Colossians 2:1I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. 2My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
There are two things that struck me here as I meditated this morning. Firstly, it was how Paul says he has been struggling for the people at the church in Colossus and for many others. In fact at the end of Colossians ch 1 Paul says : “28We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. 29To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.”
Paul shows that as an apostle he is determined to impart his knowledge to those around him. He is regularly admonishing and teaching with all wisdom. He struggles with all his energy as he says in 1:29. Paul is energised by Christ as he works to equip the saints. The lesson to leaders is that we need to be working hard with the energy that comes from Christ as we work for him, to admonish and to teach. There seems to be very little admonishing that goes on in church these days. Sermons are preached week after week and seldom is there a clear message of admonishment that is put out. But we need to not only admonish but also teach.
We need to teach and I wonder if the people in our churches are ever taught how to really do the basics: read and study the word of God (we seem to think it should come automatically), pray, how to prepare and take communion etc.
But the next part is just amazing. Paul says “in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”.
God is a mystery but we can get to know Him. Paul says that we get to know Christ who is the mystery of God. Christ is the mystery of God revealed to mankind. We are able to know him, but more than that in him are all the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge. God has hidden in His son, the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. If a man wishes to be wise he should learn to discover Christ and get to know him. As you get to know him, so you will start to uncover and discover the hidden treasures which are in him. These treasures of wisdom are hidden which means they are not obvious and they need to be found.
That is why we need to spend time seeking and reading the scriptures because Christ is the word. He is the word that has been made flesh and so we find the hidden treasures of knowledge in the word of God, in his son, Jesus,