This Week’s Reading
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
—Colossians 2:6-15
Listen to the Podcast
Caleb Clardy, founding pastor at Trinity Grace Church, teaching from Colossians 2:6–15 on the twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, the fourth in our "In Christ by the Spirit for the City" series, speaking at Middle School 51 on October 27, 2019.
Themes to Consider
Continuing to live out your faith; believe with your feet.
The phrase “take you captive” is a synonym for being kidnapped. Between hollow and deceptive philosophy and the elemental spiritual forces there is a lot that can take us captive.
Maturity is expressed in gratitude.
Christ is truly the authority and you have been utterly redeemed by Him, you have a share in his resurrection.
Comprehend and stand in your identity in Christ.
There is a process of spiritual maturity and lasting change that begins and ends with Jesus.
The Victory of the Cross of Jesus — personally and for the world — paradoxically, Jesus has used the very symbol of Rome’s triumph (the cross) to triumph over the spiritual forces of evil.
Discussion Questions
In verses 6-7, Paul uses three word pictures of a journey, putting down healthy roots, and a building being built. How have you found your life in Christ to resemble:
A journey?
Developing healthy roots?
A building under construction?
What did you think falls in the category of deceptive philosophy built on human traditions in our world?
Thankfulness is a repeated theme in the first part of Colossians, why do you think it shows up so often?
Can you describe the elements of a process of transformation or a working theory of how we change from these verses?
How you understand the cross of Jesus as a place of victory? What does that mean for you in everyday life?
This Week’s Practices
We are challenging ourselves to engage two practices throughout the series as a whole and they are listed under Daily Spiritual Practice and Love in Action. Below those, we will also provide a couple other weekly practices that correspond to each passage as we move through the letter.
—
1 / DAILY SPIRITUAL PRACTICE — ONGOING
Spend daily time in the Gospels; be with Jesus.
There are many ways that you might select a Gospel reading for the day. You could just pick one of the four Gospels and start making your way through a bit at a time. Or you could use a resource like the Daily Office Lectionary which always has a selection from the Gospels as a part of its daily readings. The main thing is simply to find a passage that is a manageable length for the time you have set aside.
Before you read, offer a short prayer asking the Holy Spirit to guide you. You might pray that you would like to spend this time with Jesus and ask that the person of Christ would be revealed to you during your time.
Slowly read the passage from the Gospel, asking the Holy Spirit to direct your attention to Jesus. What do you see Jesus doing? What do you hear Jesus saying? What is the situation and circumstance that Jesus is in? Does Jesus act according to your expectations or in a different way? What is challenging? What is encouraging? What is confusing?
Once you have read, perhaps a few times if needed, sit in silence for a moment and see what the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Perhaps you have a question to reflect on later or in community. Perhaps you have an insight. Imagine Jesus being right there present to you.
You may want to end by jotting down something you sensed from the Spirit, or by worshipping Jesus, or by writing or saying a prayer.
—
2 / LOVE IN ACTION — ONGOING
In our time and context it may feel challenging or embarrassing to speak openly about faith in Christ, but there are some powerful and important reasons to overcome those difficulties.
Jesus directs us to let the light of our life with God and His Kingdom shine. It is an integral part of how the relational Kingdom of God expands. We tell our story and we tell the story of Jesus. We are not proselytizing to grow the tribe of those who agree with us, but so that many others may experience the tremendous love of God that has changed our lives. It is one of the greatest joys of the Christians life to be involved in someone coming to faith in Christ because we were willing to share the Gospel with them.
We are challenging ourselves and our whole church to share the Gospel this fall. You may begin by opening up to a friend or coworker about your story and faith. You could begin by inviting a friend to Apha. You can make a list of people you would like to pray for and ask God for opportunities to speak with them about faith in a meaningful way.
You may also want to have a conversation with those in your group about the idea or experience of sharing your faith. What thoughts or feelings does it bring up for you? Do you feel like you would know some of what to say? Do you wish you had some specific help in the process. These are all things that are helpful to process in community.
—
3 / Affirm your identity in Christ — weekly
Read through the worksheet, Who Am I In Christ?, each day.
Spend some time meditating on this worksheet and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. After reading, you can use the prayer “Jesus, I am Yours” on the rhythm of your breath as you pray: (inhale) Jesus (exhale) I am yours.
Recommended resources
LINK: Psalm 1:1–6
Read from the Psalms and look for overlap in the ideas verses 6 and 7.
PDF: Who Am I In Christ?
Read this worksheet as part of your spiritual practices this week, affirming your identity in Christ.
QUOTE: N.T. Wright’s Colossians and Philemon
N.T. Wright states, “For the Romans every crucifixion of a rebel king, even a strange one like Jesus, was another symbolic triumph for Rome, and hence, in Jewish eyes, for the power of paganism as a whole. Now blink, rub your eyes and read Colossians 2:14–15 again. On the cross, Paul declares, God was celebrating His triumph over the principalities and powers, the very powers that thought it was the other way around. Paul never gets tired of relishing the glorious paradox of the cross: God's weakness overcoming human strength, God's folly overcoming human wisdom.”
