(. . . As well as of its relevance and our Mission?)
Friday evening just past, I attended an outreach event here with a visiting minister from Jamaica, and as I waited for the service, I took some time to mark up a bit on Colossians Ch 1 in a Study Bible. I was strongly reminded of and struck by
- its perspective on Christocentrism as the pivot of all reality,
- its slant on the fullness theme that is so emphasised in Ephesians [which was sent out at the same time and arguably may be famous "missing" Epistle to the Laodiceans . . . we have the Ephesian copy of a circular letter],
- the worldview, ethics and therefore life/culture agenda perspective,
- echoes of the six ABCs of discipleship in Heb 6:1 -2; and of course,
- the headlined question
On talking with the visiting Minister overnight, the thought was raised, that eventually I should do some serious writing, but it seems that for the moment, a blog post would do. At least, as a way to stir thought and perhaps action as elders in the gates for church and community alike.
Let's glance at the pivotal passage, also taking in some key onward snippets and related text so scripture can interpret scripture:
Col 1:13 For [God] has rescued us and has drawn us to Himself from the dominion of darkness, and has transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption [because of His sacrifice, resulting in] the forgiveness of our sins [and the cancellation of sins’ penalty].
15 He is the exact living image [the essential manifestation] of the unseen God [the visible representation of the invisible], the firstborn [the preeminent one, the sovereign, and the originator] of all creation. 16 For [d]by Him all things were created in heaven and on earth, [things] visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things were created and exist through Him [that is, by His activity] and for Him.
17 And He Himself existed and is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. [His is the controlling, cohesive force of the universe.]
18 He is also the head [the life-source and leader] of the body, the [e]church; and He is the beginning, [f]the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will occupy the first place [He will stand supreme and be preeminent] in everything.
19 For it pleased the Father for all the fullness [of deity—the sum total of His essence, all His perfection, powers, and attributes] to dwell [permanently] in Him (the Son), 20 and through [the intervention of] the Son to reconcile all things to Himself, making peace [with believers] through the blood of His cross; through Him, [I say,] whether things on earth or things in heaven.
21 And although you were at one time estranged and alienated and hostile-minded [toward Him], participating in evil things, 22 yet Christ has now reconciled you [to God] in His [g]physical body through death, in order to present you before the Father holy and blameless and beyond reproach— 23 [and He will do this] if you continue in the faith, well-grounded and steadfast, and not shifting away from the [confident] hope [that is a result] of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed [h]in all creation under heaven . . .[AMP]
The NIV renders v 23:
. . . 23 if
you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from
the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and
that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven . . .
This draws out the point that the rich theology of God the Son, through whom the world was created, and in whom all things hold together, the firstborn over creation, in whom is the fullness of Deity, the first risen from the dead is our Lord, Anointed of God and once crucified, now risen Saviour. This, is deeply woven-in part of the gospel that gives us eternal hope.
Let us highlight several other key points
- The gospel, properly, is The Gospel of the Kingdom of God; we are transformed by spiritual rebirth and moved from the dominion of darkness/evil/chaos to the kingdom of light/purpose-fulfilling soundness and truth/God blessed order
- This, of course, pivots on our response to the good news of the cross and resurrection, through penitent faith that trusts God who justifies, transforms, redeems and blesses us
- The Kingdom of his beloved Son, explicitly, is the Kingdom of God.
- Where, Jesus said to Pilate: “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world— to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” [Jn 18:37, sadly, Pilate's infamous resort from darkness was, "What is truth," he could not recognise that Truth Himself stood before him.]
- All of this pivots on Jesus, unique, onlybegotten Son of God, "the exact living image [the essential manifestation] of the unseen God [the visible representation of the invisible]"
- As Heb 1:3 echoes: "He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high." (And yes, these two texts are woven into the historic Nicene Creed: "the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made.")
- He, the Son is the Divine agent of creation, and is the one who now upholds the existence and coherence of all creation.
- All things were created by him and FOR him, he fills all things and holds them together. As we see from Eph 1: "[The Son is] head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all." Eph 4 adds, "10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things."
- This already implies that our gospel mandate must be globally transformational, as filling all things with Christ must lead to positive transformation and rescue for those who receive his grace.
- It is indeed so that The Eternal Father has acted "through [the intervention of] the Son to reconcile all things to Himself, making peace [with believers] through the blood of His cross; through Him, [I say,] whether things on earth or things in heaven."
- In this context, then, we must recognise that: "it pleased the Father for all the fullness [of deity—the sum total of His essence, all His perfection, powers, and attributes] to dwell [permanently] in Him (the Son)."
- As Heb 1 notes, " 13 And to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?" or, "8 But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions."
This is already shocking, daring, bold beyond our imagination. This vision of the Son transforms our understanding of the gospel, discipleship and our mandate. It calls for much more, too:
- Paul, in chains and due to face a mad man blasphemously calling himself Lord and acting as supreme judge of the Roman Empire, labours " to make the word of God fully known [v. 25]" and specifically "26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 . . . God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. "
- Accordingly, "28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ," defining the framework of evangelism, discipleship and Mission.
- He goes on in Ch 2, writing of : "2 . . . the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."
- He immediately warns, as there were false teachers at work already, "4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments."
- He calls the Colossians and through them, us: "6 . . . as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving."
- He therefore challenges: "8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits1 of the world, and not according to Christ." Soundness is vital, and is to be sustained in the teeth of clever but fallacious arguments and error-riddled philosophies deceitfully claiming to be profound truth.
- So, he returns to the fullness theme and to just who is Lord: "9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority."
- He echoes the six ABC principles of discipleship listed in Heb 6:1 -2 and the teaching on Baptism in Rom 6: "11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. " The six: repentance from dead works, faith towards God, baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, eternal judgement.
- Here, too, he explicitly parallels circumcision and water baptism, though of course, baptism is to be an active expression of faith, it is believers who are to know, per Rom 6: "3 . . . know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."
- As Col 2:13 notes, we stand forgiven, freed of penalty under our guilt before the law: "13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross."
- So, he declares, "15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities2 and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.3"
- The Supreme Judge has spoken, so, " 16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath."
- He explains, "17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ."
- Also, directly parallel: "18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions,4 puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God."
- He warns, "23 [Ascetic rules -- 21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch”] have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh."
- In Ch 3, we see, balancing words: " 5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming."
- Also: " 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self4 with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave,5 free; but Christ is all, and in all."
- Instead: " 12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. "
- And, "17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
These, mark a transformation from letter to life, life filled with Christ by his Spirit and utterly transformed.
Where, let us note, in preaching and teaching the gospel, we must measure up to this benchmark. If our teachings do not systematically, consistently, insistently emphasise these themes, we are sub standard, we are dumbing down.
And, that is a challenge. END
PS, DV, I will follow up on the fullness theme. In the meanwhile, kindly look here, here on and here.
