Our study begins with a summary of last week’s study, where we heard of the importance of forgiveness for ourselves and for others, and of sacrificial love for each other, which binds us together and gives us wholeness and peace with God and others, through Jesus (Colossians 3:13-14). It is the peace of Christ and the Word of Christ living in us that enable all this. The peace of Christ brings us peace with God, and we share that peace in the “one body” which is the the church, and with one anoth...
Our study begins with a summary of last week’s study, where we heard of the importance of forgiveness for ourselves and for others, and of sacrificial love for each other, which binds us together and gives us wholeness and peace with God and others, through Jesus (Colossians 3:13-14). It is the peace of Christ and the Word of Christ living in us that enable all this. The peace of Christ brings us peace with God, and we share that peace in the “one body” which is the the church, and with one another and with our family and marriage, too (Colossians 3:15).
The Word of God gives us the wisdom we can only receive from God, through the “teaching and admonishing” (Law and Gospel) we hear in worship. The Word can also be living and working in us at home, or in Bible studies like this, or in reading devotions, and in other ways, as we imitate Christ and Paul and others (see 1 Thessalonians 1:6-8 and 2 Thessalonians 3:7-9), hearing and speaking to ourselves that Word within our family and marriage (Colossians 3:16).
Paul also encourages the use of music and singing in “Psalms,” a rich treasury of the 150 Old Testament Psalms, which can be read and studied, or sung, as they were in Old Testament days. There is much comfort and learning from these Psalms. We can also use “hymns” - new hymns being written in early church days. From their style and wording, scholars think that passages like Colossians 1:15-20, Ephesians 5:14, Philippians 2:6-11, and 1 Timothy 3:16 may be quotations by Paul of some of these new hymns of the early church. Our own hymnals are full of such hymns, too, from various parts of the history of the church. There are also “spiritual songs” (literally, spiritual “odes”) too. That term is used for the songs being sung in heaven by the angels and people there. See Revelation 5:14, 14:3, and 15:3 for examples of these songs called “odes." We can learn much from these words, set to music in various ways, as long as they accurately teach God’s Word to us and we sing them “with grace” (a better translation than “with thanksgiving” in this verse, Colossians 3:16). See also Mark 14:26, 1 Corinthians 14:26, Acts 16:25, and Hebrews 2:12, as examples of early Christians doing exactly what is encouraged here.
In Colossians 3:17, Paul reminds us that there is no neat division between sacred and secular things. As believers, everything we do in word and deed, in church, but also at home or wherever we are, can be done for the glory of God and as a blessing to those around us. That is a good test for us. Can what we are saying and doing truly be “in the Name of Jesus” or are we sometimes contradicting the Word and will of God? Living with thanksgiving each day can help us, too, as we count the blessings we do have in Christ day after day, not just on Thanksgiving. See also 1 Corinthians 10:31-33, 11:1, and Ephesians 5:18-21.
Then Paul goes on to give more practical advice for those very places we live each day - in family and marriage and with children, and at work, etc., in Colossians 3:18-4:1. (See Ephesians 5:22-6:9 and 1 Peter 2:13-3:15, for other examples of similar practical concerns being discussed.)
Paul begins simply, with what is considered by many to be a controversial and even wrong statement, “Wives, be submissive to your husbands.” The Greek words clearly refer to a female and male in marriage. There is no gender confusion, and this is clearly not a same-sex marriage of any kind - but based on this and other Scriptures, one woman and one man in marriage. The idea of being “in submission” is controversial, too. Being submissive does not have the idea of an inferior person being way beneath a superior person. See the discussion of Eve being a helper fit for Adam in Genesis 2:18,20. The word simply means someone who can help another in time of need. The word used in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, is the same word in Genesis that is used in the New Testament, for example, in describing Jesus in 2 Corinthians 6:2: “In a day of salvation I have helped you.” Jesus humbled Himself and helped us, but in no way does that make Him actually inferior to us.
After the fall into sin, we do hear God telling Eve that Adam would “rule” over her. In the reality of a fallen world, there must be order and authority or there would be chaos, with everyone doing what he or she wants. There must be order and authority in a business or a sports team or an orchestra or in a marriage and family, etc. In God’s plan, revealed in Scripture, the husband is consistently called to be the “head” of the family, as Christ is Head of the church. (See 1 Corinthians 11:3, but also verse 11; Ephesians 5:22-24, Titus 2:4-5, and 1 Peter 3:1-2, for example.)
In some ways, we are all called to be submissive to others, also, depending on the order and authority involved. We will talk more about all of this next week, but you could look at submissiveness to government (Romans 13:1-2); in the church and in worship (1 Timothy 2:11-12 and 1 Corinthians 14:33-35,40); between young and old (1 Peter 5:3-5); in general attitudes and humility toward others (Ephesians 5:17-21 and Colossians 3:12); between parents and children (Colossians 3:20), etc. None of this has to do with who is better or superior in the eyes of God, but with how we can best get along with one another in a fallen, sinful world. There are also balances for all in these situations, as we will see next week, and we need to seek to keep living with love and forgiveness for each other, as imperfect sinners in a sinful world.
