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The Colossian Christians must have felt at a lost when the Apostle Paul persuaded them not to be encumbered with ceremonial laws and rituals. Day in and day out, week after week of observing the Sabbath, strictly not even lifting a finger to light a fire, it must be quite a shock to change the routine. From a regimented life to one of liberty can be rather scary and confusing. To let go of something, something else must take its place. That something has to be more worthy and far superior.
These letters that the Apostle Paul wrote to the churches could constitute Christianity 101 – the foundation of Christian life. The Christians in Colossae needed to change in the way they live, relinquishing ritualistic practices that are mere form, and not substance. They needed to be taught that far more important are matters of the heart and the mind, rather than the rules on cleanliness and diet.
The heart is one’s seat of emotion – to whom are you loyal to, to whom is your allegiance and for whom you should die? If this aspect of commitment was not strongly established, it would not be possible to re-train (set) the Colossians’ mind to follow their new Master Jesus. Paul also taught this to the Romans: “But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance.” (Rom. 6:17)
It is with this allegiance that Paul wants the Colossians to re-train their minds on things above. JB Phillips describes it as “Give your heart to the heavenly things, not to the passing things of earth.” The Message tells us to “See things from His perspective.” In a subsequent passage, Paul will specifically detail what are the passing things and how to act and live in a way which is from Jesus’ perspective.
Ultimately the chief purpose is that Christians in Rome, Colossae and in our present day, will “be transformed by the renewing of the mind, (in order that we) will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will” (Rom. 12:2). We do this by the risen power of Christ the Lord and “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed“.
