The false teachers in Colossae were attempting to impose all kinds of specific rules and regulations on the believers. Paul, in contrast, gives them a very comprehensive principle by which they are to seek to live their daily lives; 'whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus'.
One way in which the teaching and admonishing that is required may be carried out, is through the enthusiastic, thankful singing praise to God. It should be quite evident that what has gone before will clearly restrict what is thus to be used for this teaching and admonishing through singing praise, to 'the Word of Christ'. Paul says
If the Word of God is to 'dwell richly' in the child of God, he is first of all to listen to the Word. This is more than a mere hearing the sounds of words as they are preached or to skim quickly over the words as they are read. We always need to ask 'what is God
When Paul wrote this letter to the Colossians, one purpose was to correct heretical teaching, but the principal reason was to help believers to become more and more conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. One of the major ways in which this is done is through the living Word of God. Just
The Lord Jesus Christ left a wonderful legacy to his own disciples when He said to them 'Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you'; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.' John 14:27. This is the peace of knowing that
There is perhaps no word in the English language that is so misused and abused as the word love. It is used as a cloak for lust and every kind of wickedness, and yet it is the most wonderful characteristic that a human being can possess because it is a reflection of the God who is love 1 John
When Peter asked the Lord Jesus Christ how many times he should forgive his brother he was told that forgiveness was to be without limit, 'seventy times seven'. Matthew 18:21,22. This should not be surprising for forgiveness is at the very heart of the Christian faith. It is precisely because God forgives his people in the Lord Jesus
It is very easy for a person to claim to be what he really is not! Paul here tells the believers that they are to be in practice what they have professed to be. A person who says that he is a Christian is one who professes to have been chosen by God in eternity, and Paul says
Although the Christian has 'put on the new self' when he was converted, the 'old self' is still with him Rom.7:14 - 25, and so this new life within him needs to be constantly renewed. This is the ongoing work of sanctification in the life of the Christian. There are many aspects of the work
The apostle Paul had given general instructions to the believers about how they were to deal with their own sinful nature, and he follows that up by being specific about the vices that are to be rejected. There are two lists that are given in these verses, both containing five things. The first list in