8 August 2012
The following will be the notes I took while studying Colossians with my Missional Community (Coram Deo small groups).
Chapter 1
The love they have for the saints is rooted in the hope they have in heaven, and all the promises that are stored up there. This is the pattern throughout scripture, hope leads to love. Faith -> hope -> love, Romans chapters 1-11 leads to Romans 12 - 15. Our actions flow out of our heart condition. Were it not so, it wouldn't be love.
But where does their faith come from? See verse 5, it comes from the Gospel, the word of truth. And the gospel bears fruit wherever it is heard and believed.
Verse 9: Paul prays that they will be filled with the knowledge of God's will. The knowledge of God's will leads to walking in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit and further increase in the knowledge of God. This sounds a lot like Romans 12:1 and 2 - Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good, and acceptable, and perfect.
After the fantastic Christology of 15 - 20, a great sneak peak into the mind of God, Christ the Alpha and Omega, reconciling all things to himself, making peace by his cross, a glimpse at his holiness. After this, "and you" >gulp< hostile, alienated, doing evil. What a contrast between his holiness and my depravity, as though my condition is one of raging headfirst with shut eyes and clenched fists into the unstoppable force of his mission to make war and peace, and bring glory to the Father. What can rescue us from this condition into which we have voluntarily place ourselves? Praise God we get the gospel again at this point. Yes, you, too are being reconciled by his cross, in his body. And he will make you holy and blameless for his own sake, the reconciliation of all things to himself.
The following will be the notes I took while studying Colossians with my Missional Community (Coram Deo small groups).
Chapter 1
The love they have for the saints is rooted in the hope they have in heaven, and all the promises that are stored up there. This is the pattern throughout scripture, hope leads to love. Faith -> hope -> love, Romans chapters 1-11 leads to Romans 12 - 15. Our actions flow out of our heart condition. Were it not so, it wouldn't be love.
But where does their faith come from? See verse 5, it comes from the Gospel, the word of truth. And the gospel bears fruit wherever it is heard and believed.
Verse 9: Paul prays that they will be filled with the knowledge of God's will. The knowledge of God's will leads to walking in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit and further increase in the knowledge of God. This sounds a lot like Romans 12:1 and 2 - Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good, and acceptable, and perfect.
After the fantastic Christology of 15 - 20, a great sneak peak into the mind of God, Christ the Alpha and Omega, reconciling all things to himself, making peace by his cross, a glimpse at his holiness. After this, "and you" >gulp< hostile, alienated, doing evil. What a contrast between his holiness and my depravity, as though my condition is one of raging headfirst with shut eyes and clenched fists into the unstoppable force of his mission to make war and peace, and bring glory to the Father. What can rescue us from this condition into which we have voluntarily place ourselves? Praise God we get the gospel again at this point. Yes, you, too are being reconciled by his cross, in his body. And he will make you holy and blameless for his own sake, the reconciliation of all things to himself.
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