Colossians 1:29

Read all of Colossians, the entire short book, everyday before you dissect the daily verse or passage. Today’s passage is Colossians 1:29

Colossians 1:29 ESV

For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

CONTEXT – PAST: answer what this verse meant in context to the original recipients in the past.
What a blessing Paul was to this church! They must have felt honored to get this letter from Paul. The Holy Spirit filled Paul with these words that breathed life into this church when it was down.

UNIVERSAL APPLICATION – EVERYONE: re-write the verse in your own words to reflect the universal truth that applies to everyone.
We must work hard at sharing God’s word and remember that the strength comes from Jesus alone.

PERSONAL APPLICATION – PRESENT: what does this verse mean to you personally and how should you apply it today in the present.
I feel the weight in Paul’s heart as he writes this from prison to a people he has never met in person. It is how I feel when I share on Facebook or online to an audience whom I have never met but my heart hurts so badly for them to get it right. Honestly, with all the hate mail I get, it is only through Jesus and because of His strength that I continue. My own family has asked me to stop being so bold online due to the potential damage to my reputation. I WILL NOT BACK DOWN! I AM NOT ASHAMED OF JESUS!
Thank you Paul for your dedication and example!

TO MY READER: Share your thoughts in the comments. Feel free to share your entire PEP so we can learn from each other. Blessings! ~ Jen

Colossians 1:28

Read all of Colossians, the entire short book, everyday before you dissect the daily verse or passage. Today’s passage is Colossians 1:28

Colossians 1:28 ESV

Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.

CONTEXT – PAST: answer what this verse meant in context to the original recipients in the past.
Paul also wanted to be clear that Christ must be presented fully, which included the hard teaching. He wanted them to be warned and mature so that they would have wisdom to continue to spread the gospel well.

UNIVERSAL APPLICATION – EVERYONE: re-write the verse in your own words to reflect the universal truth that applies to everyone.
We will not be mature in Christ if we do not learn and grow in all of the teachings of Jesus, hard truths and all!

PERSONAL APPLICATION – PRESENT: what does this verse mean to you personally and how should you apply it today in the present.
I loved how firm Paul was with his writings. He wanted clarity for his people that he ministered to. I think about how difficult sharing the full message of Christ is today, but then think perhaps it wasn’t much different from the Church at Colossae. I need to stand firm and not back down from what Jesus taught… ALL OF IT!

TO MY READER: Share your thoughts in the comments. Feel free to share your entire PEP so we can learn from each other. Blessings! ~ Jen

Colossians 1:27

Read all of Colossians, the entire short book, everyday before you dissect the daily verse or passage. Today’s passage is Colossians 1:27

Colossians 1:27 ESV

To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

CONTEXT – PAST: answer what this verse meant in context to the original recipients in the past.
Paul was being clear again that THEY were a part of this mystery. That THEY have hope of glory because Christ is in them. This would have been a huge acknowledgment and great encouragement.

UNIVERSAL APPLICATION – EVERYONE: re-write the verse in your own words to reflect the universal truth that applies to everyone.
God chose many people outside of the Hebrew nation to be included in His plan. Even the Gentiles are included in the rices of God’s glory!

PERSONAL APPLICATION – PRESENT: what does this verse mean to you personally and how should you apply it today in the present.
I love that God included all peoples. It is a blessing that He kept His promise to the Hebrew nation, but that He included others as adopted! Chosen! Thank you!

TO MY READER: Share your thoughts in the comments. Feel free to share your entire PEP so we can learn from each other. Blessings! ~ Jen

Colossians 1:26

Read all of Colossians, the entire short book, everyday before you dissect the daily verse or passage. Today’s passage is Colossians 1:26

Colossians 1:26 ESV

the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.

CONTEXT – PAST: answer what this verse meant in context to the original recipients in the past.
As mentioned in the post on Colossians 1:24, Paul along with his Jewish contemporaries were aware of two things: they grew up looking for the Messiah to come, and they are now, as “completed Jews” or “Messianic Jews” (those who were Jewish, but now believe Jesus is the true Messiah), living with conviction that Jesus will return soon. Most believed He would come back within their lifetime. This verse is Paul’s way of saying “Hey everyone, you don’t need to look anymore, Jesus is the mystery that was hidden that were were all looking for, but now we, as Christians know the truth!”

UNIVERSAL APPLICATION – EVERYONE: re-write the verse in your own words to reflect the universal truth that applies to everyone.
Jesus is the Messiah that was looked for throughout the ages and we now, as Christians, have this mystery revealed to us.

PERSONAL APPLICATION – PRESENT: what does this verse mean to you personally and how should you apply it today in the present.
I take this for granted as the concept of a “hidden mystery” in the Bible is not something I grew up with in regard to Jesus. We now know what that Old Testament mystery was referring to. I cannot wait to be on the right side of the door, so that all the hidden mysteries are finally revealed!

TO MY READER: Share your thoughts in the comments. Feel free to share your entire PEP so we can learn from each other. Blessings! ~ Jen

Colossians 1:25

Read all of Colossians, the entire short book, everyday before you dissect the daily verse or passage. Today’s passage is Colossians 1:25

Colossians 1:25 ESV

of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known,

CONTEXT – PAST: answer what this verse meant in context to the original recipients in the past.
Paul, even though he did not start the church at Colossae, and most likely never met them, has a sense of obligation to the greater church of Christ. He knows the full weight of what he has been called to do.

UNIVERSAL APPLICATION – EVERYONE: re-write the verse in your own words to reflect the universal truth that applies to everyone.
Paul was given stewardship from God to serve the greater church by spreading the gospel of Jesus.

PERSONAL APPLICATION – PRESENT: what does this verse mean to you personally and how should you apply it today in the present.
While many of us are called to do various things as the body of Christ, I feel too many of us, myself included, do not take spreading the gospel of Jesus as seriously as I fear we should. I believe that we could all do more! Paul was writing and ministering to a group of people he never met. How can I continue with that kind of boldness and ownership over helping to spread the word? It is something I think about often and try to reconcile with my plush California life. I want to do more for Him in anyway I can!

TO MY READER: Share your thoughts in the comments. Feel free to share your entire PEP so we can learn from each other. Blessings! ~ Jen

Colossians 1:24

Read all of Colossians, the entire short book, everyday before you dissect the daily verse or passage. Today’s passage is Colossians 1:24

Colossians 1:24 ESV

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,

CONTEXT – PAST: answer what this verse meant in context to the original recipients in the past.
This passage is a difficult one. At first read, one might assume Paul is saying Jesus’ suffering needed some sort of addition, that somehow it was not complete. This is not what Paul is saying by any means. Thinking of the background of Paul and his contemporaries, they would have been waiting for the Messiah to save them from the horror of their current governmental state. The word afflictions is never used when talked about what Christ “suffered” on the cross. The early church, along with Paul, was very confident that Christ would return in their lifetime. I believe Paul was referring here to his “filling up” what must first take place in afflictions before Christ returns. (See Revelation 6:9-11.) Paul is not saying that his personal sufferings add to the gospel message. He is stating that he is excited that his hardships and sufferings are adding to what needs to take place in the church so that Jesus would come home as the true ruling Messiah at His second coming.

UNIVERSAL APPLICATION – EVERYONE: re-write the verse in your own words to reflect the universal truth that applies to everyone.
We must consider our suffering for the sake of the Cross a blessing that we would be counted as partakers in the end times before Jesus returns!

PERSONAL APPLICATION – PRESENT: what does this verse mean to you personally and how should you apply it today in the present.
This is an interesting passage for me. My own sufferings, while seemingly important and often hard, are nothing compared to the Christian martyrs of the past and those of the future tribulation. What an honor to be counted as worthy to truly suffer for Jesus.

TO MY READER: Share your thoughts in the comments. Feel free to share your entire PEP so we can learn from each other. Blessings! ~ Jen