April 29, Colossians 1:4 Bible Study Notes
Welcome!
This blog is used to share some of our notes from each day’s journaling while we were in Bible study with The Holy Spirit. At the bottom of each blog page, you’ll see which Bible we used and additional resources that may have informed our thinking and learning. We are curious and humble #Biblenerds. Each day we GET TO use the Word of God to learn more about His never-changing character, how much Jesus loves us and how The Holy Spirit guides us through a heart transformation one verse at a time. The Bible reads us just as much as we read It.
We hope these perfectly imperfect notes help you as you join us weekday mornings 8:00 - 9:00 EST via Facebook & Youtube. And, of course, we welcome you whenever and wherever you get a chance to learn along with us!
In His Love,
Joy Lee & Tara Ouellette
Joy’s notes:
Col 1:4
“For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people”
——————-
the GREEK meaning of this particular word, love, means straight from the Holy Spirit— agape love.
Pure
Holy
Clean
Undefiled
Life giving
This kind of LOVE in Greek is “agape.”
It’s not:
codependent “love”
Enmeshment “love”
Enabling “love”
Lust “love”
We often call things love that actually isn’t love!!!
True love=
Connects and communes
Lust love = disconnects & consumes
(Therapy & theology podcast)
———————————
👉The Colossians were known as a body of believers who have faith in Jesus & love for others— the EXACT heartbeat of Jesus!
(**To have FAITH we first must know & firmly believe in the character of God)
John 13:34-35=
“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
———————-
FRUIT
Both FAITH & LOVE are fruits (Galatians 5- 1st & 7th fruit)
We can’t have agape love for others & faith in Jesus w/out being fully attached to the vine.
John 15:1-5
“I am THE true vine, and my father is the gardener.
He cuts off every branch in me that BEARS no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you.
No branch can bear fruit by itself, it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches.
If you remain in me and I in you, you WILL bear much fruit, apart from me you can do nothing.”
—————-
And so....WHAT DOES “ABIDING IN THE VINE LOOK LIKE?” (To have faith & love)
👇
Mary & Martha story:
(Luke 10:38-42)
Jesus is invited to Martha house
Mary SAT at Jesus’ feet listening to what He said.
Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.
(LISTENING vs. DISTRACTED)
“Martha, you’re worried & upset about MANY things
B U T.... “JUST ONE THING IS NEEDED & Mary has chosen what is better!”
Mary sat at His feet & listened 🤍
Mary listened to HIs voice
Mary listened to His wisdom
Mary listened to His kindness
Mary listened to His compassion
Mary listened & THEREFORE = BeLieved in the unshakable character of God
CHARACTER OF GOD PRECEDES FAITH IN GOD!
Abiding in His vine enables us to fully BELIEVE & have UNSHAKABLE FAITH!
“Just one thing” (love)
LOVE + nothing = everything
—————————
Satan knows this.
Satan shows up as a counterfeit Gardner
(2 cor 11:14
“Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”)
So, Why would he not masquerade himself as the Master Gardner??
He sneaks into the garden of our heart with his pruning shears & attempts to cut off our source of life through Gods vine.
Sap- the Holy Spirit
Satan knows that oneness to the vine-of-life enables us to:
👉LOOK like Christ
👉LOVE like Christ
👉LIVE like Christ
(Like the Colossea church)
———-
👉 Satan brings
Chaos.
👉God brings
simplicity.
Satan’s counterfeit lethal pruning shears came in the form of:
a d d i n g elements of 1. PAGANISM 2.SECULAR
PHILOSOPHY
into the colossai church
ADD MORE— (Martha) JUST ONE— (Mary)
👉ADD MORE
(Martha)=
Offers=stress, fear, worry, doubt, chaos, weariness, insecurity, confusion, performance, etc
👉JUST ONE (Mary)=
Offers= Rest
👇
Matt 11:28-29=
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
—————
CHURCH OF EPHESUS
In revelation:
👇
Revelation 2:
Church of Ephesus that Timothy pastored & Paul wrote letter to Ephesians for their LOVE for God & others (eph 1:15)
Jesus recognized the Ephesians were :
working hard
Persevering
Recognizing false teachers
Enduring trials w/out weariness
B U T.... “ I hold this against you: You have forsaken the LOVE you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen...” ~ Jesus
THEY STOPPED ABIDING (Mary sitting at His feet)
—————
We are known as Christians by our ABIDING (which produces love & faith)
👇
—> just “ONE THING”
~ Jesus
JESUS + NOTHING = E V E R Y T H I N G
Tara’s notes:
Colossians 1:4
For we have heard
that you trust/faith in Christ Jesus
and that you love all of God’s people/the saints.
The Believer’s Bible Commentary to remind myself of the context of this letter:
Paul never met anyone from Colosse. Colosse wasn’t well known. It’s not even known how the gospel first reached Colosse. Possibly Epaphras, who loved the Lord b/c of Paul, first brought the Good News to this city.
It’s known that there was false teaching beginning to threaten the church.
1) This knowledge-based false teaching known as Gnosticism – they denied the true humanity of Christ. (Possible ex: Jesus+something = salvation)
2) Also antinomianism – under grace people don’t need to practice self-control and all sin is covered in God’s grace so it’s ok to do what you want. (Self-centeredness)
3) OT Judaism – faith based on a system of ceremonial observances by which a man hoped to achieve righteousness before God. (Follow laws & works = salvation)
Through this letter, Paul masterfully counteracts these false teachings by focusing on Jesus and that Christ is in the believer – the hope of glory.
Yes, he’s not doing this out of fear, worry, guilt, shame, his own wisdom, etc. He WILL get into how to be aware of focusing on other things than Jesus, but for now He’s starting off with focusing on the truth and their heart; reminding them that the LOVE of God through Christ Jesus IS the reason they are who they are and love the way they do…
***
Paul continues in right order and he’s putting first things first:
1) You trust/faith in Christ Jesus
2) You Love God’s people
True faith in the Savior and evidenced by love to God and fellow man.
I allowed the Holy Spirit to ask me these questions b/c I appreciate coming from a place of curiosity rather than condemnation.
Whom do I trust? To whom do I have complete and utter trust?
Is there a difference in how I trust God and how I trust man/woman?
To whom do I have faith?
Is there a difference in answers when I focused on the word “trust” (NLT) and then when I focused on “faith”(most other translations)?
Hebrews 11:1 “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.”
Does my level of trust change when things don’t go as I feel they should? With others? With God?
How easy or hard is it to have faith in things I can’t see? Or in things I don’t yet understand?
What is one example in my life where I do have a lot of faith? Does it happen to also be a time I could actually see and/or understand the circumstance or outcome?
Whom do I love? Who is easy to love?
To whom do I love that God loves?
1 John 4:18 The apostle John writes, “There is no fear in love, but Perfect Love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. The one who fears has not been perfected in love.”
1 John 4:16 ESV “So we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. God is LOVE, and whoever abides in LOVE abides in God, and God abides in him.”
When I’m abiding in God, there is no fear. NONE! So if I have fear I’m not abiding in God. I’m not remembering the perfection of God and His good plan over my life – no matter the circumstance.
2 Timothy 1:7 NLT Paul wrote, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."
Lesson learned from the believers of Colosse, their reputation preceded them. Their love for Christ Jesus and God was evident even among all the unbelievers…
What is it that I fear? Is it something that is greater than God based on 1) How much I focus on it/consumes me. 2) How it seems to diminish the ways of heaven and increase the ways of this world. 3) Could I be that my fear invites in lies about the character of God? Anything else?
***
Kairos moment while I’m journaling and spending time with God. Hmmm…what an awesomely uncomfortable time with God this morning.
Ok, so I’m closing my time with God from processing Col 1:4 and then something hit me as I was typing out exact words that was making my belief system visible. When I read Col 1:4 “For we have heard that you trust in Christ Jesus and that you love all of God’s people. It became evident that my natural inclination (and what I thought was truth) is that “God’s people” in this verse is EVERYONE. That God made everyone so, in turn, Paul & Timothy are referring to everyone.
As I felt the Spirit navigate me through more scripture and commentary, I read it differently and had to ask, “God what do you want me to know about this?”
He showed me through commentary that “God’s people” are the believers. Not everyone in Colosse. Ok, no big deal in this situation because I’m reading for accuracy and truth from this letter first and then I make it person to where I’m at in my journey. What I found is that it triggered me in that I don’t like to read about picking and choosing of people. I am most comfortable when I’m reading about inclusion - the inclusivity of Jesus. However, the truth is Jesus is THE WAY so our salvation in Jesus is also exclusive to those who chose to follow Jesus.
While I was journaling this and was curious about my thoughts on this, I came across this quick read.
https://realfaith.com/daily-devotions/jesus-is-the-most-inclusive-most-exclusive/
Joy & Tara’s Primary Source: The Holy Spirit
Secondary Source: Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Tyndal, 1996.