For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. (verses 4-6) - As Paul reflects on his friends in the Thessalonian church, the place he starts is w

… Grace and peace to you. We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. - Right off the top, in these first few verses, we get hit with a Big Five line-up – five vital components of Christian life. Grace. Peace. Faith. Love. Hope. As always, Paul starts this letter with the twin blessing

My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.) (verse 10) - Paul is currently imprisoned, probably in Rome, and as he brings his letter to a close, he lists a number of people who are with him (Aristarchus, Jesus who is called Justus, Epaphras, Luke, Demas), and then sends greetings to the whole church (both in Colossae and Laodicea), specifically naming

(Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful …) Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis. (verses 2, 12-13) - “Devote yourselves to prayer,” Paul says, using the very word that describes the passion of the early church in the

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. (verse 2) - Prayer. It’s foundational in following Jesus. His teaching makes it clear. “Ask, seek, knock,” he says, inviting us to lay our requests before the Father who faithfully listens and lovingly responds. “You should always pray and not give up,” Jesus continues, stretching us to engage fully with time and faith. Indeed, his own life of prayer so captivated his disciples that they cried out, “Teach us to pray,

Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favour, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favouritism. Masters, provide yo

Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. (verses 20-21) - Here we have the third and fourth of Paul’s concise, bullet-points for family life. The first two dealt with wives and husbands. These two deal with children and parents. But since very few children will likely read this post (!), I’m going to address the whole thing to parents. Which is a good thing, because it seems

Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. (verses 18-21) - Wow. Talk about bullet-points for family life! Here they are: (1) “Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands.” This statement seems completely out of tune with the world in which we now live.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of C

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put o

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (verses 1-4) - Our reality has been completely transformed in Christ, elevated into a whole new dimension. Everything is changed. So, the whole dire

Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ … Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are

When you were dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (verses 13-15) - Three momentous scenes from Jesus’ life and ministry provide t

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. (verses 6-7) - This is a wild mix of word pictures! Paul piles them up together, one butted up against another, like some outlandish collage put together by an overactive pre-schooler. But the pile-up communicates. Paul begins by affirming that the Colossians had received teaching about Jesus

We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labour, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me. I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. (1:28-2:1) - Perfect ? Really? Paul says that’s his aim in ministry – presenting “everyone perfect in Christ.” What an incredibly high goal! But what

I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness – the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (verses 25-27) - “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” What a stunning phrase. So often Paul speaks of the fact that we ourselves are “in

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behaviour. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation – if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel … - I’m in the midst of a very painful relationship strain. So hard. I’m sure you’ve been there, too. When you love someone so much, the

And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. (verse 18) - Jesus came to seek and to save the lost – that’s us. It was by “making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” (verse 20) that he did it, his sacrifice decisively opening the door into the kingdom of light for each one who trusts in him. How good to be rescued, ransomed, saved. But it’s not just an individ

For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (verses 16-17) - The first words of Scripture let us know the Lord’s primacy: “In the beginning God.” The next words make it plain there is no other source but him: he “created the heavens and the earth.” The rest of Genesis Chapter

He is the image of the invisible God … (verse 15) - Imagine encountering God at a burning bush, hearing his voice reverberating as he commanded you to loosen your sandals and stand, barefoot and humble, on holy ground. The light of that bush would dance on clothing and hands, even as you turned aside, hiding your face for fear of looking directly on the divine glory. Such was Moses’ response. Yet, years later, yearning for a clearer sighting, he voiced his longing to the Lord