The Apostle Paul’s Letter to the Colossians

This is my journaling commentary of Colossians each day in 2024, all 4 chapters, 95 verses, 1,998 words. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the English Standard Version.

INTRODUCTION

Paul, the apostle, wrote Colossians sometime during or around 61 AD while he was a prisoner in Rome. The main theme is Christ’s supremacy over all things and it was written at least partially due to heresy being taught in the church at Colossae.

Like all of Paul’s epistles, Christian conduct is taught to instruct the new convert on how to live out their faith in Christ. One of the key verses in this regard is 3:2, “Set your minds on things above, not on the things that are on the earth.”

January

Chapter 1, Verse 1, “Paul, and apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,”

January 1

Chapter 1, Verse 1, In most of the pastoral epistles, Paul introduced himself as an apostle. ἀπόστολος, apostolos, “an apostle,” generally means a messenger or one sent on a mission. It the New Testament, it refers to one of the eyewitness followers of Christ who he sent out with the gospel before his return to heaven–the eleven disciples (Matthew 28:18-20) Those men were sent to the Jews with the gospel message. Paul, on the other hand, was an enemy of Jesus (Acts 8). God knocked him to his knees and changed his heart, saved his soul, and sent him with the gospel to Gentiles (Acts 9:3-22). Paul’s call was explained in Acts 22:6-21, where a man named Ananias who had been told by God to go help Paul, stated that Paul had been appointed προεχειρίσατό, proecheirisato, to take the gospel to “everyone” including Gentiles. Paul referred to his call from God as “one untimely born” (I Corinthians 15:8) because his call came after the others who were also call apostles/disciples.

January 2

Chapter 1, Verse 1, con’t, “Paul, and apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,” διὰθε λήματος Θεοῦ, dia thelēmatos Theou, “by [the] will of God,” the preposition by in this verse clearly means “on account of” or “as the result of” pointing to the fact that Paul was not serving God just because he decided to do it. No, this was the act of someone else’s decision, namely, God. The word for will is almost always used in reference to God describing his desire for something to happen. An antinomy is present here, that is, two well established truths that seemingly should not or cannot coexist. The first is the sovereign will of God that is never subjugated or changed by man and, second, the human responsibility of man to make a decision. God called Paul who then had to decide whether or not to follow. The will of God always wins out, but man is still responsible for his own decisions and their consequences.

January 3

Chapter 1, Verse 1, con’t, “Paul, and apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,”

The Greek New Testament simply says, “Timothy the brother.” But there is much more here than just a mere statement of fact. They spent roughly twenty years together with the elder pouring himself into the younger that he might become a might leader himself. Timothy had both Jewish (his mother) and Greek (his father) heritage, much like Paul himself. He likely grew up with the same sort of cultural training and ideas as Paul. They met during Paul’s second missionary journey. Timothy became one of his closest friends, confidants, and likely, his most astute student. Paul sent him to Corinth to give that church instruction concerning Christlikeness. He planned on sending him to Philippi (Philippians 2;19) and they ministered together in Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:2). I believe the best evidence of the close bond and Timothy’s great faith is found in Philippians 2:19-20, “I hope to send Timothy to you soon. . .For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.”

January 4

Chapter 1, Verse 2, “to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: grace to you and peace from God our Father.”

ἁγίοις, hagios, “saints,” the general meaning of this word is “holy” and its part of speech is adjective as in holy ones, although much of the time it stands as a noun as it does here. Paul is using it in this context to mean “those set apart by (for) God. This number includes all the believers in Colossae, just as every believer across time is a saint. Sainthood is not a rank of Christian to be rewarded by any man or ecclesiological council but, rather, it is the standing of every born again person who has placed their faith in Jesus. When we trust Christ as Savior and Lord, we are indwelled by his Spirit and thus made holy or set apart by God and considered most special by him. It is the greatest of human privileges and comes with great responsibility.

January 5

Chapter 1, Verse 2, con’t, “to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: grace to you and peace from God our Father.”

I suppose the first question should be what is the difference between saints and faithful brothers? The difference is standing and function, who they are in Christ and what they do in Christ. The are saints because they are saved and the expected result is that they live a faithful life. πιστοῖς ἀδελφοῖς, pistois adelphois, “faithful brothers,” is a significant designation; you could even call it a title. To be faithful means to believe and act on it, to be reliable, and trustworthy. A faithful Christian believer is not one who just hears the word and believes it in their mind, they put shoes to it and live it out before others (James 1:22) A Christian brother is one who is part of a community of faith, who shows up regularly, gives generously, prays constantly, and locks arms with others to be sure kingdom work is carried out in a local church.

January 6

Chapter 1, Verse 2, con’t, “to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: grace to you and peace from God our Father.”

ἐν Χριστῷ, en Christō, “in Christ;” for the true believer in Jesus this should not be hard to understand. Generally speaking, to be in something means to be part of it, among the parts, and/or in the realm of, hence, operation from within its ranks. And so it is for born again Christians. When a person accepts Jesus, who is the Christ, as Savior and Lord, Holy Spirit makes that person alive in Christ, indwelling his/her spirit and beginning a lifelong journey together that does not end. When God indwells, he begins to mold character and conduct. Believers begin to understand the presence of God in their lives and experience life differently than they did before being saved. It changes the understanding of hope, view of the world, and expectation about the future. Focus changes from self to God.

January 7

Chapter 1, Verse 2, con’t, “to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: grace to you and peace from God our Father.”

Χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη, Charis hymin kai eirēnē, “grace to you and peace,” this is one of Paul’s favorite greetings and really should be for all believers to each other. From Paul, it is an expression of love and tender care. Grace is favor extended toward man from God, his inclination to freely share himself without regard to human conduct. God has extended himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ to save us from our sin and bless us because that is part of his nature. The love of God that reaches us through his grace is unbounded, immeasurable, and never ending. Once grace invades the heart of man, change happens. If change does not occur, grace was not applied. When we walk in grace, we become inclined toward others, especially other believers. And then we desire to be in a community, that is, church. Church helps us dig deep and reach wide to share grace with the world.

January 8

Chapter 1, Verse 2, con’t, “to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: grace to you and peace from God our Father.”

ἀπὸ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς ἡμῶν, apo Theou Patros hēmōn, “from God [the] Father of us;” long before the New Testament was written, theos as used here was the general, popular term used when referring to the supreme being who created, sustains, and owns the universe and everything in it. The idea of God was not new in Paul’s day; the question remained, who is the real God. Paul, and others, set out to teach the unbelieving world, both Jew and Gentile, that the God of the Old Testament and Jesus Christ are one and the same. And in his description/designation here, he portrays God as very personal, our Father. While this is the normal word to describe a father, one who imparts life, Paul’s connection makes it clear that our God is responsible for and behind all life and everything that happens around us. He is Yahweh of the Old Testament and Christ in the New Testament.

January 9

Chapter 1, Verse 3, “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ when we pray for you.”

Εὐχαριστοῦμεν, Eucharistoumen, “we give thanks;” Paul used this word phrase some sixteen times in his epistles with no pretense at all. He was extremely thankful for all God had done in his life, especially for the people who helped him accomplish so much for the kingdom. The word itself is interesting in that it is a compound joining , Εὐ, eu, “good,” and χαρισ, charis, “grace.” I think of it like this: anytime grace shows up, there is something good to be thankful for. Thankful hearts, at least where God is recognized as the creator and sustainer of all things, produce good works that in turn bring praise to God. The first question and answer of the Westminster Shorter Catechism is: What is the chief end of man? Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. This is why we should always be thankful.

January 10

Chapter 1, Verse 3, con’t, “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ when we pray for you.”

The entire premise for our theology is in this part of verse 3. From The Greek text, it reads, “We give thanks to the God and Father of the Lord of us Jesus Christ. The godhead itself is both complex and simple at the same time. Θεῷ, Theo, God, in the New Testament is YHWH (LORD) in the Old Testament who created everything from nothing. John 1:1-5 tells us clearly that Jesus is this same God. Πατρὶ, Patri, “Father,” lets us know there is a loving kinship in the godhead. In John 5:19-28, Jesus himself declared he only acted under the authority of the Father. I cannot wrap my mind around this great mystery. The three-fold title of the Savior given here could easily read, “Lord Jesus who is the Christ.” He is all at once Lord, the master of all things, Jesus, the God man who came to save us from our sin, and Christ, his title which means anointed one. The great creator God came to earth to be our Savior. What a God we serve.

January 11

Chapter 1, Verse 3, con’t, “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ when we pray for you.”

πάντοτε περὶ ὑμῶν προσευχόμενοι, pantote, peri hymōn proseuchomenoi, “continually for you praying;” Prayer is always right. Or, it could be said, it is never wrong to pray. This word, from προσ, pros, “toward,” and εὔχομαι, euchomai, “to wish,” or more properly to “offer a request,” is always directed toward God and is used over 80 times in the New Testament. Paul believed in prayer. So much so, we find him praying over people and circumstances in all his epistles to churches and people. Here, the real key to utilizing prayer in life is found in pantote, continually. He addresses the importance of prayer in 2 Thessalonians 5:17, where he says, “pray without ceasing.” Unceasing prayer is a mindset. It means no space between prayers. The idea is that we are to always be mindful of God’s presence so that we constantly interact with him through our prayer life. Prayer is like an anchor keeping us close to God and reminding us we are completely connected to him all the time.

January 12

Chapter 1, Verse 4, “since we heard of our faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints.”

ἀκούσαντες τὴν πίστιν ὑμῶν, akousantes tēn pistin hymōn, “haivng heard of the faith of you.” It is safe to say that people of faith get talked about frequently, especially where their faith is being lived out on a daily basis. The Colossian fellowship was not just a church who got together for worship; they were a group of believers who acted on their faith (James 1:22). When multiple people are sharing their faith and seeking to meet others needs, it become infectious in a community and word spreads. This always happens where true faith is present. What is true faith in Christ? It is the living hope that causes a believer to dig into the Bible to know more about God and, in turn, share the truth discovered with those who do not know Jesus. In the power of the Holy Spirit, this is how real kingdom work gets done.

January 13

Chapter 1, Verse 4, con’t, “since we heard of our faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints.”

Apart from anger, love is the most often expressed human emotion. We hear it all the time. “I love you,” “I love him, “I love her.” “I love meatballs.” It seems that at some point, we love everything. Of course, much of the time, love is used for like, and many times as an expression of lust which is not love at all. Here, Paul uses a form of ἀγάπη, agapé, that focuses on a strong moral preference. It the New Testament, it usually refers to divine love; that is, the love that God prefers and the kind of love he expressed to mankind when Jesus gave himself for our sin. That sort of sacrificial love is how we are supposed to love each other, being willing to vive of ourselves for the benefit of others. In other words, we prefer their welfare over our own. This is how the Colossians love each other and exactly how the church should love. “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:35).

January 14

Chapter 1, Verse 5, “because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of truth, the gospel,”

ἐλπίδα, elpida, “hope,” live love, is an often misunderstood concept. Hope that is real is only found in God and it is only knowable by those who are in relationship with Jesus. Hope that is expressed in the world, by someone who does not know God, is simply a person reaching out to nothing expecting something in return. That is merely a wish, a mental picture of what might come to pass on its own. Hope in God is entirely different. A believers hope is ground in their trust in God, knowing he always wants what is best for his children (John 10:10). This sort of hope has confidence built into it, an expectation of what is certain to happen. While expressing hope in a specific prayer to God does not guarantee the outcome hoped for, the beauty of such hope is that we know God hears us and he will answer according to his perfect will.

January 15

Chapter 1, Verse 5, con’t, “because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of truth, the gospel,”

ἀποκειμένην, apokeimenēn, “being laid up,” is, in my understanding, an otherworldly enterprise. It is certainly not something we can see because it is happening in heaven. I am just as certain it is not something we can fully understand because we have no part it it. In John 14:1, Jesus told the disciples they should not be troubled in their hearts (lack of hope), and that they should believe in him just as they believed in the God of the Old Testament. In 14:2-4, he told them he was going to prepare a place for them and that while they could not join him immediately, he would come back later and take them to that place. This is how I understand Colossians 1:5. I have an absolutely certain expectation, hope, living hope, that Jesus is doing and has done all that is necessary to turn my hope for the future into a present reality. I cannot begin to understand it, but because my hope is in him, I fully believe it.

January 16

Chapter 1, Verse 5, con’t, “because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of truth, the gospel,”

What is it that they had heard of before? Why, of course, it is hope. And there did they hear it? ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῆς ἀληθείας, en tō logō tēs alētheias, “in the word of truth.” This is, of course, referring directly to the gospel. But is there more? I believe so. The word of truth is comprised of the whole body of God’s word we call the Bible. In Paul’s time, the churches were directly receiving these letters he wrote in addition to the four gospels, but hey already had the Old Testament as their guide. Even after all the individual books of the Bible were assembled, reviewed, recognized, and accepted as authentic, a fair and honest appraisal of the Bible always reveals the central message is the Messiah, Jesus, and his message that all who come to him in repentance and faith will be saved, hence, the gospel message. That is the truth. The word of truth trumps all other ideas and claims about God and how to know him.

January 17

Chapter 1, Verse 5, con’t, “because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of truth, the gospel,”

τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, tou euangeliou, “the gospel;” For every human being, the is the most important concept to learn during their lifetime, and, the earlier the better. Why? Without it, there is no hope beyond this life. The Greek word means “good news” and that is what it is for everyone who hears and believes. So, what is the message of the gospel? Paul, when writing to the church at Corinth, made it clear, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Jesus, God in flesh, born of a virgin, lived a perfectly sinless life, died nailed to a cross paying the debt for our sin, was buried, and rose for the dead after three days defeating death, hell, and the grave. If we believe it and receive him into our lives by faith with repentance, we are given eternal life and the promise of heaven. That is what the gospel is and does for all who believe.

January 18

Chapter 1, Verse 6, “which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing–as it also does among you since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth,”

 τοῦ παρόντος εἰς ὑμᾶς, tou parontos eis hymas, “the [one] being present unto you,” Paul makes it clear that the gospel is now constantly present in the lives of the believers. While the raw meaning of parontos is “to sit constantly beside,” the idea Paul is fostering is that once these people heard, understood, and accepted the gospel of Christ into their hearts, it became intrinsically intertwined into their everyday existence. That is exactly the way all believers of all time should live. When the gospel is imparted and accepted by faith, changing the heart of the believer, the effect is lasting and contagious. It spreads throughout every part of our life, changing the way we think, affecting our words and actions, and, hopefully impacting the world around us.

January 19

Chapter 1, Verse 6, “which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing–as it also does among you since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth,”

Jesus originally appointed twelve men, then seventy more to tell others about him. As he ministered, and they traveled to cities with his message, more and more heard and believed. When Paul wrote this, a mere sixty years had passed and yet the whole world, that is, every part of the world they knew anything about, was hearing the good news of the gospel. When the true gospel goes out, two things happen. καρποφορούμενον καὶ αὐξανόμενον, karpophoroumenon kai αὐξανόμενον, “it is bearing fruit and increasing.” Bearing fruit refers to reproducing. Think about it. A fruit tree does not bear one and done. It produces the same fruit over and over. That should be the testimony of every believer. When this happens, the size of the fruit population increases. That is what this means and is its intention–to grow in size. The depth of learning in a church is vitally important. But, without new believers, the church misses the whole point of it existence. Winning the lost is job one.

January 20

Chapter 1, Verse 6, “which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing–as it also does among you since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth,”

Now, the apostle turns back to the church at Colossae. And he does so with good reason, anticipating their failure to realize that inside the church family there are always well intentioned members who are not saved. Certainly, spiritual growth is important, but first there must be true spiritual birth. Many pastors, like myself, are criticized for preaching the gospel week after week and year after year to many of the same people. The question begs itself, why do it? They are attending, listening, participating, and offering worship. We do it because we recognize that where no spiritual growth is occurring, it is likely there is no spiritual presence. As Paul well stated, when the gospel is preached and Christ is accepted, it bears fruit. Bearing fruit is the outward evidence that a spiritual birth has happened. Such birth gives rise to desire for personal growth and desire to see others come to faith in Christ. Without this kind of preaching, churches die.

January 21

Chapter 1, Verse 6, “which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing–as it also does among you since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth,“

ἠκούσατε καὶ ἐπέγνωτε, ēkousate kai epegnōte, “you heard and knew.” In Romans 10:9, Paul wrote, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” When a person hears the truth about Jesus in the core of their being (what we refer to as the heart), and it so affects them that they come to know it is truth, that knowledge of the divine should always bring the confession that leads to salvation. Many hear and do not understand because they simply do not believe in the God of the bible. The bible call that person a fool, one who is corrupt (Psalm 14:1). Is it any wonder that society is operating in open chaos? The word has rejected the grace of God in truth opting, instead, for lies that supply a modicum of happiness for a moment. Only the promises of God an satisfy the human soul and bring peace in the midst of the chaos.

January 22

Chapter 1, Verse 7, “just as you learned in from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful servant of Christ on hour behalf.”

Epaphras seem to have spent time in prison with Paul in Rome (Philemon 1:23). It is possible that this name is a shortened form of Epaphroditus mentioned in Philippians, although there is no direct evidence. Regardless, two things stand out about him in this verse. ἀγαπητοῦ συνδούλου, agapētou syndoulou, “beloved fellow bond-servant,” lets us know that Paul thought very highly of him and considered him a true follower of Christ, In fact, Paul used the term to mean “belonging to the same master.” The call of God to minister the gospel ruled every part of their lives. πιστὸς. . .διάκονος, pistos. . .diakonos, “faithful minister,” clearly means he was dedicated to help the believers at Colossae come to a clear understanding of God in their lives. Diakonos is the word we often translate as deacon. While some regard this to be a church office that rules, it is, in fact, a man who serves the church like a waiter of tables. Their interest was helping, not ruling, and so should it always be.

January 23

Chapter 1, Verse 8, “and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.”

This verse is a summary of verses three through seven. Epaphras had apparently returned to Rome (he could have written a follow up letter to Paul in prison) with his report about the church. His report was thus: ὑμῶν ἀγάπην ἐν Πνεύματι, hymōn agapēn en Pneumati, “your love in [the] Spirit.” No greater report has ever been given about a church. The love of God, agapé love, was ever present in their lives and moving outward into their city causing others to see the love of God in action. And, that love was clearly being manifested in the Spirit. This designation of Spirit is both personal and powerful. The Holy Spirit, God moving in their lives, was the driving force causing all the growth to happen. Real church growth, that which always draws people closer to Christ, only happens when the Spirit brings unity of purpose. In this, lived are changed eternally.

January 24

Chapter 1, Verse 9, “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”

Paul knew these people needed a lot of prayer. The ESV says, “And so.” In Greek, it is, “Because of this.” Because of what? The exuberance for the presence of God in their lives was creating a strong fellowship with many new converts. The enemy always shows up–in and outside the church–when this happens. Notice Paul did not simply say, “We will pray for you” as many do and never follow through. He said, we have not ceased to pray.” Paul, and those in his immediate circle, knew what they faced and determined to keep the prayers going on their behalf. This is the “secret sauce” of success in a local church. Certainly, growth as lives are changed by the gospel is the outward proof of success. But behind it all is an army of prayer warriors seeking God’s power and protection over and for the church as it continues to do its work for the kingdom.

January 25

Chapter 1, Verse 9, con’t, “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”

ἵνα πληρωθῆτε, hina plērōthēte, hina plerothete, “that you may be filled;” running on empty is risky and sometimes dangerous. Mechanically, it can leave your stranded. Physically, it can cause weakness and a blurred mind. And spiritually, which is what Paul is addressing here, it can leave you vulnerable to attacks from evil and unable to make wise and informed decisions. Paul is urging believers to be filled up with God’s spirit. When we work to that end, we crowd out more and more of the world’s evil. In Ephesians 5:8, Paul said to be “filled with the Spirit.” Using another form of the same word, he was telling believers to continually be filled with the Spirit–on a daily basis. When Christians struggle with life, that is, making good decisions and avoiding worldly gratification, it is likely because the are not in the word and not allowing the Holy Spirit to fill them with the good things that coming only from God.

January 26

Chapter 1, Verse 9, con’t, “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”

ἐπίγνωσιν, epignōsin, “knowledge,” and θελήματος, thelēmatos, “will,” are crucial elements for a believer when used together in this context. Knowledge can be gained by simply reading books to learn about a particular idea, but learning is limited when we believe that is all there is to it. Learning facts must be accompanied by personal perception–experience, discernment, recognition, and even intuition. Facts in a vacuum are useless. A person’s individual context determines how they view what they learn. When you add to that “his will,” that is an entirely different matter. Now it is not only knowing something, it is knowing something about God. And, again, real knowing comes through personal perception. In this context, it is how you interact with God. Of course, it begins with a personal relationship through faith in Jesus. But then it grows through his word and his Spirit teaching you as a believer how to conduct yourself and what to do with your life.

January 27

Chapter 1, Verse 9, con’t, “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”

Generally speaking, knowledge is about information gained after studying a subject. Wisdom addresses the idea of how to use that knowledge. Here, πνευματικῇ, pneumatikē, “spiritual,” is connected to both σοφίᾳ, sophia, “wisdom,” and συνέσει, synesei, “understanding.” Since wisdom has to do with application of what is known, that is, exercising good judgment or having insight into a matter, the context determines whether wisdom is based on purely human discovery or that which comes from God. Clearly, the later is in view here. In Ephesians 2:15, when Paul wrote, “rightly handling the word of truth,” he was addressing the issue of knowing in order to be wise. In Psalm 110:10, we are told, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Taken together, we can understand true wisdom comes to us when we gain the knowledge that comes what God has said in his word and then apply it to our lives under the guidance of his spirit, all the while respecting God for who he is.

January 28

Chapter 1, Verse 9, con’t, “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”

συνέσει πνευματικῇ, synesei pneumatikē, “understanding spiritual;” as earlier, spiritual modifies both wisdom and understanding in this verse. Where wisdom is what is produced when knowledge is carefully considered to make good decisions. Understanding is the process of putting it all together. It is a matter of “connecting the dots.” We gain knowledge daily, at least we should. If we are a thoughtful spirit-filled Christian, we make good decisions based on. . .understanding, joining all the facts together to achieve comprehension. In Ephesians 3:1-4, Paul wrote about the mystery of Christ being revealed to generations of believers so that they could understand how Gentiles and Jews were both partakers of God’s truth and grace. In verse 3, he said, “you can perceive my insight.” Perceive is the same word for understanding. What we perceive a thing to be is what it is to us. This is because our perceptions are true in our mind even if it is a false perception. That is why it is important to have our knowledge guided by the Spirit to give us godly wisdom and the ability to perceive the world as it really is.

January 29

Chapter 1, Verse 10, “so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”

περιπατῆσαι ἀξίως, peripatēsai axiōs, “to walk worthily.” In the Old Testament, after Moses shared the ten commandments with Israel, he said, “you shall walk in all the way the Lord has commanded you” (Deuteronomy 5:33). The Old Testament word for walk, הָלַךְ, halak, in this context, meant “you will conduct your life” according to God’s will. Here, in verse 10, the same idea is present. We are to conduct ourselves as we go about our lives, making decisions for ourselves and our families, in a manner worthy of God. Can I live my life in a manner that rises to the level of God’s expectation and approval? Not really. That sort of narrow understanding is not Paul’s intent. He means for us to live the best we can with what we have in a way that is fitting with what we believe is God’s will for our lives. With all our mistakes and shortcomings, God just wants us to do our best–our best to understand his will and our best to carry it out. The good news is he is always here to help us and will never leave us on our own.

January 30

Chapter 1, Verse 10, con’t, “so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”

ἀρεσκείαν, areskeian, “pleasing,” this noun form only appears here and is a form of the verb ἀρέσκω, areskó, “to please.” The idea here is to be of service to someone and to do it willingly; that is, with desire of the heart. The question arises, then, is it possible to please God? The answer is certainly yes. Paul would not have suggested doing so if it was not possible. How do we please God? First things first–we must begin by coming into relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. Hebrews 11 is commonly referred to as the “hall of faith.” Verse 6 states, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” If there is a formula, here it is. First comes faith, being saved. Then you get close to God–draw near–in the word and in prayer. And finally, you seek him by daily making sure you follow his will for your life so that your conduct reflects your relationship to him. That sort of life produces results for the kingdom.

January 31

Chapter 1, Verse 10, con’t, “so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”

If we are walking worthily and pleasing God, as already noted, the expected result will be καρποφοροῦντες, karpophorountes, “bringing forth fruit.” The original word means to be fertile. The implication is life must be present. And where there is life, the natural inclination is to reproduce from oneself. ἔργῳ ἀγαθῷ, ergō agathō, “work good,” or good work, means to accomplish a task that is by its very nature good. Real goodness only happens in life as the result of a living relationship with God. So what we are talking about here is a believer who is already inclined toward God; one who has an attitude of pleasing God, making an effort to reach out to others in order to grow the kingdom. Such good works may be intended to win the lost or to build up the lives of other believers. Living a good life, then, involves, by its very nature, doing good for others to bring glory to Jesus.