seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Colossians 3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your[a] life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.[b] 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
18 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.
20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
21 Fathers,[c] do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.
22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.
a. Colossians 3:4 Some manuscripts our
b. Colossians 3:6 Some early manuscripts coming on those who are disobedient
c. Colossians 3:21 Or Parents
I know this is going to get preachy no matter what commentary I use.. This is from the easy English site.
Paul explained what had happened to the Christians at Colossae at their baptism. Now he explained how they should live this new life. ‘The things that are above’ refer to Christ and spiritual things. For the Christians, Christ himself is their new life. So, Christ should be in the centre of their lives. They should concentrate on him. Christ rules the world with God. So, Christians should discover what pleases Christ.
‘The things that are on this earth’. This refers to the Christians’ old life of sin. It also refers to things like money, clothes and houses. Often people want power or honour. They want these things to please themselves. But Christians have died to their old life. They should not please themselves any more. They should desire Christ more than they desire anything or anyone else on earth. Some teachers do not understand this verse. They say that the world and our lives are evil. They say that Christians must not enjoy physical things. But remember that God created all physical things. So, God wants Christians to enjoy all that he made (Genesis 1:27-31; 1 Timothy 4:4-5). Christ came so that everyone could have a full life (John 10:10). However, Christians should concentrate on Christ. They should not concentrate on this world. Jesus taught about this in Matthew 6:25-34.
This world and our physical lives are temporary. They will end when Christ returns. Christ and ‘the things that are above’ are real and permanent. When a person receives new life from Christ, nobody can see this new life. Nobody can explain it. It is not a physical thing. It belongs to God. However, when Christ returns, Christians will be able to see their spiritual life. And every Christian will receive glory from Christ. So, Christians should now pursue the things that are above.
As Christians concentrate on Christ, they learn to live a holy life. Christians do not become perfect immediately. Christians have a new nature but they still have old habits. Their old nature died with Christ. But evil desires still tempt them (James 1:13-15). Christians can now refuse to obey those evil desires (Romans 6). Christ’s new life in Christians has more power than evil desires (Romans 8:1-14).
People who live in every part of the world become Christians. Jews and Greek people represent people from different nations. Circumcision represents the Jews. People in a different society have a different way of life. In the original text, Paul named two particular societies. The Greek people considered that both these societies were far less good than their own society. Slaves and free people represent different groups in society. None of these differences matters to God. In this world, some people think that they are more important than other people are. But everyone is equal as a Christian. Christ died to save each person. And each Christian has Christ in him or her. So, Christians must behave in the right way with other Christians.
The message about Christ is powerful. It changes people’s lives. ‘Fill your spirit’ means that it should affect every part of their lives. Christ also gives wisdom to Christians as they teach each other. They should also warn other Christians about sin. This helps them to become mature. Christians sing because they are happy. They want to praise God because Christ has done so much for them. ‘Psalms’ are the songs and poems that are in the Old Testament. People who come from every nation and society can sing and praise God in their own style. God understands every language. Christians can praise God when they are together. They can praise him when they are alone. They can use all types of instruments, or they can sing without instruments.
When a person becomes a Christian, his or her whole life changes. Christ is now at the centre of that person’s life. Christians should show what Christ is like. They do this as they obey him. Christ gives them strength to live in the right way. Christ has made them God’s friends. So, Christians should always thank God for what he has done for them.
This is from enduringword.com
Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free: The new man is part of a family, which favors no race, nationality, class, culture or ethnicity. It only favors Jesus, because in this new family, Christ is all and in all.
This work of the new creation not only deals with the old man and gives us the new man patterned after Jesus Christ; it also breaks down the barriers that separate people in society. Among new creation people it doesn’t matter if one is Greek or Jew or circumcised or uncircumcised or a Scythian or a slave or a free man. All those barriers are broken down.
“He therefore adds to barbarian the Scythian as the extreme example.” (Peake)
All of these barriers existed in the ancient Roman world; and the power of God through the Gospel of Jesus Christ broke them all down. Especially powerful was the barrier between slave and free, but Christianity changed that.
“In times of persecution slaves showed that they could face the trial and suffer for their faith as courageously as freeborn Romans. The slave-girl Blandina and her mistress both suffered in the persecution which broke out against the churches of the Rhone valley in A.D. 177, but it was the slave-girl who was the hero of the persecution, impressing friend and foe alike as a ‘noble athlete’ in the contest of martyrdom.” (Bruce)
“In the arena of Carthage in A.D. 202 a profound impression was made on the spectators when the Roman matron Perpetua stood hand-in-hand with her slave Felicitas, as both women faced a common death for a common faith.” (Bruce)
Back some 700-800 years before Jesus came to earth... there was a tribe of warriors from the area that is now Iran. According to Britannica...
Scythian, also called Scyth, Saka, and Sacae, member of a nomadic people, originally of Iranian stock, known from as early as the 9th century BCE who migrated westward from Central Asia to southern Russia and Ukraine in the 8th and 7th centuries BCE. The Scythians founded a rich, powerful empire centred on what is now Crimea. The empire survived for several centuries before succumbing to the Sarmatians during the period from the 4th century BCE to the 2nd century CE.
The Scythian were hated because they were so brutal. They didn't care about anything or anyone except themselves.... rape, murder, slavery, were the order of the day. They didn't even bother to learn a language that they could put on paper... they just conquered and ruled. So this was supposed to be an example of "it doesn't matter how bad you are.... you can be a Christian". The enduring word commentary brought up the slave girl and her master. The slave girl and the rich girl were holding hands, encouraging each other.... while they were being murdered for their faith in Christ. It didn't matter that one was rich.... she was spreading stuff about a Jew.... who was supposed to have been dead on the cross.... and then cooked a fish dinner for His disciples and ascended into Heaven. These two both believed this story... and they were spreading it.... so they had to be done in to protect society... that story could not get out..... oh right! This was supposed to be an example of "rich or poor... you can be a Christian".
Jesus told us there are two commandments that cover all the 10 Commandments and all the rules, regulations, policies and procedures of any of the governments or organizations of the world. He said if we follow those two commandments.... then everything else would sort itself out. We are to Love God... and Love One Another. Geeze... it all boils down to that???
All through these letters that Paul dictated, Paul keeps saying everyone can be a Christian. So... sticking with that "inclusion".... anyone can accept Christ as their savior. Well.... that will not sit with most humans any more than the story that Jesus walked out of the tomb after being crucified would sit well with the Romans. Inclusion was a hard idea to accept... after all people were so different.
I don't know how many lessons, in Sunday Service, Sunday School, and Bible Study, I have sat through that taught exclusion with this chapter. All the big sins are all laid out.... the class system is all laid out.... the Barbarians and the Scythes are there for all to point out and hate.... it's as if this will become the list for all members to follow when choosing who to talk to and who to shun.
Goodie-two-shoes of the church turn their nose up at anyone who is not in their class.... they turn their nose up and anyone who does not enjoy the perfect nation of origin, skin color, hair style, clothes, smell, and most of all financial status. They would say that the Hispanic people would be happy in their own church... and the black people... they would do better in their own church.... and the gays, lesbians, transsexuals... well they should change first..... Yep... Goodie-two-shoes.... would not accept those who do not conform.... and they are still doing it today.... and they are clobbering us with this chapter... and as I would freely admit... that they can cherry pick all the right words to support their argument... there are an equal amount of good words that support inclusion.
My grandmother was a godly woman. According to my mom, she drove my mom nuts with all her Bible stuff. My grandmom raised the money to build a little church up near Front Royal, Virginia. Then she put my granddad to work building it. It's still there today... and it's got a balcony... I remember the balcony the most... because my grandmom told me... the balcony was for the lessors. She said it was for those who could not dress as well.. It was a place for the poor. I have been told that in the days when grandmom's mom was going to church... that would have been the place for the slaves to sit.... while the slave owners and the slave masters would sit on the main floor..... interesting.
Here's the real deal about this chapter.... not everyone is going to magically turn into a perfect goodie tow shoes as soon as they are lifted out of the Baptismal Pool. Some of us are carrying a whole lot of baggage... and some of the stuff that has to be unpacked is buried way deep in our heritage. One example... NASCAR.... back in the day... before organized auto races.... moonshiners tore up and down the roads around North Carolina. I know this because my Papa [grandfather] and my uncle saw it with their own eyes. And those same guys who owned the first "race cars" learned all that auto mechanics in order to outrun the police. How would it look if a moonshiner just up and quit supplying the needs of his customers because "he found Jesus"? How would he pay his mortgage or put food on the table? He couldn't just stop......
If we are kind to one another.... we will overlook the stuff they need to work on ..... knowing that we have our own stuff we are dealing with.
Jesus was nailed to the cross for everyone. When He said "Father forgive them" he didn't add.... everyone but the slaves, the barbarians or prostitutes.... He said "them"... all of them... and since He could read minds.... He knew if those upstanding Roman soldiers were thieves, murderers, or enjoyed prostitutes... and He forgave them while He was in pain. So..... why can't we?
So... if I were to give someone some advice about what to say about all the "sin stuff" in this chapter..... I would say.... God knows all about all the stuff each and every human is carrying around... and if we love God with all our heart, mind, and soul... and we treat each other like we wish they would treat us.... then anything that is in our past.... will not have that horrible addicting power over us.
So... you want to point out everyone's sin... you thought I was going to give a starter list this morning.... well... Get Over It.
