Colossians 3:18-21 says...
Today's verses are Colossians 3:18-21, which read,
v.18 - Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
Paul's instruction for the new Christians in Colossae get more specific as he starts naming some groups. The first is the wives and as consistent with other letters of his and also the whole of Scripture, the wives are to be willingly putting themselves under their husbands. This action is in obedience to the Lord and obedience to the Lord brings glory to Him.
v.19 - Husbands, love your wives and so not be embittered against them.
The love spoken of here is the highest and deepest love described in the Greek language. The love we are to have for our wives as husbands is that which is served selflessly. It is focused on them rather than ourselves. The husbands must have had a problem with being bitter or harsh with their wives so Paul gives specific instruction to cease this activity.
v.20 - Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord.
Paul is giving rapid fire instruction to the whole family here. The children are called to obedience just as their parents are to the Lord. This command of obedience is always in relationship to the Scriptures. If what we are being asked to do is directly against what is in Scripture, God's law always trumps man's law in obedience. A way to look at this is should a child come to the Lord if his or her parents do not wish it? These acts of disobedience because of a direct conflict with Scripture are more rare so the overwhelming command is to obey the parents.
v.21 - Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.
"Fathers" as a term can mean both parents but it does hold the order set up by God for the family unit. Paul saw the need to speak about those parents who provoked or exasperated their children that would lead to them moving farther away from them and God than moving closer. The care of the children was to be done in a way that they would fall in love with the God of their parents because their parents showed their love of God to them through their words and actions.
These short sentences give a God ordained family unit and how it is suppose to operate. When you see all of this happening, you see a family that as a whole unit is a witness of God. Sadly not all families are like this. Sadly not all "Christian, church going" families are like this. But the sum of the commands here are not necessary for the individual commands not to be followed. Each is to be followed even if they others are not followed. Others disobedience is not an excuse for us to also be disobedient. We obey first and foremost out of love for our God who gives us love and the ability to love the others that are around us who may even be disobeying God in their actions. We do them no favors by disobeying God because they are. Let's pray.
"Lord, may this day be a day that brings honor and glory to You. May the families of the church gather together as a larger family of God today in churches all around the world. May we see how our obedience is to You and how our combined obedience within the family unit is Your design. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.18 - Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
Paul's instruction for the new Christians in Colossae get more specific as he starts naming some groups. The first is the wives and as consistent with other letters of his and also the whole of Scripture, the wives are to be willingly putting themselves under their husbands. This action is in obedience to the Lord and obedience to the Lord brings glory to Him.
v.19 - Husbands, love your wives and so not be embittered against them.
The love spoken of here is the highest and deepest love described in the Greek language. The love we are to have for our wives as husbands is that which is served selflessly. It is focused on them rather than ourselves. The husbands must have had a problem with being bitter or harsh with their wives so Paul gives specific instruction to cease this activity.
v.20 - Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord.
Paul is giving rapid fire instruction to the whole family here. The children are called to obedience just as their parents are to the Lord. This command of obedience is always in relationship to the Scriptures. If what we are being asked to do is directly against what is in Scripture, God's law always trumps man's law in obedience. A way to look at this is should a child come to the Lord if his or her parents do not wish it? These acts of disobedience because of a direct conflict with Scripture are more rare so the overwhelming command is to obey the parents.
v.21 - Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.
"Fathers" as a term can mean both parents but it does hold the order set up by God for the family unit. Paul saw the need to speak about those parents who provoked or exasperated their children that would lead to them moving farther away from them and God than moving closer. The care of the children was to be done in a way that they would fall in love with the God of their parents because their parents showed their love of God to them through their words and actions.
These short sentences give a God ordained family unit and how it is suppose to operate. When you see all of this happening, you see a family that as a whole unit is a witness of God. Sadly not all families are like this. Sadly not all "Christian, church going" families are like this. But the sum of the commands here are not necessary for the individual commands not to be followed. Each is to be followed even if they others are not followed. Others disobedience is not an excuse for us to also be disobedient. We obey first and foremost out of love for our God who gives us love and the ability to love the others that are around us who may even be disobeying God in their actions. We do them no favors by disobeying God because they are. Let's pray.
"Lord, may this day be a day that brings honor and glory to You. May the families of the church gather together as a larger family of God today in churches all around the world. May we see how our obedience is to You and how our combined obedience within the family unit is Your design. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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