So the fulness of the Godhead was pleased to dwell in Him. Now, you may be making your living by working there at that office, or factory, or wherever. As Rev., set your mind. There was no provision for the aged. Colossians 3:1-2. It is in baptism rather than in Him. The one and same Christ it is who has settled everything. They needed to know, I will not say, that Christ suffices only; but that there is such fulness of blessing and glory in Christ as utterly to eclipse and condemn all that flesh would glory in. Our affections should not be fixed on houses and lands; on scenes of fashion and gaiety; on low and debasing enjoyments. CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES. At this point we come to one of the main and distinctive objects of the epistle. Three positional things are said in Colossians 3:1 about this eternal Son of God and Christ (Messiah) who entered history, died, and rose: (1) He is above: "Seek the things that are above, where Christ is.". But the apostle was singular in this; for even those who did know that Christ was the Son of the living God, in the highest and eternal sense, seemed but little to have preached it, at any rate in their earlier testimony. All things were created by Him, no doubt; but they were created for Him also not by Him for the Father. The practical effect of the marriage laws and customs of ancient times was that the husband became an unquestioned dictator and the wife little more than a servant to bring up his children and to minister to his needs. I have been crucified with Christ, thus I am dead to the flesh and to the things of the flesh and to the life of the flesh; I should not be living after the flesh. At any rate this was his mission. We must make heaven our scope and aim, seek the favour of God above, keep up our communion with the upper world by faith, and hope, and holy love, and make it our constant care and business to secure our title to and qualifications for the heavenly bliss. He was proverbially the savage, who terrorized the civilized world with his bestial atrocities. 3:5-9a So, then, put to death these parts of you which are earthly-- fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, the desire to get more than you ought--for this is idol worship; and because of these things the wrath of God comes upon those who are disobedient. ". But here writes the lowly-minded apostle, in the full assurance that, though he had never seen them, or they him, it would be real and mutual gratification to know about one another from him who went between them. Why should we heed conjecture? We must and do judge all things as they are. But does this so much as resemble the provision of grace for the Christian? No right-minded man, as such, could take for granted that others would care to know about his affairs any more than be theirs, unless indeed in case of a relation, or a friend, or a public and extraordinary personage. It was just because Montgomery combined discipline and encouragement that a private in the Eighth Army felt himself as good as a colonel in any other army. He earnestly presses to mutual love and compassion (v. 12-17). Mortify, therefore, those fleshly things. In the presence of God the social distinctions of the world become irrelevant. The Christian is one with Him. Christ will appear again. This may seem a strong statement, and I wonder at none feeling surprised, till they have rigidly examined it with the scriptures; for probably no one could believe it unless he had proved its truth. Bear with one another, and, if anyone has a ground of complaint against someone else, forgive each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must forgive each other. To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient, Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Am I entitled, as I look upon Christians henceforth, to see nothing but Christ in any and Christ in every one? ], "The Christian has to keep his feet upon the earth, but his head in the heavens. We should be like a dead thing to it, unmoved and unaffected towards it. Another reason is this, that the presence of the Spirit of God, both in the individual and in the church, is a most essential part of christian privileges, while, for the reasons already alleged, it was not for the well-being of their souls that it should be unfolded here. That my life be so completely bound up and centered in Christ that He is my life. The essence of idolatry is, in fact, the desire to have more. They do it with a great spirit. Here we have the mingling, I apprehend, of natural man's philosophy, and religions man's tradition. He does not even say worthy of Christ, but "of the Lord." Yes, but Christ is "all" as truly as He is "in all." "Christ is all, and in all.". It presented to us the person of Him who was to reconcile; in itself it was thus a most important step towards the reconciliation; but, in fact, there was no reconciliation yet for a solitary soul: the cross of Christ wrought it all. Thus whoever by faith receives simply the intimation of this verse, as of a crowd of other scriptures, has all this very needless controversy closed for him; he knows and is sure by divine teaching that Jesus was not merely the highest of that creation which had been already, but the beginning of a new thing and its Head. He was minister of both, and of the latter, it would seem, in a peculiar and weighty sense: not merely as ministering to the church, but as the instrument that God has employed to make known to us its character and calling more than any other. The apostle addresses the Colossian Christians in terms substantially similar to those which are addressed to the saints at Ephesus. ", How good as well as vast the mind of the Spirit of God! Why be found running from the substance after the shadow? No matter how clever and religious those laws may appear, they will not succeed in controlling the desires of the body (20-23).Because they have died to sin, Christians are not in bondage to things of the world as the Gnostics are. 3:14-17 On top of all these things, clothe yourselves with love which is the perfect bond; and let the peace of God be the decider of all things within your hearts, for it is to that peace you were called, so that you might be united in one body. "Here, you want this candy? To a Jew a man of any other nation was unclean; when he became a Christian, every man of every nation became a brother. It makes a man grow continually in grace and knowledge until he reaches that which he was meant to be--manhood in the image of God. I am very far from insinuating that Peter, James, John, Jude, and all the rest, did not preach justification by faith. Thus it is then that for these saints the desire is that they should steadily advance. She had no legal rights whatever. Christ was now in these Gentiles who believed the hope of a heavenly glory in prospect for them. Because the wife feels the love and the security and she knows, "Hey, he's my man." Let His peace rule. Under both Jewish and Greek laws and custom all the privileges belonged to the husband and all the duties to the wife. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is our God and Father; and He has blessed with every possible blessing, and in the highest sphere and on the best ground. It has often been said that humility was a virtue created by Christianity. It is easy to distort the truth; an alteration in the tone of voice or an eloquent look will do it; and there are silences which can be as false and misleading as any words. Not inside of youlike some dormant seed that, once found, can be watered, nurtured, and coaxed into maximum fruit-productionbut hidden. He died this is the point here and therefore I am dead too. In classical Greek there is no word for humility which has, not some tinge of servility; but Christian humility is not a cringing thing. III. this was the serious question, and this it was which God was waiting to solve. But there is far more than that: "If ye then be risen with Christ." They are in nowise the same, but may be viewed each as a supplement to the other. Leave me alone." And as if that were not precise enough, it is added, "Set your affection on things above." When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory ( Colossians 3:4 ). Here the doctrine carries one a little farther than eitherRomans 6:1-23; Romans 6:1-23 or 1 Peter 3:1-22. It is not merely the life of a Christ that lived in this world, but the life of Him that was lifted up on the cross, and bore my sins there. The ceremonies of the law have no further use (16-17).Neither should Christians listen to those who want to show their superior knowledge by mixing their own philosophies with the gospel. So then, as the chosen of God, dedicated and beloved, clothe yourself with a heart of pity, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience. The very fact that I have accepted Jesus Christ, the whole concept is that I have renounced the life of the flesh. Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all ( Colossians 3:11 ). And in us, poor feeble souls, why should not this peace rule in our hearts, to the which also we are called in one body? Lit., be minded, think. The soul prospers when we have clear knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. THE UNIVERSALITY OF CHRISTIANITY ( Colossians 3:9 b-13). Possibly apostles may have written epistles that were not intended for the permanent instruction of the church; but that what was so intended is lost we may resolutely deny from all we know of our God. "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing," urges he, "being fruitful in every good work." See the same thing in the famous seventy weeks of Daniel. This it is that always settles the difficulties in the great conflict that rages now as ever, and more than ever, between human religion and the truth of God. His light may detect, but His love is the spring of all His ways. They have pressed other truth, which is incompatible with anything else but justification by faith; he asserts it often and openly. There was much more than this. His labours were not merely indefatigable, but accompanied by the sorest trial and anguish of spirit, as well as continual detraction with public hatred and persecution. in the singularly energetic language of the Spirit of God here called the members of the man. A man seeks to shine in the world now; it is a heedless if not heartless forgetfulness, that here He knew nothing but rejection. Now, if that is so, the Christian must rise from baptism a different man. We shall then appear with him in glory. There were evils to be corrected, dancers to be warned against; but if he thinks of that which the Father has in view for them, and of them in view of His glory, less he could not say, neither could he say more. The love was not natural affection; it was love in the Spirit: but this is very far from the rich place given to His personal presence and action elsewhere. He could not say in this epistle "worthy of your vocation," as in writing to the Ephesians. People will say, "How is it that on Monday you can be so happy; you're whistling. Set your affection on things above . Away, then, with every pretence to add to Him; away with all possible expedients to give lustre to Christ! Secondly, Christ, meanwhile, is in or among the Gentiles here below. How blessed! "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry." New Testament Individual Books. (iv) It destroyed the barrier between class and class. It would be possible for one to set a goal for himself (verse 1) without really putting his heart into it. Clifton James was his official "double" and was studying him during a rehearsal for D-Day. Christ is at present a hidden Christ, or one whom we have not seen; but this is our comfort, that our life is hid with him, and laid up safely with him. It need hardly be said that they were equally true, and each in its place most appropriate, but not all equally elevated. Our Lord Himself marked the break in His reading of Isaiah in the synagogue at Nazareth. Yet most people today have never heard of John Gill. No doubt Simon the Pharisee was a good man; but Jesus was more than good, he was chrestos ( G5543) . No man, I will not say anticipated, but approached in thought such a portion for souls on earth. In his autobiography, Memory to Memory, Sir Arnold Lunn has a chapter on Cyril Joad, the well-known philosopher, whom he knew well. And to challenge that is to court problems. 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