KNOWLEDGE IS KEY

Currently I am diving into Paul's letter to the Colossians. And killing two birds with one stone.

1) I am preaching a series on it. (Started officially last week.)

2) It is the key text for my dissertation. 

One of the big themes of the letter is proper Learning/Knowledge and its role in discipleship. 

From the opening lines of the letter, Paul speaks of the gospel "bearing fruit and growing" among the brothers at Colossae and how that growth started "the day you heard and understood the grace of God in truth". (Col 1:6)

When Paul prays for these believers, he asks God "to fill [them] with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding". (Col 1:9) 

Paul proclaims Christ with an eye to "admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom". Why? "So that we may present everyone perfect in Christ." (Col 1:28) 

He says his purpose is "that they may have the full riches of complete understanding". (Col 2:2)

He warns against being taken captive "through hollow and deceptive philosophy" (Col 2:8) and against basing actions on "human commands and teachings". (Col 2:22) 

And when Paul urges the Colossians to put off the old self with its practices, they are to replace it with the new self which is being renewed "in knowledge in the image of its Creator".

All this is very interesting in light of the original cause of all humanity's trouble was Adam and Eve eating from the "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil". 

There is symmetry here. 

Our downfall resulted from forbidden knowledge. Our restoration is completed through God-given knowledge. 

A few weeks back, I observed that many speak of the Church as a body, an army, a bride, or a hospital among other metaphors - but nobody ever compares it to a school. Why not?