Aleethia!

I recently found this cool website Wordle.net. You can enter some text and they create an image comprised of all the words you entered. The size of the word is directly related to frequency of that word’s appearance in your text.

Just for fun I created a couple based our recent studies in Colossians. You can click the images to open them at a larger size.

The text of all our lessons in Colossians thus far - how awesome is this!?!

This Wordle was created using the text from the lesson on Colossians 2:8-15

This post is part of a teaching series on the book of Colossians. All of the lessons in this series can be found here. In the first lesson we outlined the book. In each subsequent lesson we look at one small section of the outline and seek to answer five questions concerning the text.

Last week we looked at Paul’s ministry of encouragement. He encouraged the Colossians to live the Christian life, to realize their position in Christ, and to live accordingly. He encouraged them to hold fast to the faith (doctrine) as it had originally been taught them, and to be thankful toward God in all things.

Now as we begin a new paragraph we see Paul issuing a warning against false teaching. Further in the text we’ll see him confront specific behaviors that need correcting, but at this point he is attacking the system of false teaching itself.

Verse 8 is the focus of the paragraph, verses 9-15 serve as an explanation for the importance of verse 8.

Verse 8 begins with a word of instruction, Paul gives us something to do.

See to it…

What does this mean? It means to make sure. It means to be awake and watchful, beware. It means to be at alert, or on guard. And what is it that Paul wants us to guard against? › Continue reading

This post is part of a teaching series on the book of Colossians. All of the lessons in this series can be found here. In the first lesson we outlined the book. In each subsequent lesson we look at one small section of the outline and seek to answer five questions concerning the text.

In this passage we come to the last section of our outline under the heading of Paul’s Ministry. So far we’ve seen his work in suffering (1:24), preaching (1:25-29), and intercessory prayer (2:1-5). Now we are to see his ministry of encouragement.

This section is difficult to separate from the previous paragraph as the transition between the two is so smooth.

In verse 5, which we looked at last week, Paul’s words were the explanation of his labors in prayer, but were in nature, encouraging.

Verse 6 begins with the word “Therefore”, which points back to something previous. The reason I take this as a separate section is that it seems to refer to the previous discussion in its entirety. Everything that has gone before, including chapter one, could be seen as cause for the following statements.

What does Paul mean by “received Christ”? In Christian circles today, we say someone received Christ when they are saved. I think that is an over simplification of what Paul means here.

When looking at other passages (Gal 1:9, 12 and 1 Cor 15:1-3) where Paul used similar language, we can see that he is referring to a correct understanding of the Gospel. Jesus is the Gospel. In context, our passage is in the midst of Paul encouraging the Colossians to hold fast to the truth about Jesus, and not accept false teaching.

Spurgeon extended the definition of “received” even further.

…receiving means also … getting a grip of it, grasping it. The thing which I receive becomes my own. I may believe it to be real, but that is not receiving it. I may believe, also, that if I ever do get it, it must be given to me, and that I cannot earn it for myself, but still that is not receiving it. Receiving is the bona fide taking into my hand and appropriating to myself as my own property that which is given to me. ¹

What he’s saying is that Christ becomes very real and very personal to you. He is not some abstract idea that you “believe” in, but doesn’t change your life. If you “receive” Christ, your life is changed. › Continue reading

This post is part of a teaching series on the book of Colossians. All of the lessons in this series can be found here. In the first lesson we outlined the book. In each subsequent lesson we look at one small section of the outline and seek to answer five questions concerning the text.

Last week we took a look at this same passage, focusing specifically on how Paul prayed in verse one. This week we’re looking at the rest of the passage to learn what he prays and why.

2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ,

Paul is praying for their “hearts” to be encouraged. What does he mean by hearts?

As this term is used in Scripture, it refers to both the rational and emotional elements of our inner person. The mind and emotions. All of who we are at our core.

Paul’s prayer is that their hearts would be encouraged, comforted, uplifted. He says this will happen when they are

knit together in love

What does he mean by “knit together”? Is Paul getting out a knitting needle? This Greek word literally means “compacted, or held together.” I would prefer an english rendering that said “welded together.” › Continue reading