Colossenses 3
Kenneth Wuest · Citado em PreceptAustin
Colossenses 3
Wuest: In view of the fact, therefore, that you were raised with Christ, the things above be constantly seeking, where Christ is, on the right hand of God, seated. Young's Literal: If, then, ye were raised with the Christ, the things above seek ye, where the Christ is, on the right hand of God seated, COLOSSIANS 1-2 COLOSSIANS 3-4 Sound Doctrine: Supremacy & Sufficiency of Christ Spiritual Duty: True Spirituality of Saints What we are to Believe How we are to Behave Our Position in Christ Our Practice in Christ Christ's Provision for Believers Christ's Work through Believers Belief Behavior Know Your Resources (Riches) In Christ Live by faith in the light of you Resources (Riches) In Christ We In Christ Christ In Us Work of Christ Walk of the Christian Heavenly Standing Earthly Walk Identity Responsibility Position Practice Privileges of the Believer Practice of the Believer Doctrinal Practical Orthodoxy Orthopraxy Theology Ethics Note: As you read the comments let me strongly encourage you to also read the Scripture references (popups) for they alone are living and active (He 4:12+), they alone will nourish your soul (Mt 4:4, Job 23:12+, Jer 15:16+) and they alone are your very life (Dt 32:47+, Php 2:16+, 1Jn 1:1+). Indeed, not a single Word of God is void of power (Lk 1:37ASV+). Related Resources: See The Power of God's Word) Vertical Vision Empowers Horizontal Living For two chapters Paul has told the Colossians about sound doctrine (mystery of Christ in them = Col 1:27+, circumcision of their old flesh nature = Col 2:11+, the fact that they had died with, were buried with and raised with Christ -Col 2:20+, Col 2:12, 13+, etc). Now he moves to the practical application of the doctrines he has just expounded. After all, it does little good if Christians declare and defend the truth, but fail to demonstrate the reality of that truth in their lives. The way you conduct yourself is determined by what your creed and the purer your doctrine (potentially) the purer your life. Our position (co-resurrected with Christ) needs to be put into practice in these last 2 chapters. How you live is determined by how you think for as a man "thinks within himself, so he is" (Pr 23:7). The Doctrine: Resurrected with Christ The Duty: Living in "Resurrection Power" of Christ While the first part of Colossians is doctrinal (Col 1-2), the second part (Col 3-4) is practical, emphasizing the importance of walking in the power of the truth of the new man and our relationship to Christ as Head. In the second part, the first section in Colossians 3:1-17 deals with practical holiness in relation to ourselves (Col 3:5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11-see notes Col 3:5; 3:6; 3:7; 3:8; 3:9; 3:10; 3:11) and in relation to others (Col 3:12+). Colossians 3:5-11 challenges us to “put off” the old ways in Adam and Col 3:12-17 calls us to live out the Christ life in the setting of fellowship with other saints. This sequence is significant, for we must be right in our own inner lives if we want to be right in our relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus be Jesus in me, No longer me but Thee. Resurrection power, Fill me this hour, Jesus be Jesus in me. And remember that the only way Jesus can be Jesus in you is by you moment by moment Walking Like Jesus Walked! And the only way to walk as Jesus walked is by continually being filled (Eph 5:18+) with and empowered by His Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of Jesus Christ! So it behooves us to keep short sin accounts, so that we do not grieve or quench the Spirit and in effect "short circuit" our ONLY Source of power for supernatural living! Broadman Bible Commentary - Paul turns from expounding the fullness of Christ, sufficient answer to the doctrine of the heretics, to describing the fullness of the Christian life, sufficient antidote to their alluring promises. And first, he emphasizes that the full life is focused entirely upon the full Christ. Recognizing our union with Christ (see also in Christ), we are called on to show forth His life which is an ongoing, daily process known as sanctification (see article on progressive sanctification). As someone has said when we receive Christ, God's work isn't over—it has just begun! You can know Colossians 1-2 by memory and everyone knows you know it but if you don't work out your salvation in Colossians 3-4 you are all talk with no walk and the integrity of the Gospel is impugned before a watching world. (For more on sanctification see Phil Newton's excellent sermon entitled "Sanctification - A New Position") THE BELIEVER'S NEW LIFE: LIKE AN "ARTESIAN WELL" IN UNION WITH CHRIST We can think of our new life in union with Christ and His Spirit, as if it were a "well of water springing up to eternal life" (Jn 4:14), the Spirit of Christ (Gal 4:6) flowing supernaturally through us even as water flows effortlessly through an Artesian Well. Hallelujah! See - Spirit-Filled Believers Are Like Artesian Wells THEREFORE IF (since) : ei oun: Colossians 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Colossians 3:1-4 Living the Risen Life - John MacArthur If this be so, if you were raised with Christ, if you were translated into heaven, what follows? Why, you must realize the change (Lightfoot) Therefore (oun) (See the importance of evaluating terms of conclusion) - Therefore (oun — see the importance of evaluating terms of conclusion) — Paul has just exposed the deception, frustration, and futility of trying to live the “spiritual life” or “higher life” in reliance on the fallen flesh or on legalistic, ascetic, or mystical guidance. It cannot work. It never has. It did not work before salvation, and it will not work after salvation (see Col 2:23+). Paul reminds them again of their resurrection with Christ (previously mentioned in Col 2:12+), which brings with it new resurrection power—the only true power by which we can live the authentic spiritual life, the genuine higher life. With this therefore, Paul concludes that since legalism, asceticism, and mysticism cannot give victory over “fleshly indulgence,” the believer must shift focus from the horizontal to the vertical. Based on our exalted position in Christ, our practice must match our position. In short, in Colossians 3:1 through Colossians 4:6+, Paul is challenging every believer to… BE WHAT YOU ARE! In Colossians 3-4 Paul is exhorting his readers to be in practice what they are in position in Christ, resurrected with Him, empowered with the grand potential to live a brand new quality of life we could never have even imagined prior to our regeneration and resurrection. Nicholson entitles this paragraph “the true asceticism” (contrasting with Col 2:23) These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence. H G C
Colossenses 3
Wuest - The word "above" is anō. Kata means "down," and, "above, a higher place." The reference is to heavenly things. The word is defined as to the location to which it refers by the words, "where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God." That is a place, heaven itself, where a glorified Man, Himself God the Son, is seated, His work of salvation finished. (Eerdmans Publishing - used by permission) R Kent
Colossenses 3:16
Wuest - Not only must the saint be yielded to the Word, but he must have a good knowledge of it. The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God that we know as He talks to us and guides our lives. He can efficiently talk to us to the extent to which know the Word. That is the language He uses. (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans) (Ed: I would add that this spiritual dynamic [Word in us, indwelling Spirit speaking to us through that indwelling Word] helps us understand the Will of God, which is predominantly found in the Word of God.) Let the Word of God dwell in you richly! Throw open the doors, roll out the red carpet, and give it a grand reception! If you’ll let the Word dwell in you in this way, it will produce an amazing amount of spiritual wealth in your life…” Rick Renner - "Let the Word of God dwell in you richly! Throw open the doors, roll out the red carpet, and give it a grand reception! If you'll let the Word dwell in you in this way, it will produce an amazing amount of spiritual wealth in your life… " You may ask, "How can the Word make us spiritually rich?" Paul continues to tell us what the Word can produce in us if we allow it to do so. He says, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord" (Colossians 3:16). These words describe people so full of the Word of God that their entire being is affected. Their hearts are full of joy; their minds are flooded with wisdom and understanding; and their mouths are singing songs to the Lord. This describes people who have struck it rich spiritually! It is a fact that when the Word of God really comes to feel at home in you, dwelling lavishly inside your heart, it enriches you with the wisdom, the gifts, and the power you need for today. You become so filled with the riches of God that you automatically find yourself admonishing and encouraging other people in their faith. When the Word dwells in you richly, there's always a song of rejoicing in your heart! When you are filled with the Word to this extent, those inward spiritual riches will easily flow out of you to bring life to everyone around you. By using the word "richly" in this verse, Paul is painting a picture of what the Word of God will produce for you if you allow it to take up residency in you and become a vital part of your life. So if you're tired of striving with no results—if you're tired of feeling spiritually weak and worn out with nothing to offer—stop right where you are today. Don't take another step without making the decision to let God's Word play a more important role in your life. As you do, the Word of God will enrich you with spiritual wisdom and insight. It will put victory in your heart and a song in your mouth! It will turn you into a spiritual billionaire! It will enrich your life so much that you'll always have something spiritually to donate, to bequeath or to freely share with someone else!… 1. How can you roll out the red carpet and give God's Word a grand reception today? 2. Do you want the wisdom, gifts, and power of God to be more active in your life so you can minister more effectively to those around you? 3. What can you do differently in your private times with the Lord to "let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly"? (See How to be a Spiritual Billionaire) An Illustration of Letting the Word Dwell Richly - A beautiful and touching story is told of a young French girl who had been born blind. After she learned to read by touch, a friend gave her a Braille copy of Mark’s gospel. She read it so much that her fingers became calloused and insensitive. In an effort to regain her feeling, she cut the skin from the ends of her fingers. Tragically, however, her callouses were replaced by permanent and even more insensitive scars. She sobbingly gave the book a goodbye kiss, saying, “Farewell, farewell, sweet word of my heavenly Father.” In doing so, she discovered that her lips were even more sensitive than her fingers had been, and she spent the rest of her life reading her great treasure with her lips. Would that every Christian had such an appetite for the Word of God! The exhortation is to the effect that the Christian is to so yield himself to the Word that there is a certain at hominess of the Word in his being. The Word should be able to feel al home in his heart. The saint should give it unrestricted liberty in his life. A more tragic illustration of letting the word (sad because it was not God's Word) dwell richly is found in the life of Alexander the Great who had a casket of gold studded with gems to carry Homer's works! Another illustration of letting the word dwell richly - H. A. Ironside told of visiting a godly Irishman, Andrew Frazer, who had come to southern California to recover from a serious illness. Though quite weak, he opened his worn Bible and began expounding the deep truths of God in a way that Ironside had never heard before. Ironside was so moved by Frazer’s words that he asked him, “Where did you get these things? Could you tell me where I could find a book that would open them up to me? Did you learn them in some seminary or college?” The sickly man gave an answer that Ironside said he would never forget. “My dear young man, I learned these things on my knees on the mud floor of a little sod cottage in the north of Ireland. There with my open Bible before me I used to kneel for hours at a time and ask the Spirit of God to reveal Christ to my soul and to open the Word to my heart. He taught me more on my knees on that mud floor than I ever could have learned in all the seminaries or colleges in the world.” A pilot was flying his small plane one day, when he heard a noise which he recognized as the gnawing of a rat. Wondering what its sharp teeth were cutting through, he suddenly realized with horror that it might be an electric wire. Then he remembered that rodents can’t survive at high altitudes. Immediately he began climbing until finally he had to put on his oxygen mask. Soon the gnawing sound ceased, and when he landed he found the rat—dead. Do you want to destroy the power of evil in your life? Then read the Bible regularly, meditate upon its truths, and actively do God’s will. Sinful appetites can’t survive in such spiritual heights. Listen to the Heavenly Father as He calls, “Children, come up higher!”
Colossenses 3:16
Wuest: The word of Christ, let it be continually at home in you in abundance; with every wisdom teaching and admonishing each other by means of psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, with the grace singing in your hearts to God. ( Wuest: Expanded Translation: Eerdmans) Weymouth: Let the teaching concerning Christ remain as a rich treasure in your hearts. In all wisdom teach and admonish one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and sing with grace in your hearts to God. Young's Literal: Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing each other, in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, in grace singing in your hearts to the Lord; LET THE WORD OF CHRIST RICHLY DWELL WITHIN YOU: ho logos tou Christou enoikeito (3SPAM) en humin plousios: Jn 5:39, 40; 2Ti 3:15; He 4:12,13; 1Pe 1:11,12; Re 19:10 LET THE WORD BE AT HOME IN YOUR HEART Don't read this passage too fast. Paul exhorts us to let. Will you invite His Word into your heart and mind? He won't force His Word upon you beloved. You have to make the volitional choice to allow it entree and might I suggest not just a crack in the door and not with the chain on the door so it cannot open too wide. No, beloved, open widely the door to your heart and mind, and ask God's Spirit to flood your soul so that your very being is saturated with His Word of Truth. You won't regret such a simple prayer, I can assure you. Eadie feels - “The word of Christ” is the Gospel, the doctrine of Christ, or the truth which has Christ for its subject. In fact, Christ is both the giver of the oracle and its theme. By "in you" (en humin) is meant, not simply among you-unter euch, as Luther translates, or as De Wette contends. Let the Christian truth have its enduring abode “within you”-let it be no stranger or occasional guest in your hearts. Let it not be without you, as a lesson to be learned, but within you, as the source of cherished and permanent illumination. Let it stay within you- plousios, abundantly. That is, let it be completely understood, or let the soul be fully under its influence. Let it dwell not with a scanty foothold, but with a large and liberal occupancy. (Ref) How important is this verse? I think it is one of the more important passages in Scripture for sustenance of Spirit filled/controlled believers. The parallel passage is found in Ephesians where Paul discusses the effects of being continually filled with the Holy Spirit. The astute observer will note that the "effects" of being filled with the Spirit and being filled with the Word of Christ are virtually identical (see table below). Does this give you any clue as to how a believer might be continually filled with the Holy Spirit? And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. (Ep 5:18, 19, 20, 21-See notes Eph 5:18; 19; 20; 21) RELATIONSHIP OF BEING FILLED… WITH THE SPIRIT AND THE WORD THE HOLY SPIRIT THE HOLY WORD Ephesians 5:18, 19, 20 Colossians 3:16, 17 Be filled with (present imperative) Let… dwell within (present imperative) The Spirit (of Christ) The Word Of Christ Speaking to One Another Teaching and Admonishing One Another In Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs With Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs Singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord Singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God Always giving thanks Giving Thanks See another chart comparison See more detailed chart comparison Of Christ - The Greek here (Christou) can be either the subjective genitive (the word delivered by Christ) or the objective genitive (the word about Christ). Paul is exalting Christ in Colossians. The false teachers came to Colossae with man-made traditions, religious rules, and human philosophies (Col 2:8-note). They tried to harmonize God’s Word with their teachings, but they could not succeed. God’s Word always magnifies Jesus Christ. It was not the word of false teachers that brought salvation to the Colossians; it was the Word of the truth of the Gospel (Col 1:5-note). This same Word gives us life and sustains and strengthens us (1Pe 1:22, 23, 24, 25, 2:1, 2, 3 - see notes 1Pe 1:22; 23; 24; 25; 2:1; 2:2; 2:3). Octavius Winslow puts in a good word about letting the Good Word dwell in the midst of our being… The diligent and prayerful reading of God's holy word is a great means of increasing and promoting spirituality of mind (cp 1Pe 2:2-note). This, we fear, is not an element in the Christianity of many. It defines a duty sadly and, to a great extent, totally neglected. The tendency of the age is to substitute the writings of man for the Book of God. Let them come but with the robe of religion gracefully thrown around them, and whether they assume the form of history, or story, or song, they are devoured by the professing multitude, who would deem their true spirituality unquestionable! But the Divine life of the soul is not to be fed and nourished by the profound discoveries of science, or the recondite axioms of philosophy, or the brilliant flowers of genius, or the dreams of a poetical imagination. It ascends to a higher and a diviner source; it aspires towards the nourishments of its native climate. The bread that comes down from heaven (Jn 6:31, 32, 33, 41, 50, 51, 58) and the water that flows, pure as crystal, from beneath the throne of God and the Lamb, can alone feed, and nourish, and refresh this hidden principle (cp Jn 4:10, 13, 14, 15, 7:37, 38, 1Co 10:4). Jesus is its sustenance; and the gospel, as it unfolds Him in His glory and grace, is the spiritual granary from where its daily food is drawn. To this it repairs, oftentimes pressed with hunger, or panting with thirst, weary and exhausted, drooping and faint, and it finds its doctrines and its precepts, its promises and its admonitions, its exhortations and revelations, a "a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees; of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined." And thus refreshed and satisfied, the grateful soul adoringly exclaims, "Your words were found, and I did eat them; and Your word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart." (Jer 15:16) Truly did Jesus testify, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, you have no life in you;" (Jn 6:53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59) evidently and solemnly implying, that if there exists no appetite for spiritual food, there is lacking the great evidence of the life of God in the soul. A mere semblance of life, an informed judgment, a "fair show" of religion "in the flesh," can content itself with anything short of the spiritual aliment contained in God's word. But the Divine life of a quickened soul, while it disdains no auxiliary to its spiritual advance, can yet feed on nothing but Divine food. The "flesh and the blood of Immanuel can alone meet and satiate its hungering and thirsting. It is from heaven, and its supply must be heavenly; it is from God, and its nourishment must be Divine. Jesus, and Jesus alone, received into the heart, rested in, and lived upon by faith, is the food of a believing man. Nothing but Christ-"Christ all" in Himself, and Christ "in all," means "in all" ordinances, "in all" channels, "in all" seasons, sustains a soul whose "life is hid with Christ in God." Dear reader, do you see the importance and feel the solemnity of this truth? Oh, it is a great and solemn one! Except by faith you "eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of man, you have no life in you!" Nothing short of Christ-Christ's righteousness, Christ's atonement, Christ's flesh and blood, Christ in us, Christ without us, Christ risen, Christ alive at the right hand of God, yes, "Christ all and in all" (Col 3:11-note)-can meet the deep, immortal necessities of your soul. You need all that Christ is in the matter of pardon, and justification, and sanctification, and wisdom, and redemption. If anything less than Jesus had sufficed, if an expedient less magnificent, or if an expenditure less costly, had answered for God and man, then less would save you. But since the incarnate God alone is the Savior of a poor, lost sinner, see that you detract not from, or add to, this salvation by any works of human merit. Be exhorted, then, to an intimate acquaintance with God's holy word, as supplying a powerful help to the progress of the soul in deep spirituality. And if your time for reading is limited, limit it to one book, and let that one book be-the BIBLE. Let it be the companion of your hours of solitude; the solace in your seasons of sorrow; the store-house in all your necessities; the man of your counsel in all your doubts and perplexities. Then will your blessed experience resemble that of the psalmist: "Your word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against You. This is my comfort in my affliction: for Your word has quickened me. Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. I rejoice at Your word, as one that finds great spoil." (From Evening Thoughts - A 365 Day Devotional) (See also Morning Thoughts) Spurgeon exhorts us… Do try, dear friends, to get so full of the word of Christ in all forms of it, that you may run over with it. You know, it cannot come out of you if it is not first in you. If you do not get the word of Christ into you, you will not be instructive in your general conversation. Grant Richison writes that… The word dwell means to keep house. We should live in the Word of God like we live in our homes. We are familiar with our home where all the closets are, where we have items stored. We must thoroughly acquaint ourselves with the Word. The Word should become so familiar to us that we know it like the back of our hand. The idea is to let the Word of God dwell inside and live at home in our lives. The Word of God needs to inhabit us. This is more than just reading the Bible. God wants us to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts (v. 15) and the Word of Christ dwell in our hearts. Some treat the Word of God like a rabbit’s foot or charm. We use it like a fetish. We cannot use the Bible that way. We cannot rub the Bible on warts and they disappear. We cannot flip the pages of the Bible and blindly put our finger on a verse and claim it. The Bible is no prayer wheel or magic book. We must systematically study the Bible and memorize pertinent verses to deal with weak areas of our Christian life (Deut. 6:6; 11:18; Josh. 1:8; Job 22:21,22; 23:12: Ps. 1:2;119:9, 10, 11; Jer 15:16). There are some believers who think that when they get into a jam all they have to do is pray “Oh Lord, help me.” Others think that all they need to do is put their finger on a Bible verse and God will lead them. They give glowing testimonies of how in a time of duress they flipped open their Bible and put their finger on a verse that helped them. The odds of doing that are about as good as loaded dice in a crap game. Principle: The Word of God needs to find lodgment in our souls. Application: If we spent as much time in the Word of God as we do in the newspaper, just think how much we would know of God’s will for our lives! We might know how many robberies and murders took place in our city for that week but what difference does that make in our lives? We might be better off if we did not know. If we generate a serious attitude about letting the Word of God dwell in our lives, we will be richer and our character will grow stronger. Our individual lives will change and our homes will be better. You may say, “But I do not understand what I read in the Bible.” We must work at it. Gradually we will retain more. We do not learn to ride a bicycle the first time we get on it. Neither do we learn the Bible without effort. It takes time, effort and dedication. The results will gratify our souls. Most of us do not take the Word of God seriously. We play at it. We do not mark our Bible or memorize it. We do not make it a part of us. There are people who memorize hundreds of plays for a football game. Yet if we memorize a verse of Scripture we want a medal (Colossians 3:16) In His sermon Christ's Indwelling Word ,
Colossenses 3:16
Wuest has an insightful comment writing that… Dwell in is enoikeo. The word oikos means “a home.” Oikeō means “to live in a home.” The exhortation is to the effect that the Christian is to so yield himself to the Word that there is a certain at homeness of the Word in his being. The Word should be able to feel al home in his heart. The saint should give it unrestricted liberty in his life. (Word Studies from the Greek New Testament) John