Colossians 3.15a-The Peace Produced by the Teaching of Christ Must Continue to Habitually Rule within the Hearts of the Colossians
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday September 18, 2016
Colossians: Colossians 3:15a-The Peace Produced by the Teaching of Christ Must Continue to Habitually Rule within the Hearts of the Colossians
Lesson # 86
Colossians 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. (NASB95)
Not translated by the NASB95 is the conjunction kai which means “consequently, so then” since the word is functioning as a marker of result meaning it is introducing a command which is the result of obeying the commands and prohibitions in Colossians 3:5-14.
“The peace of Christ” is composed of the following: (1) noun eirēnē (εἰρήνη), “the peace” (3) proper name Christos (Χριστός), “Christ.”
The noun eirēnē (aye-raynay) means “peace” and refers to the peace which will be produced in the hearts of the Colossians by the teaching of Christ which is communicated by Paul’s Spirit inspired teaching in Colossians 3:5-14.
The proper noun Christos (Kree-stoce) contains the figure of metonymy meaning that the person of Christ is put for His teaching which Paul communicated in Colossians 3:5-14.
This is strongly suggested by the content of Paul’s teaching in Colossians 3:16 in which he commands the Colossians to continue making it their habit of letting the Word of Christ richly dwell within them.
Christos is also functioning as a genitive of production meaning it produces the noun to which it stands related which in our context is eirēnē which would indicate that this peace is “produced by” Jesus Christ’s teaching which Paul communicated by the power of the Spirit in Colossians 3:5-14.
“Let rule in your hearts” is composed of the following: (1) verb brabeuō (βραβεύω), “let rule” (5) preposition en (ἐν), “in” (6) noun kardia (καρδία), “hearts” (7) personal pronoun su (σύ), “your.”
The verb brabeuō (bra-bueowe) means “to control, to rule” since the word pertains to controlling the activity of someone, based presumably upon correct judgment and decision.
The idea suggested by this word in Colossians 3:15 is that of the Colossians letting the teaching of Jesus Christ govern and decide their actions.
Therefore, by obeying the commands and prohibitions which the apostle Paul issued them in Colossians 3:5-14, and which originate from Jesus Christ, the Colossians’ actions with regards to each other would be governed by the Lord Jesus Christ.
The present imperative form of the verb brabeuō is a customary present imperative which indicates that the peace produced by Christ’s teaching must continue to habitually rule within the hearts of the Colossians.
This interpretation of the present imperative is supported by Paul’s teaching in Colossians 1:3-5 and 2:5 which affirm the Colossians were already obeying the commands in this epistle.
The noun kardia means “heart” referring specifically to the hearts of the faithful Christians in Colossae, Laodicea and all those who had never met Paul personally.
The word denotes that aspect of the soul, which circulates thought or mental activity and is where one’s frame of reference and memory center resides and is also the place where one’s vocabulary and the classification of thoughts reside as well as the conscience where the norms and standards reside.
A person’s entire mental attitude circulates in the kardia as well as the subconscious where various categories of things that shock or impress from adversity, sin, failure or disappointment are located.
Also, it contains the volition, which enables a person to make decisions.
Colossians 3:15 Consequently, the peace produced by the teaching of the one and only Christ must continue to habitually rule within your hearts. For which purpose, each and every one of you were effectually called into union with one body. Therefore, each and every one of you must continue to make it your habit of being characterized by thankfulness. (My translation)
The command which the apostle Paul issues in Colossians 3:15 is the result of obeying the commands and prohibitions in Colossians 3:5-14 or in other words, verse 15 is presenting the logical result of abandoning the sins listed in Colossians 3:5-9 and practicing the godly virtues presented in Colossians 3:10-14.
Now, in Colossians 3:15, Paul reminds the Colossians that the peace produced by the teaching of the one and only Christ must continue to habitually rule within their hearts which would be equivalent to obeying the commands and prohibitions of Colossians 3:5-14.
Obedience to this teaching will not only produce peace in the hearts of the Colossians but also produce peace among themselves.
The command in Colossians 3:15 is the logical result of obeying the commands and prohibitions in Colossians 3:5-14 or in other words, it is presenting the logical result of living as one who has stripped off the old Adamic sin nature and has put on the new Christ nature.
Thus, when Paul issues this command in Colossians 3:15, he is inferring that it is equivalent to them continuing to obey the commands and prohibitions he issues them in Colossians 3:5-14.
In other words, obeying this command in Colossians 3:15 is tantamount or equivalent to living in a manner which is consistent with having stripped off the old Adamic sin nature and having putting on the new Christ nature.
This peace Paul mentions in Colossians 3:15 is a peace which will be produced in the hearts of the Colossians by the teaching of Christ which is communicated by Paul’s Spirit inspired teaching in Colossians 3:5-14.
If they continue to obey this teaching, then they will continue to experience this peace of mind.
By obeying the commands and prohibitions which the apostle Paul issued them in Colossians 3:5-14, and which originate from Jesus Christ, the Colossians’ actions with regards to each other would be governed by the Lord Jesus Christ and Paul’s teaching originates with Jesus Christ.
The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to communicate the teaching of Jesus Christ in this Colossian epistle.
Therefore, by obeying Paul’s Spirit inspired teaching in Colossians 3:5-14, the peace produced by this teaching originating from Christ would rule within their hearts.
This peace is thus the production not only of Christ’s teaching but the Spirit as well since the Spirit communicates this teaching of Christ to the believer.
The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to produce Christ-like character in the believer (Galatians 5:22-23; Philippians 2:13).
Therefore, obedience to this command in Colossians 3:15 would produce one of the manifestations of the fruit of the Spirit, namely peace (Gal. 5:22-23).
By exercising faith in the Spirit inspired apostolic teaching of the apostle Paul which resulted in obedience to the Spirit inspired commands and prohibitions of this teaching, the Colossians were being filled or more accurately influenced by the means of the Spirit (Eph. 5:18).
Ephesians 5:18 And do not permit yourselves to get into the habit of being drunk with wine because that is non-sensical behavior, but rather permit yourselves on a habitual basis to be influenced by means of the Spirit. (Author’s translation)
This obedience also constitutes obeying the command to let the Word of Christ richly dwell in your soul (cf. Col. 3:16).
Obeying the Spirit’s teaching in the Word of God which constitutes being filled with the Spirit is synonymous with the command in Colossians 3:16 to let the Word of Christ richly dwell in your soul since both produce the same results and the Spirit inspired the Scriptures.
This obedience enables the Spirit to reproduce the character of Christ in the believer and of course the love of God.
Paul in Romans 8:5-6 is in effect, describing how to be filled with the Spirit, which is commanded of the believer in Ephesians 5:18.
This command in Colossians 3:15 is a reminder like many of the commands and prohibitions in the Colossian epistle since Paul’s teaching in Colossians 1:3-5 and 2:5 affirms the Colossians were already obeying the commands and prohibitions in this epistle.
The peace of God is accomplished in the believer in three stages: (1) Positionally: The believer has peace with God because of their eternal union and identification with Jesus Christ, which they received through faith alone in Christ alone. (2) Experientially: The believer can experience the peace of God by being obedient to the Word of God. (3) Perfective: The believer is guaranteed that they will experience permanently the peace of God in a resurrection body.
By “positionally” I mean that God views the believer as being at peace with Him as a result of faith in Christ and their eternal union with His Son, which sets up the “potential” to experience this peace in time.
It also sets up the “guarantee” or experiencing permanently this peace when the believer receives their resurrection body.
After conversion, experiencing the peace of God is only a “potential” since it demands obedience to God whereas the believer is “guaranteed” that they will experience the peace of God permanently in a resurrection body.
When the believer is obeying the Spirit’s voice, which is heard through the communication of the Word of God, they enable the Holy Spirit to reproduce the peace of God in them.
Therefore, reproducing the peace of God in the believer is one of the objectives of God the Holy Spirit in the process of experiential sanctification and is thus produced by Him (Galatians 5:22-23).
The peace of God is also produced in the believer by the Holy Spirit when the believer goes to the Father in prayer in order to worship and adore Him and to present their needs and concerns in life (Philippians 4:6-7).