Some Challenges from Colossians! (Part 2)

In our study of the epistle to the Colossians, we take a quick look at chapter two this morning.

The concept of fullness comes up again in this second chapter. As he “contends” for the Colossians and for those at Laodicean, he wants them to “have the full riches of complete understanding . . .” (v. 2).

Paul continues, “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness” (vv. 9-10).

We should seek the full riches of complete understanding in our fully divine Savior that we might be brought to fullness! Pursuing fullness today? In Him?

(By the way, Who does the nailing in v. 14?)

A Prayer for Fullness:  “Lord of Fullness, please forgive my satisfaction with my emptiness and my shallowness in spiritual things.  Give me a hunger and a thirst, Father, for a deeper walk with Your fully divine Son.  And with that fullness, give me a contentment that can only be found in Him.  Help me, Lord, to pray for that kind of fullness for those other than myself!  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.”

 

Some Challenges from Colossians! (Part 1)

I’ve always wanted to study the book of Colossians a bit in-depth. And now’s my chance! Let me begin our study by making some basic observations on the book as a whole. To do that, I need to unit-read Colossians (= reading it straight through at one sitting). That’s not hard to do. The book is only four chapters’ long.

I want to pick out one theme that I see in each chapter. Today the theme is fulness from chapter one. Note the use of the term “fulness” or “full.” We see that word used five times in chapter one. In verse 9, Paul prays that God would “fill you with the knowledge of his will . . .” In verse 19, we read that God “was pleased to have all his fulness dwell in [the Lord Jesus].” In verse 24,we have the strange statement by Paul that in his sufferings he is able to “fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions”! In verse 25, he speaks of his commission to “present to you the word of God in its fulness . . .” And in verse 28, the Apostle refers to the Lord Jesus as “the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.”

Feeling a bit empty today?  Focus on the fulness you have in Christ! (to be continued)