Missionary

Church Ruled by Christ: Colossians 3:14

Posted by Lorien on Jul 12, 2011 in Missionary, Scholar | 0 comments

[ESV] Colossians 3:14. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Following the external application, a supreme exhortation was presented with, “And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. “ Above the applied five qualities, one is to ‘put on love’. The phrase “above all” indicates that love is the “crowning grace” of the new self in Christ, a grace to be put on “in addition to” (as indicated by the dative preposition ejpiv). The love used in the Greek is the noun form of the verb used to...

Church Ruled by Christ: Colossians 3:13

Posted by Lorien on Jul 11, 2011 in Missionary, Scholar | 0 comments

[ESV] Colossians 3:13. bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Paul followed the exhortation by an external application of the five internal qualities to one’s life in relation to others: “bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” In putting on the five qualities of verse twelve, the Christian is to “endure patiently”, and even “suffer”, other Christians. When one...

Church Ruled by Christ: Colossians 3:12

Posted by Lorien on Jul 10, 2011 in Missionary, Scholar | 0 comments

The first four verses of the passage are focused on the internal surrender to Christ’s Lordship while directing Christians towards external applications. [ESV] Colossians 3:12. Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, The passage begins in verse twelve with an exhortation to “[p]ut on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience”. The verb Endysasthe, or ‘to put on’, contains two additional significant meanings: “to clothe” and “to...

Church Ruled by Christ: Biblical Context

Posted by Lorien on Jul 9, 2011 in Missionary, Scholar | 0 comments

The Scriptures do not consist of completely independent passages. The Bible incorporates many passages on a wide variety of themes, topics, and issues, and none of the passages stands in fundamental conflict with the others. Exegesis necessitates contextual analysis for maximum understanding and applicability. Pauline Epistles Paul communicated with Christian churches throughout his near world. He travelled extensively to spread the gospel of Christ. The epistle to the Colossians was probably written during Paul’s Roman imprisonment as he awaited trial. He was granted particular mercies by...

Church Ruled by Christ: Historical Context

Posted by Lorien on Jul 8, 2011 in Missionary, Scholar | 0 comments

Sound biblical exegesis requires an understanding of the historical context relevant to the studied passage. Thorough analysis involves study of the history of the text itself, in terms of its author and date of origination, and of the socio-economic and religious culture and specific circumstances of the people connected to the text. Authorship and Dating Colossians was written by Paul. The authorship of Colossians has been the subject of debate due to its apparent shift in theological focus and introduction of terminology and phrasing not present in Paul’s other texts. Some scholars...

Church Ruled by Christ: Introduction

Posted by Lorien on Jul 8, 2011 in Missionary, Scholar | 0 comments

Over the next several days I’ll be posting an exegetical study of Colossians 3:12-17. I’ll address the historical and biblical contexts of the passage, but the focus will be on the word/grammar study of the verses. Sooner or later I’ll work the essay into a more laid-back devotional. Why study this passage? Christians struggle with the process of maturing in Christ while facing problems within the church and the local community. Individuals experience a variety of internal and external pressures. Fellow Christians grate on one another and cause offense, and false teachers...