Colossians 3
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Colossians 3:2:
Set your heart on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God |
The Greek word translated "set your hearts on"" is <em>zeteo</em>, which "denotes man's general philosophical search or quest." The same word is used in Luke 19:10: "the Son of Man came to seek...what was lost." Its also used to describe how the shepherd looks for his lost sheep (Matt 18:12), a woman searches for a coin (Luke 15:8), and a merchant a fine pearl (Matt 13:45). So, Pauls admonition is to diligently, actively, single-mindedly pursue the "things above" or, rather, :heaven."
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The word "set" can mean "to become fixed; harden" (American Heritage Dictionary). This is the way it is used in this verse. This is speaking of a permanent focus on things above.
David fixed his heart on praising the Lord to such a degree that even in the midst of terrible adversity, he remained steadfast (Ps 57:7). Those who do not fix their hearts on the things of God in advance of problems will succumb to the temptation (2Ch 12:14). The Lord made the heart the driving force behind people's actions. People cannot consistently act contrary to their hearts (Pr 4:23). And the heart doesn't change quickly. Jesus said the people's hearts had "waxed gross" (Mt 13:15). This is talking about a process of change that takes place over a period of time. This process can either be positive or negative. Positively speaking, our hearts can be so set on things above that it would be difficult to immediately change and follow the devil. It takes a period of time to move away from what our affections are set on. In the negative, if our hearts are not set on the things above, then it would be difficult to go contrary to what we have been focusing on and follow God. It takes a process to turn our hearts toward God. It takes time to set our affections on things above, just like it takes time for concrete to set. But once concrete sets, it is not easily altered. Likewise, our hearts cannot be easily altered from a set state. Therefore, it is imperative that we set our affections on things above. --Andrew Wommack Ministries: Colossians 3:2] |
As Christians who have given their lives to Christ Jesus, the following should be our priority, and everything else should fall behind…
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Colossians 3:4:
When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
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Colossians 3:5:
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: |
An inordinate affection is anything outside of or instead of God that you are willing to suffer for. You willing to suffer for material goods, power, authority, pride, sex, sinful ideologies? Those are inordinate affections.
Desire itself is not sin. We strongly desire many things that God has given us to enjoy, such as food. The word concupiscence is found primarily in older versions of the Bible, such as the KJV. Newer translations usually trade the word concupiscence for phrases such as covetous desires, water, friendship, and sleep. (Romans 7:8), evil desires (Colossians 3:5), and passion of lust (1 Thessalonians 4:5). We also have a natural desire for sex, and sexual passion within marriage is not concupiscence; however, all expressions of sexual passion outside the marriage are sinful (Galatians 5:19–21; 1 Corinthians 6:9–10). Concupiscence in the Bible always refers to passionate desire for something that God has forbidden. Romans 1:18–32 warns that continued concupiscence will lead to “a depraved mind” (verse 28). Three times this passage warns that, when people reject God’s standard of holiness, He will “give them over” to their lusts. Ongoing concupiscence results in a deadening of conscience to the extent that one can sin boldly without guilt or conviction. That is a dangerous place to be.
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| "The word "idol" is used in the Bible 231 times. Warnings against "idols" is often used with the words "graven images." I prefer that descriptive as defining what is being pursued in the act of idolatry: something we engrave in our minds. Colossians 3:5 breaks it down as it warns we should put to death with our minds "sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness." which, as it continues, labels it as "idolatry." Idols are far more than calves made of gold. A gold calf would be easy to target and ignore. The idols that we embrace are far more subtle, and deadlier, because they are constructs we create in our minds. We can pursue the images mentioned in Colossians and often not even realize it is a motivating factor. Until being tested by fire..... Jer 2:28: "But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble"........ and adds "for according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah." One could interpret the last hook as they had so many gods and equal to the number of their cities...or that their god was their numbers of people. Their idol was that they had lots of people behind them and could stand against anyone or anything. But, clearly, the number of people in your army is nothing when pitted against God. God declares what he thinks of those idols in the next few verses in Jeremiah 2.. In today's new testament economy when truth or suffering comes it will reveal what is eternal and what is not. Passion has a refining work to do in us, revealing the fragility of our idols and, in contrast, the solidness of God. Joni Eareckson Tada wrote in her book "When God Weeps": "Gods purpose is not to make us healthy, wealthy, or happy (though it pleases Him to do so) but to makes us holy. God cares most --not in making us comfortable--but leading us to hate our sins, grow spiritually, and love Him" Our eternal value is far more important than our comfort in a world destined to perish. On that day the gods that we make in our minds will be no match against the God who created us and gave us the very mind we often use to create "graven images" with. |
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Colossians 3:10:
and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, |
One aspect of our spiritual growth is that our new nature is “being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator”
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Colossians 3:13:
"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." |
The testimony of Stephen took this to the extreme when as he was dying said "“Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" And Saul (Paul) was a witness to this. Taking a little liberality in translating I think that Paul, who himself was a persecutor of Christians at that time, saw in Stephen a man who just forgave the people who were killing him. I mean, what kind of man does such a thing? Well, it was Paul who wrote this letter to the Collossians. Paul understood that an average religious zealot would have cried out "Let God avenge thee." Stephen did not. NONE of the religious people who were stoning him "deserved" forgiveness. But...it is a very rare exception that anyone we NEED to forgive deserves it either. That is what makes forgiveness so powerful. It frees ourselves and is a powerful testimony for the ages.....you NEVER know who may be watching you...
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Colossians 3:16:
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God |
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Colossians 3:17:
Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father |
What is the meaning of the expression "in the name of the Lord"? Religious authorities were extremely upset that the apostles were advocating Christian concepts. They brought Peter and John into their assembly and demanded to know, "By what power or by what name have you done this?" (Acts 4:7). The word "power" refers to authority. The Jewish leaders were demanding to know by what authority they were acting. Who was giving them the right to teach what they were teaching? What authoritative source approved or sanctioned their particular actions? Peter's answer was "by the name of Jesus Christ." In other words, the apostles had not been advocating their own ideas. They were simply presenting what Jesus had previously authorized them to present (cf., Matt. 16:19; 18:18).
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The Christian mind is also goal-directed according to Colossians 3:17 and 1Cor. 10:31. The fancy word for this is “teleology,” referring to “goal-directedness.” to use Rick Warren’s words, our minds are “purpose driven.” We have built-in purposes for which we are made. We are to “love God and love others” (Mt 22:37-39; Lk 10:27; Mk 12:30-31), “seek first the kingdom of God” (Mt 6:33), “do unto others as we would have them do unto us” (Mt 22:39), and we are to glorify God above all (Col 3:17; 1 Cor 10:31). Now God did not program us like robots. We have the ability to cooperate with God’s purposes in our lives, including the ones that are hardwired into our nature. But we also have the ability to resist our teleology. We are made to worship God, but when we refuse to do that, we are still worshippers at heart, so we turn our worship towards false religions, ourselves, celebrities, love affairs, career-goals, or most anything we can imagine. -Intelligent Christian Faith
We are given gifts, but they aren't there to glorify us but to glorify the source of all gifts. As we serve others and serve God through our gifts and talents, we magnify God.
To take the glory and honor from God is actually a form of robbing Him because the glory was never for us to begin with. That doesn't mean we are to live in false humility, but to refuse to live in entitlement and arrogance. -Pat Mabilog; Christian Today
To take the glory and honor from God is actually a form of robbing Him because the glory was never for us to begin with. That doesn't mean we are to live in false humility, but to refuse to live in entitlement and arrogance. -Pat Mabilog; Christian Today
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Colossians 3:18:
Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. |
Wives are asked to submit, as in give respect to their husbands. The wife is in submission as a response to the husband's love for her and his providing, as well as his having her best interest and care at heart.
The word "submit" translates from a military term (Greek: hupotasso), which means "to place under" or "to subordinate" as a line relationship. This is like when and how we respond to Christ with love and service because of His free gift of grace. We do not earn salvation for service; rather, service is a fruit of our gratitude. In the same way, submission is not to be forced, but offered freely in response to love. It is something we replicate, as in responding in kindness so our response to each other is fueling the other's response, and so forth. In this way, we escalate love and kindness instead of repression and dysfunction. "Fitting" implies how we reach out to one another and to God. It is even a duty, not because of weakness or inferiority, or that one is better than the other. Rather, God has placed, in the order of creation, the husband as head of the home, just as Christ is the head of the Church. They have different roles, yet each one is equal in the sight of God! The husband loves and respects his wife and earns her devotion and the result is the continual, mutual respect that builds an effective, strong marriage relationship (Eph. 5:22; 1 Peter 3:1). Husbands are asked to love their wives. Paul's asserting to his churches and readers to love, and because of love to submit, was very radical. To Paul, love was a duty. It was even considered weak by the macho mindsets of the times as well as with many people today. But, this is not weak; it is building the strength of a relationship and the bond of a family by creating a mutual partnership (Amos 3:3; 1 Corinthians 7:3-4; 13)! |
| The first instruction here is given to wives. They are told to "be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord." There are many today, even in the church, who do not like this passage. Can you imagine reading this verse to a group of radical feminists? You would probably be shouted down. But whether they like it or not, there it is, in the inspired Word of God. We need to notice something very important about this passage. Who is it addressed to? It is addressed to the wives. It is not addressed to the husbands. This is very important. What usually happens is that the husband reads the instruction addressed to his wife and reminds her when she is not living up to it (in his view). Is it illegal to read someone else's mail? Well, it should be illegal in this case. Husbands, this is not written to you. Submission is not a command for the husband to enforce. There is never even a hint of such an idea in the Scripture in which a man, through conniving, brute force, manipulation, or mind-control, can bring his wife into submission. It is not something the husband demands of his wife any more than she makes the demand that he love her. So, we are not looking at ways to bring a wife into submission as we consider our text. In this verse Paul is addressing the responsibilities of the wife. This text is not an isolated text. This is not the only time in the New Testament that wives are told to submit to their husbands. The idea of the wives submission is taught all through the Bible. In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul declares the principle of headship that is to govern the people of God for all time. Here is the principle: 1 Corinthians 11:3 (NASB) But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. The word "head" is the Greek word kephale, which metaphorically means: "government, or authority." Now when "head" is used , figuratively, as it is here, it refers to priority in function. That is what the head of our body does; it runs the body; it is in charge; it is the direction setter of the body. Used metaphorically, therefore, the word "head" means primarily leadership, and thus it is used in this passage. The hierarchy here is God, Christ, man, and woman. God and the Messiah are equally divine, but there is a subordination of function; so too, man and woman are spiritually equal, but one ranks above the other in function. |
Paul's letter to the Colossians and his letter to the Ephesians are very similar. They cover some of the same points and therefore can be compared to gain a clearer understanding of what Paul was saying In Eph 5:21, Paul began his instruction about submission in marriage by saying, "Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God." Submission in marriage is not one-sided.
The truth and benefits found in the Bible on godly submission have been so distorted and perverted in our "Christianity" today, it has resulted in many people being hurt, and those people are now closed to any type of submission. That's an overreaction. This is just one scripture that commands submission. There are others.
This verse places limitations on submission in marriage, and these, if understood, will stop the extreme abuses that have caused some to throw out the truth with the error.
First, Paul said women are to submit to their own husbands. Paul was specifically speaking of a wife submitting to her own husband. He was not saying that women in general are to submit to men in general. This has been one of the misinterpretations of scripture on submission that has caused many problems.
Second, this verse says that the wife is to submit only "as it is fit in the Lord" This limits the submission of the wife to her husband (there is a difference between submission and obedience, and this submission is in the physical realm only . Paul was not instructing the woman to commit sin if her husband wants her to. That is a gross misunderstanding of what true submission is, and that extreme view has damaged many people. [SOURCE: Andrew Wommack: Colossians 3:18
The truth and benefits found in the Bible on godly submission have been so distorted and perverted in our "Christianity" today, it has resulted in many people being hurt, and those people are now closed to any type of submission. That's an overreaction. This is just one scripture that commands submission. There are others.
This verse places limitations on submission in marriage, and these, if understood, will stop the extreme abuses that have caused some to throw out the truth with the error.
First, Paul said women are to submit to their own husbands. Paul was specifically speaking of a wife submitting to her own husband. He was not saying that women in general are to submit to men in general. This has been one of the misinterpretations of scripture on submission that has caused many problems.
Second, this verse says that the wife is to submit only "as it is fit in the Lord" This limits the submission of the wife to her husband (there is a difference between submission and obedience, and this submission is in the physical realm only . Paul was not instructing the woman to commit sin if her husband wants her to. That is a gross misunderstanding of what true submission is, and that extreme view has damaged many people. [SOURCE: Andrew Wommack: Colossians 3:18
