His Wish for You
When we read the letters Paul wrote to the various churches in the New Testament we understand that they are inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 3:15-16). What we also can see from them is the heart that Paul had for the people who he had worked with and preached to. In other words, the inspiration of the Scripture did not remove the humanity of the one writing it. Paul--along with the Lord who was inspiring these words--made it clear how they felt about the people who would read them in Paul’s day. I believe the message rings just as true today as it did then.
So in reading Colossians 2 you see the desire that Paul had for those who were reading his words. He wished many great things for them. I feel like if he could have known (and maybe he did) that we would still be reading those words 2000 years later, he would have had the same wishes for us:
To Know That You are Cared for Deeply (2:1) Paul told the Colossians that he had been agonizing over the Christians there and in Laodicea “and for many other believers who have never met me personally” (2:1). In writing to the Corinthians he would tell all about his persecutions and tribulations in Christ and top it off with “the daily burden of concern for all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:28). Today there are still many people concerned for you and praying for you. You are cared for deeply.
To Be Encouraged & Knit Together (2:2) The family of God is important. It is not an afterthought. It isn’t supposed to be something we just show up occasionally for a boost. It is the lifeblood of our Christianity. Paul’s wish -- which through inspiration is God’s wish -- is for us to be knit together in love. It is the picture of a strong bond holding one another up in the difficult days and pushing each other to live the kind of life God desires for us. The Hebrews writer was encouraging this in Hebrews 10:23-25.
To Have Complete Confidence (2:2) Paul wanted the Colossians and wants us to have complete confidence in their understanding of God’s plan for them. Jesus was the plan from the very beginning and He had been powerfully revealed to the world through His words, His miracles, and finally His resurrection. Paul wants us all to stand firm in knowing the truth and power of the gospel. When we know we are cared for deeply and understand the plan of God, we can live with complete confidence in the faith that we have in Jesus and in His body--the church. In the previous verses in Hebrews 10:22 it says we can “draw near to God with a full assurance of faith...”.
The Colossians got a personal letter from Paul, and while he may not have known it was going to one day be read by people across the Atlantic Ocean from the original recipients, the One who inspired it did. God knew it would go all over the world and He wishes the same for each of us. Know you are cared for. Be encouraged and knit together in love, and live with complete confidence in your faith.
Ben