The Perfect Letter

By Howard D. Chaney

The Perfect Letter. A commentary on Paul's Epistle to the Colossians. Scripture is meant to change culture, not culture to change Scripture. Christian inspiration should be the opposite of worldly motivation by unbelievers. Sense of understanding, or inspiration is to come from God, not from the world.

 

     Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).

 

Much has been written about the Bible. For the last few decades we've found anti-Christian books at the top of best-seller lists everywhere. Every spurious view is accepted by some. This includes works published by seemly respected scholars and authors. Unfortunately, it occurs in a culture where Christianity is supposed to be the dominant faith. In fact, it has been since the founding of our great country. So, it's ironic that Christian freedom is the reason for founding many places in Colonial America. Our protected liberties allow books and papers promoting alternatives to Christianity without retribution. We would not want anything different, as our freedom and liberties are privileges, and we don't want to ever lose them. Some authors assert the Bible is false and they refuse to admit that opposing opinions have any legitimacy. Such writers are often dogmatic about their views. They sensationalize or fictionalize anti-Christianity topics only to sell books. This makes the misinformation more widespread.

 

As you read The Perfect Letter — open your mind to Scripture and keep a check on your emotions! If you do, you'll feel challenged, even encouraged, maybe delighted and surprised. The historical viewpoints of Paul's teachings might trouble you and they might even offend. The intended purpose is to teach the Word of Truth, and, to show the reality of the gospel. As you learn Scripture and historical perspectives, they'll dispel errant religious teachings.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Berean Press Ministries
• Release date: Jun 18, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393975533

Book preview

Copyright © 2020 Howard D. Chaney and Rita Jo Chaney

All rights reserved.

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No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without express written permission from copyright holder. Permission is implied and hereby granted for brief or limited quotes. Please do not take part in, or encourage, piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s right. Purchase only authorized editions.

Scriptural references and quotations in this book are from the New King James Version (NKJV) copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publisher, unless noted otherwise. Used by permission.

First Print Edition, June 2020

ISBN: 978-13-9397-553-3 (Draft2Digital Electronic)

ISBN: 978-16-6351-756-2 (Hardback)

ISBN: 978-16-6351-760-9 (Paperback)

EAN: 2940163071500 (Barnes & Noble Electronic)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020910809

Cover design by Howard D. and Rita J. Chaney.

Cover Photo: Saint Paul Writing His Epistle, Valentin de Boulogne (1591–1632, oil on canvas, circa 1618/1620, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (BF.1991.4). De Boulogne, V. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Probably_Valentin_de_Boulogne_-_Saint_Paul_Writing_His_Epistles_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg. This file has been identified as being free of known restrictions under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my wife of fifty–one years, Rita, who with a gentle affection and patience of love has put up with more than any person in a marriage relationship should have. She is faithful and has remained by my side through all the good times and bad times of life, of which for her, there have been many more bad times. Her support most recently through my arrest, conviction, ten-year prison sentence, and now Supervised Release (probation) is unprecedented. She is my heart and my love. I can’t think of anyone better to spend a lifetime and an eternity. Here is something I read that at once reminded me of her.

It so magical those things you've made

To bring back my faith that almost fade

Now my life is a dream come true

It all began when I was loved by you

— Anonymous

This work is also dedicated to Chaplain Michael Cooper, who encouraged me to write this book when I had never given much thought about writing a religious book. His calmness imparted subtle encouragement and guided many at the Federal Correctional Institution where he has served as Chaplain. He was my boss while I worked at the prison Chapel and he calmed my assertive and sometimes pugnacious personality. Chaplain Cooper always made me think. He’s always ready to discuss any problems or just to lend an ear. I can’t think of anyone better suited as a prison Chaplain who has to deal with all kinds of conflicting duties.

Eat the Scripture bread in simplicity, just as you have it; and do not be disturbed if here and there you find a grain of sand, which the millstone may have suffered to pass. If the Holy Scriptures, which have been so often copied, were absolutely without variations, this would be so great a miracle that faith in them would be no longer faith.

— John Albert Bengel (1687–1752)

Contents

Special Thanks

There are so many people that I need to thank, and all had some part to play in this effort.

Brother Stephen Henry stood as a friend and brother in Christ for about eight years while I was in prison. He put up with me as a cellmate for some seven years. He encouraged, taught, preached, counseled, and challenged me and many others. He was instrumental in starting and setting up the Bastrop FCI Church of Christ in prison. God has found a special calling for Stephen and his work in the Kingdom.

My niece Susan and her husband Blake Moser have helped Rita and I so much though the years. They ferried Rita to visits at Bastrop when it was no longer practical for Rita to come alone. While I was in prison, they met every request I had for books, magazines, and other things. They continue to be supportive and a source of joy and comfort for Rita and me today.

Our neighbors and friends, M. L. and Pat Kirby. They were a source of comfort while I was in prison, since they helped Rita in countless ways. They are examples of what Christians should be and I have a debt to them both I’ll not ever be able to repay.

My thanks go to good friends Mike Adams, Tim Hohman, Randy Pickens, and Ric Steele for their friendship and valued support. Through the years, I worked with each of them on many engineering and construction projects and in various roles. Their loyalty in friendship is without question, but most especially they are supportive in their sustaining solace. Each of them, in their own way, are great examples of trustworthy and principled men, and all supplied me precious encouragement. Numerous times they held me up while I tried to push the rope.

Preface

Pretentious, isn’t it? Perfect is an exceptional claim about Paul’s book of Colossians. Although, it’s a good example of an excellent letter. Especially so when considering its purpose to strengthen and encourage the Colossians. Why is it perfect? There are many reasons, and after reading, I hope you’ll agree.

Paul’s opening is encouraging for his readers whom he shows sincere love. He reveals Christ’s preeminence while supplying doctrinal guidance. In chapter three, he gives careful instruction for Christians. So much so, one hardly notices the included imperatives. Finishing the uplifting message, Paul’s closing is worthy of the saints he addresses.

The Greek grammar and sentence organization supply a rich emphasis that the Colossian Christians needed, just as we do today. While reading the epistle, one presumes Paul chose his words with extreme care. I’m reminded by Peter’s words about Paul’s writings. There are some things in them that are hard to understand (2 Peter 3:16, ESV). Although it’s clear, Paul was not a lazy writer, but then that may be the nature of one guided by the Holy Spirit. 

What is perfection? Is it faultless or without equal? Is it possible? Some view it as something impossible to achieve. Today, the word has become overused. Paul’s organization, choice of words, and life lessons make the Colossian letter relevant and it has been so for two–thousand years. It is still so today. Yes, with the help of the Holy Spirit, Paul met the requirements of perfect writing, and Colossians is The Perfect Letter.

I love Scripture and want to warn you. If you are reluctant to read the Bible, then this book is not for you. I sincerely believe that we should use Scripture to interpret Scripture. Although, I use quotations from commentaries and other sources, including many references to early church writers. However, my ultimate goal is to teach with Scripture. The Perfect Letter abounds with Bible verse quotes and references. I would rather use Scripture to make the point than write an extensive parallel narrative.

As you read The Perfect Letter — open your mind to Scripture and keep a check on your emotions! If you do, you’ll feel challenged, even encouraged. Maybe delighted and surprised. The historical viewpoints of Paul’s teachings might trouble you and they might even offend. The intended purpose is to teach the Word of Truth, and, to show the reality of the gospel. As you learn Scriptural and historical perspectives, they’ll dispel errant religious teachings. If you’re grounded in the truth, you’ll be pleased and encouraged by Scripture’s reliability. If not, possibly The Perfect Letter will provoke more study of Scripture, and I pray obedience to the gospel plan of salvation.

Introduction

Historian Lionel Casson writes: The first two centuries of the Christian era were great days for a traveler. He could make his way from the shores of the Euphrates to the border between England and Scotland without crossing a foreign frontier... He could sail through any waters without fear of pirates, thanks to the emperor’s patrol squadrons. A planned network of good roads gave him access to all major centers, and the through routes were policed well enough for him to ride them with relatively little fear of bandits.[1]

Because of the Pax Romana (Roman Peace) of Emperor Augustus (27 BC — AD  14), such conditions prevailed when Paul traveled the Roman world. The philosopher Epictetus, in the early AD second century declared, There are neither wars nor battles, nor great robberies nor piracies, but we may travel at all hours, and sail from east to west.[2] Hyperbole? Most likely, yes. And perhaps written to appease the Emperor or his officials. But, what would it have been like to travel with Paul during this era of ancient history?

By the time of Emperor Diocletian (ca. AD 300), the Romans had built a marvelous network of over 53,000 miles of roads throughout the Empire primarily for military purposes. They were 10 to 12 feet wide and models of road construction and built to last. Plutarch, in his most notable work Bioi parallēloi (Parallel Lives), recounts the noble deeds and characters of Greek and Roman soldiers, legislators, orators, and officials. He lived in the mid to late AD first century (born AD 46, [Greece]—died after AD 119). He writes: The roads were carried through the country in a perfectly straight line and were paved with hewn stone and reinforced with banks of tight–rammed sand. Depressions were filled ...[3]

Yes, even so, traveling had its perils. The Roman inns during the time of Christ had a reputation so bad that rabbis wouldn’t even allow cattle to be left at them. Faced with such bad conditions, traveling Christians usually sought out other believers for hospitality.[4] Acts has several such examples.

Even with the Pax Roma of the Roman Empire, danger is still possible at every turn. The legions had their stations, patrols, and assignments and they were very good at keeping the peace in their assigned areas. These included expansion in Britannia (England) and fortifying northern Gaul (France) and, at times, they had revolts to put down. But dangers still existed.

Paul traversed from Jerusalem to Asia Minor, Greece, and Rome — some legends include Spain, Gaul, and Britannia. In 2nd Corinthians 11:23–29 Paul lists dangers they faced traveling. The dangers include multiple shipwrecks, adrift at sea, and hazardous river crossings. Even perils in cities, the wilderness, and at sea. Not to mention finding enough food, sleepless nights, cold, exposure, and sometimes unbearable heat. They faced highwaymen on remote stretches of road. They traveled through unprotected mountain passes and some roads little more than donkey tracks. If they survived the road dangers, the high passage taxes, tolls by city and local administrators and military, were common hinderances.

Traveling by sea also came with many perils. From Rome’s closest seaport, Ostia, to the port at Ephesus, ships passed through the Strait of Messina at the toe of the Italian boot. Once past there, they faced the possibility of Moorish and North African pirates. Once across the Ionian Sea, in Grecian waters and the Aegean Sea, pirates worked. The passengers faced marauders crossing the Aegean Sea where the hijackers hid among the many islands on the way to the Ephesian port. 

The ships were also dangerous, as they were often filthy and full of pests carrying diseases. They were extreme fire hazards because of their wooden construction using pitch (tar) for plank caulking and waterproofing. First–century ship passengers depended on the captain and crew for their honesty and ethical business acumen. The Mediterranean is famous for danger from sudden storms that can pop up. Plus, merchant ships were more gangly than the sleek Roman warships, so pirates of the Mediterranean could catch them.

Yes, the way could be dangerous for first–century travelers. But travel they did. Such were the conditions for those with Paul and those going to meet him, or those delivering Paul’s letters or messages. They traveled to spread the Gospel. These first–century travelers risked their lives, and all their possessions to spread the Gospel. This is a great example of God's providence working in the lives of mere men to spread Christianity and God's eternal salvation (Colossians 1:6).

Epaphras

Most likely, Epaphras[5] traveled to meet Paul at Rome to report about the Church at Colossae, which he planted (Colossians 1:7). He was with Paul in Rome when Paul wrote the Colossians epistle (Colossians 4:12) and the Philemon letter (Philemon 23). Perhaps the name Epaphroditus[6] is a Romanized version of Epaphras and is the same man that's sent to the Philippians. Paul had a lot of faith in Epaphras, a beloved fellow servant, and faithful minister of Christ (Colossians 1:7). Paul writes,

Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus (Philemon 23).

Epaphras was with Paul in Rome and a prisoner. We don’t know if he was serving as a physical prisoner or as a figure of speech, a prisoner in Christ. We know that Paul charged Tychicus with delivering the Colossian letter (Colossians 4:7) and the Ephesian letter.[7] He was with Paul when he wrote the letter addressed to Titus.[8] Onesimus,[9] the slave of Philemon went with him. 

Colossians

Colossians is the most Christ-centered epistle in the New Testament and is meant to enable us to clearly see what it means to be in Christ. No other book in Scripture focuses on the exaltation of Christ to the extent of Paul’s epistle to the Colossians. With its emphasis upon the supremacy of Christ, Colossians includes the very heart of the Christian message.

Ancient letter-writing followed a general formula: opening with greeting, thanksgiving, body, and closing. Each of these sections have distinct subsections and characteristics, and each serves an important function in delivering the message of the writer. Paul generally follows this formula in the Colossian Letter.

The Colossians letter also includes church instruction and personal life–lessons. David Lipscomb says that Paul wrote about three important concepts. They include the uniqueness of Christ’s personality, the completeness of His work, and the finality and perfection of His revelation.[10] Paul uses many methods to teach and most are straight–forward, such as positive instruction and commands. He also employs figures of speech, implication, and relative negation. In the book, we’ll look at each of these to determine how they fit into God’s Word.

To plagiarize somewhat archaic and formal phrasing from Gilbert K. Chesterton, found in his book, A Short History of England. One could question why I should choose, though upon a challenge, to write yet another commentary about Paul’s epistle to the Colossians. I make no pretense to scholarship, yet I am a member of the church, a lay person. The simple answer is, I learned just enough from my studies of Colossian commentaries two broad categories became clear. The first category includes scholarly treatises that I often find difficult to read. That is one reason I’ve studied koine Greek for the last seven years. The second category includes books portraying private opinions about Paul’s epistle that do not align with scriptural evidence. It’s rare these types of books quote from Scripture to prove their hypothesis and when they do, they misconstrue context. I pray this book will find a balance between those two extremes.

So, why another book about Paul's Colossian epistle? First, I have many lesson notes and other research, prepared while serving a ten–year prison sentence. The original preparation of the Colossians outlines took a little over two years. The notes started as sermon outlines for our little prison church. Second, after showing my outlines to the prison chaplain, Michael Cooper, he encouraged me to put them in book form as a commentary. I'd never thought much about authoring a book, much less a religious book or commentary! As someone with limited writing experience, I doubted my ability to do so. Third, to show God’s forgiveness which included my crimes (sins) against society. Even with the resulting consequences they supply valuable object lessons. They’re blended in the text, and hopefully, they’ll help understand some lesson points.

Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians reveals the Church of Christ, the body (Ephesians 1:23). Then in the Colossian letter, Paul unveils Christ as the Head of the Church (Colossians 1:18). Like the Ephesian letter, Paul evenly divides Colossians. Chapters 1 & 2 are full of rich doctrinal treatises and study materials. Chapters 3 & 4 show practical aspects of seeking things above, and Colossians 3:1 tells us Christ sits at the right hand of God. It includes beneficial instruction for full Christian living.

The Ephesian epistle parallels Colossians’ richness and wisdom. Although scholars differ about the time of writing, some noted scholars say about AD 59. According to Bruce Metzger, Paul writes Colossians in the 50s while he’s in prison. Ephesians, like Colossians, is also written in this same period. The letter is delivered to us by Paul as the writing instrument, guided by the Holy Spirit. I pray The Perfect Letter will give you a unique and reliable Scriptural glimpse into Paul's letter to the Colossians.

Part Two - The Word of God

Before we start the individual lessons (chapters),[11] it's important to clarify my views about the Bible and how Scriptures are used in this book. It is important to understand what motivates my writings.

Much has been written about the Bible. For the last few decades we’ve found anti-Christian books at the top of best-seller lists everywhere. Every spurious view is accepted by some. This includes works published by seemingly respected scholars and authors. Unfortunately, it occurs in a culture where Christianity is supposed to be the dominant faith. In fact, it has been since the founding of our great country. So, it’s ironic that Christian freedom is the reason for founding many places in Colonial America. Our protected liberties allow books and papers promoting alternatives to Christianity without retribution. We would not want anything different, as our freedom and liberties are privileges that we don’t want to lose. Some authors assert the Bible is false and they refuse to admit that opposing opinions have any legitimacy. Such writers are often dogmatic about their views. They sensationalize or fictionalize anti-Christianity topics only to sell books. This makes the misinformation more widespread.

View of Scripture

Peter tells Christians,

Be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you (1 Peter 3:15).

Therefore, if we believe Scripture, we must be familiar with the attacks against Christianity and be ready to defend our faith.

Jimmy Jividen in his book Inspiration and Authority of the Scriptures writes,

One’s view of the Scriptures determines his religious faith and practice. If he accepts the Scriptures as the inspired Word of God, then they are the source of his faith, the standard for his moral/ethical life, and the pattern for worship and service. If he rejects the Scriptures as being the inspired Word of God, then they become for him the words of men and are of no value in guiding his religious faith and practice.[12]

He goes on to write,

One chooses to believe because the biblical testimony fits his soul’s quest for fulfillment and the mind’s quest for understanding along with his observations from nature.[13]

This brings to mind a few important questions. What does the Word of God mean to you? Do you believe the Bible is inspired of God? Or, do you believe the Bible is merely a collection of stories written by men for moral teaching? The words of Jesus recorded in John say,

I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6).

If you do not believe the Bible is from God, then these words have no meaning for you. Think about that statement a moment. How does it apply to you? Do you believe in a life after death?

God Exists

I'm firm in my belief that God, through the Holy Spirit, inspired the men who wrote the Scriptures. Many books have been written about the subject. This includes both for and against His inspiration. It is not my intention to try and prove the Bible’s inspiration in this brief introduction space. But it is a good place to explain my view of Scripture and how that view has shaped this book. Perhaps it will help to motivate further study.

For anyone to believe the Bible to be true and inspired by God, we have to recognize God exists. The existence of God is a subject of much debate since the dawn of history. I believe there is overriding proof of God’s existence all around us in nature and the universe. Paul confirms this in Romans 1:20. John Moore in his book, Searching for Truth, presents information about the existence of God. He quotes William Paley, an eighteenth-century theologian. Paley is well known for his argument about the existence of God based on nature.

The works of nature want only to be contemplated. When contemplated, they have everything within them which can astonish by their greatness; for, of the vast scale of operation, through which our discoveries carry us, we see an intelligent Power. Every organized natural body, in the provisions which it contains for its sustentation and propagations, testifies a care on the part of the Creator. We are on all sides surrounded by such bodies; examined in their parts, wonderfully curious; compared with one another, no less wonderfully diversified. There is no subject of which, in its full extent, the latitude is so great, as that of natural history applied to the proof of an intelligent Creator (Natural Theology).[14]

Obviously, I believe the God of the Bible eternally exists. There are many proofs available to us today that show God is, although I’ve read about many objections. Perhaps I simply have taken the safe side of Pascal’s wager since we humans bet with our lives that God either exists or does not. This means that on some level each of us live our lives either trying to please God in some way showing we believe He exists. On the other side we live our lives as if He doesn’t exist or we don’t care. For me, I simply risk doing the greatest injustice by not acknowledging God and His revealed Word. This should motivate us to a greater study of God’s Word. Each of us must make our own choice.

Inspiration

Throughout our lives, most of us have heard many times, God inspired the Bible. Do we know what this means? There is a simple answer. Inspire comes from Latin roots and means to breathe upon or breathe into. If the Bible is inspired of God, then it means that God breathed His Word into the writers. There is even a Bible verse that says the very same thing. Paul writes to Timothy,

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Several translations actually say, All Scripture is God-breathed. I love this phrase and it is an all-important and profound statement. In fact, there are several verses in the Bible that tell us something similar. Yes, there is internal proof that the Bible is from God. Kyle Butt of Apologetics Press writes,

On average, the Bible claims that it is God’s Word a little over two times per page.[15]

We will not go through the myriad examples that brother Kyle discusses. But we will supply a simple list of the types of Biblical internal proof. These internal proofs include 1) Many prophecies that history shows have been fulfilled, 2) scientific knowledge given in the Bible has proven to be accurate, and 3) history shows the Bible is factually accurate.

If one doesn’t believe the Bible, the above claims will seem preposterous. This is especially true without stating proofs of the claims. Yet, if one has an interest in making a determination, the above three topics make a great study.

Look at these quotes from Apologetics Press,

No series of books in human history has maintained the supernatural consistency that is present within the pages of the Bible. From the first book of Genesis to the last book of Revelation, approximately 40 men penned individual treatises that combine to form the best-selling, most widely distributed, perfectly unified, flawlessly written book ever produced. Mere human genius never could have produced a work with such predictive prophecy, scientific foreknowledge, and overall factual accuracy. Common sense demands an adequate explanation. The only rational conclusion, which is in keeping with the evidence at hand, is that the Bible is given by inspiration of God.[16]

The Bible is also inerrant, that is, it is free of error. God used human beings to write the Bible, and in so doing, allowed them to leave their mark upon it, but without making any of the mistakes that human writings are prone to make. God made certain that the words produced by the human writers were free from the errors and mistakes characteristic of uninspired writers. This influence even extended to matters of science, geography, and history. Proof for the inspiration of the Bible is a separate and necessary inquiry. However, it is important that a person understand what the Bible means when it claims for itself inspiration.[17]

For me, God’s inspiration of the Bible is a given. The Bible is logical, concise, and succinct, which is one obvious proof of a divine origin. Oh, I know men can write in a concise and exact manner. In fact, that is a goal of mine. Since the Bible, written over a fifteen-hundred-year period, is clear and logically fits together. Would it be so, if written merely at the hand of man?

In Search of the Lord’s Way, a TV ministry of the Edmond Oklahoma Church of Christ publishes many resources. One such booklet, entitled Give Me the Bible,[18] includes four straight-forward and succinct lessons by Phil Sanders. Along with a brief synopsis, the four lessons about the Bible are:

INSPIRED - All Scripture is God-breathed and may truly be called God’s Word. Men of God spoke as the Holy Spirit moved them. We can trust the Word of God because we know the source is in God Himself.

TRUSTWORTHY - How do we know the word of God came to us in a form that was like the original? What about all those variants in Scripture? [T]his lesson [shows] how God’s word is true to its origin and is utterly trustworthy.

ALL-SUFFICIENT - God gave to us in the Bible all things that pertain to life and godliness, and we are not lacking anything that teaches us how to live and how to have eternal life. Because the word is all-sufficient, there is no need to change it in any way.

AUTHORITATIVE - Since Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth and His words recorded in Scripture will judge us in the last day, we know the Bible has authority over us in this life. We need to hear and to obey the revealed word of God.

Restoration

In America, the sublime Restoration Plea has been around for over two centuries. Yet, the idea has been practiced at various times and places since AD first century. Briefly it reads:

Let us speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible is silent. Let us call Bible things by Bible names and do Bible things in Bible ways. Let’s restore the church as it was in the days of the apostles.[19]

Another way of putting the Restoration Plea is restoring the church in its Biblical simplicity without added creeds of man, written doctrine, and modern denominational tenets. Books and commentaries are great to read and study. They can supply valuable insight, but we have to be careful as the Bible is all we really need. All materials we read must be compared to Scripture, just as the Bereans practiced (Acts 17:11). The intent is to follow the teaching and ideals of the New Testament. This is the church Jesus Christ built long before any denomination existed.

Therefore, the Restoration Plea requires a high view of Scripture. Scriptures are both inspired of God and infallible. That doesn’t mean that translations and scribes don’t make mistakes. They do, but the ideals and principles of the Bible have been passed down to us today intact.

Most people understand the Bible is the most produced book in the history of man. It is well documented as the best-selling book. It is also the most written about book compilation in history. There have been countless commentaries, manuscripts, dictionaries, histories, translations, web pages, videos, documentaries, tracks & brochures, and a myriad of publications. All these simple truths will help explain why I love reading and writing about Scripture. It is important to allow Scripture to interpret Scripture and not let our own bias shape our interpretations. Developing this mind set is difficult, but it is important for a better understanding of Scripture. This is my goal and is a great starting place to begin the study of Scripture.

Connection — Chapter One

Lesson Text: Colossians 1:1–8

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 4:1–6

Introduction

On January 7, 2010, the University of Texas (UT) and University of Alabama met for the 2009 season FBS[20] National Championship. Early in the game, UT's starting quarterback, Colt McCoy went down with an injury. The backup, Garrett Gilbert, a true freshman entered the game. Despite early turnovers, he played very well, but Texas lost.

Colt finished his career as an extraordinary collegiate football player. After the 2009 season, the most winning quarterback in NCAA history. He had 45 career victories and surpassed all other great college quarterbacks at that time. Colt held many statistical records at UT, won twenty–four national awards, and was a Heisman Memorial Trophy Finalist two times. Colt was the clear leader of a talented team. Yet with the team's loss of his quality leadership early in the game, the team struggled, at least before recovering in the second half to make a closer game.

Quarterbacks link or connect the team members and help focus their efforts. The quarterback directs the team on the field. He calls plays in the huddle which assign blocking and receivers' assignments. He reads keys and analyzes defenses. Hopefully he recognizes their alignments. Sometimes this results in an audible and changing the play at the line of scrimmage. A Quarterback hands off the ball or drops back to throw a pass and sometimes runs with the ball. He will even throw a rare block for another runner. With Colt going down to injury, the Longhorn’s offense lost their connection for a time, and it cost Texas a National Championship.

The Life Application Bible says the epistle of Colossians is a book of connections. In the letter, Paul stresses Christ's pre-eminence and deity. This includes His connection to God, and His sacrificial death on the cross. Paul also emphasizes our connection with Christ, other believers, and the Church. 

Paul’s Greetings

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:1–2).

As he often does, Paul begins his letter by asking God to pour out his grace and peace upon the Colossians. Here, Paul claims to be an apostle (apostolos)[21] [22]by the will of God and not by any personal aspirations. Paul often felt he needed to prove his credentials as chosen by Christ and sent out by God. Perhaps, this was because he was not one of the original twelve. Apostle means according