Christ in Colossians Ch 1 part 2

 

I thought it would be cool to go through Colossians and point out what Paul says about the Lord Jesus Christ. Or, as I call it, The Christ of Colossians. Since this is a blog and not a book, I cannot provide a detailed study, instead I will highlight and briefly explain the passages which speak of Christ. I will be using the KJV and the English Majority Text Version (marked in this color).

Chapter 1 (part 2)

1:19  For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell

For it pleased the Father that all the fullness should dwell in Him.

Wow! We will read in chapter 2 what “the fullness” is, but for now let me just say, whatever “the fullness” is, it was all, all of it, in Christ.

1:20  And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, whether things in earth, or things in heaven.

We saw in v 14 that we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. Here we see that he made peace through the blood of his cross. Peace? With who? With God. How do I know that? Because by the blood of his cross he has reconciled all things to himself. He redeems us, he reconciles us. By his blood.

1:21  And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

He explains what it means to be reconciled: We were alienated from God; we were enemies of God; yet now, by the blood of his cross, he has reconciled us, restored us to the Father. But, please read that sentence again. I ended my last sentence with a period, but this verse does not end with a period. No the sentence continues:

1:22  In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

He reconciled us in the body of his flesh through death. This is the cross. Where Jesus was crucified. Where he shed his precious blood for us. We are redeemed by his blood. We are forgiven by his blood. We are reconciled by his precious blood. The cross is so beautiful to us, so powerful. I can never get past the cross. Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God, the one in whom all fullness dwelt, the Creator and sustainer of all things, died on the cross for me, that I might be reconciled to God; that he might present me to the Father holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight. Amen!

1:23  If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel…

That’s my plan, man. 53 years ago this month I trusted Jesus with my life. I still believe he is the Christ, the Son of God, who was crucified, died, and was buried, and that on the third day he rose again from the dead. I am continuing in the faith, I am not moved away from the hope of the gospel. Is this about me? How faithful and wonderful I am. Ha! I repeat, Ha! It’s not me. Jesus is my Savior.

1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Back in the day, God dwelt among the Israelites in the tabernacle. As it is written, He shall dwell with thee, even among you, in that place which he shall choose in one of thy gates (Deuteronomy 23:16). Now we Gentiles have this hope of glory, Christ in us. In each one of us, and in our gathering together. 

Everything is Jesus. The fullness is in him. He has redeemed and reconciled us by his blood. He is our hope of glory. All hail King Jesus!

The blood that Jesus shed for me

Way back on Calvary

The blood that gives me strength

From day to day

It will never lose its power 

It reaches to the highest mountain

It flows to the lowest valley

The blood that gives me strength

From day to day

It will never lose its power 

Andraé Crouch, 1962

The Christ of Colossians chapter 1

 

Since this is a blog and not a book, I cannot provide a detailed study, instead I will highlight and briefly explain the passages which speak of Christ. I will be using the KJV and the English Majority Text Version (marked in this color).

Chapter 1

1:2  Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1:3  We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ

v 3 or a more literal translation, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ

This tells us very clearly that God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ are separate and distinct persons. And, that God is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. We mustn’t confuse them. This also tells us that Jesus is both Lord and Christ. This of course is the essence of the Christian faith.

1:13  Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated [us] into the kingdom of his dear Son:

Literally, into the kingdom of the Son of his love. As I already pointed out, God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ are separate and distinct persons. What is their relationship? God is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Lord Jesus Christ is his Son. As the Father testified of Jesus, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

1:14  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins:

Christ is our Redeemer. How did he redeem us? Through his blood. He died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. What is redemption? The forgiveness of sins. It is the blood of Christ, shed on the tree, that secures our pardon, our forgiveness, our redemption.

1:15  Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 

Wow! This is the deep end of the pool!

Image of the invisible God – we get our word icon from the Greek word for image. In Hebrews 1:3 we read, Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person.

The brightness of his glory – This is almost overwhelming. The Son shines with all the glory of God because the Son is the glory of God!

The express image of his person

express image - the exact expression (the image) of any person or thing, in every respect

person - The being or essence of God; his substance. This is reflected in the Creed

We believe in God the Father Almighty…

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God,

begotten of the Father before all worlds,

Light of Light, very God of very God,

begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father;

the firstborn of every creature - the firstborn of all creation is a better translation. There are people who misunderstand this verse to be teaching that the Son was the first thing the Father created. No. First, no creature could possibly be the express image of his person. Second, no creature could ever be the brightness of His glory. Third, the following verses completely dispel that heresy. 

So what does it mean? It signifies his preeminence and authority over creation as its Creator. As Athanasius (AD 373) wrote:

“he was called “Firstborn” because in him the creation came to be; and as before the creation he was the Son, through whom was the creation, so also before he was called the Firstborn of the whole creation, the Word himself was with God and the Word was God. If then the Word also was one of the creatures, Scripture would have said of him that he was Firstborn of other creatures; but in fact, “Firstborn of the whole creation” demonstrates that the Son of God is other than the whole creation and not a creature.”

1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

1:17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Christ is the Creator. He created all things, that is, everything that is created was created by him. He cannot be both created and creator. Let’s read on, all things were created by and for him; he is before all things, and by him all things consist!! In other words, All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:3) He is indeed the firstborn of all creation: he is before all things, created all things, holds it all together.

1:18  And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

This is His relationship to the Church – He is the head, the church is His body. What does he is the beginning mean? the next phrase, the firstborn to rise from the dead. He was the first to rise from the dead, he is the guarantee of our resurrection, He is Lord of resurrection. He has the preeminence in creation and the new creation. There is no one like our Jesus! He is the Son of God. He is the Christ. He is the Savior. He is the glory of God the Father!

This is just the first 18 verses of chapter 1! I will continue to look through chapter 1 in my next post.*

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty 

Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God,

begotten of the Father before all worlds,

Light of Light, very God of very God,

begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father;

by whom all things were made;

Nicene Creed

 

*We are in Washington D.C. for the week, I will do my best to keep on schedule.

Some thoughts on the kingdom of God

 

I am blessed to be to be the chapel speaker for CHESS. We’re in the Sermon on the Mount, chapter 6, in a section that climaxes with, But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. This naturally led me to ask, What is the kingdom of God? Here is the simple answer.

+ The kingdom of God was promised and prophesied throughout the Old Testament. The promise was, Messiah is coming, and with him the salvation of God. This is the gospel, the promised Messiah has come and brought the kingdom. this is the Christ -- Jesus whom I proclaim to you. (Acts 17:3 YLT)

+ The simplest way to define the kingdom is found in the word itself; kingdom. Let me explain it visually: KINGdom. This is where God rules. Where God rules is salvation. Wherever the king is, there is the kingdom. Oh yeah, Jesus is the King.

Luke 1:32-33 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

+ New Testament definitions of the kingdom

Luke 1:74-75 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost

1 Corinthians 4:20  For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.

+ The kingdom of God is

Spiritual

Luke 17:20-21 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Physical

Isaiah 11:4-9

4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 

7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.

9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

Political

Revelation 11:15 The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

+ The kingdom of God deals with

Sin

Matthew 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Satan

1 John 3:8 For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Death

Hebrews 2:14-15 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Creation

Romans 8:19-22 (NKJV)

19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 

20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 

21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.

This is good news indeed. This is just the outline. If we fill this out we would have the New Testament!

Operation Epic Fury - Beginning of the end?

 

“U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) commenced Operation Epic Fury, Feb. 28, at the direction of the President of the United States. U.S. and partner forces began striking targets at 1:15 am ET to dismantle the Iranian regime's security apparatus, prioritizing locations that posed an imminent threat.” ¹

This is what I woke up to Saturday morning. I’ve been following and praying about this since then. While I have read several good posts about what was going on and why, this morning was the first time I saw a post asking if this was the fulfillment of biblical prophecy. That kind of surprised me. I want to ask,

Is this the fulfillment of biblical prophecy? Is this the beginning of the end?

Prepare yourself, here’s my answer…I don’t know.

We have to understand that not every event in the Middle East is the fulfillment of prophecy. It is a volatile region of the world – stuff is happening all the time, but not every event marks the end of the world.

Even though I haven’t seen anyone claiming this is the beginning of Gog and Magog, why is it that Christians so often react to events like this as if they are the fulfillment of prophecy and that the end is upon us? I think it’s because we are so eager for Christ to return that we become overzealous. It’s silly, and foolish, and harmful. You can only “cry wolf” so many times. As we all know, we are already mocked when we claim “this is the beginning of the end.”

Here is another reason some Christians are so focused on events in the Middle East – this is the part of the world and the players who will be involved in end time events. The first advent took place here. So will the second. This is genuinely a hot spot!

Here’s the reason why I am especially interested: I believe in the restoration and salvation of Israel. I believe this is God’s promise to them. Consequently, I believe their return to the land is fulfillment of prophecy. For this conviction I have been called a Zionist. I googled, zionism meaning. This is what I received:

AI Overview

In simple terms, Zionism is a nationalist movement that supports the development and protection of a Jewish homeland in the historic Land of Israel (Palestine), aiming for Jewish self-determination and a safe haven, stemming from a deep connection to the land and centuries of persecution, leading to the creation of modern-day Israel. It's about the right of the Jewish people to have their own state and sovereignty in their ancestral territory, driven by cultural, religious, and political aspirations for security and self-governance. 

I suppose that makes me a Zionist. I believe that according to His promises and purposes God is restoring Israel. This does not mean I automatically agree with everything Israel does. In addition, I recognize they are in the land in unbelief, there is a still a deep work of God to be done in them. What it does mean is I believe God has promised to return them to the land and to restore them to Himself, and that all Israel shall be saved. ²

Finally, I believe Christians should be eagerly anticipating the return of Jesus Christ to set up his kingdom on the earth. We should be prepared for his return:  Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.³ But we must be aware of and prepared for the time of great trial and tribulation preceding his return. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.⁴

Is Operation Epic Fury the beginning of the end? I don’t know.

Is this area of the world a part of end times biblical prophecy? I believe so.

Is the Lord Jesus Christ coming again in power and glory? This I know so.

How should we respond to all this?

My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. ⁵

  

¹ USCENTCOM Press Release | Feb. 28, 2026

² Romans 11:26

³ 2 Peter 3:14

⁴ Matthew 24:13

⁵ Psalm 62:5-8

Radiation: A little humor and a praise

 

In July of 2020 I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. My PSA was 43 and my prostate was greatly enlarged. The doctor prescribed treatment was Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT: to remove testosterone from my system) and radiation. I was sent to Dr. William Bobo at Rock Hill Radiation Therapy Center for 43 radiation treatments, 5 days a week, for 8 weeks. I’ve never been told this, but I’m pretty sure I have received my lifetime limit of radiation. (I was full of anxiety at the thought of this, and I confess, even though that is not me in the photo, I can feel the anxiety once more.)

My treatments were always in the morning. I would park a mile away and walk to the center. They wanted my bladder full for the treatments, so I always barely made it. The walk back was rough - many times I was basically crawling back to my Jeep.

The Humor

Every Tuesday Dr. Bobo would meet with me and ask how I was doing and if I had any questions. One time I did actually have a question, something I’d been pondering.

“How long after each treatment am I radioactive?”

He laughed. “You’re not. It dissipates immediately.”

The Praise

The Radiation Therapy Center took Thursday and Friday off for Thanksgiving, and switched my treatments to the Saturday and Sunday before Thanksgiving. I went for my treatment Sunday morning and then on to church. As I mentioned, I was often wiped out after a treatment, that morning especially so. Oh, I was feeling bad! We were attending an Anglican Church (ACNA) then, Church of the Resurrection (now called Resurrection Church). They had communion every Sunday. We would walk up front and kneel down to receive the elements. Pastor Pat May was serving the bread, "The Body of Christ, the bread of heaven"; Jean Roach, our deaconess, was serving the cup, "The Blood of Christ, the cup of salvation".

After I drank from the cup, she started to move on to the next person, but stopped and came back to me. She placed her hand on my head and prayed for me. Praise God! I immediately felt better and fairly skipped back to my seat!! We sang a song in closing, and I was practically dancing with joy!!!

The kind of things I think about while I’m painting the living room.

And Can It Be? The Original Version

 

And Can It Be, written by Charles Wesley in 1738, was first published in Hymns and Sacred Poems in 1739. The original title was Free Grace. There were six stanzas with no refrain, which you can see below. I have never before seen the 5th stanza in the original version. I like it!

I haven’t discovered the original tune and am not sure anyone knows. It has been sung to several different tunes, but the best known is Sagina, composed by Thomas Cambell in the early 19th century. He is also credited with adding the refrain. I have sung it a time or two with the refrain being simply repeating the last two lines of each stanza, but I personally prefer the traditional refrain, the last two lines of the first stanza repeated after every stanza, which I also call the right way.

Free Grace 

1 And can it be, that I should gain

An int’rest in the Saviour’s blood!

Dy’d he for me?—Who caus’d his pain!

For me?—Who him to death pursu’d.

Amazing love! How can it be

That thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

2 ’Tis myst’ry all! Th’ immortal dies!

Who can explore his strange design?

In vain the first-born seraph tries

To sound the depths of love divine.

’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;

Let angel minds enquire no more.

4 He left his Father’s throne above,

(So free, so infinite his grace!)

Empty’d himself of all but love,

And bled for Adam’s helpless race:

’Tis mercy all, immense and free!

For O my God! It found out me!

4 Long my imprison’d spirit lay,

Fast bound in sin and nature’s night:

Thine eye diffus’d a quick’ning ray;

I woke; the dungeon flam’d with light;

My chains fell off, my heart was free,

I rose, went forth, and follow’d thee.

5 Still the small inward voice I hear,

That whispers all my sins forgiv’n;

Still the atoning blood is near,

That quench’d the wrath of hostile heav’n:

I feel the life his wounds impart;

I feel my Saviour in my heart.

6 No condemnation now I dread,

Jesus, and all in him, is mine:

Alive in him, my living head,

And cloath’d in righteousness divine,

Bold I approach th’ eternal throne,

And claim the crown, thro’ Christ, my own.

 

After much searching I found this at

https://divinity.duke.edu/initiatives/wesleyan-methodist/cswt-jw

For the Anniversary Day of One’s Conversion

 

For the Anniversary Day of One’s Conversion. This was the title of that Charles Wesley hymn we know as, “O for a thousand tongues to sing, when he first published it in his Hymns and Sacred Poems in 1740.  Later, it was chosen by his brother John to be the first hymn in A Collection of Hymns for Use of the People Called Methodists (1780), the first true Methodist hymnal.

In American hymnals, “O for a thousand tongues” almost always appears with the familiar tune Azmon. Wesley indicated ‘Birstal Tune’ was the tune for this text (a tune I have never heard of).  One author said he “found this hymn paired with no fewer than twelve different tunes.  This might seem bewildering, but it isn’t actually that surprising—because of the straightforward meter of the poetry, this hymn can be sung to a wide variety of tunes (including the themes to The Brady Bunch and Gilligan’s Island).”

Wesley’s original has 18 stanzas beginning with ‘Glory to God, and praise and love.’  The part we know begins at stanza 7.  I have found the number of stanzas in hymnals today varies between four, five, and seven. Wesley himself had ten in the 1780 collection.  If included, stanza 1 is placed at the end today.

When Charles Wesley was converted he had been ill in bed for some time, and the fear of death had often come into his mind. On Sunday, May 21, 1738, his brother and some friends came in and sang a hymn. After they went out he prayed alone for some time.

In his journal we read: “I was composing myself to sleep in quietness and peace when I heard one come in and say, In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, arise, and believe, and thou shalt be healed of all thine infirmities. The words struck me to the heart. I lay musing and trembling. With a strange palpitation of heart, I said, I believe, I believe ! ”

In 1739, one year after his conversion, Wesley wrote this hymn. The phrase, O for a thousand tongues to sing, was inspired by Moravian missionary Peter Boehler’s statement: “Had I a thousand tongues, I would praise Christ Jesus with all of them.”

I’m singing through The Alliance Hymnal and sang O For A Thousand Tongues this morning. I knew there were a bunch of stanzas, so I searched until I found them all. Here, for your singing enjoyment and edification, are all 18 stanzas!

Glory to God, and praise and love

Be ever, ever given,

By saints below and saints above,

The church in earth and heaven.

On this glad day the glorious Sun 

Of Righteousness arose;

on my benighted soul he shone

and filled it with repose.

Sudden expired the legal strife,

’twas then I ceased to grieve;

My second, real, living life

I then began to live.

Then with my heart I first believed,

Believed with faith divine,

Power with the Holy Ghost received

to call the Savior mine.

I felt my Lord’s atoning blood

Close to my soul applied;

me, me he loved, the Son of God,

for me, for me he died!

I found and owned his promise true,

Ascertained of my part,

My pardon passed in heaven I knew

When written on my heart.

O for a thousand tongues to sing

my dear Redeemer’s praise!

The glories of my God and King,

The triumphs of his grace.

My gracious Master and my God,

Assist me to proclaim,

To spread through all the earth abroad

The honors of thy name.

Jesus! the name that charms our fears,

That bids our sorrows cease;

’tis music in the sinner’s ears,

’tis life, and health, and peace!

He breaks the power of canceled sin,

he sets the prisoner free;

his blood can make the foulest clean;

his blood availed for me.

He speaks, and listening to his voice

New life the dead receive;

The mournful, broken hearts rejoice,

The humble poor believe.

Hear him, ye deaf, his praise, ye dumb,

Your loosened tongues employ;

Ye blind, behold your Savior come,

And leap, ye lame, for joy.

Look unto him, ye nations, own

Your God, ye fallen race!

Look, and be saved through faith alone,

Be justified by grace!

See all our sins on Jesus laid;

The Lamb of God was slain,

His soul was once an offering made

For every soul of man.

Harlots and publicans and thieves,

in holy triumph join!

Saved is the sinner that believes

From crimes as great as mine.

Murderers and all ye hellish crew,

ye sons of lust and pride,

believe the Savior died for you;

for me the Savior died.

Awake from guilty nature’s sleep,

And Christ shall give you light,

Cast all your sins into the deep,

And wash the Ethiop white.

With me, your chief, you then shall know,

Shall feel your sins forgiven;

Anticipate your heaven below

and own that love is heaven.

 

These two websites were very helpful:

https://trinitymbmusic.wordpress.com/2012/07/20/hymn-493-for-the-anniversary-day-of-ones-conversion/

https://reasonabletheology.org/hymn-story-o-for-a-thousand-tongues-to-sing/