November 16, 2025 • 48 mins
A flicker of lamplight, the scrape of a chain, and a voice that refuses to be contained. We step into Paul’s rented room in Rome to hear Colossians 3 come alive: a sweeping call to move from doctrine to daily duty, from the old self to the new, from anxious striving to a life hidden with Christ in God. This is not moral polish; it’s resurrection power translating identity into habits of the heart.
We unpack what it means to “seek the things above” where Christ is seated, and why that heavenly focus reshapes earthly realities. Paul’s words cut through spiritual add‑ons and mystical shortcuts to insist that Christ is sufficient and supreme. Then the letter turns practical: put to death what ruins love; put on compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience; let the peace of Christ rule; let the word of Christ dwell richly. Forgiveness becomes our reflex because we’ve been forgiven first. Gratitude becomes the atmosphere of a life remade by grace.
Along the way, we explore how “Christ is all and in all” dismantles dividing lines and reframes households, work, and authority. Husbands, wives, parents, children, masters, and slaves hear a radical ethic of love, justice, and diligence under the eye of the true Lord, who shows no partiality. Even a curious guard and a once‑runaway slave find themselves drawn into the story as living proof that the gospel creates a new humanity. If you’ve ever wondered how faith transforms Monday morning—speech, emotions, choices, and labor—this journey through Colossians 3 offers a clear path anchored in the finished work of Christ.
Listen to be steadied by Scripture, stirred toward tangible change, and strengthened to live as one who has died and been raised. If this time in God’s Word encourages you, share it with someone who needs hope today, and subscribe to stay with us as we walk through Scripture one chapter at a time. Your reviews and shares help others find this space—what spoke to you most?
Music Credit "Mighty to Save" by JOYSPRING
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(03:58):
The oil lamp flickers againstthe rough hewn walls of Paul's
(05:25):
rented quarters in Rome, castingdancing shadows across the worn
wooden table where parchmentand ink rest like sacred
instruments.
You shift your weight on thesimple wooden stool, feeling the
grain of the wood beneath you,smoothed by countless hours of
(05:47):
sitting in this very spot.
The air is thick with the scentof olive oil from the lamp,
mingled with the earthy smell ofink, that distinctive blend of
soot, gum arabic, and water thatstains Paul's fingers a
permanent gray black.
(06:08):
The chain clinks softly as Pauladjusts his position.
It's a sound you have grownaccustomed to over these months.
The constant metallic reminderthat connects his wrist to the
Roman guard stationed by thedoor.
The guard, a weathered soldiernamed Servius, stands with the
(06:33):
practice stillness of a man whohas learned to become furniture.
His leather armor creakingoccasionally as he shifts his
weight from one foot to theother.
The chain between them isperhaps four cubits long, just
enough for Paul to move abouthis modest room, but never
(06:56):
enough to let him forget hiscaptivity.
Yet if you didn't see thechain, you might never know Paul
was a prisoner.
His eyes burn with an intensitythat no iron can dim.
And his voice?
That voice that has proclaimedthe gospel in synagogues and
(07:16):
marketplaces, from Jerusalem toIliricum, carries the same fire
it always has.
Perhaps even more so now, as ifconfinement has concentrated
rather than diminished hispassion.
Where were we?
Paul asked, though you bothknow exactly where you were.
(07:40):
He has that teacher's way ofasking questions that aren't
really questions.
Invitations to engage, tothink, to remember.
His calloused hand, marked byyears of temp making and
beatings, reaches for theparchment you've been working on
together.
The letter to the Colossians.
(08:02):
We had just finished warningthem, you say, running your
finger along the text of whatwould become the end of this
chapter.
About the hollow and deceptivephilosophy, the human
(08:22):
traditions, the worship ofangels, the harsh treatment of
the body.
Paul nods, his graying beardcatching the lamplight.
Outside, Rome rumbles with itsevening sounds, cartwheels on
cobblestones, distant shoutsfrom the street vendors making
(08:43):
their final sales, the rhythmictramp of the praetorian guard
changing shifts.
But in this room, there is onlythe crackle of the lamp, the
breathing of three men, and theweight of words that must be
chosen with the precision of ajeweler selecting stones.
They needed to hear that, Paulsays, his voice dropping to that
(09:09):
intimate tone he uses when he'sabout to share something from
the deepest places of his heart.
But now, now we must show themwhat life in Christ actually
looks like.
It's not enough to tell themwhat to avoid.
We must paint them a picture ofwhat to pursue.
He stands, and the chainfollows him like an unwanted
(09:34):
shadow.
Three steps to the small windowcut high in the wall.
Through it, you can see asliver of Roman sky, that
peculiar purple gray of eveningin the eternal city.
Paul stares at it as if seeingbeyond Rome, beyond the
(09:54):
Mediterranean, all the way tothe Lycus Valley, where Colise
sits nestled among the hills ofPhrygia.
Picture them with me, he says,and you close your eyes, letting
his words transport you.
Philemon's house church.
(10:16):
You know Philemon.
I've told you about him.
A man of means, a man whoseheart was transformed by the
gospel.
His home is one of the largerones in Colisse.
Built in the Greek style with acentral courtyard.
The believers gathered there asthe sun sets, just as the sun
(10:39):
is setting here now.
You can almost see it.
The courtyard with its smallfountain, the sound of water
trickling over stone, thebelievers arriving in twos and
threes, their sandals dusty fromthe streets of Colise.
Some are wealthy.
You can tell by the quality oftheir tunics, the fine wool dyed
(11:02):
with expensive colors.
Others are clearly slaves orfreedmen, wearing simple undyed
linen, their hands rough fromlabor, yet they embrace one
another as family.
The social barriers of Rome'srigid hierarchy dissolving in
(11:22):
the fellowship of Christ.
There's Epiphras, Paulcontinues, and his voice warms
with affection.
Our dear fellow servant whobrought the gospel to them, who
has labored so earnestly forthem in prayer.
I can see him now standingbefore them with this letter in
(11:44):
his hands, breaking the seal,unrolling the parchment.
They are eager, hungry for wordfrom us.
They have heard about myimprisonment and they are
worried, but more than that,they are confused.
Paul turns from the window, andyou open your eyes to find him
(12:06):
looking at you with anexpression of mingled concern
and determination.
The lamplight catches the scarson his face, reminders of
Lystra, of Philippi, of a dozenother places where his message
of a crucified and risen Messiahhad been met with stones and
rods.
The false teachers have beenbusy, he says, settling back
(12:33):
onto his own stool across fromyou.
Oh, they are subtle.
They do not deny Christoutright.
No, they add to him.
They say, Yes, believe inJesus, but you must also observe
these special days, followthese dietary restrictions,
(12:54):
worship these angelicintermediaries, submit to these
practices.
They make it sound sospiritual, so deep, so
mysterious.
Paul picks up a stylus, turningit over in his fingers, a
gesture you have seen him make athousand times when he is
(13:15):
thinking deeply.
But it's all smoke and mirrors.
It's the elementary principlesof this world dressed up in
religious garments.
And the danger, the terribledanger, is that it shifts their
focus away from Christ.
It makes him insufficient.
(13:36):
It suggests that his death andresurrection, magnificent as
they were, are not quite enough,that we need something more.
The passion in his voice makesServius glance over, though the
guard's face remains impassive.
You wonder what Servius thinks,standing there day after day,
(14:00):
listening to Paul speak ofkingdoms and kings, of death and
resurrection, of a Jewishcarpenter who claimed to be God.
Does any of it penetrate thatprofessional soldier's stoicism?
So we told them the truth.
Paul continues.
We reminded them that in Christall the fullness of deity
(14:25):
dwells in bodily form, that inhim they have been made
complete, that they died withhim, were buried with him, were
raised with him.
We pulled back the curtain onthese false teachers and their
hollow philosophy.
Paul pauses, and in that pause,you hear the question he is
(14:48):
about to ask before he even asksit.
But now what?
Paul leans forward, his eyeslocked on yours.
If they have died with Christ,to the elementary principles of
this world, if they have beenraised with him, if they have
(15:11):
been made complete in him, whatdoes that mean for Monday
morning?
For the way a master treats hisslave?
For the way a wife speaks toher husband?
For the way a merchant conductshis business in the forum?
For the thoughts they entertainwhen no one else is watching?
(15:32):
The questions hang in the airlike incense smoke.
This is the heart of it, yourealize?
This is why Paul has beenpacing the small room for the
past two days.
Why he has been unusually quietduring meals.
Why you have caught him staringat nothing with that faraway
(15:54):
look that means he's wrestlingwith how to say something that
matters desperately.
Theology must become biography,Paul says finally.
And you reach for a fresh pieceof parchment, knowing that what
comes next needs to be capturedwith care.
(16:14):
Doctrine must transform intoduty.
The indicative must give birthto the imperative.
They need to understand thatbeing raised with Christ isn't
just a positional truth to nodat, it's a radical reorientation
of everything.
Paul begins to pace again.
(16:36):
Three steps one way, threesteps back, the chain marking
the rhythm like a metronome.
Think about what it means to beraised with Christ.
When a person dies in thatculture, in any culture, what
happens?
They leave everything behind.
Their possessions, theirpositions, their pursuits, their
(16:59):
passions.
Death is the ultimateseverance.
You can't take anything withyou.
You nod, remembering thefuneral processions you have
seen in Rome, the professionalmourners, the musicians, the
body carried, the familyfollowing behind in their torn
(17:21):
garments, the finality of itall.
The way a life that was so fullof activity and ambition
becomes still and silent.
But resurrection, Paul's voicerises with wonder.
Resurrection is the ultimatenew beginning.
It is not just resuscitationbringing a corpse back to the
(17:45):
life it had before.
It's transformation.
It's a caterpillar becoming abutterfly.
It's a seed that falls into theground and dies, bringing forth
a plant that bears fruit.
It's the same but utterlydifferent.
Continuous with what camebefore, yet transcendent of it.
(18:09):
Paul stops pacing and placesboth hands flat on the table,
leaning towards you.
The chain pulls on the woodensurface between you.
This is what happened to everybeliever in Colossae.
In Ephesus, in Philippi, inRome, in every place where the
(18:32):
gospel has taken root.
They have died and been raised.
The old self, crucified withChrist, the new self raised with
him.
This isn't a metaphor.
This isn't poetry.
This is reality.
This is the most real thingabout them.
(18:55):
You dip your stylus in the ink,the sharp smell of it filling
your nostrils.
So how do we say this to them?
Paul smiles, that suddentransformative smile that makes
you understand why people followhim through riots and
(19:15):
shipwrecks and imprisonments.
We start with the mostimportant word in the Greek
language.
Therefore, everything we areabout to say rests on everything
we have already said.
It's not a new topic.
It's the necessary consequenceof the truth they have already
(19:38):
embraced.
He closes his eyes, and youknow he's composing in his head,
arranging the Greek words withthe care of a master craftsman.
When he speaks, his voice hastaken on that dictation cadence,
and you write quickly to keepup.
Therefore, if you have beenraised with Christ, he pauses,
(20:05):
opens his eyes.
Did you hear that?
If.
But it's not a condition ofuncertainty.
It's a condition of fact.
Since you have been raised withChrist, would be another way to
translate it.
This is their reality.
This has happened to them.
(20:25):
The moment they believed, themoment they were baptized, they
entered into Christ's death andresurrection.
This is foundational.
This is assumed.
Everything else flows fromthis.
The lamp sputters slightly, andyou pause to trim the wick.
(20:47):
The room brightens and you seePaul's face more clearly.
The lines etched by sufferingand joy.
The eyes that have seen therisen Christ on the Damascus
road and have never been thesame since.
Seek the things that are above,Paul continues.
Where Christ is, seated at theright hand of God.
(21:11):
You think of the false teachersPaul has been warning about,
their claims of visions, theirinsistence on angel worship,
their elaborate rules about foodand festivals, all of it
promising something more,something deeper, something that
will fill the gnawing sensethat ordinary faith in an
(21:33):
ordinary savior isn't quiteenough.
But we are telling them to seeksomething else entirely, Paul
says.
Not the things below, not theelementary principles, not the
human traditions, not themystical experiences that puff
up but don't build up.
(21:54):
Seek the things above.
And where are those things?
Where Christ is.
And where is Christ?
Seated at the right hand ofGod.
He sits down again, and you seethe weariness in his shoulders,
the weight of years and miles,and beatings and shipwrecks.
(22:17):
But his voice remains strong.
This is the geography of theChristian life.
Christ is above, at theFather's right hand, the place
of honor, of authority, ofpower.
He's not wondering.
He's not uncertain.
He's not competing with angelsor cosmic powers for position.
(22:40):
He is seated.
The work is finished.
The victory is won.
And we, we who have been raisedwith him, are to orient our
lives toward that reality.
Set your mind on things above,not on things on the earth, he
(23:01):
continues dictating.
For you have died, and yourlife is hidden with Christ and
God.
The words strike you with freshforce, even though you have
heard Paul speak of these truthsbefore.
Hidden with Christ and God.
You think of the valuableswealthy Romans hide, their gold
(23:24):
and jewels locked away in strongboxes, secured in the most
protected parts of their homes.
That's where the believer'slife is, not exposed to the
whims of circumstance, notvulnerable to the attacks of the
enemy, but hidden, secured, inthe safest place in the
universe, in God Himself, withChrist as the mediator.
(23:49):
Do they understand what we aresaying?
You ask Paul.
This is so different from howthey have been taught to think.
Paul nods slowly.
That's exactly the point.
The world and even the falseteachers who claim to be
spiritual, they all operate onthe same basic principle.
(24:12):
You are what you do, what youachieve, what you experience,
what you accumulate.
Your identity is built from theoutside in.
You construct yourself throughyour choices and your
circumstances.
Paul picks up the parchmentwith the earlier chapters,
(24:34):
scanning the words you havealready written.
But we have been telling themsomething radically different.
Your identity is given, notachieved.
You died.
That's past tense.
Finished, done.
The old you, the you that wasdefined by the flesh, by the
(24:56):
world, by the sin.
That person is dead.
And the new you, the you thatis alive in Christ.
That person's life is hiddenwith Christ in God.
It's secure, it's settled, it'snot dependent on your
performance or your experiencesor your mystical visions.
(25:17):
So what does this mean forthem?
Paul asks.
Though again, it's not really aquestion.
It means everything they do,everything they think,
everything they desire, all ofit flows from this new identity.
They don't seek the thingsabove in order to become people
(25:38):
who have been raised withChrist.
They seek the things abovebecause they are people who have
been raised with Christ.
The identity comes first, thebehavior follows.
You set your stylus down for amoment.
Flexing your cramped fingers.
This is going to challengethem.
(26:01):
Yes, Paul agrees, because it'sgoing to require them to think
differently about everything,about their marriages, about
their work, about their money,about their bodies, about their
thoughts, about their words.
We are about to get verypractical, very specific.
We are going to talk about whatto put off and what to put on.
(26:26):
We are going to name sins thatneed to die.
We are going to describevirtues that need to grow.
We are going to addresshouseholds, husbands and wives,
parents and children, mastersand slaves.
He stands again, moving to thewindow, looking out at the
(26:47):
darkening sky.
But it all, all of it, rests onthis foundation.
You have been raised withChrist.
Your life is hidden with Christin God.
When Christ, who is your life,appears, then you also will
appear with him in glory.
(27:08):
That's where we're headed.
That's the hope that makessense of the present struggle.
That's the future that shapeshow we live today.
The guard shifts and the chainclinks.
Paul glances at it, then atServius, then back to you.
(27:29):
There's a slight smile on hisface.
They might think I'm the one inchains, but I have never been
freer because my life isn'tdefined by this chain or this
room or Caesar's whims.
My life is hidden with Christin God, and so is theirs, and so
is yours.
(27:50):
Paul returns to the table, andyou pick up your stylus again.
Shall we continue?
Yes, Paul says.
Let's show them what it lookslike to live as people who have
died and been raised.
Let's paint them a picture ofthe new humanity that Christ is
creating.
(28:10):
Let's give them a vision socompelling, so beautiful, so
true that the false teachers'empty promises will be exposed
for the hollow deceptions theyare.
The lamp burns, the ink flows,the words take shape on
parchment, and somewhere faraway, in a city nestled in the
(28:33):
Lycus Valley, believers willgather to hear these words and
discover again who they trulyare, and whose they truly are,
and how that changes everything.
Now, let's take a moment toquiet our hearts and listen to
(28:53):
the word itself.
Let these words sink deep intoyour spirit, bringing comfort,
conviction, and encouragement.
Whether you're sitting in aquiet place or out in the world,
allow scripture to meet youright where you are.
I hope you have your favoritecup of tea or coffee.
Sit back, relax, and let's stepinto the sacred text of the
(29:19):
Epistle of Paul to theColossians 3.
Epistle of Paul to theColossians 3 (NRSV):
(29:43):
1 So if you have been raisedwith Christ, seek the things
that are above, where Christ is,seated at the right hand of
God.
2 Set your minds on things thatare above, not on the things
that are on earth,3 for you have died, and your
life is hidden with Christ inGod.
(30:06):
4 When Christ, who is your life,is revealed, then you also will
be revealed with Him in glory.
5 Put to death, therefore.
For whatever in you is earthly,sexual immorality, impurity,
passion, evil desire, and greed,which is idolatry.
(30:31):
6 On account of these, the wrathof God is coming on those who
are disobedient.
7 These are the ways you alsoonce followed when you were
living that life.
8 But now you must get rid ofall such things: anger, wrath,
malice, slander, and abusivelanguage from your mouth.
(30:55):
9 Do not lie to one another,seeing that you have stripped
off the old self with itspractices
10 and have clothed yourselveswith a new self, which is being
renewed in knowledge accordingto the image of its Creator.
11 In that renewal, there is nolonger Greek and Jew,
(31:16):
circumcised and uncircumcised,barbarian, Scythian, enslaved
and free, but Christ is all andin all!
12 Therefore, as God's chosenones, holy and beloved, clothe
yourselves with compassion,kindness, humility, meekness,
(31:38):
and patience.
13 Bear with one another and, ifanyone has a complaint against
another, forgive each other,just as the Lord has forgiven
you, so you also must forgive.
14 Above all, clothe yourselveswith love, which binds
everything together in perfectharmony.
(31:59):
15 And let the peace of Christrule in your hearts, to which
indeed you were called in onebody, and be thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwellin you richly; teach and
admonish one another in allwisdom; and with gratitude in
your hearts sing psalms, hymns,and spiritual songs to God.
(32:24):
17 And whatever you do, in wordor deed, do everything in the
name of the Lord Jesus, givingthanks to God the Father through
Him.
18 Wives, be subject to yourhusbands, as is fitting in the
Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives andnever treat them harshly.
(32:46):
20 Children, obey your parentsin everything, for this is your
acceptable duty in the Lord.
21 Fathers, do not provoke yourchildren, or they may lose
heart.
22 Slaves, obey your earthlymasters in everything, not with
a slavery performed merely forlooks, to please people, but
(33:10):
wholeheartedly, fearing theLord.
23 Whatever task you must do,work as if your soul depends on
it, as for the Lord and not forhumans,
24 since you know that from theLord you will receive the
inheritance as your reward; youserve the Lord Christ.
(33:31):
25 For the wrongdoer will bepaid back for whatever wrong has
been done, and there is nopartiality.
(34:01):
The lamp has burned low, its flame barely pushing back the darkness in Paul's rented quarters. Youhave been at this for hours,
reading through the entireletter, discussing each phrase,
each vision of the new life inChrist.
Your back aches from the woodenstool, and your throat is dry
from reading aloud.
Paul leans back against thewall, his eyes closed, lips
(34:25):
moving silently in prayer.
The chain attached to his wristlies slack on the floor,
connecting him to a differentguard than this morning.
Servius finished his shifthours ago, replaced by Gaius, a
younger soldier with lessweathered features and more
(34:47):
curiosity in his eyes.
Unlike Servius' practicedstoicism, this one has not yet
mastered the art of pretendingnot to listen.
You have caught Gaius leaningforward slightly several times
throughout the evening, hisattention drawn to Paul's words
(35:08):
despite his attempt to maintaina professional distance.
Read it again, Paul sayssoftly.
The part about Christ being alland in all.
You find the section on theparchment.
(35:30):
Here there is not Greek andJew, circumcised and
uncircumcised, barbarian,Scythian, slave, free, but
Christ is all and in all.
Paul nods, a smile spreadingacross his weathered face.
(35:52):
Do you know what that is goingto mean to them?
To Philemon's household wheremasters and slaves sit side by
side?
To the Jewish believers whostill remember the old
distinctions?
It means everything changes,Paul says.
When Philemon looks atOnesimus, he pauses, glancing
(36:17):
toward the corner of the roomwhere a third figure sits
quietly in the lamplight.
Onesimus, who arrived earlierin the evening, works steadily
mending a tear in Paul's cloak.
His skilled fingers movingthread through worn fabric.
This is the man at the centerof another letter Paul has
(36:41):
written.
A runaway slave who foundChrist and is now returning to
his master.
He won't see property anymore.
He'll see a brother.
Onesimus looks up.
Do you really think Philemonwill receive me as a brother?
(37:04):
Paul's eyes are full of love.
I know he will.
You are both new creations.
It's a wardrobe change, you saysuddenly, taking off old filthy
(37:27):
garments and putting on newones?
Paul's face lights up.
Yes, exactly.
In their world, clothingdeclares who you are.
When you tell the Colossians toput off the old self and put on
the new, you're telling them tomake a complete identity
transformation.
Gaius, the guard, clears histhroat.
(37:52):
Both you and Paul turn to lookat him.
Forgive me, he says.
But I have been listening.
How do you know when it's real?
How do you know you are notjust pretending?
Paul leans forward.
(38:12):
You know it's real.
When the change goes deep.
When you find yourself actuallyloving people you used to hate,
when you're patient with peoplewho used to drive you mad.
When you forgive someone whodoesn't deserve it, because
Christ forgave you when youdidn't deserve it.
(38:34):
Paul pauses.
You know it's real when thepeace of Christ rules in your
heart.
When you do everything in thename of the Lord Jesus, giving
thanks to God the Father throughhim.
And if you want to, but don'tfeel it, Gaius asks.
(38:58):
Then you ask, Paul simply says.
You cry out to God and say,make it real in me, and he will.
That's what he does, takingdead things and making them
alive.
You see something shift inGaius's expression, a glimpse of
(39:21):
hunger beneath the armor.
Through the window, stars beginto appear, the same stars that
shine over Colise, over everyplace where the gospel has taken
root.
What do you think they'll dowhen they hear this letter?
You ask Paul.
I think some will weep, Paulsays, because they will
(39:46):
recognize themselves in the oldself, the anger, the malice.
But then they will hear aboutthe new self being renewed after
the image of its creator, andthey will feel hope rising.
Onesimus speaks, and some willbe afraid.
(40:08):
Paul nods.
Yes, because this kind of lifeis costly.
It means dying to self daily,it means forgiving when you
would rather nurse a grudge.
But it's real, and it's theonly life worth living.
Paul moves to the windowlooking out at Rome.
(40:31):
Somewhere out there, Caesarthinks he rules the world, but
there's another king, anotherkingdom, and it is advancing
through transformed lives,through slaves who work
heartedly as for the Lord,through husbands who love their
(40:52):
wives, through masters who treattheir slaves justly.
Paul turns from the window,eyes blazing.
That's the revolution we arepart of.
The creation of communitieswhere dividing walls are
demolished.
Communities so full of genuinelove and joy that the watching
(41:14):
world asks, What do you havethat we don't?
And the answer, you sayquietly, is Christ.
Christ, Paul echoes.
Christ, who is our life.
Christ who is all and in all.
(41:36):
Onesimus brings water in a claypitcher.
Paul drinks deeply, then saysto Onesimus, Thank you, brother.
The former slave's eyes glistenat that word.
Paul grips your shoulder.
(41:57):
We write because somewhere inColossae, there's someone who
deeply needs to hear that theirlife is hidden with Christ in
God, that Christ is all and inall.
Paul settles on his sleepingmat.
Rest well.
(42:17):
Tomorrow we finish what we havestarted.
You gather your things.
Thank you, you say, for showingme what it means to live with
your life hidden with Christ andGod.
Paul props himself up.
These words will outlive bothof us.
(42:39):
Long after this chain is rust,believers will gather and hear
about setting their minds onthings above, and some will be
set free.
Before Onesimus can snuff outthe lamp, Gaius speaks.
Paul sits up, eyes locking ontothe soldier's face.
(43:15):
You begin by admitting you needhim, Paul says softly.
You begin by believing that hedied for you, that he rose for
you.
And then?
Then you live, Paul says.
You put on compassion,kindness, humility.
(43:44):
You forgive because you havebeen forgiven.
Gaius nods slowly.
I'll think about it.
Do more than think, Paul urgesgently.
When you're ready, you knowwhere to find me.
He gestures at the chain with aweary smile.
(44:08):
Onesimus extinguishes the lamp.
Darkness floods the room.
Go in peace.
Paul's voice comes through thedarkness.
And remember, you have beenraised with Christ.
Live like it.
You step out into the Romannight.
(44:30):
You're thinking about the wordson the parchment, about death
and resurrection, about Christbeing all and in all, about a
chained apostle who is freerthan Caesar.
And you find yourself singingquietly.
A psalm infused with newmeaning.
This is what Paul was talkingabout: letting the word of
(44:53):
Christ dwell in you richly.
Tomorrow you will return.
Tomorrow you will finish theletter.
But tonight you carry theweight and wonder of what you
have written.
Tonight you are a livingepistle.
The stars shine overhead,constant and faithful, and
(45:16):
somewhere in Colossae, believersare about to receive a letter
that will change everything.
You smile in the darkness andquicken your pace toward home,
because your life is hidden withChrist in God.
And when Christ, who is yourlife, appears, you also will
appear with him in glory.
(45:37):
Until then, you will keepwriting, keep proclaiming, keep
living as one who has died andbeen raised.
And that is enough.
Thank you for joining me todayas we journeyed through the
Epistle of Paul to theColossians 3.
(45:58):
I pray that you carry thesereflections with you into your
day, into your week, and thatyou find strength in knowing God
is with you in every trial,every temptation, and every step
of obedience.
If this time in God's Word hasencouraged you, take a moment to
(46:18):
share it with someone who mightneed it.
And be sure to join me nexttime as we continue walking
through the scriptures,learning, growing, and staying
faithful "in the field" of life.
Until next time, may you findpeace in the quiet, trust in
God's call, and rest in Hisunchanging love.
(46:40):
This is In the Field AudioBible, where we Listen to the
Bible One Chapter at a Time.
The oil lamp flickers againstthe rough hewn walls of Paul's
(05:25):
rented quarters in Rome, castingdancing shadows across the worn
wooden table where parchmentand ink rest like sacred
instruments.
You shift your weight on thesimple wooden stool, feeling the
grain of the wood beneath you,smoothed by countless hours of
(05:47):
sitting in this very spot.
The air is thick with the scentof olive oil from the lamp,
mingled with the earthy smell ofink, that distinctive blend of
soot, gum arabic, and water thatstains Paul's fingers a
permanent gray black.
(06:08):
The chain clinks softly as Pauladjusts his position.
It's a sound you have grownaccustomed to over these months.
The constant metallic reminderthat connects his wrist to the
Roman guard stationed by thedoor.
The guard, a weathered soldiernamed Servius, stands with the
(06:33):
practice stillness of a man whohas learned to become furniture.
His leather armor creakingoccasionally as he shifts his
weight from one foot to theother.
The chain between them isperhaps four cubits long, just
enough for Paul to move abouthis modest room, but never
(06:56):
enough to let him forget hiscaptivity.
Yet if you didn't see thechain, you might never know Paul
was a prisoner.
His eyes burn with an intensitythat no iron can dim.
And his voice?
That voice that has proclaimedthe gospel in synagogues and
(07:16):
marketplaces, from Jerusalem toIliricum, carries the same fire
it always has.
Perhaps even more so now, as ifconfinement has concentrated
rather than diminished hispassion.
Where were we?
Paul asked, though you bothknow exactly where you were.
(07:40):
He has that teacher's way ofasking questions that aren't
really questions.
Invitations to engage, tothink, to remember.
His calloused hand, marked byyears of temp making and
beatings, reaches for theparchment you've been working on
together.
The letter to the Colossians.
(08:02):
We had just finished warningthem, you say, running your
finger along the text of whatwould become the end of this
chapter.
About the hollow and deceptivephilosophy, the human
(08:22):
traditions, the worship ofangels, the harsh treatment of
the body.
Paul nods, his graying beardcatching the lamplight.
Outside, Rome rumbles with itsevening sounds, cartwheels on
cobblestones, distant shoutsfrom the street vendors making
(08:43):
their final sales, the rhythmictramp of the praetorian guard
changing shifts.
But in this room, there is onlythe crackle of the lamp, the
breathing of three men, and theweight of words that must be
chosen with the precision of ajeweler selecting stones.
They needed to hear that, Paulsays, his voice dropping to that
(09:09):
intimate tone he uses when he'sabout to share something from
the deepest places of his heart.
But now, now we must show themwhat life in Christ actually
looks like.
It's not enough to tell themwhat to avoid.
We must paint them a picture ofwhat to pursue.
He stands, and the chainfollows him like an unwanted
(09:34):
shadow.
Three steps to the small windowcut high in the wall.
Through it, you can see asliver of Roman sky, that
peculiar purple gray of eveningin the eternal city.
Paul stares at it as if seeingbeyond Rome, beyond the
(09:54):
Mediterranean, all the way tothe Lycus Valley, where Colise
sits nestled among the hills ofPhrygia.
Picture them with me, he says,and you close your eyes, letting
his words transport you.
Philemon's house church.
(10:16):
You know Philemon.
I've told you about him.
A man of means, a man whoseheart was transformed by the
gospel.
His home is one of the largerones in Colisse.
Built in the Greek style with acentral courtyard.
The believers gathered there asthe sun sets, just as the sun
(10:39):
is setting here now.
You can almost see it.
The courtyard with its smallfountain, the sound of water
trickling over stone, thebelievers arriving in twos and
threes, their sandals dusty fromthe streets of Colise.
Some are wealthy.
You can tell by the quality oftheir tunics, the fine wool dyed
(11:02):
with expensive colors.
Others are clearly slaves orfreedmen, wearing simple undyed
linen, their hands rough fromlabor, yet they embrace one
another as family.
The social barriers of Rome'srigid hierarchy dissolving in
(11:22):
the fellowship of Christ.
There's Epiphras, Paulcontinues, and his voice warms
with affection.
Our dear fellow servant whobrought the gospel to them, who
has labored so earnestly forthem in prayer.
I can see him now standingbefore them with this letter in
(11:44):
his hands, breaking the seal,unrolling the parchment.
They are eager, hungry for wordfrom us.
They have heard about myimprisonment and they are
worried, but more than that,they are confused.
Paul turns from the window, andyou open your eyes to find him
(12:06):
looking at you with anexpression of mingled concern
and determination.
The lamplight catches the scarson his face, reminders of
Lystra, of Philippi, of a dozenother places where his message
of a crucified and risen Messiahhad been met with stones and
rods.
The false teachers have beenbusy, he says, settling back
(12:33):
onto his own stool across fromyou.
Oh, they are subtle.
They do not deny Christoutright.
No, they add to him.
They say, Yes, believe inJesus, but you must also observe
these special days, followthese dietary restrictions,
(12:54):
worship these angelicintermediaries, submit to these
practices.
They make it sound sospiritual, so deep, so
mysterious.
Paul picks up a stylus, turningit over in his fingers, a
gesture you have seen him make athousand times when he is
(13:15):
thinking deeply.
But it's all smoke and mirrors.
It's the elementary principlesof this world dressed up in
religious garments.
And the danger, the terribledanger, is that it shifts their
focus away from Christ.
It makes him insufficient.
(13:36):
It suggests that his death andresurrection, magnificent as
they were, are not quite enough,that we need something more.
The passion in his voice makesServius glance over, though the
guard's face remains impassive.
You wonder what Servius thinks,standing there day after day,
(14:00):
listening to Paul speak ofkingdoms and kings, of death and
resurrection, of a Jewishcarpenter who claimed to be God.
Does any of it penetrate thatprofessional soldier's stoicism?
So we told them the truth.
Paul continues.
We reminded them that in Christall the fullness of deity
(14:25):
dwells in bodily form, that inhim they have been made
complete, that they died withhim, were buried with him, were
raised with him.
We pulled back the curtain onthese false teachers and their
hollow philosophy.
Paul pauses, and in that pause,you hear the question he is
(14:48):
about to ask before he even asksit.
But now what?
Paul leans forward, his eyeslocked on yours.
If they have died with Christ,to the elementary principles of
this world, if they have beenraised with him, if they have
(15:11):
been made complete in him, whatdoes that mean for Monday
morning?
For the way a master treats hisslave?
For the way a wife speaks toher husband?
For the way a merchant conductshis business in the forum?
For the thoughts they entertainwhen no one else is watching?
(15:32):
The questions hang in the airlike incense smoke.
This is the heart of it, yourealize?
This is why Paul has beenpacing the small room for the
past two days.
Why he has been unusually quietduring meals.
Why you have caught him staringat nothing with that faraway
(15:54):
look that means he's wrestlingwith how to say something that
matters desperately.
Theology must become biography,Paul says finally.
And you reach for a fresh pieceof parchment, knowing that what
comes next needs to be capturedwith care.
(16:14):
Doctrine must transform intoduty.
The indicative must give birthto the imperative.
They need to understand thatbeing raised with Christ isn't
just a positional truth to nodat, it's a radical reorientation
of everything.
Paul begins to pace again.
(16:36):
Three steps one way, threesteps back, the chain marking
the rhythm like a metronome.
Think about what it means to beraised with Christ.
When a person dies in thatculture, in any culture, what
happens?
They leave everything behind.
Their possessions, theirpositions, their pursuits, their
(16:59):
passions.
Death is the ultimateseverance.
You can't take anything withyou.
You nod, remembering thefuneral processions you have
seen in Rome, the professionalmourners, the musicians, the
body carried, the familyfollowing behind in their torn
(17:21):
garments, the finality of itall.
The way a life that was so fullof activity and ambition
becomes still and silent.
But resurrection, Paul's voicerises with wonder.
Resurrection is the ultimatenew beginning.
It is not just resuscitationbringing a corpse back to the
(17:45):
life it had before.
It's transformation.
It's a caterpillar becoming abutterfly.
It's a seed that falls into theground and dies, bringing forth
a plant that bears fruit.
It's the same but utterlydifferent.
Continuous with what camebefore, yet transcendent of it.
(18:09):
Paul stops pacing and placesboth hands flat on the table,
leaning towards you.
The chain pulls on the woodensurface between you.
This is what happened to everybeliever in Colossae.
In Ephesus, in Philippi, inRome, in every place where the
(18:32):
gospel has taken root.
They have died and been raised.
The old self, crucified withChrist, the new self raised with
him.
This isn't a metaphor.
This isn't poetry.
This is reality.
This is the most real thingabout them.
(18:55):
You dip your stylus in the ink,the sharp smell of it filling
your nostrils.
So how do we say this to them?
Paul smiles, that suddentransformative smile that makes
you understand why people followhim through riots and
(19:15):
shipwrecks and imprisonments.
We start with the mostimportant word in the Greek
language.
Therefore, everything we areabout to say rests on everything
we have already said.
It's not a new topic.
It's the necessary consequenceof the truth they have already
(19:38):
embraced.
He closes his eyes, and youknow he's composing in his head,
arranging the Greek words withthe care of a master craftsman.
When he speaks, his voice hastaken on that dictation cadence,
and you write quickly to keepup.
Therefore, if you have beenraised with Christ, he pauses,
(20:05):
opens his eyes.
Did you hear that?
If.
But it's not a condition ofuncertainty.
It's a condition of fact.
Since you have been raised withChrist, would be another way to
translate it.
This is their reality.
This has happened to them.
(20:25):
The moment they believed, themoment they were baptized, they
entered into Christ's death andresurrection.
This is foundational.
This is assumed.
Everything else flows fromthis.
The lamp sputters slightly, andyou pause to trim the wick.
(20:47):
The room brightens and you seePaul's face more clearly.
The lines etched by sufferingand joy.
The eyes that have seen therisen Christ on the Damascus
road and have never been thesame since.
Seek the things that are above,Paul continues.
Where Christ is, seated at theright hand of God.
(21:11):
You think of the false teachersPaul has been warning about,
their claims of visions, theirinsistence on angel worship,
their elaborate rules about foodand festivals, all of it
promising something more,something deeper, something that
will fill the gnawing sensethat ordinary faith in an
(21:33):
ordinary savior isn't quiteenough.
But we are telling them to seeksomething else entirely, Paul
says.
Not the things below, not theelementary principles, not the
human traditions, not themystical experiences that puff
up but don't build up.
(21:54):
Seek the things above.
And where are those things?
Where Christ is.
And where is Christ?
Seated at the right hand ofGod.
He sits down again, and you seethe weariness in his shoulders,
the weight of years and miles,and beatings and shipwrecks.
(22:17):
But his voice remains strong.
This is the geography of theChristian life.
Christ is above, at theFather's right hand, the place
of honor, of authority, ofpower.
He's not wondering.
He's not uncertain.
He's not competing with angelsor cosmic powers for position.
(22:40):
He is seated.
The work is finished.
The victory is won.
And we, we who have been raisedwith him, are to orient our
lives toward that reality.
Set your mind on things above,not on things on the earth, he
(23:01):
continues dictating.
For you have died, and yourlife is hidden with Christ and
God.
The words strike you with freshforce, even though you have
heard Paul speak of these truthsbefore.
Hidden with Christ and God.
You think of the valuableswealthy Romans hide, their gold
(23:24):
and jewels locked away in strongboxes, secured in the most
protected parts of their homes.
That's where the believer'slife is, not exposed to the
whims of circumstance, notvulnerable to the attacks of the
enemy, but hidden, secured, inthe safest place in the
universe, in God Himself, withChrist as the mediator.
(23:49):
Do they understand what we aresaying?
You ask Paul.
This is so different from howthey have been taught to think.
Paul nods slowly.
That's exactly the point.
The world and even the falseteachers who claim to be
spiritual, they all operate onthe same basic principle.
(24:12):
You are what you do, what youachieve, what you experience,
what you accumulate.
Your identity is built from theoutside in.
You construct yourself throughyour choices and your
circumstances.
Paul picks up the parchmentwith the earlier chapters,
(24:34):
scanning the words you havealready written.
But we have been telling themsomething radically different.
Your identity is given, notachieved.
You died.
That's past tense.
Finished, done.
The old you, the you that wasdefined by the flesh, by the
(24:56):
world, by the sin.
That person is dead.
And the new you, the you thatis alive in Christ.
That person's life is hiddenwith Christ in God.
It's secure, it's settled, it'snot dependent on your
performance or your experiencesor your mystical visions.
(25:17):
So what does this mean forthem?
Paul asks.
Though again, it's not really aquestion.
It means everything they do,everything they think,
everything they desire, all ofit flows from this new identity.
They don't seek the thingsabove in order to become people
(25:38):
who have been raised withChrist.
They seek the things abovebecause they are people who have
been raised with Christ.
The identity comes first, thebehavior follows.
You set your stylus down for amoment.
Flexing your cramped fingers.
This is going to challengethem.
(26:01):
Yes, Paul agrees, because it'sgoing to require them to think
differently about everything,about their marriages, about
their work, about their money,about their bodies, about their
thoughts, about their words.
We are about to get verypractical, very specific.
We are going to talk about whatto put off and what to put on.
(26:26):
We are going to name sins thatneed to die.
We are going to describevirtues that need to grow.
We are going to addresshouseholds, husbands and wives,
parents and children, mastersand slaves.
He stands again, moving to thewindow, looking out at the
(26:47):
darkening sky.
But it all, all of it, rests onthis foundation.
You have been raised withChrist.
Your life is hidden with Christin God.
When Christ, who is your life,appears, then you also will
appear with him in glory.
(27:08):
That's where we're headed.
That's the hope that makessense of the present struggle.
That's the future that shapeshow we live today.
The guard shifts and the chainclinks.
Paul glances at it, then atServius, then back to you.
(27:29):
There's a slight smile on hisface.
They might think I'm the one inchains, but I have never been
freer because my life isn'tdefined by this chain or this
room or Caesar's whims.
My life is hidden with Christin God, and so is theirs, and so
is yours.
(27:50):
Paul returns to the table, andyou pick up your stylus again.
Shall we continue?
Yes, Paul says.
Let's show them what it lookslike to live as people who have
died and been raised.
Let's paint them a picture ofthe new humanity that Christ is
creating.
(28:10):
Let's give them a vision socompelling, so beautiful, so
true that the false teachers'empty promises will be exposed
for the hollow deceptions theyare.
The lamp burns, the ink flows,the words take shape on
parchment, and somewhere faraway, in a city nestled in the
(28:33):
Lycus Valley, believers willgather to hear these words and
discover again who they trulyare, and whose they truly are,
and how that changes everything.
Now, let's take a moment toquiet our hearts and listen to
(28:53):
the word itself.
Let these words sink deep intoyour spirit, bringing comfort,
conviction, and encouragement.
Whether you're sitting in aquiet place or out in the world,
allow scripture to meet youright where you are.
I hope you have your favoritecup of tea or coffee.
Sit back, relax, and let's stepinto the sacred text of the
(29:19):
Epistle of Paul to theColossians 3.
Epistle of Paul to theColossians 3 (NRSV):
(29:43):
1 So if you have been raisedwith Christ, seek the things
that are above, where Christ is,seated at the right hand of
God.
2 Set your minds on things thatare above, not on the things
that are on earth,3 for you have died, and your
life is hidden with Christ inGod.
(30:06):
4 When Christ, who is your life,is revealed, then you also will
be revealed with Him in glory.
5 Put to death, therefore.
For whatever in you is earthly,sexual immorality, impurity,
passion, evil desire, and greed,which is idolatry.
(30:31):
6 On account of these, the wrathof God is coming on those who
are disobedient.
7 These are the ways you alsoonce followed when you were
living that life.
8 But now you must get rid ofall such things: anger, wrath,
malice, slander, and abusivelanguage from your mouth.
(30:55):
9 Do not lie to one another,seeing that you have stripped
off the old self with itspractices
10 and have clothed yourselveswith a new self, which is being
renewed in knowledge accordingto the image of its Creator.
11 In that renewal, there is nolonger Greek and Jew,
(31:16):
circumcised and uncircumcised,barbarian, Scythian, enslaved
and free, but Christ is all andin all!
12 Therefore, as God's chosenones, holy and beloved, clothe
yourselves with compassion,kindness, humility, meekness,
(31:38):
and patience.
13 Bear with one another and, ifanyone has a complaint against
another, forgive each other,just as the Lord has forgiven
you, so you also must forgive.
14 Above all, clothe yourselveswith love, which binds
everything together in perfectharmony.
(31:59):
15 And let the peace of Christrule in your hearts, to which
indeed you were called in onebody, and be thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwellin you richly; teach and
admonish one another in allwisdom; and with gratitude in
your hearts sing psalms, hymns,and spiritual songs to God.
(32:24):
17 And whatever you do, in wordor deed, do everything in the
name of the Lord Jesus, givingthanks to God the Father through
Him.
18 Wives, be subject to yourhusbands, as is fitting in the
Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives andnever treat them harshly.
(32:46):
20 Children, obey your parentsin everything, for this is your
acceptable duty in the Lord.
21 Fathers, do not provoke yourchildren, or they may lose
heart.
22 Slaves, obey your earthlymasters in everything, not with
a slavery performed merely forlooks, to please people, but
(33:10):
wholeheartedly, fearing theLord.
23 Whatever task you must do,work as if your soul depends on
it, as for the Lord and not forhumans,
24 since you know that from theLord you will receive the
inheritance as your reward; youserve the Lord Christ.
(33:31):
25 For the wrongdoer will bepaid back for whatever wrong has
been done, and there is nopartiality.
(34:01):
The lamp has burned low, its flame barely pushing back the darkness in Paul's rented quarters. Youhave been at this for hours,
reading through the entireletter, discussing each phrase,
each vision of the new life inChrist.
Your back aches from the woodenstool, and your throat is dry
from reading aloud.
Paul leans back against thewall, his eyes closed, lips
(34:25):
moving silently in prayer.
The chain attached to his wristlies slack on the floor,
connecting him to a differentguard than this morning.
Servius finished his shifthours ago, replaced by Gaius, a
younger soldier with lessweathered features and more
(34:47):
curiosity in his eyes.
Unlike Servius' practicedstoicism, this one has not yet
mastered the art of pretendingnot to listen.
You have caught Gaius leaningforward slightly several times
throughout the evening, hisattention drawn to Paul's words
(35:08):
despite his attempt to maintaina professional distance.
Read it again, Paul sayssoftly.
The part about Christ being alland in all.
You find the section on theparchment.
(35:30):
Here there is not Greek andJew, circumcised and
uncircumcised, barbarian,Scythian, slave, free, but
Christ is all and in all.
Paul nods, a smile spreadingacross his weathered face.
(35:52):
Do you know what that is goingto mean to them?
To Philemon's household wheremasters and slaves sit side by
side?
To the Jewish believers whostill remember the old
distinctions?
It means everything changes,Paul says.
When Philemon looks atOnesimus, he pauses, glancing
(36:17):
toward the corner of the roomwhere a third figure sits
quietly in the lamplight.
Onesimus, who arrived earlierin the evening, works steadily
mending a tear in Paul's cloak.
His skilled fingers movingthread through worn fabric.
This is the man at the centerof another letter Paul has
(36:41):
written.
A runaway slave who foundChrist and is now returning to
his master.
He won't see property anymore.
He'll see a brother.
Onesimus looks up.
Do you really think Philemonwill receive me as a brother?
(37:04):
Paul's eyes are full of love.
I know he will.
You are both new creations.
It's a wardrobe change, you saysuddenly, taking off old filthy
(37:27):
garments and putting on newones?
Paul's face lights up.
Yes, exactly.
In their world, clothingdeclares who you are.
When you tell the Colossians toput off the old self and put on
the new, you're telling them tomake a complete identity
transformation.
Gaius, the guard, clears histhroat.
(37:52):
Both you and Paul turn to lookat him.
Forgive me, he says.
But I have been listening.
How do you know when it's real?
How do you know you are notjust pretending?
Paul leans forward.
(38:12):
You know it's real.
When the change goes deep.
When you find yourself actuallyloving people you used to hate,
when you're patient with peoplewho used to drive you mad.
When you forgive someone whodoesn't deserve it, because
Christ forgave you when youdidn't deserve it.
(38:34):
Paul pauses.
You know it's real when thepeace of Christ rules in your
heart.
When you do everything in thename of the Lord Jesus, giving
thanks to God the Father throughhim.
And if you want to, but don'tfeel it, Gaius asks.
(38:58):
Then you ask, Paul simply says.
You cry out to God and say,make it real in me, and he will.
That's what he does, takingdead things and making them
alive.
You see something shift inGaius's expression, a glimpse of
(39:21):
hunger beneath the armor.
Through the window, stars beginto appear, the same stars that
shine over Colise, over everyplace where the gospel has taken
root.
What do you think they'll dowhen they hear this letter?
You ask Paul.
I think some will weep, Paulsays, because they will
(39:46):
recognize themselves in the oldself, the anger, the malice.
But then they will hear aboutthe new self being renewed after
the image of its creator, andthey will feel hope rising.
Onesimus speaks, and some willbe afraid.
(40:08):
Paul nods.
Yes, because this kind of lifeis costly.
It means dying to self daily,it means forgiving when you
would rather nurse a grudge.
But it's real, and it's theonly life worth living.
Paul moves to the windowlooking out at Rome.
(40:31):
Somewhere out there, Caesarthinks he rules the world, but
there's another king, anotherkingdom, and it is advancing
through transformed lives,through slaves who work
heartedly as for the Lord,through husbands who love their
(40:52):
wives, through masters who treattheir slaves justly.
Paul turns from the window,eyes blazing.
That's the revolution we arepart of.
The creation of communitieswhere dividing walls are
demolished.
Communities so full of genuinelove and joy that the watching
(41:14):
world asks, What do you havethat we don't?
And the answer, you sayquietly, is Christ.
Christ, Paul echoes.
Christ, who is our life.
Christ who is all and in all.
(41:36):
Onesimus brings water in a claypitcher.
Paul drinks deeply, then saysto Onesimus, Thank you, brother.
The former slave's eyes glistenat that word.
Paul grips your shoulder.
(41:57):
We write because somewhere inColossae, there's someone who
deeply needs to hear that theirlife is hidden with Christ in
God, that Christ is all and inall.
Paul settles on his sleepingmat.
Rest well.
(42:17):
Tomorrow we finish what we havestarted.
You gather your things.
Thank you, you say, for showingme what it means to live with
your life hidden with Christ andGod.
Paul props himself up.
These words will outlive bothof us.
(42:39):
Long after this chain is rust,believers will gather and hear
about setting their minds onthings above, and some will be
set free.
Before Onesimus can snuff outthe lamp, Gaius speaks.
Paul sits up, eyes locking ontothe soldier's face.
(43:15):
You begin by admitting you needhim, Paul says softly.
You begin by believing that hedied for you, that he rose for
you.
And then?
Then you live, Paul says.
You put on compassion,kindness, humility.
(43:44):
You forgive because you havebeen forgiven.
Gaius nods slowly.
I'll think about it.
Do more than think, Paul urgesgently.
When you're ready, you knowwhere to find me.
He gestures at the chain with aweary smile.
(44:08):
Onesimus extinguishes the lamp.
Darkness floods the room.
Go in peace.
Paul's voice comes through thedarkness.
And remember, you have beenraised with Christ.
Live like it.
You step out into the Romannight.
(44:30):
You're thinking about the wordson the parchment, about death
and resurrection, about Christbeing all and in all, about a
chained apostle who is freerthan Caesar.
And you find yourself singingquietly.
A psalm infused with newmeaning.
This is what Paul was talkingabout: letting the word of
(44:53):
Christ dwell in you richly.
Tomorrow you will return.
Tomorrow you will finish theletter.
But tonight you carry theweight and wonder of what you
have written.
Tonight you are a livingepistle.
The stars shine overhead,constant and faithful, and
(45:16):
somewhere in Colossae, believersare about to receive a letter
that will change everything.
You smile in the darkness andquicken your pace toward home,
because your life is hidden withChrist in God.
And when Christ, who is yourlife, appears, you also will
appear with him in glory.
(45:37):
Until then, you will keepwriting, keep proclaiming, keep
living as one who has died andbeen raised.
And that is enough.
Thank you for joining me todayas we journeyed through the
Epistle of Paul to theColossians 3.
(45:58):
I pray that you carry thesereflections with you into your
day, into your week, and thatyou find strength in knowing God
is with you in every trial,every temptation, and every step
of obedience.
If this time in God's Word hasencouraged you, take a moment to
(46:18):
share it with someone who mightneed it.
And be sure to join me nexttime as we continue walking
through the scriptures,learning, growing, and staying
faithful "in the field" of life.
Until next time, may you findpeace in the quiet, trust in
God's call, and rest in Hisunchanging love.
(46:40):
This is In the Field AudioBible, where we Listen to the
Bible One Chapter at a Time.
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