Old Testament Bible Essay - the Resurrection

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When Paul was converted by Jesus on the road to Damascus, he was changed forever. The Lord gave Paul an understanding of the Christian Faith that seemed to far exceed that of most people during that time. His teachings were not only new and dug down deeper into the theology behind the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but of living the Christian Faith altogether. This could not have been easy for Paul due to the fact that most of the people Paul ministered to were converts to Christianity from other religious backgrounds. Now one can only imagine how someone would view the resurrection of Jesus Christ if they had no prior knowledge of his existence or what the meaning of the resurrection is to the followers of Jesus Christ. This would be especially true back in the First Century A.D. when the beliefs of many ancient pagan gods were practiced at the fullest degree. Gods such as: Apollo and Zeus (known as Jupiter to the Romans) in the Greek and Roman cultures. Judaism was very widely practiced and preached amongst these cultures as well. These were all cultures that Paul found himself among throughout his twenty-one years of missionary travels from Jerusalem through modern day Greece, all the way up to Rome, the capitol of the Roman Empire. The Colossian people were one of these groups.

Colosse was starting to be overrun by false teachings and things that are not of Christ, so Paul decided to write a letter to the Colossian believers giving them instruction on how to live a life alive in Christ. Paul could not put enough emphasis on the fact that Christ is a supreme and “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” (Colossians 1:15, NIV). He went on to discuss the magnificence of Jesus and how his Gospel, which translates to “Good News”, is why he became an apostle for Christ and his teachings. Jesus brings life to all of his followers through his death; Christians have been made new and holy in the sight of the Lord (See Colossians 1:22, NIV). If it were not for Christ sacrificing his life on the cross, all of God’s people would not be saved from their transgressions, but rather be facing the sentence of death for all of our wrong doings. Christ was God in human form and Paul really wanted to push this point to the Colossians to help them see that Christ’s sacrifice of his life was truly an act of grace that saves his people from the horrors of this world. It is by Christ’s death that Christians are no longer bound by the rights and wrongs and dos and don’ts of this world and the “Old Law” (See Colossians 2:16-23). Instead Christians are made one in Christ. When Christ died, his believers died as well. When Christ rose from the dead, his believers were also raised again; being born again and made new but Christ’s resurrection. “Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:12-14, NIV). That verse says it perfectly; we are made alive in Christ and forgiven of all of our sins.

That is what Paul is teaches through the Gospel of Christ, that we are all saved from sin and death in this life so that we may inherit the Kingdom of God. We have been reborn with Christ, not physically, but spiritually. Paul writes in Colossians 3 about how we are to live as someone who has been made alive in Christ. Christians are supposed to rid themselves of all things that will cause them to stumble (See Colossians 3:5-8, NIV). Instead, Christians are to live in holy union with the Lord through good deeds and a pure heart. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians 3:12, NIV). In all things, Christians are instructed to love one another and to let that be the foundation for the Christian Faith. For without love, there is nothing we can do that truly matters. Paul is a big advocate on the love that Christians should have for not only one another, but also for nonbelievers as well. He writes in many of his letters the importance of love and how we all should show the love that Christ showed for everyone. We are to live by Christ’s example and not let the cares of this world worry us, but have faith that he will guide our paths through life.

In the Book of John, the author is writing to an audience who needs proof that Jesus was the true Messiah and Son of God. John, being physically present at not only the trial and crucifixion but also witnessed Jesus after his resurrection and his ascension in to Heaven. Paul, on the other hand, is writing to a group of people who are believers in Christ that he has taught before during is missionary travels. However, the people Paul is speaking to are in a very diverse city that has many different forms of religious practices throughout it. With that being the case, they have seemed to stray away from and lost sight of what their true foundation in following Christ is. Even to this day, we study the words of Paul and derive our beliefs of Jesus and the meaning of his resurrection in the church today. It is important for Christians to take away from Paul’s message that we are free of the old laws and are bound together with Christ. We are not justified by our works, but are justified by our faith and belief in Jesus Christ. Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:8 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” We must remember that we are made alive in Christ and his resurrection; without it we would all be condemned to death in this world. But remember what Christ said, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33) It also important to remember a verse from Colossians that Paul gave us instruction, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17).

References

New International Version (December 2014) Retrieved from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians

The Holy Bible, New International Version (1973, 1978, 1984) International Bible Society

Zondervan (2005) Archaeological Study Bible Grand Rapids, Michigan: The Zondervan Corporation

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