Between Suffering and Wisdom ...

Wednesday, Nov 30, 2016. We have been looking into the letter of Paul to the Colossians over the past days. It is an amazing text - which touches the full breadth and depth of human life and emotions. This morning, I ran into Pauls comments on suffering and wisdom. What is your position on these issues?

Fullnes of Deity …

Paul writes about his suffering, and about the purpose of it - that Christ might be fully known among you, in your heart and your mind. Let us read first:

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. (from Colossians 1)

Paul has become a minister of Christ. What about you and me, who are not traveling around to teach Christian doctrine? When we have come to faith, we all are ministers of Christ as well. We are in our particular role, in our special environment, with our gifts and talents. When you first read this, you might think that this is something very special to Paul, the great apostle. But when you think more about it, you will realize, that it applies to the whole church as well!

Mature in Christ …

Paul wants you and me to be mature in Christ. Maturity is the purpose of discipleship. Maturity is what we should gain by living with him, by living in faith, on all levels of our life. It is, at the same time, a challenge. Often, we still have our thoughts and habits which belong into a world separated from God.

But it is not only us - it is also our environment. It is the habits of others, and the goals and actions of so many people. They touch our life, they determine parts of it. Note this: our environment does not completely determine us! It influences us. It can challenge us. It can hurt us. But we have a choice!

And Christ is there. He is in uns with his spirit. He is there, inviting us to listen to him and to be influenced by him. We have a choice, he wants our freedom, but he wants us to mature in faith as well, taking good steps, steps of wisdom, steps of hope! (Roland Potthast) ... more texts