirit of prayer breathes through all of Paul’s letters. Yet perhaps we sense his commitment to prayer most clearly here. Paul prayed not only for churches he founded, but for groups of Christians “who have not met me personally.” Actually, this habit is an easy one for us to develop! Every night on the news we hear of people in tragic situations. How easy it would be to turn to God, and ask Him to bless or comfort them. We read Christian magazines, and listen to Christian radio. Again and again we hear of believers who face great difficulties. How simple it would be to bear them up, and ask God to be with them in power. We talk to a friend on the phone, or chat over a Coke. How easy to pray briefly for that person as we hang up or walk away. Paul cultivated the habit of praying for others as he heard about them. A week of serious effort to cultivate just such a habit might very well transform our prayer lives! “Encouraged in heart and united in love” Col. 2:2. If you want to know Christ better, get to know your brothers and sisters better. Paul said this before (cf. Eph. 3:15–18). If we are to have a complete understanding of Christ, we need to deepen our relationships with others. Perhaps one reason is suggested in the phrase “encouraged in heart.” As we draw close to others, we sense God at work in their lives, and become more and more confident that He can work in us. Faith grows stronger as we see the reality of Jesus through His impact in those we love. The most important thing you can do to encourage another believer may be to share what Christ is doing in your own life. “All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” Col. 2:3–5. The promoters of the heresy corrupting the Colossian church claimed to have access to a “hidden” or special wisdom through a series of angels who were supposed to exist in ordered ranks between Christ and God. Paul said that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are “hidden” in Christ. Here “hidden” does not mean concealed. It means stored up. God has a warehouse full of riches—and He has given us the key! Christ. In Him, we have access to all God has and is. Many Christians are honestly hungry for deeper spiritual experiences. Some are so hungry that they will follow any seemingly pious route that others suggest. “All you need to do is pray an hour daily—preferably at 4 A.M., to show God you’re really serious.” “Meditation techniques will make all the difference.” “Just fast until God gives you a special filling of the Spirit.” “Follow this list of do’s and don’ts, and be in church three times a week.” Paul dismissed all such prescriptions as deceptive. God has stored everything we could possibly need in Christ. We will find spiritual fulfillment in Him, and in Him alone. “Continue to live in Him” Col. 2:6–10. To say that Christ is the warehouse in which all God’s treasures of wisdom and knowledge are stored sounds right. But it also sounds mystical, or obscure. How do we obtain these riches? If Christ is the key, how do we use it to open the door? Paul tells us. “Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,” he said, “continue to live in Him.” How did we receive Christ? By faith. We rested the full weight of our hope on what Christ has done for us, and trusted Him completely. This, Paul tells us, is the way we unlock the treasures of the Christian life. Live in Christ just as you received Him. Rest the full weight of your hopes on what Christ will do in you, and trust Him completely. We can’t count on early morning prayer, on meditation techniques, on fasting, on keeping lists of do’s and don’ts. We can’t rely on anything we do. We must rest our full weight on Christ, and trust Him to work as we live our lives in Him. Live each day for Jesus, and because you live in Jesus, His wisdom and power will express themselves through you. “Hollow and deceptive philosophy” Col. 2:8. Paul’s approach to spirituality is deceptively simple. In contrast, the rigorous approach of the Gnostics sounded both “religious” and reasonable to the folks at Colosse. But it was hollow and deceptive for three reasons. It depended on “human tradition,” the various pagan philosophies current during that day. It depended on the “basic principles” of the world. The Greek word may mean “the ABCs,” and thus an elementary rather than an advanced understanding of the universe. But it may mean “elemental power,” and refer to demonic evil forces. Most decisively, however, it does not depend on Christ. Any system promising spiritual advancement that replaces complete dependence on Christ with anything at all is “hollow and deceptive.” “All the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” Col. 2:9–12. The safest thing you or I can do is set out to live godly lives, and rely completely on Christ to make it possible. Why is this so safe? Because all Christ is flows into us as we live for Him. This is the implication of Paul’s statement, “You have been given fullness in Christ, who is the Head over every power and authority.” The Christian life isn’t like the pump that stood on the back porch of my uncle’s cottage on Cedar Lake. I had to run down to the lake, get a can of water, prime the pump, and then pump the handle up and down endlessly until a trickle of water flowed. The Christian life is more like a fireman who connects his hose to a city hydrant, turns it on, and struggles to hold on as the water surges powerfully out! You and I are connected to Jesus, who is Himself a reservoir of endless power. Simply open yourself to God by total reliance on Jesus, and His power will flow into and through you. “In Him you were also circumcised” Col. 2:11–13. The circumcision promoted by the corrupters of the faith in Colosse physically cut away the flap which covered the end of the male penis. It was a symbol in Old Testament times of covenant relationship with God. Paul reminded his readers that the New Testament symbol of covenant relationship with God is spiritual circumcision. God, not man, cuts away and discards not a mere flap of skin, but man’s sinful, bodily nature itself! How was this done? Through our union with Christ in His death and resurrection! We who were dead in sins and the “uncircumcision of your sinful nature” have been made alive in Christ. That is how Christ’s power can flow through us. We are alive in Him now. We are united to Him. No wonder we can rely completely on Him. We are channels through which the vibrant, surging life of Christ is now ready to flow. “Canceled the written code” Col. 2:14–15. The word translated “written code” was used in ancient times of an indictment drawn up against a prisoner. Paul, clearly referring here to the Mosaic Law and its regulations, viewed the written code as a devastating charge list, signed and entered in court, proving us guilty. Yet in Christ all our sins have been forgiven, and the code that condemned us has itself been canceled. Again, Law in itself is holy, just, and good. But in terms of its impact on a sinful humanity, Law was “against us” and “stood opposed to us.” Any demand that we “do” is an instrument of condemnation. That is why our life in Christ is not weighted down by Law or demands. Understanding this, every New Testament call to obedience, and every New Testament exhortation to live a holy life, is transformed. New Testament commands are not laws, demanding that we “do.” They are promises, explaining what Christ will do in us as we respond in faith. “Having disarmed the powers and authorities” Col. 2:15. The Cross freed us from Law. And it marked Christ’s triumph over hostile spiritual forces. Like a conquering general who displays his defeated enemies to all, Christ has made a public spectacle of every enemy. What possible reason should you and I have not to rely on Christ the Victor? We live our Christian life not by self-effort, but by faith in Him.

DEVOTIONAL

Find Reality(Col. 2:16–23)

How do we find reality in our spiritual lives? Folks at Colosse had answers that still appeal to those who see a need for strict and rigorous self-discipline. Follow dietary laws (v. 16). Keep holy days (v. 16). Submit to various rituals and regulations (v. 17). Concentrate on mystical experiences (v. 18). Live an ascetic life of self-denial (vv. 21–23). Follow rules designed to make you a disciplined person. We can almost see Paul shake his head as he completed this list. These aren’t avenues to spiritual reality. They are detours away from reality in our spiritual lives. A life marked by rigorous self-discipline may “have an appearance of wisdom,” Paul said. But such “false humility” and “harsh treatment of the body” has no value at all in “restraining sensual indulgence.” Paul was saying that rules that measure spirituality by externals look holy, but tend to make a person contemptuous of others internally! And inner sins are just as much “sensual indulgence” as gluttony or sexual promiscuity. Paul wants us to experience spiritual reality. He didn’t want us to just appear holy but to be holy. And we find the secret of being holy only in Christ, not in trying to follow lists of do’s and don’ts. In fact, Christ is reality. We experience reality only as we experience Him. So let’s rest every hope in Him, and trust Christ to live out His life in us as we take daily steps of obedience to His Word.

Personal Application

Don’t rely on self-effort. Let Christ make something of you.

Quotable

“If you make a great deal of Christ, He will make a great deal of you; but if you make but little of Christ, Christ will make but little of you.”—R.A. Torrey

Colossians

NOVEMBER 11

Reading 315

CHRIST SUPREME Colossians 1

“He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy” (Col. 1:18).Without Christ, Christianity is nothing.

Background

The Colossian heresy.

Features of the heresy that was corrupting the church at Colosse have been deduced from Paul’s letter, and seem to match a movement later known as Gnosticism. The Gnostics held a strict dualism: all matter was evil. Thus God, who is good, could never have really become a man. This directly challenged Christian doctrine of the Incarnation, and relegated Jesus Christ to a minor role in salvation history. To replace faith as a way of salvation the Gnostics offered a hidden knowledge (gnosis). To replace the living of a holy life in this world, the Gnostics might either try to subdue their fleshly body by asceticism, or they might live profligate lives, arguing that the “evil” body was simply following its nature, while the inner “I” was unaffected. While the Gnostic movement dissolved long ago, Colossians remains a vital book for Christians who want to let Christ rule supreme, and to know true spirituality.

Overview

Paul reported two prayers he offered for the Colossians (1:3–14), and immediately made a profound affirmation of Christ’s supremacy (vv. 15–23) and His living presence in the believer (vv. 24–29).

Understanding the Text

“To the holy and faithful brothers” Col. 1:1–3. Paul’s greeting shows characteristic gentleness. He did not attack them, even though many had apparently been sucked into a heretical group that neither lived a holy life nor was faithful to the doctrine of Christ. Paul was convinced that the truth he presented would correct their misunderstandings and rescue them. Doctrinal dispute can become so vitriolic that those in error are driven from the truth by those who know it. If you know others who are currently trapped in misunderstanding, don’t attack them. Trust them to respond to truth when it is clearly and gently presented. “When we pray for you” Col. 1:3–8. Paul continued his loving approach by telling how he thanked God each time he prayed for them. Pray for an “opponent” and thank God for him or her, and it will change your attitude for the better! “All over the world this Gospel is producing fruit” Col. 1:6. This is a gentle reminder. The Gospel the Colossians originally heard was the one that was being preached so effectively all over the world. The Gnostics were like the mother who saw her son marching with the high school band and said, “Look, they’re all out of step except my Bernie!” When everyone else is out of step, it’s time to reexamine your position! “We have not stopped praying for you and asking God” Col. 1:9–11. This prayer for the Colossians is one of the most significant in the New Testament, for it depicts the process of spiritual growth. Simply, the prayer describes a growth cycle, one which spirals ever upward to maturity. If you want to grow spiritually, let this prayer of Paul’s be your constant guide. You begin with “the knowledge of [God’s] will” (v. 9a). This is the kind of information about Himself and His will that God has revealed in Scripture. But you hold this knowledge in “all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (v. 9b). Both “spiritual wisdom” and “insight” describe seeing implications: seeing how to respond in every life situation by applying your knowledge of God. You then respond according to God’s Word, “that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him” (v. 10a). And, in the process of living out God’s known will, you bear “fruit in every good work” (v. 10b) and you also come to know God Himself better (v. 10b). In this whole process you are “being strengthened with all power” by God Himself, and so share in all that you have inherited through your relationship with Jesus. What is exciting about this to me is that it clearly defines our part in the spiritual life, and God’s part. You and I must (1) seek to know God’s revealed will and (2) seek to apply it in daily life. As we do, God supernaturally (1) strengthens us with His power, (2) produces fruit in and through us, and (3) makes Himself ever more real to us. There’s no great mystery about living the Christian life. And no overwhelming difficulties. We need simply to study and apply God’s Word as best we can—and trust God to do the rest! “The image of the invisible God” Col. 1:15–19. In its essence idolatry is putting anything less than God in God’s place. The Gnostics did this by honoring imagined ranks of angels, each a little less material and more spirit, standing between the universe and God. And they placed Jesus below these angels, very distant from God! One of the magazines I take and enjoy very much is the Catholic Digest. It is a warm and often enriching magazine. But every now and then I’m troubled by references to Mary that make her, in effect, the focus of a Christian’s prayers and faith. “Ask Mary, and she’ll get her Son to do it for you,” is an all too frequent theme. To the extent that Mary is given Christ’s role, the respect rightly won by the young Jewish woman so long ago is transformed into idolatry too. Paul wants us to put nothing in place of Christ. He is supreme. He is all. In Christ the invisible is revealed. Christ has the “firstborn’s” right to inherit all things. His claim is doubly established, for “by Him all things were created.” Visible and invisible—including the ranks of angels that the Gnostics superstitiously honored (v. 16b)—were created by Christ. And the resurrected Jesus, as Head of His body the church, is to be supreme in our lives. God in all His fullness, all that God is, exists and finds its expression in Jesus Christ (v. 20). It is this Jesus, the exalted God, who bled and died for us, who now represents us before the throne of grace. How foolish, when He who is God Himself is on our side, to put anyone or anything in Jesus’ rightful place. “To reconcile to Himself all things” Col. 1:20. The Gnostics proposed a great gap between earth and heaven. Paul rejected the notion. Christ proves that God can and does act in the material universe. In becoming man and dying, Christ made peace. He is the bridge, not just over troubled waters, but between heaven and earth. “Enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior” Col. 1:21. The Gnostics had the peculiar idea that the mind, as man’s immaterial part, could be in tune with God no matter what the body, the material and thus “evil” element of a person, might do. The idea hasn’t died out yet. Folks still go to church and assume they can think good thoughts on Sunday, and live like the devil during the week. Research has shown that many a wife beater spends a pious Sunday in church, or even serves as a church officer! To be really in tune with God, all that we are must be in harmony with Him. A “faith” that is not expressed in a godly life is not “faith” at all, and the mind of such a person remains hostile to the God revealed in Jesus. “Not moved from the hope held out in the Gospel” Col. 1:21–23. The warning is directed to the Colossian church, not to individuals. The church must never exchange the hope held out in the Gospel for the false hope offered by mere human philosophies. And, again, Jesus Christ as God in the flesh is the focus of our hope! Because He died for us we stand before God holy, without blemish, and free from accusation. “Christ in you, the hope of glory” Col. 1:24–29. J.B. Phillips translates this phrase, “Christ in you, the hope of all the glorious things to come.” Because Jesus is in His body now on earth, you and I as part of that body have hope for the future. Not just the hope of resurrection glory, but hope for glorious things now! The living presence of Christ in us, of God still present in the world of here and now, opens up our future to glorious possibilities. We are not yet all we could be. But because Christ is in us, we are becoming. As we go on in full commitment to Christ, we will become “perfect [mature] in Christ.”

DEVOTIONAL

Christ in You(Col. 1:15–28)

The French have a phrase, Le Bon Dieu. It means “the good God,” and is used almost with fond contempt. It suggests a grandfatherly figure in his dotage, vaguely but fondly nodding when visited briefly by one of his many offspring. Le Bon Dieu may not be pleased at everything one does, but if he should notice, he’s much too mild to take any action. A person can feel comfortable with Le Bon Dieu—and safely ignore him. What a different image of the invisible God from that portrayed in Christ! Here in Colossians we meet a dominant God, Master of Creation, who boldly stepped into the physical universe. He took on a body to deal with those sins that seem trivial to those who worship Le Bon Dieu. He endured the cross with fierce dedication. He triumphed in a resurrection that lifted Him above power. Looking at Christ we find no Le Bon Dieu who is dead, but the all-powerful Ruler of heaven and of earth. For the patrons of Le Bon Dieu, the real Christ is a disquieting figure. For the Christian, however, Christ preeminent, Christ incarnate, is recognized with a surge of hope and excitement. For Paul tells us that this Christ who brought God to earth is “in you”! The Incarnation meant that God expressed His supreme power in this world of space and time in the person of Jesus. “Christ in you” means that God still expresses His supreme power in this world—through us! Because this Christ is in us, we do have hope for glorious things ahead. We will triumph today, and tomorrow will join Christ in glory!

Personal Application

Don’t give up. Christ in you cannot fail.

Quotable

“Jesus is not to us as Christmas is to the world, here today and gone tomorrow.”—Rick Mylander