1For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, 3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. 5For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. (Col. 2:1-5 ESV)
Paul had a great struggle for Colossians and Laodiceans and for all who have not seen him face to face. This may sound like a stretch, because it is already quite a feat to struggle for those whom one can see face to face, yet Paul claimed he had cared and contended for all those he had not even seen face to face? Who are these people? They are the likes such as Colossians and Laodiceans whom Paul did not know personally, and who came to faith in Christ through Paul’s labor elsewhere. Paul knew he was set apart by God to be a spiritual guide to the Gentiles. (Rm. 1:1) Through his teaching, he would lead many to enter the mystery of God. With such confidence, he knew there would be always people following after him that he would never be able to meet face to face, including people throughout generations studying his epistles. The first qualification for a good guide is care for his followers, so that he could guild every one of them safely home. As minister of the mystery of God, Paul is guiding others onto a spiritual journey. A good guide has three qualifications. The first of these is to struggle for the benefit of his followers, and for whom Paul did not let them down.
Paul struggled in order to encourage his followers. The encouragement comes from three directions: love, riches, and knowledge. Paul chose all three nouns with boundless capacity, and each begs for an invitation to explore. They are the invitation to knit together in ever greater love, the invitation to become richer in assurance and understanding, and the invitation to increase the knowledge of God’s mystery. These three are not independent of each other but they grow in unison. Like a troika pulled by three horses abreast, the three horses must move at the same pace. If someone thinks he knows a lot about Christ, or has great faith, yet could not get along with people, his knowledge is not true knowledge of Christ and his faith is questionable. The comprehensive expression of the greatest love and foundational faith and mystery of God is Christ. In every way, Christ becomes our goal in life. The second qualification of a good guide is knowing the way. He must have a keen sense of orientation and be able to lead the lost back on track. On this point Paul proved himself with well-balanced teaching that he may present his followers complete before Christ.
The third qualification for a good guide is that he must not bear with false guides who lead others to destruction. Paul knew there will be false guides who delude people with plausible arguments. These counterfeits often come up with innovative ideas and secret knowledge that promise an easy and shorter route to the destination. But all treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ, and Christ in the church. God hides with a purpose of sending all His children into a treasure hunt in Christ. For all the love and faith one found in Christ, there is no way he can transfer to another. Therefore, a good spiritual guide would guide our attention to Christ, and project our effort towards the church, and lead us to love one another. This qualification can serve as a test for revival meetings popular in modern times. If you come back from such a meeting and begin to despise your small flock and admire those glamorous church with celebrity pastor, you have gained nothing from such a revival. Because true knowledge in Christ cannot be contained in mind alone but must result in the firmness of our faith within, and our good order without. Paul often warned his followers about false teachings, because he is a good guide.
Though Paul was absent in body, yet present with his followers in spirit, regardless of their separation in space and time. Because besides the three qualifications for a good guide, there is one more qualification exclusively reserved for spiritual guide, that he would constantly pray for his followers. Through his prayers, Paul struggled for all who have not seen him face to face. This letter, and indeed all Pauline epistles, are the fruits of his prayers. Prayers also enabled Paul rejoicing as if he could see in his prayers that the Colossians were encouraged under his guidance. A spiritual guide can thus communicate with his followers in spirit with physical separation. This is real life experience for those who are separated by mountains but moved with one Spirit. This is one of the treasures hidden in Christ for those who devote themselves to prayers. Between these lines, Paul indeed left a superb example for all who aspires to become spiritual guide in Jesus Christ.
Prayer: O Lord! Thank you for the spiritual guides you sent our way. May we not only run after them with endurance but become such a guide ourselves and lead many lost souls into eternal bliss!
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