The main theme of the book is that Jesus Christ is God and the only true way to heaven.
Subject of Paragraph: Sacrificial Service for Christ
Scriptural Context: The Passage before this one deals with the Supremacy of Christ. It tells that Christ is God and how he reconciled us to him. The passage after this one deals with living in him. It tells of the fullness that can be found in him. Paul also writes of our forgiveness and how he was triumphant over the cross. Basically Paul tells us of the freedom we have in Christ.
Book Context: The passage I chose deals with what we need to do as Christian’s. It also tells of the labor we will face for Christ. I think it is meant to be an encouragement to stay strong in the faith. The book of Colossians to me relates to the passage I chose by the way it flows. It seems to flow in an orderly fashion.
It starts with the explanation of how Christ is Supreme and the proof of His Deity. Paul then transitions to telling about what he has gone through for the gospel and how he is compelled to labor for the Gospel. From there he goes into the freedom we have in Christ and how we are made alive in him. Paul then goes on to give us rules for Holy living. He also instructs us on how to run a Christian household. He then wraps up the book with further instructions and gives the final greetings to the church from the saints that were with him. As you can see there is a natural progression in the book.
Original Meaning: The meaning of the passage to Paul is to strengthen his brothers in the faith. Paul wrote this to show them that things will not always be perfect and that some times they will face trials but with Jesus all things are possible. Paul also encourages himself through the encouragement of the church of Colosse.
I think that when Paul writes to the church’s and tell them what he thinks, encourages them , prays for them, or even just telling them what he face for the gospel, that it gives him a sense of accomplishment or even a sense of why he is doing what he is doing. I think the meaning of this passage to the Church of Colosse is to be reminded of who Jesus is and what he went through for them. They needed to be reminded of Christ’s Deity and that there a people who care for them and like Paul are willing to go through extreme percussion for them.
Trans-Cultural Truths:
- Verse 1:25 – We are servant to Christ to present the Word.
- Verse 1:27 – We are to tell the unreached about the love of God.
- Verse 2:2 – We are to help people to understand Christ and his love for us.
- Verse 2:4 – We are to make sure that our brothers are not deceived.
Application:
- They should show the love of God to everyone.
- They should teach other how to understand the love God has for us.
- They are to stay alert and watch out for deceit.
Views of Others?According to Tyndale, One reason that Paul is more personal in this letter is because the church at Colosse had not been exposed to many preachers. He felt if he was more personal than he would be able to reach his audience better. It also states that one reason Paul might have used the phrase the mystery of Christ is because this term is associated with cults and cults were coming to the forefront of Colosse . According to Barclays book he was in agreement with Tyndale but added that the old testament talked of the mystery of God and that Paul could be referring to this.
Practical Application:
- We are all ministers of the gospel no matter what field we are in and we should minister the word to everyone.
- We need to learn how to show people that God loves them and he wants to know them.
- We need to teach people about Gods love and what he will do for them.
- We need to watch for teachers of a false gospel and beware of deceitful men.
