Posts by Christian Worker (Page 13)
Teaching and Admonishing – Andy Baker
Because Christ is the undisputed Head of His church, we seek Him to do all things to the glory of God. He always does the things which please His Father (John 8:29). There is no room for others who want to tell us how we can/do approach God other than what the Lord has said. Colossians spends so much time exalting Jesus and denying what men say in “the appearance of wisdom” about Who He is and how we relate…
Put On . . . – Bryan Hodge
It is said that a tradition sprang up in the early years of church history concerning the garments worn following baptism. The historian Philip Schaff wrote, “During the week following, the neophytes wore white garments as a symbol of purity” (Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Vol. 2, p. 252). Of course, this is not something the Bible requires. It was a human tradition practiced by some. However, the Bible does speak of a change of spiritual clothing that…
Put Off . . . – Johnnie Scaggs, Jr.
In the overall context of Colossians 3, Paul lays side by side some things we must put on and some things we must put off. Twice in our text, Paul states that we are to “put off” things that have to do with the old man of sin. The phrase “put off” is from “ἀποτίθημι,” meaning to “lay aside, or to take off.” From this, we can fully understand that Paul is saying that these things are things we must…
Prioritizing Christ – Mel Hutzler
Our new life in Christ changes the rule, relationship, attitude, and actions of our lives. This new life orders its priorities out of the mind of Christ. That is Paul’s point to the church at Colossae as he moves into the practical portion of his letter. As people who have died to sin and been made alive unto God, Christians are to develop new goals, new moral principles, and a renewed determination to live on a higher plane. Paul opens…
Let No One Judge You! – Ross Haffner
Paul established the authority of Christ when he wrote, “He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence” (Col. 1:18). You would think divergence from His doctrine would be easy to detect—we can compare His word with other philosophies and make the right choice. But the warnings of Colossians 2 remind us that we can be “deceived by persuasive words” if we…
Circumcision Without Hands – Bill Burk
The Book of Colossians serves as treatise on the role Jesus plays as the supreme Savior. In the first chapter, Paul declares the magnificent truths about Jesus’ person. In chapters three and four, he describes the life Christians ought to live if Christ is the exalted Lord. In chapter two, Paul describes the need to defend the gospel against any teaching that would declare Jesus’ salvific work insufficient. In Christ dwells all the fullness (Col 1:19; 2:9), therefore, the Colossians…
Beware! – Troy Spradlin
At the conclusion of a special seminar conducted by a world-renowned detective, a group of cadets eagerly approached the investigator to speak with him. The topic of the seminar had been about anti-counterfeit measures and identifying falsified currency, in which the detective was extremely knowledgeable. Impressed with his insight and erudition, the cadets inquired, “How did you to learn all those different types of counterfeits? There must be thousands of variations!” The detective politely smiled and replied, “I never studied…
Hearts Knit Together – Kevin W. Rhodes
The first century world, like today, challenged Christians morally, doctrinally, and practically. The gospel barely had opportunity to reach people before false teachers, Satan’s lackeys, began sowing doubt and distrust through whatever means available. The Colossians’ doctrinal confusion over the deity of Christ, their relationship to the Mosaical law, and their susceptibility to philosophical sophistry proved this truth all too well. However, Paul confronted these issues forthrightly while making his motives and aims clear to all. Despite not having personally…
Christ in You – Kevin Cauley
God had an eternal purpose to establish the church based on the work and merit of Jesus Christ (Eph. 3:11). He knew that man would sin, sever his relationship with God, and instigate division with other people. So, He devised a plan to pay for all of mankind’s sins, restore their relationship with Him, and foster human unity. This plan was Christ and the church. Paul discusses this in detail in Ephesians chapters two and three. In Colossians 1:24-29 he…
The Hope of the Gospel – John Haffner
The theme of hope holds a prominent place in the New Testament. Unlike how many use the word today, Biblical hope is never doubtful. The Greek term describes confident and joyful anticipation of blessing or reward. This concept is linked numerous times with the identity and role of the Savior. The Lord Jesus Christ is our hope and the anchor of the soul (1 Tim. 1:1; Heb. 6:19-20). As bondservants of Christ let us remember the joy and peace which…
The Preeminent Christ – Neal Pollard
So often, Colossians has been called the epistle that exalts the Christ of the church. These particular verses have been called “the Christ hymn.” Notice how Paul sings His praises in this paragraph of his epistle. How is His preeminence demonstrated? He is the picture of God (15). John, introducing Christ in his gospel, says, “No one has seen God at any time” (John 1:18; cf. 1 John 4:12). People have tried to depict God many times, but from Michelangelo…
A Prayer for Spiritual Growth – Clay Bond
There are people who have grown up in the church of Christ, but who have never grown in the Christ. What I mean by that is that there Christians who have been members of the church of Christ for decades, but they have never grown spiritually. This was the case with those being addressed in Hebrews 5:11-14, they had remained babes in Christ! Most would agree that the writer of Hebrews addressed these comments to people who had been Christians…