Colossians_3

Scripture

Colossians 3:11-14

¹¹ Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Observation

Written by Paul while he was in prison, Colossians written to the church of Collossae.  Some interesting notes about Colossians…

“The church at Colossae was under attack from false teachers who were denigrating the deity of Jesus; they were teaching that He was not actually God. Though Paul had never been to the church itself, he addressed these issues head-on.  The nature of Jesus Christ as Creator and Redeemer was nonnegotiable, so Paul wrote to them that he might bring his wisdom to bear on this difficult and trying situation. It was critical to him that this church know God in His greatness and glory, rather than in the deficient view given them by the false teachers (Colossians 1:25; 2:1–2).” https://www.insight.org/resources/bible/the-pauline-epistles/colossians

Colossians – along with other of “Paul's epistles to various churches helped establish early Christian theology.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistle_to_the_Colossians

Understanding

God calls us to unity.

It was a time where people were divided – Gentile vs. Jew, circumcised vs. uncircumcised, slave vs. free; but Paul called for unity among the differences – to look at the thing that bonded them – Christ – instead of all the things that separated them.  Because…Christ is all, and is in all.

Perhaps the dividers are slightly different today, but I believe the call is the same: unity in Christ.  And what does that unity look like?  Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness and love.

Life Application

May we look for things that bind us, rather than those that separate us.  May we seek to find common ground…or, where appropriate, create it!  May we live out the qualities that Paul called the church of Colossae to; may we show compassion and kindness, live with humility, speak with gentleness, act with patience, forgive and…GO LOVE ON SOMEBODY! <3

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