Daily Devotions

Daily devotions will recommence in the new year. Thanks :)

Colossians 4:2-18 - True spirituality in the world  Already we have looked at Paul’s positive alternative to the false teaching at Colossae. We characterised it as ‘true spirituality’, as opposed to the false and deceptive spirituality of Paul’s opponents. Because we have been united with Christ and raised up with him to heaven, we should set our minds on him and do everything in his name. This includes our personal behaviour and our relationships with other people. In chapter 4, Paul extends this even further to include our relationship with the world. In this last section of the letter, some important themes emerge about the work of the gospel. We could summarise them under the following headings: 1. Prayer Paul mentions the really striking reference to prayer in these verses almost in passing. He reassures the Colossians that their friend and brother Epaphras is “always struggling on your behalf in his prayers” (v. 12). Prayer is hard work. It is something that Paul encourag...

Colossians 3:18-4:1 - True spirituality in the household The section of Colossians we looked at yesterday concluded with a broad demand for our lives to be dominated by the lordship of Jesus: And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Col 3:17) In Colossians 3:1-4, Paul wrote of the true spirituality (or ‘heavenly-mindedness’) that comes from knowing Christ, in contrast to the hollow and deceptive spirituality being taught by the false teachers. True spirituality is shown in putting off and putting on—that is, putting off all that belongs to our old selves and putting on the characteristics befitting God’s holy, beloved children. True spirituality is a life in which everything is done in the name of the Lord Jesus (3:17). This leads naturally on to the section we’ll be looking at in this study (3:18-4:1). The lordship of Christ is to change every aspect of our lives. It is not about deep, esoteric m...

Colossians 3:1-17  - True spirituality ‘Spirituality’ is a buzzword these days. People everywhere—not only Christians—are looking for the secret of a deeper, more vibrant ‘spiritual life’. Even within the broad Christian spectrum there are lots of alternatives on offer—from revamped medieval mysticism to thinly disguised versions of Eastern philosophy. In our last study, we saw how an alternative ‘spirituality’ was threatening to captivate the Christians at Colossae. Paul was scathing in his criticism. Harsh physical discipline, exotic worship and religious rules were of absolutely no spiritual value, according to Paul. They did not open the way to a deeper experience of heaven (as someone at Colossae seemed to be claiming). Today we look at the positive alternative. Having demolished the spiritual credentials of the opposition, Paul teaches the Colossians about true spirituality. The false teachers claimed to be very ‘heavenly’ and high-minded. They offered the ‘key’ to a deeper...

Colossians 2:8-23 - Kidnapped Yesterday we saw how Paul wanted the Colossians to keep going in Christ. He longed for them to grow to maturity in their knowledge of God, and he prayed hard and worked hard to this end. Paul was particularly concerned about the Colossians because he knew there were alternatives to Christ being touted in their midst. Even though he rejoiced in their firm and orderly faith (2:5), he was still concerned about the threat they were facing. In the passage we’ll see just how severe this threat was, and how equally severe Paul was in his denunciation of it. So far in the letter, Paul has reminded the Colossians of their immediate past history. They had received Christ Jesus as their Lord, been rescued by him from the domain of darkness, and were steadily and firmly growing to maturity. He summarises all this in our (by now) familiar verses in 2:6-7: Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in t...

Colossians 1:3-14, 1:21-2:5 - The apostle at prayer So far in our study of Colossians, at least one thing should have become clear—that 2:6-7 is a key passage in the argument of the letter: Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. Colossians is not so much about becoming a Christian as continuing a Christian. Paul urges the Colossians to stick with Christ, and he musters strong language to make the point. They had received Jesus as their Messiah and Lord (not, notice, as their brother or friend or even just saviour). He is the Creator of all, the Ruler of the living and the dead, and they were not to go beyond him. They were not to seek God elsewhere as if he could be found in further secret knowledge or in mystical experiences. Like a strongly rooted tree or a firmly founded building, they were to grow and be strengthened in what they had been taught ...