On June 20 we started Colossians, the apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Colossae.  Like the other letters of Paul we have been reading, it is relatively short and succinctly addresses both doctrinal and lifestyle issues.

When I think of the book of Colossians, several things stand out to me.  In chapters 1-2 you will find one of the most powerful passages in the whole of scripture on the identity of Christ.  In the margin of my Bible I have Colossians 1-2 tied to Ephesians 1-2 because in those four chapters you will find a very complete “Christology” (the doctrine of who Jesus Christ is).

Secondly, in the book of Colossians you will find a very good summary of what it means to be converted.  There are important themes of alienation and reconciliation, our transfer from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of Christ (1:13), what it means to live a life worthy of the Lord (1:9-12), how we were dead in our sins but are now made alive in Christ (2:9-15), the putting off of the old self and putting on the new self (ch. 3), and how being a believer affects our relationships (ch. 3).

Take heart, “All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing”! (1:6)