We’re continuing our walk through Paul’s letter to the Colossian church. If you remember, this is a church that Paul never visited personally. It was established by his spiritual son, Epaphras.

In my last post, Paul talked about his desire to see all believers rise up to their full potential in Christ. The last verse we looked at in chapter 1 actually ties in to the first verse of chapter 2.

To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally.

Colossians 1:29-2:1 NIV

In both of these verses, he talks about how he is struggling. That’s an important word. Unfortunately, in the English language there are many kinds of struggling.

You could be struggling, climbing a mountain. You could be a soldier in a war against a bitter enemy. There are so many different ways you could interpret this.

The Greek language, however, gives us a clear picture of what Paul is referring to. This word, struggling, comes from a root word that means a gathering place, such as an arena.

So, this is a struggle that would take place in an arena. It’s a public spectacle like a boxing match or a race. It’s about struggling for a prize.

So, what’s the prize that Paul is struggling for? I’m glad you asked! It’s what every church leader should be striving toward. And, actually, it may take me a couple of posts to explain it.

My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Colossians 2:2-3 NIV

This passage is full of important truth. Let’s start with the phrase, encouraged in heart and united in love. These are not two separate things – there’s no “and” between them in the original Greek verse.

The word, encouraged, means to be called together. It’s an invitation to join a group. They’re being called to one place, for one purpose.

There’s a clear reason for this call. The original says that it’s for their hearts to be united in love. Again, this needs an explanation in the English language.

The words that Paul uses literally mean that he wants their hearts to be compacted or coalesced together. He wants them mixed together in such a way that they form one whole.

Think of it this way. If you’re making a cake, you get many different ingredients. You have flour, milk, eggs, oil, and flavoring. But then, you have to blend them all together until they coalesce into one finished bakery item.

That’s what Paul is looking to accomplish in the church. Trust me, anyone in church leadership can tell you that this process is a struggle. It requires all the people involved to submit themselves to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

And this is only the first part of the prize Paul is aiming for. In my next post, I’ll continue with this thought.

Question: How well is your heart united with your fellow believers?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi