janspiljard

a. All these things have been created, therefore, all these things are subordinate to Jesus, who is the Creator. Their power will never exceed, nor even come close to the power of our Lord Jesus. b. If Jesus is the Creator of these and therefore he is in control of them as well, then we do not need to fear especially the demonic side of the powers and principalities, how ever it comes to us, when we are followers of Jesus, when we proclaim Jesus our Savior and our Lord/Master. Our Master is stronger than all of these powers and principalities combined. We may not always see it in our lives, but one day this will become visible. We just need in faith to trust Jesus with all our hearts and minds and souls. c. Jesus, being Lord and Creator of all, should make us think about prayer in a much more free and powerful way. We pray in the name of Jesus, the greatest power on earth and in heaven. Let our prayers mirror that power and let's have faith that our prayers, prayed in his name, are very very powerful by themselves. Let's stand in the power of Jesus and pray boldly.

a. Jesus is not a created being. "Firstborn" here means the special status that a firstborn son had and probably still has especially within Judaism. Jesus is preeminent over all created beings. b. "Everything was created in him, through him, and for him". As it says here that everything was created through him, Jesus must have been there, so he must have existed before creation. c. "Everything was created by him and for him". So Jesus is the Creator of everything and everything was created for Jesus. This makes all of creation subordinate to Jesus. We have been created for Jesus. Therefore for his pleasure and to serve him with everything we have and we are. d. Jesus existed before creation. He was, as can be read in Colossians 1:16, the Creator of everything. The second part of this verse is even more interesting: "and in him all things hold together". This means that if Jesus were not there, everything, all of creation would simply fall apart. So, basically, Jesus holds it all together. He is in control! I sometimes say these very comforting words to myself, especially when I am stressed or insecure, "It ain't over until God says it's over". But you could also say, "It ain't over until Jesus says it is over". Again, Jesus holds everything together. He IS in control!

a. The significance of this statement can hardly be overestimated or even put in words. To put it simple: "Jesus is the invisible God made visible to us". The Life Application Study Bible says it as follows: ...He not only reflects God, but he reveals God to us (Joh 1:18; Joh 14:9); as supreme over all creation, he has all the priority and authority. He came from heaven, not from the dust of the earth (1Co 15:47), and he is Lord of all (Rom 9:5; Rom 10:11-13; Rev 1:5; Rev 17:14). He is completely holy (Heb 7:26-28; 1Pe 1:19; 1Pe 2:22; 1Jn 3:5), and he has authority to judge the world (Rom 2:16; 2Co 5:10; 2Ti 4:1). b. Here is Colossians 1:19 from the Amplified Bible. I like the way the AMP states it very much: For it has pleased [the Father] that all the divine fullness (the sum total of the divine perfection, powers, and attributes) should dwell in Him permanently. So, no hologram, no meager manifestation of God. Everything God is and has, Jesus is and has. Jesus is God very real! God having come in the flesh. I think it is John who says in his letters that if we do not believe that God has come in the flesh in Jesus, we are not Christians. Strong words!

a. 1) Qualified 2) Rescued 3) Brought us into the kingdom 4) Redeemed 5) Forgiven Al these actions start in Colossians 1:12 with the subject, the Father. So it is God who is doing the actions. The object of God's action is "us", meaning all believers. So Go did all the action and we were not required to do anything. We are on the receiving end and that is all for us. b. God, and God alone, has allowed us to approach him. We have no standing on our own to come before God. God therefore had to make sure the circumstances were right for us to approach God. And he has done so through the sacrifical love of Jesus (His own sacrificial love). He died for us to pave the way for us to be able to approach God again. Not one bit of this was our own effort. God qualified us, rescued us, brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, redeemed/delivered us, forgave us.

Question 3 a. Darkness and light portrays the existing contrast between two spiritual powers/realms. It also portrays the contrast between being lost (darkness) and being saved (light). In more general spiritual terms the darkness stands for Satan's realm (John the Evangelist calls it "the world", "the flesh", or even "the world of the flesh"). Light stands for God's realm (kingdom of God, kingdom of heaven, paradise). The reminder Paul gives is, in my opinion, meant to make us see even more clearly where the Colossian believers, or for that matter we, now stand. What we have won/gained. The great blessing and grace of it. It also reminds us that that world of darkness is no fairy tale. It is very very real! b. The NIV says "inheritance in the kingdom of light". It means God's realm, God's wonderful kingdom, with all its love, forgiveness, grace, light, redemption, peace, power, etc. Everything God wants to give us included. We inherited this "kingdom of light" when we said "Yes" to God through Jesus. c. On the one hand we have the "dominion of darkness". The Amplified Bible says it even better: Colossians 1:13a (AMP): "(The Father) has delivered us and drawn us to Himself out of the control and dominion of darkness... The "dominion of darkness" is what it says it is, dark. The way of ruling is through controlling, threatening, forcing. The "kingdom of light" or "the kingdom of the Son he loves..." on the other hand, is in everything the complete contrast to the "dominion of darkness". The way of ruling is through sacrifial love (Christ's) and grace. There is light (God's light, which is so bright that we no longer need the sun (Revelation)), there is peace, love, forgiveness, redemption, grace, mercy. We are not forced in anything, but lovingly guided with God smiling at us. We are close to God, so close to God, intimate with him at a level that we have never achieved and could never reach in our earthly lives. God is close to us, always, every moment of the day. We can go to him, come to him, talk with him and will never find the door locked. And we always find open arms to receive us, whether we are happy, deeply moved, or terribly sad or depressed. God will put his arms around us and hold us so close to him. The contrast between the two realms is an infinite contrast.

Question 2 a. Paul's prayer for the Colossian believers: - He asks God to fill them with the knowledge of his will. - He asks God for all spiritual wisdom and understanding for them. - He asks that the Colossian believers may live a life worthy of the Lord, pleasing to him in every way. - He asks that they will bear fruit in every good work. - He asks that they will grow in the knowledge of God. - He asks that they be strengthened with all power according to God's glorious might. - He asks that they may have great endurance and patience. - He asks that the Colossians believers will joyfully give thanks to the Father. b. - Knowledge of God and growing in that knowledge. - All spiritual wisdom and understanding. - A life worthy of the Lord and pleasing to him in every way. - Strengthened with all power to the glorious might of God. - Endurance - Patience - Thanksgiving - Qualification to share the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. c. I do not think any of these are least important or most important for that matter. They are all all important, of life giving importance. If I have to pick one for being the best, then I would (reluctantly) pick "Knowledge of God and growing in the knowledge of God". Intimacy with God is what we have been created for. The least important? No, am not going there, I could not! d. When some or even just one of the things mentioned in "b" is missing in our lives, then we are not "complete" and we might miss out on the full grace and blessing of God. We might miss oout on what God wants to give to us. He wants to give us everything.

a. - The gospel is the hope that is stored up in heaven. A hope from which faith and love spring forth. - The gospel is the word of truth. - The gospel is bearing fruit and growing rapidly. - The gospel gives us an understanding of God's grace. b. The Colossians might have felt they were an isolated minority, not a part of a movement that is rapidly growing and bearing fruit. Paul wanted to encourage the Colossians and show them they are most definitely not alone. They were part of something really big. c. When a church in our time becomes embarassed with or is unimpressed by the gospel message, that church loses its saltiness and is useful for nothing but to be thrown away. This church will turn away from the central focus, Jesus. Ir eventually will not preach the gospel at all anymore. So, it loses its most important reason of existence, preaching the gospel.

a) Justice Easton: Rendering to everyone that which is his due. Webster: 1) The virtue which consists in giving to everyone what is his due. 2) Impartiality. 3) Equity 4) Vindictive retribution 5) Right Merriam-Webster: a) The quality of being just, impartial, or fair. Conforming to truth, fact, or reason. Vengeance Webster: The infliction of pain on another in return for an injury or offense. Merriam-Webster: Punishment inflicted in retaliation for an injury or offense. Mercy Easton: Compassion for the miserable. Webster: The benevolence, mildness or tenderness of heart which disposes a person to overlook injuries or to treat an offender better than he deserves. Merriam-Webster: Compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one's power. b ) The Holy and Righteous God, especially because He is also sovereign, could, I guess, justly forgive sins without punishment. But that would go against his character, so God does not do that. Therefore because He is holy and righteous He cannot stand sin and "has to" punish. It was because of man's disobedience that the first animals were killed. That was to make clothes for Adam and Eve. Ever since sacrifices of animals have been needed to be able to get in touch with God or stand before God. The blood had to flow for the atonement of people. Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice, once for all. He was punished for our liberation. The punishment we should have had and absolutely deserved, He took upon himself. The consequence of the sin of Adam and Eve was a punishment. They were chased out of the Garden of Eden. Sin does have consequences. Our free will is respected by God, but our choices do have consequences, not just for us, but even for others. Punishment is one of the consequences. But Jesus took the punishment for us, in our stead. c) The Cross, and especially the moment that Jesus, while on the Cross, said, "It is finished", was the ultimate righteousness of God. Jesus died on the cross without having sinned, thus fulfilling the Law and freeing all who believe from the power of sin. He became our Mediator before God. God looks at everyone who believes through the blood of Jesus, the ultimate sacrifice. The punishment we all deserved because of our sinfulness, was willingly and lovingly received by Jesus, to the point of his Father turning his back on him ("My God, my God, why have you forsaken me") The Cross was also the ultimate mercy (grace) of God. It was He who took upon himself our punishment. It was God himself!

a) We are created in the image of God. We messed up, however, and became selfish people. God wanted us to be like him, so indeed, also be a "Father to the fatherless" and a "Protector of the widows". That was not the way we went. Jesus therefore came and showed us what being created in the image of God really means. We called him, "A friend of sinners and tax collectors", and kept our distance. Christians are the hands and feet and mouth of God in this world. It is through us that God wishes to be the "Father to the fatherless" and the "Protector of the widows". He wants to use us to show his compassion and love for each and everyone. This means that Christians should be very strong on social justice. It should be the way of life for Christians. b ) For me it means to become aware of the social injustice around me and where I can do something about it. This is not easy because I do confess that my thoughts are normally, "This is not my concern". And I do keep my distance.

a) The answer to this question is actually fairly simple. If we believe that truth and morality are relative to one's culture, we CANNOT understand the Righteous One. Jesus says, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life..." This indicates clearly there is absolute truth, Jesus. The morality is of course linked to this absolute truth. To Jesus. Jesus is "The Truth" wherever, whenever, whatever and however. This is totally culturally independent. However, I do not fully score out relativism as such. But we need to determine what (in our faith) is absolute truth and what is more relative. In theology a kind of quadrant is used. It looks kinda like this: There is True relative and True objective. True relative can be sub-divided into Situational relativism and Autonomous relativism. True objective can be sub-divided into "What is important, but not essential for salvation" and "What is essential for salvation". Examples of the various categories: True relative - Situational relative - Going to the movies - Drinking (not drunkeness) - Wearing a head covering True relative - Autonomous relative - Coke or Pepsi - Church music - Best kind of food Basically everything labeled "best of", because this is always based on opinions. - Best song True objective - Not essential for salvation (Many things go in here. Many things that are usually put in "Essential" by Christians. - Views of predestination (Arminianism/Calvinism) - Date of Christ's returning - Young earth/old earth - Canon of Scripture (protestant: 66 books, Catholic: 72 books) True objective - Essential for salvation - God exists - Christ's deity and humanity - Faith alone (Catholics would not put this in this category) - The atonement (man's sinfulness and God's work of salvation) So it is definitely not all black and white as some Christians (especially fundamentalists) sometimes seem to think. It is much more complex than "If it is not white it is black". I am not an evangelist, so this question I will pass, except for this: Unlike in the Modern age, postmodernism believes that everything is relative. Could you defend your faith by winning arguments in the Modern Age, in the postmodern world we live in now, this does not work anymore. The keyword (much more than in the Modern Age) for postmodernism is authenticity. Basically this means "live what you are saying and say what you are living". But of course that is exactly what Jesus already did when he was on earth, . And all of that from a spirit of love (1 Corinthians 13).

a- Isaiah panicked! He knew the Law in which it was said that if a sinner sees God face-to-face he will die. He realized how holy God is and howe sinful he himself was. Isaiah knew that if a sinner sees the "more holy than the holiest holiness" (CJB) God face-to-face is doomed. And there he is, seeing God face-to-face himself. His only thought was probably, "OK, I am dead!!!" c) One of the seraphim took a live coal from the altar and came to Isaiah. He touched Isaiah's lips with the live coal and said: "Here! This has touched your lips. Your iniquity is gone, your sin atoned for." (CJB) d) The live coal came from an altar (altar of incense or altar for the burned offerings). A fire was burning, as the coal was live (glowing hot). Fire is a almost always a symbol of purification. McGee states that the coal also symbolizes the death of Christ, because it is Christ's death that cleanses and saves us ("Thru the Bible Commentary, J. Vernon McGee, 1981). Isaiah had pointed out a specific sin, "unclean lips". The seraphim touched Isaiah's lips with the live coal and so Isaiah was cleansed of this sin. e) Isaiah, after having been cleansed, heard God speak: Then I heard the voice of Adonai saying, "Whom should I send? Who will go for us?" (Isaiah 6:8a) His immediate response was devotion and dedication. He said, "Here I am! Send me!" (Isaiah 6:8b)

a) "Do you not know? Have you not heard?" (compare vs. 21) This indicates that we should listen very carefully to what comes. A question asked twice usually means something like, "Pay extra attention now. This is important!!!" A bit like "Verily, verily, I say to you" or "I tell you the truth" which Jesus often used to get the attention of the listeners. For us, his disciples, this basically means that we sit up and listen very carefully, because what follows needs to be remembered. Then God goes on to explain his being Almighty in more detail. He is so powerful, He created everything that exists. So we can count on God in everything. He won't become weary or tired. The Creator of the universe looks after us. So we can give ourselves over to him. Trust him with all our hearts, all our souls, all our minds and all our strength. Isaiah 40:29-31 (Complete Jerusalem Bible) He invigorates the exhausted, he gives strength to the powerless. Young men may grow tired and weary, even the fittest may stumble and fall; but those who hope in Adonai will renew their strength, they will soar aloft as with eagles' wings; when they are running they won't grow weary, when they are walking they won't get tired.

a) Verse 1: - Lord (Y'hovah) - Rock of our salvation (tsur tsur yeshua) Verse 3: - Lord (Y'hovah) - Great God ('El gadol gadol) - Great King (melek gadol gadol) Verses 4-5: - Creator (indirect) - Almighty (indirect) - Maker ('asah) Verse 6: - Lord (Y'hovah) - Maker ('asah) Verse 7: - God ('Elohim) - Shepherd (indirect) Psalm 95:6-7a (Complete Jewish Bible): Come, let's bow down and worship; let's kneel before Adonai who made us. For he is our God, and we are the people in his pasture, the sheep in his care. We fall to our knees in worship, when we acknowledge Who God is: The Lord, the Rock of our Salvation, the great God and King, our Creator, the Almighty, the One Who made us. He, our God and our Shepherd. We, his creation and his sheep. :-)

a) - The potter, Creator, or Maker can make what he wants to make. - He can make what he makes, how he wants to make it. - He can do what he wants with what he has made, even to the point of breaking or destroying it again. Knowing the answers of (a), this should humble me, and it does. The above tells me that God can really do whatever He wants to do with me. And I do not have a say in it. I have no choice, but to trust God. The above also tells methat God knows where and how I function best. He has made me in a certain way. And He has made me who He wants me to be. I guess this should cause me to maybe grumble and complain less to God. Accept who I am and why I was made the way I was made. But there is more, . God has not only (just) made me. He also loves me and wants the best for me. And because He is my Maker, He knows what is best for me. This makes accepting trusting God and accepting who I am and why I was made so much easier. Going the way of accepting this, makes that I will live the best life I could ever imagine to live, .

Literally, a pot does not even have a mouth, so how can it talk back at the potter, :-). The potter is in full control and he makes whatever he wants to make. The pot has no influence whatsoever on the making. The potter is almighty, in total control, even to the point where he throws away or breaks or pounds the pot again, because he does not like what he has made. As Christians, we are pots in the hands of the potter, God our Creator. He has created the universe according to his will. We have had no influence in the making of ourselves. God made us the way He wanted to make us. God could even throw us away because He does not like what He has made. But we know that God when He made man said, "It is very good!" He really liked what He had made, :-). Sometimes we Christians are not very happy with how we have been made and we start grumbling and complaining to God, "Why have You made me like this?" We even come up with suggestions to God on how to reshape us. But God's answer is, "What I have made, I have made!" God creating us and the way He has done this makes predestination in this sense true. We did not have a vote or a choice in the creation process. However, God DID create us with a free will. A free will with which we are able to choose him or not to choose him. Adam and Eve chose. Joshua chose. In all dispensations of time, past, presence and future, mankind has free will. Mankind can choose to serve God or to serve whatever other god or gods. But as far as creation is concerned, how God created us, fashioned us in the womb, there is no choice for us. We just know that God has created us the way HE wanted to create us. But we also know that God said, after creating/forming/fashioning us, "It is very good!" The better attitude is to trust and obey God.He know why He has made us the way we have been made by him. And again, He said: "It is very good!" If God says it is very good, who is going to argue with him? Trust and obedience are the way to go. And being content: Philippians 4:11-13 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. P.S. This part has nothing to do with the actual question, but I just had to put it here. I am sorry if this offends anyone reading this. I took the liberty to change something in the text of this Bible Study. Ralph Wilson speaks of Palestine. That was the name the Romans gave to Israel to wipe the memory of it and of the Jews (the people of God!!!) off the face of the earth. God called the land "Israel", not "Palestine"! The Romans did not succeed in wiping the memory of the land Israel and the Jews off the face of the earth. They tried hard, but the Jews have lived on and still exist, as they have survived many sufferings, the holocaust being the worst of them. In 1948, as a fulfillment of many Old Testament prophecies, the Jews came back to Israel (and still more are coming back, e.g. from Russia) and the state of Israel was proclaimed. The land again got the name God had given to it. In the 50 or so years after this declaration, God has fought for Israel, on Israel's side in several wars, preserving the land Israel from being wiped off the earth again. In the 1,000 year Kingdom, when Jesus will rule on the throne of David in Jerusalem (the present day, physical city of Jerusalem) all believers will be living with Jesus, as his bride.....yes indeed, in Jerusalem, in Israel. That is what I believe. Let us call Israel by its God-given proper name, ISRAEL!!!! Not by its Romans-given name Palestine. God bless you all and keep you :-)