Philosophy

Colossians 2:8-10  See to it that no one makes a prey of you by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fulness of deity dwells bodily, and you have come to fulness of life in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.


Philosophy is not the revelation of God but rather the perceived development of human understanding through human input alone. Most of us who have completed a college degree were required to take some philosophy. Some of it even sounds good as it is spelled out by the great minds that conceived it, but the odd thing is that is true even for philosophies that disagree with each other. They seem to build upon each other and move toward systems that rest on the notion that humanity is good and will continue to perfect and improve societies, but any reasonable assessment of world history or modern history mocks that theory with man's inhumanity to man. 


Paul is saying that all these human creations are either wrong or inadequate if that are not in agreement with the revelation we have from Jesus. In him the fullness of deity dwells and reveals to us the truth from God. He is the head of all rule and authority, not philosophers or sociologists or politicians, or economists. I know for me when I build my life and take my guidance from the life and teaching of Jesus, having received his spirit to live in me ad correct me, then my life really works. When I follow my superior intelligence, or my human needs I risk leaving the greatest blessing of my life. Living in harmony with God blesses me with an internal spiritual reality that surpasses all earthly pleasures. Save me from philosophy and the elemental spirits of the universe. I'll live in Christ thank you. 

Hope Of Glory

Colossians 1:27-29  To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man mature in Christ. For this I toil, striving with all the energy which he mightily inspires within me.

"Christ in you, the hope of glory" The basic truth here is that where Christ is present, his glory is present. Glory is not an heavenly thought or even an articulated praise, it is rather the shining of the Christ who is in us. Glory is what is described happening to Jesus on the mount of transfiguration. Jesus said that He was the light of the world but he also that we are the light of the world. Again if we grow more and more into the image of the Christ who is in us, we will more and more show the glory that belongs to him. Iy is very important to constantly remind ourselves that the glory is not ours and that we are not source and are not special to deserve this privilege, it comes to all who know "the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory".

Paul in writing this is pointing to the glory in and upon those who have heard and believed in Christ because he was "striving with all the energy which he mightily inspires within me." He travelled as an itinerate worker picking up work from place to place but never seeing that as his life. His life was the work inspired by God to help people become mature in Christ. He loved to see the light go on. It is kind of like the cartoons when someone gets the idea and the lightbulb appears above their head. With a Christian the light bulb glows from the inside as they carry the source, Christ, within. The stained glass saints are pictured with their halos around their heads, which is the representation of the glory of these mature Christians who have grown into the image of Christ.

Our mission is the same as Paul, to help turn the lights on, to help spread the glory of Christ in all the world. I have been so blessed to live the life God has given me. I have seen so many lights go on as Christ took root inside human souls. I love to sing praises to my God and to sit in prayer and thank him and praise him for who is, but I glorify God when I let the light of Christ shine through me, and as I hope for more and more glory to shine through me because of the Christ in me. Spread the light, that's how we glorify God. 

On This Rock

Colossians 1:21-23  And you, who once were estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him, provided that you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.


Paul writes "provided that you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast", and yet many think the ticket to heaven is found in a moment of confession proclaiming faith in Jesus, and is then permanent. I am not saying that a decision to believe in the true identity of Jesus has no importance. Of course we need to come to a saving faith in Jesus, a place where we acknowledge our need for his saving grace, a place where we place our sinful condition before his mercy seat. This saving faith however is only a great start on our journey with the God who never takes away our free will, and who will never prevent us from turning aside. Paul wouldn't use that word provided if we didn't have the possibility of discontinuing the stable faith. Jesus is quoted in Matthew's gospel saying, “Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it.” The problem for some is they think a decision is enough when jesus himself says that after the hear and other sensory pieces we need to act on what we believe. Faith remember in the lives of these biblical people was an active word, a sort of noun/verb. If eternity could only be finished with a few words like Staples button Christianity (that was easy), but I'm afraid it is not that easy. It is simple but not that easy, it is free but it is not cheap for Jesus or for us. Paul says he presses on for the prize and I hope so do I. The race is longer than a marathon, but we're training for eternity

How Deep, How Broad, How High

Colossians 1:15-20  He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation; for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in everything he might be pre-eminent. For in him all the fulness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.


In almost all churches in all major denominations the service includes reciting a creed that states in clear language a set of beliefs about the identity of God. Those creeds were usually agreed upon by long detailed discussions about each word by people centuries ago who had studied in great detail the scriptural accounts and the historical records of those who lived around Jesus. The passage from Colossians is an early creed in the form of a well known hymn of Paul's time.. It is a clearly known formulation of the widely held view in the extremely early church about the identity of Jesus. I could almost see us singing the words and phrases of that hymn.


I have at times with various creeds taken the time to meditate on each phrase to deepen my appreciation. In prayer saying, "He is the image of the invisible God" followed by some silence and repeat the phrase again, and then silence and the again. Praying to let the picture the words creates fill my heart. Each day moving forward through the creed or scripture hymn I meditate on the words and build the image. Asking God to show me what those words mean to me. What does it mean that, "He is the head of the body, the church" So much in so little space and yet he is infinitely more. So much said and yet just reading the words doesn't do justice to the reality it represents.  

Whatcha Got

Colossians 1:11-14  May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.


Endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father leaps off the page at me. The Christian reality as lived by Paul seems so foreign at times as I look at the modern world. Earlier in my life I experienced hardships that required endurance. Life was hard and life looking up seemed a long way away. Patience was needed and sometimes even found in the midst of those problems. I'm an internal person and have said so often to others that it is mind over matter. I could often calm the insides for a time even when life demanded endurance. I found however and observe frequently that joy only existed in moments separated from the trials of life. Paul says they exist together and I did not get that, and I most certainly was not thanking the Father in those situations that required patient endurance.


The most important part that I missed was we are qualified to have those patient endurance with joy. It's like young people today who get pre-qualified for a mortgage before they start house hunting. The Father has pre-approved of us for our entire life and waits with patient joyful endurance for us to accept his love. Our ability to have the power and strength to have patient endurance wit joy is among the gifts we have been approved to receive. 


I cannot claim to experience this reality at all times, but I mean it when I say that God gives us the ability to be unshakable in the face of trials and difficulties. We need not be tossed about at the whim of the universe, the God of the universe is on our side. I discovered that's what I got!!

Love To Hear It!!!

Colossians 1:3-5  We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.


Often when I read scripture I find passages like this one. How I would want Paul to write about me and my belief like this section of Colossians. I know that I have people who pray for me all the time, faithful people who care about me and my faith life. It is always moving to me when in my quiet prayer time I think of those I pray for who also pray for me. 


I wish I had the chance to be in this community in Colossus to see first hand what kind of life yielded Paul's description in this passage. I've spent many years now trying to be a creative part of a community with faith in Christ and love for all the saints. I've described that community as being so attractive that people would be drawn to it like iron filings to a magnet. Those who are not yet included in the company of the saints would find the unconditional love they need to fill the void that exists in all of us without God. 


Wishful thinking is a waste of time. The question is can I really live a life like those in this letter. If not possible, if it is only wishful thinking, than it is indeed a waste of time and a foolish goal. If it is possible than I need to deepen my faith and increase my love for all the saints. I know Paul isn't writing any new letters, and even if I managed to deserve such praise, waiting for or searching for such praise would mean it wasn't really unconditional love after all. How deep and pure that love of Christ must be. I still do seek such faith, even as I recognize I don't have it yet.


I often wonder if any of this is really possible in modern America, where it seems like everybody just chases having more and more. If however I look at Rome and Colossus, they seem for their historical time to fill a similar pattern. If Paul could write to them, the same must be possible for us.

The Wise

Matthew 11:18-19  For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; the Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”


Wisdom always existed for me as a mental exercise perhaps communicated to others and perhaps not. I'm a thinker and sometimes I think I have very wise thoughts. I've even been told that I have very wise thoughts. It is true that we are judged by what we do or what we fail to do, not only by others but by God, and yet it seems so easy to settle for thoughts and think we have it all together.

Wisdom is thinking about what God thinks and then putting his ideas into action. I might be judged for doing too much or too little by other people, but be doing exactly what God desires. Where do I find my approval rom God or man? Who do I want to please my neighbor, or my God? Who do I see as wise, my God or my world? Surely Jesus did not want to find fault with those among whom he lived,  He just refused to ignore reality. My I find true wisdom as I follow Jesus.