Colossians for Beginners

The word Christian is made of two words, "Christ" and the suffix, "ian". "ian" means of, therefore, the word Christian means, "of Christ". When we commit to Jesus and His teachings, we commit to developing His characteristics and following His teachings. We learn about who Jesus is and His teachings then apply these to our lives. Christian ethics is about how we live according to the standards of Jesus. It is less about keeping rules and more about being seen as one who is like Christ.

Paul is adding another critical element of the pre-eminence of Jesus in our lives – Jesus is pre-eminent in our family.

The family has always been the important foundation upon which every society is built. We are even described as the family of God (I John 3:1-2; Ephesians 2:19-22). As in all things, Jesus conveys to us the will of God the Father related to living as a family.

There are several possible responses but look for information related to how Paul reestablishes or emphasizes the structure of the family as God designed it. A key phrase in Colossians 3:18-21 is the phrase, "is fitting in the Lord." In the period when Paul was writing these letters there were those who were either forbidding marriage or had an incorrect (by God's standards) view of the proper relationship of members within a family (i.e., wives and children as property; the ease in divorcing a wife, etc.)

We should first be faithful to Jesus. That is the foundation for all elements and situations in our lives. Submission is a choice we make, just as Jesus submitted to the will of God in all things. Through Jesus as our standard, we learn about true love, submission and faithfulness. Sometimes this means submitting in situations where there is stress upon our faithfulness. We continue to live faithful lives to the best of our ability. It is also important that those who are not faced with challenges to their family situation strive to be loving and supportive of those who do face challenges. An excellent principle, if not command, is found in James 1:27 in reference to how we care for those in challenging family situations.

Husbands are to love their wives, even before themselves. This is God's model. In Ephesians 5, Paul expands on this idea in that husbands are to love their wives spiritually (Ephesians 5:25-27); physically (Ephesians 5:28-31); and emotionally (Ephesians 5:33). A point of emphasis here: In Ephesians 5:33, Paul ends with the statement, "and let the wife see that she respects her husband." A man seeking his wife's respect must be worthy of it as the spiritual leader of his family, a role specified by God and one that cannot be abdicated to another. There are situations where the husband is incapable of being a spiritual leader. It then falls upon the wife/mother to fulfill this role. She should do this, but this is not God's primary design. The husband and wife work together to support one another's faithfulness as well as their role in the marriage and work to instill these qualities in their children.

Children are to respect and obey parents. Again, the father as the leader of the family, is to foster this by his love of God, commitment to Christ and love for his wife. This has always been God's plan for his people.

An orderly family is God's plan and is another element that reflects the presence of God in our lives when we follow it. This plan has three elements:

Commitment to Jesus by the father recognizing and fulfilling his role as the spiritual leader.

A submissive wife bringing balance to the home by her role as loving wife supporting her husband. She submits regardless of her husband's or her flaws.

Children who respect and obey their parents and receive instruction in the Lord.

A critical element in all of this goes back to the phrase in Colossians 3:18, "as is fitting in the Lord." Jesus is our standard in all things and the One we strive to be like.