Bible Study from August 31, 2020 - Colossians 3:11-12

Our study of Colossians 3:11-12 begins with a quick summary of previous verses, in Colossians 3:8-10. These verses begin the transition from the “qualities” of the old life, apart from Christ, qualities which we are to seek to battle and put to death in our lives, with God’s help and grace. Then Paul focuses on the new self, the new person we now are, in Christ, as we have been brought to faith in Jesus through the Word of God and our baptism. We are now being continually renewed in this new life, as our Lord seeks to bring us a little closer to the perfect “image of God” that was lost by the fall into sin. We receive more “knowledge” through the Word of God of what God wishes for our new life and strength from our Lord to try to follow that new life.

In verse 11, then, Paul reminds us that Christ is the key for our new life. Many old barriers and distinctions are broken down, in connection with Christ. Our national origin and culture and background do not matter. The Greek culture and language were predominant in Paul’s time because of the influence of Alexander the Great and his conquests. That is why the New Testament was written in Greek, even though the Roman empire was now in control. Anyone who could not speak Greek could be called a barbarian. The most savage barbarians were from Scythia, in what is today a part of Russia. There were still the divisions over circumcision, as we have heard, and slavery was widespread, too. (Paul will deal with some of these issues, which were real, later in Colossians 3, and what they still mean for us.) But as far as eternal life and the promises of God are concerned, God wished for everyone to hear of and come to faith in Christ Jesus, no matter who they were. See what Paul says about his mission in Romans 1:11-15 and his desire to reach as many people as possible with the Good News of Jesus.

“Christ is all and in all,” Paul says (Colossians 3:11). Everything centers in Him, for Christians. See how similar the passages in Galatians 3:26-29 and Ephesians 1:20-23 are, no matter what the original divisions among people were. See also 1 Corinthians 15:28. The fact that God is all in all, and so is Christ, is an indication that Jesus is God, equal with the Father (and with the Holy Spirit), though we cannot understand all the mysteries of the One, true, Triune God. How good it is to know that Jesus came for us all, no matter who we are or have been.

In verse 12, then, Paul reminds us again of who we are as Christians with the new life we have in Christ. We are “God’s chosen ones, holy (saints) and beloved (dearly loved by Him).” This is what we in fact are. See passages like 1 Peter 2:9-10, Ephesians 1:4-10, John 15:16, and Ephesians 5:1, which affirm exactly what we are and Whose we are, in Christ. False teachers at Colossae, false teachers still today, and Satan himself try to point out our weaknesses and that we cannot be Christians, because we are not doing what they say we need to do.  We do not meet their standards or the human opinions and standards of so many. We certainly do not even meet God’s standards on our own. But in Christ, we are forgiven. We are now God’s chosen ones, counted holy and loved by God by the perfect work of Jesus, already done for us. It is work in the past, but with ongoing results for us, in Christ.

Starting next week, we will look at what being chosen, holy, and beloved by God means for us also in our relationships with fellow believers and with others around us now in our new life in Christ. We will also see the qualities God enables us to “put on” as we live in Christ and for God and others. How different this list is compared with the lists from our old life apart from God! But above all, keep remembering what God already says and promises about you, in Christ, because of His saving action on your behalf and your being connected to Him by the gift of faith.