Monday 26 August 2024
As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. (vs 6-7)
Background
The letter to the Colossians is written to a young, embryonic church at Colossae, in modern-day Turkey. The health and growth of the church was under threat from a rival philosophy or spirituality which appears to be leaving the Christian believers with a sense of inadequacy. Probably sent by Paul and Timothy from prison in Rome, the letter addresses the crisis in the church and explores other significant matters. Paul had not visited Colossae and did not know the church but it had been founded by his fellow prisoner and friend, Epaphras, so he had insight into the situation.
In the face of mystical claims to power over invisible forces and a superior access to God, this letter puts great emphasis on the supremacy of Christ over all things, and gives assurance of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge that are to be found in Christ. There is much encouragement and solidarity, and a reminder of all that the faithful have received, in baptism and through faith in the power of God, who raised Jesus from the dead. The response to an undermining of confidence among the believers at Colossae was to draw them back to their experience of Christ and the teaching they had received. Together they can withstand this threat to their community by focusing on all that God has done for them in Christ, for which they should abound in thanksgiving!
This is a good strategy when anyone feels that their faith is being undermined or their confidence in God is diminishing. External pressures, context, personal experience and the many challenges life contains can all make it difficult to live faithfully in this complex world. The ‘threat’, as it were, may be more subtle than that experienced by the Colossian Christians but it can be no less real. The support of others and being reminded of the essence of Christian faith, and what may have first appealed to us about it, are critical in weathering these storms.
To Ponder:
- If you have experienced a crisis of faith or a diminishment in your confidence in God, how have you come through those times?
- How might people of faith engage with those who hold different beliefs, without feeling threatened or undermined?
- How might being a member of a faith community help us come through challenging times and experiences?
Prayer
Gracious God, we pray that you open our eyes to how great your love is for us and all that you offer us in Christ. Help us to grow in faith and love. Amen.
Bible notes author: The Revd Graham Jones
Graham is a Methodist presbyter serving as a member of the Learning Network and is based in York. He is committed to developing ministry in its broadest sense, enabling both lay and ordained to live out their vocations and to share in God's mission in the most fulfilling and effective ways.