Embodiment of the Word

Colossians 3:16-17

Paul continues his discourse on godly living.  The remainder of this chapter can also be found to be very similar to Ephesians 5, where he says the same things, maybe with a few different words.  He mentions a few things here that we must understand so that it doesn’t come across to us as meaning, “be a good person and look like a church-goer.”

When Paul says “the Word of Christ,” he means the preaching of the Gospel message.  The Greek used for “word” is where we get the basis for the word sermon.  It is an action word, which not only means the things that Jesus preached, but that He continues to preach to our hearts and through others.  To dwell richly refers to a term that I learned years ago which really hit me, and I try to embody it.  It means to allow Christ’s words to become flesh in us!  The rest of what Paul is saying is to allow Christ’s Word to indwell us so much that it comes out in praise, encouragement, and gratefulness.

The danger of reading verse 16 is thinking that it is telling us to sing godly songs and tell everyone else when they are wrong according to Scripture.  Yet, the terms teaching and admonishing is supposed to happen with wisdom, psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, and thankfulness.  A similar word to this definition is exhortation, which we typically understand to mean godly criticism.  However, it really means to encourage and strengthen one another:

The Greek term paraklēsis carries rich meaning. Related to the verb meaning “call for, encourage, comfort, beg for, exhort,” the noun encompasses summons, requests, and invocations. Biblical exhortation fundamentally aims to encourage and bless others—not to rebuke or criticize, though it can carry serious weight. Importantly, unlike the Mosaic law with its emphasis on God’s wrath and judgment, exhortation proclaims divine grace and gospel good news, making it a vital function of the gospel itself.

Thoralf Gilbrant, “Παράκλησις,” in The New Testament Greek-English Dictionary (WORDsearch, 1991).

The Gospel, the Good News of Christ, is to edify mankind, not condemn it.  Even Jesus said that He did not come into the world to judge it, but to save it (John 3:17).  So, as we consider Paul’s words of encouragement to encourage others, we must consider how we live and treat others.  The Gospel isn’t bad news; people shouldn’t cringe when we are around them for fear of being told all the bad things we are doing.  Jesus didn’t do that!  Sure, He was honest about people living contrary to the truth of God, but He did so in a way that encouraged others to embrace God’s love for them and their identity in Him as His children!

Let us consider, then, how we teach and preach to others.  Do we do so with thankfulness and a song on our heart of God’s love and mercy?  Or do we slam them with self-righteousness in order to try to scare them into heaven?  If we aren’t sharing God’s Good News with joy in our hearts and a compassion for their souls, then it would be better to keep our mouths shut!  Otherwise, we risk condemning ourselves and turning others away from God even further.