Colossians 1:18-2:5 Bigfoot. The Bermuda Triangle. UFOs. Crop Circles. Sock Disappearances. What is the greatest mystery in the world? My vote is for the one revealed in Colossians 1:27, which is Christ in us. Biblically, speaking, a mystery is not so much an unsolved problem or a strange anomaly but something that once was hidden but has now been revealed. And I believe that the greatest mystery in the world is Christ in us, even if by mystery you mean... Read more
Colossians 1:1-17 In verses 15-18 we have another great hymn of the faith which may or may not have originated with St. Paul. It is strikingly similar to Revelation 4:11 which the creatures in heaven are singing, so it’s probably a good idea to get used to it while still here on earth! Paul sings and asks us to sing with him. His “song” of verses 15-20 is actually the last of three movements in Paul’s Christian concerto and forms... Read more
3 John In 3 John, the apostle of love repeats his theme of love in truth and love of truth. For John, love = truth and truth = love. In 3 John, this equation is manifest as in 2 John, only this time instead of being spoken of as true of a church, John portrays the love that is true in an individual, Gaius. Just as St. John loved the Elect Lady in truth in 2 John, so he also... Read more
2 John 2 John is a love letter to a very mysterious lady from the apostle of love, St. John. This lady is, first of all, elect. She has been chosen by God to belong to Him and to walk in His ways all the days of her life. This lady evidently has children, and this lady’s children have been walking in the truth. She is loved by John, who also loves her children. John tells us that she has... Read more
Philemon What a delight to get to read Philemon. When left to our own devices, how many of us pick up the Bible one morning and say, “Hmmmm. I think I’ll read the book of Philemon today!”? But I’m glad to be able to read it this morning and that our lectionary plan to read through the entire Bible has led us to Philemon today. In this one-chapter book, we see a picture of the radical command to love that... Read more
Titus 3 Well, Paul’s done it to us again. He’s returned to one of his favorite themes, but one that is sometimes contentious for us: good works. The twin themes of the importance of teaching the apostolic truth and living by good works are here in Titus 3 once more. Still reeling from the battles over justification and good works that occurred in the sixteenth centuries, many Protestants are very suspicious when good works enter into any discussion of the... Read more
Titus 2 See? I told you God’s high standards applied to you and not just to bishops and deacons! Titus 2 also reminds us that even though the ordained clergy have a very special commission to guard the Word and teach the truth, that doesn’t let other Christians off the hook. All members of Christ’s body are ministers. From where are godly church leaders going to emerge? From a godly church, filled with godly members, young and old, male and... Read more
Titus 1 In a few short verses in Titus, St. Paul establishes the foundation for a good church. Though his commandments to Titus are not comprehensive, they do give us a crucial and fascinating insight into both the first century Church and into what Paul considered most important. The two most essential points may be summarized by saying that Paul believed and taught that the apostolic teaching and the apostolic ministry were utterly dependent on each other and that together... Read more
2 Timothy 4:9-22 Because of the extraordinary ministry and character of St. Paul, it is possible at times to get the impression that Paul was in the ministry alone. But when you read passages like 2 Timothy 4:9ff, you realize how many co-laborers in the faith Paul really had. Of these, Timothy himself was probably the most important (at this stage of Paul’s ministry), but Titus, another important church leader is mentioned, as are the famous Prisca and Aquila. In... Read more
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Wednesday Trinity 23 – Colossians 2:6-19
Colossians 2:6-19 “God is absolutely sovereign, and man is accountable before Him.” This is such a major theme of the Bible that it appears in just about every nook and cranny of God’s revelation. It’s an important truth to keep in mind as we look at baptism this morning. Baptism is, first of all, the work and initiative of God. It is a sign and seal of the good work He has done in us, and not primarily a sign... Read more