Emphasizing the Colossian believers’ new identify in Christ, Paul gives the church at Colossae practical application on how to live in the body. Specifically, Paul explains relationships between husbands and wives, children and fathers, and servants and masters.
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Emphasizing the Colossian believers’ new identify in Christ, Paul gives the church at Colossae practical application on how to live in the body. Specifically, Paul explains relationships between husbands and wives, children and fathers, and servants and masters.
Stay engaged with new and up-to-date content, including newsletters, articles, podcasts, etc. Download the Teach Me the Bible App from any app store or Apple TV/Roku device.
You're listening to Teach Me the Bible podcast, where we unpack the meaning of books, passages and themes from Scripture. Join us each week as Dr David Klingler walks us through God's Word and teaches the Bible. Each episode has a study guide available in the show notes. This is Teach Me the Bible podcast.
Tim Webb:Hello everyone. My name is Tim Webb and I'm here with Dr David Klingler for our Teach Me the Bible podcast. Our desire is helping the people of God understand the Word of God. As we are always just emphasizing, we can understand the story of God. This is his story. We need to read it as a story. As we're walking through this, we see how the Lord, the apostles, the prophets it's all fitting together. The more and more we read it as a story, we begin to understand it more. We also want to encourage everyone. If you haven't downloaded our app, you can download it from any app store as well, as you can download our app, tv or Roku app.
Tim Webb:With every episode, david will encourage people to interact with those articles, blog posts that you have there, and if they want to ask any questions, they can do that. Just follow up questions or maybe something comes to mind that we haven't touched on and they like public clarity. Again, we just want to encourage God's people to understand the Word of God. Also, just every so often, we want to encourage our pastors as well, those who are, whether it be seminary, those who are going deeper, looking to be teachers of the Word. I think it's a great way to clarify this story for them and just connect the dots. I know you're encouraging students as well as we continue this discussion. Paul's discussion to those believers at Colossae last week. We were in chapter two, the warning don't let anyone defraud you, delude you. That warning continues in chapter three, as we're going to see, but there's a great, therefore the beginning of chapter three. Let's continue this discussion.
Dr. David Klingler:Yeah, so chapter three, as you said. So we have these chapter breaks, you go. Well, I guess they have to if they're going to put chapters in. They got to pick a spot. But in story it's easier because you can kind of put it in between scenes, but in a letter to chop up a letter is really hard because everything connects. He's building his argument.
Dr. David Klingler:If, therefore, you have been raised up with Christ well, that's what he's explained back in chapter two, verse 12, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you also were raised up with him through faith. So you can't separate chapter three from chapter two because the logical flow is continuing. If you therefore have been raised up with him and keep seeking the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, set your mind on things above, not on things that are on earth. Well, the contrast here is set your mind on Christ, not on things of the earth, things above, below. Well, in chapter two, that sets the frame, it sets the context. What would be setting your mind on the things below? Setting your mind on the? You know the do not handle, do not taste, do not touch the creeds, the laws that the Judaizers are trying to get them to follow. And Paul is warning them don't let anyone be your judge. If you were buried with him, you're raised with him and Christ has ascended to the right hand of the Father. So set your eyes on the things of Christ, not on the things of the law. That's what he's saying. Set your mind on the things above, on Christ. That's where Christ is, not on things which are earthly. That's the language that he uses. They're the elementary principles of the world, the traditions of men. Don't set your things on earthly things, on law keeping, but on Christ.
Dr. David Klingler:For four verse three, there's a, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Christ, who is our life, is revealed. You will also be revealed with him in glory. Does the Jew thinks that he will be received glory? Yes, well, he no, not unless he's in Christ right, because he set his mind on earthly things, on the law, which he thinks justifies him, rather than on the heavenly one, who is Christ, who's actually justified him. So if you read verses three, one through chapter, three, verses one through four, in isolation, they make you know. You can make a mean whatever, but when you read it in with, therefore, you know in three one and you tie it back to the previous context. It's crystal clear what he's saying. So therefore, consider the members of your earthly body as dead to.
Dr. David Klingler:And then he gives you this list. And this list are all the things that the law condemned Israel of right. If we were to go back you harlottry, uncleanness, evil, you know all agreed, all of these things, idolatry, all of these were sins that Israel was convicted by in the law. And if you go, try to keep the law, you're gonna be convicted of the same things right. And then then you also once walked. You were doing all the same stuff when you were living in them, but now y'all also put them all aside all anger, all wrath, all malice, all slander, all abusive speech of your mouth Don't lie to one another since you laid aside the old man, the old self and its practices, well, and you put on the new self, the new man.
Dr. David Klingler:Now again, if we don't have a context and I think this is why you have to, you know, read Ephesians and Colossians together. Let's go say this is a lot of Ephesians. The man here is the new man, is Christ. He might make the both one new man, thus establishing peace. That's in Ephesians, chapter two. And so the new man is Christ. The old man, the old way, the old. He's gonna do the same thing in Ephesians is to walk in the way that the Gentiles walked. Don't do it. Walk according to the new man, according to Christ. Don't put your focus on earthly things, but on heavenly things, on Christ, so you put on the new and put on the new self which is being renewed to the true knowledge, according to the image of the one who created him, the image of the one who created the new man, and that's Christ. The true knowledge is in Christ.
Dr. David Klingler:It's not in the law and that's what he was talking about back in the previous chapter which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, of course, circumcised and uncircumcised in the flesh. The reason why there's no distinction is because they're both circumcised in the heart, whether barbarian, schizy and slave or free man. But Christ is all is Christ is all. What does that mean? Christ is all, they're all in Christ, they're all in Christ's body and in all and so, as those who have been chosen by God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, bearing with one another, forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint and gets one. Just as the Lord forgave, you also forgive them.
Dr. David Klingler:Paul says this in chapter five. It's how he introduced chapter five of Ephesians. And beyond all these things, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity, and let the peace of Christ rule in y'all's hearts, to which, indeed, you are called into one body. There's the body of Christ, and be thankful. In Ephesians, at this point, paul says be filled with the spirit. Here he says let the word of Christ richly dwell in you, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Dr. David Klingler:In the book of Ephesians, in Paul's letter to the Ephesians, he explains that this being filled, that's that play word to be filled. How was the church to be filled with the true knowledge of him? It was through the words of the apostles and prophets and pastors and teachers and evangelists. And if they knew the words of the apostles and prophets, if they knew the word of God, then the word of God could richly dwell in them. If they knew it and rejected it or didn't know it, then the word of God, the true knowledge of him, would not be in them. They could quench the spirit.
Tim Webb:Can I just remind at this point, remind us of something you've said many times. We talk about this richly dwelling the body is the first point of contact. I mean the spirit in the body, the manifestation of the spirit in the body. If you don't know it, you can't do it. And part of the problem is if we don't know it, we can't do it, then we don't see it in action in the body.
Dr. David Klingler:So in the body of Christ. The body of Christ, yeah, and we always my physical body, but the body of Christ.
Dr. David Klingler:I mean, it's true of our physical body as well. I mean, if I don't know it, I can't do it. But we have this concept and I think that we kind of try to blast this out of the water when we go through Ephesians. But it certainly could. It's a marriage we're being here. There's this notion of individual spiritual maturity. No, you don't have it. I have an individually mature kidney, what? No, your whole self is mature. Or your whole self is your whole self as well. You know, if one part is sick, the whole body is sick. If one part has cancer, the whole body has cancer. And so we have this deceived notion of spiritual maturity individually. No, the body of Christ is to be mature, that we would grow up in all aspects into him, who is the head, so that we're not tossed here and there by every wind of doctrine. And so if the body of Christ does not have the word of Christ richly dwelling in it, then it will be deceived. And so this is the exhortation that Paul gives to the Colossians let the word of Christ richly dwell in you.
Dr. David Klingler:Well, if you stop and think about the word of Christ, what does that even mean? The word of Christ? Christ didn't write anything. He didn't write any gospels, he didn't write any of these letters. What does he mean? The word of Christ Is it the word concerning Christ? It's the word of the apostles and prophets concerning Christ that it richly dwell in you. It's not only the words of the prophets, it's the words of the prophets personified in the person of Christ. He gave his word to the apostles. This is the gospel of John. And so the more that we understand the whole story, the more all the parts fit together. And so let the word of God richly dwell in you, so that verse 17, that whatever you do in word, or indeed do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to him through God the Father. So how do you give thanks to him through God the Father? By letting the word of Christ richly dwell in you through your words and deeds. I mean it all connects. It's really important.
Tim Webb:I think there's something else too with the richly dwell. I keep going back to what we've said for a long time now this belief becomes conviction and this drives your behavior. Once it's conviction I'm making this connection with richly dwelling, but I have to know it first and understand the true knowledge and have it and receive it. But then it becomes conviction for it to be richly dwelling on me. And he makes that point, and whatever you do in word, or indeed that's the manifestation of it in the body of Christ, and then we see it actually play out Absolutely. So when we say this stuff but it's not conviction, then you might that may cause some to say, well, do you really understand what you believe? Yeah, has it been moved to conviction?
Tim Webb:So anyway, I just no question, but the picture is incredible when these, this word, all, all people from all these different walks of life are one. That's incredible. It is that Christ can do that.
Dr. David Klingler:Yeah. And what would it look like for the word of God to richly dwell in the body of Christ? Well, it would look like wives being subject to their husbands, as is fitting to the Lord. And it would look like husbands loving your wives and don't be embittered against them, you know, husbands laying down their life for their wives. It'd look like children being obedient to their parents, as is well pleasing. It would look like fathers not exasperating their children so that they don't lose heart. It would look like, you know, slaves in all things.
Dr. David Klingler:Obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service so that to merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing God. Whatever you do, do your work heartily as for the Lord, rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of an inheritance. It is the Lord whom you serve, so you're not serving just your earthly master, you're serving the Lord, the Lord. You're not just loving your wife and loving your wife, you're loving the Lord. If you, you know loving your children, training your children, you're loving the Lord, and so this is so important.
Dr. David Klingler:So these exhortations, these really practical applications, are gonna flow right into chapter four, and you know talking about masters and what does it look like to devote yourself to prayer, and so it's some real practical application that's coming, but it's continuing out of let the word of God richly dwell in you. And well, what is that? That is seeking the things above, where Christ is. It's valuing the things of Christ and building up the body of Christ rather than the law keeping. One of the connections that Paul makes in Galatians and I really think it's appropriate here is whenever you're in law keeping, you're building up yourself, and then you have a reason to boast for yourself. Right, I am. Look how righteous I am, look how much I'm doing, look how close to the Lord I am.
Tim Webb:Yeah, that's right.
Dr. David Klingler:But when you're serving Christ you're building up the other Right. It is at your expense, for their benefit. You're bearing one another's burdens. And Paul's gonna say he gives a command in chapter six of Galatians to bear one another's burdens. If anyone boasts, if you wanna go to boasting, well then measure yourself against the law and you'll have a reason to boast. And then he continues down later in the chapter. He says far be it for me that I should boast in anything except Christ. That's right, right.
Dr. David Klingler:And so the bearing one another's burdens versus bearing your own burden, bearing one another burdens, is in Christ. Bearing your own burden, that's law keeping right. Boasting, you know falsely boasting, that's law keeping. Boasting in the mercy that's come through the gospel, through Christ, that's setting your minds on the things of Christ. And when you do that then you forgive, as you've been forgiven. All of this ties together, and so the more we understand the significance, the impact, the importance of Christ's death, burial, resurrection, the forgiveness that comes to the body of Christ, in that it oughta change the way that the body of Christ lives Absolutely. And so this is Paul's argument.
Tim Webb:Another setting of your mind. You gave a great clarification. So when your thoughts appear about the eye or building up of the others, it's very clear indication where you are spiritually. And so this setting your mind, that's this great clarification for us and where we are.
Dr. David Klingler:Where we are, yeah, where we are.
Tim Webb:This is about right evaluation of my position in Christ. Immature, mature, you know, the immature one is himself. The mature is always the building up of the body of Christ, putting it on the other, laying down the life, following the example of Christ.
Dr. David Klingler:When we think about, you know, one of the things that just comes to mind in closing is when we think about our Protestant reality of the church. You know, we almost jokingly say that. You know, we spiritualize a church split by calling it a church plant. But what drives this? Well, it's the elevation of self, it's the, you know, rather than the building up of the body of Christ. And even if your reasons for separating in the church, boy, that ought to be done with just grief and sorrow in your heart. You know, hopefully, you've confronted, you have tried to. You know, come together what does the scripture say yeah.
Tim Webb:What the scripture says yeah.
Dr. David Klingler:And you know, and so it's just tragic where we are, how divided the body of Christ is. There aren't bodies of believers. There is one body of believer. There is one God, one Father, one Spirit, one Christ, one baptism, all one faith. This is Ephesians chapter four. Right and well. We're not doing a very good job of representing Christ to the world or to one another, and so great exhortation that comes from Paul, and it's just as practical today as it was the day he wrote it. That's right.
Tim Webb:So well, David, thank you so much for walking us through chapter three, looking forward to chapter four and then moving on in the story.
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