Col 2:1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those in Laodicea, even all who have not seen my face in the flesh, 2) That their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love and unto all the riches of the full assurance of understanding, unto the full knowledge of the mystery of God, Christ,
[Part 2 of 2]Because of the different observances, ordinances, and philosophies that had crept into the church life, the hearts of the saints in Colosse had been hurt; they had become cold and dissatisfied. Whenever such things come in, the result is always dissension and division. We must guard the door of the church lest such things enter in and cause harm. The church in Colosse had been invaded by Jewish ordinances and observances and by pagan philosophy, mysticism, and asceticism. These things caused the saints to become opinionated, dissenting, and dissatisfied. They also caused the hearts of the saints to be hurt and to become cold, divided, and separated from one another. Therefore, Paul struggled on behalf of the saints that their hearts would be comforted and knit together in love. In this verse to be comforted means to be cherished, that is, to be lovingly warmed up. Ephesians 5:29 says that Christ nourishes and cherishes His church. To nourish is to feed, and to cherish is to make warm. How the saints in Colosse needed the Lord's cherishing! Their hearts needed to be comforted, to be warmed. Paul speaks of the hearts being knit together in love. The words "knit together in love" indicate that some kind of separation had taken place and that there had been a loss of love. The different observances, ordinances, and philosophies that had crept in had caused this loss of love. (c) 2007 Living Stream Ministry.
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Witness Lee, Life-study of Colossians, pp. 139-140. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. Please visit us at www.emanna.com. Send comments to: [email protected].
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