Nielsen’s Nook

Nestle-Aland 27

1 Εἰ οὖν συνηγέρθητε τῷ Χριστῷ , τὰ ἄνω ζητεῖτε , οὗ ὁ Χριστός ἐστιν ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ θεοῦ καθήμενος · 2 τὰ ἄνω φρονεῖτε ,  1 μὴ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς . 3 ἀπεθάνετε γὰρ καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ὑμῶν κέκρυπται   2 σὺν τῷ Χριστῷ ἐν τῷ θεῷ · 4 ὅταν ὁ Χριστὸς φανερωθῇ ,  3 ἡ ζωὴ ὑμῶν , τότε καὶ ὑμεῖς σὺν αὐτῷ φανερωθήσεσθε ἐν δόξῃ .

My Translation

3:1 Therefore if you were raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Be disposed to the things that are above, not to the things upon the earth. 3 For you died and your life has been encrypted with Christ in God. 4 Whenever Christ, your life, is made manifest, at that time you will also be made manifest with him in glory.

Grammar & Vocabulary

1 The idea that φρονέω conveys seems to be rather holistic. It seems to incorporate our attitude toward something (Phil 2:5) and also reflects the end to which we focus our thinking and discerning faculties (Rom 12:16; Gal 5:10).

2 The verb κρύπτω is often translated as “to hide”; however, there is much to consider in how one is hidden in Christ. The word ‘encrypt’ is etymologically related to this Greek word and fleshes out the semantic dimensions that while one is hidden in Christ it is such a hiding that conceals them in Him, that prevents them from being found. It communicates a sort of confident security in Christ.

3 φανερόω is used twice in verse 4. In both the case in which ‘you’ is the subject and the case in which ‘Christ’ is the word is an aorist passive indicative. While ‘manifest’ might be a little clunky here, it is my hope that we see the passive here directs us to the fact that all that happens is according to God’s plan, even when Jesus comes again to judge the quick and the dead.

Commentary

Chapter 3 of Colossians could be thought of under the heading of “Processional Living”. This heading speaks to us of who Christ is as king, who we are as heirs with him, and the fact that we, who have been justified by grace alone, in Christ alone, through faith alone, now walk with him to the same divinely appointed destination.

Paul begins by reminding the Colossian Christians who they are. They are those who by faith have been raised with Christ. They have received eternal life. They have become Christ’s sheep and no one or no thing can ever snatch them from the Father’s hand. By saying that they are raised with Christ, he is reminding them that they share the destiny of Jesus: resurrection from the dead unto unhindered fellowship with God.

Having reminded them of who they are, Paul then seems to answer the question, “What is someone united to Christ to do?” They are to seek for and be disposed to the things above and not to the things upon the earth (i.e., created things). This is an imperative to sanctification, the theological term for growing in godliness.

While regeneration, the making alive of a sinner to God, can never be thought of as cooperative; the progression of the Christian Pilgrim in this new life with Christ is very much a synergistic work. The Westminster Confession inform us that the irreconcilable war of sanctification is one in which the regenerate part of a Christian does overcome and so he or she grows in grace (WCF 13.3). Sanctification is the place where the justified walk with God working out their salvation because God works in them to will and to act (Phil 2:12-13). As such when one who is united to Christ does sin, we find that they, in turning from their hated sin, they are to purpose and endeavor to walk with Christ in all his ways and commandments (WCF 15.2). While there is no sin so small that it does not require damnation, there is no sin so great that it would bring damnation on those who truly repent (WCF 15.4). In other words, the activity of faithfully pursuing Christ and things above is done imperfectly and yet securely in Him.

If this would seem to be a sketch of what someone united to Christ would do, then we are left with the question of why such a person would do these things. The Christian has died to the old autonomy and againstness to God and the life (i.e., liveliness) that was given to them is hidden with Christ in God (v. 3). Paul returns us to the place he began. He returns us to our union to Christ who is our life (John 6:35,53; 11:25).

Christ is our life and our final destination. That is to say that he is not only the basis upon which we pursue godliness with Him working in us, but he is also the godliness that we pursue. When a person is justified and regenerated their sin is imputed to Christ and Christ’s righteousness is imputed to them. Sanctification is the working out of Christ’s righteousness in us with a view towards perfection. How could anyone ever be – ever hope of being – truly godly? The good news of the Gospel is that those whom Christ justified, he sanctifies; and those whom he sanctifies he glorifies, which is the perfect and holy godliness for which we strive now in Christ on this earth.

May the Lord empower us to run as those who know that they are rooted in one who loves them, will never forsake them, and who can never fail in remaking them in to the image of God that is in likeness of God and lives in fellowship with God. Amen.