Colossians Summer Study
A Family Resemblance
BARBARANNE KELLY | CONTRIBUTOR We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. (Colossians 1:3–5a) I’ve been going through a box of old photos found in my dad’s attic, and I’m seeing the faces of my great and great-great-grandparents for the first time. I’ve seen their names written in the branches of our family tree, but for the first time I’m able to look for family resemblances in their eyes and smiles. I marvel at seeing my infant grandmother tenderly held in the arms of her parents under the shade of their garden, held with the same affection with which I held my own precious children. I’m connected to my great-grandmother in more ways than DNA can explain. I never met her, but her blood flows through my veins, and her love for gardening and family, along with her physical characteristics, have been shared down through the generations. When Paul wrote to the church in Colossae, he was writing to saints he’d never met. The gospel had been carried to them by his co-laborer Epaphras, had taken root, and was “bearing fruit and increasing” (1:6–7). Paul’s joy overflowed in thankfulness to God as he recognized the family resemblance in these unseen saints when he heard of “[their] faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that [they] have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for [them] in heaven” (1:4–5a). How did these saints and fellow brothers and sisters at Colossae resemble the family of Christ? They bore the traits of faith in Christ Jesus, love for all the saints, and a hope laid up in heaven. Faith, love, and hope are spiritual characteristics which set the family of God apart from the rest of the world. Faith The word “faith” is repeated five times in the letter to the Colossians, and each time it refers to a specifically objective faith in God the Father and/or the Lord Jesus Christ. This isn’t the baseless faith of the world that calls us to “just believe,” or worse, to “believe in yourself.” The faith that characterizes all Christians is “faith in Christ Jesus (1:4; 2:5), “the faith” in which they need to continue (1:23), “the faith” which is key to walking in Christ (2:6–7), and it is faith in the powerful working of God through which they were raised in baptism with Christ (2:12). Paul sees the family resemblance in the Colossians’ faith because he knows it’s nothing they’ve done in themselves; it is God’s gracious gift (Eph. 2:8)....
On Minds Set Above
ELIZABETH TURNAGE | CONTRIBUTOR “Just Do It.” The iconic Nike slogan has inspired millions, not only to work out, but also to purchase the swoosh-branded gear. Unfortunately, many Christians have unknowingly adopted a similar “Just Do It” mindset when approaching the gospel command, “Set your minds on things above” (Col. 3:2). But here’s the problem: apart from first resting in the gospel reality of our union with Christ, we cannot carry out this command. As we slow down to consider the context of Paul’s words, we find something far better than mere motivation—we find the hope-filled reality that empowers and invites us to set our hearts and minds on the things above. The Hope-filled Gospel Reality As Paul so often does in his epistles, he begins by proclaiming gospel realities (also called “gospel indicatives”), naming what is true of us because we are united with Christ. He then follows these realities with gospel commands (also called “gospel imperatives”). To fully understand and live out Paul’s exhortation to “Set our minds on things above,” we must first consider our identity in Christ. In Colossians 1-2, Paul describes our new identity in Christ: we have “faith in Christ Jesus” (Col. 1:4), we have been made “mature in Christ” (Col. 1:28), and we “walk in him” (Col. 2:6). In Him we also have “redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:14), and in Him, we are reconciled with God (Col. 2:21). Most importantly, our citizenship has changed. Because of Christ’s work on the Cross and our faith in Him, we have moved from the “domain of darkness” to the “kingdom of his beloved Son” (Col. 1:13-14). We have been “buried with him in baptism” and “raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead” (Col. 2:11-12)....
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Colossians and Philemon: That in Everything Christ Might be Preeminent is an 8-week Bible Study written by Sarah Ivill. Check out this bible study’s website where you will find audio, video, and other encouraging content. You can purchase [...]
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Colossians and Philemon: That in Everything Christ Might be Preeminent is an 8-week Bible Study written by Sarah Ivill. Check out this bible study’s website where you will find audio, video, and other encouraging content. You can purchase [...]
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Colossians and Philemon: That in Everything Christ Might be Preeminent is an 8-week Bible Study written by Sarah Ivill. Check out this bible study’s website where you will find audio, video, and other encouraging content. You can purchase [...]
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Colossians and Philemon: That in Everything Christ Might be Preeminent is an 8-week Bible Study written by Sarah Ivill. Check out this bible study’s website where you will find audio, video, and other encouraging content. You can purchase [...]