Colossians 1:10
"That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God."
This is a difficult verse. There are a lot of phrases to figure out. "Walk worthy of the Lord." What does that mean? Presumably that we should live our lives in such a way as to make God happy through our behavior. Is that even possible? I mean, we're supposed to be covered in the blood of the Lamb - this is the only way we appear acceptable.
"Unto all pleasing." Is this to mean we should please God in all or that we should please everyone else? Either task is difficult (nigh impossible) - can't please everyone all the time. Can't even please our own selves all of the time. I assume, however, it is pleasing God in all given the segment preceeding. Still not easy, but maybe more doable.
Then the last part, the part about "every good work" and "increasing in the knowledge of God." As an Evangelical, it has been my experience that these two segments of the Christian life - works and intellect - are the most likely to be ignored. Most likely to be allowed to shrivel. Above these are often placed the life of the spirit and the life of faith. Pity then that Paul should have been so misguided...
Yet there is nothing in the gospels or the epistles to denigrate good works. How many good works do Jesus perform? He was forever healing and helping. The care of widows and orphans was the job of the first seven church deacons (including my msrtyred namesake). Coming to the aid of the poor and infirmed is positively enjoined upon Christians. And NOT in the cynical (though still useful) sense of "let's help the poor so that they can join the congregation."
And the intellect is an instrument developed within us by God Himself tht we may better know Him. Does it really need a defense? Do Christians really need to be told that they should cultivate their mental faculties? After all, both Jesus and Paul always sought out the synagogues whenever they entered a town. They debated, they taught. How much more active could they have been to guarantee that followers will be thinkers? How much more incentive would a Christian need to cultivate this aspect of their personality? The Christian, that is, who seeks to "walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing."
This is a difficult verse. There are a lot of phrases to figure out. "Walk worthy of the Lord." What does that mean? Presumably that we should live our lives in such a way as to make God happy through our behavior. Is that even possible? I mean, we're supposed to be covered in the blood of the Lamb - this is the only way we appear acceptable.
"Unto all pleasing." Is this to mean we should please God in all or that we should please everyone else? Either task is difficult (nigh impossible) - can't please everyone all the time. Can't even please our own selves all of the time. I assume, however, it is pleasing God in all given the segment preceeding. Still not easy, but maybe more doable.
Then the last part, the part about "every good work" and "increasing in the knowledge of God." As an Evangelical, it has been my experience that these two segments of the Christian life - works and intellect - are the most likely to be ignored. Most likely to be allowed to shrivel. Above these are often placed the life of the spirit and the life of faith. Pity then that Paul should have been so misguided...
Yet there is nothing in the gospels or the epistles to denigrate good works. How many good works do Jesus perform? He was forever healing and helping. The care of widows and orphans was the job of the first seven church deacons (including my msrtyred namesake). Coming to the aid of the poor and infirmed is positively enjoined upon Christians. And NOT in the cynical (though still useful) sense of "let's help the poor so that they can join the congregation."
And the intellect is an instrument developed within us by God Himself tht we may better know Him. Does it really need a defense? Do Christians really need to be told that they should cultivate their mental faculties? After all, both Jesus and Paul always sought out the synagogues whenever they entered a town. They debated, they taught. How much more active could they have been to guarantee that followers will be thinkers? How much more incentive would a Christian need to cultivate this aspect of their personality? The Christian, that is, who seeks to "walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing."
posted by Steven at 11:18 PM
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