All week long we have been learning about a mystery, starting here! In Colossians 1, verse 27, Paul tells us that the mystery has glorious riches. Glory refers to the concept of splendor, of remarkable appearance. The second word, riches, refers to abundant riches. In fact, the particular word Paul uses for “riches” often hasContinue reading “The ancient mystery is revealed! – Colossians 1:24-2:5, Part 8”
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Who the grand mystery is revealed to – Colossians 1:24-2:5, Part 7
Have you ever heard of the word, etymology? If you are the kind of person who likes to know where our English words came from, you are an etymologist at heart. Etymology is the study of the history of words. Therefore the etymology of a word is the origin and development of that word throughoutContinue reading “Who the grand mystery is revealed to – Colossians 1:24-2:5, Part 7”
A Mystery of Biblical Proportions – Colossians 1:24-2:5, Part 6
I love a good mystery story. From Sherlock Holmes to Agatha Christie to even Scooby-Doo or contemporary TV shows like Psych. It could even be true crime dramas about unsolved mysteries. I find it be intriguing trying to figure out “who done it.” I also love the stories about mysteries in nature or history. WhatContinue reading “A Mystery of Biblical Proportions – Colossians 1:24-2:5, Part 6”
Why we shouldn’t sweep Christian Perfection into the dustbin of history – Colossians 1:24-2:5, Part 5
Is perfection possible? It’s the question I’ve been asking and exploring starting here. Why perfection? It seems like an easy question to answer when we look around the world today, and at ourselves. Perfection seems impossible, and even potentially damaging as a goal, because of the often destructive nature of perfectionism. I’ve been asking theContinue reading “Why we shouldn’t sweep Christian Perfection into the dustbin of history – Colossians 1:24-2:5, Part 5”
Lennon had Instant Karma and Wesley had Instant Perfection…who was right? – Colossians 1:24-2:5, Part 4
John Lennon had Instant Karma. John Wesley had Instantaneous Perfection. In the Lennon/Ono song, we hear “Instant karma’s gonna get you…” a line that leads us to think about punishment for our bad behavior. In the Wesley sermon, basically the exact opposite idea is in play, that some people are blessed with perfection, that theyContinue reading “Lennon had Instant Karma and Wesley had Instant Perfection…who was right? – Colossians 1:24-2:5, Part 4”
Why some Christians teach it is possible to become perfect in this life – Colossians 1:24-2:5, Part 3
Perfection is possible. What do you think about that claim? True or False? We humans use the word, “perfect” quite a lot in our conversations. We make plans for a visit with friends, and we say, “That sounds perfect!” But we don’t actually mean that the plan is absolute perfection. Instead, we mean, “That planContinue reading “Why some Christians teach it is possible to become perfect in this life – Colossians 1:24-2:5, Part 3”
Should we “fill our body with affliction”? – Colossians 1:24-2:5, Part 2
In the previous post Paul reminded us that we can learn to rejoice in the Lord, even amid difficult circumstances. But as we continue to trace his teaching in Colossians 1:24-2:5, Paul writes something that seems bizarre to me. In fact, it seems wrong. Paul writes that he fills up in his body what isContinue reading “Should we “fill our body with affliction”? – Colossians 1:24-2:5, Part 2″
Is rejoicing in suffering a bad idea? – Colossians 1:24-2:5, Part 1
How should we respond to suffering? Maybe you’re suffering somehow, and you’re sick of it. I’ve had heel pain for the last few months, and though I will admit to being very inconsistent in treating it, I’m frustrated with it. I want it to be healed. I am not rejoicing in this suffering. Rejoicing? IfContinue reading “Is rejoicing in suffering a bad idea? – Colossians 1:24-2:5, Part 1”
Current Events – (How to Avoid) The Failure of Ravi Zacharias, Part 5
This week on the blog, I’ve been talking about the recent news of the awful failure of Ravi Zacharias. He is one in a long line of abusive leaders, and started with the first post here I’ve attempted to tell his story and how we might respond to it. As I mentioned in some ofContinue reading “Current Events – (How to Avoid) The Failure of Ravi Zacharias, Part 5”
Current Events – The Failure of Ravi Zacharias, Part 4
This week its Current Events week on the blog, and I’ve been been writing a five-part series about the failure of Ravi Zacharias (so far you can read part one, part two, part three, and this is part four). How do we respond to such a grievous failure? It seems to me the primary responseContinue reading “Current Events – The Failure of Ravi Zacharias, Part 4”
Engaging Scripture 