Complete in Christ
Wholeness
They were to reflect on how they had received him, and that was to be a model for their present lives
2:7 The second statement describes the nature of their experience: “rooted and built up in him … strengthened in the faith.” Two metaphors combine to express their initial growth in Christ: “rooted” and “built up” in the faith. The one metaphor pictures sinking the roots of faith into the soil of Christian truth. The other calls to mind building on the foundation of faith. Although one metaphor comes from agriculture and the other from construction, together they make a strong point. This church had a firm basis for its faith and had built well upon it.
The third statement describing Colossian Christians is that they were “overflowing with thankfulness.” Paul frequently employed thankfulness as one of the litmus tests of Christian health. He assumed that Christians would live in an attitude of thankfulness for the many blessings bestowed upon them. By contrast, one of the first indicators of departure from God is a lack of thanksgiving (e.g., Rom 1:21ff.). The deep roots of the faith evidence themselves in an attitude of gratitude for both the initial experience of salvation and the continued sustaining of life.