Don't be fooled by philosophy (Colossians 1-4)

Episode 288: Don't be fooled by philosophy

Colossians 1-4

Greetings and Salutations!

1 ¹ From Paul and Timothy to the saints in Colossae.

The image of the invisible God

^14-16 We are redeemed by the blood of the dear Son of the Father, who looks like the invisible God, who created everything, and for which everything was created.

¹⁷ He existed before everything.

¹⁸ He is the head of the body, the church, and was the first to be born from the dead.

^19-20 It pleased the Father to make peace through the blood of the cross.

²³ The gospel has been preached to every creature on earth.

Don't be spoiled by philosophy

2 ³ All wisdom and knowledge is hidden in Christ.

⁸ Don't let anyone spoil you with philosophy.

⁹ The entire Godhead lives bodily in Christ.

¹¹ You are circumcised with the circumcision of Christ, a circumcision made without hands.

^13-14 You were dead in the uncircumcision of your flesh, but now you're alive with Christ, who has forgiven all your sins, erasing all the laws by nailing them to his cross.

^16-17 So don't let anyone judge you for what you eat or drink, or for how you observe holy days, new moon festivals, or the sabbath.

¹⁸ Don't let anyone fool you about things he hasn't seen.

You're dead (your life is hidden with Christ in God)

3 ² Don't think about things on earth.

³ You’re dead; your life is hidden with Christ in God.

⁴ When Christ appears, you'll appear with him in glory.

⁵ Mortify your members. Don't fornicate, have evil desires, or covet things.

⁶ Because of these things, the wrath of God is on the children of disobedience.

Some (mostly) good advice

⁸ Avoid anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, or filthy communication.

⁹ Don't lie.

¹² Be merciful, kind, humble, meek, and longsuffering.

¹³ Put up with and forgive each other.

¹⁴ And most importantly, love each other.

Wives, obey your husbands

¹⁸ Wives, obey your husbands.

¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives.

²⁰ Children, obey your parents in all things.

²¹ Fathers, don't provoke your children.

Slaves, obey your masters

²² Slaves obey you masters in all things.

Not just while your master is watching to please him, but sincerely, fearing the Lord

Give your slaves what is just and fair (like their freedom?)

4 ¹ Slave owners, give your slaves what is just and fair, knowing that you have a master, too, in heaven.

Read the epistle from Laodicea

⁶ Know how to answer everyone with grace, seasoned with salt.

¹⁶ Read the epistle from Laodicea.

¹⁸ Amen.

A few more words about this episode

From Paul and Timothy to the saints in Colossae. (1:1): Although the author of Colossians claims to be Paul (and Timothy), most scholars think it was written after Paul's death by one of his disciples. For this reason, Colossians is considered to be one of the Deutero-Pauline epistles. (The others are Ephesians and 2 Thessalonians.); Colossae was a small town in western Asia Minor (modern Turkey). Apparently Paul didn't found the church in Colossae; it was founded by Epaphras instead. (Although this doesn't seem clear to me from the only verses in Colossians where Epaphras is mentioned. (See 1:7-8 and 4:3.)
Read the epistle from Laodicea (4:16): Apparently God intended to include the epistle from Laodicea in the Bible, but it was lost somewhere along the way. There were several letters that claimed to be the lost epistle (and one of these was often included in Latin medieval bibles), but they are considered forgeries today (as is Colossians, itself, by many scholars).
And here is the construction paper chain that Carole talked about making in this episode. Only 18 links left!
Here's the last one: #306 - Revelation 20-22