[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 describe God’s love for His ‘recipients of special privileges’ in verse twelve. The love that Christians are to “put on” above all other qualities is a form of generous “devotedness” and “kindly concern”. The result of obedience to this exhortation is that this love binds together the individual parts into a cohesive whole. What has been translated to English as the verb ‘binds’ is in the Greek a noun referring to a “band of union”. The English Standard Version of the Bible translates that cohesive whole that is bound together by love as a state of “perfect harmony”. The source for this translation is the noun teleiotētos, defined as “completeness, perfectness”.

[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 individual has grounds for complaint against another, then he must forgive the other in the same way that God has forgiven, echarisato, each Christian. The one who has cause for complaint is expected to take the initiative in private endurance and forgiveness, as these traits are natural to the new self in Christ and are not dependent upon others’ apologies. Christians are imperfect and can occasionally be difficult with which to live and fellowship, and the example of Christ is to love others even when they make it difficult. ‘Complaint’ deserves a closer look: the Greek has a rounder meaning than the English word, for momphēn carries with it the idea of a ‘debt’ that requires remission. The verb ‘to forgive’ is commonly understood in English, yet the depths of the meaning are frequently lost or ignored. Paul states in verse thirteen that the form of forgiveness between Christians is to match the form given by God; the debt of sin is utterly forgiven by God, and complaints are not to remain within the body of believers.

[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 be invested (with qualities)”. The English equivalent, ‘to put on’, is strictly external, but the Greek verb is more nuanced. Endysasthe can imply both the external and the internal. This exhortation is made possible by the agency of God.

As His ‘chosen’ ones, or eklektoi, Christians are the “recipients of special privileges”. The term ‘chosen’, or sometimes ‘elect’, frequently refers to the church membership when used in the epistles. They are described as being hagioi, “separate from common condition and use”, and ēgapēmenoi, considered valuable and worthwhile. Through dedicated divine enablement Christians are to invest themselves with five key qualities. These five qualities are parallel to the five sinful qualities warned against in Colossians 3:5.

The very core of a Christian is to be dedicated to the relief of “sorrow and want”, as indicated by the phrase oiktirmou splanchna. One is to operate with “beneficence”, or chrēstotēta, and to be humble and meek. The Christian is to adopt a “slowness of avenging injuries”, as implied by the Greek equivalent to ‘patience’, makrothymian. The starting focus for mature Christian relationships is on the individual who is commanded to be patient rather than the one who may be causing others to need patience.

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 the Roman Prefect to ease his situation, but the imprisonment was nevertheless extremely difficult. Paul was confined to the house he had rented, and he was in direct “military custody”. His arm was at all times chained to that of an imperial bodyguard.  He was, however, allowed to receive visitors and to preach the Gospel. He wrote to the church in Colossae after he was visited by Epaphras.

Colossians

Colossians is Paul’s letter to a young Christian church in Colossae that appears to have been threatened by false teachings. Paul greeted the church in 1:1-14 with his prayers for them and his thankful joy for their conversions to the Gospel. He reminded them of the supreme identity and Lordship of Christ in verses 1:15-20, and in verses 1:21-23 observed Christ’s reconciliatory work that defines a truth upon which Christians must stand. Paul established in 1:24-2:5 that he had a justified responsibility to not only share the Gospel but to continue teaching the subsequent lessons of developing maturity in Christ, particularly when false teachers might attempt to delude Christians away from the truth. Salvation brings with it a new birth in which Christians are made alive in Christ, and this new life in Him is one of mature liberty, as described in 2:6-15.

Critical observers and false teachers, Paul taught in verses 2:16-23, cannot demand that Christians follow the physical strictures of the old law, nor the ascetic spiritualism of human sensation and earthly elements. The earthly things in oneself, addressed in 3:1-10, are to be put to death so that Christians may live in the liberty of Christ that Paul referenced in verse 3:11.  He iterated the elements and behaviors of the new self in verses 3:12-17, and emphasized the community-oriented nature of the development. Healthy community was further encouraged by Paul’s application of Christian behavior to household life in verses 3:18-4:1. Paul concluded in verses 4:2-18 with the summary advice prayer and thanksgiving, as well as endorsing and communicating on behalf of and with his fellow ministers, messengers, and prisoners.

Colossians 3:12-17

The third chapter of Colossians is focused on the removal of the old self, that which was lived by the individual prior to salvation in Christ, and the putting on of the new that is found in God. Verses 12-17 clarify a definition of what the new life in Christ consists and implies in terms of internal and external behavior. These two sides of the individual, the internal and the external, are not considered independent; rather, they fluidly generate and edify the qualities that define a mature Christian identity. Similarly, the individuals in a body of believers are not considered independent, because the same fluidity that applies to the individual also binds together believers into a complete church in Christ.

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 theorize that Colossians was written by one of Paul’s disciples after Paul’s death who continued to write in Paul’s name. This theory, however, is without historical evidence and stems from circumstantial assumptions. Others, like Robert Bultmann, believe that Colossians is a product of Christian Gnosticism rather than a pure rebuttal of the heresy. Yet Pauline authorship is not disproven by its differences with the other epistles so much as it is affirmed.

The Epistle of Colossians was a “splendid development” of the teachings found in the other epistles, and did not conflict with the rest of Pauline theology. Paul had previously written on similar subjects in his epistle to the Galatians, and thus his phrasing would have had time to develop. Colossians is not tainted by heresy, but it utilizes imagery and language familiar to the intended audience. The difference in style between Colossians and other Pauline texts may well be related to the difference in his audience; unlike other audiences, Paul had not met the majority of the church in Colossae and did not have the personal friendships and firsthand knowledge that he had of his other audiences.

Colossians was probably written in 61/62 A.D. during Paul’s first Roman imprisonment (of either 60/62 or 61/63) and prior to the earthquake of 61/62 A.D., at approximately the same point in which Ephesians and Philemon were also written.

Colossae and Region

The city of Colossae was established by the kingdom of Phrygia prior to the Persian invasion. As a part of the Phrygian kingdom, Colossae was probably a very successful city, but its importance diminished following the Persian and Greek invasive conquests The town remained a commercial site located in the provincial center Ephesus. Colossae was keenly located ten miles from the cities of Laodicea and Hierapolis, a pair separated by six miles. Laodicea was an extremely affluent center of industry, banking, and administrative activities, and Hierapolis was a famous health resort. Eighty miles away from Colossae stood Apamea, a massive trading city the nickname of which translates to ‘treasure chest’. Although Colossae itself was not competitive with the metropolitan cities by which it was surrounded, Colossae benefited reasonably from its placement to them by the Roman road system. Little historical detail is known about Colossae, due in part to its diminished importance to the Greco-Roman civilizations and also to it sharing in the intensely damaging earthquake that destroyed Laodicea and Hierapolis in either 61 or 62 A.D.

The church in Colossae was founded during or after Paul’s ministry in the Ephesus region in 53-56 A.D.. Epaphras was probably converted as a result of Paul’s work in Ephesus, and he began the church in Colossae shortly thereafter, as well as probably being the founder of the churches in Laodicea and Hierapolis. The Christians of Colossae may have been a very diverse group. The names listed in 4:7-17 indicate seven Greek individuals, one Roman, and three Jews, and, of these eleven, four probably were or had previously been slaves. Epaphras was referred to as being one of the Colossians and a “servant of Jesus Christ” in verse 4:12. The specific acknowledgements of Epaphras indicate that he was readily able to relate to the church of Colossae as a fellow Colossian and that he had Paul’s personal recommendation and approval. Epaphras was described as “struggling” on behalf of the Colossians in his prayers in a similar sense to that which Paul claims to have been struggling, or agōnizomenos, in 1:28-29, with Christ’s energy for the sake of the maturation of the churches. Prior to the writing of the epistle to Colossians, Epaphras left his home area and visited Paul in prison. He shared with Paul an update regarding the church, and presumably discussion was had regarding the influx of false teachings that affected the congregation.

The geographical positioning of Colossae that granted the city such excellent access to Roman roads also caused the cultural phenomena of the larger cities to have influence in Colossae. Although the biblical text does not specifically name which heretical movements threatened the church, the false philosophies described connect to two significant ideological elements in the local society: Phrygian paganism and moderate Hellenistic Judaism. Modern historians frequently attempt to compare the Colossian heresies to equivalent ideas of other times, but direct parallels paint incomplete pictures. The doctrinal troubles appear to have had similarities to second century Gnosticism that grew out of a similar environment of blended paganism, Judaism, and Christianity. By the end of the twentieth century a new scholastic consensus was forming that believed that the Colossian heresy was a form of Jewish mysticism, but alone such mysticism does not reflect the pagan cultural context.

The most convincing historical interpretation is that the church in Colossae struggled with a local blend of folk religions involving philosophies and ascetic practices of the pagan rites of Phrygian cults and Greco-Roman philosophy in addition to Jewish mysticism. Phrygian religious culture, known as the “Phrygian Mysteries”, survived the Greco-Roman conquests by syncretistic assimilation. Worship included self-mutilating activities and intense emotional experiences. Common pagan practice was to incorporate multiple deities into the worship performed in each household. The veneration of angels, ascetic rituals, and extensive practices of witchcraft appear to have been significant problems in the community. Simultaneously, an approximate minimum of five hundred tax-paying Jews lived in Colossae ca. 60 B.C., and other cities in Ephesus were known to have a heavy Judaic influence resulting from the significant Jewish population.

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 pursue with complicated alternative philosophies. Paul exhorted the church in Colossae to hold doctrine accountable to the true identity and superiority of Christ and to cast off the sinful qualities of their former selves. Thus corrected, Paul desired to guide them in the healthy qualities of a mature Christian life. Those qualities addressed the interplay of personal and relational issues that affect the unity of the church. The fluidity of the internal and external Christ-centered existence expressed in Colossians 3:12-17 is Paul’s articulation of how Christians are to knit themselves together in defense against false teaching.

• Final Exam and Research paper for Church History I
• Tested Positive for Typhoid and Paratyphoid
• Completed paperwork and deliveries to a) get a new passport and b) not go to jail
• Staton’s Quince
• Katherine Returned to the States
• Discovered that not only is my backup drive fried, but I also seem to not have my data (read: school papers) on my laptop drive, either (read: panic).

I woke up today thinking that Staton had been 15 and Katherine had been in the States for at least two weeks. But no, just a few days.

Note for future reference: research papers on historical subjects, like, say, medieval scholasticism, are murder when one has no access to a physical library. JSTOR is lovely and all, but, man. I miss books.

Here’s the problem.

I will lose the Katherine Card.

The Katherine Card works all manner of magic. Observe:

Convincing Teenage Sister to Accept Medicine

Lorien: “Staton, you have to take this medicine.”
Staton: “Um, no. It does nothing for me.”
Lorien: “It doesn’t matter if you think it does nothing for your symptoms, because it’ll stop you from being contagious.”
Staton: “So?”
Lorien: “Katherine will be here Friday. If we get her sick, her first two Bolivian Weeks will be miserable.”
Staton: “Oh. Okay. Can I have the pills?”

Convincing Eleven Year Old Brother to Bathe

Lorien: “David, take a bath.”
David: “Nope.”
Lorien: “You stink.”
David: “Yup!”
Lorien: “No, seriously, you smell really bad.”
David: “[snicker] Yeah, I know!”
Lorien: “Katherine will be here in three days! You don’t want her to smell you like this.”
David: “Oh. Yeah.”
Lorien: “You’ll need to bathe more than once a month, you know.”
David: “True. Like, every day. Oh man, I need to go do my laundry, too!”
Lorien: “Um, okay, yeah, definitely.”
David: “GOTTA RUN, I SMELL BAD.”

Admittedly, the Katherine Card is less effective on the elder of the younger siblings, Thomas and Nicholas. They’re very much, “eh, whatever, I’m doing my own oh-so-cool-and-suave thing.” I suspect this will change when they stumble out of their rooms, like any other grumpy early morning, and realize, “POPE’S POOP! THERE’S A GIRL IN THE HOUSE. WE HAVE TO BE NICE!”

On second thought, Katherine should still come to Bolivia. That reaction will be worth the loss of the Katherine Card.

Update! Jeff McMorrough made his own version of the Katherine Card:

Christianity stands in direct connection with the covenants between God and humanity. Accordingly, Christians must study the history of God’s relationship with man and the principles He has communicated.

The Abrahamic Covenant became an unconditional promise of God’s ultimate fulfillment of His promises to Abraham and his descendents. The Mosaic Law was a complement to the Abrahamic Covenant in that while the Abrahamic Covenant ensured a relationship between God and the Israelites, the Mosaic Law provided the route to the present enjoyment of that relationship. The Law was not a route to salvation, which instead was strictly based on faith, but was a grant of access to the immediate provision of God’s grace and blessings. The Law provided the specific details of how the Covenant would best operate amongst the Israelites, and it was specific to their particular covenant with God. The Law also served as the most efficient tool by which the Israelites would serve as a missionary presence amongst humanity by calling the Israelites to adhere to a very different set of life functions and principles.

The law displayed God meeting the Israelites at their level and raising them up to a reasonably higher degree. The law gave their relationship with God a depth and substance. They could learn through the implementation of the law to recognize and fear God’s holiness and moral perfection. The law demanded of them that their relationship with God be exclusive. They had to meet God on His terms and worship Him properly without engaging in the degradation present in pagan forms of worship. The law demanded that they live in sexual and moral purity. Through the law God taught them elements of true justice which could be implemented in practical ways, and similarly God taught them practical methods and sound principles for caring for the poor and the needy. The Mosaic Law was specific both in its provision of practical details and in its application within the context of the Abrahamic Covenant.

Christians do not operate under the Abrahamic Covenant, although it holds profound impact in our understanding of God. Our relationship with God is made in new terms through His provision of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Accordingly, we are not under the Mosaic law. Romans 6:14 makes this clear in that we “are not under law but under grace” (NKJV) and Hebrews 7:12 refers to a “change of the law”. The law remains relevant for us, however. In Christ we are given a “perfect law of liberty” (James 1:25) and we are to “establish the law” of Christ (Romans 3:31). Rather than pulling a detailed set of casuistic laws from the Mosaic Covenant, we are to implemant Godly behavior in our lives through principles of His morality.

The gleaning of principles from the Mosaic Law which can and should then be applied to modern life can best be accomplished through the methodology of principalism. This methodology is consistent in its consideration of the Bible, does not depend on arbitrary extra-biblical determinations, reflects the literary and historical contexts of the Bible, is highly conscious of the theological context of the Bible, and corresponds with New Testament teachings.

Principalism consists of five key steps. The meaning of the Old Testament law must be identified as understood by the initial audience. The initial audience must be differentiated from modern believers. Universal principles should be drawn from the text. Universal principles are understood to be reflected directly in the text, timeless in their nature, systematically compatible with biblical theology, not culturally based, and relevant to both Old Testament and New Testament readers. Those universal principles should then be correlated with New Testament teaching. The universal principles are thus modified in such a manner that they can be applied to modern life.

I’ve oodles of bugs to work through with various nooks and crannies, and I need to reconstruct the archives and categories in full, but – after midterms.

I’ve a midterm exam due tonight – two and a half hours on Old Testament history. This has been one of the most interesting courses I’ve had in a long time.  I’m drafting up outlines right and left, watching lectures, etc. I’ve two book critiques I want to finish this week as well.

I’m horrible at this distance class concept. I deliberately chose a program which demands just as rigorous a schedule as an on-campus program, and it’s still a fantastic way to fill a year overseas. The result is something much closer to the British tutorial system. Independent diligence is not my strong suit! The internet isn’t making things any easier. The connection here in town, thanks to the rainy season, is skipping out constantly. I’ll get online after much tedium, it’ll be dirt slow, and then it’ll disappear again. Not great for Blackboard and its hogging of the broadly bandying net-wit. Here’s hoping I keep the net long enough to take the test!

In reality, I’m lucky that so much of South America has internet at all…