Colossians 2:2-5 - Intercessory Prayer
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.” I think that’s more the sense of it. So closely tied together that they have fused into one inseparable whole. That is Paul’s prayer for the church. Notice that they are welded together “in love.” This is agape love, which is brotherly love. The Greek carries with it the idea of action. This isn’t warm fuzzies. This is love demonstrated by action on behalf of others.
Paul says this kind of love will weld their hearts together in such a way that they will arrive at (reach) complete conviction, knowledge, and understanding of the Gospel (mystery). That word “understanding” means “putting it all together.” They’ll “get it” when they do it. Acting in love toward each other will enable us to fully “get” what the Gospel is all about.
This is one of the great and strange facts of Christianity: a deep and confident understanding of Christ comes not merely from thinking, but also from loving….The deepest and most certain insights into the character of God and the wisdom of God come into heads that are attached to loving hearts. ¹
In verse 3, Paul takes full aim at the false teachers. They have come teaching secret knowledge to be found in the worship of angles (Col 2:18) and a hierarchy of deities (Gnosticism). Paul clearly states that all wisdom and knowledge that are of any worth are to be found only in Jesus.
3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
If Jesus is all the things that Paul said he was in Colossians 1, then this statement must be true.
John Calvin puts it this way in his commentary on this passage.
…we are perfect in wisdom if we truly know Christ, so that it is madness to wish to know anything besides Him. For since the Father has manifested himself wholly in Him, that man wishes to be wise apart from God, who is not contented with Christ alone. ²
Why Paul prays
In verse 4, Paul tells them why he is praying in this manner for them.
4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.
His concern is that they not be deceived by the false teachers with smooth lines and arguments that sound “reasonable” to human understanding that is not quickened by the work of the Holy Spirit.
This is one of the primary reasons we must be in prayer for ourselves and others, asking God to open our hearts to the teaching of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26, 16:13) as He instructs us in all truth from God’s Word.
Otherwise we are prone to being deceived.
In verse 5 Paul is speaking in such a way as to encourage them, his original concern, so that they will continue to resist the false teaching.
5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.
He uses two military terms in this verse, driving home his point that this is a struggle, a battle that must be fought.
“Good order” refers to a group of soldiers in formation together. This ties in nicely with being welded together as he prayed in verse 2.
“Firmness” means strength, stability, and an unyielding nature. The idea is of a soldier’s resoluteness not to yield any territory to the enemy.
With the use of the military terms in this verse, one gets the idea that the Colossian church is an army under attach, but keeping rank with unbroken lines.
Conclusion
In the same way, we should seek, and pray for, this kind of unity and firmness for our own church, and for other Christian groups we are aware of, especially ones undergoing persecution for their faith. They need the encouragement that comes from this unity and demonstration of brotherly love.
Like Paul, we should struggle in prayer for persecuted Christians, the missionaries we support, and each other. How many of us are demonstrating our faith in Christ and our love for each other, by engaging in intercessory prayer on a daily basis? Are we loving each other they way he desired for the Colossians believers to love each other? Is that love visible as a testimony?
- John Piper: Guard Yourself with Gratitude
- John Calvin: Commentary on Colossians
- All Scripture texts taken from the ESV
