The Letter of PAUL to the COLOSSIANS - Chapter Two

1 I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. 2 My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. 5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.

Spiritual fullness in Christ

6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Freedom from human rules

16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.

17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. 19 They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

20 Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 21 ‘Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!’? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Word by Word Meditations 

by Fred Ursell

Colossians 2 : “continue” (v.6)

How should we “continue” (v.6) as Christians?  Paul’s explanation is super clear : “just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him” (v.6).  Considering we accepted Jesus as the guilty sinners we are, needing a Saviour, we desperately depended on him.  In the same spirit of utter reliance we should “continue”; the ongoing relationship is described as “rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (v.7).  With such glorious back-up and support, why wouldn’t we be bursting with gratitude?  Thank you, Lord!  Glad to soldier on! 

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

The Letter of Paul to the COLOSSIANS 

- Chapter 2 -

- Read by David Suchet -

-=-

OVERVIEW 

THE Letter of Paul to the 

COLOSSIANS

 - Overview -

The Bible Project 

https://youtu.be/pXTXlDxQsvc

-=-

STUDY - LINKS

The Letter of Paul to the 

COLOSSIANS 

by David Pawson

https://youtu.be/2XCX__pCeOI 

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

-=-=-=-

The Letter of PAUL to the COLOSSIANS - Chapter One

THE Letter of Paul to the 

COLOSSIANS

 - Overview -

(The Bible Project) 

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,  and Timothy our brother, 2 To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father.

Thanksgiving and prayer

3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people – 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel 6 that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world – just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. 7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,

10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The supremacy of the Son of God

15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behaviour. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation – 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Paul’s labour for the church

24 Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness – 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. 29 To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Word by Word Meditations 

by Fred Ursell

Colossians 1 : “rescued” (v.13)

Paul has no doubts what a dynamic conversion experience the believers in Colossae have had, or how it was imparted.  “He [i.e. God] has rescued us from the dominion of darkness” (v.13).  We humans are affected by powerful evil temptations which we cannot effectively resist without our Liberator who is able to help us.  But there is much more in this rescue job – “… and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”  Rescued!  That lovely old hymn says “ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven; who like me His praise should sing?”  Like you too? 

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

The Letter of Paul to the COLOSSIANS 

- Chapter 1 -

- Read by David Suchet -

https://youtu.be/JT4D86gzzoM

-=-

STUDY - LINKS

The Letter of Paul to the 

COLOSSIANS 

by David Pawson

https://youtu.be/2XCX__pCeOI

SONG

Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven 

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

=-=

OCTOBER - READINGS

OCTOBER -  READINGS

from the New International Version (UK)

The Book of RUTH - Chapter Four

Boaz marries Ruth

1 Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, ‘Come over here, my friend, and sit down.’ So he went over and sat down.

2 Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, ‘Sit here,’ and they did so. 3 Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, ‘Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek. 4 I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line.’

‘I will redeem it,’ he said.

5 Then Boaz said, ‘On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.’

6 At this, the guardian-redeemer said, ‘Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.’

7 (Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalising transactions in Israel.)

8 So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, ‘Buy it yourself.’ And he removed his sandal.

9 Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, ‘Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. 10 I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his home town. Today you are witnesses!’

11 Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, ‘We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. 12 Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.’

Naomi gains a son

13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women said to Naomi: ‘Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.’

16 Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. 17 The women living there said, ‘Naomi has a son!’ And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

The genealogy of David

18 This, then, is the family line of Perez:

Perez was the father of Hezron,

19 Hezron the father of Ram,

Ram the father of Amminadab,

20 Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

Nahshon the father of Salmon,

21 Salmon the father of Boaz,

Boaz the father of Obed,

22 Obed the father of Jesse,

and Jesse the father of David.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Word by Word Meditations 

by Fred Ursell

Ruth 4: “legalising” (v.7)

Times and customs change. Before the time when these events were recorded, “in earlier times” they had methods in Israel for “legalising transactions” (v.7). For the redemption or transfer of property one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. At first Boaz had been given an affirmative before witnesses by the closer relative, but it was withdrawn on realising that sealing the deal included marrying Ruth (vv.2-5). That gave Boaz the go-ahead. Conversion is like that. Take it or leave it. Clarity. “Believe … confess” (Romans 10 vv.9-10).

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

The Book of RUTH - Chapter 4

- Read by David Suchet -

-=-

The Book of RUTH 

- short films -

https://youtu.be/pXFdNhRy9jA

https://youtu.be/o48GTsB31s0

OVERVIEW 

THE BOOK OF RUTH

 - Overview 

The Bible Project 

https://youtu.be/0h1eoBeR4Jk

STUDY - LINKS

The Book of RUTH

by David Pawson

https://youtu.be/WHGbkXiN5Mk

-=-=-

The Book of RUTH

The Big Story in the Little Story

by Matt Mackie (the Bible Project )

https://youtu.be/--Tzi-jMD1E

CHILDREN CORNER  

The Story of Ruth and Naomi

https://youtu.be/YIeRJmLDeQ0

https://youtu.be/irThVpdeSXk

https://youtu.be/UTZjvMzXQs4

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

=-=

 

The Book of RUTH - Chapter Three

Ruth and Boaz at the threshing-floor

1 One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, ‘My daughter, I must find a home for you, where you will be well provided for. 2 Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing-floor. 3 Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing-floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.’

5 ‘I will do whatever you say,’ Ruth answered. 6 So she went down to the threshing-floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.

7 When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. 8 In the middle of the night something startled the man; he turned – and there was a woman lying at his feet!

9 ‘Who are you?’ he asked.

‘I am your servant Ruth,’ she said. ‘Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family.’

10 ‘The Lord bless you, my daughter,’ he replied. ‘This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: you have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. 11 And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character. 12 Although it is true that I am a guardian-redeemer of our family, there is another who is more closely related than I. 13 Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to do his duty as your guardian-redeemer, good; let him redeem you. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives I will do it. Lie here until morning.’

14 So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognised; and he said, ‘No one must know that a woman came to the threshing-floor.’

15 He also said, ‘Bring me the shawl you are wearing and hold it out.’ When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley and placed the bundle on her. Then he went back to town.

16 When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, ‘How did it go, my daughter?’

Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her 17 and added, ‘He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, “Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.”’

18 Then Naomi said, ‘Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.’

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Word by Word Meditations 

by Fred Ursell

Ruth 3: kinsman-redeemer” (v.9)

The customs in Israel paved the way for a ‘happy ending’ to Ruth’s tribulations. Boaz was willing to act as “kinsman-redeemer” (v.9) and explained to Ruth how the system worked.  Although another man had priority as a closer relative (v.12), he told her she was known for her “noble character” (v.11) who had behaved with decorum (“not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor” v.10).  

Boaz is a ‘type’ of Jesus, ‘kinsman’ in his humanity, and ‘redeemer’ by his sacrifice, a ‘substitute’ who ‘married’ the widow (the church).  

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

The Book of RUTH - Chapter 3

- Read by David Suchet -

-=-

The Book of RUTH 

- short films -

https://youtu.be/pXFdNhRy9jA

https://youtu.be/o48GTsB31s0

OVERVIEW 

-=-=-

THE BOOK OF RUTH

 - Overview 

The Bible Project 

https://youtu.be/0h1eoBeR4Jk

STUDY - LINKS

-=-=-

The Book of RUTH

by David Pawson

https://youtu.be/WHGbkXiN5Mk

-=-=-

The Book of RUTH

The Big Story in the Little Story

by Matt Mackie (the Bible Project )

https://youtu.be/--Tzi-jMD1E

CHILDREN CORNER

----- 

The Story of Ruth and Naomi

https://youtu.be/YIeRJmLDeQ0

https://youtu.be/irThVpdeSXk

https://youtu.be/UTZjvMzXQs4

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

=-=