Colossians 1

Every person elected as our President comes to office with dreams and ambitions for our country. Not too long after taking office they learn that actually they are quite limited in their ability to effect change. Why? Because there are others powers and forces that contend for control; congressional, judicial, economic, international, and the forces of nature. This is a world the people of Colossae could easily understand.

The ancient city of Colossae was in Turkey, inland from Ephesus. Paul is writing from jail, either in Rome or Ephesus, at about 61AD. Colossae was destroyed by an earthquake four years later. The world culture at that time was dominated by a belief that the entire world was controlled by powers and forces beyond the control of the ordinary person. Life was spent trying to appease these forces. The new church in Colossae was being threatened by new believers in Christ bringing their pagan beliefs, as well as elements of Judaism, astrology and magic into the church. This mixed bag of doctrines, thoughts and ideas was reducing Jesus to merely an angelic being. Paul responds to this situation in this presentation of both the uniqueness and supremacy of Jesus. In the beautifully poetic passage of v. 15-20 count the different titles Paul used to describe Jesus.

The abiding theme of this letter is thankfulness. Paul begins in v.3 by thanking God for the church in Colossae then in v.12 by thanking the Father for all he has done in the life of the believers. This theme of thanksgiving will be carried forward to 2:7, 3:17, and 4:2.

Every day it is my ambition to allow two of Paul’s statements about Jesus to permeate my entire being. First, Jesus, who created all that has been created, is holding everything together. (v.17) Jesus is actively involved in this world, or as the Affirmation of Faith of the United Church of Canada states, I believe in Jesus “who has created and is creating.”

Secondly, this Jesus, as described in v. 15-20, lives in me. (v. 27)

What word or phrase in these verses

attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

27-Nov-11     Col. 2