Community of Believers

Posted by Diane Ward

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people, the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel that has come to you. (Colossians 1:3-6)

As I imagine being at the market-place of ancient Colossae, I linger over the vibrant purple fabrics, smell the freshly baked bread and hear the fortune tellers calling out to me. It seems one could buy anything desired here. At the public square I hear a very different call from the man Epaphras, “a call to love and to live in unity of spirit as servants of the Christ.” I am told he learned of the Christ from Paul of Tarsus. This I know, my spirit is starved for something more than this marketplace has to offer! I draw near to hear about this Christ, this Jesus.

The theme of Colossians is the complete adequacy of Christ as contrasted with the emptiness of mere human philosophy. Paul's purpose is to refute the Colossian heresy. He exalts Christ as the very image of God, the Creator, the preexistent sustainer of all things, the head of the church, the first to be resurrected, the fullness of deity in bodily form, the reconciler between God and man, and thus completely adequate. The Colossian heresy was altogether inadequate, hollow and deceptive in philosophy, lacking any ability to restrain human sinful nature.

I can imagine the power of such a letter as Paul wrote to the Colossians, should it be sent to the community of believers where I worship. “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people, faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven.”

Would our hearts not stand at attention, saluting our commanding officer? Our love and unity would grow exponentially in the service of our Lord Jesus. I who write, a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ thank God our Father for the faith, love and service of my community of believers.