Reading With the People of God #15 Purposeഉദാഹരണം

Wisdom, Purpose, and the One Who Holds All Things Together

Today’s reading from Ecclesiastes continues to explore the fragile and often frustrating tension of life under the sun. The Preacher observes how wisdom, though powerful, is easily forgotten—and how just a little folly can undo great good. He paints a picture of a world that feels out of joint, where power is misused, words are misdirected, and work doesn’t always produce the results we expect. In all of this, we’re left again with the question:

Where can true and lasting purpose be found?

That question makes this a fitting time to begin our next New Testament letter in this plan: Paul’s letter to the Colossians. As you’ll see in the introduction that follows this reflection, Colossians lifts our eyes to a bigger vision—a Christ-centered view of purpose, identity, and hope. In contrast to the chaos Ecclesiastes describes, Colossians will show us the One who holds all things together and gives meaning to every moment, even the ones that seem futile.

Before you read the introduction to this letter, take a moment to quiet your heart and invite the Spirit to help you see Christ more clearly today

Colossians Introduction

Colossae was a city in the Roman province of Pyhrgia in Asia Minor, modern day Turkey. It is believed the church in Colossae was founded by Epaphras who sat under Paul’s teaching during the almost three years he was in Ephesus (Acts 19:10). Ephesus and Colossae are about 100 miles apart and it is thought that Paul never actually visited Colossae before he wrote this letter.

Paul was held under house arrest in Rome for at least two and a half years. When Epaphras visited Paul in Rome, he brought news of the Colossian church, which caused Paul to write this letter. For the most part, Paul was very encouraged by the report Epaphras brought to him regarding the Colossian believers, but he also learned they were being exposed to false teaching. Paul never gives a name to the false teachings, but from his letter, we can discover what some of the elements of these teachings were, and we can give them a name. Jewish legalists, known as Judaizers, were a strong influence within the church, pushing ceremonies and law-keeping as still binding in Christianity. Also present in the church were those pushing a heresy called Gnosticism; God is good and therefore would not have a material body because matter is evil, Jesus was an emanation and not incarnate. They also taught there was a higher knowledge than Scripture needed for enlightenment and salvation.

To combat these false teachings, Paul wrote this beautiful letter to bring them back to the truth of Christ. His major themes are: Christ is supreme, Christ is sufficient, Christ is our identity. Paul wants them to understand that to be accepted by God, they need Christ only. If they are united with Christ God has already accepted them they can do nothing else, they are complete in Him. Their only duty now is to grow toward Christian maturity, a process called sanctification.

When his letter was complete, Paul sent it on to the church in Colossae with Tychicus and a runaway slave, Onesimus, whom he was returning to Philemon. Epaphras remained with Paul for a while in Rome to comfort and help him. During Paul’s house arrest, he wrote three letters to churches and one to an individual. The letters he wrote were Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon.

*Introduction provided by Jinet Troost.

Reflection Question:
In what areas of your life do you feel the tension between wisdom and futility, and how might Christ’s presence transform your perspective?

Prayer of Illumination:
Jesus, open my eyes today to see you as the center of all things. Where I feel the weight of confusion or futility, speak peace and purpose. Prepare my heart to hear your voice in the pages of Colossians and to live with hope rooted in you. Amen.