Two Goals for Our Teaching: Colossians 2:1-5

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A Gift and a Process

How many people in this world are lost in an endless search for contentment and meaning? Sadly, the harder they search, the more they spiral into despair and hopelessness. Praise the Lord, however, that as Christians, we are saved from this misery. God gives us purpose, contentment, and continuous encouragement even in the midst of suffering. Colossians 2:1-5 gives us a clear example of how God does this and how we receive this gift.

Paul says that he has been struggling on behalf of the Colossians for two reasons: (1) to encourage them and (2) to give them assurance. How does Paul plan to accomplish this? By pointing them to Jesus Christ in whom all of God’s wisdom and treasures are found (v. 3). 

The more deeply we know Jesus, the more assurance we will have (v. 2). We will also be encouraged because Jesus is the great Unifier who knits our hearts together in love (v. 2). Yes, there will be times when we experience doubt and our faith feels weak. When we study the Bible, however, we grow in our knowledge of Jesus. That knowledge results in stronger faith in him, which then allows us to withstand false arguments and doubt (vv. 4-5). We can imagine the process like this:

Application: A Model and Motivation for Teaching Others

Paul’s reasons for struggling should be our own. When we teach others, we should do so with the goals of encouraging them and giving them assurance. We do this not by our own wisdom or cleverness but by teaching them about Jesus. Verses 2 and 3 say that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found in Christ. That means that through Christ, we have everything we need to enjoy God and rest assured in our faith. As Christians, we lack nothing. We simply need to make the effort to deeply know Jesus, who is perfectly revealed in Scripture. 

For husbands and fathers, this is an especially weighty charge. One of our many responsibilities is to use our home as a training ground. We must prepare our families to face a world that often tries to deceive them and plant seeds of doubt. Therefore, we need to strive every day to teach our families who Jesus is, what he has done, and what he will do. To effectively teach others, however, requires that we ourselves must be faithful in studying Scripture. This is not a chore. It is a blessing. It’s a blessing because it results in encouragement, hearts unified in love, and firmness of faith (vv. 2, 5).

Questions for Further Study and Discussion

1. Think of a time when you felt especially strong in your faith. How were you able to have this assurance? What were you circumstances, routines, relationships, etc. during this time?
   
2. Now do the opposite of question #1. Think of a time when you were struggling in your faith. What were you circumstances, routines, relationships, etc. during this time?
   
3. Based on your responses to the first two questions, what can you do to have the firmness of faith that Paul describes in Col. 2:1-5?