Something Greater

Family and Work, Part 3: The Father and the Children Colossians 3:20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. (Colossians 3:20 ESV) Children, in the Greek, refers to offspring, regardless of age . It implies a result or something produced. The result of wise decisions is described as being children of wisdom. (Matthew 11:19). The owner of a vineyard had two children, old enough to work in a vineyard (Matthew 21:28). Jesus called his disciples, Children (Mark 10:24). Thus, all children, of any age , are to obey their parents in everything. Obey in the Greek means to listen attentively, implying obedience to a command. This word is related to that used of the woman's submission. Both words use the Greek preposition hypo, meaning under. However, they are distinctly different . The woman's submission to her husband is based upon arrangement . God has placed the husband as the head, and the woman as the helper, as a matter of arrangement an...

Family and Work, Part 2: The Husband Colossians 3:19 Women are commanded to submit to their husbands as is fitting in the Lord. Men are commanded to love their wives , especially avoiding harsh attitudes and actions. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. (Colossians 3:19 ESV) The Greek word translated here as love is best defined as a strong desire for the eternal good for another person . It is a moral love, a long-term view of love, rather than temporary affection or sensual desire. It is based upon the desire to provide the answer to the question: What would be ultimately best for the one I love? It is used for many relationships, not just that of husband and wife: Jesus commanded this type of love for neighbors, enemies, and God Himself: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 19:19 ESV) Love your enemies. (Matthew 5:44 ESV) You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your s...

Family and Work, Part 1: The Wife Colossians 3:18-25, 4:1 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. (Colossians 3:18 ESV) What do you think? What do you know about the new internet-based social media sites like Facebook or Myspace or Twitter? What has been your experience, good or bad? Paul makes a transition from the general to the specific, from discussing the group of people called the Church, to four distinct relationships : Wife Husband Children Slaves Masters Every person in the world can identify with one or more of these social links. We will see that we are children long past adolescence, and we all are slaves in several imporant respects. We do not commonly use the terms "slaves" and "masters", except in reference to past usage. But these relationships are actually universal and foundational in modern, everyday life. This entire passage flows out of the umbrella statement found in verse 17: And what...

Based upon Saint Augustine's essay found in "Confessions", Book VII, Chapter XII Things that are not corrupted are supremely good , but even things that are corrupted must be good, else they could not become corrupted. For corruption harms only by diminishing good . Things corrupted are deprived of good. But a thing completely deprived of good would cease to exist. Existence itself is good and is evidence of good. Therefore, whatsoever is, is good . God made all things good , and there is no thing or substance which God did not make. Each by itself is good, and the sum of all of them is very good, for our God made all things very good. That is a condensed version of Augustine's essay. The complete, original version is reproduced below. This idea that all things are good forms part of the grand theme of the sovereignity of God. Those who suppose that evil is a thing, cannot reconcile the holiness of God with His sovereignity in allowing, much less crea...

Religion or Relationship? Someone asked me yesterday at work if I was "a religious person" . I prefer not to use that term, but yes, that's a popular label used to describe something that's important to me. That began a discussion about "religion" versus "relationship". 1. Does the Bible say that God wants us to have a relationship with Him, rather than follow a religion? 2. Does the Bible say that Jesus considered Himself to be the same as God? Good questions! "Religion" is used only a few times in the Bible. It's translated from a Greek word that means a ceremonial observance . Two of the most revealing verses about religion are in the Book of Acts and Paul's letter to the Colossians: They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion I have lived as a Pharisee. (Acts 26:5) These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religi...

Forgiving One Another Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. (Colossians 3:12-13 ESV) This passage builds upon Paul's call to Christians to "seek the things that are above", to keep thinking and living according to the glorious position given to them as ones who belong to Christ. His call also includes the reminder to "put to death what is earthly", to remember the darkness and despair from which Christ rescued us, and the terrible, consuming wrath of God to which we would be doomed if it were not for the sacrifice and renewing resurrection of Christ on our behalf. What do you think? Remember an instance in your life in which a Christian hurt you or caused you to lose something valuable. The offense was real, and the offender int...

"Put to death therefore what is earthly in you..." Colossians 3:5 "Put to death what is earthly": Impossible? "Put to death" in the Greek is "nekroo", to deaden or subdue . It is derived from "nekros", dead, from a word meaning a corpse. In English we describe the decay of living flesh as "necrosis". The Hebrew equivalent is "balah", to fail, wear out or decay . "Earthly" means soil, implying the surface, or world, on which we live . Paul uses "put to death" to introduce a long list of specific sins that a Christian is to "put away", "put off", and "do not" : sexual immorality impurity passion evil desire covetousness (idolatry) anger wrath malice slander obscene talk lying Paul classifies these specific sins under the general category of "earthly", and he says that a Christian is to "put them to death": deaden them, subd...