Spring Harvest’s ‘Route 66 Through the Year’ is designed to take readers on a tour through each of the 66 books of the Bible over the course of a year, with each day’s reading featuring a short passage and comment written by a variety of Spring Harvest speakers.
I have contributed notes for this week on Colossians, looking today at 1:1-14.
Read: Colossians 1:1-14
Delivered by Tychichus and Onesimus (4:7-9) and coming with greetings from Paul’s coworkers (4:10-15), Colossians was to be read out in the Christian gathering (4:16). Although written in collaboration with others, not least Timothy (1:1), the authorial voice belongs to Paul (4:18). He is the ‘I’ who speaks throughout, allowing us a glimpse of how he pastored early congregations. And we too are nurtured in our faith as we read, reflect and respond in our own contexts today.
Paul will get to instruction and direction soon enough. Crucially, however, what comes first is thanksgiving and prayer. He begins by thanking God for their faith, hope and love – all of which spring from the gospel of God’s grace (1:3-8).
His prayer in 1:9-13 flows out of his thankfulness for them and – as always with Paul – it’s worth noticing what he prays for, and why he does so. Here it’s that they will be filled with knowledge of God’s will, will walk worthy of the Lord, will be strengthened with his power, and will give thanks to God for rescuing them from darkness and bringing them into light.
Let’s give thanks today for our brothers and sisters in Christ, and pray for each other – for wisdom, fruit, growth, strength, and gratitude for the redemption and forgiveness we share in his kingdom.
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