Scripture Reading: Col. 3:12-17; Eph. 5:19-20
After giving an introductory word in 1:1-8, the book of Colossians unveils Christ as the preeminent and all-inclusive One, as the centrality and universality of God (1:9—3:11). In this section of Colossians, Christ is revealed in a full way. Here Paul does not say that Christ is the Lamb of God, the manna, or the living water. Rather, he tells us that Christ is the portion of the saints, the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, the firstborn from among the dead, the mystery of God’s economy, the indwelling hope of glory, the mystery of God, and the One in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden. As we consider all these aspects of Christ, we shall realize that the revelation of Christ conveyed in Colossians is extraordinary, absolutely different from what is revealed elsewhere in the Scriptures.
In 3:12—4:6 Paul turns to the matter of the living of the saints in union with Christ. In 3:12-15 he speaks of the necessity of being ruled by the peace of Christ, and in verses 16 and 17, of the word of Christ dwelling in us richly. To live in union with Christ means that in our living we are not apart from Christ. In John 15 the Lord tells us to abide in Him, for apart from Him we can do nothing. In the eyes of God, whatever we do apart from Christ has no value. Therefore, if we are separated from the all-inclusive Christ revealed in Colossians, we cannot do anything. The living of the saints must be in union with Christ. This means that in our living we need to be one with Him.
In 3:10 and 11 we see that in the new man Christ is all and in all. Christ is all the members and in all the members. In the new man there is no room for any natural person. Rather, Christ is everyone and is in everyone. To say that Christ is all and in all in the new man indicates that we are one with Christ and that Christ is one with us. We may even say that Christ is we and that we are He. This points to our union with Christ. Therefore, the living of the saints must be a living that is in union with Christ, a living that is identified with Him. If we live in such a way, we and Christ, Christ and we, are one. We live, and Christ lives in our living.
We need to be one with the Lord Jesus just as He is one with the Father. In John 14:10 the Lord said, “The words which I speak to you, I do not speak from Myself; but the Father who abides in Me, He does His works.” This indicates that the Father works in the Son’s speaking. Although the Father and the Son are two Persons, They have just one life and one living. The life of the Father is the life of the Son, and the living of the Son is the living of the Father. On the one hand, the Father’s life is the Son’s life. On the other hand, the Son’s living is the Father’s living. In this way the Father and the Son have one life and one living. The principle is the same with Christ and us. Today we and Christ have one life and one living. The Son’s life becomes our life, and our living becomes His living. This is what it means to live in union with Christ.
In such a union we and Christ, Christ and we, are one. In a very practical sense, Christ is we and we are Christ, for we live as one. His life is our life, and our living is His living. Therefore, Christ lives in our living. This is the normal Christian living, the living that is up to God’s standard and that fulfills the requirements of His economy.
Concerning our living in union with Christ, Paul tells us to let the peace of Christ arbitrate in our hearts and to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly. Paul does not speak of these things elsewhere in his Epistles. Notice Paul’s use of the word “let” in verses 15 and 16. This word indicates that both the peace of Christ and the word of Christ are already present. However, we need to allow them to operate within us. We need to let the peace of Christ arbitrate in us, and we must let the word of Christ dwell in us. There is no problem with either the peace of Christ or with the word of Christ. The problem is with us, in particular with our allowing these things to work in us.
Before we consider verses 15 through 17 in more detail, let us look at certain aspects of verses 12 through 14. In verse 12 Paul says, “Put on therefore as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering; bearing one another and forgiving one another, if anyone should have a complaint against any; as the Lord forgave you, so also should you forgive.” Having put on the new man, we also need to put on the spiritual virtues listed in these verses. In verse 12 Paul addresses the believers as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved. The new man is God’s elect, God’s chosen ones. Furthermore, the new man is holy. This means that the new man is neither common nor worldly; rather, he is separated to God. Moreover, the new man is beloved. According to this verse, the new man is chosen, holy, and beloved.
As such a new man, we need to put on all the necessary spiritual virtues: a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and longsuffering. Lowliness is somewhat different from humility. A person may be proud of his humility, but not of lowliness. The heretical teachers at Colosse taught a form of self-abasing humility. But Paul taught spiritual lowliness as well as meekness and longsuffering.
In verse 13 Paul goes on to speak of bearing one another and forgiving one another. The forgiving Lord is our life, and He lives within us. Forgiving is a virtue of His life. When we take Him as our person and live by Him, forgiving others will be a spontaneous virtue of our Christian life.
In verse 14 Paul goes on to say, “And over all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness.” The Greek word rendered perfectness can also be translated completeness. God is love (1 John 4:16). Love is the very essence of God’s being, the very substance of the divine life. Hence, to put on love is to be clothed with the element of God’s life. Such a love is the uniting bond in the combination of perfectness, completeness, and mature virtues.
In verse 15 Paul says, “And let the peace of Christ arbitrate in your hearts, to which also you were called in one Body; and be thankful.” The Greek term for arbitrate can also be rendered umpire, preside, or be enthroned as a ruler and decider of everything. The arbitrating peace of Christ in our hearts dissolves the complaint mentioned in verse 13.
The relative pronoun “which” in verse 15 refers to the peace of Christ. We were called to this peace in the one Body of Christ. For the proper Body life we need the peace of Christ to arbitrate, to adjust, to decide all things in our heart in the relationships between the members of His Body. Our having been called to the peace of Christ should also motivate us to let this peace arbitrate in our hearts.
In this verse Paul also encourages us to be thankful. We should not only let the peace of Christ arbitrate in our hearts, but we should also be thankful to the Lord. In the Body life our heart should always be in a peaceful condition toward the members and thankful to the Lord.
Paul’s word about the arbitrating peace of Christ was no doubt written according to his practical experience. If we consider our experience, we shall realize that as Christians we have two or three parties within us. For this reason we need an arbitrator. An arbitrator is always needed to settle disagreements or disputes between parties. With respect to a certain matter, one of the parties within us may be inclined one way, whereas another party may be inclined the opposite way. Furthermore, a third party may be neutral. Often we are conscious of three parties within us: a positive party, a negative party, and a neutral party. As Christians, we are more complicated than unsaved people are. Before we were saved, we were under the control of the satanic party. We could indulge in worldly amusements and entertainments without any sense of controversy within. But now that we are saved, one party may encourage us to do one thing, but another party may encourage us to do something else. Hence, there is the need for inward arbitration to settle the dispute within us. We need someone or something to preside over the conferences that take place within our being. According to verse 15, this presiding one, this arbitrator, is the peace of Christ.
Remember the background of the book of Colossians. Various philosophies and isms had invaded the church in Colosse. I do not believe that all the saints in Colosse adopted the same philosophy. On the contrary, I believe that some appreciated pure Greek philosophical thought, whereas others preferred Egyptian or Babylonian philosophy. I doubt that even in the matter of asceticism all the saints had the same point of view. Nothing is more divisive or causes more dissension than opinions regarding asceticism. There was no actual division in the church in Colosse, but no doubt there was dissension. The saints were not truly one. As a result, they were not at peace.
After Paul wrote concerning the all-inclusive Christ and concerning the new man in whom Christ is all and in all and where there is no room for Greek, Jew, or other cultural distinctions, he charged the saints to care for the peace of Christ. Within us we all have something called the peace of Christ. This is the peace about which Paul speaks in Ephesians 2:15, where we are told that in Himself Christ created one new man out of two peoples. By creating the Jews and the Gentiles into one new man, Christ has made peace. This is the very peace in Colossians 3:15.
Believers with different cultural backgrounds and nationalities have been created into one new man. The oneness of the new man produces genuine peace. Apart from Christ and the church, those of different races and nationalities cannot be truly one. We in the Lord’s recovery are one because we are in Christ and in the church. We are in the new man, where there is no Greek, Jew, circumcision, or uncircumcision. In the new man there are no different races, classes, or nationalities. Rather, there is oneness because Christ is all and in all. This oneness is our peace. The peace of Christ in Colossians 3:15 is simply the peaceful oneness in the new man.
We need to understand this matter of the peace of Christ in relation to the background of the Epistle to the Colossians. Various aspects of culture had come into the church life. Certain Jewish believers were in favor of observing the Sabbath day. They also advocated regulations concerning eating. No doubt the believers with a Greek background did not appreciate these things. However, they in turn brought in the kind of philosophy they favored. To be sure, the Jewish believers did not receive this. As a result, there was a loss of the peace of Christ in their experience. Instead of the peace of Christ prevailing, the Greek philosophical concepts and the Judaistic practices were prevailing among the believers. Hence, in Colosse there were at least two parties: the philosophical party and the Judaistic party. Therefore, an arbitrator was necessary. This arbitrator was not any brother in the church; it was the very peace of Christ, which is the oneness of the new man, the Body.
We have pointed out repeatedly that in the new man there cannot be Greek and Jew. Greek philosophy and Jewish observances should not be brought in. In the new man Christ is all and in all. Furthermore, the oneness of the new man, the peace of Christ, must be maintained.
We should allow the peace of Christ to arbitrate in our hearts. All the parties must take heed to the word of the arbitrator. Do you realize that you have an arbitrator within you? From Colossians we see clearly that the peace of Christ is our inward arbitrator. This arbitrator must settle all the disputes within us. For example, some Chinese brothers may like to visit Chinatown. However, in doing so, they may not have peace, but experience a disagreement within. Therefore, it is necessary for these brothers to pay attention to the arbitrator, to the peace of Christ presiding within them. Whenever we sense that different parties within our being are arguing or quarreling, we need to give place to the presiding peace of Christ and allow this peace, which is the oneness of the new man, to rule within us. Let this peace, this oneness, have the final word.
In verse 16 Paul goes on to say, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God.” The word of Christ is the word spoken by Christ. In His New Testament economy God speaks in the Son, and the Son speaks not only directly in the Gospels, but also through His members, the apostles and prophets, in Acts, in the Epistles, and in Revelation. All these may be considered as His word.
In this passage, the infilling of spiritual life that overflows in praising and singing is related to the Word, whereas in its parallel passage, Ephesians 5:18-20, the infilling of spiritual life is related to the Spirit. This indicates that the Word and the Spirit are identical (John 6:63b). A normal Christian life should be one that is filled with the Word so that the Spirit may bubble from within us in melodies of praise.
Colossians is focused on Christ as our Head and our life. The way for Him to exercise His headship and to minister His riches to us is through His word. Hence, the emphasis is on the word of Christ. Ephesians is concerned with the church as the Body of Christ. The way for us to live a normal church life is to be filled in our spirit unto all the fullness of God. Hence, the emphasis is the Spirit. In Ephesians both the Holy Spirit and our spirit are emphasized again and again. Even the Word is counted as the Spirit (Eph. 6:17). In Colossians the Holy Spirit is mentioned only once (1:8), and the human spirit is also mentioned once (2:5). In Ephesians the Word is for washing away our natural life (5:26) and fighting against the enemy (6:17), whereas in Colossians the Word is for revealing Christ (1:25-27) in His preeminence, centrality, and universality.
We have pointed out that in Ephesians the emphasis is on the Spirit, whereas in Colossians the emphasis is on the Word. Ephesians takes care of our living, but Colossians takes care of the revelation of Christ. Paul’s concern in Colossians is for the revelation of Christ unto full knowledge. For this, we need the word of Christ.
The word of Christ includes the entire New Testament. We need to be filled with this word. This means that we should allow the word of Christ to dwell in us, to inhabit us, to make home in us. The Greek word rendered dwell means to be in a house, to inhabit. The word of the Lord must have adequate room within us so that it may operate and minister the riches of Christ into our inner being. Furthermore, the word of Christ must dwell in us richly. The riches of Christ (Eph. 3:8) are in His word. When such a rich word inhabits us, it must inhabit us richly. The word of Christ should have free course within us. We should not simply receive it and then confine it to a small area of our being. On the contrary, it should be given a free course to operate within us. In this way the word will inhabit us and make home in us.
I appreciate Paul’s skill as a writer. He emphasizes, on the one hand, the peace of Christ and, on the other hand, the word of Christ. Some of us may think that as long as our spirit is living, everything is all right. Perhaps you have not realized the need for the peace of Christ to arbitrate within you and for the word of Christ to make home in your heart. If we let the peace of Christ work in us and the word of Christ dwell in us, we shall be proper Christians. Instead of our preference, we shall have Christ’s arbitration. Instead of our opinion, concept, thought, and estimation, we shall have Christ’s word.
Certain saints love the Bible and read it daily. But in their living it is their concept, opinion, and philosophy that move within them, not the word of Christ. They may study the Bible, but they do not allow the word of Christ to dwell in them. Neither do they permit it to move, act, and have its being in them. As a result, what prevails in their being is their philosophy, not the word of Christ. Although they read the Bible, God’s word remains outside of them. It is crucial for us to let the word of Christ enter into us, dwell in us, and replace our concepts, opinions, and philosophies. We need to pray, “Lord Jesus, I am willing to let go of my concepts. I want Your word to have ground in me. I am willing to forget my opinion and philosophy. I want Your word to be prevailing in me. I do not want my concepts to prevail any longer.”
We cannot separate the word of Christ from His arbitration. The arbitrator settles a dispute by speaking a word. We need to bring our case to the arbitrator and listen to his word. This means that we need to allow the peace of Christ to arbitrate in our hearts and the word of Christ to dwell in us. Then we shall be filled with singing and giving of thanks.
According to verse 16, when the word of Christ dwells in us richly, we shall teach and admonish one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in our hearts to God. Teaching, admonishing, and singing are all related to the verb dwell. This indicates that the way to let the Lord’s word dwell in us richly is by teaching, admonishing, and singing. We should teach and admonish not only in words, but also in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
In verse 17 Paul says, “And in everything, whatever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” The name denotes the person. The Lord’s Person is the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:17a). To do things in the name of the Lord is to act in the Spirit. This is to live Christ.
We have seen that as the new man we are one with Christ and that our living should be in union with Christ. In order to live in this way, we need to allow the peace of Christ to arbitrate within us. This peace should have the last word and should make the final decision. As we allow the peace of Christ to preside in us, we should simultaneously allow the word of Christ to dwell in us and to have free course to work in us. As long as the peace of Christ arbitrates in us and the word of Christ dwells in us, we shall have a proper daily living, as described in 3:18—4:1. We shall be proper husbands, wives, parents, children, slaves, and masters. What we need today is to live in union with Christ, to be ruled by the peace of Christ, and to be inhabited by the word of Christ.
