Colossians 3.16a-Teaching Originating From and About Christ Must Continue to Dwell Abundantly Among the Colossians By Instructing Each Other
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday October 9, 2016
Colossians: Colossians 3:16a-The Teaching Originating From and About Christ Must Continue to Dwell Abundantly Among the Colossians By Instructing Each Other
Lesson # 89
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (NASB95)
“The word of Christ” is composed of the following: (1) noun logos (λόγος) (loe-goce), “the word” (2) proper name Christos (Χριστός), “Christ.”
The noun logos means, “teaching” and refers to the apostolic teaching communicated by Epaphras to the Colossian church which originated from and was about Jesus Christ was communicated to the church through the apostles by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The proper name Christos functions as a subjective genitive meaning the word functions semantically as the subject of the verbal idea implicit in the head noun logos indicating that this teaching belongs to Christ or it is His possession or originates from Christ.
It also functions as an objective genitive meaning that the word functions semantically as the direct object of the verbal idea implicit in the head noun logos indicating that this teaching is “about” the person and work of Christ on behalf of the Colossians as well as “about” their union and identification with Christ.
“Let richly dwell” is composed of the following: (1) verb enoikeō (ἐνοικέω) (in-noykehowe), “dwell” (2) adverb of manner plousiōs (πλούσιος) (ploo-see-oce), “richly.”
The verb enoikeō expresses the idea of the Word or teaching originating from and about Christ “living” or “residing” or “dwelling” among each of the faithful believers in Colossae.
The present imperative form of the verb enoikeō is a customary present imperative which expresses the idea that the teaching originating from and about Christ must continue to exist in a state of dwelling among each of the Colossians.
The adverb of manner plousiōs is used in a figurative sense modifying the verb enoikeō and means “richly, abundantly” in the sense that this teaching originating from and about Christ must exist in abundance among the Colossians as a result of applying this teaching in their relationships with each other.
“Within you” is composed of the following: (1) preposition en (ἐν), “in” (5) personal pronoun su (σύ), “you.”
The personal pronoun su refers to the faithful believers in Colossae as a corporate unit and is employed in a distributive sense emphasizing no exceptions.
It is the object of the preposition en which means “among” since it is functioning as a marker of a position within an area determined by other objects and distributed among such objects.
Therefore, this prepositional phrase indicates that Paul wants the teaching originating from and about Christ to continue to exist in a state of dwelling richly “among each and every one” of the Colossians.
“Teaching” is the verb didaskō (διδάσκω) (dee-dah-skoe), which speaks of “providing authoritative instruction” in the Word of God in an informal setting since it is not referring to the function of the pastor-teacher like Epaphras but the function of the Colossians amongst each other (cf. Heb. 5:12).
The verb didaskō is functioning as a nominative in simple apposition meaning it is defining how the teaching originating from and about Christ was to continue to exist in a state of dwelling richly among each of the Colossians.
The participle form of this verb didaskō is a participle of means which explains or defines for the reader the means by which the teaching originating from and about Christ was to dwell richly among the Colossians.
The present tense of this verb didaskō is a customary present which indicates that the teaching originating from and about Christ was to continue to habitually dwell richly among each of the Colossians by each of them “making it their habit of” providing each other instruction in the gospel.
“And admonishing one another” is composed of the following: (1) conjunction kai (καί), “and” (2) verb noutheteō (νουθετέω) (new-theh-teh-owe), “admonishing” (3) reflexive pronoun heautou (ἑαυτοῦ) (how-ooo-too), “one another.”
The verb noutheteō means “to provide instruction as to correct behavior” and speaks of the Colossians “providing instruction” for each other “with regards to proper Christian conduct.”
The verb noutheteō is functioning as a nominative in simple apposition meaning it is also defining for the Colossians how the teaching originating from and about Christ was to continue to exist in a state of dwelling richly among each of the Colossians.
The participle form of this verb noutheteō is a participle of means which explains or defines for the reader how the teaching originating from and about Christ was to dwell richly among the Colossians.
The present tense of this verb noutheteō is a customary present used to signal a regularly occurring action.
This would indicate that the teaching originating from and about Christ was to continue to exist in a state of dwelling richly among each of the Colossians by each of them “making it their habit of” providing each other instruction in the gospel with regards to proper Christian behavior.
The reflexive pronoun heautou refers to the Colossians and emphasizes the action of instructing each other in the gospel with regards to proper Christian conduct.
The conjunction kai is used to connect together the verbs noutheteō and didaskō in order to form the figure of hendiadys indicating that the verbs didaskō and noutheteō are not referring to two different concepts but rather one with the noutheteō specifying the meaning of didaskō.
Colossians 3:16 The teaching originating from and about the one and only Christ must continue to exist in a state of dwelling abundantly among each and every one of you. Each of you must execute this command by continuing to make it your habit of providing instruction, specifically by providing instruction for one another with regards to proper conduct. Each of you must provide this instruction by means of a wisdom which is absolute, by means of psalms, hymns, spiritual songs. Each of you must execute the command by continuing to make it your habit of singing with gratitude with your entire being for the benefit of God the Father. (My translation)
The apostle Paul solemnly issues the Colossians another command which required that the teaching originating from and about the one and only Christ must continue to exist in a state of dwelling richly or abundantly among each of them.
Colossians 1:3-5 and 2:5 affirm the Colossians were already obeying this command and thus, Paul is performing preventative maintenance by issuing this solemn command.
This teaching of Christ refers to the apostolic teaching communicated by Epaphras to the Colossian church which originated from and was about Jesus Christ and was communicated to the church through the apostles by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Notice this teaching originates from and is about Jesus Christ.
The teaching originating from Christ would of course be a reference to His teaching to love one another as He loves but also notice, it is about Christ as well.
This is a reference to the doctrines pertaining to the person and work of Jesus Christ on the cross and also refers to the teaching about the Colossians’ union and identification with Christ.
This interpretation is supported by Paul’s teaching in Colossians 1:15-20 and 2:9-10, in which he instructs the Colossians regarding the person of Christ and specifically that He is the God-Man and the Creator and Sovereign over all of creation and every creature and Head of the church or ruler of the church.
In Colossians 1:13-14, he teaches that the Colossians were redeemed by Christ and have the forgiveness of sins as a result.
Then, in Colossians 2:14-15, Paul teaches the Colossians that Christ reconciled them to a holy God by means of His death on the cross which also defeated Satan.
In Colossians 2:11-12 and 3:1-4, Paul exhorts the Colossians that they must continue appropriating by faith their union and identification with Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father.
He reminds them in Colossians 1:27 that they are indwelt by Christ.
Notice, my translation of the prepositional phrase ἐν ὑμῖν is not “in” or “within” you but rather “among” each of you.
Some interpreters argue for the former viewing the individual application based upon the parallelism with the phrase ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν, “in your hearts” in Colossians 3:15.
However, the participles and the prepositional phrases which follow this command in Colossians 3:16 clearly emphasize the worship of the Colossians as a corporate unit.
He wants the Colossians to put the teaching originating from Christ and that which is about the person and work of Christ to be front and center with regards to their corporate meetings to worship Christ.
Then, in Colossians 3:16 Paul defines for the Colossians how this teaching originating from and about the one and only Christ was to continue to exist in a state of dwelling richly among each of the Colossians.
This teaching was to dwell richly among them by each of them providing each other with instruction in the gospel.
This instruction refers to providing authoritative instruction in the Word of God in an informal setting since it is not referring to the function of the pastor-teacher like Epaphras nor is it describing the function of the pastor or Paul’s function as a communicator of the gospel as in Colossians 1:28.
Rather, Paul is addressing the function of the Colossians amongst each other (cf. Heb. 5:12).
Paul gets even more specific in the sense that he wants the teaching of the one and only Christ to continue to exist in a state of dwelling richly among each of the Colossians by each of them providing each other with instruction in the gospel with regard to proper Christian conduct.
In other words, they were to hold each other accountable for their behavior and their guide and judge would be the gospel of Jesus Christ.