Connected to Christ

Paul wrote the letters to the Colossians from his prison cell in Rome to combat the false teachings that had infiltrated the church body. The issue was 'syncretism,' combining ideas from other philosophies and religions with Christian truth. The resulting heresy became known as "Gnosticism,"(gnosis in Greek) emphasizing 'special' knowledge and denying Christ as God and Savior. To battle this devious error, Paul stressed Christ's deity, his connection with the Father, and his sacrificial death on the cross for sin. Only by being connected with Christ through faith can anyone have power for living. Christ is God incarnate and the ONLY way to forgiveness and peace with God the Father. Paul also emphasized believer's connections with each other as Christ's body on earth.
As I read Colossians, I see an embattled church, much as the church today. For heresies creep in today's church - human disciplines of thought permeate many Christians' faith. It can happen to me if I don't stay in the God's Word-connected to my Lord, Jesus Christ.

This Easter season, I read Colossians for its timeless truths, to gain a fresh perspective and appreciation for Christ as the fullness of God and the only source for living the Christian life.
"Our task in the present...is to live as resurrection people in between Easter and the final day, with our Christian life corporate and individual, in both worship and mission, as a sign of the first coming, and a foretaste of the second." (N.T. Wright, in Surprised by Hope)

Yesterday I was crucified with Christ;
Today I am glorified with Him.
Yesterday I was dead in Christ;
Today I am sharing in His resurrection.
Yesterday I was buried with Him;
Today I am waking with Him from the sleep of death.
(Gregory of Turkey/329-389)

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