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Colossians 4:7-18 – A Community of Believers

How was Paul able to maintain his perspective while in prison? With so many churches so close to his heart, how was he able to keep up with helping each one face their own unique challenge? Was he a superman? No. He had help.

In the concluding verses of the letter to the Colossians, Paul does more than send along personal greetings. He gives us a glimpse into his fellowship of encouragement. Paul set an example for mature interpersonal relations. Besides remembering his friends and companions, he expressed genuine concern for them. We, too, will need others if we are to maintain the vitality in ministry which Paul exemplifies.

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ANALYSIS OF PHILIPPIANS 1:21 – part 1

The next two posts will focus on the infamous passage in Philippians 1:21. The purpose of this paper was to consult major commentaries, provide an analysis of the verse, look at the context before and after the verse, and provide a personal preference to the verse based on the analysis. This post will focus on the introduction, commentary analysis, and the context before the verse. The next post will focus on the remaining topics.

When does a sentence become more than just words on a page? When it comes from the inspired Word of God. While many passages of Scripture provide context, history, teachings, encouragements, or revelations about God, over the course of Christian history, some verses have stood out more than others. They have become the battle cry for a certain people or generation. They have inspired believers to take leaps of faith, to stand strong, to trust God in difficult times and know He is working in those situations. Some verses are quoted often and applied to one meaning, when in fact the original meaning was potentially something entirely different. How many times is Philippians 1:21 used at a funeral or at the side of a terminally ill person? Does this verse only apply to death or is there more to it? Philippians 1:21 offers something more than just a quote for a funeral; it provides inspiration for Christians to magnify Christ daily. This analysis will show that “to live is Christ” should be the central statement to every Christian’s life because believers are instructed to magnify Christ in their lives; and death is gain because death means more of Christ and Christ is better than anything in this life. In this brief analysis, Philippians 1:21 (“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain”) will be examined and analyzed to identify not only the context of this single verse, but also determine what major Christian commentators suggest this verse means. In addition, my personal viewpoint on this verse and how I believe it applies to a believer’s life will be discussed.

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Colossians 3:5-11 – Putting off the sins of the old life

While obedience to rules cannot bring salvation, those who are saved ought to live worthy of that salvation. Thus, Paul gives the Colossians instructions concerning proper conduct in verses 5-8. He states in negative and positive terms the kind of life that God wants Christians to live. Although the believers at Colosse were once captivated by the evil practices listed in verses 8, 8, and 9, they were to abandon such practices.

Because we are alive in Christ, we must seek the things that are above. And, because we died with Christ, we must put off the things that belong to the earthly life of past sin. The result is that we can become like Jesus Christ! God wants to renew us and make us into the image of His Son!

5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. 6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, 7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him— 11 a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • Stop walking in your old self, and live in the brilliant freedom of your new Christian self
  • Check yourself. Are you serving anything other than God? Are you seeking satisfaction in something outside of God? Only God can satisfy and is worth serving.
  • Sanctification is a process. God is at work. Let the Spirit work in you and renew you to become more mature

CLOSER LOOK:

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Colossians 3:1-4 Focusing on Jesus

Ever feel like your life is just going in circles? The same old things days after day and week after week. The drudgery of the same old routines can make life seem like you are going in circles and stuck in the mud. With an earthbound perspective, life really is little more than going in circles and the same pattern. The repetitive cycles of infancy, adolescence, and old age; work, rest, and more work; marriage, children, and grandchildren; diapers and dishes; progress and regress can seem awfully ordinary and terribly tedious.

God, however, does not want us simply to endure the mundane and tediousness. Our ordinary activities can be infused with spiritual significance. Paul calls us to a bigger picture, a higher perspective in Colossians 3. He calls us to look up and focus on Him to gain perspective for our earthly endeavors.

Throughout chapter 3, we will see that knowing the truth about Christian living invites us to live an ordinary life in an extraordinary way. Paul’s exhortations in chapter 3 are practical applications of the doctrine he has presented in chapter 2. A brief overview of chapter 3 is: believers are to seek spiritual values (3:1–4), put off the sins of the old life (3:5–11), and put on the virtues of the new life (3:12–17). This in turn should affect their relationships with other members of their families and society (3:18–4:1).

Today, we will look at verses 1-4 so it will be shorter. Verses 5-11 really go better together as a unit, so it would not be great to break that up. Also, verses 1–4 are seen as a hinge between the primarily doctrinal section of chapters 1–2 and the primarily practical section of chapters 3–4. These verses conclude the polemic against the false teachers with a further exaltation of the supremacy of Jesus, and they provide the starting point for the alternative to the false teaching with an exhortation to make Christ central in all areas of life.

1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. (NASB)

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • Genuine spiritual experience begins with understanding our identification with Christ.
  • Believers are dead to sin, which means we are no longer under the influence of sin’s dominating power.
  • For the believer, life is not merely activities, details, acquisition, or accomplishments. Life is Christ. He is the focus of our aspirations, the focus of our hearts and mind in the good and bad times, the reason for our existence, and hope of our future.

CLOSER LOOK:

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