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

Colossians 1:21-23

Read all of Colossians, the entire short book, everyday before you dissect the daily verse or passage. Today’s passage is Colossians 1:21-23

Colossians 1:21-23 ESV

²¹And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, ²² he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, ²³ if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

CONTEXT – PAST: answer what this verse meant in context to the original recipients in the past.
All three verses are one long sentence. Paul is stringing along three important facts that all make one cohesive thought: we were dead in our sins (enemies of God), Jesus paid the price of reconciliation, we must continue in our faith and trust in the true gospel message of God. These three things cannot exist outside of one another.

UNIVERSAL APPLICATION – EVERYONE: re-write the verse in your own words to reflect the universal truth that applies to everyone.
We were once enemies of God and now have been made right in His eyes because of Jesus so that we are now pure, but only if we are firm in our faith and not wavering from the true gospel.

PERSONAL APPLICATION – PRESENT: what does this verse mean to you personally and how should you apply it today in the present.
Many people think once saved always saved. I would agree, but would say if you are truly saved you can never lose it, but if you seem to lose your salvation, then you never were truly saved.

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 1:19-20

Read all of Colossians, the entire short book, everyday before you dissect the daily verse or passage. Today’s passage is Colossians 1:19-20

Colossians 1:19-20 ESV

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,  and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

CONTEXT – PAST: answer what this verse meant in context to the original recipients in the past.
The implications of this passage are huge and the early church readers of Colossae would have understood it. If the fullness of God dwelled in Jesus, that would mean He is God. The fall of Adam and Even brought humanity great consequences. It was only through Jesus’ blood on the cross that made peace with the separation of God and man.

UNIVERSAL APPLICATION – EVERYONE: re-write the verse in your own words to reflect the universal truth that applies to everyone.
God in the full dwells in Jesus who reconciled humanity back to God bringing the original peace at creation through His blood.

PERSONAL APPLICATION – PRESENT: what does this verse mean to you personally and how should you apply it today in the present.
This fact alone should dictate how I live my life. This is the most incredible act of reconciliation the world has ever known. It is where mercy and grace meet each other. Righteousness and peace kiss! God needed us to be righteous in order to have peace. His mercy on us allows our righteousness and grace enables peace.

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 1:18

Read all of Colossians, the entire short book, everyday before you dissect the daily verse or passage. Today’s passage is Colossians 1:18

Colossians 1:18 ESV

And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.

CONTEXT – PAST: answer what this verse meant in context to the original recipients in the past.
Paul is driving home the fact that Jesus is in charge. He is first, the head, and above everything and everyone. Again, Paul is making sure there is extreme clarity on who Jesus is so there would be no debate or chance for false teaching on this point. Paul is also being clear about the position of the church in relation to Jesus. The church is the body and Jesus is the head.

UNIVERSAL APPLICATION – EVERYONE: re-write the verse in your own words to reflect the universal truth that applies to everyone.
Preeminent means to surpass others. Jesus is above all others, surpasses all others, is before all others, and is in charge of all others. In everything Jesus is first!

PERSONAL APPLICATION – PRESENT: what does this verse mean to you personally and how should you apply it today in the present.
Jesus is in charge now and always. He is who I must look to for everything and in everything. There is no democracy in this. He is my King.

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 1:17

Read all of Colossians, the entire short book, everyday before you dissect the daily verse or passage. Today’s passage is Colossians 1:17

Colossians 1:17 ESV

And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

CONTEXT – PAST: answer what this verse meant in context to the original recipients in the past.
Before all things could mean that he has priority in time or rank. The Greek word is not clear. But in all cases, this would not matter, because all things is all things whether that is time or rank or this world and universe. This is yet another bold statement by Paul. He does not mince words and wants to make sure the Colossians have a clear and solid foundational understanding of who Jesus is. He does not want there to be any misunderstandings. Clarity is of the utmost importance for the Colossians at this time because of the false teachings that were infiltrating the church.

UNIVERSAL APPLICATION – EVERYONE: re-write the verse in your own words to reflect the universal truth that applies to everyone.
This states Jesus is outside of time as he was before all things. It also states that he is sovereign, because he is the one who holds everything together.

PERSONAL APPLICATION – PRESENT: what does this verse mean to you personally and how should you apply it today in the present.
As I move forward in my walk with Jesus, I must be doubly clear on who he is. I must require that truth of those around me too. It is important for me to be jealous for the truth of who Jesus is and not allow the postmodern world view of Jesus to be adopted by those who are my friends who claim Christ as their Savior. To uphold the Word and to uphold the majesty and true Godhead of who Jesus is, is a very important thread in my life.

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