MARCH
March 1
Chapter 1, Verse 19, “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.”
ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ, hoti en autō, “because in him;” This is an amazing combination of otherwise common parts of speech–a conjunction, preposition, and pronoun. hoti is particulary important because through it Paul answers a why question. Why is Jesus preeminent. . .because. . . This looks back to the hina clause in verse 18 that shows cause and effect. I cannot overemphasize the importance of in him. The pastor of my early years, Willard Tallman, a man with little education and abundant wisdom, always tied in him to John 10 27-30, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” I am hidden in the grip of Christ and his grip is surrounded by the grip of the Father. I am secure in Jesus without fear and doubt. He provides all I need in his compassionate abundance and has prepared a place for me in his presence. His power has no limit and his love has no bounds.
March 2
Chapter 1, Verse 19, “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.”
πλήρωμα, plērōma, “fullness,” means a full measure, abundance, with emphasis on completeness. The idea is sum total or all there is of something. If you fill something completely full, does that mean it cannot hold anymore or it has in it all there is to put in it? Here it is both and. It ir hard for me to wrap my mind around this. Jesus was completely human, 100% a man, a real man, not a pseudo man as taught by both the gnostics and docetics. He sweat, he wept, he got tired, he ate, he slept, etc.. And at the same time, he was God, all of God, every one of the divine attributes were on display in him. When Jesus returned to heaven, he sent his spirit to dwell in us; that is, those who trust Jesus as Savior and Lord. About that, Paul said in Ephesians 5:18 that we are to be filled with the Spirit. Same root word, but in this case, since we are not God, we cannot hold Christ’s fullness. But we are told to be filled with all we can hold. How much is that? I do not know, but I perceive it is much more that what any of us have or even believe we are capable of handling.
March 3
Chapter 1, Verse 19, “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.”
κατοικῆσαι, katoikēsai, “to dwell;” in this context, refers to a permanent occupancy, residing in forever, not some transient visitation. In other words, Jesus did not have the power of God only temporarily as taught by the cult christian science. This statement is the first part of a majestic summary telling us the image of God, firstborn of all creation, eternally preexistent Creator, head of the church, and victor over death and hell, resides forevermore in the person of Jesus. The report of this divine consummation is here to give us hope. John wrote in chapter 3 of his gospel that the Father sent Jesus to give eternal life to all who believe; that is, to everyone who trusts him completely. I can absolutely trust him because of who he is, what he has done, and what he is doing, and what he will do. In Revelation 4, the angels declare, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty who is to come (vs. 8). That is the Jesus I serve.
March 4
Chapter 1, Verse 20, “and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth on in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”
καὶ δι’ αὐτοῦ ἀποκαταλλάξαι τὰ πάντα εἰς αὐτόν, kai di’ autou apokatallaxai ta panta eis auton, “and by him to reconcile all things to himself;” When I read and in this verse, I see a lot more than a simple conjunction. I understand all that follows in the verse is the result of all Paul has just taught in verses 15 through 19. Jesus, the visible image of God, full man and fully divine, who created everything and holds it all together by the power of his might, who is the head of the church and in whom all of God dwells–had a distinct purpose for being and doing what he has already done. The purpose is–reconciliation. In his vast and unlimited wisdom, God determined and decreed that Jesus must become a complete blood sacrifice in order to fix what Adam broke in Eden–peace with God.
March 5
Chapter 1, Verse 20, con’t, “and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth on in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”
ἀποκαταλλάξαι, apokatallaxai, “to reconcile;” Some people like to reconcile their bank account. I am not one of them. But it is important so as to be sure your statement is in balance at the end of the month. Adam’s sin threw everything out of balance, especially his relationship with God. It was broken because of his disobedience. In Philippians 2:8, Paul wrote, “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Obedience produced reconciliation, and reconciliation made the way for the universe to return to harmony. Sadly, much of mankind remains out of harmony with God because of disbelief. When a checkbook balances, a sense of relief, accomplishment, and satisfaction occurs. When a person realizes that life is completely out of balance without God, and they determine in their heart they need that harmony, if they will turn from sin and turn to Jesus, trusting him for salvation, balance will come life and it will be followed by peace. If there is anything we desperately need in the world today, it is peace in our hearts.
March 6
Chapter 1, Verse 20, con’t, “and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth on in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”
When I read this, I ask myself if this means that everything is going to be reconciled to God in the sense of being saved; hence, universal salvation? No! That would mean scripture violated itself and that cannot happen. So what is it? I have to recognize the difference between universal salvation and universal sovereignty. All authority is in the hands of Jesus (Matthew 28:18). That is due to his finished work at Calvary. During the end times, Jesus will declare to all nonbelievers of all time, “I never knew you, depart from me, you workers of lawlessness. (Matthew 7:23) So what we have here is God carrying out or reconciling final judgment against all evil. Just as everyone who trusts Christ as Lord and Savior is covered by eternal salvation, all the lost and evil angels will be eternally separated from God by his wrath. Paul calls this, “the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord. (2 Thessalonians 1:9) Be aware and beware the hand of God.
March 7
Chapter 1, Verse 20, con’t, “and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth on in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”
εἰρηνοποιήσας, eirēnopoiēsas, “having made peace;” This is another amazing compound word meaning to bring together what was broken apart. In this context, it is doing away with hostility. Paul used an aorist tense verb to denote a completed action with lasting, future results, that is, salvation to all who believe as a result of Jesus’ efficacious work at the Crucifixion. This peace is not just the absence of conflict. It is a state of affairs where two parties come together with nothing causing dissension between them. Not only did Christ’s shed blood repair the breach between holy God and sinful man, on day it will bring complete peace to the whole material universe. In Ephesians 2:14, Paul expressed the same idea this way, “For he himself [Christ] is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.” Peace can only exist when and where Jesus is recognized and accepted as Messiah–in personal life and in the affairs of the world.
March 8
Chapter 1, Verse 21, “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds”
ἀπηλλοτριωμένους, apēllotriōmenous, “alienated,” the combination of apo, “from” or “away from,” and allotrios, “belonging to another, foreign, strange,” the common idea today would be estranged. Many years ago, I was estranged from a very dear friend. Feelings of anger and betrayal ensued. Antagonism and hostility separated a once close relationship. Fortunately, after several months, we settled our differences and restored our friendship. The crazy part was neither of us could remember what separated us in the first place. This is not so in our alienation from God. We know exactly what separated us from him — sin — separation of the worst kind. Paul explains it in Romans 5:12, “just as sin came into the world by one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” The sad truth is we do not become sinners, we are born sinners (Psalm 51:5). As an alien, far from God, I do not belong. I am a stranger, a foreigner, with no rights of citizenship in heaven. But with Jesus as my savior, I am restored to a loving relationship with God and have become an heir of Christ’s kingdom (Romans 8:17).
March 9
Chapter 1, Verse 21, con’t, “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds”
ἐχθροὺς, τῇ διανοίᾳ, echthrous te dianoia, “hostile in mind,” echthrous means more than just hostility; it describes an enemy, or one who is openly hostile with a deep seated hatred for another. Dianoia, in this context, is the deep seated part of a person that allows for critical thinking; in other words, the part of me that has the capacity to make decisions, be they good or bad. The sad truth is that without Jesus in my life, hatred is really easy for me, including hating God. And so it is for everyone who is separated from God by the sin of unbelief. The reason people hate is because they are ruled in their minds by evil, specifically, the evil in the world promoted by Satan and his demons. The only cure is Christ. When we allow Jesus into our lives by faith, his Spirit brings peace. It is only the peace of God that can overcome hatred and fear. Those two together produce wars and murders and all sorts of actions that go against God’s will for our lives.
March 10
Chapter 1, Verse 21, con’t, “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds“
ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις τοῖς πονηροῖς, en tois ergois tois ponērois, “in the deeds evil;” While doing is only implied here, the meaning is clear. A deed is a task or action that is carried out, in this case, to complete an inner desire. It has intention and purpose. When evil is added to it, the result is inevitable–someone is going to suffer from the action. Paul addressed this in Romans 7, “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. . .For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing (vss. 15, 18-19). There is a war going on in me. I used to live by evil deeds, selfishness, greed, jealousy, anger, and so on. Now I fight against those things in my life. How? John wrote, “Little children [believers], you are from God and have overcome them [evil spirits and what they bring], for he who is in you [Holy Spirit] is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). The battle is real and ongoing, but Jesus is with me to overcome every evil and one day he will deliver me from its presence. So, I press on toward the goal of gaining heaven–and very soon that will be my reality. Paul said in Philippians 3:12-16, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.
March 11
Chapter 1, Verse 22, “he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,”
In a similar passage, Paul wrote, “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation (Romans 5:10-11). Both these, Romans and Colossians, are hallelujah verses. Why? I have been reconciled to God! νυνὶ δὲ ἀποκατήλλαξεν, nyni de apokatēllaxen, “now however he had reconciled [you];” Now however, “yet now” in some translations, stands in stark contrast to the previous statement. I was living in evil. But God sealed the deal by reconciling me to himself through the sacrifice of his son. Who among us does that? Nobody! But God did. Reconciled means I have been completely changed in regard to God. No longer do I stand in hostility with God. Now I have friendship with him. I am not estranged by sin, I am received by faith. The only thing I could do as a lost sinner was say, “Yes, Lord, I believe in your Son’s death, burial, and resurrection that made my reconciliation possible and, with a repentant heart, I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior.” In 1865, a widow sitting in church, wrote poem that was later turned into a hymn. It refrain says, “Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.”
March 12
Chapter 1, Verse 22, con’t, “he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,”
ἐν τῷ σώματι τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ, en tō sōmati tēs sarkos autou, “in the body of the flesh of him;” Paul has well established that Jesus is God, the creator and sustainer of all things, he transcends time and space. Right here, in the Greek word order, he makes it plain that Jesus is also a man–a complete man. Born of a virgin, and without sin, Jesus lives and died in a human body. But I must not get sucked into believing he was a superhuman or a prophet like all the others. He was and is much more because he is God. That is the only reason he was able to do what he did. Paul makes that plain in Philippians 2:5-8, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” The Lord Jesus Christ suffered all the heartache, pain, and embarrassment of sin in his human body so that I do not have to suffer for myself. I thank God my Savior knows what it is like to be a man.
March 13
Chapter 1, Verse 22, con’t, “he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,”
διὰ τοῦ θανάτου, dia tou thanatou, “through — death,” “his” is naturally assumed here by the context. Death refers physically to the separation of body and soul and was a legal, technical term used then as a part of capital punishment. Also, in the New Testament, thanatos is sometimes used to describe a destroying power related to sin and its consequences. When through is added and his is assumed, we are looking at the means by which God was able to reconcile sinful men unto himself through the shed blood of Jesus on the Cross. When I ponder this truth, I am reminded that death had to happen in order for me to live. That is the exact opposite of the natural order–death follows life. Jesus flipped the script and in doing so defeated death by his resurrection. He made the way for me to be saved and much more. In John 10:10-11, Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Everything good in my life is because of the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith in him guarantees for me, and all who believe, eternal life in his presence.
March 14
Chapter 1, Verse 22, con’t, “he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,”
παραστῆσαι ὑμᾶς, parastēsai hymas, “to present you,” 9 of 32 translations I use for reference include in order. While not necessary, it suppose it does add a level of clarity. parastesai, comes from para, “from close behind–or close beside,” and histemi, “to stand,” properly then, ready to present or exhibit–as in showing off. In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, this verb is used as a technical term when a priest placed an offering on an altar with the idea of surrender. This leads me to Romans 12:1, “I appeal to you, therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present [there is that verb] your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” So, Jesus loved us so much he gave himself for us to save us, to fill our lives with abundance, and to gladly show us before God in surrender. In other words, those of us who are saved by God’s grace really are a trophy of that grace. How do I respond to that? I do not let myself get tarnished so I can shine for Jesus. I do not hide my salvation so I can share Jesus. And I completely surrender my life to God so I can count for Jesus–leading others to faith in him.
March 15
Chapter 1, Verse 22, con’t, “he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,“
ἁγίους καὶ ἀμώμους καὶ ἀνεγκλήτους κατενώπιον αὐτοῦ, hagious kai amōmous kai anenklētous katenōpion autou, “holy and unblemished and blameless before him;” Holy, first of all means different or set apart and is used to mean “in the likeness of the nature of God.” Unblemished means without spot, used here it means spiritually without the destructive marks of sin. Blameless means “not to be to account” for any crime. It is hard for me to wrap my mind around Christ doing that for me, the sinful man that I am. I am not sure any believer can take in the full weight of the declaration. The scope of seems impossible unless I consider this same Jesus completely solved my sin problem when he went to the Cross, died, and resurrected to forgive me of all my sin. I do know that my goal as a believer is not happiness–unless that happiness is the result of holiness. And I know that while I am full of spots and wrinkles, I must present Jesus as pure and without any and do my best to live beyond the things that bring me down. And I know that I am guilty of so man wrongs and must still learn to live above and beyond a life of guilt and judgments. This is of great necessity for me and all who believe because some day soon Jesus will finally and completely fix all that and I want to do my best to live out the remainder of my life as a good example of his grace.
March 16
Chapter 1, Verse 22, con’t, “he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,“
κατενώπιον αὐτοῦ, katenōpion autou, “before him;” katenopian is a combination of kata = down, plus en = in, plus ops = face, eye–giving the picture of believers “right down in the eye” of God. This event, yet future, is likely describing the Bema Seat or Judgement Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). That day is coming when Christ will present his Bride to himself. Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:25-27, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, hat he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” What does this say about the Bride, of which all believers are a part? Beyond the obvious marital overtones, it should cause each of us who are followers of Christ to prepare ourselves. We are saved by grace and kept by his power. We are going to stand face to face with him. We are going to be changed, completely changed. So, for now, we should be living our very best for Jesus so that our testimony and walk will cause others to want to go where we are going–to live for eternity in the presence of God.
March 17
Chapter 1, Verse 23, “if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.”
The very first thing to look at closely is εἴ γε, ei ge, “if indeed;” this is commonly referred to, in Greek study, as a first class conditional statement. It is significant that εἴ is used instead of ἐάν, ean. The latter would represent a hypothetical situation in the subjunctive mode, indicating the possibility of a future realization. But, with εἴ in the indicative mode, it can be rendered “since,” having the idea of assuming that you are continuing in the faith. Big difference. Why? In the first instance, only an empty hope is presented, suggesting a person could lose their salvation. The latter acknowledges that a truly born again believer will continue in their faith. It is simply not a question of whether or not I will persevere in my faith. It is a clear statement that perseverance is part and parcel of all who have been saved. Those who walk away never knew Jesus to begin with and unless they repent and accept him as Savior, they will perish.
March 18
Chapter 1, Verse 23, con’t “if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.”
τεθεμελιωμένοι καὶ ἑδραῖοι, tethemeliōmenoi kai hedraioi, “established and firm;” from θεμελιόω, themelioó, the first word means to have firmly and completely laid a solid foundation, one that will not crack or give way. hedraioi, is an adjective from the noun ἀφεδρών, aphedrón, which is a seat or the base of an object that is fixed and will not budge or turn over. The implication is clear. Jesus said, in Matthew 7:24-27, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” True, born again believers, who trust Christ alone by faith alone for their salvation, have built their lives on the foundation that will never crack and fall out from under them. The are in thew word and live by the word. When they stumble and fall, the foundation catches them and sets them aright. The will not walk away from their faith no matter what they face. They are secure in Christ Jesus.
March 19
Chapter 1, Verse 23, con’t “if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.”
μετακινούμενοι, metakinoumenoi, “being moved away;” the verb metakineo, is from meta, denoting change of place and, kineo, to move or put in motion. In English, the science of kinesiology (science of human movement) means literally to move from one place to another and so to be shifted or moved away. In verse 23, this verb is used metaphorically and addresses a possible change of thinking that would result in a change of direction in life. The negative me = not, at the beginning before the present tense and passive voice means “not continuously being moved or shifted” away from hope. The opposite of this is found in 1 Corinthians 15:58, where ametakinetos is used. Paul wrote, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable. . .” This is one of the many times where particular vocabulary, grammatical structure, and syntax is very important. People find hope in many things, circumstances, and other people. Such hope quickly fades away because it is false hope built on a premise that is not sustainable–meaning it is not hope at all. Hope in Christ is not just an idea. It is alive in the heart of believers and comes with assurance from God’s word that all God has said will come to pass. His promises are forever true.
March 20
Chapter 1, Verse 23, con’t “if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.”
ἐλπίδος τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, elpidos tou euangeliou, “hope of the gospel;” the only real hope, that is, and expectation of what is sure and not merely imagined, is gleaned from scripture. But all hope, even false hope, is based on something–and idea, a dream, a principle, or a person. The hope in this verse and throughout the bible is based upon and person and his work; namely, Jesus and the gospel–the good news of the coming Messiah. Back in verse 5, Paul wrote, “because of the hope being laid up for you in the heavens, which you heard of before in the word of truth, the gospel. . .(vs. 6) “it is being fruitful and increasing. . .” Biblical hope becomes real when a person hears that Jesus lived without sin, died for sin, and resurrected from the dead to defeat sin–and they place their trust in Jesus to forgive their sin. For me, the best news of the good news is that the long I am saved, walking with God, the more I understand hope. As the old hymn says, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus and his righteousness.”
March 21
Chapter 1, Verse 23, con’t “if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.”
κηρυχθέντος, kērychthentos, “having been proclaimed;” this is an aorist verb indicatning a past, completed action–a historical fact. The root word here is kerusso. It means to herald, as in a public crier. In Paul’s day, a ruler had a person who made his public announcements in a loud, clear voice so everyone could hear. The herald was not someone with whom you could negotiate regarding the message. His only job was to share the message. Not to listen was a crime in itself, to somehow abuse the messenger was even worse. Clearly, those of us who are believers are to be heralds of the gospel message “in all creation.” Everywhere we go and in everything we do, opportunities to share the truth of God’s word about Jesus should be taken. The unbelieving world may chose to somehow attack us when we share our faith. When they do, we must remember they follow a different mandate for life than us. We need not argue, simple share Jesus and let God convict and save–if they are willing to repent and believe. My job is not to save; it is to nominate–everyone I can.
March 22
Chapter 1, Verse 23, con’t “if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has ben proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.”
The English Standard Version, along with many others, translate the verb from ἐγενόμην, egenomēn, “became.” Ten translations render it “was made” including the King James and New American Standard. Both translations are fundamentally sound since the original form of the verb γίνομαι, ginomai, means “to come in being.” So, what is the difference? “Was made” removes the notion that Paul did this on his own. To the contrary, Paul was not a self-made minister but one directly commissioned by Christ, who declared to him, “rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant [minister] and a witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you” (Acts 26:16) When Paul wrote to Timothy about this event, he said, “for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher” (2 Timothy 1:11). God’s calling is clear and concise–it is not easily dismissed. When and if God calls a person to specific ministry, it best to simply surrender and follow. Otherwise, you will always be unsettled in your walk with God.
March 23
Chapter 1, Verse 24, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,”
Νῦν χαίρω, Nyn chairō, “Now I rejoice;” Now takes a look back over the past in God’s dealing with Paul. Paul was a Pharisee of the Jews and also a Roman citizen who hated the “new” Christians (Philippians 3:5; Acts 7:58, 8:1). He willingly persecuted the church (Acts 8:1-3; Philippians 3:6), was saved on his way to Damascus to carry out further persecutions (Acts 9:10-19), and ended up in jail when his changed life resulted in his preaching for Christ’s sake (Acts 9:26-29, Galatians 1:18). During his travels, he was stoned (Acts 14:20-21), fell out with Barnabas over John Mark (Acts 15:36-39), put in prison (Acts 16:16-25), traveled to Jerusalem and was attacked by a mob (Acts 21:26-36), faced and escaped a plot to kill him (Acts 22:12-22), was shipwrecked on Malta (Acts 27:13-28:1), and ended up in a Roman jail (Acts 28:14ff). After all that, he wrote Colossians along with Philemon, Ephesians, and Philippians during his time in Roman custody, and said, “I rejoice.” Talking about rejoicing is one thing, actually doing it in the face of terror is something else. This is especially true when no matter where you turn, the enemy is there to oppose you. So, take heart and rejoice as a believer no matter your circumstance. The God we serve will never leave us not forsake us (Hebrews 13:1-5).
March 24
Chapter 1, Verse 24, con’t, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,”
ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν, hyper hymōn, “for you;” I wonder how many people really understand what it means to serve someone. I am not talking about waiting tables, standing at a checkout, or taking orders from a boss and then carrying them out. When Paul wrote for you (for your sake), he was speaking from a heart full of love for other people. And many of those people must have seemed unlovable after the way they treat him. I ask myself how many prayers and tears, how much disappointment and heartache did someone go through hoping and waiting for me to be saved? How much of that same sort of effort have I invested to hear someone confess Christ as Savior and Lord? Paul did what he did because he remembered where he had been. As believers, we all have a past, some more notorious than others. We should always seek good for others because Christ gave himself for us and has called all of us to be witnesses of his steadfast, never ending love.
March 25
Chapter 1, Verse 24, con’t, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,”
Paul is speaking of his own physical body. He wrote about his suffering in the flesh to the Corinthians,”For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:5-9).
Paul was not suggesting that his affliction and suffering was on par with that of Christ. No, his point was that his suffering was the result of following Christ. In fact, when Paul was converted, Jesus said to Ananias, “I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name” (Acts 9:16). For me, here is the scary part. The verb ἀνταναπληρῶ, antanaplērō, “I am filling up,” is present tense indicating ongoing action and, therefore, participation. We who are believers should always be prepared for persecution and suffering–if we really follow Christ and openly proclaim him as Lord to an unbelieving world.
March 26
Chapter 1, Verse 24, con’t, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,”
ὑπὲρ τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ ὅ ἐστιν ἡ ἐκκλησία, hyper tou sōmatos autou ho estin hē ekklēsia, “for body of him which is the church;” once again, “sake” is not in the original text but the implication is very clear. In the first part of the verse, Paul was talking about the believers at Colossae. Now, he is talking about the church at large, all believers, everywhere, and for all time. The inevitability of his suffering was for the benefit of the whole body of Christ. I must remember that my life for Jesus is not always going to be convenient or comfortable. And while what I do for the Lord may, and hopefully will, have an impact on those near me, that is, within my limited scope of influence, the truth is, every time God allows me to share the gospel and then hear someone confess Christ, there is a ripple effect that moves away from me. The circle of faith gets bigger and through discipleship it digs in deeper, so that together we reach more and more people for the kingdom.
March 27
Chapter 1, Verse 25, “of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God, that was give to me for you, to make the word of God fully known,”
ἧς ἐγενόμην ἐγὼ διάκονος, hēs egenomēn egō diakonos, “of which I became a minister;” of which clearly points to God changing Paul from an enemy of his church into one of its greatest teachers in history. Became means more literally that Paul was brought into existence–at a point in time–to become a minister. Here, minister is diakonos (from diakonia); it is the most commonly used New Testament word to describe the spiritual activity of believers. It conveys the basic meaning concerning menial tasks such as waiting tables. In Paul’s day, while public service was considered honorable, it was not high on the social scale. Greeks thought the most lofty goal of an individual was personal development, especially the mind. Paul was teaching a new way–turning ones efforts away from self and toward the good of others. Caring never goes out of style.
March 28
Chapter 1, Verse 25, con’t, “of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God, that was give to me for you, to make the word of God fully known,”
οἰκονομίαν, oikonomian, “administration;” the New Testament idea of stewardship come form the common use of the word oikonomia; from oikos = house, and nemo = manage. In secular Greek life, it was the literal management of a household by the oikonomos, the steward who was put in charge of caring for all the duties and needs within by the owner. Here, Paul is telling the reader, 1) his call to service was from God and 2) it was for the benefit of the churches. This speaks to all believers because we are “those who are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). I (we) must understand taht all we ahve belongs to God and he has entrusted it to me. Taking care of what I have from God is both a privilege and a great responsibility. I must set a high standard for the way I live and take care of what God has given to me so that when someone examines my claim of faith and service, God we be honored and his kingdom will grow.
March 29
Chapter 1, Verse 25, con’t, “of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God, that was give to me for you, to make the word of God fully known,”
πληρῶσαι τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ, plērōsai ton logon tou Theou, “to complete the word of God;” here, to make. . .fully known in Greek is simply to complete. The contextual meaning is to fill up to the top so that nothing is lacking, like having a cup of coffee full to the brim. Paul had a job to do and he intended to get it done. But it was more than a job. It was God’s call upon his life and because of that it became his passion. His single-minded devotion to Jesus made his afflictions seem light and allowed him to preach the truth of God’s Word without fear of favor. And so it should be. In 2 Timothy 4:1-2, Paul wrote to his son in ministry, “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” Why did Paul give these instructions? It was because, even then, people were leaving the truth of the Bible “having itching ears” (vs. 3), listening to false “teachers” who would tell them what they wanted to hear instead of the truth. We are still there today and it is getting worse. Tell the truth!
March 30
Chapter 1, Verse 26, “the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.”
τὸ μυστήριον τὸ ἀποκεκρυμμένον, to mystērion to apokekrymmenon, “the mystery having been hidden;” the word mystery comes from mustes, which was “one initiated” into one of the Greco-Roman “mystery” religions; the root word is museo that means to close or shut, hence, a secret kept. In the New Testament, it is a truth not previously known, a truth that the human mind could not discover, but one now made known by revelation. Paul was well acquainted with the idea because of the mystery cults that were all around him with their secret initiations and religious claims known only to their members. But Paul is not talking about something pagan. No, he is addressing the counsels of God (which remain hidden from the ungodly–they are still a “mystery” to them) that have now been revealed to the people of faith. Therein is the obstacle for nonbelievers. A person cannot fully understand the workings of God in the human heart without saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
March 31
Chapter 1, Verse 26, con’t, “the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.”
The word mystery is used 27 times in the New Testament. In the gospels, Jesus used the word to express the idea, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God; but those who are outside get everything in parables (Mark 4:11). It does not mean the kingdom is hard to understand; but it does mean that it is unintelligible to everyone who has not accepted Jesus in their heart and Savior and Lord. In Romans 11:25, Paul wrote, “Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” And in Romans 16:25, he wrote, “Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages.” Israel’s collective heart was hardened because they rejected Jesus as Messiah. But Paul wanted it to be clear that all who believe, both Jew and Gentile, are made fellow heirs, fellow members of the body of Christ, and fellow partakers of his promise in the gospel. Simply put, everyone who comes to God and puts their faith in Jesus will be saved.
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