Colossians,  William Daly

Colossians 1-7: “Love For The Church of Christ”

July 19, 2023 /

Colossians 2:1-7: “Love For The Church of Christ”

Wednesday, July 19th, 2023

And as I say, we’re beginning Chapter 2 and we’re going to be looking at verses 1-7 this evening. So let’s read the text together, Colossians: Chapter 2, starting at verse 1 and going through verse 7. I’m reading from the ESV, the English Standard Version:  

[1]  For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 

[2]  that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ,

[3]  in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 

[4]  I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. 

[5]  For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ

[6] Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 

[7]  rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

Verse 1:

I’m struck, once again, by the unbelievable love that Paul shows the Church in his letters (and certainly this one). And as someone who is now walking into Pastor Dale’s role, at least in an official capacity, I’m finding that this particular section (really, these last few actually) have been TIMELY. When you think of what a minister of Christ should look like, in terms of traits, most people would probably say things like “he should be well-educated”, or “he should be a skilled teacher”, or that “he should be demonstrating a measure of holiness”, or “should be a great speaker” or that “he should be ravishingly handsome” – which I already am, so that’s good (lol). Just kidding. No, but those things are all reasonable, they’re all probably good elements to possess I suppose, (though I fit none of them very well). But probably the MOST important, most NECESSARY ingredient to possess as a minister of Christ is a love for His Church. What I see in Paul’s love for the church here, MUST flavor and MUST inform my own motivation for serving God in His Church. It’s not my ONLY motivation of course, nor was it Paul’s. But it must FLAVOR my service.