In Grace and Wisdom
Complete in Christ
Looking at Christ, being of Him, is what keeps us from human philosophies, which produce only confusion and sadness.
Firmly Rooted
The danger that the Colossians run: the brothers were in danger of being deceived by strange philosophies, but the greater risk was that those philosophies clouded their understanding to the knowledge of Christ (in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden) .
Suffering for the Gospel
This message that the apostle preaches is the Covenant that God had promised since his fall in Eden, the message of which the prophet said that “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man.” This is the mystery that is revealed to us, by the grace of God, in Christ.
He is God
Worthy of the Lord
God freed us. Jesus forgave us of all our sin, and it is He who is making us more and more like Him, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Faith, Love and Hope
At the beginning of his letter, the apostle Paul mentions three virtues that should adorn the life of believers: Faith, Love, and Hope.
Encouraging Believers
What does Paul intend to do in this epistle? He wants to encourage the believers in Colossae to look to Christ and see him as LORD, all-sufficient in every area of their lives: home, work, society, relationships… All our life should be based on this premise: Christ is sufficient.
Greet the saints
In the midst of his captivity, Paul has shown us that our security, confidence, and joy come from Christ. The apostle overflows, in this letter, with gratitude, joy, and love towards the church in Philippi, who have aided him in his necessity, and he bids them farewell with a message filled with affection.
Giving and receiving
The interesting matter here is how Paul draws attention to the question: who has been blessed by this gesture? Himself, obviously, because he has seen his needs supplied, but those who are even more blessed are those who have given, because this gesture is an agreeable offering to the Lord
Learn to be Content
We live in a time in which it seems that nothing is enough for us, nothing satisfies us, nothing can make us happy. Well, that’s not the true reality for Christians, because this passage (and the whole Gospel) teaches us the key to living the Christian life.
Meditate on Him
May our thoughts always be focused upon the greatest glory of God. Let us meditate on Him, His love, His goodness, His mercy. May we allow our minds to be filled with His Word and His Truth, that His light may dispel our darkness.
Be anxious for nothing
What is the source of our joy, of our view of life? Where do we place our confidence and hope? Paul encourages us here to leave all our worries, our fears, our struggles with the One who has already won, in Jesus, the Lamb of God.
Seek Harmony
May those who have had a problem with someone let go of their pride and seek to live in harmony with their brother in Christ in mercy. Let them recognize their own faults, treating the other in love as a brother in Christ because the same love has been poured out over our lives. Do not let bitterness take root.
Imitate me
When Paul says, “look to me and imitate those who live as I do,” he is teaching us to look to Jesus… Our citizenship is from heaven, our mind is heavenly (conformed to God’s Word). We don’t live like those who trust in their own righteousness, like those who boast in completing human rituals and commandments (that point to the outward appearance, not the heart)… Living like that means rejecting the cross.
Absolute dependence on God
It is very simple to think that Christianity is only a series of rules for how to live; a classification of what pleases God and what does not.