Sep 6 2015

Paul Speaks About Caring for the Souls of Others – 1 Cor 8-9

Chapter 8 has Paul dealing with the subject of meat that has been offered to idols. This would have been a common practice in Corinth at that time. Paul makes a point to emphasize that they, as Christians, know that idols are not representative of anything that really exists, and that they serve the one true God and the Lord Jesus Christ. So they do no sin by eating meat that has been offered to idols. But if someone who is weak and lacks knowledge sees them doing so, they may be caused to stumble. The lesson is clear to us also that we must take care. There may be things we do that are not sinful, but if they seem sinful to someone else, we must be sensitive to how our example might represent (to them) an excuse for sinful behavior on their part.

In chapter 9, Paul basically tells the Corinth brethren that he gives up his “right” to support by them. Those who proclaim the Gospel have the right to be supported for that work, just as any laborer. But Paul does not want that support to be a source of strife within the congregation, particularly in light of those who already are causing strife.

/Bob’s boy

Bible Reading Schedule for this month
Click links below to read or listen to audio of one of this week’s chapters in Colossians and Luke

1 Cor 8, 1 Cor 9, 1 Cor 10, 1 Cor 11, 1 Cor 12

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please visit this site’s menu item “The Author’s Books” for info on the author’s books, website, and Facebook page.

All of my comments in this blog are solely my responsibility. When reading any commentary, you should always refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word.

Mar 10 2015

Lost Book of the Bible? Colossians 3-4

In the third chapter of the Book of Colossians, Paul clearly spells out that idolatry is still just as much of a problem today as it ever has been. In verse five, he tells them some of the things that Christians must do in their walk with God:

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

But he doesn’t stop there. He says that we must “put them all away,” meaning those things that make us less like Christ — such as anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk. Swearing “like a sailor” seems to getting more and more acceptable among some who consider themselves to be Christians. Clearly, this goes against the teachings of the Bible.

Along a main inland road from Ephesus to the Euphrates River, Colossae shared the beauty of the Lycus Valley with its sister cities Hierapolis. The original roads from Ephesus and Sardis joined there, and this defensible and well-watered hill became a strategic point in antiquity. Declining in importance by the time of Paul’s Epistle to them, they had already been surpassed in size by the other Lycus Valley cities.

In chapter four, there is a passage that has become the subject of much discussion, and even has fueled theories of “lost books” of the Bible. Verse 16 says:

And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea.

So the talk goes among some scholars that the Book that was the letter to Laodicea is los to us — possibly in one of the earthquakes of the period. The first thing this writer has to say about that is “can anyone seriously believe that God would allow such a thing to happen?” I think not.

Despite claims to the contrary by skeptics, the integrity of the Bible’s translations and how it compares from manuscripts of different periods is so amazing that it is unrivaled by any secular work. Secondly, this same verse demonstrates that Paul’s letters were circulated among the churches for their edification.

Exactly which letter the Laodiceans had is something else that is much debated. But in verse 17, Paul speaks of Archippus. The only other book in which Archippus is mentioned is Philemon, which gives credence to the belief some have that Paul’s letter to Philemon is actually the letter that the Laodiceans had.

/Bob’s boy

Bible Reading Schedule for this month
Click links below to read or listen to audio of one of this week’s chapters in Colossians and Luke

Col. 1, Col. 2, Col. 3, Col. 4, Luke 1

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please visit this site’s menu item “The Author’s Books” for info on the author’s books, website, and Facebook page.

All of my comments in this blog are solely my responsibility. When reading any commentary, you should always refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word.

Mar 8 2015

Empty Deceit – Colossians 1-2

Colossians is one of Paul’s “prison epistles.” It is supposed that he wrote this letter while in prison after his voyage to Rome, which was documented in the Book of Acts. In chapter one, Paul spends some time talking to them about the fact that (as John 1:1-3 states) Jesus was with God from the beginning of time. But don’t miss the fact that he also states that in Jesus “all things hold together.” You can also refer to Hebrews 1:3 for this, as it says “he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” We have an expectation that scientific experiments performed today will yield the same results tomorrow. We expect that the law of thermodynamics and other scientific truths will not be dis-proven tomorrow morning. The Lord promised us it would be so, as long as we live in this world (Jeremiah 33:25).

English: the first of the Epistles to the Colossians (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In chapter 2, Paul makes a statement that is very noteworthy for Christians of all time. Beginning in verse 8, he says “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” Some versions say “see to it that no one robs you…” It is the empty philosophy and deceit of man, who tends to be “wise in his own eyes,” that he is speaking of here.

Molecules-to-man evolution and other distortions of reality are great examples of empty deceit that have taken many people captive today. We must be ever vigilant to teach our children a proper defense of the word of God in the face of such things. We cannot depend on their Sunday school teachers to do it for us, and we certainly cannot depend on the school system for it. We alone must take that responsibility.

/Bob’s boy

Bible Reading Schedule for this month
Click links below to read or listen to audio of one of this week’s chapters in Colossians and Luke

Col. 1, Col. 2, Col. 3, Col. 4, Luke 1

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Please visit this site’s menu item “The Author’s Books” for info on the author’s books, website, and Facebook page.

All of my comments in this blog are solely my responsibility. When reading any commentary, you should always refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word.

Feb 16 2014

Nailed To the Cross – Epistle To Colossae

Paul’s letter to the Colossians is one of the four “prison epistles” (he also wrote letters to the Ephesians, the Philippians, and to Philemon while in prison). The date of writing is generally thought to be about 62 A.D., which assumes that he wrote it from prison in Rome after his fateful voyage in Acts 27-28.

English: Saint Epaphroditus Русский: Ап. Епафродит. Миниатюра из греко-груз. рукописи. XV в. (РНБ. О. I.58. Л. 114 об.) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Some scholars believe that Paul did not have a hand in establishing the church at Colossae personally. This is partially due to the reference in verse 7 to them having learned the truth from Epaphras. But if one reads verse 6 along with it, the mention of Epaphras appears to be an additional source of preaching of the gospel to the brethren there. It is likely that he at least had a hand in it, and we find it difficult to believe (as some have stated) that he never even visited them – especially being at Ephesus for three years during his third missionary journey. Regardless, Paul’s letter to them demonstrates no small measure of familiarity, and it should be noted that Philemon, to whom another prison epistle was written, was himself a Colossian. And Timothy, who apparently acted as Paul’s secretary for this letter (verse 1), was likely no stranger to them either.

Some parts of this letter appear to be addressing a problem with false teachers, possibly rising from within the ranks of the brethren, just as he warned the Ephesian elders about in Acts 20:28-30. One passage that particularly seems to allude to this is in Colossians 4:18, which says “let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind…”

But the overriding message to the brethren at Colossae (and to us) is about the gift of life given to us by Jesus. It is summarily contained in great detail in chapter 2:8-15. There, Paul speaks of Jesus Christ as deity and “the head of all rule and authority,” with whom we have been buried in baptism. And we, who were dead in our sins, have had our debts paid for us by Him and they were “nailed to the cross.”

(This year’s reading plan for Luke, Acts, and 1 and 2 Chronicles averages just 15 verses per day – 5 days per week!)
Schedule for this week

/Bob’s boy

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog. All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility. When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.