Colossians Research

Colossians

Chapter 2: 'hidden in Christ'

Phil Moore

Dummies: example of what allied forces did in the spring of 1944, loading Dover beach and town with a military presence to divert German troops in Dunkirk away from the beaches that were to be used for D-Day.

Blaise Pascal: The supreme function of reason is to show man that some things are beyond reason.

Shadows are often bigger and more impressive than the real object but that doesn't make them real: 'however impressive our religious rituals may appear, they are toxic if they stop us from trusting in Jesus alone.'

Archaelogists found a Roman amulet not far from Colossae that invokes the help of four angels: Michael, Gabriel, Ouriel, Raphael - protect the wearer!

Catholics might invoke the help of Mary, Protestants may go to their pastor or to members of a midweek Bible study group instead of directly to the Lord.

It's easier to turn to mediators than to pursue a deeper relationship with the Lord.

'Self-imposed worship' doesn't help make us godlier:

We cannot become godlier by relying on rules to change us from the outside in, but only by relying on the power of Jesus' death and resurrection to change us from the inside out.

Commentary

Christ is not only the object of our faith (C1 & 2), but also the source of our life (C3 & 4).

The Colossians were beset by the danger of falling back into paganism with its gross sensuality.

There is no material cure for a spiritual ill. The neglect of the body will never heal the soul's sickness but will aggravate it, that heaven-born individuals cannot gain satisfaction from earth-born remedies.
Christ's resurrection followed by his ascension and coronation guarantees their pardon and provides for their purity.

Let their union with the exalted Christ transform their entire life: mind, heart and will. Let them seek the things that are above where Christ is. The verb seek implies persevering effort... seeking not to discover, but rather to obtain.

The only effective way to 'put to death' the things of flesh is to 'seek the things that are above'.

Hid with Christ:

Concealed to the world (1 Cor. 2:14; 1 John 3:2)
Indestructible
Everlasting (John 3:16, 10:28; Romans 8:31-39)

And since, as to essence, Christ is in the Father, and the Father is in Christ, it is evident that Paul is fully justified in saying 'your life is hid with Christ in God.'

Andrew

Actions and then identity. Most people then define their identity based on their actions. The trouble is that our behaviour is inconsistent at best.

Keller

Quoting William Willimon of Duke University:

On conversion, the real question is: The real question you must face is “which externally imposed formation will have its way with me?”

'Died with him' meaning that when you believed it was as though you died on the cross with him and the crime of your sin was pardoned and paid for.

'Raised with him' meaning, given the seat of highest honour. A son returning successful from a mission his Father had sent him on. He has been wise, courageous, loving, good and victorious. His father gives him a seat in public, where he is given the highest acclaim and honour. 

Similar to when victors in tournaments return and get given an open top bus tour of the city. They, at that point, have been 'raised up' or 'seated in the highest place.' Victors are put on display just as the principalities are, only one is for shame and mockery and the other for splendour and triumph.

Idols. Idols take your life but as Christians our life is in Christ.

Keller quotes a woman who came to see him once, She looked bad after years of abusive relationships. She was in counselling and shared with Keller some of who reflections/insights from counselling and from her life as a Christian:

I’m going to my counselor and much of what she has said is right. My counselor said I built my very significance and acceptability and identity on men. That’s why I’ve been defenseless with them…I’ve simply needed them too much. All of that is right and helpful. However, my counselor doesn’t have a very good solution for me. My counselor says what I should do instead is to get myself a great career. Get an education. Have a successful career. Well, my counselor means well and of course I absolutely do need to get some training and get myself a job…and career…but what she’s saying, is I should do that so I will also feel better about myself, by doing that. But, that would mean I would be switching from one kind of idol to another.

Keller: “what are you talking about?” to which she replied:

For many years, my heart has been looking at men and saying unless I’m successful at love I’m nothing. But the therapist wants me to look at my career and say unless I’m a successful independent business woman who’s in control of my own life, I am nothing. I don’t want to be enslaved to my work as I was to men. I don’t want to be as enslaved to my independence as I was to my dependence. I’m actually being asked to exchange a typical female idol for a typical male idol…and I don’t want either.

You see the therapist knew how to help her dig down into seeing what her idols were, but had no way of giving her anything but an alternate idol. And so I said “what are you doing? I mean, how are you doing?” And she actually quoted Colossians 3…when Christ who is your life appears, you will be glorified. She said (and it was actually very practical):

 ..when I go to church…when I’m in worship…when what Jesus did for me is so real, and so wonderful, in my heart I think of the men in my life, and I say…I speak to them, and I say this….’I’m glad to know you…and I certainly wouldn’t mind being married, but you are not my life. Christ is my life. I’m done making anything else my life. You’re a good thing but you’re not an ultimate thing. I would love to have a husband, but if I don’t, I’ve got Jesus. And I set my mind on things above. You can’t give me any of the things that Jesus has given me.’ See, I don’t want to look to men OR a career…a career can’t die for me. If I live for a career and fail it’ll beat me up all my life for having been a failure. But if I fail Jesus, He died for me…to forgive me.

What the solution is and why it works:

This is not just cognitive therapy…this is not just will therapy…religious people, when they get downcast…tend to put the emphasis on the will…and they say, “buck up…be strong.” Non-religious people, in the secular world, when they’re downcast, put all the emphasis on the emotions…and they say, “feel better about yourself…do something nice for yourself.” There’s another kind of therapy that essentially uses the head…uses the mind and says, “well, now…you realize you’re doing wrong thinking…that’s self-defeating thinking…and you need to do this kind of thinking…” But, the real solution is worship.

The artist and the sculpture:

If you saw an artist who’d done a beautiful sculpture…and he threw himself into the path of a bulldozer to die rather than to have the sculpture destroyed, you’d say, “oh my gosh, obviously, if he’s willing to die for a sculpture, then the sculpture must have been his life.” Jesus Christ died for us. We were His life. And when that moves you, when you see him doing that for you, when you see yourself as part of that story, as it is…it changes your heart. You can actually look at anything…things that cow you…things that make you afraid, and say: “You are not my life!”

Elsewhere Paul motivates by helping people see the story that they're life is a part of. In 2 Corinthians 8 he motivates them to be generous by helping them see Christ's generosity to them.

Sam Storms

by "hidden" Paul means that the source of our spiritual life is inexplicable to those who don't know Jesus.