Colossians – An Exhortation for Unity in Love #4 Speaking the truth

 

Chapter 4 – Speaking the truth

We have seen that the central exhortation of this Epistle is, as expressed in the words of Paul’s prayer
for the believers:

« that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of they mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ » (Col 1:2).

Being united together in a « full assurance of understanding », true brethren in Christ experience a joyous fellowship which greatly surpasses any friendship the world can offer. For the unity of the believers ought to mirror in measure, that perfect unity subsisting between the Father and Son. Thus the lord prayed:

« keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are … neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us … and the glory which thou hast given me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one » (Joh 17:11,21,22).

Being risen with Christ in the baptismal waters of a typical grave (Col 3:1), this is a powerful influence which irresistibly draws brethren together, irrespective of their personal differences. By contrast to the morass of humanity who seek only their own, whose only desire is to satisfy the grovelling instincts of the flesh, Christ’s brethren have no regard for the temporal advantages of this life. Rather, being One with him, and in him, they seek to set their affections

« on things above, not on things on the earth », (Col 3:2),

for ‘above’ is where their Master is, and is therefore where their hope of life is hid (3:3). They are elements of a New Creation (cp 2 Cor 5:17), formed in the image and likeness of their maker (Col 3:10) – the constituent parts of a « new man » (Col 3:10), formed by the living influence of the Word upon the tables of their heart. And as a new man – complete in Christ, having no need of further addition by way of the traditions of men and the Judaising influence of those who would have them believe in « another gospel » – they stand whole, with mutual regard one for the other,

« forbearing one another, and forgiving one another » (Col 3:13),

even as Christ forgave them.

 

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Preceding

1. Colossians – An Exhortation for Unity in Love #1 Separation from the world
2. Colossians – An Exhortation for Unity in Love #2 Completeness of the united Body of Christ
3. Colossians – An Exhortation for Unity in Love #3 Living the Truth
4. Participants bonded together into one body
5. Oneness with Christ is like glue that ought to hold us together
6. Baptised believers left in the world to use
7. Jesus high priestly prayer for unity

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Additional reading

1. Not about personal salvation but about a bigger Plan
2. Looking at what the Gospel of Thomas Teaches
3. The night before Jesus his execution
4. The Hater of Jesus and Jesus’ followers having become a speaker for him
5. Days of Nisan, Pesach, Pasach, Pascha and Easter
6. A fact of History or just a fancy Story
7. Be Honest
8. Unity
9. Commitment to Christian unity
10. Being one in Jesus, Jesus in us and God in Jesus
11. Blindness in the Christian world
12. Not making a runner
13. Not bounded by labels but liberated in Christ
14. Today’s Thought: “Your life is hidden” (May 16)
15. Today’s Thought (August 10): Upon this I awaked
16. Today’s thought “Putting on the robe of compassion, kindness, humility and meekness” (November 15)
17. Taught by God to love one another
18. The Greatest of These is Love
19. Matthew 18:21-22 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Forgive 77 Times!
20. Forgiveness always possible
21. He who knows himself, is kind to others
22. Forgiveness
23. Tunnel under resentment
24. Today’s thought “Forgive … from your heart” (January 16)
25. Beautiful feet of those who announce the good news
26. The Ecclesia

Colossians – An Exhortation for Unity in Love #2 Completeness of the united Body of Christ

Continuation of: Colossians – An Exhortation for Unity in Love #1 Separation from the world

Chapter 2 – The Completeness of the united Body of Christ

One of the themes that we noticed in Chapter 1, is that of the Body of Christ, and how individual members might become part of it. So we read:

“He is the head of the Body, the ecclesia: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell” (Col. 1:18-19).

Chapter 2 takes up this theme of “fullness” dwelling in Messiah, emphasising the completeness of his united body:

“in him (that is, Christ) dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power” (v 9).

The fullness, or completeness of God dwells in Christ, who is

“the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person” (Heb 1:3)

and we, being baptised into him (v 12) ought also to be complete in him. Nothing else needs to be added, for any deficiency
(and there are many) in the constituent members thereof are forgiven, because of the perfection of their Master with whom they are at one, being

“knit together in love” (v 2),

in a mutual acceptance of the Gospel of Truth.

But there were those who sought to impose the ordinances of the Law to the Gospel. These Judaisers comprised the Apostasy in Paul’s day, and sought to add to the Gospel, by imposing a burden that neither they, nor previous generations could not bear (Acts 15:10). So it was, that as the apostle exhorted the Galatians, the believers were to

“stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Gal 5:1).

In these things, there is a need to recognise that there is a “fullness” in Christ, and his sacrifice for our sins. There is no need for anything to be added to it, for it to become efficacious. In our days, we don’t have Judaisers in just the same way, but their spirit of wanting to add something to make Christ’s sacrifice efficacious is present. For instance, there are those who insist on having unleavened bread, in order for our memorial meeting together to be acceptible – and there are those who insist on using leavened bread. But

“meat commendeth us not to God” (1 Cor. 8:8),

and the real danger of both positions is not to do with literal bread and how it is made – it is rather the notion that the saving
extent and nature of Christ’s sacrifice is limited according to what bread is used.
Again, there are those who believe it is necessary to have a direct bestowal of the Holy Spirit in order to be saved. The same problem remains: not only is it encouraging folk to have a false hope in something the Father does not provide in this dispensation, it limits the Sacrifice of Christ, by saying that something else (i.e. the Holy Spirit) is needed in addition to it. But the true situation is that we are “complete” in Christ, meaning that nothing else is needed to be saved, aside from our faith and obedient trust in him.

The means by which the Ecclesial body is held together, is said to be the unifying power of love:

“… that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love …” (Col. 2:2).

The allusion here, is to the circumstances of David and Jonathan, described in 1 Samuel chapter 18:

“and it came to pass, when he [i.e. David] had made an end of speaking to Saul, that the soul of
Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul (1 Sam. 18:1).

When we consider the intimate relationship between these two men of faith, we behold a love that was “wonderful, passing the love of women” (2 Sam. 1:13). There are those who would degrade that wonderful love into a carnal relationship – but quite plainly such do not know the sweet love and fellowship that exists amongst Christ’s brethren, who are of like precious faith.
The Unity of the Truth Holders is the greatest defence for the household of faith. Our Lord taught that

“every city or house divided against itself shall not stand” (Mat 12:25),

and similarly, his Apostle exhorted:

“if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another” (Gal 5:15).

We truly live in “perilous times” (2Tim 3:1), and there is no time for there to be “wars and fightings” (Jas 4:1) amongst the members of Christ’s Ecclesia. Rather than to contend against one another, the body ought to be one

“in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Eph 4:13).

The various members thereof ought to

“exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any … be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” (Heb 3:13),

rather than to devour one another through petty squabbles emanating from those who seek to exalt themselves above measure. To be united in a “full assurance” of the revealed things of Truth is just as needful in our day, as ever before that the faith may be earnestly contended for (Jude 3) in the face of false brethren who would seek to beguile us by the enticing words of the world’s philosophy.

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Preceding

1. We must be faithful to God
2. What is expected of a Christadelphian?
3. Participants bonded together into one body
4. Baptised believers left in the world to use

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Additional reading

1. This Sunday Looking at Colossians ch 2
2. When you believe Jesus is God: who do you think is the mediator? #2 Firstborn from the dead our advocate
3. Congregate, to gather, to meet
4. Missional hermeneutics 4/5
5. Atonement And Fellowship 1/8
6. Atonement And Fellowship 2/8
7. Atonement And Fellowship 3/8
8. Atonement And Fellowship 4/8
9. Atonement And Fellowship 5/8
10. Atonement And Fellowship 6/8
11. Atonement And Fellowship 7/8
12. Atonement And Fellowship 8/8
13. Matthew 7:13-14 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: The True Disciple #1 The Narrow Gate and the way to destruction
14. Matthew 24:42-51 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Stay Awake!
15. Bread and Wine
16. Compassion and Discipline
17. Fellowship
18. Integrity of the fellowship
19. Character transformed by the influence of our fellowships
20. Belonging to or being judged by
21. Possibility to live
22. Six Reasons Young Christians Leave Church
23. Making sure to be ready and to belong to the escaped ones
24. Forming a Christian bond
25. Church indeed critical in faith development
26. Intentions of an Ecclesia
27. A participation in the body of Christ
28. Reasons why you may not miss the opportunity to go to a Small Church
29. As a small church needing encouragement
30. 3 Reasons Why You Should Go To A Small Church
31. Challenge to our existing fellowship outside Christ
32. Today’s thought July 11 Reading 3 – Matthew 12:50
33. Today’s Thought: Rights and privileges
34. Today’s Thought: Rich men and the kingdom
35. Building the Body
36. Fellowship Matters – Thoughts on Fellowship and Ecclesial Membership
37. Sunday Observance
38. A particular night to share unleavened bread and red wine
39. Today’s thought “They flattered … they lied” (February 14)
40. Today’s thought “Clothing yourselves with the right attitude” (May 16)
41. Today’s Thought “Refresh my heart in Christ” (May 29)
42. Today’s Thought: Go, tell my brethren (July 27)
43. Today’s thought (September 05): “Bringing holiness to completion”
44. Today’s thought “Rooted and built up in him” (November 14)