Colossians 1:15-19

There was a technical difficulty with the previous podcast Colossians 1:11-14. At the beginning of this podcast I do a quick wrap of the verses before we turn our attention to the passage for this podcast.

We look at the hymn embedded in this passage. There are ongoing discussions among Biblical scholars as to who the author of the hymn is. Was it Paul or did he incorporate an existing hymn into his epistle? 

We look at the theology of the song (after all Hymns were and should still be used) to teach doctrine (spiritual truths).

One technique Paul and other human authors of the Scriptures use is a chiasm. A chiasm started with a thought followed by a second statement. The second statement is repeated and then the first is repeated. Often the way scholars distinguish these statements or thoughts is to use letters - ABBA, ABCBA, ABCCBA, etc. the key to understanding chiasm is that the central theme is what the author wants to emphasize. 

In verse 16 we see Heaven, Earth, Visible, and Invisible. The core thought is that Jesus is the creator and sustainer if the physical realm as well as the invisible realm. This teaching is in direct contrast with the proto-Gnosticism that the church in Colossi was battling.   

These non-denominational Bible studies are led by Dr. Val and recorded live. Some 20-25 men meet weekly at 6:30 AM for an hour. They study and discuss a passage from Scripture. Questions are encouraged and often lead to interesting rabbit trails that help us discover and process additional Biblical truth