Notes on Colossians

I am currently reading through Colossians, and this morning there were a few things that struck me as I read 1:24-2:5.

• Paul is a very wordy person. He likes parenthetical statements, even if the publishers/editors didn't put them in parentheses. That's not deep or profound, but it struck me.
• As a pastor, I am called to be a steward of the people God has placed in my care. (vs. 25). I am also called to warn & teach people, with the goal of presenting them to God as mature (vs. 28) They still have to respond to the call, but I've got to do my part.
  
• There is a great paradox in pastoring: I am to "struggle" and "toil," (vs. 29), yet I'm doing so with the energy that I am receiving from God, that He is generously and powerfully giving to me.
• "Riches" for Paul are all about knowing Christ - not just head knowledge about Him, but knowing Him intimately as a brother and friend (vs. 27 & 2-3).

Colossians is a book rich in amazing truths about Christ. I'm enjoying reading through it again. Shari and I, as well as many people who were at GHC at the time, still remember Pastor Doug taking forever to go through this book. Yet we also remember the theme better than almost any book of the Bible: "He's (Christ's) Number 1!" Good stuff.