triumph (Col. 2:8-23)

Friday, April 11, 2008

Colossians 2:8-23


In another densely packed passage Paul speaks on the one hand of human tradition, philosophy and empty deceit, of elemental spirits and visions, the appearance of wisdom and self-made religion, and on the other hand of Christ, of the power of his death to "circumcise" us, to cut off and cut out not only the accusations and guilt our sins incur but also the power of sin and the indulgence of the flesh. The first is futile, powerless, and like a mist in its promise to bring life; the second is the powerful working of God, the disarming of rulers and authorities and the triumph of God in Christ on behalf of those who trust in him.

This happens for us through identifying with Christ's death and resurrection in baptism, as we put off a life motivated by, animated by, and trusting in "the flesh" (ie. trusting in anything but God) and put on Christ, in whom the fullness of God dwells bodily (interesting phrase... Jesus is risen but God still indwells him bodily) and who fills us. It happens as we distrust and desist from both activities that trust in our ability to make something happen to incur God's favor and free us of slavery to guilt and sin, and from ways of thinking that exalt one's power to figure things out, especially as it leads to self-trusting religious activity.

Basically, this whole section begins and ends as a warning, but its heart is an exhortation and an emphatic pointing to someone. The picture he again (the first was in 1:15-23) paints of God being in and working though Christ is awesome and beautiful and liberating. More than saying "stop doing this and that," or "think this way, not that way," he says look at Jesus! Look at who he is and what he's done! Believe it, trust him, give yourselves over to this story.

!!! For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority... having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also rasied with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you who were dead in your trespasses... god made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record that stood against us with its leagal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. !!!
(2:9-15)

Christ in you (Col. 1:24-2:7)

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Colossians 1:24-2:7


"...Christ in you, the hope of glory..."
(Colossians 1:27)


Paul says he suffers and he struggles (1:24,29; 2:1) as a minister and a steward of the good news, the mystery and wisdom of God now revealed in and through Jesus.

Amazingly, the mystery and wisdom of God, is summed up in this: the Messiah is in you, he is among you, and this is a sure hope of glory. So love one another, be knit together in his love so that this mystery which is in you might be manifest among you.

At the outset of this letter Paul prays that they might be "filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding..." (1:9). All spiritual wisdom he says now is revealed in Christ, who has reconciled us through his blood (1:20) and who even now holds all things together (1:17). His prayer for them to know God's will included that they would "walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work..." (1:10).

And so again here in 2:6-7, after declaring the reality of Christ in you, the hope of glory, and the revelation of the mystery and wisdom of God, he says

"therefore, as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught..."

Live it out, walk it out - Christ in you, the hope of glory, is not some pie in the sky, navel gazing, feel good emotional experience just for me and Jesus. Being rooted in him evokes all this imagery - dirt, dust, humus - humility, dependence, root and trunk and branch and fruit, firm and secure. It's very daily, very pedestrian, very here and now on the path I'm walking. Christ in us ought to be manifest in a life worthy of the Lord, in good works. Knowing and experiencing the wisdom of God in Christ is not some esoteric thing, or just for me to contemplate in my easy chair in my library, it's supposed to include my feet getting dirty as I walk it out.

Rootedness and bearing fruit... the goal is indeed maturity and all that maturity brings.

"Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ, for this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me." (2:28-29)

The Peacemaker (Col. 1:15-23)

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Psalm 38; Colossians 1:15-23


"making peace by the blood of his cross..."

This passage in Colossians is amazing, it is dense and critically important in understanding Jesus and his relation to creation and the creation’s restoration and sustenance - sometimes called "The Cosmic Christ."

Today, I am stuck on the word (in Greek it’s one word) “making peace.” God was not only pleased to dwell in him fully, but through Jesus also to reconcile to himself all things, whether in heaven or on earth. This work of "reconciliation” is explained with a synonym as “making peace by the blood of his cross.” It is further described as Paul writes, “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death…” Peace making, or reconciliation, is always between parties that are alienated and even hostile – by definition; this is every human beings status with God and God's people outside of Christ (Romans 5; Ephesians 2).

He did this “in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven…”

When Jesus says, in Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God,” somehow indeed it ties in with his mission and work that he accomplished on the cross. The word in Matthew 5:9 is the noun form of the verb “making peace” in Colossians 1:20. Each one is the only occurrence in the Bible.

Last night in a study group we took a whirlwind tour of 1 Peter, in order to note in particular his references to the Sermon on the Mount, especially Matthew 5:10-16. We saw a call to follow Jesus’ example of humility, of trust in God, of never returning evil for evil, or countering force with force. Peter alludes repeatedly to Isaiah 53 (1 Peter 2:22-25), the great suffering Servant passage, principally to call us to follow in his steps as the living out of his substitutionary suffering to forgive and reconcile and heal us. His point seems to be that we are to live out the very way that has restored and healed us.

If indeed we have been reconciled to God (and to God’s people) by Jesus and the blood of his cross, if we are a part of this reconciliation of all things – then we are “ambassadors of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:17-21), we are “peacemakers.” We do this by proclaiming the gospel in all creation (Colossians 1:23) in word and deed, by living lives “holy and blameless and above reproach” (v.22). We do this, as Peter says, by not repaying “evil for evil, or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you have been called...” (3:9).

We who have been blessed with “grace and peace” (Colossians 1:2) are to live lives of grace and peace, to bless others with these blessing of the gospel, in our attitudes and our actions, in every proclamation of our lips and lives.

~ ~ ~
Those who seek my life lay their snares;
Those who seek my hurt speak of ruin and meditate treachery all day long.
But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear,
Like a mute man who does not open his mouth.
I have become like a man who des not hear,
And in whose mouth are no rebukes.
But for you, O LORD, do I wait;
It is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.
For I said, “Only let them not rejoice over me,
Who boast against me when my foot slips!…
Those who render me evil for good
Accuse me because I follow after good.
Do not forsake me, O LORD!
O my God, be not far from me!
Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation!
(Psalm 38:12-22)

knowing God's will (Colossians 1:1-14)

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Colossians 1:1-14


Paul prays for the Colossians that "you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding..." (Colossians 1:9).

This is a prayer we can pray, and from which we can learn. I do find it helpful to use Scriptural prayers like these. Frankly, I need to remember to use them more often; so often I don't have the depth and breadth in my prayers that these prayers have. [However, I will say that since Lent I have been praying through Morning Prayer, and that has helped...]

So Paul prays that they be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Do you know anyone who wants to know God's will?? First, he ties it in with wisdom and understanding. To begin with, this would be a good study (check out James 1:5-8; 3:13-18; Proverbs 3,4,8,9).

He prays this so that they would "walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him." This seems to be done by "bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God." In verse 6 he said that "in the whole world the gospel is bearing fruit and growing - as it does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God." (John the Baptist talks a couple of times about bearing fruit in today's gospel, Matthew 3:7-12)

When we pray for the knowledge of God's will, I think the big picture will have these qualities:
- knowing God's will, in wisdom and understanding
- showing God's will, which always includes fruitful "good works" (healthy, nourishing, beautiful) - knowing and working out God's will not just be for me and my personal (and selfish-centered) life
- growing in the knowledge of God (which would include continuing around this process), in love, in likeness, in faith and love and hope (vs. 4-5)

The next part of the prayer is also a part of this first part, but I'll leave it there for you to pray and work out...
"May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saint in light..." (vs. 11-12)

our adversary (1 Peter 5:8-14)

1 Peter 5:8-14


And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
(1 Peter 5:10-11)

Peter implies in these verses that the one behind the trials and suffering is our adversary, the devil. We have heard all along that the trials which grieve us may be necessary (1:6) and may be God's will (4:19); we have also heard that they are for a "little while" (1:6; 5:10).

The word for "trial" in both 1:6 and also in 4:12 ("Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you..."), is also the word for "temptation." This is the context for Peter's closing his epistle with exposing who is ultimately behind their suffering. The word does have a range of meaning from "to test" in the positive sense of trying to discern the true nature of something (eg. 2 Cor. 13:5), to "to tempt, trap, or lead into temptation" which can have a disastrous end. Peter seems to embrace the whole range of meaning in his epistle. He refers to trials as testing the genuineness of our faith like fire tests gold (1:7) and continually exhorts us to follow Jesus' example and not sin when sinned against, trusting that we will share in his glory.

Our being ready and able to faithfully endure suffering begins in our minds: "Be sober-minded; be watchful" (v. 8). Again he echoes a theme he has already introduced:

"Therefore, preparing you minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct..." (1:13-15).

This preparation of our minds (literally, girding up of our minds) includes knowing two things: (1) our adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour, and (2) that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by our brothers and sisters throughout the world.

Does a prowling lion roar? I'm not sure, but it seems like a prowling lion is a quiet lion, sneaking up on its prey. Maybe Peter is just saying that he is fierce and he is scary so watch out for him, or maybe he's saying that while he is seeking to devour people he can't help but expose his presence by his roaring, his seeking to intimidate or dominate by force and fear. If this is the case, then his point is that the devil actually can't sneak up on you stealthily, unless you're not prepared in your mind, but that there are signs, sounds, and evidence that he is behind the trial attacking you. This would be interesting to pursue, and I'll leave it up to you...

"Resist him, firm in your faith." Don't be afraid. Don't resort to magically sayings, or go around binding and loosing everything, or yelling and screaming. Don't look for him behind every tree, nor ignore his deadly prowl. Just resist him, firm in your faith. If you have entrusted your soul to a faithful creator and a just judge, if you are born anew through the resurrection of Jesus whose suffering was vindicated by God, you only need to resist him and his temptations to resort to ungodly ways through the suffering. (cf. the temptation of Jesus, Matthew 4). We only need to stand up strong against him with the armor of God, and having done all, to keep standing (Ephesians 6:10f).

We are not unique in suffering various trials. Whatever they may be. The devil tries to use suffering and pain to turn our hearts from trusting God and to break down out minds from being sober-minded and focused on the truth. This can be illness, relational brokenness, economic distress, and certainly persecution ("all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted," 2 Tim. 3:12). But we are not unique. We are not the only ones to suffer, and we're not the only ones to be targeted. So do not isolate yourself. Stay connected with your brothers and sisters - support one another, bear one another's burdens, speak the truth to one another, and pray for one another.

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
(1 Peter 5:10-11)

God, who has dominion forever and ever, will himself deliver us (the devil does not have dominion - "the Lord will reign for ever and ever," Exodus 15:18). I have always thought of this promise in a temporal sense, in terms of a here and now resolution. I'm not as sure as I read it in light of whole epistle. However, we are to pray "deliver us from evil." And I do think there is a here and now aspect to the Lord's Prayer.

Worst case scenario (in terms of our present life in the flesh) is that this restoration will be at the resurrection. That may be what Peter is getting at. He says in chapter 1, verse 13, to "set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." Jesus is bringing grace! You will obtain "the outcome of our faith, the salvation of your souls" (1:6-9) when you see him, at the revelation of Jesus Christ - after a little while.

"For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison..." (2 Cor. 3:17).

The body of the letter closes with that prayer "To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen." "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done... for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen."

In his closing Peter explains his purpose: "I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it" (v. 12). Jesus himself suffered for us once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous. By his wounds we are healed. In trusting in him, receiving his word, being sprinkled with his blood of suffering, following his example and walking in his steps, we too entrust ourselves to a just judge and faithful creator, and we too will be raised with him and vindicated by him - and in the meantime we will be advancing his dominion by means of his grace, in which we stand firm.

"Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ."


O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(BCP, p. 99, Morning Prayer)

humility (1 Peter 5:1-7)

Monday, April 7, 2008

Psalm 25; 1 Peter 5:1-14


Peter turns to exhort the elders, or shepherds, among his readers. His basis and authority for doing so is that he is a "witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the the glory that is going to be revealed" (5:1). He seems to be saying to leaders to be the kind of leaders that don't cause followers to suffer, be the kind of shepherds that lead by example, not dominance or forcefully - and the Chief Shepherd himself will reward you.

This is still a way of speaking of his theme of humble submission; in fact it flows out of the previous section of doing what is good and right and glorifying God by obeying the gospel. His final exhortation in chapter four was, "Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. Therefore I exhort the elders..." (4:19-5:1). And when he moves on after addressing the elders he says,

"Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud but give grace to the humble" (5:5).

And as he begins his final words of encouragement and affirmation, he reiterates the call to humility in the next verse,

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."

This is certainly one of the big themes of the letter and one of the keys to enduring suffering. I see him calling us to humility in the phrase "entrust" oneself to God, as seen in Jesus who "continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly" (2:23) and as mentioned above in 4:19, "let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator." Casting all our anxieties upon God who cares for us is something like, I think, entrusting our souls to a faithful creator. Anxiety is basically disbelief; it is rooted in not trusting there is something or someone bigger than what threatens me who sees, cares, and will deliver me finally. In this way I can return good for evil and forgive those who sin against me, just as the Shepherd who oversees my soul did / does (2:25).

Entrusting my soul to God means something like not having to defend my life source. Soul can mean that animating part of who I am - and that source of life is either me alone drawing life, purpose, power, etc. from some idol, or it is God dwelling in me and me dwelling in God. If I entrust my soul to God I will not fundamentally be fighting for my life when I encounter suffering, for my life is hid with Christ in God (Col.3:3), because through the resurrection of Christ I have been given new life with an inheritance from God hidden in heaven (1:3-7). I will act, I will do good, as one secure deep down inside, not trying to destroy those I perceive are trying to destroy me, but as one who trusts the just judge and faithful creator (2:23; 4:19), as one who trusts God to vindicate me and who, frankly, understands that only God is in control of such matters beyond me anyway. My attempts at controlling my situation for my own protection or advancement are futile and illusory.

As we have also seen, Peter says that suffering somehow is in God's will for his children, and we see again today that it has its time - it will end at the "proper time" (5:6) and is for a "little while" (1:6; 5:10).

It is very interesting to me that only now, after pounding home over and over the real context of our suffering, and how Jesus faithfully suffered, how we are to both follow his example and let his life manifest itself through us in our suffering. Only now, at the end of the epistle, does Peter bring to our attention the one behind the suffering...

[I will share a final post on Peter later today]

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust;
let me not be put to shame;
let not my enemies exult over me...
Make me to know your ways, O LORD;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long.
Remember your mercy, O LORD, and you steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O LORD!
Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way
He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies...
(Psalm 25)

love covers sin (1 Peter 4:7-19)

Saturday, April 5, 2008

1 Peter 4:7-19


The first verse here has Peter's second reference to attitudes and actions effecting our prayers (cf. 3:7, show honor to your wife... that your prayers be not hindered). And above all we are to love one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. This is a quote from Proverbs 10:12; note the context there - also, in the Septuagint of Proverbs 10:10 is the only other occurrence of the term "peacemaker" (which is found in the beatitude of Matthew 5:9); it reads, “but he who reproves boldly is a peacemaker.” Love doesn't uncover or expose sins in order to destroy but only to heal, it doesn't shout them out or proclaim the bad news of them in order to mock or revile - but covers them over.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
(1 Cor. 13:6-7)

[I will probably spend some time one Wednesday night this Easter season discussing verses 9-11. I'm just going to quote most of 12-19, with some references and brief comments. Peter is pounding home what he has said throughout the epistle...]

"Beloved, do not be surprised (cf. 5:1) at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you (cf. 1:6-7), as though something strange were happening to you.

"But rejoice, insofar as you share Christ's suffering (2:21,23; 3:18; 4:1), that you may also rejoice and be glad (cf. Matthew 5:12; 1 Peter 1:7-8) when his glory is revealed (cf. 1:7b; 5:11).

"If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed (cf. 3:9,14; Matthew 5:12), because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you (who are born again: 1:3; 23; Matthew 3:16-17).

"But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler (!).

"Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed (ie. rather, by your Christlike response, put to shame those who cause your suffering), but let him glorify God in that name (cf. 1:3,8; 2:9,12; 4:11).

"For it is time for judgment (cf. 2:23; 4:5) to begin at the household of God (cf. 2:5); and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

"And 'if the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?'

"Therefore, let those who suffer according to God's will (cf. 3:17) entrust their souls (cf. 3:23,25) to a faithful Creator while doing good (2:12; 3:17)."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

And the people grumbled against Moses and said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?"... And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the LORD by saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?"
(Exodus 17:3,7)

Now I now that the LORD saves his anointed;
he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand.
Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
(Psalm 20:6-7)

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
(John 16:33)