Belated Wisdom Wednesday: Teaching in All Wisdom
Submitted by Debbie’s Dad
We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.
(Colossians 1:28 NASB 1995)
Paul was impressed and encouraged by the faith and growth of the believers at Colosse, an ancient city in modern-day Turkey. He praised the Gentile believers there and described his prayer for them in chapter 1 of the Epistle to them.
In verses 3-8, Paul expresses his thanks to God for their spiritual growth and love in the Spirit. Epaphras was a fellow missionary and most likely the founder of the church in Colosse and had reported to Paul of their love (vv. 7-8).
In verses 9-12, Paul explained his prayer for them. He prayed they would: 1) be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 2) walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, 3) bear fruit in every good work, and 4) increase in the knowledge of God.
Following his prayer, Paul provides an introductory teaching on the uniqueness of Jesus Christ and the redemption He provided to the believers at Colosse. In outline form, here is Paul’s teaching in verses 13-23.
- God the Father rescued us from darkness and placed us into the kingdom of His Son, Jesus;
- Jesus has provided redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (v14)
- Jesus is the image of the invisible God (v.15)
- Jesus created all things (v. 16);
- in the heavens and on earth
- visible and invisible
- thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities
- Jesus is the cause of all created things and the reason for their creation (v.16)
- Jesus preceded all things, and He maintains all things in existence (v. 17)
- Jesus is the leader of the church (v.18)
- He is the first resurrected from the dead.
- He will have first place in everything.
- God the Father determined: (vv.19-20)
- Jesus has the fullness of God within Him
- Jesus reconciles all things to Himself, through the blood of His cross
- But you,
- Were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds (v.21)
- Are now reconciled by Jesus -holy and blameless and beyond reproach (v.22)
- Continue faithful in the faith and the hope of the gospel (23).
Paul concludes his teaching in verses 24-29 by explaining His ministry–“the preaching of ‘word of Go’”, explaining the mystery of the Gospel that was not understood by the prophets, but revealed in Jesus Christ–the Hope of being glorified in Christ.
And then Paul explains his specific teaching ministry in Verse 28:
- To proclaim Christ,
- To warn all people (Jew and Gentile) of the need for salvation.
- To teach with all wisdom “The Way of Salvation”
- With the objective of assuring that the believers would be complete in Christ.
We are not all the missionary Paul, but we have the same mission – to proclaim, to warn, to teach in wisdom, and to seek to bring others to be complete in Christ.