The Epistle to Colossians

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Phrygian deityCybele - Magna Mater

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Col 1 Isaiah 55

v6. come unto you v11. so shall My word be

v6 bringeth forth fruit v10. maketh it bring forth

v6 the grace of God in truth

v3. sure mercies

v9 His will v8. My thoughts

v10. all pleasing v11. that which I please

v 10. being fruitful ... increasing

v10. bring forth and bud

v11. joyfulness v12. joy

v14. forgiveness of sins v7. abundantly pardon

v.15 heaven v9. heavens

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Col 1 Parable of the Sower

v6. bringeth forth fruit Mk 4:20 bring forth fruit

v 10. fruitful ... increasingMk 4:18 sprung up and increased

v11. all patience Lk 8:15 with patience

v11. with joyfulness Lk 8:13 with joy

v9. spiritual understanding Matt. 13:23 understandeth

Intertextuality:Quotations, allusions, Echoes• criteria for accepting intertextuality ?

•specific – rare words •phrases •multiple links•contexts linked •makes sense

•The role of the writer?•(did Paul understand?)

•The role of the reader?•(did the Colossians understand?)

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Knowledge, wisdom, understanding

Col 1:9

Ex. 31:3; 35:31

Pr 2:6;9:10

Isa 11:2

Acts 26:17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

Col 1:12 ¶ Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

Colossians

Word or phrase Word or phrase Genesis

1:5 heavens heavens 1:1,81:6 All the world earth 1:1,10

Bringeth forth fruit

Bring forth grass … fruit

1:11

The day In the day 2:4Knew … truth Knowledge of

good and evil2:9

1:8 Spirit Spirit of God 1:21:9 Day …

knowledge of his will

In the day that the LORD God made

2:4

All wisdom … understanding

Desired to make one wise

3:6

Colossians Word or phrase Word or phrase Genesis

1:10 Walk … walking 3:8

All pleasing God saw … very good

1:31

1:12,13 Light 1… darkness Light … darkness 1:4

1:15 Image of invisible God

Let us make man in our image

1:26

… every creature Every … thing 1:30

1:16,17 All things … Every thing 1:31

Created … They were created 2:4

Heavens … earth Heavens and the earth

1:1

1:18 Beginning … In the beginning 1:1

In the beginning <07225> God created

07225 re'shiyth

from the same as 07218 (ro'sh)

AV-beginning 18, firstfruits 11, first 9, chief 8, misc 5; 511) first, beginning, best, chief1a) beginning1b) first1c) chief1d) choice part

Reshiyth = first:- time, generation/harvest, importance

Colossians 117 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.• And he is the head <2776> of the body, the church: who is the beginning <746>, the firstborn <4416> from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence <4409>.

746 αρχη arche from 756; TDNT-1:479,81; n fAV-beginning 40, principality 8, corner 2, first 2, misc 6;

4416 ~πρωτοτοκος~ prototokos from 4413 and the alternate of 5088; TDNT-6:871,965; adjAV-firstborn 7, first begotten 2; 4409 πρωτευω proteuofrom 4413; TDNT-6:881,965; vAV-have the preeminence 1;

Colossians Word or phrase Word or phrase Genesis

1:22 dead Surely die 2:17

1:21 Alienated … enemies … wicked works … death

Hid … eaten … unto dust shalt thou return

3:10, 17, 19

1:22 Body … flesh … death

Dust thou art … dust shalt thou return

3:19

Present you Clothed them 3:21

1:23 Every creature Every thing 1:31

1:24 Suffering … afflictions

Sorrow … sweat 3:16, 19

His body My bones … my flesh 2:23

1:29 Labour … striving … work

In sorrow … in the sweat of thy face

3:17, 3:19

Col 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:

Col 1:27 To whom God would make known

what is the riches of the among the Gentilesglory of this mystery

which is

Christ in you

The hope of glory.

Colossians

Word or phrase Word or phrase Isaiah 45

1:16 created ... heavens ... earth

created ... heavens ... earth

v18

1:17 by him all things consist

I the LORD do all these things

v7

1:26 the mystery hid from ages

hidden riches in secret places

v3

1:26 Now made manifest I have not spoken in secret v19

1:27 God would make known

That they may know v6

the riches of the glory

the treasures of darkness ... and shall glory

v3v25

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Colossians so far!

1:1 - 1:8 God’s Word (the Gospel) sent forth to create fruitfulness (Isaiah 55).

1:9 - 1:14 Prayer for the Spirit gifts to be given to the Colossae ecclesia so that their spiritual development might come to fruition (Exod 35).

1:15-23 The New Creation brought into being through the redemptive work of Christ (Genesis 1).

1:24-29 The ministry of the Apostle Paul in the Gospel - the minister to the body(the ecclesia) of the second Adam (Genesis 2, Isaiah 45).

2:1-23 The destructive effect of the Judaistic teaching on the body of Christ (Genesis 3).

Colossians Word or phrase Word or phrase Genesis

2:4 Beguile … enticing Beguiled me 3:13

2:8 deceit Ye shall not surely die

3:4

2:18 Beguile you Beguiled me 3:13

2:19 Head … body Made he a woman 2:22

2:21 Touch not, taste not, handle not

Not eat … touch 3:3

2:22 perish Thou shalt surely die

2:17

2:23 Shew of wisdom More subtil 3:1

3:9 Old man Dust thou art 3:19

Colossians

2:8 the tradition of men Isa 29:13

2:22 perish Isa 29:14

2:22 the commandments

and doctrines of men Isa 29:13

Isaiah 29:13,14“Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.”

ZeitgeistFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaThe Zeitgeist (spirit of the age or spirit of the time) is the intellectual fashion or dominant school of thought which typifies and influences the culture of a period. For example, the architecture and other art of the twentieth century was much influenced by the idea of modernism.[1] The German word Zeitgeist is often attributed to the philosopher Georg Hegel but he never actually used the word. In his works such as Lectures on the Philosophy of History, he uses the phrase der Geist seiner Zeit (the spirit of his time)—for example, "no man can surpass his own time, for the spirit of his time is also his own spirit."[2] Other philosophers who were associated with such ideas include Herder and Spencer and Voltaire.[1] The concept counters the Great Man theory popularised by Thomas Carlyle, which sees history as the result of the actions of heroes and geniuses.

Eph 2:1-31 ¶ And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Humanist Manifesto II

•“… But we can discover no divine purpose or providence for the human species. While there is much that we do not know, humans are responsible for what we are or will become. No deity will save us; we must save ourselves.”

•science affirms that the human species is an emergence from natural evolutionary forces. As far as we know, the total personality is a function of the biological organism transacting in a social and cultural context. There is no credible evidence that life survives the death of the body. We continue to exist in our progeny and in the way that our lives have influenced others in our culture.

Humanism

Humanist Manifesto II

•We affirm that moral values derive their source from human experience. Ethics is autonomous and situational needing no theological or ideological sanction. Ethics stems from human need and interest. To deny this distorts the whole basis of life. Human life has meaning because we create and develop our futures.

•We deplore the division of humankind on nationalistic grounds. We have reached a turning point in human history where the best option is to transcend the limits of national sovereignty and to move toward the building of a world community in which all sectors of the human family can participate. Thus we look to the development of a system of world law and a world order based upon transnational federal government.

                                                                

Scientists and humanists fear creationist teaching is set to creep into more classroomsBy Andrew Williams

Thursday, 7 April 2011 Last summer the British

Last summer the British Humanist Association co-ordinated a letter from scientists and educators to Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, urging him to specifically include the teaching of evolution in the primary schools curriculum. The Department of Education's reply indicated that this would be too prescriptive. However it went on to discuss creationism and intelligent design (ID), saying that, because they are not scientific, they do not form part of the national curriculum and should not be taught in science class … Dr Behe believes that although the scientific community is presently allergic to ID, this will change after a generation or two. "As scientists retire," he says, "the ones who are very antagonistic to ID will be replaced by those other scientists who have grown up hearing and wondering about it. And so I think that the atmosphere will change."His prediction illustrates why the education of children has become a battleground between ideologies, and why applications to set up free schools by organisations such as Everyday Champions Church will continue to remain in the spotlight.

A Post-Modern World?

• Postmodernism “holds that there is no truth, no basic right or wrong, nothing good or bad, nothing evil or noble, nothing moral or immoral.” James Dobson (2003)

A reflection on humanism in the 21st centuryBackground document prepared for UNESCO-Nishan Forum, 16 April 2012

The Director-General of UNESCO has proposed to respond to the challenges of our times through the lens of a New Humanism for the 21st century. Why do we need a New Humanism? The ideals of peace, tolerance and dialogue, the principles inscribed in the United Nations Charter, the Constitution of UNESCO or the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, all stem from humanistic values which can be identified throughout human history on all continents. They also form the basis for international cooperation as embodied in such global agendas as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) or the Education For All (EFA) goals.

Humanism is UNESCO’s moral and intellectual DNA. The evolutionary philosophy of UNESCO embraces a profound optimism vis-à-vis the notions of human development and progress. In an era when the human population has reached 7 billion individuals, the belief that humanity can and does progress is an inspiration.

Col 3:1 ¶ If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

Col 3:24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

Acts 2: 34-36 … The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Psa 110:1 ¶ « A Psalm of David. » The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

What is the link between the New Creation theme and Psalm 110:1?

Eph 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places ...

22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

Psa 110:1 ¶ « A Psalm of David. » The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

Psa 8:6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:

Colossians

Word or phrase

Word or phrase

Genesis

3:10 New man … knowledge … image … created

In the image of God created he him

2:24

3:18 Wives … husbands

Man … wife 2:24

Col 3:18 ¶ Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.20 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.21 Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

4:1 ¶ Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.

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Colossians

1:1 - 1:8 God’s Word (the Gospel) sent forth to create fruitfulness (Isaiah 55).

1:9 - 1:14 Prayer for the Spirit gifts to be given to Colossae so that their spiritual development might come to fruition (Exod 35).

1:15-23 The New Creation brought into being through the redemptive work of Christ (Genesis 1).

1:24-29 The ministry of the Apostle Paul in the Gospel - the minister to the body(the ecclesia) of the second Adam (Gen.2, Isa 45).

2:1-19 The contrast between the legalistic false teaching and the atoning work of the Lord (Gen. 3).

2:20-23 The challenge - “if ye be dead ...” (Isa 29).

3:1-7 The challenge - “If ye then be risen with Christ ...” (Psa 110:1)

3:8-4:1 Implications of the New Life in Christ.

4:2-4:18 Things to do with our fellowship in Christ.

Laodicea

LAODICEA

•Rev 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

3:1 ¶ And unto ... Sardis write ... thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.

14 ¶ And unto... Laodiceans write...15 thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.