Colossians 3:5-16 is one of those classic pieces of scripture that can be studies and meditated over time and time again. I made this particular post also available in a pdf Put off Flesh, Put on Christ: Colossians 3:5–16 in my writing section.
Colossians 3:5-16 Overview
In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, chapter 3 starts off with a call to put on a new self. Paul charges the Colossians to put aside their heresy, and outright immorality, and put on the love and compassion of Christ. Chapter 3, (Col 3:1-17, ESV) is often separated out into three practical parts. First, Paul speaks to those seeking spiritual values (v 1-4), second, he calls us to take off the sins of our old life (v 5-11), and finally, we are to put on the virtuous life of Christ (v 12-17).
In our focus here (v 5-16), Paul moves into verses 5-9 and puts forth an argument that is intended to fight the Colossians Gnosticism. Their Gnostic claim was that the body is seen as evil, and as such, is not able to be redeemed, and therefore one might as well live however one chooses to live. Paul quickly warns that these things will lead to God’s wrath (v. 6), and by some indications, this has already come (the present tense of “is coming”, erchetai, is used perhaps to indicated God’s wrath is already upon us).[1]
As Paul moves forward in his rebuke of their behavior he moves into the second section, the call to live the virtuous life of Christ. He uses a reference here to the Scythians, a nomadic tribe of “barbaric” people who were constantly at war (v. 11), and “probably [seen as] the most barbaric the world has ever known”.[2] Even through this type of heathen living, Paul exhorts that Christ is still working among them; “Christ is all, and in all” (v. 11) and calls on the Colossians to put aside their differences, “bearing with” (v. 13) each other, and show the love, unity, and compassion that is available through faith in Jesus Christ.
As Paul closes this section, he tells his audience to “let the word of Christ dwell within you” (v. 16), and for this, we should be eternally thankful in our hearts. The translation for “word” here is the Greek word logos, the same term John uses in his opening announcement in verse 1, saying, “the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us”. (John 1:14) While the phrase “let dwell” is only found in the New Testament here in Colossians (v. 16), in both cases, the logos, the revelation of God, is something we are told to “dwell in” and “live on”. Scripture is something to be familiar with, to study, absorb, and digest, something that is to become life itself. A dwelling that permeates our heart and guides us in our life.[3] Something Paul told the Colossians to be thankful for deep in their heart.
What Does this Text Mean, What are Paul’s Instructions?
This particular section of Colossians is one of the more practical sections of the book, having already left the more doctrinal parts in previous chapters, Paul very plainly and directly teaches us to leave the life of sin behind. Where some scripture leaves the reader questioning the motives and instructions of the writer, here Paul is quite clear. Prior to our conviction to follow Christ, we were living in unrepentant sin, sins of the flesh as Paul points out. Every vile and degrading lust is brought out and put squarely on the table before us. In a life prior to God’s grace, which covered our sin, these actions and lifestyles would have been acceptable to us, or at least, not offensive enough to make any serious adjustments in how we intended to live our life.
Once we claim Christ in our life, as the Colossians did, we may still contain the sin described by Paul, but we are called to a higher understanding (v. 12), and a more virtuous life found through following Christ’s teachings. Paul points out that since we are covered by God’s grace, we should not lie to each other (v. 9) but instead, love each other (v. 14) by letting God rule over everything in our life (v. 15). The call to a virtuous life in Christ is fulfilled in love. All other aspects of the life Paul, and ultimately Christ, are calling us to here come down to some offspring of love. Beloved, compassion, the heart, kindness, unity, peace, thankful, humility, gentleness, and patience are all listed among the virtues in this section of Colossians, and all are a call to love.
How Can One Do This, How Do I do This?
One of the most difficult aspects of being a Christian must be to take what is clearly shown to us in scripture and apply it to our life. From a worldview outside the church, we are seen as hypocritical because we do not do this in our daily lives. In UnChristian, Kinnaman’s research shows that 85% of young “outsiders” conclude present-day Christianity is hypocritical.[4] Kinnaman concludes, “The most obvious reason [for this is] our lives don’t match our beliefs.”[5] The outside world, no doubt, is eager to point out when a Christian fails.
Often the outsider does not understand that claiming to being a Christian does not mean we will never fall into sin, and as such, fail our beliefs, but this does not exempt us from trying to live a virtuous life. We are not to choose the Gnostic alternative Paul spoke about in verse 5 merely because original sin places our body (the flesh) in a heretical nature of sin. Obviously this lifestyle cannot be lived out in our own power, but only if we put on the power and hope of Christ, in compassion, forgiveness, and ultimately, love.
In my own life, I continually try to examine those numerous immoral qualities I know still exist in my life, and constantly try to replace them with those found and displayed by Christ. As this walk continues in my own life, hopefully, it becomes more difficult to exhibit those sinful qualities. As Paul tells us to put on a “heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience (v. 12), it becomes almost impossible to exhibit any of those qualities and “lie to one another” at the same time. As you put on one, you have to remove the other.
It is an impossibility for someone to have malice intent and show Christ’s love at the same time, so if I put on Christ, I am forced to take off my old self, there is no other way. In the most practical sense, to put off the flesh is to throw away the sin in our life. To put on Christ, is to dwell constantly in the revelation, logos, letting the Love and Word of God rule in our heart.
Works Cited
Constable, Thomas L. “Dr. Constable’s Notes on Colossians.” Sonic Light. 2007. http://www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/pdf/colossians.pdf (accessed September 26, 2009).
Kinnaman, David. UnChristian, What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity… and Why It Matters. 2st Edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2007.
McGee, J. Vernon. Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee. Vol. V. V vols. Pasadena, CA: Thru the Bible Radio, 1983.
Walvoord, John F., and Roy B. Zuck, . The Bible Knowledge Commentary. 1st Edition. Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Publishing, 1983.
[1] John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, , The Bible Knowledge Commentary, 1st Edition, ed. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck (Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Publishing, 1983), 681.
[2] J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee, Vol. V, V vols. (Pasadena, CA: Thru the Bible Radio, 1983), 358.
[3] Thomas L. Constable, “Dr. Constable’s Notes on Colossians,” Sonic Light, 2007, http://www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/pdf/colossians.pdf (accessed September 26, 2009), 43.
[4] David Kinnaman, UnChristian, What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity… and Why It Matters, 2st Edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2007), 41.
[5] Ibid, 46.
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This coming Sunday our church moves into their fall schedule with the start of a new series on the attributes of God. This should be a great look at a few of the many elements that make up the existence and nature of God Himself. I was thrilled when I found out this was the next series since I had just finished my own research on the attributes of God, specifically that of God’s love (research post as The Attributes of God: Analysis on the Basic Dimensions of God’s Love if you are bored), but there are an infinite number attributes that could be studied in detail. Paul says it best in Romans when he asks “who has known the mind of the Lord?”, for the depth of the riches, wisdom, and knowledge of God is so great, that we could never fully exhaust our understanding of God’s greatness (Romans 11:33-34).
One of the more recent theological champions of the attributes of God is the author, theologian, and pastor, A. W. Tozer (April 21, 1897 – May 12, 1963). Tozer wrote a book entitled The Attributes of God (Volume 1): A Journey Into the Father’s Heart, which takes a look at God’s infinitude, immensity, goodness, justice, mercy, grace, omnipresence, immanence, holiness and perfection, and this is the reference book for our upcoming series on the attributes of God. Tozer spent much of his ministry studying what he deemed to be one of the most important questions to ask, what is God like?
Can We Actually Know God?
I think too often today we take a more pluralistic (or post-modern if you like) view of this question, and answer “who are we to think we can know God?”, and then push it off to the back burner and say why bother trying something impossible. To answer in that manner is to excuse oneself from the rigors of pursuing a relationship with God, but it is more than that, it is to deny scripture itself.
In Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians he talks to the church about Christ’s judgment at the second coming (2 Thessalonians 1:8). At the time of the second coming, Christ will punish two distinct classes of people; those who “do not know God” (cf. Romans 1:18-32), and those who “do not obey the gospel” (cf. John 3:36). Jeremiah the Prophet spoke to Judah just before the impending invasion of the Babylonian army and told them they were fools because they didn’t know God, but instead certainly knew the way of evil (Jeremiah 4:22, Isaiah 1:3 and Psalm 82:5).
There are many other examples, but the point is, if we are called by His name, we are called to know God. We can spend a lifetime doing this, but God loves those, and has made Himself known, to those who seek Him out (Proverbs 8:17).
Great Resource for Audiobooks
A quick plug to those who enjoy digging in deeper to these and other topics of faith. Christian Audio (christianaudio.com) has one of the largest selections of Christian audiobooks, and each month they give away a free audiobook. This month happens to be The Pursuit Of God (Unabridged) by A. W. Tozer, and you can download it for free until July 31st. Not only is this title free, but all of A. W. Tozer’s other books are only $4.95 until the end of the month. This is a fantastic resource, and I would recommend Christianaudio to anyone interested in audiobooks (you can listen on your iPod, MP3 player, iPad, iPhone, whatever, and you can also follow them on Twitter @ChristianAudio).
I have no stake in the company or know anyone personally over there, I have just used their resources and have never had any issues with quality or service (only wish they had even more titles than they do). I often depend on a wide range of resources for studying, but even iTunes can’t beat an unabridged book like that for $4.95. That’s my plug for the month, if audiobooks are not your thing, get a copy of Tozer’s books in print, you won’t be disappointed.
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Last Friday I had a chance to shoot for a band at Eighth and Rail in Opelika called Martha’s Trouble. What a great night of music it was last week. Over the last several months I have had a chance to shoot for several different bands. Each one is different but I have really enjoyed getting to know the different band members at each venue, and Rob and Jen are no different, it was great to get to hand with the band a little this weekend. Be sure to check out their website and the new CD’s coming out for Christmas. Below are a few of my pics from the shoot. You can also see the Martha’s Trouble Gallery to see the full shoot of the live performance.
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I often find myself doing a shoot of a “practice” of some kind or another. The shoot could be band practice, football practice (see Auburn Tigers Football Practice Report for 2008 // Photos), soccer, or any number of other subjects, but practice for an upcoming event or game. [Although the Auburn University Athletics department is less enthusiastic about anyone photographing any practice of any kind, for any reason, of course.] I have had several people in the past ask me why I shoot a practice instead of just waiting for the real thing (what ever that means). Well I do have the camera in my hands and taking photos probably 4-5 days out of the week, so why shoot a practice?
Mainly because I need as much practice as I can possibly get, just like the people who are practicing. Really for me, it isn’t practice, it is always the real thing, but there are several reasons why I like shooting a practice over a live or actual event. Less people, I have better access to the subjects, and it gets me prepared for the non-practice event, and it’s usually fun.
On Wednesday I took these images of the Cornerstone band practice and there are some of my favorites of the band to date for several reasons, but one is because I have had a lot of practice with this band myself. With two guest musicians, Paul pictured just above playing the bass from Matha’s Trouble, and Jake playing the keys from Encounter made for a great practice session.
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This is my installment for the Blogger Small Group post (see Small Blogger Group // New Entries Post Here to post your link) on Romans Chapter 4. There is always time for anyone to join in if they like (see Blogger Small Group Rules/Guidelines). Right now we are several weeks into the group, which started in James, and this week I am hosting the group, so to post your entry just follow the link above called “new entries post here”.
No need to try and catch up, just start in the same place we are and post your opinions.
This week we continue in the justification by faith but through the Old Testament. Always a fun and exciting topic, one that we as Christians love to bounce around and argue about over various topics and pieces, so I am looking forward to reading the other members posts here today as well.
A Little Background on Romans 4
Here in Chapter 4 Paul is talking to us again about being justified by faith, not by works. Paul uses two illistrations here from the Old Testament, Abraham and David. He also quotes the OT several times and is leading us into the results of justification starting in Chapter 5.
We can break down this chapter into 4 smaller sections. (1) By Faith Not Works v1-8, (2) By Faith Not Rite v9-12, (3) By Faith Not the Law v13-17, and finally (4) By Faith in Gods Promise v18-25. I am going to very briefly touch on each of these.
By Faith Not Works (4:1-8)
Paul starts off by introducing Abraham and talks about how if anyone is justified by works, it would be Abraham. In these times, the Rabbis taught that Abraham has an over abundance of righteousness that would be passed down to his decedents (David being one of them).
Paul agrees here that he did great works, but says that it was only for men, not for God. Paul quotes Genesis 15:6 here:
Genesis 15:6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
Paul again quotes the OT and then explains to us that Abraham was justified through God not because of his works, but because he believed in and trusted God. This is still something I think many of us struggle with today. We did this good work, so now we are justified.
I think our society today embraces this quality. I was amazed at a study of how many people believed that if you were a “good person” you would go to heaven. It is something that has been passed down from unbelieving generation to generation. Be a “good person” and you will be rewarded.
The problem with that is who determines what a good person is or does? I certainly don’t want to be compared against Billy Graham, do you? I always loved when a pastor of mine use to say. Works doesn’t get us into heaven, but I still don’t want to be standing in line behind Billy Graham. We can not have faith and trust in our own works, it is worthless.
By Faith Not Rite (4:9-12)
This next section once again brings up the topic of who is included. It is the Jews or the Gentiles? Paul starts to talk about how and when Abraham was justified. Was it before or after he was circumcised? Paul answers his own question, it was before.
Abraham was to perform this on all male decedents as a covenant with God, and this was done when Abraham was 99 years old (Genesis 17:24). It is generally stated that Abraham was 86 when Hagar bore him Ishmael, he was told after that point to circumcise the family.
24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised,
Many jews who rely on the rite circumcision for salvation. We see here, it has nothing to do with actual salvation since it occurred before in Abraham’s life. Once again we are shown that we must have faith. Nothing we do on our own can make us righteous.
By Faith Not the Law (4:13-17)
Here again we can see that the promise God made to Abraham that his decendents would be the heirs to the world, is preceeded by the law by quite a few centuries.
Genesis 12:1 The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. 2 “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
We can look at Galatians 3:17 and see it was over 400 years before the law was to be given out.
17 What I mean is this: The Law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise.
Paul is going step by step here and it may not be the most common thing in our day, it was clear to his readers that he was telling them, you are not going to be justified by the Law, and neither are we.
We can still look at the Law today, it guides us in just about everything we do. Even if we are unaware of God’s Law, we are still governed under its rules today. We don’t run a red light because we are told, do not kill. We pay for things instead of steal them, and so on. None of this will get us right with God, only faith in Jesus Christ will do that.
By Faith in God’s Promise (4:18-25)
In the final section we see how much faith Abraham had in God. He had so much faith in God that he believed in an impossible situation, and Paul says this is why he was credited with righteousness.
There are so many things in our lives that we can decide we don’t want God to handle. We can give God control over part of our life in this situation, but not in that one. We (I include myself) waver back and forth between trusting ourselves, in our works, in our rites, and in the fact that we uphold the Law, that we loose site of God.
I really love seeing the faith of Abraham. It is not that he was a perfect person, or had some kind of super natural powers, he was an old man that put in trust and faith in one thing, God. I know people who have given up in faith. They felt that because their faith wavered that they were not worthy of God’s call, or hypocrites.
I wish one person in particular would understand we all do this. That is why we have a Savior to come back to when we stumble. We are not required to be perfect, all we need is faith the size of a mustard seed.
Visit the Other Bloggers in the Group
There are several other bloggers who participate each week. Be sure to read their posts and comment. Don’t forget to come back and leave a link to your post as well.
- 12 Steps Closer
- Cindy in South Dakota
- Consuming Worship
- Geoff Bradley
- Heath Spurlock
- Just Another Minute
- Mandy Conforth
- Scott Fillmer
- Worship Journey
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This is my installment for the Blogger Small Group post on Romans chapter 1. There is always time for anyone to join in if they like (see Blogger Small Group Rules/Guidlelines). Right now we are a few weeks into the group, which started in James.
No need to try and catch up, just start in the same place we are and post your opinions.
A Little Background on Romans
The book of Romans is of course a letter that Paul of Tarsus, or the Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans. It was written from Corinth, Cenchrea (16:1) at the end of Paul’s third missionary journey during the time he was in Greece for three months (Acts 20:3).
Paul was writing this letter for a few reasons.
- He wanted to let the Romans know he was planning a visit
- He wanted to give a detailed explanation of the Gospel message
- To address a conflict between Jewish and Gentile segments
It is believed that the letter was written somewhere around the Spring of A.D. 57 or 58, according to several verses in Acts 20.
From Paul’s Letter to the Romans, Chapter 1
In the first chapter, the NASB version has the text separated into two sections. The Gospel Exalted and the Unbelief and Its Consequences. I will touch on a few points in each section. When I went to look at this chapter, it was well written over in my Bible.
I think last time I seriously looked at Romans 1 it took months, but that was by my design so don’t let that discourage you from reading.
The Gospel Exalted
This section is very much like an opening salutation in a letter, which is basically what Paul is doing here. He greets and identifies his readers, establishes a connection with them, and then talks about the theme for Romans by talking about him impending visit.
The part that stands out to me is v15-17. Something Paul did even before he became a Christian, he was passionate about what he did. Statement like, “for I am eager to preach” and “I am not ashamed of the gospel” show how strong he feels about what he believes and I love how he quotes the old testament at the end of verse 17.
15 So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”
Sometimes I think we loose that passion over time. As we mature in our Christian walk or faith, to ride the roller coaster of passion. Some days we are, some we aren’t, but look at the words Paul uses here, wow.
Part of it I think is a comfort level we have in this country (for those who live in the U.S.). Basically we need for nothing, and get excited about our baseball or football team (which I do). Do we get as excited about the Gospel as we do Auburn or Alabama football, or the race on Sunday afternoon?
Unbelief and Its Consequences
This is an extremely powerful section in the book of Romans and speaks about righteousness, one of those “religious” words. It is an examination of our faith and sinful natures that shows the human race is condemned before God, helpless and hopeless apart for God’s grace and the sacrifice of Jesus.
Paul talks about several lifestyles and sins that condemn us as a people. Since the fourth is one that is a “hot topic” in our society today, I will make a few comments about that one in particular.
- Suppressing Gods Truth
- Ignoring God’s revelation (v19-20)
- Perverting God’s glory (v21-23)
- A call to abandon sexual perversions and other lifestyles
A Call To Abandon Sexual Perversions
Things are not so different today than when Paul wrote this chapter. We as a society still deal with all these same issues as they did back then. I think one difference is that we have become accepting of anything and everything. We are trying to see where we stand with verse 27 here in the U.S., so I felt it appropriate to at least mention the topic.
27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
Those who know me well know that I try my hardest not to judge or condemn. What I try to do is read and educate myself on the topics and issues in an attempt to try and better understand them. To me, ignorance is king, and the best way to quickly move out of God’s will. On the topic of sexual relations and scripture, one commentary puts it like this:
The words translated women and men in these verses are the sexual words “females” and “males”. Contemporary homosexuals insist that these verses mean that it is perverse for a heterosexual male or female to engage in homosexual relations but it is not perverse for a homosexual male or female to do so since homosexuality is such a person’s natural preference.
This is strained exegesis unsupported by the Bible. The only natural sexual relationship the Bible recognizes is a heterosexual one (Gen. 2:21-24; Matt. 19:4-6) within marriage.
I think the most revealing thing about that statement is the very last part, within marriage. That makes no distinction between homosexual acts, premarital acts, and adultery, they are all in the same boat. There is basically no difference.
Let the Person Without Sin Cast the First Stone
So, what about those who rail about homosexuality and are active in adultery or sex outside of marriage? For me, the planks in my eye are far to big to worry about someone else. For those holding up the signs in protest, I hope self examination is part of their process as well.
I think Christ’s focus was on love and compassion. I have had this discussion with friends over the years and one thing I have always try to point out is verse 29-31 of this chapter. This is not a one verse gotcha on homosexuality. Anyone who has a problem with verse 27 should also have a problem with verses 29-31
29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful;
Look at that list, wow. Sin is sin. I find no difference or distinction in God’s word between being a liar, a homosexual, or a gossip. All are departures from God’s ultimate perfect plan for our lives. We all fall short.
I try to keep in mind, let the person who has no sin in their lives cast the first stone. Although we love to judge, it isn’t up to us to do so. I have enough to worry about with my own life and my walk with God to try and decide what is best for another person, I’ll let God do that.
Other Blogs of Note
Well, that should be enough keywords on all the above to keep my blog banned on Google for all sorts of things for a while. Other posts that have been released so far are below, be sure to check them out and leave a comment.
Please leave a comment for this post as well, I would love to hear your comments.
- Blogger Small Group – Worship Journey
- Romans Chapter 1 – Gotroot
If you haven’t joined the Small Blogger group and would like to, now is a great time. Jump in on Romans Chapter 2 and let us know what you think.
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Anxiety yields only worry, and worry is the interest we pay on the debt of unbelief with which we have mortgaged our life. a quote inspired by Philippians 4:6. This verse is something I continue to try to pound into my head and my heart, but even though I don’t take heed to this as often as I should, it is no less truth every day of the week.
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
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