Mathew the line of jesus

The Lineage of the King

1:1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:

² Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. ³ Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. ⁴ Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. ⁵ Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, ⁶ and Jesse begot David the king.

David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah. ⁷ Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa. ⁸ Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah. ⁹ Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah. ¹⁰ Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon, and Amon begot Josiah. ¹¹ Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon.

¹² And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel. ¹³ Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor.
¹⁴ Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud. ¹⁵ Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob. ¹⁶ And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.

¹⁷ So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.

—Matthew 1:1–17

In Jewish history the most natural and essential way to begin the story of a man’s life is to give his genealogy. This passage, which might appear uninteresting, is of great importance in Jewish history. Josephus, the great Jewish historian, writing his own autobiography, began with his personal pedigree. King Herod the Great was despised by the pure-blooded Jews because he was half Edomite. As a consequence, Herod destroyed official registers so that others could not prove a more authentic pedigree than his own!

Matthew begins by calling this “The Book of the Genealogy of Jesus Christ,” a common phrase among the Jews when giving reference to the record of a man’s lineage.

During a preaching mission in India in 1969, I learned of a young Hindu man who came to Christ by reading the first chapter of Matthew. When asked what there was about the genealogy which led to his conversion, he stated that for the first time he had found a religion which is actually rooted in history in contrast to the mythology of Hinduism and Buddhism. Matthew roots his Gospel in history, beginning with the lineage of the King. It is the lineage of salvation history, of Heilsgeschichte. This salvation history expresses the acts of God in history, His unfolding of a revelation of Himself, having chosen the people of Israel as the channel through whom He would bring the Messiah as Savior for the world.

Matthew’s first reference is to Jesus Christ as “the Son of David,” a reference to the royal kingly line; and as “the Son of Abraham,” a reference to the line of promise or line of grace. Matthew begins his genealogy with Abraham, the man who was called the friend of God, the father of the way of faith, showing that Jesus fulfilled Israel’s hopes.

We are reminded in verse 2 of the many occasions in the Old Testament when God identified Himself as the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob. A personal friend of mine, Dr. Robert Lamont, for twenty years pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, once gave me the following very stimulating sermon outline to elaborate the significance of this Old Testament reference: He is the God (1) of differing personalities; (2) of varying circumstances; and (3) of succeeding generations.

The lineage of Jesus is presented in three sections with fourteen periods for each. This distinctive grouping has a functional purpose. The three groupings correspond to the three great stages of Jewish history. The first stage is the history from Abraham to David, a stage which moves from the call of faith to the period in which David welded Israel into a nation. The second stage covers the history of Israel down to the exile in Babylon, a stage which deals with the interplay between man and God, exposing man’s unfaithfulness and the consequent captivity. Interspersed with the captivity was the prophetic word of judgment, of grace, and of hope. The third stage carries the history of Israel from the Babylonian captivity to the birth of Jesus Christ. It shows how the salvation history continued through a remnant of the faithful, focusing on the family of faith through which God entered the world in the Incarnation, in Jesus of Nazareth.

The summation in verse 17 marks off fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the captivity, and fourteen from the captivity to the coming of Christ. This use of generations is a teaching method on the part of Matthew to help persons grasp and memorize this sweep of history. Actually, the listings are not harmonized with Luke’s list, nor with the Old Testament accounts. Rahab appears much later in the line than in the Old Testament account (v. 5). In comparing 1 Chronicles 3 with the genealogical listing in Matthew, we discover that in verse 8 Matthew skips across several persons we might call generations (i.e., Joash, Amaziah, and Azariah). Matthew goes from grandfather to grandson in moving from Josiah to Jeconiah (v. 11). He moves from Shealtiel to Zerubbabel as though this is father and son (v. 12), while 1 Chronicles 3:19 and Ezra 3:2 together state that while these are in a close family lineage, Shealtiel is actually Zerubbabel’s uncle.

This suggests that Matthew’s use of generation is not as literalistic as ours when we go from father to son, but rather that it is a method he used to mark off periods of time in salvation history. We need to leave this part uninterpreted (how Zerubbabel carries on the lineage of his uncle Shealtiel) with awareness that in the Old Testament, to safeguard a heritage and lineage in family experience, it was not unknown for a man to have his brother or his brother’s son carry on his inheritance and lineage in the stream of history.

Prominence is given to four women who are named in the Messiah’s lineage. William Barclay says, “It is not normal to find the names of women in Jewish pedigrees at all. Woman had no legal rights; she was not regarded as a person, but as a thing.” The presence of these names in the lineage of Christ is a significant affirmation of woman. When God created man He “created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Gen. 1:27, niv), a biblical witness to equality.

But why mention these women in contrast to Sarah? First, all four were aliens, Gentiles. Second, three of four were suspected of adultery. Including these women in the lineage of Christ highlights the message of divine grace. God forgave and accepted persons in the lineage of Christ whose history was clouded, men and women. The fact that these particular women are named makes clear that God in grace does not discriminate against persons because of past mistakes. Verse 3 refers to Tamar, of whom Judah begot Perez and Zerah. Tamar was actually Judah’s daughter-in-law, and the conception of these sons from Judah took place in an immoral relationship outside of the bonds of matrimony. In verse 5 we find Rahab, who is spoken of as the harlot of Jericho in Joshua 2:1–7. Tradition tells us that she later became the wife of Joshua. In verse 5 Ruth is included, who was not Jewish, but was a Moabitess, a special expression of God’s grace in that the Law said, “No Ammonite or Moabite …may enter the assembly of the Lord” (Deut. 23:3, niv). And fourthly, Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon is included—the woman whom David seduced, and whose husband Uriah he afterwards killed in an attempt to cover his sin. The presence of these four persons in the lineage of the King emphasizes a genealogy of grace.

Through this lineage God fulfills His promise to Abraham that, in his seed, all the earth would be blessed; that the “Earth Blesser,” the Messiah, would come through the seed of Abraham. Also, Matthew is showing Jesus as born of Mary and not begotten by Joseph, evident in verse 16. An outline for this passage can be expressed in four basic points. It is a genealogy that demonstrates: (1) a faith rooted in history, (2) a faith expressing God’s grace, (3) a faith recognizing divine providence, (4) a faith which focuses on the Messiah.¹

The Heredity of the King (Matt. 1:1–25)

Since royalty depends on heredity, it was important for Jesus to establish His rights to David’s throne. Matthew gave His human heredity (Matt. 1:1–17) as well as His divine heredity (Matt. 1:18–25).

His human heredity (vv. 1–17). Genealogies were very important to the Jews, for without them they could not prove their tribal memberships or their rights to inheritances. Anyone claiming to be “the Son of David” had to be able to prove it. It is generally concluded that Matthew gave our Lord’s family tree through His foster father, Joseph, while Luke gave Mary’s lineage (Luke 3:23ff).

Many Bible readers skip over this list of ancient (and, in some cases, unpronounceable) names. But this “list of names” is a vital part of the Gospel record. It shows that Jesus Christ is a part of history; that all of Jewish history prepared the way for His birth. God in His providence ruled and overruled to accomplish His great purpose in bringing His Son into the world.

This genealogy also illustrates God’s wonderful grace. It is most unusual to find the names of women in Jewish genealogies, since names and inheritances came through the fathers. But in this list we find references to four women from Old Testament history: Tamar (Matt. 1:3), Rahab and Ruth (Matt. 1:5), and Bathsheba “the wife of Uriah” (Matt. 1:6).

Matthew clearly omitted some names from this genealogy. Probably, he did this to give a systematic summary of three periods in Israel’s history, each with fourteen generations. The numerical value of the Hebrew letters for “David” equals fourteen. Matthew probably used this approach as a memory aid to help his readers remember this difficult list.

But there were many Jewish men who could trace their family back to King David. It would take more than human pedigree to make Jesus Christ “the Son of David” and heir to David’s throne. This is why the divine heredity was so important.²

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ (v. 1). Here is a Jew writing principally for Jews, and his first assertion is that he is writing about Jesus Messiah. Christ is not the name of Jesus. His name is Jesus bar Joseph or Jesus of Nazareth. The term Christ is His title, and it means “Jesus the Anointed One” or “Jesus the promised Messiah.” Matthew mentions another important title that would resonate with his Jewish audience: the Son of David (v. 1). This title for Jesus, Son of David, is used more by Matthew than by any other Gospel writer, because the Messiah was to come from the loins of the greatest king of the Old Testament; He would be of the seed and lineage of David. So from the very beginning of his Gospel Matthew calls Jesus “Christ, the Son of David.”

Matthew then adds, the Son of Abraham (v. 1). One of the great difficulties of harmonization in sacred Scripture is the relationship between the genealogy presented by Matthew and that presented by Luke in his Gospel. There are many places where these two genealogies do not agree. The first point of difference is that Luke traces the genealogy of Christ back to Adam, indicating that this Christ is not simply the Savior of the Jews but that the scope of Jesus’ redemptive activity is universal. He is the new Adam, who recovers the promise that God made originally to Adam and Eve in the garden. Matthew, on the other hand, goes only as far back as Abraham because he is writing to a Jewish audience, to people who would want to know about the ancestry of Jesus as well as that of Matthew. It is important that His ancestry can be taken back to Abraham.

Ancestry was important to Jewish people, as it has been to people of all cultures throughout history. Probably the culture that is least concerned about ancestry is our own, which is why we often fail to understand the import of lists such as this.

When I enrolled as a student at the Free University of Amsterdam, I had to fill out a form with personal information. One of the questions on the form asked, “What was your father’s station in life?” The university wanted to know my cultural class standing. That was also important for the Jew, which is why Matthew begins by giving us Jesus’ ancestry. Additionally, the ancestry was important to demonstrate that Matthew’s Gospel did not pertain to a mythical character or hero. To the Jew, the ancestry testified to historical reality.

Several years ago a friend of mine, a missionary with Wycliffe Bible Translators, worked among a people who had never heard the gospel in their language. The people could not write or read, so all their communication was oral. The missionary’s first task was to learn the language of the tribe. Then she had to change that oral language into written form and teach the people to read and write it. It was a laborious task that took many years. Only after all that was accomplished could she undertake the task of translating the Bible into this language. She began with the Gospel of Matthew. To expedite the project she skipped the genealogy to get to the meat and substance of the story of Christ, and then she sent her translation work off to be printed by a publisher in a distant city. She waited months for the first copies of Matthew to arrive at the compound, and when the trucks came in with the Bibles, or, at least, the Gospel of Matthew, the people were much more interested in the trucks than they were in the translation. After having spent ten years on the project, she was crushed when she saw that the people didn’t care at all. Nevertheless, she persevered in her task, and in the second edition of Matthew she included the genealogy. When that arrived the missionary explained the genealogy to the tribal chief, and he said, “Are you trying to say that this Jesus you’ve been telling us about for ten years was a real person?”

She replied, “Yes, of course.”

He said, “I thought you were telling us a story about some mythical character.”

Once he understood that this Christ was real in space and time, the chief came to Christ, and shortly thereafter the whole tribe came to Christ.

There are three sections in the genealogy, and Matthew divides these three sections into three groups, each of which has fourteen names. The significance of that has puzzled New Testament scholars. The Hebrew language uses a gematria, which is a kind of numerological symbolism. We find an example of this in the book of Revelation, where we read that the number of the beast is 666 (Rev. 13:18). Those numbers can be applied to real persons to identify the beast. If you look at this same kind of structure in the genealogical table, you will see that the number fourteen is the number of David. David is the central character of the ancestry, and Matthew is taking great pains to show that Jesus is from the line and lineage of David and that He has come to restore the fallen booth of the great king of the Old Testament.

Another difference between the genealogy in Matthew and the genealogy in Luke is that Matthew lists the father of Joseph as Jacob; in Luke’s Gospel it is Eli. However, Luke does not use the term begat; he uses simply of someone. If you look through the genealogies, you will see that both the lists are selective, and that Matthew and Luke do not select the same people. The most notable difference is that in Matthew, the list moves from David to Solomon, whereas in Luke, it moves from David to Nathan. Solomon and Nathan were both sons of David, and, actually, the elder son was Nathan, not Solomon. Nevertheless, the kingship passed from David to Solomon rather than to Nathan. This gives us a clue as to why these genealogies are different.

What scholars tend to agree on is that Matthew’s genealogy is the royal lineage of the kings of David. When Matthew gets to the sons of Jacob, he lists not the firstborn, Reuben, but Judah. The tribe of Judah was given the kingdom: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah … until Shiloh comes” (Gen. 49:10). In Matthew’s genealogy the heirs to the throne of David come down finally to the father of Joseph, whose name is Jacob. In Luke’s Gospel the genealogy does not come through the lines of the kings but from the son of Nathan.

The genealogies differ past David, and we do not know why. Suggested repeatedly throughout church history is that Matthew is giving us the genealogy of Joseph, and Luke is giving us the genealogy of Mary. This suggestion is highly disputed, but I am inclined to think it is the right solution. We have every reason to believe that Mary also was descended from David, and Jesus, of course, gets His human nature not from Joseph but from Mary. However, in Jewish society the fatherhood of Joseph, even though he was merely Jesus’ stepfather, as it were, is important for legal genealogical considerations.

So why does Luke tell us that Joseph is of Eli while Matthew tells us that Jacob begot Joseph? Obviously Joseph didn’t have two different fathers. I think Matthew is giving us the physical descendants from Jacob to Joseph. In Luke’s Gospel, Joseph is not called “the son of Eli” but “of Eli.” In other words, Joseph is “of Eli” in the sense that he was Eli’s son-in-law. Noticeable by its absence in Luke’s genealogy is any reference to King Jeconiah, who is mentioned twice in Matthew’s list. Jeconiah came under the curse of God such that his seed would never be on the throne of David. This means that if Luke had traced Jesus’ genealogy through Joseph, Jesus couldn’t have been king, but since Jeconiah does not appear in Luke’s list, it is likely that Luke’s list traces the line through Mary.

Significant about the genealogies is the reference to four women. Although not the norm, including women in such lists was not unheard of in Jewish genealogies. The four women mentioned are all non-Jews. Perhaps the most significant one is Ruth the Moabite, who was the grandmother of David. We see here the promise to Abraham, that through his seed all the nations of the world would be blessed, including Gentiles like Rahab and Ruth.

In Martin Luther’s study of the genealogies, he sees Jesus as the Son of David who restores the kingdom to Israel, but as the Son of Abraham He brings the kingdom of God to the whole world. All of that is pointed to by what appears, in the beginning, to be nothing but a list of names.³

1 Augsburger, M. S., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1982). Matthew (Vol. 24, p. 18). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.

2 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 13). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

3 Sproul, R. C. (2013). Matthew (pp. 16–19). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

BELIEVE AND BE SAVED

9–10. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus. Paul has just made reference that the gospel has been in the mouths of the Jews. Now he builds on that thought. He explains that the confession “Jesus is Lord” refers to the lordship which Jesus exercises as the exalted Christ. Salvation must entail faith in One who is Lord. Confession of the lordship of Christ presupposes the incarnation, death, and resurrection of the Lord. The apostle goes on to say that in order to be saved one must believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead. Necessary belief in the resurrection is mentioned because new life to the believer is contingent upon a living Lord.

Token assent that Jesus is Lord and the fact of His resurrection is not sufficient for salvation. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness. Belief in the saving power of the risen Christ must come from the innermost part of man’s being. This is described as man’s heart. But more than that, with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Confession with the mouth is evidence of genuine faith in the heart. Frequently both our Lord and the Apostle Paul indicate the coordination of faith and a confession (cf. Mt 10:22; Lk 12:8; 1 Tim 6:12). The natural response of the lordship and resurrection of Jesus Christ believed is the lordship and resurrection of Jesus Christ confessed. Confession with the mouth does not bring about genuineness of belief in the heart, but it gives evidence to it.¹

THE TRUTH IS THE GOSPEL IS SIMPLE

Jesus is known not through theology, not through philosophy, but through childlike simplicity. That is, you believe in your heart that He is risen, that He died for your sins and is alive. And you make a simple confession with your mouth: “Jesus is my Lord. I’m going on record verbally. I believe in my heart internally that He died for my sins; He’s risen; and He’s my Lord.” You don’t have to float off into space or dig deep into thought. The word is near you—even in your mouth. It’s so very simple: Just believe and confess²

What must we do to be saved?, is nowhere in Scripture stated more succinctly than in these verses: That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved (verses 9, 10).

There are times when we are called upon to open our mouths and make simple declarations. When I got married I had to say before God and certain witnesses ‘I do’ or ‘I will’. A Christian is to publicly reveal that he has been saved. One way to do this is to say, ‘Yes, Jesus is Lord.’

The second necessary condition that must be fulfilled if salvation is to take place is to believe in the heart. The word for ‘believe’ is pistauo, which means ‘to put your personal trust and confidence in’. This is why justification is by faith. Now where is that faith? In the heart. Paul is not using the heart as a term to describe merely the seat of emotions. When he speaks about the heart, he is speaking about the core of one’s being. It includes the mind but it involves more than the mind. From the depths of my being, I trust that God raised Jesus from the dead.

This is why orthodox Christianity declares belief in the resurrection of Christ to be essential. If a person denies the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, then he cannot possibly be a Christian. Christians can make mistakes in theology and not everybody is perfectly orthodox. Indeed, if we had to wait until we were perfectly orthodox before we were saved, none of us would be saved. But the denial of the resurrection of Christ is an intolerable error. You cannot be saved if you do not believe in the resurrection of Christ.³

10:9 The word is near—as near as your lips and heart (10:8; Deuteronomy 30:14). To confess means to “give verbal affirmation,”—in this case to acknowledge with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and was raised for you. When we confess that Jesus is Lord, we are acknowledging his rank or supreme place. We are pledging our obedience and worship; we are placing our life under his protection for safekeeping. We are pledging ourselves and our resources to his control for direction and service.

Anyone can say he or she believes something, but God knows each person’s heart. In this confession, it is not enough to merely utter the words; they must be declared, professed, proclaimed from the heart, expressing our full conviction. The gospel message in a nutshell is confess and believe and you will be saved. There is no reference to works or rituals.⁴

1 Hindson, E. E., & Kroll, W. M. (Eds.). (1994). KJV Bible Commentary (pp. 2251–2252). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

2 Courson, J. (2003). Jon Courson’s Application Commentary (p. 959). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.

3 Sproul, R. C. (1994). The Gospel of God: An Exposition of Romans (pp. 178–180). Great Britain: Christian Focus Publications.

4 Barton, B., Comfort, P., Osborne, G., Taylor, L. K., & Veerman, D. (2001). Life Application New Testament Commentary (p. 616). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale.

fighting the devil 2

Standing Firm in the Faith

⁸ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. ⁹ Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
¹⁰ But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. ¹¹ To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

—1 Peter 5:8–11

As Peter comes to the close of his first letter, he shares some important counsel regarding how we should be standing firm in the faith. He begins with a warning.

“Be sober, be vigilant” (v. 8). “To be sober” is nepho, which means “to be watchful,” “self-controlled,” or “not under the influence of intoxicants.” Peter used the same word to encourage us in verse 13 of the first chapter of this letter, and again when he encouraged us to be serious and watchful in our prayers because the end of all things is at hand (4:7). (See the discussion of the word “sober” on p. 127.)

We should be also “vigilant” (from grēgoréō), “to be watchful” or “awake.” Jesus used this word with Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane when he said, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation” (Matt. 26:41). Paul uses the same word in writing, “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong” (1 Cor. 16:13).

We should be on watch for our adversary, the devil, who walks around us like a roaring lion, waiting to devour us (v. 8). What a contrast from the previous verse in which we are told about Jesus who longs to protect us and take care of us! Here we read about the devil who desires to devour us. In fact, he is on the offensive, like a hungry lion stalking its prey.

Malcolm Collins, a missionary supported by our church as he ministers in Africa, gave the children’s message in one of our morning services. What he shared was most interesting and helpful. He told the children (and scores of interested adults) what to do in case we ever met or encountered a hungry lion. The first thing to remember is that you should never try to flee. That would mean certain death. The lion can run much faster than we can. Next, you should try to look very brave and stare right into the lion’s eyes. If you are successful, he will back down and run away. However, if that does not work, you should be prepared for the lion to attack you. Have your spear ready so that when he leaps upon you, he will land on the spear and be killed!

That is not only wonderful advice regarding how to meet a lion, it is also helpful advice on how to meet the devil. We should not try to flee from him. Instead, we should resist him by being steadfast in the faith (v. 9). To “resist” is anthı́stēmi, which means “to stand against” or “withstand.” James gives us the same counsel. “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:7–8).

We need to be alert and watchful so that we can resist the devil when he attacks us. Victory is promised to us as we submit to the Lord and draw close to Him. We should then resist the devil, and he will flee from us!

The two steps go hand in hand. You shouldn’t attempt to do one without the other. First, you should draw near to the Lord and then you should resist the devil (see commentary, p. 83). Our only defense against the evil one is through the power of Christ. And, as we resist him, we should know that we are not the only ones who face the sufferings that come from the attacks of the devil. We should remember our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the world who are suffering for the sake of Christ (v. 9).

As we resist the devil, we have seen that we should also submit ourselves to the Lord (v. 10). Peter reminds us again that the attacks of the devil and suffering for doing good are not wasted as we entrust ourselves to Christ Jesus. It is He who has called us to His eternal glory (v. 10). The God of all grace, who will allow us to suffer for a little while, will use that suffering to accomplish four important things in our lives.

1.. He will perfect us. “To perfect” is katartı́zō, which means “to restore,” “to mend,” or “to complete thoroughly.” That is exactly what God desires to do with our lives. He wants to restore what sin has taken from us, to mend what sin has broken, to complete us thoroughly so that we may grow to become more and more like Christ.

2.. He will establish us. “To establish,” stērı́zō, means “to turn resolutely in a certain direction,” “steadfastly set,” or “strengthen.” Again, God will use the suffering in our lives to turn us resolutely to Him, to forsake sin, to be steadfast in Him, and to be strengthened by Him.

3.. He will strengthen us. “To strengthen” is sthenóō, which means “to give vigor” or “to make firm.” God desires to make us vigorous and strong for Him and to make us firm in our commitment to Him.

4.. He will settle us. “To settle” (themelióō) means “to consolidate,” or “to lay a foundation.” Our Lord desires to use our brief times of suffering to consolidate all the fragments of our lives and to bring them under His control in order to lay a solid foundation in our lives—Jesus Christ Himselfto settle us from all of our instability.

God uses our suffering for good! By it we are perfected, established, strengthened, and settled. By faith we submit ourselves increasingly to Jesus as the Lord of our lives. And as we do, we depend more and more upon Him and we give to Him the glory and the dominion forever and ever (v. 11). We recognize more clearly who He is and who we are—and that causes us to bow down and worship Him as Lord.¹

One reason we have cares is because we have an enemy. As the serpent, Satan deceives (2 Cor. 11:3); and as the lion, Satan devours. The word “Satan” means “adversary,” and the word “devil” means “the accuser, the slanderer.” The recipients of this letter had already experienced the attacks of the slanderer (1 Peter 4:4, 14), and now they would meet “the lion” in their fiery trial. Peter gave them several practical instructions to help them get victory over their adversary.

Respect him—he is dangerous. Since I have no mechanical ability, I admire people who can build and repair things. During a church building program, I was watching an electrician install a complex control panel. I said to the man, “It just amazes me how you fellows can calmly work on those lines with all of that power there. How do you do it?” The electrician smiled and said, “Well, the first thing you have to do is respect it. Then you can handle it.”

Satan is a dangerous enemy. He is a serpent who can bite us when we least expect it. He is a destroyer (Rev. 12:11; Abaddon and Apollyon both mean “destruction”) and an accuser (Zech. 3:1–5; Rev. 12:9–11). He has great power and intelligence, and a host of demons who assist him in his attacks against God’s people (Eph. 6:10ff). He is a formidable enemy; we must never joke about him, ignore him, or underestimate his ability. We must “be sober” and have our minds under control when it comes to our conflict with Satan.

A part of this soberness includes not blaming everything on the devil. Some people see a demon behind every bush and blame Satan for their headaches, flat tires, and high rent. While it is true that Satan can inflict physical sickness and pain (Luke 13:16; and the Book of Job), we have no biblical authority for casting out “demons of headache” or “demons of backache.” One lady phoned me long distance to inform me that Satan had caused her to shrink seven and a half inches. While I have great respect for the wiles and powers of the devil, I still feel we must get our information about him from the Bible and not from our own interpretation of experiences.

Recognize him—he is a great pretender (John 8:44; 2 Cor. 11:13–15). Because he is a subtle foe, we must “be vigilant” and always on guard. His strategy is to counterfeit whatever God does. According to the Parable of the Tares, wherever God plants a true Christian, Satan seeks to plant a counterfeit (Matt. 13:24–30, 36–43). He would deceive us were it not for the Word of God and the Spirit of God (1 John 2:18–27). The better we know God’s Word, the keener our spiritual senses will be to detect Satan at work. We must be able to “try the spirits” and know the true from the false (1 John 4:1–6).

Resist him. This means that we take our stand on the Word of God and refuse to be moved. Ephesians 6:10–13 instructs us to “stand … withstand … stand.” Unless we stand, we cannot withstand. Our weapons are the Word of God and prayer (Eph. 6:17–18) and our protection is the complete armor God has provided. We resist him “in the faith,” that is, our faith in God. Just as David took his stand against Goliath, and trusted in the name of Jehovah, so we take our stand against Satan in the victorious name of Jesus Christ.

A word of caution here: never discuss things with Satan or his associates. Eve made this mistake, and we all know the sad consequences. Also, never try to fight Satan in your own way. Resist him the way Jesus did, with the Word of God (Matt. 4:1–11). Never get the idea that you are the only one going through these battles, because “your brethren that are in the world” are facing the same trials. We must pray for one another and encourage each other in the Lord. And we must remember that our personal victories will help others, just as their victories will help us.

Had Peter obeyed these three instructions the night Jesus was arrested, he would not have gone to sleep in the Garden of Gethsemane, attacked Malchus, or denied the Lord. He did not take the Lord’s warning seriously; in fact, he argued with Him! Nor did he recognize Satan when the adversary inflated his ego with pride, told him he did not have to “watch and pray,” and then incited him to use his sword. Had Peter listened to the Lord and resisted the enemy, he would have escaped all those failures.

Both Peter and James give us the same formula for success: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Before we can stand before Satan, we must bow before God. Peter resisted the Lord and ended up submitting to Satan!²

1 Cedar, P. A., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1984). James / 1 & 2 Peter / Jude (Vol. 34, pp. 195–197). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.

2 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, pp. 432–433). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

fighting the devil 1

Here the apostle does three things:—

I. He shows them their danger from an enemy more cruel and restless than even the worst of men, whom he describes,

1. By his characters and names. (1.) He is an adversary: “That adversary of yours; not a common adversary, but an enemy that impleads you, and litigates against you in your grand depending cause, and aims at your very souls.” (2.) The devil, the grand accuser of all the brethren; this title is derived from a word which signifies to strike through, or to stab. He would strike malignity into our natures and poison into our souls. If he could have struck these people with passion and murmuring in their sufferings, perhaps he might have drawn them to apostasy and ruin. (3.) He is a roaring lion, hungry, fierce, strong, and cruel, the fierce and greedy pursuer of souls.

2. By his business: He walks about, seeking whom he may devour; his whole design is to devour and destroy souls. To this end he is unwearied and restless in his malicious endeavours; for he always, night and day, goes about studying and contriving whom he may ensnare to their eternal ruin.

II. Hence he infers that it is their duty, 1. To be sober, and to govern both the outward and the inward man by the rules of temperance, modesty, and mortification. 2. To be vigilant; not secure or careless, but rather suspicious of constant danger from this spiritual enemy, and, under that apprehension, to be watchful and diligent to prevent his designs and save our souls. 3. To resist him stedfast in the faith. It was the faith of these people that Satan aimed at; if he could overturn their faith, and draw them into apostasy, then he knew he should gain his point, and ruin their souls; therefore, to destroy their faith, he raises bitter persecutions, and sets the grand potentates of the world against them. This strong trial and temptation they must resist, by being well-grounded, resolute, and stedfast in the faith: to encourage them to this,

3. He tells them that their care was not singular, for they knew that the like afflictions befel their brethren in all parts of the world, and that all the people of God were their fellow-soldiers in this warfare. Learn, 1. All the great persecutions that ever were in the world were raised, spirited up, and conducted, by the devil; he is the grand persecutor, as well as the deceiver and accuser, of the brethren; men are his willing spiteful instruments, but he is the chief adversary that wars against Christ and his people, Gen. 3:15; Rev. 12:12. 2. The design of Satan in raising persecutions against the faithful servants of God is to bring them to apostasy, by reason of their sufferings, and so to destroy their souls. 3. Sobriety and watchfulness are necessary virtues at all times, but especially in times of suffering and persecution. “You must moderate your affection to worldly things, or else Satan will soon overcome you.” 4. “If you would overcome Satan, as a tempter, an accuser, or a persecutor, you must resist him stedfast in the faith; if your faith give way, you are gone; therefore, above all, take the shield of faith,” Eph. 6:16. 5. The consideration of what others suffer is proper to encourage us to bear our own share in any affliction: The same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren.¹

5:8 At the same time that believers can cast all their cares on God, they must still be careful and watch out. As soldiers wait and watch, so believers must be constantly alert for the enemy. All of the persecution facing believers ultimately comes down to one source: the Devil, your great enemy. The Devil has other names—Satan, Accuser, Beelzebub—but he is the source of all evil in the world. He hates God and is God’s archenemy; thus he also hates God’s people and is their enemy as well. While Satan has no power against God, he does what he can to harm God’s people. Peter described him as prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour. Lions attack sick, young, or straggling animals; they choose victims who are alone or not alert. Lions prowl quietly, watching and waiting, suddenly pouncing when their victims least suspect it.

Peter warned believers to be alert for Satan, especially in times of suffering and persecution, for he walks up and down the earth (Job 1:7) seeking whom he or his demons can attack and defeat. (For more on demons, see Mark 1:23–26 and Ephesians 6:12.) When believers feel alone, weak, helpless, and cut off from other believers, they can become so focused on their troubles that they forget to watch for danger. In those times, believers are especially vulnerable to Satan’s attacks, which come in various forms, often at a person’s weakest spot—temptation, fear, loneliness, worry, depression, persecution. Therefore, Peter and Paul urged the believers to always be alert for Satan’s tricks.

5:9 James wrote that if the believers resisted the Devil, he would flee from them (James 4:7). Once we have identified the Devil as our enemy, we need to understand who he is and how he operates in order to effectively take a firm stand against him. Satan is the leader of angelic beings who revolted against God and were banished from heaven. His primary purpose now is to separate people from God. Destined for destruction, Satan wants to take as much of creation with him as he possibly can. We desperately need God’s grace because we are locked in mortal combat with a superior enemy; we need God’s help to resist this enemy, Satan. The best way for believers to take a firm stand is to be strong in their faith. This means trusting in Christ, who has already defeated Satan and will ultimately destroy him. Paul described the “armor” that believers must wear in Ephesians 6:10–18.

These believers were encouraged also to remember that they were not alone in their suffering. Other Christians scattered all over the world were suffering for the faith; this fact should give them strength. All of this, of course, was under God’s control and was accomplishing his purposes.

5:10–11 When we are suffering, we often feel as though our pain will never end. Peter gave these faithful Christians the wider perspective. In comparison with eternity, their suffering would last only a little while. This repeats what Peter said in 1:6. Some of Peter’s readers would be strengthened and delivered in their own lifetimes. Others would be released from their suffering through death. After that time of suffering, God promises to restore (set right what has gone wrong, put in order, complete), support (by admonition and guidance), strengthen (give courage no matter what happens), and place them on a firm foundation (build on a “rock,” therefore being unmovable). While their suffering will be only for a little while, their glory in Christ will be eternal. In life or in death, God’s purposes will be accomplished and his promises to believers will be fulfilled because believers have been called into God’s eternal glory. God called—this was his initiative. He will do as he promised because all power is his forever and ever.²

DRAW NEAR TO JESUS

The third command is to draw near in intimate fellowship and communion with the living, eternal, almighty God. Salvation involves submitting to God as Lord and Savior, but also brings the desire for a true relationship with Him. Seeking salvation is seeking God (cf. Ps. 42:1; Matt. 7:7–11).

One of the primary functions of Old Testament priests was to “come near to the Lord [and] consecrate themselves” (Ex. 19:22; cf. Lev. 10:3; Ezek. 43:9; 44:13). Our Great High Priest, Jesus Christ, who brings us to God, prayed to His Father, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3), and later affirmed and defined those who believe in Him, praying that they “may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me” (v. 21). Above all else, the apostle Paul sought to “know Him [Christ] and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” (Phil. 3:10).

“Drawing near to God” was in the Old Testament a general expression for the one who sincerely approached God in penitence and humility. Through Isaiah, the Lord said of those who came near Him hypocritically and superficially, “This people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote” (Isa. 29:13). But the psalmist declared, “As for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works” (Ps. 73:28).

David assures us that “the Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth” (Ps. 145:18). He counseled his own son Solomon, “Know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him” (1 Chron. 28:9; cf. 2 Chron. 15:1–2; Zech. 1:3). Through Jeremiah, the Lord promised, “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13).

Because they are prompted by God’s own Spirit and accepted by the Lord Jesus (John 6:44, 65), those who seek to know, worship, and commune with God will be satisfied. As noted above, that was the Father’s will long before it was theirs (Rom. 8:29: Eph. 1:4–5). When they come to him like the prodigal son—in humility, penitence, and brokenness over their sin—the heavenly Father says to them, in effect, what that earthly father said to his son: “Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found” (Luke 15:22–24).

Jesus told the Samaritan woman from Sychar, “An hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:23–24; cf. Phil. 3:3). The writer of Hebrews admonishes believers, “Let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. … Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb. 4:16; 10:22).

In his message to the pagan philosophers on Mars Hill, Paul said,

While I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, “TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.” Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist. (Acts 17:23–28)

The redeemed heart longs for communion with God (Pss. 27:8; 63:1–2; 84:2; 143:6; Matt. 22:37).³

1 Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 2433). Peabody: Hendrickson.

2 Barton, B., Comfort, P., Osborne, G., Taylor, L. K., & Veerman, D. (2001). Life Application New Testament Commentary (pp. 1125–1126). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale.

3 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1998). James (pp. 205–207). Chicago: Moody Press.

Jana Duggars bible passage

Living the New Life / 3:1–17

Whereas chapter 2 was mostly a criticism of false teachers, this section affirms the Christian’s new position in Christ. In chapter 2, Paul exposed the wrong reasons for self-denial. In chapter 3, Paul explains true Christian behavior—putting on the new self by accepting Christ and regarding the earthly nature as dead. We change our moral and ethical behavior by letting Christ live within us, so that he can shape us into what we should be.

3:1 The Greek words in the phrase, since you have been raised, express certainty. Once dead in their sins, these believers had been raised from death, just as Christ had been raised from the dead by God’s power. They had received new life from God through the power of the Holy Spirit. They did not need to struggle and work to attain that life, as the false teachers were trying to tell them; they already had new life! What remained was to work out its implications in daily life. Because they had been raised, they had a clear responsibility to Christ, who had raised them.

First, they must set their sights on the realities of heaven. The Greek word for “set” means to seek something out with a desire to possess it. The other religious teachers stressed “heavenly things” also, but Paul was appealing to the highest reality of all, the exalted Christ. The believers must take their focus off the world and turn it to Christ, who sits at God’s right hand in the place of honor and power. Christ’s seat at God’s right hand reveals his power, authority, and position as both judge and advocate. The Colossian believers already had experienced this exaltation; they needed to set their sights there so that they would live out their lives on earth as citizens of heaven.

3:2 Letting heaven fill their thoughts meant concentrating on the eternal rather than the temporal, letting their thoughts dwell in the realm of Christ. They were to focus on the Lord Jesus. Thoughts can influence actions, so if the believers would place their thoughts above and not only here on earth, their actions would please God. The things on earth refers to the legalistic rituals, the false methods used to achieve holiness, and even to the basic principles of the world described in chapter 2. But how were they to fill their thoughts with heaven? Paul had explained this in another letter: “Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right … pure and lovely and admirable … excellent and worthy of praise” (Philippians 4:8; see also Colossians 3:12). They were not to live as ascetics in some mystical, visionary realm; rather, Paul was saying that, by setting their thoughts above, their lives on this earth would be pleasing to God and would help accomplish Christ’s work.

3:3–4 The Greek aorist tense in the phrase, for you died connotes that we died when Christ died. It happened at a point in history. In Christ’s death, all believers died (2:20). Then, like a seed buried in the earth, a believer’s real life is hidden from the world, just as Christ’s glory is hidden, only to be revealed when he returns (3:3–4). The spiritual lives of believers are hidden inner lives that are in union with Christ who has brought them to be with him in God.

One day, when Christ is revealed in his glory, believers will also share in all his glory. The divine life of Christ will be revealed fully and will glorify us (reveal our true potential as children of God). Christians look forward to the new heaven and new earth that God has promised, and they wait for God’s new order that will free the world of sin, sickness, and evil. In the meantime, they go with Christ into the world, where they heal people’s bodies and souls and fight the evil effects of sin. Christ gives us power to live for him now, and he gives us hope for the future—he will return. In the rest of this chapter Paul explains how Christians should act now in order to be prepared for Christ’s return.

3:5 While Paul opposed the false teachers’ asceticism and regulations, he still forbade certain activities that had no part in believers’ lives. If the Colossian believers were to live as examples of Christ, they had to put to death certain aspects of the sinful earthly things lurking within them—the sinful nature, the old self. Again, Paul was describing the “already” and “not yet” of believers’ lives. Although they had died with Christ and had been raised with him, they were still susceptible to temptation and the evils of the sinful nature.

Two sets of sins are listed. The first five refer to sexual sin; the second five to sins of speech. These first five were related to the cultural background of the Colossians and were particularly deadly to the life of the church:

Sexual sin. Any form of illicit sexual relationship. The term serves to spotlight forbidden sexual behavior between people or indirect participation as an audience. We derive our term “pornography” from this Greek word. In contrast to the loose morals of the ancient Greek world, believers ought to show self-discipline and obedience to God in this area.

Impurity. Moral uncleanness. Perhaps no sexual act has taken place, but the person exhibits a crudeness or insensitivity in sexual matters.

Lust. Evil sexual passion that leads to excessive sexual immorality and perversion. (See Romans 1:26; 1 Thessalonians 4:5.)

Shameful desires. Wanting something that is sinister and vile in order to satisfy one’s desires (see also Galatians 5:16).

Greed for the good things of this life, for that is idolatry. Relentless urge to get more for oneself. In this context, Paul may have been focusing on greed for satisfying evil desires and for sexual immorality. The greed is described as idolatry because its focus is on filling desires rather than on God.

3:6 God’s terrible anger refers to God’s judgment on these kinds of behavior. God does not reveal his wrath arbitrarily; his perfect moral nature will not permit sin and wickedness to go unpunished. While wrath occurs at present in the natural consequences of sinful behavior, the final culmination of God’s will comes with future and final punishment of evil. People may try to get around it, but there is punishment for evil for those who have not believed in Christ as Savior.

3:7–8 The Colossian believers used to do the actions described above. They had been dead in their sins (2:13), but that all changed when they came to know Christ. Because of their new life in Christ, the believers were to get rid of those things listed above and others listed below. “Get rid of” means to put off or disrobe. The old, filthy clothes must be taken off before the new clothes can be put on. The believer “removes” the old life of sin and “puts on” the new life of Christ. The Colossian believers had experienced this; Paul asked that they act it out in their lives.

Not only did they need to deal with sexual immorality in all its variations, they also needed to deal with misused anger that often spilled over into evil speech.

Anger. A continuous attitude of hatred that remains bottled up within. This could refer to what is under the surface, while “rage” (below) refers to what bursts out. Anger would destroy the harmony and unity Paul called for among the believers.

Rage. Outbursts of anger or quick temper for selfish reasons. This could mean continual and uncontrolled behavior.

Malicious behavior. Doing evil despite the good that has been received. This word is a general term referring to an evil force that destroys relationships. It can mean anything from trouble to wickedness. It is a deliberate attempt to harm another person.

Slander. Destroying another person’s good reputation by lies, gossip, spreading rumors, etc. Malice often manifests itself through slander.

Dirty language. Crude talk, abrasive language, expletives. Paul admonished the believers that such language must be caught and stopped before it escapes their mouths.

These behaviors have no place in any Christian or in any church. These are part of the “old life” before knowing Christ. Christians must resolutely “put off” these repulsive sins of anger and speech so that they can “put on” Christ’s attitudes and actions.

3:9–10 Because Jesus Christ is “the truth” (John 14:6), believers ought to practice truth in all areas of life. They should not lie to each other. Lying to others disrupts unity by destroying trust. It tears down relationships and may lead to serious conflict in a church. Lying can take place in words said as well as words left unsaid. Believers should not exaggerate statistics, pass on rumors or gossip, or say things to build up their own image at others’ expense. Instead, because they have stripped off the old evil nature and all its wicked deeds, they should be committed to telling the truth.

The “old nature” was each person before he or she came to know Christ. The person was enslaved to sin, bound to the earth, without hope. But believers have clothed themselves with a brand-new nature that is continually being renewed. The “new nature” from Christ frees us from sin, sets our hearts on “things above” (3:1), and gives us the hope of eternity. Paul was appealing to the commitment the believers had made, urging them to remain true to their confession of faith. Every Christian is in a continuing education program. Renewal is constantly needed in the believer’s battle against sin and the old nature. What we learn is personal knowledge of Christ who created this new nature within us. The goal of the learning is Christlikeness. The more believers know of Christ and his work, the more they are being changed to be like him. Because this process is lifelong, we must never stop learning and obeying.

3:11 There should be no barriers of nationality, race, education level, social standing, wealth, gender, religion, or power (see also Galatians 3:26–28; 6:15). Paul pointed out four groupings that were of particular importance in the Greek culture:

1. Racial or national distinctions, such as between Jew and Gentile. The spread of the Greek culture and civilization meant that a Greek person (regardless of his or her country of origin) could feel pride in a privileged position and would look down on the Jews and their persistent clinging to an ancient culture. The Jews, meanwhile, would look down on Greeks as heathen, immoral, and outside of God’s grace for the chosen nation.

2. Religious distinctions, such as between those who have been circumcised (Jews) and those who are uncircumcised (Gentiles). Circumcision, the physical mark of the male Jew, was prized as part of the covenant of God with his chosen people. If practiced at all by Gentiles, it was as part of a heathen cult; most often, the Gentiles were uncircumcised, and they mocked the seriousness of the rite for the Jews.

3. Cultural distinctions, such as between barbaric or uncivilized peoples (contemptuous names used for people unfamiliar with Greek language and culture) and cultured peoples.

4. Economic or social distinctions, such as between a slave and a free person. Slavery was common in the ancient world. Paul would have special words for the relationships between masters and slaves (3:22–4:1).

How could these barriers possibly be removed? Paul’s answer: because Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. The Colossian church was probably made up of all kinds of people. No believer should allow prejudices from pre-Christian days to be carried into the church. Christ broke down all barriers; he accepts all who come to him. Believers, as Christ’s body, must do the same. Nothing should divide believers; nothing should keep them from experiencing unity. Each believer is responsible to get rid of the sinful practices of whatever life he or she led and become a new person in Christ. Then, as part of God’s body of believers on earth, each person should work as part of the whole to advance God’s Kingdom.

3:12 In the Bible, God’s holy people are chosen by God for a specific purpose or destiny. No one can claim to be chosen by God because of his or her heritage or good works. God freely chooses to save whomever he wills. The doctrine of election teaches that it is God’s sovereign choice to save us by his goodness and mercy and not by our own merit. To have received such incredible grace from God ought to cause all believers to gladly lay aside their sinful desires in order to clothe themselves with a nature that pleases God. In contrast to the vices listed above, Paul offered a list of virtues to be adopted as believers’ strategy to live for God day by day in the social activities of life. These include:

Tenderhearted mercy. Genuine sensitivity and heartfelt sympathy for the needs of others. This is an attribute of God, who is described as compassionate and who acted so on our behalf.

Kindness. Acting charitably, benevolently toward others, as God has done toward us. God’s kindness is a continual theme in the Psalms and Prophets. Kindness takes the initiative in responding generously to others’ needs. Because believers have received kindness, we ought to act that way toward others. This does not come naturally; it is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23).

Humility. An attitude of self-esteem that is neither puffed up with pride, nor self-depreciating. It is a true understanding of one’s position with God. As Christ humbled himself (Philippians 2:6–11), so believers ought to humble themselves in service to the Lord and Savior.

Gentleness. Humble, considerate of others, submissive to God and his Word. Gentleness is not to be confused with weakness; instead, it means consideration for others and a willingness to give up one’s rights for the sake of another. Again, Christ is our example.

Patience. Long-suffering, or putting up with people who irritate. The person might have the right to retaliate, but chooses patience instead. The Holy Spirit’s work in us increases our endurance.

3:13 Clothing ourselves with the new nature affects how we treat others. Paul called the believers to make allowance for each other’s faults. To forgive implies continual, mutual forgiveness of the problems, irritations, and grievances that occur in the congregation. The church had enough enemies and troubles dealing with the outside world; they didn’t need infighting or energy wasted on grievances or grudges (either held over from pre-Christian days or arising in the church) that could be worked out with forbearing and forgiving. The key to forgiving others was for the believers to (1) remember how much the Lord forgave them, and (2) realize the presumption in refusing to forgive someone God had already forgiven. Remembering God’s infinite love and forgiveness should help the Colossian believers love and forgive one another.

3:14 All the virtues that Paul encouraged the believers in Colosse to develop were perfectly bound together by love. As they clothed themselves with these virtues, the last garment to put on was love, which, like a belt, binds all of the others in place. Love pulls together the other graces in perfect, unified action. To practice any list of virtues without practicing love will lead to distortion, fragmentation, and stagnation. In any congregation, love must be used to unify the people and build them up. Those who would desire to be mature in Christ must make love a top priority.

3:15 Putting on all the virtues, with love binding them together (3:14), would lead to peace between individuals and among the members of the body of believers. The Colossian Christians should let the peace that comes from Christ rule in their hearts. To live in peace would not mean that suddenly all differences of opinion would be eliminated, but it would require that they work together despite their differences. This kind of tranquility and cooperation can’t come from mere human effort. It requires God’s help to arbitrate and enable people to get along.

The word rule comes from the language of athletics: Paul wanted the believers to let Christ’s peace be umpire or referee in their hearts. Peace would arbitrate, decide any argument, and thereby restrain any of the passions of the old nature that might threaten. Peace would settle any friction and strife so the believers could remain strong and unified.

When believers have an overriding attitude of thankfulness and when they have constant gratitude in their hearts for all that God has done for them in giving salvation and making them part of Christ’s body, then other virtues to which Paul called them would be much easier to live out. Being thankful would also make other relationships easier, as Paul explained in the following verses (3:18–4:6).

3:16 The words of Christ referred to the message proclaimed by Christ (the gospel). For us, this means the Bible. This teaching should live (reside permanently) in believers’ hearts by their study and knowledge of God’s word, making them wise. To teach and counsel refers to the whole congregation and their responsibility to teach the Word—including the life, ministry, and teachings of Jesus Christ—as a means to warn and correct one another.

The psalms, hymns and spiritual songs were a vital part of this teaching and admonition. Although the early Christians had access to the Old Testament and freely used it (thus, Paul’s reference to “psalms”), they did not yet have the New Testament or any other Christian books to study. Their stories and teachings about Christ were sometimes set to music to make them easier to memorize and pass on from person to person. Grounded in God’s word and correct doctrine, music can be an important part of Christian worship and education.

While music can teach, its primary function may be to praise God. As believers sing, they ought to do so with thankful hearts (see 4:2). Again, the word “heart” refers to a person’s entire being. Gratitude to God overflows in praise.

3:17 Earlier Paul listed a few vices and virtues to give the Colossian believers an idea of what was expected of them in their attitudes toward one another, but he did not want to regulate every area of life with a list of rules. So Paul gave this general command to cover every area of life.

Everything the believers said and everything they did should be done as a representative of the Lord Jesus, realizing his constant presence and bringing honor and glory to him in every aspect and activity of daily living (see also 1 Corinthians 10:31). To act in someone’s name is to act on his authority; believers act as Christ’s representatives.

Paul echoed the need for giving thanks, as he had in 3:15 and 3:16. All we do for Christ should be done with the spirit of thankfulness for all he has done for us. Believers are not enslaved to rules about every word they speak or deed they do; instead, they freely put themselves under the Lord’s guidance because they love him, have accepted his salvation, and live to glorify him.¹

1 Barton, B., Comfort, P., Osborne, G., Taylor, L. K., & Veerman, D. (2001). Life Application New Testament Commentary (pp. 881–885). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale.

you life in Jesus is forever

God’s “choosing” of believers has generated fierce doctrinal differences among Christians; most of these differences come from theological and philosophical points of view about what the Bible means. God alone originates and accomplishes our salvation because of his grace. We do nothing to earn it. Being “chosen” does not remove the necessity for people to choose to follow him. The fact that God knows all events and decisions beforehand, even ordains them beforehand, does not mean that he forces the actions of his creatures, leaving them no choice. God took the initiative and chose people before they had done anything to deserve it. He had intimate knowledge of these future believers; he knew who would believe, and he knew them personally. These chosen ones were known by God the Father as a father knows his children, except that God knew about them from eternity past. God is not trapped in time—what he knows is from eternity past into eternity future.

God makes his choice effective by the presence of the Holy Spirit in those who believe, resulting in obedience. Only the Spirit can draw people to a saving relationship with God. The Spirit comes to the chosen people to make them holy, meaning that God sees his children as holy because they have been cleaned by his Son’s shed blood. But believers also are becoming holy as they learn to live for God. This is called “sanctification”—the process of Christian growth through which the Holy Spirit makes us like Christ. The obvious result is that the believers obeyed. The constant cleansing from sin available to us because of Christ’s sacrifice enables us to obey God faithfully.

God’s special favor refers to his grace—given to undeserving people. Peace refers to the peace that Christ made between sinners and God through his Son’s death on the cross. Peter wanted these believers, scattered as they were across the empire’s provinces, to be united in their experience of God’s favor and peace in their daily lives.¹

1:4 The word translated inheritance is also used in the Old Testament to describe the inheritance to which the Jews had looked forward in the Promised Land of Canaan (Numbers 32:19; Deuteronomy 2:12; 19:8–10). Christians look forward to another inheritance—eternal life with God. Jesus Christ is God’s only Son; thus he is sole heir (Mark 12:7). However, as children of God, believers also become heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17) of this priceless inheritance.

Peter used three Greek words, each beginning with the same letter and ending with the same syllable in Greek, to describe this inheritance (aphthartos, amiantos, amarantos). This inheritance is pure—it won’t lose its glory or freshness. It is undefiled—it will never become unfit for us or polluted by sin. It is beyond the reach of change and decay—meaning it will never pass away, disappear, or come to ruin as the result of hostile forces. These words contrast this inheritance with all earthly, human possessions. Nothing in the natural order—catastrophe, sin, age, evil—can affect it. God has made it indestructible, existing for all eternity.

Believers have noncancelable and nontransferable reservations in heaven. The inheritance is kept in heaven for us. The word kept is in the perfect tense in Greek, expressing a past activity with results that continue in the present; God has been keeping and still keeps the inheritance there—prepared, reserved, certain, and waiting. No matter what harm might come to believers on earth, the inheritance awaits, for it is kept safe with God.²

1 Barton, B., Comfort, P., Osborne, G., Taylor, L. K., & Veerman, D. (2001). Life Application New Testament Commentary (p. 1103). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale.

2 Barton, B., Comfort, P., Osborne, G., Taylor, L. K., & Veerman, D. (2001). Life Application New Testament Commentary (p. 1104). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale.

cast your hurts on jesus

He had already admonished the saints to be submissive to government authorities (1 Peter 2:13–17), the slaves to submit to their masters (1 Peter 2:18–25), and the wives to their husbands (1 Peter 3:1–7). Now he commanded all of the believers to submit to God and to each other.

The younger believers should submit to the older believers, not only out of respect for their age, but also out of respect for their spiritual maturity. Not every “senior saint” is a mature Christian, of course, because quantity of years is no guarantee of quality of experience. This is not to suggest that the older church members “run the church” and never listen to the younger members! Too often there is a generation war in the church, with the older people resisting change, and the younger people resisting the older people!

The solution is twofold: (1) all believers, young and old, should submit to each other; (2) all should submit to God. “Be clothed with humility” is the answer to the problem. Just as Jesus laid aside His outer garments and put on a towel to become a servant, so each of us should have a servant’s attitude and minister to each other. True humility is described in Philippians 2:1–11. Humility is not demeaning ourselves and thinking poorly of ourselves. It is simply not thinking of ourselves at all!

We can never be submissive to each other until we are first submissive to God. Peter quoted Proverbs 3:34 to defend his point, a verse that is also quoted in James 4:6. It takes grace to submit to another believer, but God can give that grace if we humble ourselves before Him.

God resists the proud because God hates the sin of pride (Prov. 6:16–17; 8:13). It was pride that turned Lucifer into Satan (Isa. 14:12–15). It was pride—a desire to be like God—that stirred Eve to take the forbidden fruit. “The pride of life” is an evidence of worldliness (1 John 2:16). The only antidote to pride is the grace of God, and we receive that grace when we yield ourselves to Him. The evidence of that grace is that we yield to one another.

Submission is an act of faith. We are trusting God to direct in our lives and to work out His purposes in His time. After all, there is a danger in submitting to others; they might take advantage of us—but not if we trust God and if we are submitted to one another! A person who is truly yielded to God, and who wants to serve his fellow Christians, would not even think of taking advantage of someone else, saved or unsaved. The “mighty hand of God” that directs our lives can also direct in the lives of others.

The key, of course, is the phrase “in due time.” God never exalts anyone until that person is ready for it. First the cross, then the crown; first the suffering, then the glory. Moses was under God’s hand for forty years before God sent him to deliver the Jews from Egypt. Joseph was under God’s hand for at least thirteen years before God lifted him to the throne. One of the evidences of our pride is our impatience with God, and one reason for suffering is that we might learn patience (James 1:1–6). Here Peter was referring to words he heard the Master say: “For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted” (Luke 14:11).

One of the benefits of this kind of relationship with God is the privilege of letting Him take care of our burdens. Unless we meet the conditions laid down in 1 Peter 5:5–6, we cannot claim the wonderful promise of 1 Peter 5:7. The word translated “care” means “anxiety, the state of being pulled apart.” When circumstances are difficult, it is easy for us to be anxious and worried; but if we are, we will miss God’s blessing and become poor witnesses to the lost. We need His inward peace if we are going to triumph in the fiery trial and bring glory to His name. Dr. George Morrison said, “God does not make His children carefree in order that they be careless.”

According to 1 Peter 5:7, we must once and for all give all of our cares—past, present, and future—to the Lord. We must not hand them to Him piecemeal, keeping those cares that we think we can handle ourselves. If we keep “the little cares” for ourselves, they will soon become big problems! Each time a new burden arises, we must by faith remind the Lord (and ourselves) that we have already turned it over to Him.

If anybody knew from experience that God cares for His own, it was Peter! When you read the four Gospels, you discover that Peter shared in some wonderful miracles. Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law (Mark 1:29–31), gave him a great catch of fish (Luke 5:1–11), helped him pay his temple tax (Matt. 17:24–27), helped him walk on the water (Matt. 14:22–33), repaired the damage he did to the ear of Malchus (Luke 22:50–51; John 18:10–11), and even delivered Peter from prison (Acts 12).

How does God show His love and care for us when we give our cares to Him? I believe that He performs four wonderful ministries on our behalf. (1) He gives us the courage to face our cares honestly and not run away (Isa. 41:10). (2) He gives us the wisdom to understand the situation (James 1:5). (3) He gives us the strength to do what we must do (Phil. 4:13). And (4) He gives us the faith to trust Him to do the rest (Ps. 37:5).

Some people give God their burdens and expect Him to do everything! It is important that we let Him work in us as well as work for us, so that we will be prepared when the answer comes. “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee” (Ps. 55:22).¹

Casting all your care. Humility means that we do not have to bear our anxieties; we are told to “toss them over to him” (casting is a participle of attendant circumstance which assumes the imperative character of the main verb here). The two words for “care” in verse 7 must be distinguished: the first means anxieties, the second refers to the meticulous, personal concern God has about us. He is interested in us and willing to carry all our anxieties if we are willing to do what He wants us to do²\

The Greek word epirrhihipto, translated “casting,” is interesting because it means to roll something that will most likely roll back upon you. Have you found that after casting your care on the Lord, you feel okay for a day or two, but then the burden rolls right back on you? If so, know that’s the way of the Lord. Why? He wants us to stay in close touch with Him, and if we cast our care upon Him never to feel the pressure, the anxiety, the tension, the worry again, we would not be people who pray.

You see, the Father wants to do something bigger than merely taking our burdens from us. He wants to develop a relationship with us. Thus, the burdens and struggles that repeatedly roll upon us cause us to become linked to Him in continual prayer. That’s infinitely more important than the solution to the burden for which we were praying in the first place. So cast your care upon Him—and keep doing it over and over and over again, knowing how deeply He cares for you.³

II. The apostle, knowing that these Christians were already under very hard circumstances, rightly supposes that what he had foretold of greater hardships yet a coming might excite in them abundance of care and fear about the event of these difficulties, what the issue of them would be to themselves, their families, and the church of God; foreseeing this anxious care would be a heavy burden, and a sore temptation, he gives them the best advice, and supports it with a strong argument. His advice is to cast all their care, or all care of themselves, upon God. “Throw your cares, which are so cutting and distracting, which wound your souls and pierce your hearts, upon the wise and gracious providence of God; trust in him with a firm composed mind, for he careth for you. He is willing to release you of your care, and take the care of you upon himself. He will either avert what you fear, or support you under it. He will order all events to you so as shall convince you of his paternal love and tenderness towards you; and all shall be so ordered that no hurt, but good, shall come unto you,” Mt. 6:25; Ps. 84:11; Rom. 8:28. Learn, 1. The best of Christians are apt to labour under the burden of anxious and excessive care; the apostle calls it, all your care, intimating that the cares of Christians are various and of more sorts than one: personal cares, family cares, cares for the present, cares for the future, cares for themselves, for others, and for the church. 2. The cares even of good people are very burdensome, and too often very sinful; when they arise from unbelief and diffidence, when they torture and distract the mind, unfit us for the duties of our place and hinder our delightful service of God, they are very criminal. 3. The best remedy against immoderate care is to cast our care upon God, and resign every event to the wise and gracious determination. A firm belief of the rectitude of the divine will and counsels calms the spirit of man. We ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done, Acts 21:14.⁴

I would love to tell you what I think of Jesus,
Since I found in Him a friend so strong and true;
I would tell you how He changed my life completely,
He did something that no other friend could do.

No one ever cared for me like Jesus,
There's no other friend so kind as He;
No one else could take the sin and darkness from me,
O how much He cared for me.

All my life was full of sin when Jesus found me,
All my heart was full of misery and woe;
Jesus placed His strong and loving arms about me,
And He led me in the way I ought to go.

No one ever cared for me like Jesus,
There's no other friend so kind as He;
No one else could take the sin and darkness from me,
O how much He cared for me.

Ev'ry day He comes to me with new assurance,
More and more I understand His words of love;
But I'll never know just why He came to save me,
Till some day I see His blessed face above.

No one ever cared for me like Jesus,
There's no other friend so kind as He;
No one else could take the sin and darkness from me,
O how much He cared for me.

1 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, pp. 431–432). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

2 Hindson, E. E., & Kroll, W. M. (Eds.). (1994). KJV Bible Commentary (p. 2617). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

3 Courson, J. (2003). Jon Courson’s Application Commentary (p. 1577). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.

4 Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 2433). Peabody: Hendrickson.