An Examination of Colossians - Dissertation Example

?An Examination of Colossians 12-13: An Introduction The Condition The Incarnation and Redemption are God’s communication and penultimate expression of love for humanity.1 The New Testament presents the redemptive plan of God.2 It is where God openly reveals His plan of love for humanity. However, contemporary experience of human life and the human condition sometimes create an idea that it is far removed and decidedly different from the experience of life as given in the Bible.3 The tendency to view human concerns as dissimilar with past concerns opens a divide wherein a superficial non-meeting of human ideals and beliefs seem to be the appropriate reaction when encountering the narratives of the New Testament. On the other hand, there are some scholars who are looking into the past using the lens of the current period. 4This approach also suffers from the pitfall of failing to see the uniqueness of the situation of the past, thus distinguishing it from the current human condition.5 The problem of ethnocentrism is crucial in interpreting past events, contexts, and narratives. In this regard, Colossians 1.12-13 presents an old theme and promise repeatedly told in the Old Testament that is fulfilled by Jesus in the New Testament and yet a seeming contradiction to many in contemporary society, …Constantly give thanks to the Father who has empowered us to receive our share in the inheritance of the saints in his kingdom of light. He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son … The verse offers a summary of God’s redemptive act of love. It speaks no longer of a promise, but of a reality that is made available to those “the Father who has qualified .. to share in the inheritance of His holy people in the kingdom of light”.6 Likewise, it uses the imagery of “deliverance as presented in Exodus and Jesus theme of Kingdom”. 7 However, many in the current period have relegated this message of love and hope in the periphery. Two powerful realities encountered in people’s lives appear to challenge and contradict God’s redemptive act of love. The first is the truism that life on earth continues to be filled with hardships, sufferings, and pain despite the fact that God has already rescued humanity from the dominion of darkness. The second concern raise against Colossians 1.12-13 is the fact that, the contemporary period, lives in the “age of syncretism”. The contemporary period is marked by the continued effort of many to harmonize existing religious differences. This is not in itself wrong, but it creates a system wherein Jesus is relegated as one of the founders of religion and Christianity is just one of the many religions.8 In the effort to create a harmonious space for the co-existence of various recognized religions, beliefs, ideologies, and other principles and philosophies, Jesus becomes just one of the leaders of religion, “they are not denying him , but they are dethroning Him and robbing Him of His rightful place of preeminence”. 9As such, there is a crisis in contemporary Christian faith. Since, many fail to give to God what is due to Him as they focus on other teachings, principles, teachings and beliefs that reduce their obedience, trust, and faithfulness to the Word of God. This same scenario is the primary concern that the faithful in Colossae were facing. In fact, one of the major themes of Colossians is how to address false beliefs that threatened faith of Christians in Colossae. Geographically, Colossae was one of the three cities situated 100 miles from Ephesus.10 The other two cities were Laodicea and Hierapolis.11 Colossae was considered as the melting pot of the East and West. There was a time that it was an important trade route. However, economic activities within the city started to slow down until it became a small town. Nonetheless, Colossae remained a significant city because of the numerous beliefs and philosophies mingled within the city. Ideas continued to influx the city.12 These ideas and philosophies were Gnosticism, pagan astrology, Jewish legalism, mysticism, asceticism, beliefs in elemental beings and other false teachings13 that changed people’s beliefs “by means of diets and principles”. 14 In this regard, it can be inferred that contemporary Christianity is in the same condition as the Christian faithful in Colossae at a time of the writing of Colossians. Globalization has opened not only the economic doors of countries around the globe, but it has also paved for the convergence of various philosophies, ideals, and beliefs giving rise to what is referred earlier as the ‘age of syncretism’. This same condition was also observed in Colossae at that time. As such, it is asserted that terms to refer to issues and problems Christians face may vary and change over time, but human nature and human concerns have remained the same across the years. In effect, Christian challenge of facing false beliefs continues. In this regard, it can be inferred that the condition that gave rise to Colossians is the very same situation that contemporary Christians are confronted with. This scenario necessitates taking a re-look to the messages of Colossians so that contemporary Christians may be sufficiently guided as they face the same challenge of false beliefs vis-a-vis the reality of God's redemptive love. This study is a response to the threat pose by false beliefs in contemporary Christian life. In this, the focus of the entire study is centered on Colossians 1.12-13. These verses serve as a constant reminder of God’s redemptive act of love for humankind. This reality yields not only a joyful heart that offers thanksgiving to the One that delivered humanity, but it also serves a source of hope in a world that is plagued by despair, uncertainty, fear, and pluralistic views and beliefs The Issue Colossians 1.12-13 provides an immensely vital characteristic of God, the verse communicates and expresses God’s love for human kind through His Son. It highlights a reality that is denied by some contemporary principles – the truism that, for a person to be transformed, she must be delivered by God. This means relying, not on one’s autonomy, individuality, freedom, and powers to be removed from the dominion of darkness to the kingdom of light. Rather, it points to the actuality of humankind’s total dependence to God in order to be delivered from darkness. In other words, it is not the person’s own making that is why he partakes in the inheritance together with the holy people, but God delivered us. Figure 1 The Issue Source: Researcher The figure presents the summary of Colossians 1.12 -13. It shows that our being thankful to God is supported by underlying reasons and motivations. It is not an arbitrary gratefulness, but a gratefulness stemming from the recognition that “without Him, we are nothing”.15 From the three motivations or reasons behind our gratefulness to God, it can be inferred that humanity’s redemption is something that man can do by himself. It is not something that he can perform within his own capacities. It clearly presented the supposition and the reality that it is God who has empowered us, rescued us, and delivered us from the dominion of darkness to the kingdom of light- the kingdom of his beloved Son. By empowering us, God has allowed humankind to be sharers of his Kingdom with the saints. By rescuing us, God humanity from the clutches of the dominion of darkness. However, God does not only rescue humanity, but God himself has transferred us from darkness towards the kingdom of his beloved Son. All of these act done by God to humankind as an integral part of love and redemptive act. These truisms are clearly presented and given in Colossians 1.12-13. This succinctly presents the illusion of freedom, independence, and autonomy, and the authenticity of our dependence to God’s goodness and mercy, for apart from Him we can do nothing.16 However, despite the seeming clarity of Colossians 1.12-13, these two verses require further extrapolation as there are concepts embedded within the text that confounds its meaning and implication to Christian faith. These are (1) In the midst of the confusion of pluralist principles that abounds in the globalized contemporary world, how can modern Christians continue to hold on to the Truth of Jesus? This is very important since the power of darkness to persuade people to cling to modern fad diets, beliefs about end of the world, mysticism, yoga, new age religion, scientism, nihilism, positivism, pessimism, and all the other isms that, perplexes the human mind and heart, are everywhere.17 Christians who are living their life of faith are living at the center of all these isms in their society, in their community. (2) What is the connotation or meaning of ‘power of darkness’? Understanding this is crucial because this is often downplayed, trivialized, or understood as falling with the realm of the human psyche. Its actuality is denied by the modern society as a form of disease or imagination. As such, it has to be re-explained within the frame of its genuine nature as evidenced by Sacred Documents, Holy Tradition, scholarly articles, and lived lives of Christian faithful. (3) What is the nature of God? The researcher acknowledges the littleness of the human mind in grasping the entirety of God. However, Colossians 1.12-13 clearly shows and points to humanity facets of God. (4) What are the nature of man/woman and the illusions of its attributions? This needs to be clarified as modern society has supported the idea of the ubermench (over man) of Nietzsche in Thus spoke Zarathustra. Basically, the over man as an ideal and reality in modern society looks at humanity as creator. Creator of values, knowledge, meanings, and power. The self-awareness of the ubermench is capable of destroying tradition and re-creating society with the individual at its center. As such, individualism, nihilism, existentialism, deconstruction, post-modernism are some of the ideals in which contemporary understanding of human nature are drawn. Conversely, Colossians 1.12-13 presents an alternative perspective may be a possible view of human nature. It offers a paradigm shift in the knowing human nature. (5) Finally, Colossians 1.12-13 brings to the fore the question ‘if humanity is redeemed by God, why is it that there is still evil? In effect, it brings back the question vis-a-vis the goodness and redemptive love of God. This question is critical since the modern period has been witnessed to several dehumanizing man-made sufferings, oppression, plagues, diseases, senseless deaths of the children, child labor, poverty, and other conditions and state of life that ‘seemingly’ denies God, His Goodness and redemptive love for humankind. These are some of the issues found in Colossians 1.12-13. Clarification of these issues will help in getting a clearer view and perspective behind the transformation from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. As such, it sheds light on the kingdom of the Son – the Kingdom of Light. Summary Colossians 1.12-13 provides a summary of God’s redemptive act for humanity. This reality presents the primordial motivations why we should be constantly grateful to God. However, these verses also show that, just like the Christians in Colossae during that time, contemporary Christians are (1) also facing the threat and challenge of false beliefs, (2) plague by the question of evil in the midst of God’s goodness and redemptive love, (3) queries pertinent to the nature of God and man, and (4) the Truth of Jesus in the midst of pluralistic global society. In this regard, the necessity of taking a re-look at Colossians 1.12-13 becomes a necessary endeavor as Christians live their lives and their faith in the center of all these issues. Bibliography Christian Community Bible. Catholic Pastoral Edition. Quezon City: Claretian Publications, 1997. Print. Lonergan, Bernard. Collected Works of Bernard Lonergan: Philosophical and Theological Papers 1958 – 1964. Eds RC Croken, FE Crowe, and RM Doran. Toronto: Lonergan Research Institute, 1996. Print. MacDonald, Margaret Y. and Daniel J. Harrington. Sacra Pagina: Colossians and Ephesians. Minnesota: A Michael Glazier Book, 2000. Print. Walsh, Brian J. and Sylvia C. Keesmaat. Colossians Remixed: Subverting the Empire. Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2004. Print. Wiersbe, Warren W. The Bible Exposition Commentary/ New Testament: Volume Colorado: Cook Communications Ministries, 2001. Print. --- The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete New Testament in One Volume. Colorado: David A. Cook, 2007. Print. Wilson, Robert McL. Colossians and Philemon. New York: T&T Clark International, 2005. Print. Electronic Source http://www.usccb.org/bible/colossians#59001012-f Read More