ColossiansSample

Have you ever felt like something had a hidden meaning? No matter how hard you tried, you could never understand that thing. Like how grandma’s house smells like love, deja vu, or AirDrop (I hope I’m not the only one.)

During the time of Paul’s writing this letter to the church of Colosse, this feeling was going around- but for good reason! There was this group of people called Gnostics. The people in this group believed that some higher knowledge was required for salvation and that knowing this information set them above everyone else. Gnostics had their knowledge in books set aside-hidden-for only the elite, called apokruphos.

Paul uses this moment in Colossians 2 to fight against that belief.

“that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, 3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (verses 2-3)

He uses that same word for hidden, apokruphos, to show that the gnostics have it wrong! Paul says that God’s mystery is Jesus- who holds all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And the understanding of this treasure can be reached! It’s not hidden from us!

The mystery of God that we so often wrongly approach as hidden is his love. What a mystery that the God of the cosmos would look at me and love me! What a mystery that God would trade his only son for a wretch like me! The awe of this truth, I would argue, is beneficial. But ultimately, understanding the mystery of God is possible through the Holy Spirit that dwells within those who have decided to follow Jesus. What a beautiful mystery indeed!

1. Do you feel like the Bible has hidden knowledge?
2. Spend time reading this chapter, and ask the Holy Spirit to give you understanding.