Colossians 2
In 2 Thessalonians, Chapter 2 begins with the Apostle Paul looking back on his ministry and that of his co-workers toward the Thessalonian church, and making a defense regarding the genuineness of that work. Paul emphasizes that when they preached the gospel, they did not do so out of selfishness or deception, or to win approval through flattery or greed, but only out of a desire to please God. He then reminds them that, as if like a nursing mother, and also like a father, they cared for all the believers and treated them with love. In the final part, Paul expresses gratitude that the Thessalonian believers received the gospel and maintained their faith faithfully, and he states that even amid the troubles and suffering they were experiencing, they were receiving comfort and joy.
1verseFor I desire to have you know how greatly I struggle for you and for those at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
2versethat their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love, and gaining all riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may know the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ,
3versein whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden.
4verseNow I say this that no one may delude you with persuasiveness of speech.
5verseFor though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in the spirit, rejoicing and seeing your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.
6verseAs therefore you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him,
7verserooted and built up in him and established in the faith, even as you were taught, abounding in it in thanksgiving.
8verseBe careful that you don’t let anyone rob you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elemental spirits of the world, and not after Christ.
9verseFor in him all the fullness of the Deity dwells bodily,
10verseand in him you are made full, who is the head of all principality and power.
11verseIn him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ,
12versehaving been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
13verseYou were dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. He made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
14versewiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us. He has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross.
15verseHaving stripped the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
16verseLet no one therefore judge you in eating or drinking, or with respect to a feast day or a new moon or a Sabbath day,
17versewhich are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ’s.
18verseLet no one rob you of your prize by self-abasement and worshiping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
19verseand not holding firmly to the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and ligaments, grows with God’s growth.
20verseIf you died with Christ from the elemental spirits of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances,
21verse“Don’t handle, nor taste, nor touch”
22verse(all of which perish with use), according to the precepts and doctrines of men?
23verseThese things indeed appear like wisdom in self-imposed worship, humility, and severity to the body, but aren’t of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.
Key Themes and Overall Meaning
- The purity of gospel ministry: Paul makes clear that when he and others preached the gospel, they did not pursue their own honor or gain, nor did they act with deception. Instead, he highlights that even amid misunderstanding and hardship, they acted with courage and always strove to behave truthfully and purely in the sight of God.
- Care and devotion: Paul and his co-workers tried not to burden the church even to the point of addressing their own needs, and they served the believers with love and hard work, like parents caring for their children.
- Gratitude and joy: Seeing the Thessalonian believers receive the message of the gospel through the word and put it into practice in their lives, Paul gives thanks and experiences great joy. He considers the believers’ faithfulness to be their own boasting and their hope.
Points for Reflection
- When I share the gospel with someone, check what my motivation is. Think about whether you are treating people with a mindset like Paul’s—one that seeks to please God.
- Revisit the attitude of love and devotion that looks after one another within the community. Let us reflect on whether, in the place where I belong, love and attention like that of parents and children are being put into practice.
Apply It to Your Life
- Look back on whether the words and actions I do today are truthful before God and before people.
- In my relationships with people around me, put into practice warmer service and love.
- When I face difficulties along the path of faith, do not forget that keeping faith firmly is a great strength for others as well.
As part of Coupang Partners activities, this post may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
